I came from a miata, on miata.net there was a mod that attached a shop vac hose to the box then cut a hole in the cowl and insert hose there.
I did it and the sound was awesome, not sure of the hp increase but it did "feel" crisper in the throttle.
It was super cheap and since I believe this part is plastic on the mini, it should be a lot easier and less scary than cutting sheet metal.
Has anyone tried this on a mini?
Thanks

 

There is already a hole that goes into the cowl area on a stock box. So your well on the way. Just attach your hose and stick it up under the vent. Or you can do a Webb mod.https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...ead.php?t=4133
Lots of similar stuff has been done by like minded Mini DIYers. So at the worst you have a short piece of shop vac hose, at best you had fun modding (And maybe a little performance).

 

Plenty of interesting reading there.
I'd like to keep the stock airbox, due to this, will the filter limit the airflow?
Where is the bottle neck in the stock air intake system?
Is more air flow the main reason for most going to a CAI or is it for the colder air?

 

Both, but mostly for the cold air. Cooler air detonates/ignites better than warm/hot air.

FYI- you probably know this but: CAI = Cold Air Intake

 

So if it's mostly for colder air, i think i'll give the shop vac hose from airbox to cowl mod a crack when i've got some time.

 

So i did it. After getting under the bonnet and removing all the bits and pieces, I notice I dont have much room to deal with that is below the filter. Sooo I just enlarged the existing small hole. I enlarged it to 2.5 inches and just a short bit of shop vac hose to connect the box to the cowl.
Under idle ,putting my fingers over the hole I can feel air being pulled, so I think it works. So under heated conditions I'm pretty sure it'll work.

 

I just put in a CAI w/heatshield and did a search for threads to increase air into the box.

I didn't want to completely remove the back plate or cut too many holes because the air for the ventilation also comes from the cowl. While driving I am not concerned about engine gasses but at idle (especially in recirc mode) or if a line leaks I think engine gasses may be sucked in to the ventilation system.

I like this mod but instead of a shop vac hose, how about one of the attachennts for a vacuum cleaner like the one used for sweeping the floor?

It could be inserted from the rear to the top of the box and then turned with the opening downward in the cowl area. No water would get sucked in during heavy rain, and it would not allow much backflow into the cowl area when at idle, yet it would allow improved air flow into the box.

BTW, I had a K&N box filter and the cone-type CAI is much improved over that idea. I can really feel the difference.

 

it, fairly unlikely water will get into the hose, when driving at speed i'm sure water goes into the front intake pipe. theres always the drip holes for any water that does get in there. i just ordered the alta panel filter so we'll see how that goes soon.

 

Did you guys realize that Pep Boys has a section where you can assemble your own short ram intake? I would suggest looking into this before hacking in to your shop vacs as the cost was minor for the tubing, filter etc. $45.00 to be exact, it's a nice affordable option that looks good when you open the bonnet too.

 

Not for me, but whatever floats your boat...

 

not for me either. i want to keep the heat out of the airbox and i didn't fancy paying $$$ for jcw or dinan, so i made flow better by having more openings to cooler ambient air and i'm just going to put in a foam panel filter.
and i'm pretty sure it'll be quieter too. (wife's daily driver)