# OTRCAI Question



## knaletko (Mar 26, 2010)

i am planning on getting an OTRCAI in the next few days (found out that there is a crack in my stock intake tube) but was wondering if there would be any issues with rain (it is a dd) destroying the filter. i cant avoid driving it in the rain, unfortunately, and do not want to waste my money if the rain that i commonly have to drive in will destroy it. thanks


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## B-ville Goat (Oct 5, 2008)

I have a Vararam on mine. I would say you will be fine as long as you leave the scoop plugs in the hood. I have mine cut out and you can see the filter through the scoops, so when I wash the car I cover the filter.


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## GM4life (Mar 18, 2007)

I've heard nothing but good things about the Vararam intake and it delivers too from what I was told from a good tuner. I've haven't heard anything about water injestion with these. I don't think too much water get through those scoops anyway. I've modified my scoops and after washing my car I haven't seen any water underthere. Driving down the road is a different story. Even if a little water gets in there it shouldn't hurt you engine. Meth injection is mostly water anyway.

I wish they made the Vararam to fit a 04 w/maggie that would be the only one I would drop a coin on.

Vararam Cold Air Intake - 2005-2006 Pontiac GTO [VR-GTO] - $299.95$274.95 : MarylandSpeed.com- Your First Stop on the Way to Performance!


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## jpalamar (Jul 22, 2008)

Veraram is racest towards the LS1 lol


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## knaletko (Mar 26, 2010)

thanks guys, thats definitely the one that i willbe going with. if i have issues i will report back, now i just have to find $300 lol


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## Poncho Dan (Jun 30, 2009)

knaletko said:


> i am planning on getting an OTRCAI in the next few days (found out that there is a crack in my stock intake tube) but was wondering if there would be any issues with rain (it is a dd) destroying the filter. i cant avoid driving it in the rain, unfortunately, and do not want to waste my money if the rain that i commonly have to drive in will destroy it. thanks


No. Unless you're in a situation where the filter would be partially submerged in water, you'll be fine.



GM4life said:


> I've heard nothing but good things about the Vararam intake and it delivers too from what I was told from a good tuner.


MAF Tuning Vararams is difficult because of the turbulence before the sensor. Or can be.


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## GM4life (Mar 18, 2007)

Poncho Dan said:


> MAF Tuning Vararams is difficult because of the turbulence before the sensor. Or can be.


Nope.


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## Poncho Dan (Jun 30, 2009)

GM4life said:


> Nope.


Not what I heard...

Honestly, why bother with some cheap Chinese made thing with a goofy, irreplaceable filter for $299 when Svede will build you a better one with a standard filter for ~$310 shipped?


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## jpalamar (Jul 22, 2008)

Poncho Dan said:


> Not what I heard...
> 
> Honestly, why bother with some cheap Chinese made thing with a goofy, irreplaceable filter for $299 when Svede will build you a better one with a standard filter for ~$310 shipped?


I agree, but the impulse buying in most of us wouldn't want to wait.:cheers


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## GM4life (Mar 18, 2007)

Poncho Dan said:


> Not what I heard...
> 
> Honestly, why bother with some cheap Chinese made thing with a goofy, irreplaceable filter for $299 when Svede will build you a better one with a standard filter for ~$310 shipped?


If you go buy what you heard all the time you'd get nowhere in life. Take things what your _heard_ or _read_ with a grain of salt. 

Now with that said my tuner had no troulbles tuning the Vararam, I think it has more to do with the tuning abilities or skills of the tuner. On top of that I bought MAF ends and what I _heard_ that they are just like you said above hard to tune because of turbulance through the MAF. Well I asked my tuner before I installed them would it be ok for him to tune will he have any problems. He said NO. He had no problems tuning my MAF with the MAF ends. Now the Vararam had good results on the dyno and it seem to on the track too. Replaceable filter not sure about that one never reserched it. No big deal anyway it has a reusable filter.

Svede has a good intake, via the aussie designs but I wouldn't buy one, I like the Vararam better its called the power of choice. Also there is no OTRCAI design out there for the maggie so I'm sticking with the stock air box.


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## knaletko (Mar 26, 2010)

I actually really wanted the svede, however, cannot wait- I'm still getting to know my car (only had it for about 2 months). I was fooling around in the engine and realized there was a crack in my intake tube. I taped it up as best I could, however would be much happier with a new one (plus I was planning on purchasing one any way, the crack just forces me to do it sooner then I was planning)


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## jpalamar (Jul 22, 2008)

knaletko said:


> I actually really wanted the svede, however, cannot wait- I'm still getting to know my car (only had it for about 2 months). I was fooling around in the engine and realized there was a crack in my intake tube. I taped it up as best I could, however would be much happier with a new one (plus I was planning on purchasing one any way, the crack just forces me to do it sooner then I was planning)


Just get some epoxy. $5 and problem solved.


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## Poncho Dan (Jun 30, 2009)

GM4life said:


> If you go buy what you heard all the time you'd get nowhere in life. Take things what your _heard_ or _read_ with a grain of salt.
> 
> Now with that said my tuner had no troulbles tuning the Vararam, I think it has more to do with the tuning abilities or skills of the tuner. On top of that I bought MAF ends and what I _heard_ that they are just like you said above hard to tune because of turbulance through the MAF. Well I asked my tuner before I installed them would it be ok for him to tune will he have any problems. He said NO. He had no problems tuning my MAF with the MAF ends. Now the Vararam had good results on the dyno and it seem to on the track too. Replaceable filter not sure about that one never reserched it. No big deal anyway it has a reusable filter.
> 
> Svede has a good intake, via the aussie designs but I wouldn't buy one, I like the Vararam better its called the power of choice. Also there is no OTRCAI design out there for the maggie so I'm sticking with the stock air box.


None of these things I read mentioned removing their MAF screens either, but maybe that's the case? I dunno, I was hot and bothered about the Vararam for a while but it just seemed low quality for the price after a while. Granted there's a long wait time on the Svede, I just got lucky on the impulse purchase while the car was in storage.

Besides, air meters are for sissies, right? :willy:


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## GM4life (Mar 18, 2007)

knaletko said:


> I actually really wanted the svede, however, cannot wait- I'm still getting to know my car (only had it for about 2 months). I was fooling around in the engine and realized there was a crack in my intake tube. I taped it up as best I could, however would be much happier with a new one (plus I was planning on purchasing one any way, the crack just forces me to do it sooner then I was planning)


Just wait, get on a waiting list. Its not going to dissappear. Or make your own thats what another member did, hell thats what Svede has done, he cloned an intake that was popular in AU and brought it over here.


Poncho Dan said:


> None of these things I read mentioned removing their MAF screens either, but maybe that's the case? I dunno, I was hot and bothered about the Vararam for a while but it just seemed low quality for the price after a while. Granted there's a long wait time on the Svede, I just got lucky on the impulse purchase while the car was in storage.


Hell, I don't know man. I think alot has to do with tuning abilities myself. Or the personality of the car (I strive to be one hell of a tuner one day )If you noticed about the GTO somethings work for some people and don't work for others. That may just be cars in general, but the GTO was the first time I got involved in forums. I was a lone ranger for along time with cars finding things out on my own, which I still do.


> Besides, air meters are for sissies, right? :willy:


Thats what the aussies beleave. But there are folks out there that have some really nasty cars that still use them.
:cheers


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## Poncho Dan (Jun 30, 2009)

The best part is that I'm running a MAF only tune right now. :lol:


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## svede1212 (Nov 1, 2005)

GM4life said:


> Just wait, get on a waiting list. Its not going to dissappear. Or make your own thats what another member did, hell thats what Svede has done, he cloned an intake that was popular in AU and brought it over here.
> 
> Hell, I don't know man. I think alot has to do with tuning abilities myself. Or the personality of the car (I strive to be one hell of a tuner one day )If you noticed about the GTO somethings work for some people and don't work for others. That may just be cars in general, but the GTO was the first time I got involved in forums. I was a lone ranger for along time with cars finding things out on my own, which I still do.
> 
> ...


Close but my intake design ended up being something that the Aussies doen't have. With the hump design I ended up with an intake that not only flowed more and smoother than theirs but it also fits all years 2004-2006, MAF or MAFless.


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## GM4life (Mar 18, 2007)

svede1212 said:


> Close but my intake design ended up being something that the Aussies doen't have. With the hump design I ended up with an intake that not only flowed more and smoother than theirs but it also fits all years 2004-2006, MAF or MAFless.


Good on you. You have any numbers comparing them? The one I saw fit LS1/2's. I know they have more than one OTR for the VZ's. Aussies seem to live by OTR's and MAF less, there are many versions out there. I seen so many so far for the VE's it's not funny. I wonder why?


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## svede1212 (Nov 1, 2005)

GM4life said:


> Good on you. You have any numbers comparing them? The one I saw fit LS1/2's. I know they have more than one OTR for the VZ's. Aussies seem to live by OTR's and MAF less, there are many versions out there. I seen so many so far for the VE's it's not funny. I wonder why?


I have not personally tested any Aussie OTR against mine but there have been a couple of people that have upgraded from theirs to mine. Two things about them that stand out is that most I've seen use smaller filters and the "hump" on mine utilizes space between the scoops that is left unused on the flat Aussie designs. The transition over the radiator is tight and the hump provides a larger path plus starts channeling the air so that if a MAF is used the air is more laminar. I'm pretty happy today. I have a few GTOs that are in the 10s with my intake and one just went a 9.98 using a LS3 and spray. He's also been in the mid 10s with just motor.


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## GM4life (Mar 18, 2007)

svede1212 said:


> I have not personally tested any Aussie OTR against mine but there have been a couple of people that have upgraded from theirs to mine. Two things about them that stand out is that most I've seen use smaller filters and the "hump" on mine utilizes space between the scoops that is left unused on the flat Aussie designs. The transition over the radiator is tight and the hump provides a larger path plus starts channeling the air so that if a MAF is used the air is more laminar. I'm pretty happy today. I have a few GTOs that are in the 10s with my intake and one just went a 9.98 using a LS3 and spray. He's also been in the mid 10s with just motor.


I see that you have a pretty good backlog on your hands. It seems like folks don't want to step up and make their own. You have pretty detailed instructions on how to build one.


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## Poncho Dan (Jun 30, 2009)

GM4life said:


> It seems like folks don't want to step up and make their own. You have pretty detailed instructions on how to build one.


I was too lazy. There. I said it.

In all honestly I think I would try making my own next time around using the process shown. I would like to delete my A/C (I stir teh potz ), and lower the radiator, so mine would be a totally custom piece that wouldn't work for anyone else without those mods. I am also tempted to take a dremel tool to the hood scoops on the underside, where those rubber plugs were... open them up a bit towards the back so that at least _convection_ is improved while parked.


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## GM4life (Mar 18, 2007)

Poncho Dan said:


> I was too lazy. There. I said it.
> 
> In all honestly I think I would try making my own next time around using the process shown. I would like to delete my A/C (I stir teh potz ), and lower the radiator, so mine would be a totally custom piece that wouldn't work for anyone else without those mods. I am also tempted to take a dremel tool to the hood scoops on the underside, where those rubber plugs were... open them up a bit towards the back so that at least _convection_ is improved while parked.


I modded my rubber plugs to let it breath. You can feel the heat excape when parked. I was surprised on how much air flows under the front side of the hood. I've driven my car on a cool day on the highway then back down crusing speeds. I popped my hood and touched the radiator cover, intake/maf tube, airbox, TB and S/C where nice and cool.

I wanted to do a test with srips of yarn or paper tapped to the hood and front side of the car to test the airflow.


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## Poncho Dan (Jun 30, 2009)

I was shocked when I could fit my whole hand into the hood scoop under the hood. Doesn't look like the stamped "pockets" for the scoops in the structural weldment underneath have any structural purpose, so I'm really getting keen to buzzing them off for better underhood airflow (note: I didn't say intake flow). The stamped pocket acts as a bit of restriction/baffle, and is a great place for dirt and bugs to collect.


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## GM4life (Mar 18, 2007)

Thats why I left my rubber plugs in and just slotted them. I was more concerned about dirt and debris collecting in there and causing corrosion.


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