# Trouble making a final CAI decision



## StockGoat (Mar 30, 2010)

Okay guys, I'm looking for some feedback. I am considering 3 different systems after doing quite a bit of reading. In no particular order the three I am considering is the AEM Brute Force, Vararam VR-SDR and the SvedeSpeed.

A little bit about where I am coming from/ what I'm looking to achieve... So first I am far from a big time hobbyist or heavy modder, infact my 05' goat is purely stock minus the tires and is my current daily driver. I intend on making another vehicle purchase probably within the next year or so and keeping my goat for play  but for now I feel I want to keep mods somewhat simple. 

I originally started out seeking a new intake with a simple drop in K&N filter in a stock box because the idea of not having to replace filters and gain a bit on performance (both gas mileage and HP) appealed to me. So then it began... I found myself diving deeper and deeper into reading about intakes and other branches offs of upgrades like swapping out the exhaust as a suggested first upgrade. Then I had to dial myself back in a bit . 

The next aspect that really appealed to me was to give my goat a bit more throat, I really do like it's current purr but would love a bit more as I know this beast has more to be unleashed. When I was reading about exhaust I did consider a pacesetter catback exhaust but in looking at it, it seemed somewhat daunting for me to undertake and to get a pro install would be a bit out of the budget. I know some will say save your money on the CAI and put it in the exhaust especially for the sound but I really want both eventually and I know me - I won’t' save the money/it will be gone before it piles up. I have read some fairly mixed signals on will a CAI be appreciated without an exhaust but I’ve had some friends that have had added CAI on the front end and swear it added some rumble, especially at higher RPMs and was later amplified when an exhaust was dropped in.

So back to the CAI, the AEM really appealed to me from all of my readings and the aspect of a dry filter even more so after hearing so many versions of oiled filters ruining MAF's etc. Sure I've heard the other versions of opposition and how ppl have over oiled or didn't let it dry proper (Personally I can't help but laugh when I read about letting oil dry which is not inherent to oil for sitting up 24hrs or so). Either way since there was just an option to stay away and play it safe than sorry really won me over with the AEM as a potential choice. A seemingly downside to that type of system is that it doesn't seem to really takes advantage of scooping cold air, instead it's really just shielded somewhat from the engine compartment and pulling air relatively in the same compartment it’s trying to shield from (at least that’s my understanding so far). So, that got me looking at more of a ram air type setup which is where both the Vararam and Svede products came into the picture. I haven’t really researched these in a lot of depth yet but in my initial findings I see a lot of ppl saying don't waste your money on the Vararam and go with the Svede and not too much of the opposite. However I don’t want to rule out the Vararam just yet, for some reason it still looks like an equal or better to the Svede. These both appeal to me over the AEM because they appear to be better at the air source gathering but a downside is that they also don't utilize a dry filter.

_Hmmm I just had a thought mid post I know the Svede comes with a K&N filter, can that be swapped for a comparable AEM dry filter? The Vararam looks like a proprietary filter so I am assuming that it cannot be just swapped…_

Getting back to the Vararam and Svede, the Vararam looks like it has a nice wide area of intake and seems to have a nice intake area the Svede also looks nice with its almost straight shot into the filter but makes me question if it is blocking air to the radiator.

Anyway, I could continue on more but my post is already lengthy  so I will cut it short and just ask for some feedback with pro’s/cons to these. Also, if you have any possible alternates I maybe overlooking that you think I should consider that trump these choices.


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## svede1212 (Nov 1, 2005)

Obviously I'm biased but can answer some questions. First, No, the SS doesn't affect the radiator. I can explain why but in short it doesn't and has been run in every environment in the states plus over seas. The "drying" of an oiled filter has more to do with allowing the oil to fully wick into the fibers. Also the way I like to do it is to lay the filter on a bath towel to wick off excess oil overnight. Oil does not "ruin" a MAF as they can be cleaned off with spray MAF cleaner if proper oiling isn't followed. The SS can also easily utilize future upgrades of different MAFs, TB, NO2 plates, etc that can be thrown at it. and "No" other filters don't work as the surround isn't the same as the K&N. My +/- is

VR: Pro - cheap, good cool air supply (after modifying) Con - cheap, requires modifying to work right, doesn't easily adapt to mods, MAF tuning issues on some cars, looks decent when new but after that it's a dirty filter look

AEM: Pro - cheap Con - not a good cool air supply

SS: Pro - Good cool air supply, extremely durable, HiPerformance and is run on some of the fastest NA drag goats, very adaptable to different mod configurations, no tuning issues, great resale if demodding Con - highest cost

Good luck with your decision


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## GTO123 (Jan 1, 2012)

What needs to be modified on the vararam for it to work right?


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## 87GN06GTO07IRL (Aug 10, 2009)

GTO123 said:


> What needs to be modified on the vararam for it to work right?


Insulate the bottom of the tray, add pipe insulation to the edges so it seals to the hood, and add an iat relocate to the filter. Works great after these cheap easy mods. My iat's stay even with ambient.


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## 1224GTO (Sep 18, 2011)

I'm installing my Vararam Friday been waiting for it since dec any ways how do i relocate my iat ?? do i drill a hole in the front of the filter and put the iat in ? i went with Vararam do to the fresh air from the hood scoops ..what ever cai you go with stay away from heat soak. if the vararam cant get the job done after the mods im going to try the svede cai.i asked svede a few questions about the intakes and the Vararam would work best with a tune to keep the maf from spiking.


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## jpalamar (Jul 22, 2008)

I would just get st Swede. Wouldn't even waste my time with Vararam.


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