At first glance, the stock air-intake system on the '05 Mustang GT looksgreat. You've got this great big box in the driver-side front corner ofthe engine compartment that takes up a lot of room--to allow for lots ofincoming air, you might presume. In fact, the intake is a little2x2-inch tube sticking into the fender area behind the grille, and thestock intake box houses a panel filter that receives marginal inlet air.Also, the stock inlet tubing aft of the mass air meter is rather smalland contains a large bend that likely slows the rush of incoming air.Besides being an integral part of the stock inlet box, that stock massair is reportedly extremely sensitive. Our cold-air designers had tokeep that in mind when they fabricated the location of the new tubingthat would house the new mass air mount.
The good news is, there's a lot more area to work with than on the '04GT, and the willing Three-Valve mill rallies around a breath of freshair. Our baseline numbers were made with the car in stock trim, then wepulled the hydrocarbon trap from the inlet and got 261 rear-wheelhorsepower and 282 lb-ft of torque--a 6-rwhp gain over the base numbers;add that into the final numbers if you like. Once Ken got throughadjusting the computer with a modest 91-octane tune, the car's baselinewas established at 271 rwhp and 289 rwtq.
Since the dawn of the 5.0 Mustang, Rick Anderson of Anderson FordMotorsport has been a student of how a Mustang gets air into its engine.His Power Pipe is a staple of the Mustang aftermarket, so it was nosurprise his '05 version has so much to offer. It features a massive80mm Professional Mass Air Systems mass air meter that can be calibratedto work with 19-, 24-, or 30-lb/hr injectors with no flash needed.Beyond the impressive hardware, not having to worry about a third party"correcting" the computer is a huge bonus and justifies the initialprice.
"Through design, the Power Pipe delivers a larger volume of cooler airto the engine," Rick Anderson states on his Web site. "By doing so, our'05 Mustang has produced up to 16 additional rear-wheel horsepower fromsimply installing the Power Pipe with mass air meter with no additionaltuning needed."
In a plug-and-play society, this is the king of thebolt-on-and-forget-it '05 CAI kits. We especially like the versatilityof this unit and the obvious built-in oversizing for when things likeheads/cams/intake packages become available for your favorite Mustang.
Keep in mind: Our photographs show the prototype for this setup, so thepaint, chrome, and welding isn't perfect like the production piece youcan buy now. Even though it didn't need a tune, our judges were hesitantabout the value of the AFM piece. Still, they thought it was well builtwith a high level of Expected Durability. This is a cold-air systemthat's built to grow with your combination. Should you add a blower orturbo, you can still use the 80mm Professional Mass Air Systems meter.
By the Numbers
AFM Power Pipe
Price: $569 (PN AF-0115C)
Peak Horsepower: 280 (19hp gain)/(287.6 hp with SCT tune)
Peak Torque: 296 lb-ft (14-lb-ft gain)/(302.2 lb-ft with SCT tune)
Subjective Evaluation
Ease of Installation: 27
Value: 23
Appearance: 34
Overall Quality: 35
Expected Durability: 39
Total: 158
You've probably seen a C&L TrueFlow intake, as Lee Bender (the manbehind C&L) has worked overtime to develop suitable tunes for hiscold-air that are marketed with his partner's (DiabloSport) Predatortuner. It's a slick collaboration that's garnered much-deservedattention for early '05 modifiers. Lee had the most to lose going intothis comparison test, as C&L is by far the leader in this productsegment, with good reason. The C&L cold-air blends OEM fit and finishwith the optional Predator tuner to ensure your '05 Mustang takes fulladvantage of the breath of fresh air. It looks right and complements theengine compartment nicely.
The C&L 83mm mass air is machined separately from the inlet pipe toensure it's smooth and accurate--a big point when working with fussyelectronics. The system offers a 4-inch inlet through a massive conicalfilter (surrounded by one of the nicest shields) and a 3.5-inch outletthat leads to a smooth elbow perfectly connected to the stock throttlebody with form-fit couplers. The hardware was all there, the pipes linedup as pictured, and the kit flat-out worked. Lee points out his systemis perfect for the '05 daily driver or racer who wants a solid aluminumpipe into which a nitrous-system nozzle mounts without worrying aboutexploded plastic if the spray backfires.
Our judges loved the C&L system, giving it the highest total subjectivescore. Install, Durability, and Quality were almost perfect. Scores weredown some for Value, probably due to the higher initial cost of buyingit with the Predator or getting just the CAI and adding a custom tune.
The judges wondered if the aluminum inlet piping might get heat-soakedin the super-hot '05 Mustang engine bay. Pick your poison, as we'veheard some plastic versions have warped during summer driving in theDeep South.
Like K&N and PowerHouse, C&L will offer an '05 V-6 kit. By the time youread this, Lee will have introduced the first race cold-air for theserious '05 Mustang jockey. It will feature 4-inch roto-molded plastictubing, a massive 95mm aluminum C&L mass air, and a $299 price tag. Itshould be the ultimate low-weight, bang-for-the-buck system on themarket that still features C&L's famous fit and finish.
By the Numbers
C&L Performance TrueFlow Intake
Price: $749 (TrueFlow intake withPredator tuner)/ $389 (TrueFlow intake)/ $169 (inlet pipe with hoses,clamp, and fittings)
Peak Horsepower: 286 (25hp gain)
Peak Torque: 302 (20-lb-ft gain)
Subjective Evaluation
Ease of Installation: 43
Value: 35
Appearance: 41
Overall Quality: 42
Expected Durability: 44
Total: 205
The JLT CAI makes no excuses--it's a low-cost air piranha that goes towork as soon as you crack the throttle. Expectations for this systemwere high, as it appeared to be made with a racer in mind and came intoour comparison with many satisfied Internet customers. With a huge--andstraight--4-inch inlet, a large mass air adapter, a big conical filter,and a simple shield, the JLT cold-air means business. It recorded thehighest power and torque gains, but be aware--the difference is wellwithin our defined 5-rwhp margin of error. The bottom line is, the JLTkit is the real deal and, as of June 2005, Jay Tucker (owner of JLT TrueCold Air) has over 100 of these kits that prove it every day on thestreets.
