The official CAI/Exhaust thread for N/A scoobies

[rickG888]

MY 00 GC8

Intake : PRM polished (Similar to COBB)
paid $350 Can.

Exhaust : 2.5 Brullen Headers
High Flow Cat
Brullen dual dip (quiet)
bought used 1 year old for $700.00 Can.

Likes : nice power increase from 80-130km/hour
not too loud but deep enough to give that
great boxer rumble.
good fitment and great quality
The intake sounds great a WOT.

Dislikes : now putting in the high octance gas (ouch) plus
the car is definitely thirsty for the fuel now with the
increased flow.
Since the CAI is straight to the throttle body I always
fear water might get up and through???

Power : up significantly in third fourth and fifth gears
no big change down low

Overall : I am very happy with this set up and with the increased
power I really feel the brakes are next to be upgraded.
In order to really feel the difference I am planning a
tuning with Yoshio.

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[D-Speed 2.5]

JC Sports intake
Greddy EVO Cat Back

No noticeable difference in power. Car sounds cool though for whatever thats worth. Also I have had the intake off a couple of times when I was getting warrenty work done. The low end felt much better with the stock airbox setup. Oh well, just yearning for boost.
My pullies by far made the only noticeable difference in power.

[GooseMan]

I guess I should throw my 2¢ in here......

Vehicle Year/Make/Model/Engine size/trans type.

2000 2.5 RS Manual trans


CAI type and Cost:

Rallispec CAI (includes NICE foam PiperCrosss filter, catch can/resivoir, spacers for hood air vent)

Paid $250 used


Exhaust type/size Cost:

Custom cat-back 2.5" stainless crush bent, no resonator, Brullen dual tip medium Muffler. Cost $500 total.


The Rallispec intake is VERY nice, high quality. The Pipercorss filter is also of VERY high quality...apparently one of the best filters on the market. Kit included spacers to open up the pass. side air vent, to allow air in, but not rain. Works well! Intake is VERY loud at WOT. SCARY loud.

As for the exhaust, car has a nice rumble, gets pretty loud and droning at highway speeds. I'd look for a quieter muffler and/or resonator next time. Everyone says that with a 2.5" exahust, I'd lose low end torque...but my car feels pretty torquey!

[goobie]

Vehicle Year/Make/Model/Engine size/trans type.
2000 2.5 RS 5MT

CAI type and Cost:
Cobb/PRM bought used from Nasioc Member $125 USD
Loud as hell @ WOT

Exhaust type/size Cost:
Borla Header 4G SS, stock cats, Borla cat-back 2" mandrel bent SS pipe. Bought used, can't remember price.

Likes:
-High quality piping (though my first set of headers (3G) cracked and were returned). Excellent fit.
-Sound is really nice! Notorious Boxer rumble.
-Noticable gain in power! Bottom end seems more torquey and responsive. Mid-range is the most noticeable difference, a lot more power around 3300-5000 RPM. Top end has opened up a bit too.
- No CEL!
- Better fuel economy!

Dislikes.
- Cracked 3G header.
- A little too loud maybe (might get a resonator welded in mid pipe)
- Drones a little at certain RPM's on the Highway.
- Would have rathered a nice dual tip instead of a sigle 4" slanted tip but that's just me...


Cheers,

Chad

[bheinz57]

2002 OBS
Cobb Tuning CAI $269

Awesome sound, great gulps of air for the subie

Borla Gen IV header $275

Cobb SS high flow cat section $150 (used)

Stromung SS cat back- ~$600

Great looks, twin pipes out the rear, very nice low rumble.
However can be a little annoying to the wife at certain rpm's

Purchased most of my goodies from Boxer4racing--Try 'em!

[Mike&Michele]

'00 RS Coupe 5MT

Cobb CAI

Borla GenIV with Stromung Cat, SS Midpipe and SS Dual Tip

All purchased from Teaguesauto.com over the past 18 months

Dislikes: Constant CEL (fixing that) and being told to slow down when I haven't past 35 mph yet

Likes: Install is simple as the Stromung Cat is a drop in and fit perfectly between the headers and midpipe (no adjustments at all). The sound speaks for itself...don't get ricers revving their engine around me any more. Gas mileage went up about 10% in a mix of city/highway driving. There was a definite increase in power and response after the Header/Cat install. The hesitation between 3500-4200 rpms is practically gone (also running GFB's Power Pully kit) and the car pulls much stronger through each gear. Did I mention the sound...beautiful....who needs a stereo.

Other comments: If you have not dealt with Dale from Teague's Auto you should. Dale knows Subaru's inside and out and won't steer you wrong (I don't work for him, I just believe he deserves the good word).

-Mike

[orndog]

Vehicle Year/Make/Model/Engine size/trans type.
2003 OBS 5 speed

CAI type and Cost:
PDM Racing
$50 plus shipping. Great sound, easy installation, preserves stock airbox. Let your ECU learn before you toss it out. Dislikes: It's not a Cobb, and don't try to polish it - the PDM logo smears.

