hey guys im looking into gettin a cold air intake or exhaust and im not sure if its worth it or not? I have a 2005 Pontiac Sunfire with nothing special in it yet...should i go for the intake? (i heard you might lose Hp because the original box is so efficient) or an exhaust (id have to save up for awhile) or something else? anyone got any suggestions?
I put an AEM CAI on my 2003 Cav and picked up 2 mpgs. It feels like it has better throttle response also. I don't think you will lose HP and I'm not sure the stock intake is very efficient.
I'd start with suspension mods.
________________________________________.
Still not low enough for a signature.
I would definitely go for an intake over an exhaust. The intake is much more cost effective and easier to install. An intake will give the engine a little more growl without being obnoxious like an exhaust can be.
You won't lose horsepower, but you can lose MPGs if you go around stomping on the accelerator pedal just to hear the sound of the intake (which many people do after first installing an intake). If you drive conservatively (i.e. keeping your RPMs under 3000 when accelerating) you will definitely see a increase in MPGs and in power.
If I had the chance to mod a J-Body again, I definitely wouldn't waste money on an exhaust. I would get an intake and that would be that for engine performance mods. An intake is all I have on my Vibe and it sounds, performs and looks great. I can't imagine ruining the great sound the intake gives with a loud, raspy, obnoxious exhaust.
Personally, if you're not really serious about doing things long term to the car, maintenance only IMO. A properly maintained car is better than one with mods that's neglected.
If you have goals for the car, let us know what they are and we can give better insight. If you don't know what you plan to do, then I wouldn't do anything past maintenance honestly. You will end up doing arbitrary mods for the sake of mods and that leads to nowhere.
If you're looking for a fun car with some pep:
Suspension, then better tires (wheels if you choose), then exhaust, then intake, then other boltons.
Suspension will be the most expensive, but it'll add the most fun factor to the car. Boltons won't thrill as much, and tires help the suspension work better. That's why I list them in this order. If I had to do mine again that's what I would do (except swap the motor bits for boost)
I'm sure others don't follow this logic, but I think it makes decent sense, and agrees with the reasons that most people mod cars like this.
"A car just isn't a car without a little blood, sweat, and beers." -- Shadowfire
alright so I decided that I wanted to pick up a CAI for my 2005 pontiac sunfire. So naturally I went to my local parts dealer (Lordco) and asked how much this piece of tubing with a filter on the end was and i almost fell over with the price $419?! anyways main point of this topic is, is there anyway or place i can get the CAI cheaper? this website has it listed at $261 but i live in Canada and will have to have it shipped... so any advice?
website i was talking about:
http://www.andysautosport.com/pontiac/2003_9999_sunfire/performance/intakes/cold_air_intakes/aem/
hornet 55 wrote:alright so I decided that I wanted to pick up a CAI for my 2005 pontiac sunfire. So naturally I went to my local parts dealer (Lordco) and asked how much this piece of tubing with a filter on the end was and i almost fell over with the price $419?! anyways main point of this topic is, is there anyway or place i can get the CAI cheaper? this website has it listed at $261 but i live in Canada and will have to have it shipped... so any advice?
website i was talking about: http://www.andysautosport.com/pontiac/2003_9999_sunfire/performance/intakes/cold_air_intakes/aem/
Ebay it. My CAI for my 2200 was 60 dollars shipped and a K&N filter was like 35.
hornet 55 wrote:hey guys im looking into gettin a cold air intake or exhaust and im not sure if its worth it or not? I have a 2005 Pontiac Sunfire with nothing special in it yet...should i go for the intake? (i heard you might lose Hp because the original box is so efficient) or an exhaust (id have to save up for awhile) or something else? anyone got any suggestions?
Get an Ebay intake and put on a K&N or AEM filter. It'll give you a fun sound and better mileage if your driving habit remains the same. You may or may not notice a difference performance-wise, but don't expect an intake to allow you to destroy Mustangs or anything.
yeah keep an eye out on ebay. I just picked up a brand new AEM 21-448B for $150 shipped. No one else bid on it, the auction had it listed as a Sunfire intake only. lol
That's not the only reason no one bid on it...
