The magical search for a ws6 air box (or equivilent)
03-25-2013, 09:56 PM
#1
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The magical search for a ws6 air box (or equivilent) So yeah a few weeks ago i spy a lt1 ws6 hood about 50 minutes away from me, and it just happens to be black like my car, so 400 dollars later and trying to fit a hood for a trans am in a trans am (nearly impossible btw) The hood was on my car. I was 90% it was aftermarket and the fitment shows a bit, Ive seen worse. Anyway of course i want the ram air box that magically takes the engine from 275hp to 305hp with just a plastic hood and some nostrils cut out. Ive searched for all the possibilities on this forum and off and Im still confused. There must be a better option than suncoast or OEM that are near bolt-on and reasonably priced. Here are my limits
1-not cutting my hood, or anything really
2-around 300 dollars US
3- not trying to get a standard cold air intake, I really want a oem style car.
And here is the list of intakes Ive gathered that may or may not fit.
1- Suncoast creations- 345 dollars, know it will fit, but looks kinda cheap
2- a used air box- usually 300-500, harder to find than purple unicorns
3- Unknown rectangle filter just thrown on top of the plastic radiator cover (seen it alot but no idea what it is) rather not use it.
4- LS1 vararam- looks like it fits, possible cutting involved, although in my budget
5- LS1/SLP lid- i know its not ram air but the extra clearance from the ws6 hood might work, also people praise the ls1 lid and is probably just as good as a lt1 ws6 box. And very cheap at 90 bucks new.
6- ls1 ws6 box seen it done and if i remember it needs some fabrication.
Anyone want to add to these, I know everyone will tell me suncoast and it seems like the painless option, Ive been searching for ram air parts for months and I nearly fell over when i saw a black hood on craigslist. So yeah this is what Ive come up with. I know LT1s are sort of dying off but its nice to have a sticky or a guide to go with making your car ram air functioning without having to search forums for months just to pay a ridiculous ammount for a 15 year old piece of plastic and rubber.
1-not cutting my hood, or anything really
2-around 300 dollars US
3- not trying to get a standard cold air intake, I really want a oem style car.
And here is the list of intakes Ive gathered that may or may not fit.
1- Suncoast creations- 345 dollars, know it will fit, but looks kinda cheap
2- a used air box- usually 300-500, harder to find than purple unicorns
3- Unknown rectangle filter just thrown on top of the plastic radiator cover (seen it alot but no idea what it is) rather not use it.
4- LS1 vararam- looks like it fits, possible cutting involved, although in my budget
5- LS1/SLP lid- i know its not ram air but the extra clearance from the ws6 hood might work, also people praise the ls1 lid and is probably just as good as a lt1 ws6 box. And very cheap at 90 bucks new.
6- ls1 ws6 box seen it done and if i remember it needs some fabrication.
Anyone want to add to these, I know everyone will tell me suncoast and it seems like the painless option, Ive been searching for ram air parts for months and I nearly fell over when i saw a black hood on craigslist. So yeah this is what Ive come up with. I know LT1s are sort of dying off but its nice to have a sticky or a guide to go with making your car ram air functioning without having to search forums for months just to pay a ridiculous ammount for a 15 year old piece of plastic and rubber.
03-25-2013, 10:12 PM
#3
I know this doesn't help you. But I'll share my story of how I got mine. A firebird got traded in with a ram air hood and ram air lower air box. So I went home on lunch and got my lower air box and then swapped them. Got my ram air lower air box for free
03-25-2013, 10:17 PM
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Eh idk i like the look of oem better, doesn't have the "cheese grater" plastic over the filter you kinda just shove it in the surround and hope for the best, the OEM one attaches with some plastic fasteners and this one uses self tapping screws or something, and the OEM one has some foam/weatherstripping to prevent heat soak and rams all the air and doesn't let it escape (i suppose i can improvise a seal myself) Could only find a few pics installed on google but that's what Ive come up with. It does seem like my best bet now. Im not trying to get 30hp from a dumb air box, just want it to look decent and if it helps it out great and it justifies me spending all this money on the hood. I guess you could say its turning to be a ws6 clone, (put on ws6 wheels last fall) my uncle gave me this car non running from maryland and I always send him progress pics so I kinda feel the pressure to not crash it/break it/make it look stupid.
