Air Box Modification
One of the simplest ways to improve your car's performance is in the
air flow. Exhaust and intake modifications are one of the cheapest
ways to make extra power per dollar spent. For the extra thrifty
driver, cutting the air box and installing a K&N filtercharger can
dramatically improve response and boost pressure for about $40.
The pictures linked below are of the air cannister in my 1988 Conquest.
When I first got the car, it had trouble getting past 7psi and holding
it. The instant I converted the air can into an air filter "bracket,"
and installed the K&N, I was easily getting the 10psi my car was set
stock for. The car accelerates more confidently and also creates
an interesting whistle noise in between shifts. The noise is due
to the increased air flow and the removal of the cardboard air silencer
found in the mass air sensor.
To convert the air cannister, I used ordinary cutting disks found at
the hardware store. Attached to a drill, they make short work of the
thick, heavy-gauge metal that makes up the air cannister. The
purpose of the pictures is to show you what parts of the can to leave,
and how much. My cannister is mostly rigid and still mounts in the
usual way.
Can 1
- a view of the modified air can
Can 2
- another shot of the air "bracket"
Can 3
- the finished product with a K&N installed
Can 4
- another angle on the finished product
Can 5
- a look at the honeycomb silencer