Just thought I'd pass this on:

http://store.yahoo.com/hopup1/voprcoairsyn1.html

Been looking for one of these for a few months, so I bought this today. This is about as cheap as I've seen.

That's a really good deal! Has anyone ordered from these guys before?

First time I've bought from them. Ordered yesterday, $211.00 + $17 SH = $238.00. I've never heard of the place, will post my experience here after I get the intake.

That looks like the safest aftermarket intake to get to me... you get the increased air flow without the increased chance of sucking water into your engine...

I would really like to get that, but i am going to wait a while i think.. My X is just to new...

Well, one week (8 days) later and I still don't have my intake. I did notice the $238 charge on my Visa literally hours after I placed my order though.

I sent an email yesterday to get a tracking number and no one responded, so today I called the store directly and no one answered the phone. I sent a second email today, I hope for their sake they respond.

Anyone order from these guys before?

Yikes! I was going to order from them, but wanted to wait to see the outcome. That sucks, let us know the outcome.

BTW, if you used your VISA you can file it as interent fruad and get your money back.

called them... got through, quoted me 320 for that part...

did you call the number on the bottom of the web page?

they do seem a little shady...

I bought mine from an outfit someone shared in an earlier post and had no problems getting it--if anyone can remember the one I'm talking about please post a link. Great intake.

edit: http://www.ajusa.com

Actually, I just got got a response from them. I was told the intake should already be on my front doorstep. I'm still at work so can't verify. I generally get a little uneasy when I call a business and no one answers the phone, but apparently they were on another line or something.

boognight - the part is still listed at $211.00 on their website. ( link here ) It could be they were talking about another intake.

FYI, I also inquired about the Borla catback they have. It's listed at $400 and lists for much higher, so I may end up ordering that too.

Can you give us an update on your intake when its installed?

sounds? MPG change? Butt-tested HP gain?

I am very interested in this intake...

thank you

Update please! I want to order one of these before they go off sale.

Markk

UPDATE!

The box arrived exactly 8 days after I ordered the part. Not speedy, but not unexpected for UPS ground. I didn't take any photos, but I will post final pics tonight and a sound clip. You really need to hear it to get an understanding of the sound, it's hard to describe.

I did not get an invoice, bill of sale, receipt, etc, from Hopup Racing. I guess when you save $70 off list price you can't expect much. I wasn't too worried because the box was the original Volant box, sealed with all parts and "Engrish" directions. I'd stick to Dandingo\'s directions for the install.

Now for the results:

I have a 4x4 SE 3.3L V6 with auto tranny and stock everything. I use synth oil and have just under 19,000 miles.

Around idle you would never know the filter is there. You can hear a slight hissing as the filter sucks air, but it's only noticeable outside the vehicle. Pretty much all intakes have that sucking sound, at least in my experience.

Under standard acceleration it is a little louder than normal, but not overbearing. I don't think there's a change in performance as far as off-the-line acceleration is concerned, because the engine doesn't seem to suck much air at low RPMs. The sound is perfect, as far as I'm concerned. If you have a heavier foot it's quite a bit louder as you accelerate, but still not really loud. The sound is nice and low for a 3.3L engine, not ricey at all. The BIG difference I noticed is in the 2500+ RPM range. Under hard acceleration, the sound is LOUD, but not redneck straight-pipe loud. The excellent thing about the filter is that if you don't hammer on the gas it's pretty quiet, but when you put it to the floor it really growls.

In the seat power? In short, yes. The engine breathes much better and it's much more responsive. It's not that you can feel tons of power gain, but when going up hills or passing people you don't have to stand on the gas to get the same performance as with the stock air box. That alone was worth the proce. The tach revs MUCH easier now, and not just because I'm having fun standing on the gas. The real difference seems to be in the higer RPMs when the filter is sucking massive amounts of air.

Notes:

1) Intake tube had a lot of plastic flashing where the hoses connect. I trimmed it off with a knife to get a good seal on the hoses (image borrowed from Dandingo's site):



2) The lid to the box was a little warped and din't have a perfect seal. I used some self-adhesive weather stripping on the underside of the lid and now the seal is great.

