Reminds me of a saying my boss used to have back when I was selling cars: "It's not the deal they got, it's the deal they think they got".

I know people who swear their car runs better every time they change the oil. Cool for them. They get a new car every 3000 miles. But if holes in the airbox are a good thing, why not just remove it completely and put a cone filter on it?

I read an article in R&T years ago and they were doing a test on those stupid magnets that you put on your fuel line to get an extra 50 mpg, or whatever. They quoted some industry engineer who said "Most fuel system engineers would kill their own grandmother for an extra 2 mpg. If these worked, don't you think they'd be on every car rolling out of the factory?"

I think the same could be said for horsepower, and holes in the air box. If the engineers just had to drill some holes, wouldn't they have done it?

I understand that car manufacturers make compromises. K&N has built a very nice business based on the compromises they make specifically in this area. However, without some evidence to the contrary (most likely a dyno slip), I find it very difficult to believe that the increase in air flow into the box from drilling some holes is worthwhile enough to offset the increase in temperature due to the location from where you would be drawing the air. Tell me you drilled holes in the side and ran a pipe through the fender to draw in cool air, sure, sounds great. Holes in the bottom of an airbox that's sitting in a hot engine compartment....different story.

Damn, I love a good debate.

By the way....
Anybody else remember that episode of The Simpsons where Homer used a pick-axe to put 'speed holes' in the hood of his car? Might let out some of that engine heat. Who want's to try it first?

Its already done.

Most scoobies have them.
Some BMWs as well.
Some Mercs too.

This is also already done.

HKS Mushroom Filters, Apexi Cones, K&N Cones, PiperX Viper, there's a lot in the market.

Rosso, go on your own experiences. I know that my car runs better with the holes in the air box. I also know that the temp might be higher there, but I wouldnt think it would be much, ever pull your air pox up and see how flush it is with the bottom of the engine bay in that area. Its very tight.

ok, this topic got me a strike on my ebay account. i like the rubbermaid can thing, but, is ther a better way? i thought i might go to a custom muffler shop and get some piping bent to the way of a cold air intake, or mabe i can fab a aluminum box of my own, one that would take the place ofthe battery, relocate it to the rear, fab a air duct to bring in the air to an inclosed fully sealed insulated box with the cone filter inside, like the ipd but fully inclosed. funny, like the stock box, but bigger.
so its really by choice here. some like short rams, some like cold air. i think the whole hole in the air box works for you by giving more volume of air, but with the sacrifice of temperature. but think of the RIP kits and what its purpose is.. colder charge. colder means better. i used dry ice when i raced my mustang. i had a DIY chamber mounted on the box filled wit dry ice, BIG differnce in power. but expensive and temporary.
bear, i did check out the members galleries but its all a tie, equal numbers on all sides... ima make my own. like most of the other things special. :rolleyes:

I was considering the enclosed box, until I read that temps are higher than using a heat shield.

wer you read that x? this is a big mistery!

Aren't those vents for the air flow that passes through the intercooler?

actually rosso is correct, it is for a pass through for the intercoolers. on the bottom of your airbox, it is connected to an inlet for cooler air from the fender wells, so by drilling the holes, you are drawing in more air. the article from R&T, i remember that one. and the quote from the engineers, but you also have to factor in the money aspect. case in point, pick any manufacturer, look at their engine choices, and every year the hp and torque numbers go up. only by software changes, in some instances. software, which means the power is there, it just needs to be let out. on the old camaros, a change in the bends of the intake tubing netted 10 horse. 10 horse!!!! with tubing. and it was in answer to all the guys adding intake filters and chevy was losing money. i mean, that is just a small example, but if you take into account that the factory is trying to portray it's product in a certain way, and the engineers say A and the beancounters say B, the factory wil go for the most economical solution. they are in the business to make money, not to get rid of all their products for nothing. look at volvo, t5r comes out, limited edition, and it sells out. everyday 850 sales skyrocket for volvo. lo and behold, the R comes along and the t5r become the turbo. but the t5r demands a higher price by people. why? the turbo model is the same thing, same power etc. it's the personae. now, you take the same vehicle, you have it hotrodded out, it's a screamer, and then realize that your average age bracket is 40-60 year olds, upper middle class, etc. no real racers there. maybe one or two. so you do the safe thing, make it less powerful, but with a safety net to give it a bump in power as the years go on. that is pretty much what went on here. maybe as the years were to go on, they would have bumped the power up, but then ford got them, and well the rest is history. long winded way of saying, give it a shot. buy a used one from the junk yard, drill the holes and see if you feel the difference, if not, then we are all idiots here and our butts aren't as sensitive as we thought, but if it works, then that pleasant feeling will permeate through your body and you'll buy all of us a round. :grin:

and to swed, your reply is what i had posted last week to another member. when the battery is relocated, or even turned sideways, the room there is huge. the under hood heat, not only on volvos, is notorious on certain cars. bmw 8 series, real notorious for underhood heat, enough to fry the fuses in some instances. if you do get the cone filter, i would just leave the heat shield as it, and add an opening on the bottom for the stock location, extend the side piping either straight ahead and cone it to the back of the rad, or run it downward to under the bumper to get into the cooler stream of air. if you seal the box, you might as well just leave the stock unit in there and mod that. that way you have a stealth look under the hood when you pop it open. :grin:

haha i always thought people drilled holes for the sound

COOL!
:)

Not on the Mercs-Kompressors that I saw. They were more for venting hot air out.

Maybe for the scoobies, the air vents gets directed into the intercooler. So, i was wrong using scoobies as examples.
:)

WHAT???????!!!!!!!!!!!!?????????????? THE BEAR!!!!!!!!!!!!! WRONG????????????? AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH, the world is not right. i feel dizzy ooooooooooooohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, the room the room.. the humanit................hey, oh well, we all screw up :grin: