What kind of CAI?

littlerudegirl · #1 06-23-2002, 10:53 AM

I'd like to get a CAI for my hubby, who thank goodness came to the import side of things :flash: He just bought a '91 CRX, its only had one owner and I would love for him to start adding some mods to it.

I've been searching thru this forum for CAI ideas and also looked thru other vendor websites.

Question: is there a particualr brand of CAI that is best for the CRX? also any websites on where to buy it from would help too.

Thanks!

travis_118 · #2 06-23-2002, 12:40 PM

I personally have the AEM CAI on my civic, and im happy with it. I have heard that the Iceman Intake is pretty because its made out of a plastic instead of a metal, that way it doesnt heat up at fast.....but i dont really think there is a difference. I would stay away from these companies: APC, Weapon R, Akimoto (no offense to anyone who has one of these brands) its just my $.02 about the quality of those brands that i dont like.

crxlvr · #3 06-23-2002, 02:36 PM

yeah id agree stick with AEM or Iceman, altho the iceman may be harder to come across, cuz their plant burned down.

Melt · #4 06-23-2002, 11:23 PM

I think weapon*r isnt bad, but AEM is one of the leading companies. Also look on ebay, I see these "CP" cold air's that dont look half bad either. When I get intake I will probably go short ram, because car is exposed to a lot of water and a little bit of dirt roads, so i think it would be better to have the short ram.

spy54 · #5 06-25-2002, 03:47 AM

i have an 89 crx and i m really happy with the aem cai

Lil Cs turbo Zc · #6 06-25-2002, 10:40 AM

I got aem cold air for $200 shipped to my door. Its very nice I like it.
You could spend $80 on ebay and get the same thing but your not gonna be paying for R&D.

littlerudegirl · #7 06-25-2002, 04:49 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Lil Cs turbo Zc
I got aem cold air for $200 shipped to my door. Its very nice I like it.
You could spend $80 on ebay and get the same thing but your not gonna be paying for R&D.

Where did you order it from? and what do you mean by R&D?

ci5ic · #8 06-25-2002, 05:01 PM

research and development?

CRX586 · #9 06-25-2002, 05:11 PM

We put on a AEM CAI (for the 99-00 Civc Si) at the same time as the B16A swap.

1. In order to fit, I had to move the battery. Actually, I ended up buying a smaller drycell battery in order to make the CAI fit. I'm not sure how this works with your standard CRX Si...

2. It seems louder than I thought it would, especially at 4000+ RPMs.

Quote:

You could spend $80 on ebay and get the same thing but your not gonna be paying for R&D.

You also don't get the stickers and the official AEM license plate holder.

Lil Cs turbo Zc · #10 06-25-2002, 05:16 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by littlerudegirl

Where did you order it from? and what do you mean by R&D?

Research and devolopment.

I got it from speedandstyle.com... I was wrong it was $199 shipped to my door.

littlerudegirl · #11 06-25-2002, 05:22 PM

I wasn't really planning on buying it from Ebay, heard too many horror stories of buying car parts from it. Should I be concerned about the "research and developement"? if I buy it from a different website?

Melt · #12 06-25-2002, 06:32 PM

Dont trip about buying stuff on ebay. Most people are pretty honest and wont sell you shit that doesent work. If you can find what you want on ebay, get it.

littlerudegirl · #13 06-25-2002, 09:25 PM

BTW, I was calling around to a few online shops, and most of them said that AEM does not make a NON Si CAI, and that most people just mod the Si CAI to fit their NON Si CRX's is this true or am I getting smoke blown up my arse?

habib_88 · #14 06-26-2002, 02:28 AM

its been done easily, you just need like a foot long section of pipe or rubber hose thats the same diameter as the intake tubing itself. this way it can reach over to the little air box atop the 1.5l engine. Add a few hose clamps and your good to go!

Shadowkahn · #15 06-26-2002, 08:38 AM

here's the way to make a CAI that does just as well as the best commercial one:

remove the resonator boot (the rubber thing sticking out of the bottom of the air box)

take off the front bumper and cut a hole in the upper rear of the resonator (that big black thing that looks like a water jug the resonator boot hooked into it) Make sure you don't get the hole too low or you could suck in water when you go through a puddle.

Remove the intake pipe that goes out over the radiator.

Now put the resonator boot back on and duct tape the opening that doesn't go to the resonator.

There's your CAI. Works great (in many cases works better than the $200 pipes they sell).

If you want to go one better, get some CPVC pipe and run it from the throttle body over the hole that goes to the resonator. Put a K&N cone filter on the end. Now get some ABS plastic and install it between the battery and the engine -- that'll block the engine heat from getting to the battery and the filter. You can paint the CPVC intake if you want. Make sure you use CPVC because regular PVC leeches chlorates when it gets hot.

Yeah, it's cheap and doesn't always look as "cool" as a steel or carbon fibre pipe, but it works as well or better than the commercially available ones, and personally I have a problem paying $200 for a metal pipe that you can get at a hardware store for $5.

If you want to buy him something that costs $200, get him a Dynomax Super Turbo muffler . ..That's something you can't build yourself for cheap and it does give you some performance gains.

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