Ebay CAI vs AEM V2 CAI
12-21-2005, 01:09 PM
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Ebay CAI vs AEM V2 CAI
Ebay CAI / AEM V2 CAI
Quality:3 / 10
Fitment:2 / 10
Sound:9 / 8
Performance:5 / 8
Here is how I feel of the two. I ordered an ebay cai just to see if a pipe is a pipe. I guess it pretty much is when it comes to the sound of the intake, but everything else is different. The quality of the ebay cai was just cheap. It had no nipples, just holes, so you had to stick the vacuum hoses into the holes of the intake and use a sealant to seal the holes. It didn't bolt down anywhere and a lot of stuff was left hanging. Because it couldn't be bolted down it sometimes vibrated and rubbed against things a little bit. The sound was great, very loud and aggressive when you got on it, but the rest was crap. I also felt no performance gain whatsoever, actually felt a little like I lost some throttle response.
When I installed the AEM V2 CAI it was all different. The quality was so amazing. Everything just looks so neatly arranged and refined. It definetly screams quality just by looking at it. I couldn't believe how well it fit. It doesn't touch ANYTHING in the car even though the piping is so large. It is so close to touching all sides of the car but it was made so precise that it stays secure, not touching a thing. The sound is almost like the ebay cai just not as loud. The ebay cai definitely sounded a little more aggressive. When it comes to performance, my butt dyno says the AEM V2 CAI had more. I won't be sure until I drive it a little more because today was a nice cool day here in Florida. But even with less sound it just felt more responsive.
The cheap $50(after shipping) cai's from ebay aren't a bad buy. But you get what you pay for. I liked the sound, felt like the same ol performance, but couldn't stand the cheapness. I always was paranoid about it. The mildly expensive AEM V2 CAI($250 after shipping) was all I could dream of. Looks amazing, sounds amazing, feels amazing. The V2 also came with the vacuums you need to take off that bulky metal center piece that all your vacuums connect to. It even came with two zipties you would need. And to my suprise, something I never knew about, was the drain plug in the piping near the filter.
Anyways, 5 stars to the AEM V2, 1.5 stars to the ebay cai
Quality:3 / 10
Fitment:2 / 10
Sound:9 / 8
Performance:5 / 8
Here is how I feel of the two. I ordered an ebay cai just to see if a pipe is a pipe. I guess it pretty much is when it comes to the sound of the intake, but everything else is different. The quality of the ebay cai was just cheap. It had no nipples, just holes, so you had to stick the vacuum hoses into the holes of the intake and use a sealant to seal the holes. It didn't bolt down anywhere and a lot of stuff was left hanging. Because it couldn't be bolted down it sometimes vibrated and rubbed against things a little bit. The sound was great, very loud and aggressive when you got on it, but the rest was crap. I also felt no performance gain whatsoever, actually felt a little like I lost some throttle response.
When I installed the AEM V2 CAI it was all different. The quality was so amazing. Everything just looks so neatly arranged and refined. It definetly screams quality just by looking at it. I couldn't believe how well it fit. It doesn't touch ANYTHING in the car even though the piping is so large. It is so close to touching all sides of the car but it was made so precise that it stays secure, not touching a thing. The sound is almost like the ebay cai just not as loud. The ebay cai definitely sounded a little more aggressive. When it comes to performance, my butt dyno says the AEM V2 CAI had more. I won't be sure until I drive it a little more because today was a nice cool day here in Florida. But even with less sound it just felt more responsive.
The cheap $50(after shipping) cai's from ebay aren't a bad buy. But you get what you pay for. I liked the sound, felt like the same ol performance, but couldn't stand the cheapness. I always was paranoid about it. The mildly expensive AEM V2 CAI($250 after shipping) was all I could dream of. Looks amazing, sounds amazing, feels amazing. The V2 also came with the vacuums you need to take off that bulky metal center piece that all your vacuums connect to. It even came with two zipties you would need. And to my suprise, something I never knew about, was the drain plug in the piping near the filter.
Anyways, 5 stars to the AEM V2, 1.5 stars to the ebay cai
12-21-2005, 02:59 PM
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No, have just seen MANY post asking about ebay intakes vs the big companies. Many say a pipe is a pipe and AEM/Injen/whatever is a waste of money for just a pipe. Since I have tried both, just giving my opinion...
12-21-2005, 07:10 PM
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Originally Posted by Emil St-Hilaire,Dec 21 2005, 07:52 PM
12-27-2005, 08:36 AM
#7
FWIW, not all ebay intakes are the same. I've seen my share and it's easy to get tricked into buying the ones with just holes instead of nipples. You really have to know what to look for. That said, I've seen ebay intakes that are just as good as AEM and I have seen those that are like what you describe. It just depends on what knock off tuner you go with. Some of them bother to weld on the mounting brackets and the hose nipples and some of them just drill holes in it and say it works. I've also noticed that the ones with the correct fittings usually don't cost less than $35 before shipping and on average cost atleast $40-$50.
BTW, I have a one peice Injen
BTW, I have a one peice Injen
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