Exhaust type/size Cost:
Cobb, $400 shipped (bought used with a few hundred miles on it).
Sounds good without being loud at all. With the windows up I can't even really hear it over my intake at 70mph, and the intake isn't that loud at cruise. Has a nice burble at idle. Good quality, easy installation - it just fits. Dislikes: does this thing need a weep hole or something? Wish it would pop a little when I lift off the throttle, maybe with time...

Did these about 1000 miles apart, intake first. Revs quicker, my butt dyno is the best and most skeptical on the planet, and it notices no real power gains. Slight drop at low rpm, slight gain higher up.

Other Comments: Hey, you're going to get what you're going to get. Some people have a big budget, some don't. I wouldn't have paid full price for the exhaust, but I love it for what I got it for. I would like the CAI more, but couldn't justify another 200 bucks (call it 150 since the Cobb comes with the filter). Whgen shopping for exhaust, go to meets and listen to them. Don't forget to research all the brands, including Ion - they sound nice.

[Dr. Morbid]

'94 1.8L FWD Impreza Sedan, 5spd.

(dollars in Canadian so, adjust down accordingly)

Intake: Vibrant performance cone w. MAF adapter ($85)
- intake silencer removed
- modified stock hood for functional turbo bonnet scoop
(as seen on Primitive website, $400 inc. install)

Muffler: Upgraded to 2.5" straight pipe ($500, muffler install too)
ApexI N1 ($400)

Likes: Obvious improvements proven time and again by the never fail butt dyno. Kicks hard off the start, sounds like a screaming banshee with an awesome low note. Other cars stay away now because it sounds like I have something major under the hood, with other mods the idle now sounds like a lumpy cam (slowly thrums at 200rpm then raises gradually to 1200rpm then back down). Never had a CEL.

Dislikes: Had to buy the ApexI silencer for long trips, a one hour drive can cause hearing loss and headaches. With intake silencer out gravel comes into the engine bay, but that will soon be taken care of. Friends can here me from 3 blocks away if I'm on the gas too hard.

[tmeh]

ok,

2000 RS 5MT


intake:
PDM and a K&N panel filter, about $150 can. at my door.

exhaust:
'02 wrx can with stainless brullen tips, $120 can. installed.

love the improvement, actually being able to hear the car. i've got the rest of the wrx exhaust, i might put the cat and midpipe on for fun. nothing drastic, but an inexpensive change for the better. i want headers, one day. and sidepipes hahaa

[IMPREZA619]

INTAKE
K&N drop in filter, used to have ganzflow and jc sports. Had cop problems....

Exhaust
Tanabe Racing Medallion. My car is a monster, if you heard one you know what i would be talking about.

I dont know if i feel any power difference and i rarley drive my car at WOT so i could save gas and keep out of trouble. But on the freeway i definetly feel more pull in 4th and 5th, than my friend with a stock rs.

[mixjon]

INTAKE
stock

Exaust
tanabe super racing medallion, screams at wot nice back fires when shifting and nice boxer burble when decellerating.


I noticed more top end power over stock (butt dyno) only problem is that I only had it for 4 months and broke the hanger off the mid pipe. the whole left the exhaust system sounding even louder but with a tone that only a honda owner could love and melted the kartboy hanger. so Im back to the stock rusty catback.
does anybody know of a welding shop in the stl who can handle stainless. I went to franchise muffler shops and no one had the correct welding wire for it.
oh well dont jump with tanabe, get a rally exhaust tanabe is good only on the street(unless your jumping).

[RS_NW]

2001 Subaru Impreza 2.5RS 5 Spd
CAI type and Cost: COBB CAI $200+ *New*
Exhaust type/size Cost: 5 Zigen Fireball 2.25" Catback $450 shipped.
Place of Purchase: COBB Tuning, ISR
CAI:
Likes: Noticeable gain throughout powerband, excellent sound
Dislikes: Waterlocked the motor with this intake. Rattles if not properly installed, not enough power for a $200 mod. Pain in the ass to clean.

Exhaust:
Likes: Great looking exhaust.
Dislikes: Too high pitch, caused backfires, poor fitment and burned rear bumper. Not enough power for a $450 mod.

[jrgiza]

Originally posted by tmeh
ok,

2000 RS 5MT


intake:
PDM and a K&N panel filter, about $150 can. at my door.

exhaust:
'02 wrx can with stainless brullen tips, $120 can. installed.

love the improvement, actually being able to hear the car. i've got the rest of the wrx exhaust, i might put the cat and midpipe on for fun. nothing drastic, but an inexpensive change for the better. i want headers, one day. and sidepipes hahaa

You have the WRX muffler on the stock 2.5RS exhaust? How did it fit (did the muffler shop that installed it have to modify it at all)? Also, do you know if the rest of the exhaust will 'bolt in'? If I can pick up a WRX stocker cheap, it might be worth the slight improvement until such a time when I can get an aftermarket setup...

