If you're hard up for cash but need some extra go power, let me be yet another person to swear on a stack of bibles that there is a free mod you can do that WILL help. I drilled just about as many holes in the bottom of the stock airbox as I could. Also, i did the same thing to the plastic below the "c.a.i." inlet be the radiator. Results? I don't know about any hp gains- maybe a modest one (I do have the K&N drop in), but the throttle is WAY more smooth and responsive and the sound difference is INCREDIBLE! Sounds very aggressive. Gas mileage is up, too! Best nothing I ever spent!!

 

So you are just putting holes in it? Aren't you worried about rocks and water?

 

How would that be any different than your intake? The air still has to pass through a filter. If anything, it still has more protection than an all-out intake.

 

I have the AEM bypass

 

No, I'm not worried about rocks for 2 reasons= #1, I still have a filter, #2 each hole is only 9/16 diameter -the odds of a rock ricocheting from the ground nearly 3 feet into the engine compartment and then into one of those holes are miniscule. I'm not worried about water beacause unless I'm driving through a 3 foot deep puddle, water has no reason to be sprayed that far up.

I'll explain this in more detail: If you examine the intake design you'll see that the only source of incoming air is a rectangular inlet mounted over the radiator on the left. I drilled some holes in the plastic below this (behind the grill fascia) in order to allow more fresh air to flow in while the vehicle is in motion. However, the total amount of air ultimately allowed to pass through the filter is still limited by the size of that inlet. So, to allow the filter to grab as much as it can, I drilled holes in the bottom portion of the airbox. So now the air comes from the combined area of those holes and the stock inlet. Combined with a K&N drop-in, this allows vastly improved flow over stock, yet still allows more protection than an aftermarket CAI or short ram.

 

ive heard of people going as far as to take off the rubber triming which runs along the hood...therefore allowing more air in to the "rectangular inlet" of which you speak of...hmmmm

 

Update...

Offical MPG gains... Before the swiss intake, I was getting 24-25mpg local. Now I get 27-28mpg.

 

The air from the front silencer comes to the airbox by a 2 inch tubing. The air then passes down through the filter's up or yellow side and then goes from there through additional tubing to your engine.
Although drilling holes on the bottom side on the intake silencer is a good thing, drilling holes on the bottom of the airbox allows unfiltered air to be sucked into the engine. It creates a sort of bypass for air to flow from below the filter, and right into the engine. I would patch those holes on the bottom of the airbox ASAP to prevent further engine damage.

 

Seriously, WTF are you smoking? the air comes from the bottom, THROUGH THE FILTER, and then UP the intake tubing to the throttle body. Have a look under your hood before you try to get technical, buddy.