Easy Performance Mod

[lextildeath]

I have read up on ram air in the past. Basically, it is air directly flowing from the front of your car into your intake. BEST possible intake. Better than short ram AND cold air. I have a 1997 ES 300. My way of doing it:

1) KEEP A STOCK AIR BOX. I had a weapon R intake and it made noise even at low RPMs which made the engine sound old. The aluminum tube on it became very hot rather than keep cool like aluminum is supposed to, and it took away power.

2) INSTALL HOSE. I use 3" tube from weapon R. The intake was not good but the ram air kit sold serperately is perfect. www.dragonintakes.com . 20 something bucks. Remove the bottom part of the airbox with socket wrench or even pliers and hand loosening works. 4 screws. Place opening of tube on the underside of the air box piece you removed to trace a circle. Cut out the circle (make it a tigh fit). Stick the tube through the hole so about 3 inches is inside the airbox. Seal it off if it is not a watertight fit. Fit the long end of the tube from when the airbox is to reach under the front bumper(where the holes in the lower bumper are) where it will stay hidden. It may not be a good fit at first, but get a bright droplight in there and find where that sucker goes. Attach it to the bumper some how. I use string--strong and discreet. Screw the bottom part of the air box back in and you are done. Seems like a lot of yada yada but it's not hard and should take you less than an hour to perfect it. Also, I clog the opening to the silencer so the forced air does not go anywhere but into the throttle tube.

3) DROP IN A K&N FILTER. Same filter material as aftermarket intakes but with the stock setup it is quieter. Gives some good growl though at higher RPMs and air flows better through it with this setup.

I used to use 2 inch tube I had in the garage with a funnel collecting air cuz i did not think 3 inch tube would fit. Before this set up, my friend's stock 2003 accord V6, which has 240hp and 212 tq would smoke me on the highway, but now with 80mph of air, then 90mph of air then 100,130, etc etc rushing in my intake, I stay even with him. On the highway, I beat a WRX, 2 eclipse turbos, countless GTI's GSR's and a beloved IS 300. SRT-4 pulls from me a bit, but with exhaust and headers added to this ram air, I would have em'. Yeah I highway race alot. Also, I put the heat on HOT blasting and on vent so the engines heat escapes and it stays cooler. Let me have any questions or comments.

Peace, Love, and Recycle.

[jahon]

VERY creative! I was going to do the same thing sort of but take out the stock hose from the air box to the throttle and use an aluminum straight tube for better flow, i already have a drop-in k&n filter...

[SKperformance]

You made a bfi which is old school for supras and soarers/sc300/400's

I find it hard to belive any es holds anything envermind its own with a wrx.

If you like ti then that is all that is needed.

[lextildeath]

You made a bfi which is old school for supras and soarers/sc300/400's

I find it hard to belive any es holds anything envermind its own with a wrx.

If you like ti then that is all that is needed.

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Hey, I am thankful for the reply. I respect that you find it hard to believe, because believing stuff without proof can be a sign of unintelligence. However, I must I must say that I am not here to BS. I have read forums where people make stupid claims of smoking certain cars, etc and arguments are made. With that in mind, I must say that I would never wanna be that clueless guy making claims. I stand by my previous statements on cars i raced and beat on the highway 100%. I am not trying to make an argument, but I must say that a 1997 ES is a lot faster than a 1994 ES. My friend's friend has a 1996 Camry V6 and was talking trash how its the same engine and blablabla he could be even with me blabla. (Before i put my intake) He had one kid in the car and so did I. We went on this long highway stretch doing like 70ish and i make myself even with him. He stepped on it and sped in front of me like 20 feet. I stepped on it and smoothly blew his doors off and he was trying cuz he said "dam u got me". Try racing a second gen ES so you wont have to take my word for it. The 1994 ES is a little less that 3400 pounds-with 188hp and 203 tq, mine is less than 3300 pounds-200hp and 214 tq. May not seem like much difference but it is. Im not sure about the first gen, but the second gen tops out at about 140mph. The WRX is little less than 3100 pounds-227 hp and 217 tq and tops out at 130. WRX is not a highway car. Its a 2 liter turbo with blow offs that blow a bunch off at very high speeds. Still pretty dam quick on a highway, but I beat it. I don't need to lie to feel cool. Thats specifically about holding its own against the WRX, but about any ES not holding its own against ANYTHING-that nuts. 200hp and 214 tq is good to begin with. The intake i made really is good. Im not in a silly world of my own where all that matters is me telling myself that so I will believe it. And the ES 330 is pretty dam fast period. 0-60 in 7 flat, 225hp 245tq 5 speed auto. Sweetness. Not that its a Ferrari, but its fast dammit. I am happy to recieve any comments or questions still as I am here to make conversation, not argument. Im tired of people thinking ES 300's are slow. I will race any ES300 from this forum just for fun and then they can vouch for me. Anyway, your 1994 is one of the sweetest gen ones I have seen. I dont want to make a big stink, but I have to stand by what I said. Otherwise, I would not have posted it in the first place. Fellow ES owners, if you think I speak lies, then race me or we can hang out and you can watch me beat one of the cars that I "can't" beat. Cheers.

