Fiberglass Intake (Hear me out. w/ 3D Renders.)
 

Hey guys, now I know the RX8 community is for sure a step above the rest as far as classy and worthwhile modifications go.

But, I recently quit my second job due to quality of life plummeting. So spending close to $400 for an intake is kind of out of the question. So I'm tossing around an idea I have.

I've worked with Fiberglass to some extent. I replaced floorboards and other rusted out parts in my 1966 Ford Fairlane when I was in High School.

I saw this intake and figured "Man, I could totally mold that with Fiberglass".

Here are a few 3D renders I've made. (Graphic Artist in my other life)

The black pieces are the ones I need to Mold.

As far as I know, Fiberglass should be able to deal with the heat, and hopefully get some cooler air to the engine. (I live where temps can get to a hellish 115 degrees.)

Any thoughts, tips, constructive criticism, suggestions would be great.


Thanks guys.

If you want to save money, keep the stock airbox and throw in a K&N filter.

No intake is worth the money (NA) over the stock box. You wont get even close to 10hp.

If you want to do it as a project just for fun without expecting much gains from it, then by all means.


But just don't expect to get any gains out of it. The stock intake is good enough that race teams still use it. You don't even need a K+N filter (besides, the K+N lets sand particles in, Speedsource went back to the stock air filter after losing 3 engines to sand at Daytona through their K+N filter.)

Yeah, I've given up hope for getting any HP gains from it. Lowering intake temperature is a huge driving force behind this. I've even started to design a RB type lower intake tube to try and get some cooler air.

I've also decided to keep my 8 after some debate, so yes, this is a little project to keep things fun as well.

Doesn't lower intake temp help increase HP?

I think the rendering looks good! As everyone stated, CAI's don't do much due to the factory box being so well engineered. But if you had a lower cost solution to a CAI that would be pretty fabulous as they make engine bays look bitchin. I think the Turbo guys would also appreicate if someone fab'd a nice intake for them as well? You might be on to something to get a business started. I say more power to you!

Speedsource does not use the stock intake on the GT car. They do use Mazda OEM airfilters.

Leejin & OchoShinka: The OEM intake is a CAI. It pulls air from the front of the car. There are still a couple of cheap and easy mods you can do to the oem intake.
This intake, while it may not make much in horsepower, sure would look nice in the engine bay.

Cool rendering and nice idea. Would it reach out past the hole in the radiator support though, so as to suck in ambient air? Also if you can make it so it would sit flush with the front bumper(you see I have an inlet hole through my front bumper, and this would make it so as to aspirate ambient air only). Let me know when your finished, I'll gladly purchase one.

If you can make it look flush lmk. I would purchase this from you.

A cooler intake charge will allow more igntion timing and slightly more fuel as colder air is more dense.

With high intake temps the pcm in most cars pulls some timing.

Interesting. Looks very nice. Keep us updated on how this goes.