air intake reccommendations?

My daughter just bought a '96 GS Spyder Convertible. It needs some minor TLC cosmetically, but when we bought it 'as is' we knew it needed a new air box.

After doing just a little bit of research I figure I'll get an air intake kit. Don't need anything sporty or fancy.... it's just for her use while away at college.

The owner who sold the car to us said that they'd bought an air intake kit before but had to return it because it was too short and she didn't have anyone to put it on for her.

So, that's about all I know about the car.
Any advice on what air intake kit to get based upon experience?
I've seen them advertised between $35 - $400. That's a wide discrepancy!
She won't be tearing up the mean streets... at least she'd better not!

P.S. The car will sometimes stall while in standstill traffic. The prev. owner said that should disappear once the air box / air intake is on? Sounds plausable... but this is the 1st Mitsubishi vehicle I've owned.

When it stalls is it like a slow quiet stall or does it sound like it might be missing when is stalls? Could be PCV needing replaced, only a couple dollars for a new one, or it could be a spark related issue... The first thing I do when I get a car that is used or has higher miles on it is the basic maintenance on it. Air filter, oil and filter, check all fluids, sometimes new plugs and wires if they look like they need it and sometimes the PCV.

As far as intakes go, there shouldn't be anything special about the high dollar ones. I would just use a pretty basic cold air intake pipe matched with a nicer filter like a K&N cone filter. I'm not sure how the 420a motor meters air though. If it uses a MAF sensor by the filter or if it uses a MAP sensor in the intake. If it is a MAP sensor then you can use any of those intake pipes. If it uses a MAF sensor near the filter then make sure you get a pipe that will utilize the factory sensor or has an adapter ring for the MAF housing.

Hope this helps ya out!

420s do not have a MAF. Map in on intake manifold.

Don't the Spyders have the 4g63/4g64 NT in them anyways? If so, then it has a MAF

420s do not have a MAF. Map in on intake manifold.

Don't the Spyders have the 4g63/4g64 NT in them anyways? If so, then it has a MAF

That's what I wasn't sure of... Only GST spyders had the 4g63... Not sure if all the others had the 4g64 in them or if the 420a was also a factor...

That's what I wasn't sure of... Only GST spyders had the 4g63... Not sure if all the others had the 4g64 in them or if the 420a was also a factor...

I'm 99.9% sure that all Spyders used some sort of 4g.

Thanks for all the good info.

I'm new to this "air intake" stuff. We bought the car for my daughter and I'm really not interested in modding it to get more power. She's taking it to college and I hope it sits there a lot... :nono:

I see ebay items for the air intake tubes. Some are different lengths and look like they twist different ways. It's all a mystery to me, but every post I've read says it's a simple bolt on operation so I really don't feel like paying a mechanic to do it for me.

So here's more info on my particular situation. The hose is still attached, but the air box is gone. There is a hole where it looks like the square box housing would screw into it. I'll include photos. So do I need to buy an air intake system or do I just need to buy a fitment and filter that will bolt right on to the existing housing? something like this (link) (http://www.carid.com/1996-mitsubishi-eclipse-air-intakes/weapon-r-afm-adapter-122335.html)?

If I go with just bolting on the filter without the new tube, what about the sensor's that used to read data from the air box, etc...? What happens with them?

Thanks for all the help!

Well that looks like the same MAF the 4g63 uses... If it is... You should be able to use this adapter instead and save yourself some cash from the price of the one you showed us. Should be the same...

http://www.dsmparts.com/customer/product.php?productid=695&cat=4&bestseller=Y

Then I would match it up with a K&N filter that fits that adapter. Here is one that will fix the inlet size and it doesn't look like you have much room for a long filter so I picked a shorter one.

http://www.summitracing.com/parts/KNN-RU-3110/?rtype=10

Hope all this helps ya!

Well that looks like the same MAF the 4g63 uses... If it is... You should be able to use this adapter instead and save yourself some cash from the price of the one you showed us. Should be the same...

http://www.dsmparts.com/customer/product.php?productid=695&cat=4&bestseller=Y

Then I would match it up with a K&N filter that fits that adapter. Here is one that will fix the inlet size and it doesn't look like you have much room for a long filter so I picked a shorter one.

http://www.summitracing.com/parts/KNN-RU-3110/?rtype=10

Hope all this helps ya!

Yes. This helps so much. But still... what about the sensors... Will the system malfunction without them plugged in? Or (maybe this is obvious) do those sensors plug in somewhere in the existing assembly I already do have?

Are you talking about the MAF? It has to stay there to meter the air properly. Where you are missing the filter, there is usually a very restrictive air box there. Switching to an open element filter allows it to breath much better. I wouldn't worry too much about replacing the upper pipe. If you do though, you will just need to mount the MAF sensor to the new upper pipe and then mount your adapter and filter onto the MAF.