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Is cold air worth the price?

sputnik 440

Capt Jim
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My '67 Sport Satellite's 440 with headers creates an usually hot engine compartment. I have the MOPAR High Performance air cleaner which is open 360, but logic would tell me that it is good at sucking HOT air. I read where manufacturers, as well as some published articles by "experts", say that using a cold air kit will increase the HP by 8 - 10 %. I'm at 580 m/l now. What do you think, will I get to 630 by sucking fresh air from the grill. I will have to move the battery to the trunk, and relocate the digital ignition and the horns. That can be done, but is it worth it? It could look awesome but be a $500 anchor.
 
ooof. $500?? are you drag racing the car? like on the track?

if not, I would invest the $500 elsewhere.

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TTI Ceramic coated headers. 100 degrees cooler than other big blocks underhood. $1000 to the door though.
 
you would be better off getting a glass hood with a hemi scoop. Less weight and cold air all in one.
 
You could wrap the headers or if your not worried about originality like some , go for it. cool air is more dense.and you'll get some ram air effect you will definitely pickup something don't know about 50 pony's. I would go for it .candy root beer is to nice to cut up.
steathie, no scoop. if you decide to do it , document it (pictures). anything worth doing is worth doing right ,seams like you already started your research. good luck
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Don't laugh, yes it's a Slant Six,But it did make a difference with the cool air charge from outside the engine compartment.2 10ths of a second.Cost $10 bucks.If it works for you,then you can go to the fancy setup.Just a thought..

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I read where manufacturers, as well as some published articles by "experts", say that using a cold air kit will increase the HP by 8 - 10 %.
I don't have an answer, but I wouldn't put much stock in what the manufacturers say. If we where to believe the manufacturers, we'd all be running fuel line magnets and "tornadoes".
 
An impressive way to spend money. Add lots of chrome also. If it looks cool it has to make power.
But really cold air is denser than hot but many be not good at atomizing fuel.
 
You can do it for under $100 with ducts or maybe $200 with a scoop. Cold air is worth it..... six pack lift off, air grabber, SS hoods, shakers.....yep, the engineers knew something. I don't know about 8-10% more horsepower or even 50 horsepower, but to me, it's almost "free horsepower" and I run a cold air induction system on every car I own.
 
Thanks to everyone commenting on this post. I believe the consensus is to go the cold air route, and, there is other ways of doing it that won't cost $500. The $500 comes from a Spectre low profile "box" (I only have 2", maybe 2 1/2" to play with between the carb and the hood). The cost of the polished aluminium will cost as much as the "box" and then some. If you know of a place where I can get 4" Al pipe and the connectors and one or two 45/90 degree elbows, also in Al, please post it here. It will be greatly appreciated. I have an extra hood, and know where I can get a Hemi scoop, but I will never be able to match the candy rootbeer paint. I'd have to go black and I'm not sure I would like that on this particular car with this particular paint. Thanks for the suggestion.
 
You could wrap the headers or if your not worried about originality like some , go for it. cool air is more dense.and you'll get some ram air effect you will definitely pickup something don't know about 50 pony's. I would go for it .candy root beer is to nice to cut up.
steathie, no scoop. if you decide to do it , document it (pictures). anything worth doing is worth doing right ,seams like you already started your research. good luck
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Where did you route the intake pipes that the flex line hooks up to? Where exactly is the intake vent? In the fender well? The photo you put on the post on the bottom right, is the "box" I think I am going to. The other problem I have is negotiating the pipe over and/or around my Pro Billet Distributor located between the altinator and the water inlet on the engine. I sticks up so high that I will not be able to run the piping over it which pretty much eliminates the "box" with the 45s on it. Straight shot would be nice, but it ain't going to happen. I really like your set up. Nice detailed engine and compartment.
 
Canyon 707, That is how I wanted to run the intakes. I see you went over the Pro Billet dis. How much room from your carb flange to the hood interface do you have? What engine?
non. its tight 440 with M1 manifold and a 1050 holly Spectre is the company that makes that and its also maked it for 4150 each tube goes to where the headlight use to be I actually used a sheetmetal reducer 5" to 4" home depot has them.
 
You can do it for under $100 with ducts or maybe $200 with a scoop. Cold air is worth it..... six pack lift off, air grabber, SS hoods, shakers.....yep, the engineers knew something. I don't know about 8-10% more horsepower or even 50 horsepower, but to me, it's almost "free horsepower" and I run a cold air induction system on every car I own.
not sure about the power I know it's no way 50 hp ( I wish)
 
You could route it the other direction ala NASCAR style cowl induction. Thats what I'm going to do on my 65.
 
No offense to anyone, but I do not like the appearance of those dual tube air intake setups. Yeah, they are functional and they have mechanical merit. They just look bad.
An article I read stated that a change of 10 degrees in the incoming air can add 1% of power. If this is true, you'd have to drop the incoming air temps 80 degrees to reach the 8% that the manufacturer said.
 
I have to agree. You can't argue with the theory, and while anyone who has one will swear that they can feel the difference, in reality I think the benefit is negligible and undetectable, especially by the "seat of the pants dyno".

The one thing my '69 Road Runner doesn't have is the N96 "Air Grabber". My first one (back in '69) had it and I really wanted to install it, but knowing that it was mostly bling and that the benefit would not out weigh the high cost, I quickly decided against it.
 
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I can't really imagine it not helping to some degree. It will always be hard to measure. So many different situations in real time. Air Temp, Wind, Pressure, DA. I think you just have to say yes its better.
 
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