[bartkat]

If I'm reading your directions correctly, I'd suggest you be real careful about driving through any big rain puddles. :D

[SKperformance]

Like you already know ,it is a hard claim to swallow.

btw already have raced and beat 2nd 3rd gen ES's and a few others, but i don't race, i have chrome wheel's for G sake,lmao.

[NeiLtYmE]

Wrx and Es shouldnt even be used in the same sentence.

It would spank you silly any day, ANY where.

Especially the 2nd GEN

[jlmoreno911]

Dude it all depends on the driver...I have seen a freekin Neon beat a Mustang...come on a Neon beating a Mustang...the mustang stayed at the starting line burning rubber while the neon took off to the finish line...I know if I would have been driving the mustang I would have beat him silly...

The driver has alot to do with how well a car drives...

[Avatar]

[i have a 1997 ES 300. My way of doing it:

I've done this exact modification on several cars, beginning in 1958. K&N's were not available then, but washed and then machine oil soaked thin cotton worked well. Since K&N, essentially borrowed from us enthusiasts of the 1950's and '60's, I still find that this modification is not worth much without a corresponding modification, such as an Edelbrock Stainless/ceramic straight-thru muffler. Think of it this way; would putting a huge funnel into a hose make it flow any faster? Not really.

If you do have the improvement that you feel you do (perhaps partly psychoautomotive), imagine freeing up your exhaust to reap the full and actual benefits. Go to www.Edelbrock.com and review the RPM stainless straight thru's. They are packed with ceramic, harmonically split internally into an elongated doughnut shape, and will NEVER wear out or change tone. I've had 3 of them, sometimes on cars nearing 400hp. They aren't super loud and offensive like the sausage cans on so many "boy racers" in traffic.

[SKperformance]

i find that offensive

it is not a sausage muffler but it is regarded as a tomato soup can muffler and tip

lmao

[lextildeath]

I guess some people think I lie. I know for sure I can not prove anything to strangers in a forum. I tried to share something-I still hope people experiment with it to see for themselves. Why would you do it on cars since 1958 if its not good? As for the muffler, I don't think that muffler would sound good on an ES 300. I have a Remus muffler on mine. Really has a sweet sound just like they say. Not cheesey like a civic. And the funnel was on my previous setup before i really perfected my current setup of 3" tube. I originally had the funnel with the notion in mind that it would collect more air and then force it in to the tube real fast. It was just something i tried and it was with about 2" tube. Not too effective. The reason i know the current intake is effective is I BEAT A WRX.

Not psychoautomotive(i like the word by the way). For the record I know a wrx would smoke me from a stop. Not on the dam highway. But there is no evidence of such an event occuring. Not even a witness-oh well. I still love my life.

PS What kinda neon and what kinda stang? The new neon srt 4 does 0-60 in 5.8 the current stang v6 and previous gt do about 7.5 so it can happen.

Peace.

[Avatar]

I guess some people think I lie. Why would you do it on cars since 1958 if its not good? As for the muffler, I don't think that muffler would sound good on an ES 300. I have a Remus muffler on mine.

Not psychoautomotive(i like the word by the way).

Come now. No one, as far as I know, has said you lie. Even in 1958 airflow testing was available. It clearly showed that enhanced intake, albeit driven by speed pressure, is relatively ineffective without enhanced exhaust tuning. Smoke tests, as done in wind tunnels, show that unmodified exhausts cause the incoming air to compress and simply buffer further incoming air from entering until the system is cleared enough to accept it. Therefore, I always modified both ends in sync. I'm quite familiar with Remus, also owning a Passat W8 modified to 300hp/300ft.lbs torque over the 270/275 stock. To my knowledge, Remus is not stainless. And, it costs roughly 5 times more per unit than Edelbrock. Edelbrock is fully stainless, and packed with ceramic chips which never wear out. Remus, and even Brullen, are often considered "boutique" mufflers, more valued for their badge than for their performance. Of course, sound is subjective. I can say that Edelbrock does not drone at speed, and does not attract law enforcement.

[lextildeath]

What you, Avatar, say makes perfect sense. First thing I did was put the Remus and found it hardly as effective as I thought it would be. Then I put the ram air and saw a crazy increase and accredited it to the ram air. I guess they go hand in hand. But my non psychoautomtive basis for it being faster was that my friend used to always beat me on the highway and I hated it and now were about even. The 03 Accord V6 is my meter. This still proves TO ME that the ram air is a good performance mod. I think better than short ram and cold air. It stays cooler than both because aluminum, although known for its quick cooling off properties, stays hot when insulated by the hood and such. And air gets forced in better than cold air because cold air usually collects the air perpendicular to the direction the air rushes in from. Its good stuff. Do ram air instead of spending more money on louder and less effective intakes. Peace. B)

[SKperformance]

lol

alot of think but not alot of knowing.

