I just bought a stock 05 Z Touring. On another forum, I was advised to buy a nismo cold air intake and exaust... Honestly, I'm new to engines but I'm really interested in learning how they work, etc.

What exactly does a cold air intake do? Give more HP? I know it brings cold air into the system rather than the warm air the stock intake takes in, but what are the advantages of such design?

The reason I asked about a mod in the first place is because I really like my Z. I love the way it looks, how it drives (i'm not racing, so I don't need all the extra engine mods out there) but I'd like to hear the exaust a little more. I know it's got some good rawr in there, I just want to bring it out a bit

Put me in front of a computer, and I'll work wonders and tell you anything you need to know.. Open up a car hood and watch watch my face turn to a blank stare. lol

I have a feeling buying this Z has awakened a monster in me

 

Dont buy the Nismo CAI, especially if your gonna do a plenum later on....just geta pop-charger....Nismo exhaust is nice.

 

whats wrong with cai + plenum? Im running the kinetix plenum with a nismo cai and its fine.

 

So what does having a CAI do?

 

The intake, well a Cold Air Intake, runs the pipe all the way near the front of the bumper getting more cold air into the car, more air = more power, colder air = more power. Also, colder air = more sound. I went with the JWT Popcharger, easy to install with the right tools. I didnt do it for the power being its my only mod and im sure with any intake i wouldnt really feel the power, but i did it for the sound, and i couldnt be more happier, it has a nice aggressive growl to it and not that little whistling sound some other CAI's get, i find it annoying. Im sure someone else can elaborate some more.

 

What exactly does a cold air intake do? Give more HP? I know it brings cold air into the system rather than the warm air the stock intake takes in, but what are the advantages of such design?

-The advantage is just as you mentioned: more air is better. The Mass Air Flow (MAF) senses more air, and the ECU signals to add more fuel. More air plus more fuel equals more horsepower.

but I'd like to hear the exhaust a little more. I know it's got some good rawr in there, I just want to bring it out a bit

-Then a CAI will work. If you can move a greater volume of air through the exhaust system, the exhaust will sound a bit louder.

 

That's exactly what I'm looking for is a nice deep growl... would you recommend the injen or nismo CAI for sound? and how about exhaust... with these CAI systems, do stock exaust systems do the trick or should I pair an exaust with the CAI???

Learning
~beau

 

The throttle controls how much air is sent to the intake manifold. Since air flow is controlled by throttle, I really dont see minimal use for so called cold air mods.

 

You do want cold air into your engine since cold air is denser which means it will pack more oxygen per a given CFM. More oxygen = more power.

I would recommend a Helix exhaust if you want a little bit more grunt. We have dyno proven it to make at least 10whp on a 4wd Mustang dyno. The testing was done on a bone stock 05 350z without any tuning.

You can find more information on the Helix exhaust on the below link:
Helix exhaust thread:

Thanks,
Tom

 

I just took a look at the JWT Popcharger... from what i've been reading this looks like a good price point for me and will do what im looking for...

Now.. knowing that the most work i've done on my car is change my oil, install a soundsystem, and rotate tires... Can I do this on my own? Would this be a good first mod??

Also, I'm thinking about the Helix exhaust tom recommended.. looks like a decent price as well, for what I want.. I'm not necessarily looking for a huge performance gain here.. i have enough speeding tickets, just a nice growl and maybe some HP as a bonus.

So.. JWT Popcharger intake and Helix exhaust.. good to go?

 

Yes, you can install a popcharger without knowing a single thing about the car. I installed an AEM CAI as my first mod and it was more difficult but still totally straight-forward. I then swapped in the popcharger and was amazed how easy that would have been.

Also, just shoot off a few emails or PMs and get some local Z's in your area to come over and help. Meet new people and get help if needed.

You have to pay more but the sound of a CAI is much more aggressive than the JWT.

As for the exhaust, I'd HIGHLY recommend finding someone who already has the one you want installed. Some exhausts are loud, some are deep, some are boomy, some are ricey...it's really good to hear them in person. I love the Nismo but once I heard the Borla in person I went with that.

 

Thanks for the advice... I found a cool site you might be interested in as well.. it has pictures of a lot of popular exhaust systems and then also has sound clips for you to listen to them...

http://www.everything350z.com/exhaust.html

I want deep and growly exhaust but i dont want to wake up the entire neighboorhood when I take off..

 

The nismo and borla sound pretty good nice find!!

 

Do a search for my old posts regarding the Craford plenum and AEM, long tube intakes don work well with the Crawford-dyno tested, others have had simialr results, I dunno about the Kinetix but the same reasoning may apply. You dont know its doing well unless you dyno'd before and after did you? If not, more intake noise and a$$ dyno's dont count, I have dyno proof it doesnt work well together....

 

Will a CAI or Pop Charger void my warranty???

 

Only if it causes the problem. So, say, if a wheel falls off your car they can't blame the intake and it won't void your warranty. But if your intake sucks up debris that ruins your engine...you're SOL.

 

I shouldn't have a problem with the JWT pop charger then..

Thanks!

 

Its been a while since I've been on this forum or done anything to my car but install A/S tyres. By the way, the Avons really smoothed out the bumps. I'm ready to try an intake sytem, ie. I'm getting the itch again. I haven't mesed with it (intake) yet because I heard the stock intake flows nicely and my Borla exhaust with headers and hi-flow cats sounds REALLY good. I was told by some racers at Summit Point to stay away from CAI because they are a pain to install and suck water, due to their location. The pop charger has always interested me. Is there any horsepower to be gained with this mod on MY particular car? Where is the best deal on the JWT pop charger available?

Thanks!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Years!

 

First off.. i am not against any CAI ..
Yet, i agree with Alberto, u may well spend your money on sth else rather than CAI, maybe get a popcharger with a good heatshield, or just forget abt modding the intake, and get a plenum spacer / plenum, or you can spend some money on learning to shift like Alberto !!
lol

good luck modding