03-25-2013, 10:19 PM
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autogeek my dad actually works at a Pontiac (former) Buick GMC dealer which is how i got a set of free 245/50s before i got my ws6 rims, chrome lug nuts, wiperblades, etc. We get WS6's in alot but they're all 98-02.
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03-26-2013, 02:16 AM
#8
Eh idk i like the look of oem better, doesn't have the "cheese grater" plastic over the filter you kinda just shove it in the surround and hope for the best, the OEM one attaches with some plastic fasteners and this one uses self tapping screws or something, and the OEM one has some foam/weatherstripping to prevent heat soak and rams all the air and doesn't let it escape (i suppose i can improvise a seal myself) Could only find a few pics installed on google but that's what Ive come up with. It does seem like my best bet now. Im not trying to get 30hp from a dumb air box, just want it to look decent and if it helps it out great and it justifies me spending all this money on the hood. I guess you could say its turning to be a ws6 clone, (put on ws6 wheels last fall) my uncle gave me this car non running from maryland and I always send him progress pics so I kinda feel the pressure to not crash it/break it/make it look stupid.
It also holds a larger air filter than an LT1 ws6 would. It shares the same size of filter as the firehawks and C4 corvettes, so performance is *technically* better.
The only thing I don't like about my suncoast intake is that some filters don't fit in it. I wanted to use a paper filter in mine, none of which fit, so I was *stuck* with K&N.
Don't forget to get the SLP blockoff plate for the hole
03-26-2013, 02:30 PM
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ringmaster your about an hour and 45 mins from me, kinda waiting on tax returns to come in but if you need to sell it ASAP I can make it. Is 250 acceptable? no need to ship or meet up anywhere.
03-26-2013, 02:37 PM
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If you fold the back seat down and put the hood sideways it will fit. Took mine to the body shop that way.
best advice on finding an LT1 WS6 airbox is google. when i got mine back in january 2008, i was googling LT1 WS6 airbox at my aunt/uncles house in michigan after getting the hood unpainted, never installed OEM for ~ $310). i actually found an oem box, with K&N filter (and the bellow but that wasn't listed at the time) for $100 + shipping in oklahoma on some random fbody site. he had been trying to sell it for a few months, first at $150, then $100. i asked him about the bellow and he said he had one and would throw it in since i asked. so i got the complete ram air setup with K&N filter for $115 shipped. the box still has the rubber weatherstrip on it which lots of them seem to lose.
i doubt i could get that lucky now though.
i just noticed you said your hood is aftermarket? pretty sure the oem box seal won't work. if you do find a box you'll most likely have to remove the seal to get the hood to close. IIRC the only hood that will clear the oem box with seal is an oem.
best advice on finding an LT1 WS6 airbox is google. when i got mine back in january 2008, i was googling LT1 WS6 airbox at my aunt/uncles house in michigan after getting the hood unpainted, never installed OEM for ~ $310). i actually found an oem box, with K&N filter (and the bellow but that wasn't listed at the time) for $100 + shipping in oklahoma on some random fbody site. he had been trying to sell it for a few months, first at $150, then $100. i asked him about the bellow and he said he had one and would throw it in since i asked. so i got the complete ram air setup with K&N filter for $115 shipped. the box still has the rubber weatherstrip on it which lots of them seem to lose.
i doubt i could get that lucky now though.
i just noticed you said your hood is aftermarket? pretty sure the oem box seal won't work. if you do find a box you'll most likely have to remove the seal to get the hood to close. IIRC the only hood that will clear the oem box with seal is an oem.
Last edited by 1995blacktattop; 03-26-2013 at 03:04 PM.