[bartkat]

My car came stock with an air snorkle that takes air in just under the hood lip. <_<

[steviej]

it is not a sausage muffler but it is regarded as a tomato soup can muffler and tip

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we just call em "!Removed! cans" around these parts.

steviej

[lextildeath]

I took off my remus muffler and piping, and reinstalled the stock exhaust system at my friends house in NJ yesterday. On the mostly highway ride back up to CT, it did not feel as fast but i do not know for sure. It was quiter and felt slower, but I will have to race my friends 03 accord v6 to know for sure. When i say THINK in the context I used it in, I mean it is my opinion-NOT I am unsure since "best" is a superlative form of "good" and therefore my opinion. It is my opinion that this is the best intake. :D

Later.

[Lex3486]

Man, y'all are crazy I love it. Well, here's my 2c, and it's pretty relevant to the conversation (or at least one of the many that are currently underway in this "topic") Since the apparent eternal demise of my 93 ES's transmission, I've been driving our 92 SC300. Now, I know that no one claims the SC300 to be "fast", but I feel that it more than likely is certainly quicker than any generation ES, save maybe the later models with VVT-i and upwards of 200hp. So basically I'm saying 97 and younger, I've probably got you in my SC. ANYway, the other day coming off the interstate, I pulled up next to a WRX at the light and needed in his lane to turn, so soon as the light turned, I jetted off about 3/4 throttle and got in front of him. Well, this made him mad and so he assumed I wanted to race him..so I figured I'd give him a run, so I fishtail it onto a sidestreet full throttle, me in front, him behind, and for a second he was behind me, but then he blew by like I was nothing and casually merged into my lane. So, there's your proof from a dead stop; a WRX HAS to be faster than ANY ES from a dead stop. I have another experience though that goes to show that interstate and drag racing are two TOTALLY different judgements of a car's speed. On my way home the other day, I ran across an old friend who hasn't seen me since I got my SC; we used to race all the time in my ES just to see how many car lengths he could beat me by He drives a 1998 Mustang GT with exhaust and a cold air. SO, he didn't recognize me in my new red SC, so I get up next to him, probably doin about 70, and try and get his attention...it wasn't working, so at that point, I decided to roll on, so I floored it at 70 and I hear him kick down a gear (it's a 5 speed, mine's an auto) and we're racing. Well, I look over to my mirror anticipating seeing him gaining on me, but much to my surprise, he's still where he was when he downshifted and we're holding steady. We roll on up to probably 100 and then I decide that's enough, and let him by. I was amazed; I called him and told him that was me and he was pretty surprised too; I believe his words were "wow man, that thing is pretty quick" Now, keep in mind, this is in a SC300 that has been beaten by a V6 Eclipse, and beaten pretty good too, but on the interstate against a Stang GT, victory. I dunno how hard he was trying, but I do know that he likes to show that thing off, so I doubt he was givin me any slack. Anyway, just thought I'd share my experiences. I still get kicks outta beatin the crap outta alot of 4bangers with !Removed! cans in my ES300 although watch out-some of those guys are packin heat! You never know what might be under that thing's hood; you may be in for a rude awakening! B)

[SKperformance]

MUGEN is a dirty word that once seen should never be told as it will eat other cars once they are installed.

Definatly helps keep ahead of the pack in my ol' 89 as no one expects it.

[lextildeath]

People with mustangs think their cars are so fast. The 1998 GT has less horsepower than your SC (215 I think). I'm glad you got him. The 1997 ES has 200 HP and 214 tq. Your SC is 225 and 210. Off the line they would be the same, only because your car weighs a few hundred pounds more. A 1997 ES with intake and exhaust should have about 225 and 215 and would beat the SC in any situation, as well as any car the SC has beaten, or even some the SC has lost to. Off the line a WRX is certainly quicker than an SC3 or ES with just slight mods. If you put a supra turbo on there, the SC could be a beast. I would be so proud. I'm proud now anyway that you beat the Stang.

Peace.

[SKperformance]

lol your comparing peak horsepower like it means something.

the torque curve of an inline 6 by the general nature of the design is made to be long low and wide to give a nice even amount of power across the band. An es doesn;t stand a chance even with an intake and exhaust ??????????????????

The SC wil get all over it as the ES wakes up at around 5000 rpm while the sc has already been their and done that.

[NeiLtYmE]

im crakin up here. ''

lextildeath, dude i glad you love your car n all.... But it wasnt designed to do what your doing to it, and it doesnt wanna do what your doing to it.

it cant, it wont.

you would get knocked up by any inline 6 any day, hell even the rx330 v6 has you.

[bartkat]

im crakin up here.  ''

lextildeath,  dude i glad you love your car n all....    But it wasnt designed to do what your doing to it,  and it doesnt wanna do what your doing to it. 

it cant, it wont. 

        you would get knocked up by any inline 6 any day, hell even the rx330 v6  has you.

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A pregnant Lexus? :D

[NeiLtYmE]

A pregnant Lexus? :D

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now thats creative

[bartkat]

A pregnant Lexus? :D

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now thats creative

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"Knocked up". Maybe it will have a little Corolla.