Corvette Performance - What's the best cold air set up for a C5?

I just bought a 98 vette a couple days ago and I want to start doing mods to it now starting with the cold air.Everything on the car is totaly stock.There is so many cold air set-ups....I just dont know what to go with.I know alot of you guys went through trial and error so what do you guys thing it the best cold air set up?Thanks in advance......John

Blackwing and Vararam are pretty popular, might get more love in the Vette section.

Thanks for the advise,this is my second post and put in in the wrong place...Blackwing and Vararam are pretty popular, might get more love in the Vette section.

For all out performance - Vararam

If you are worried about Vararam sucking water in on rainy days - Blackwing

If you are on a budget - ziptie mod (use the search to find old posts on this mod)

If you want performance then go with the Vararam. After that add some LG or Kooks headers, then add...., then install..... There is no end to modding.

The best cold air system is an enclosed, sealed cover with a donaldson air filter on a cut radiator shroad. Hard to find but is the system GM uses on the C5/C6R, commercially, the veraram is the best.

stay away from the granatelli ram air system, the cover on mine cracked and they would not sell me just the cover, you have to buy the whole thing again to the tune of $ 495.00 what a scam. they would not even return my calls or e-mail. :bang:

Thanks alot for the info guys.I like the Vararam but a little concerned about te water getting in to it so I might have to go with the blackwing set up...Thanks

blackwing, no issues, easy to service

You shouldn't have to worry about sucking any water into the Vararam unless you are driving the car under water. The velocity of the air moving into the intake tract isn't fast enough to 'suck' water droplets like rain up into the intake.

I have a Blackwing, but MTI makes an awesome ram air setup as described above with the enclosed box that picks up air in the radiator shroud area.

I got a breathless performance intake, vortex deal, seems to work ok....

I just bought a 98 vette a couple days ago and I want to start doing mods to it now starting with the cold air.Everything on the car is totaly stock.There is so many cold air set-ups....I just dont know what to go with.I know alot of you guys went through trial and error so what do you guys thing it the best cold air set up?Thanks in advance......John

I have Vararam and I have had no problems.

I have VaraRam, just installed it about a month ago. I can't tell you about the gains because I haven't dyno'ed since the install, but it wasn't that difficult to install, just bit time consuming, it seems to work just fine.

I went from the Blackwing to the Vararam. I track tested it and got 0 gain! The Blackwing is a good quality piece, the Vararam is difficult to install.

blackwing all the way!
i put down 316/326 with just that on a stock 99

I had the Blackwing and this year decided to try the Vararam. You might also want to take a look at the Callaway Honker. They also relocate the MAF. It is an interesting setup, although very pricey.

Look at this one.

http://www.corvettec5.com/store/?page=shop/browse&category_id=a07b349af0f3914d53ae2675c9cb237d&ps_session=3860dc0c3cd7ec114c59c37d64f723f6

I got a breathless performance intake, vortex deal, seems to work ok....
:metoo:

http://content.madirect.com/img300/fr14.jpg

Replace your Corvette's restrictive stock air box assembly with this revolutionary air cleaner, which contains an internal vortex velocity stack. The Vortex Rammer Cold Air System obtains cool, pressurized air from the radiator cavity through your modified shroud. A specially designed scoop then forces air into our Rammer sealed box, where it directly injects cold air into your intake. Dyno results have shown 22hp and 21ft/lbs of torque. Clear finish provides visual access to your filter and radiator for service inspection. Installation requires 4"x 6" opening to be cut in fan shroud. Clear or black for the 2001-04 systems. $249.99
Mid America Motorworks Link (http://www.madvet.com/shop?frame=2.14)

http://www.ecklers.com/images/ecklers/41198.jpg

1997-04 Vortex Rammer Pre-Cut Fan Shroud Use With Vortex Systems, $74.99
Ecklers Link (http://www.ecklers.com/product.asp?dept%5Fid=1758&pf%5Fid=41198&mscssid=FX5BULF2GD8T9LSMGXL8N9EVRGRJFR47)

Vararam is the best...
There are NO issues whatsoever with water..
You can drive in the heaviest storm on the hiway, no problems..

Blackwing is NOT a cold air intake, its an under hood one..

The Vararam WILL & DOES outperform the Vortex, and there ARE water injestion issues with the Vortex,,

Vararam is the best...
There are NO issues whatsoever with water..
You can drive in the heaviest storm on the hiway, no problems..

The Vararam WILL & DOES outperform the Vortex, and there ARE water injestion issues with the Vortex,,
:turd:

I've heard of more water vapor issues with the Vararam than with the Vortex CAI.

I have both............Vortex on our 00' coupe w/o issue for over 30K miles in all weather.............
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/photopost/data/1032/11247C5ramairundercar2-med.jpg

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/photopost/data/1032/11247C5ramairundercar-med.jpg

and VaraRam on our 00' vert http://www.ls1tech.com/forums/showthread.php?t=306186

and on my 97' stroker w/o issue at 8k miles and driven to BG 700+ miles one way last year in monsoon rains w/o issue.

The only draw back with the Vortex is that it does cover some cooling capacity and makes the car run no more than 5 degrees hotter than the VaraRam.
Other than that they are both true CAI

Vortex, here and have had NO issues!

zip tie > *

Filter has never been wet and i'm sure the gains are just as much as an add-on box/filter. Now the Vararam...i'm sure it does provide the most gains but i'm not about to go through all that pain and money for cold-air.

I have the vortex never had any water issues, but i dont drive my car in the rain. ;)