The JLT CAI scored just behind the C&L unit in subjective evaluation, asit did exceptionally well in Ease of Installation, Value, and Power. Itfell short in Quality and Expected Durability, but we imagine that camefrom the simple parts from which this system is made. Early samples hada problem with the filter coming off, but Jay addressed it withsatisfying results. Our judges complained that the edge on the mass-airto which the filter clamps was a marginal amount of material, and weimagine that was the culprit.
Our judges liked the idea of a large, 4-inch plastic intake that'slikely to stay cooler from the intense '05 underhood heat. That, ofcourse, depends on your velocity, airflow through the enginecompartment, and ambient temperature. JLT offers this kit painted tomatch the body color of your car or you can choose any of the wild flamepatterns that are available.
By the Numbers
JLT True Cold Air Intake
Price: $150 - $225 (with JLT/DTP tunepackage; not tested)
Peak Horsepower: 288.9 (27.9hp gain)
Peak Torque: 303.5lb-ft (21.5-lb-ft gain)
Subjective Evaluation
Ease of Installation: 44
Value: 48
Appearance: 40
Overall Quality: 34
Expected Durability: 35
Total: 201
The drop-in replacement K&N filter (PN KNN-33-2298; $58.00; $41.69through Summit Racing) is the standard by which all air filters aremeasured. We saw a quick 3-rwhp and 5-rwtq gain with this simple,10-minute swap. You also get a filter that lasts the lifetime of the carwith the K&N recharging kit. We've tested this filter in '05 Mustangs,but for completion we wanted to include it in this test.
K&N is a big company with an excellent group of engineers who wereobviously up to the task of building a cold-air that could work with thestock '05 Mustang's computer without a companion tune-up or flash. Assuch, its AirCharger comes complete with excellent hardware, greatinstructions, a K&N filter, and a solid pedigree. The K&N AirChargeralso includes a dyno sheet so you'll know exactly what to expect whenyou install it on your Mustang. K&N promises 15.26 rwhp at 6,000 rpm,and our testing showed an 18-rwhp and 15-rwtq gain over our "no-tune"base numbers, which is outstanding power for a kit on a naturallyaspirated Mustang. With the MD Motorsports tune in place, the car pickedup an additional 3 rwhp and 3 rwtq, showing this system has just aboutmaxed out the capability of the motor to ingest air through this sizeinlet tubing, which is slightly smaller than stock at points, and likelyto keep the mass-air happy with a good air velocity.
As for installation, we pulled the hydrocarbon trap (against thedirective of the K&N instructions). We did this for an honest comparisonwith the other systems and because the '06 GT is supposed to arrivewithout such a factory-supplied intake obstruction. Typical of a K&Nkit, this one went on as the instructions graphically showed with nosurprises or missing parts. Our judges pointed out the K&N kit doesposition the mass-air close to the radiator hose--a major source ofunderhood heat--but the K&N AirCharger still belted out good power.
Subjectively, the K&N AirCharger scored well with our judges in ExpectedDurability and lost some with Ease of Installation. It's a complete kit,no doubt, with all the hardware associated with an OEM kit. Afterreading the included K&N dyno sheet and seeing similar results on hisown dyno, Ken Bjonnes said, "It's cool when something works asadvertised." Perhaps that summation (from a shop owner who has seen theexact opposite) best sums up our experience with the K&N products.
K&N also offers an AirCharger intake system for the V-6-equipped '05Mustang (PN 63-2566). So, you V-6 folks can join in the fun with K&N atany time.
By the Numbers
K&N AirCharger
Price: AirCharger (PN KNN-63-2565): $400.00 ($286.69 through Summit Racing)
Peak Horsepower: 279 (18hp gain)/(282 with SCT tune)
Peak Torque: 297 lb-ft (15-lb-ft gain)/(300 lb-ft with SCT tune)
Subjective Evaluation
Ease of Installation: 26
Value: 40
Appearance: 29
Overall Quality: 40
Expected Durability: 44
Total: 179
We have to admit, the MAC cold-air really surprised us. MAC productshave always worked well for us, but let's just say they usually add morelooks than usable power to the engine. That changed as soon as we openedthe box on the MAC '05 Mustang cold-air. Oh, the good looks are there,as the MAC description boasts a "#8 mirror finish stainless steel heatand turbulence shield." But the engineers added a nice velocity stack(or "power donut," as we're fond of calling it) to attach a large,6-inch conical air filter. This was one of the few kits that includedthe Torx bit necessary to remove the stock mass air--a small point, buta saved trip to the parts store.
Our judges loved the Appearance of this cold-air, and most commentedthat MAC should have included a full, chromed-up inlet tube (we're sureone will be on the way.) Add in a good Value and surprising performancegains, and we think MAC has a winner with this inexpensive kit.
By the Numbers
MAC '05 Mustang Cold-Air
Price: $189.50
Peak Horsepower: 285.4 (24.4hp gain)
Peak Torque: 302.4 lb-ft (20.4-lb-ft gain)
Subjective Evaluation
Ease of Installation: 34
Value: 43
Appearance: 41
Overall Quality: 39
Expected Durability: 36
Total: 193