okay I've seen them around ALOT on peoples cars like on cardomain.com and and peformance shops....and I barely now crap about them (truth wise) like how much power do they really add to your car.....your gas mileage....any noise to the car. And would it be worth spending like $200 for one even though I have a K&N filter in the car right now?

Its a very very popular upgrade.

The reasons are that firstly it does free up any chance of airflow restriction. On an ecotec engine, a short ram intake is claimed by K&N to free up 5.9hp to the wheels at the top end of the RPM band. So from about 4000rpm to 6500rpm is where the gain is to be had.

Most people say that this isnt true and it frees about 1-3hp. I would rather believe the dyno run that K&N had done. It is in a controlled environment and there tests are usually done at the same humidity and tempurature, so I believe the gains to be very true. Also, they record the dyno result from the Third pull, to negate any heat or stress related variables in the results.

But, based on where you live, how hot or cold it is out, or the humidity in the air, the "gain" can be effected. BUT, it is STILL better then a stock system as shown by the dyno run.

However, i do believe that on the 2.2L 2200 engines in older cavaliers, that it probablly does not make any difference in power. K&N only builds kits if they make a gain that can be proved effective, and they did not make one for the 2200.

I would say you could expect a 5hp "gain" on average from ANY intake system. (for the ecotec) Thats with best conditions.

I cannot say that I have seen a gas mileage increase. BUT, if there is an air restriction with the stock system that an intake can clear up, you better believe there will be a fuel economy benefit, whether big or small; who knows?

Another reason why it is a popular upgrade for our car is the sound, and the looks, plus the filter is reusable. I dont think either of those two points is a big deal at all. The throw away filters are much less of a hassle if you think about it.

A third and less known up side of an intake for our car is that the stock air box for our car is POORLY designed, and the box housing that seals the air filter actually does not do a very good job at all. This has been proven with UOA's through the BITOG forum and many oil analysis that have been done with j-bodies. In fact, when I installed my K&N typhoon at 25,000 miles on the odometer, I couldnt believe how dirty my throttle body had gotten. I live in a very wet valley climate where the air is very clean. The stock system is junk on our cars! This goes for the 2.4, the 2.2 and the ecotec, because they all share the same filter BOX.

If you have either a 2.4L (Z24) or a ECOTEC engine, I feel you will benefit from an intake and really recommend one. Even if your not looking to race, it is a good upgrade for any car.

As far as spending $200 for one:

In MY opinion, I am anal and I want things made SPECFICALLY for my car, so I would never make my own intake in a million years, OR buy a cheap third rate ebay $30 intake with some un-oiled foam filter on the end of it that couldnt filter a 100 micron particle. I personally would only go with name brands. AEM makes a great kit for the 2.4, and K&N and RKSPORT makes a great kit for the ecotec.

I like my kit to be ready to install with quality parts, not some generic aluminum pipe that "lays" in the engine bay with no mounting points and has no hole for my sensors. But, thats just me. Will the $200 intake make more power then the $30 intake? I dont think so. Will the $200 intake be more reliable and physically last longer then the $30 one? Most likely. AND will the $200 intake fit perfectly, have the right holes for the sensors and be of quality parts compared to the $30 intake? YES.

It is my belief through much testing and controversy that a cold air intake is not necessary, does not gain any more power from a under the hood short ram, and is more dangerous to have running on a daily driver due to the chance of hydro lock.

So I personally woudlnt invest in a "cold" air intake setup. A standard Short ram setup is perfect.

Whatever brand you choose, make sure that it has a good quality filter on it, either a K&N or AEM cone filter that you KNOW filters well. Cheap un-oiled knock off filters could be hazzardous to engine life.

Now that I wrote up EVERYTHING someone could possibly want to know about an intake kit, I hope that it aids you in your decision.

wow rob thought about this for awhile lol thats like a presidential speech

yeah mine is a 2.4L and here I live up in Canada (manitoba) so we have like -20C- -35C in the winters and in summer our average summer day is like +25 - +30 in the summer so I shouldn't see a problem because I've seen on some cars down here in mid winter in like -40C which we usually reach