BA Cold Air Intake Development Thread

[LordWorm]

Well, Twiggy and I got our hands on a stock 4cyl BA hatch today..

After tearing it to shreds, and cursing several "typically mazda" things.. we worked out how we have to do what we have to do. Have a mockup of the CAI sitting in the back of my car right now... looks really good. Clears everything comfortably, and we made the mockup out of oversized pipe to be sure of fitment when the 2.75in pipe goes on... Mockup doesnt foul anything so the real thing sure wont either.

We spent a great deal of time cutting various lengths of PCV to ensure a minimum number of bends, thus getting the shortest possible cold air pipe we could make....

Air filter goes where the intake resonator currently sits, in the side of the front bar on the passanger side. Does mean front bar removal might be in order for installation, but its not overly that hard, once you figure out where all the bolts are!

Next step... our 3D dude is going to get to work getting some technical drawings so we can take hte pipe to a place with a CNC bender. We've decided that we're going to bend the lower pipe out of one piece, rather then welding 2 pipes together. Single pipe is going to be marginally more expensive, but removes a weld, removes alot of the cost of welding wire and gas, and should mean that our turn around time on orders is much faster.

So hopefully all those with BA's who were interested are still interested! we should have pricing in the next week or so.

We're going to build a real prototype, out of mild steel cos its cheaper, to test fitment... once thats built we'll need a BA hardtop to play with to see if its a straight fit, or whether we'll require a different bracket.

Stay tuned....

[MAztinA 323]

niiiice one!!

[twilightprotege]

and to add to that - if you dont have fog lights, all you need to do is remove the plastic cover on the passenger side of the bumper bar and that'll give you the coldest air possible.

there's definately a lot to be gained here!

[LordWorm]

Just contacted 3D dude....he's crook as a dog and can't come pick up the mockup... grr
i'll drop it off to him tomorrow... hopefully he wont be "driving his toilet bowl" tomorrow morning..

Dodgey Kebabs, I tells ya!

[project.r.racing]

down near the intake resinator? too low maybe? and maybe alittle forward might help also

[LordWorm]

Originally Posted by deejayryry

down near the intake resinator? too low maybe? and maybe alittle forward might help also

Right where the resonator sits right now actually
remove resonator, replace with whopping great big fat pod.

low, yes, but protected quite a bit.

Nowhere else really does the job....

the pod will have a 10 to 30 degree angle on it (depending on the pod we can source for it) so it can point forward a little and make for a better fit.


Should be a nice addition to the engine bay as well, as it'll be available in pretty polished aluminium/chrome finish. We've sourced lots of blue silicon bits too to stick it all together... blue, so it'll match your grey car ryan

[project.r.racing]

uh ok, i'll have to check it out, i've had one of these fitted before but didn't run down behind the bumper though. was done in black with heat tape around it.

you saying grey car = you die

[LordWorm]

Originally Posted by deejayryry

uh ok, i'll have to check it out, i've had one of these fitted before but didn't run down behind the bumper though. was done in black with heat tape around it.

you saying grey car = you die

Hahaha..

Yeh having it where we've put it will provide maximum cold air... its outside of the engine bay and as such is compliant... As Twiggy said, you can pull out the blanking plate for the fog lamp if you dont own one and really get nice cold air in, or just pull the fog lamp out at a track day for an extra kick.... also, where that resonator is, is a HUGE cavity... perfect spot for a pod.

All the photos of intakes i have seen for the BA are shortram/Warm Air Intakes... i'm sure cold air exists.... but to maximise benifit, it needs to be as far away from hot stuff as possible, and short of mouting the pod outside of the car, there is just no better place.

Also... would like to know anyone who is serious about wanting one of these... please start a list in this thread... need to know in advance how many we're going to be making, because its being bent on a CNC bender...and the more we get done, the lower the production cost...which is better for us, and better for the end users =)

Once we have a quote on the price, we'll get deposits to lock people into the first batch, and hopefully have them going early July.

[Pato's Astina]

count me in, as long as the price is reasonable and it looks good in the engine bay

Pato

[Mad Mat]

man thats something. good luck with all the work. and sorry if i am one of many people asking this but will there be a bg one made up too.

[bourbon]

Originally Posted by Mad Mat

man thats something. good luck with all the work. and sorry if i am one of many people asking this but will there be a bg one made up too.

yeh im pretty sure there will be mat...maybe they can use your car as a template...the SOHC and DOHC would be exactly the same wouldnt it boys...

[LordWorm]

Yes, BJ then BG intakes to follow.

=)

[Mad Mat]

Originally Posted by bourbon

yeh im pretty sure there will be mat...maybe they can use your car as a template...the SOHC and DOHC would be exactly the same wouldnt it boys...

yes they can use my car as a template.

i am 90% sure that the air boxes are the same. y wouldn't they be. ask nate.
he will know

[bourbon]

doesnt matter bout the airbox that comes out...i was more talkin bout where the throttle bodies are positioned...and clearences...they both go to the same spot...

[LordWorm]

Yeh, its TB, Location where it gets dropped out of the engine bay, anything that might foul it up......unless the layouts of the engine bay are 100% the same, a remeasure from one to the other is warrented....simple as that.

*IF* they are different, and the CAI wont fit, DOHC CAI will be assembled first.

[bourbon]

yeah well the engine bays are the same...not sure bout where the throttle bodies are though...

[LordWorm]

Ok... update time...for those who are hanging out for this part:

We've contacted a few places to get a prototype built in mild steel... The final production models will be built out of aluminium on a CNC bender and will be absolutely awesome, but the prototype would be too expensive to do this way.

We're hoping to have the prototype made for us this week, but the place that is doing it needs to build a tool for the die size we've chosen so it might get a bit delayed. However, once this is built, the ball will roll quickly because the mob who's doing our production models has the machines tooled up and ready to go.

At this stage we are no closer to working out a final price than we were before...But we'll get this just as soon as the prototype is built....however I can tell you what you get for your money

1x single-bend upper pipe
1x multi-bend single pipe (no welds) lower pipe
2x high quality silicon collars for attaching the MAF (only got blue at this stage!)
1x high quality silicon reducer (as above, only blue)
1x K&N Pod Filter to fit
6x worm drive clamps to stick it all together
and an assortment of brackets, bolts and grommets to bolt it to the car.


All silicon bits are 4 ply - and is rated to withstand fairly high boost (somewhere in the order of 40psi) on turbo setups - so its the good stuff and will last a very long time under this kind of NA application.

I'm also going to ring around for some powdercoating options, which will be at an extra charge...otherwise you get the thing bare naked and can do whatever you want with it.

Anyhow, thats how it stands at the moment. Sorry I don't have more info.

[Drunknmonkeyau]

soudns good lordworm. ya can put me down as a maybe. It all depends on the final price

[LordWorm]

Yep...for sure.

We're doing our best to make the price very competative... given CAI's are rediculously expensive to import.... which is more or less what annoyed us into making these things!

hows about we start a EOI list hey?

1. Drunknmonkeyau - maybe
2.
3.
4.
5.

[MeFo]

I'm keen for one for the BG!