Short Ram or Cold Air?

Hey i want to know wut would be better for my 2000 3.8L.
Is it better to have a short ram or a Cold Air intake?

I went with cold air intake, it looked like the best bang for my buck at the time, unless you already have a hood for the ram air, it would probably be best to go with cold air... (At least that is what I thought whenever I was looking) Too bad I did not have a site like this to think of asking. So get a second opinion... ;)



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ok thanks i was just thinking b/c short ram is cheeper and someone told me that on a mustang that the hot air doesnt make a diffrence. But ill look more into it

a CAI works better and is cheaper. who told you ram air was cheaper? cold air makes ever car run rich. and a CAI doesent bring in cold air. who ever you got your info from is wrong

the benefits are heavily debated between these two modifications. i'm a ram guy myself, but you have to ask these questions at least:
does that little bit of colder air make that much difference?
how exactly do you get ram air to work effectifly in efi engines where the inlet pipes run near the hot engine and inside the hot engine bay?

ram air is usually much more expencive and the march ram air kit that runs on the ground is not something to consider.

as far as i see it the ram air kit is at least as good as any fenderwall cai and a cosmetic enhancement to boot but at a higher price with neglegible performace output over traditional fenderwall modifications.

the benefits are heavily debated between these two modifications. i'm a ram guy myself, but you have to ask these questions at least:
does that little bit of colder air make that much difference?
how exactly do you get ram air to work effectifly in efi engines where the inlet pipes run near the hot engine and inside the hot engine bay?

ram air is usually much more expencive and the march ram air kit that runs on the ground is not something to consider.

as far as i see it the ram air kit is at least as good as any fenderwall cai and a cosmetic enhancement to boot but at a higher price with neglegible performace output over traditional fenderwall modifications.

yes, but you have to admit, a big hood scoop is pretty cool looking.

yes, but you have to admit, a big hood scoop is pretty cool looking.
Then just get a fake GT hood scoop.

The placement of the shaker kit (ala Mach1) is not optimal. It is positioned too far back on the hood. Also The placement of the scoop being directly over the intake and centered at the top of the dome in hood the allows for warm air to rise and heat the shaker system. A forward position for the scoop is more optimal as was seen in the 05 concept and other cars such as the EVO and WS6. Systems such as these are true ram air systems and do allow for colder air to enter the system. The placement of the TB on the WS6 is also optimal for this type of intake system. The TB being at the front of the engine rather than the side means that it is a far smaller system and less components to become saturated with under hood heat.
http://www.fast-autos.net/pontiac/transam3.jpg

colder air has more oxygen in it, because colder air is more dense, and has less water in it. Basic chemistry. Also, CAI keep the motor a bit cooler. Ram air, just provides better flow to the same tempurature air. There are different advantages to both. Id go with CAI just because its cheeper.

well thanks for all ur help on my question. im kinda new to this whole car thing. just tryin to learn
Thanks

well thanks for all ur help on my question. im kinda new to this whole car thing. just tryin to learn
Thanks

I know where you are man, just look around, I am learning slowly each day... if you asked me two weeks ago what cold air intake was, I would not have been able to answer, I am now looking into turbo's.


Good luck with your car :)

I believe that when you're saying "Short Ram" you're not talking about Ram Air. A "Short Ram CAI" for your Mustang is an intake that will not extend down into the fender, it will stop short and you'll be able to see the filter in your engine bay just sitting there. The full CAI will extend down into the fender. That's why the "Short Ram" you're thinking of is cheaper than the full CAI (because it is in fact much shorter). I really think this is what you're talking about. If this is correct, go with the CAI. It's not that much more expensive and the air from the fender will be cooler (since it won't be heated by the warmth created by the engine as much). I installed the full CAI in my Mustang and I am very happy with it.

I believe that when you're saying "Short Ram" you're not talking about Ram Air. A "Short Ram CAI" for your Mustang is an intake that will not extend down into the fender, it will stop short and you'll be able to see the filter in your engine bay just sitting there. The full CAI will extend down into the fender. That's why the "Short Ram" you're thinking of is cheaper than the full CAI (because it is in fact much shorter). I really think this is what you're talking about. If this is correct, go with the CAI. It's not that much more expensive and the air from the fender will be cooler (since it won't be heated by the warmth created by the engine as much). I installed the full CAI in my Mustang and I am very happy with it. he's talking about the ram air that mach 1's have stock

he's talking about the ram air that mach 1's have stock

I thought about that, but when he said the "Short Ram" was cheaper it led me to believe that he wasn't talking about Ram Air. If you check on other websites (especially eBay) you can see they are selling "Short Ram" intakes (which are as I described).

I guess the only person that knows is him. I just find it odd that he would be debating between a CAI and a Ram Air system. The debate between a CAI and a Short Ram intake seems much more logical to me. But like I said, the only person that knows is him. He just needs to take a closer look at what he was looking at before. Since he's new, I just wanted to make sure I threw this out there...just in case.

Either way, there is great information here for whichever he is talking about.

If he meant "short ram" or the under hood system I would actually go with that over the CAI. The less bends you have in the system the better. Bends cause turbulence in the air flow thus slowing it down. A good "short ram" system will protect the filter from under hood heat and still allow for colder air to enter from the fender well thanks to the hole for the OEM snorkel. Plus if you really want colder air and more gains for the system with a "short ram" all you have to do at the track is to pop out the passenger side head light and you have direct flow of colder air in to the filter.

he's talking about the ram air that mach 1's have stock
The Mach1s got their power from the DOHC not the shaker system. The shaker is barely functional at all and is truly more for aesthetics than anything.

If he meant "short ram" or the under hood system I would actually go with that over the CAI. The less bends you have in the system the better. Bends cause turbulence in the air flow thus slowing it down. A good "short ram" system will protect the filter from under hood heat and still allow for colder air to enter from the fender well thanks to the hole for the OEM snorkel. Plus if you really want colder air and more gains for the system with a "short ram" all you have to do at the track is to pop out the passenger side head light and you have direct flow of colder air in to the filter.

Definitely an excellent point. If it's a good "short ram" system it will have a cover that goes over the filter to protect it against engine heat. And if you're willing to remove the headlight for races, you're set. I definitely agree with 01L2Cobra. But if you're looking into a low-end or even mid-range set up, you might want to consider the full CAI that extends slightly into the fender. There will only be a slight bend where the filter goes into the fender. If you're going with the "short ram", you almost have to make sure it comes with the protective cover. However, definitely consider 01L2Cobra's points (he makes some excellent ones).