How to Choose an Air Induction System

When it comes to getting the most out of your car’s performance – Camaro, Mustang, Corvette, Challenger, you name it – there are plenty of options.

• Exterior modifications. From side skirts to front splitters, RPI Designs sells a wide range of exterior parts that help improve aerodynamics.
• Turbochargers and superchargers. While this type of upgrade is more expensive, it has a dramatic impact on HP, acceleration and responsiveness.
• Cold air intake. This is easiest and most affordable way to improve your car, and it takes very little time. From our perspective, a cold air intake system is your best bet for immediate, measureable results.

Let’s focus on the cold air intake. If you want to force your car to go faster, it’s all about forced air induction.

For this article, we’ll look at how force air induction actually benefits your car’s engine, along with some important considerations to weigh before buying one.

Forced Air Induction: Basic Principles

Most factory air induction systems leave much to be desired in terms of raw power, even for high-performance cars like the Mustang, Camaro and Challenger. Aftermarket or non-OEM air intake systems help your car maximize power output by:

• Taking in large amounts of cooler air from outside the engine compartment. The more cold air your car’s engine can process, the more power your call will produce.
• Making the air induction more efficient. In other words, an effective aftermarket cold air intake streamlines the air flow inside your engine. That means less tube bends, bigger manifold tubes, and bypassing any factory muffling components.

If your cold air intake takes care of those two things, you’re well on your way to enjoying more HP, better acceleration, superior engine performance and even optimal fuel mileage!

Choosing an Air Induction System

Here are some factors to keep in mind before you drop a cold air intake system into your RPI Designs shopping cart:

• Paper filter vs oiled filter. This is probably the most intense debate right now in the car mod community: when choosing a cold air intake system, is a paper or oil filter better? Each has its pros and cons; paper filters tend to perform better for shorter periods of time, while oiled filters require less maintenance and provide that “install it and forget it” factor. In extensive tests, oiled filters tend to offer less air flow restriction. You can’t really go wrong with either one – mostly, it’s a matter of personal preference.
• Install time. Most cold air intakes are relatively easy to install. Before purchasing your air induction system, check to see if any aftermarket parts will require additional work. If you’re not an experienced mechanic or are trying your first cold air intake install, we recommend going with a forced air induction system that replaces the OEM one, part for part.
• Gains. We’re talking about gains in the things that matter, like horsepower, torque and fuel economy. Most of the cold air intakes we sell at RPI Designs include this information to make your decision easier. Our 2016-2017 Camaro 6th Generation 6.2 L Cold Air Induction System, for example, offers a +11 HP gain, 26 more ft.-lbs. of torque and 4 MPH more in fuel economy.

Once you’ve considered these three things, your forced air induction choice will be much easier!

RPI Designs: The Premier Source for Cold Air Intakes and Forced Air Induction Systems

RPI Designs is your forced air induction headquarters. For your next DIY cold air intake project, we have the products you need, the brand names you trust and prices you simply can’t pass up. To get an immediate boost in HP, fuel mileage and overall performance, look no further than RPI Designs. We sell top-end forced air induction and air intake systems for the Dodge Challenger, Chevy Camaro, Ford Mustang, Chevy Corvette and other legendary American sportscars.

Thanks for stopping by the RPI Designs garage. If you need help deciding on a cold air intake system, just give our parts experts a call today at 888.257.8515. While you’re here, don’t forget to check out our exclusive specials, manufacturer pages, or send your buddy a gift certificate – they’re perfect for grad gifts, birthdays and more!