[Brad Pittiful]

Vehicle Year/Make/Model/Engine size/trans type.

Subaru/Impreza/2.5RS/2.5 Litre/4EAT

CAI type and Cost: Cobb $279.00

Exhaust type/size Cost: SPT catback
Place of Purchase: dealer

Likes: love the sound more each day...seems to be alittle quicker...but the best is if someone older is walking and i go WOT it usually makes them look in a horrified way lol but someone younger usually likes it

SPT exhaust i like cause i didnt want anything to loud at first

Dislikes: such as noise level/resonence/power loss/CEL
very satisfied with everything

Other Comments:
i hate the other category

[Dr Ken]

2000 RS: Still NA EJ25.
Ganzflow with 3" pipe/(DIY modified airbox) with K&N panel filter: ~$160 from Larry Ganz.
TWE header and cat (~$900 TWE)
Brullen midpipe and canister, 2.25" piping and quiet single port option: ~$700 from Brullen
Kartboy hangers: ~$30.
Also have ProECM chip ~$250 from ProECM.
and a set of three lightwieght pulleys: ~$500 (installed)

Likes: Each confired their own gains - no actual dyno guesses. It think the CAI was and should be first and then sequentially the rear end and finally the headers last. This is order of decreasing gains, in my mind. The end-placement of these components are same as stock (therefore interchangible/mix&match). If done again, I'd get 2.5" piping. Brullen is good sounding.

Dislikes: Cabin noise increased excessively for long drives and delicate passengers. These headers are almost too smooth sounding and I miss the burbles of unequal length. Headers/Cat section caused CEL (need to get a fix). I regret getting the pulleys - they're just a waste.

[wally]

Hi. I'm from Singapore and I actually own a '01 Forester N/A, not Impreza. I've been toying with the idea of adding a CAI for my Forester and have been searching the net for info, but seems like nobody has ever done it before. I'm wondering if the Forester N/A engine is similar to Impreza's, and whether the products that some of you have here may fit my car. do any of you happen to know about this? And did any of you fit the CAI yourself? How is it done?

When I read your posts. some said they lost some low end torque. Sorry, but I know nothing about engines, so what does that mean, and is that bad?

This may not be the right place for me to ask this question, so I do apologise for that.

[DanzBorin]

Originally posted by wally
Hi. I'm from Singapore and I actually own a '01 Forester N/A, not Impreza. I've been toying with the idea of adding a CAI for my Forester and have been searching the net for info, but seems like nobody has ever done it before. I'm wondering if the Forester N/A engine is similar to Impreza's, and whether the products that some of you have here may fit my car. do any of you happen to know about this? And did any of you fit the CAI yourself? How is it done?

When I read your posts. some said they lost some low end torque. Sorry, but I know nothing about engines, so what does that mean, and is that bad?

This may not be the right place for me to ask this question, so I do apologise for that.

It's the exact same engine...

Low end torque is what makes the car get up and go... subarus have it hondas don't...

[orndog]

Doesn't the Ganz have a Forester version of their CAI?

[wally]

If the low end torque is what makes the car go, then losig it will mean the car is slower in accelerating from start? so what's the advantage of adding CAI if you lose low end torque?

[BAN SUVS]

The Ganzflow, PDM, and Cobb don't really lose any low end. The Cobb actually gains some.

[wally]

I wonder what's the difference in their design? is it because of different filter used, or different design of the pipe? did any of you need to modify the pipe to fit into your bonnet?

[DanzBorin]

Originally posted by wally
I wonder what's the difference in their design? is it because of different filter used, or different design of the pipe? did any of you need to modify the pipe to fit into your bonnet?

Ganzflow and PDM retain the stock airbox and uses existing panel filter (it's essentially a pipe)... the Cobb eliminates it and has a inline filter... keeping the airbox is to keep low end in tact, but cobb's design retains it well, but has a much better top end than the other 2...

[BOY]

Originally posted by DanzBorin

Ganzflow and PDM retain the stock airbox and uses existing panel filter (it's essentially a pipe)... the Cobb eliminates it and has a inline filter... keeping the airbox is to keep low end in tact, but cobb's design retains it well, but has a much better top end than the other 2...

Rob, you should just get a small shop and become a Cobb installer .

[DanzBorin]

Originally posted by BOY
Rob, you should just get a small shop and become a Cobb installer .

just the intakes... other products can be found better and cheaper...

[wally]

I've checked out the ImprezaRS site, and looked at the pictures of the various intakes. I think I know what I should do now. Thanks for all your advices!! Will keep you posted on the effect of my mod.

Thanks again.