3) The mass air sensor mounting location does not have pre-drilled holes, so they give you self-tapping screws. Cheesy. I would recommend you pre-drill the holes.

4) Getting the silicone hose over the intake tube was a nightmare. The hose is about 5/16" thick and it does not flex (a good thing, I suppose). It was like threading a needle with a shoelace. I finally got to the point where I heated the hose briefly to make it more flexible, but once it was finally on it was on for good.

5) The lid attaches by stainless steel screws in brass mounts, ensuring you can remove the lid several times without stripping plastic.

6) The whole process takes only an hour or two, depending on how many beers you drink. It could be done in under an hour if everything falls into place. I did the pre-drilling, weather stripping, etc. so it took me about 2 hours total.

thank you !

so are you happy with the purchase?

when you notice, will you post what you think MPG changes are...

sounds like an overall pretty good product...

Well tonight I tried to get some sound clips for ya'll. No luck, they sound fuzzy and subdued. It's tough to run the camcorder, steer, and hit the gas all at once. I suppose the clips would be passable posts, but they don't do justice to the intake. I'll try again in a few days with an assistant.

Am I happy with the purchase? Yes, I love it. It harkens back to when I was a kid stuffing cards in my bike spokes to get that "bwaaaat" sound that engines make. More bark than bite, yeah, but the Borla will soon remedy that. It makes driving a little more fun, and somehow I find my foot pushing harder these days. It's not necessary, mind you, it's for no other reason other than to hear the engine rumble, the lifters click, and the engine sucking air, fuel, and a spark to rocket me down the freeway in my 2-ton dream. I'm sure it will wear off in time and I'll question whether or not my $240 investment was really necessary, but right now I'm enjoying it, and I'd buy it again in a heartbeat.

great post, you just got a 5-Xterra vote from me!

I have a question.. is the airbox sealed? Like water tight sealed? Or just resistant? Does it still suck from the stock location? In otherwords, would it work with a snorkel?

Thanks!

Wolfman - The box isn't really sealed against water, nor is it airtight, but the plastic tubing from the throttle body opening to the air filter is sealed very well. The box just encloses the filter to prevent hot air from getting sucked in. It doesn't allow much hot air to come in from the engine compartment, but there are gaps around the edges where the air box butts up against the fender, so it might be possible for water or some hot engine air to get sucked in.

FYI, there's a couple of big holes in the fender wall for the stock box, and the Volant box has a sort of oval shape rubber gasket that encloses both holes. I assume that's where a snorkel comes in, I just don't have one so I can't help you there.

Just got mine today from HopUp. It took about 10 days and they never replied to any email inquiries but it was on the porch today so no worries about ordering from them.

PDXterra is right, getting that collar on the intake tube was literally painful. My thumbs are sore and I don't think I've used so many bad words in under an hour before. I didn't read his post before installing mine so I never thought to heat it up! DOH!

That part took the longest of all. Honestly, I bet I wrestled with it for 20-30 minutes. I really thought Volant put the wrong sized collar in the kit.

I'll post later when I get a chance to do some road tests. I just wanted to put in my two cents on HopUp and the installation.

The only thing I didn't have in my truck is a breather tube coming off of the old box. anyone else missing theirs? Mine is an 01 4x4 SE.

Mine's an 01 and doesn't have one (breather tube). I think I used some Windex to help get mine on--kind of like bicycle grips

Thnx PDX.

I ordered mine yesterday! I'm thinking about spending the $$$ to put it on a dyno before it gets here, and again afterwards. There's a place about 20 miles away that'll give me three pulls for $100. If might be worth it to see how much I get in HP when it goes on. Has anybody else tested it on a dyno?

You would be everybody's hero if you got before and after dyno results. Not just after though, coz that'd be useless.

You would be my hero !

that could seal the deal for me to get it... damn me and my habbits...

Do the dyno runs;
If they look good (i.e. more HP), call Volant & ask if they'll reimburse you if you post the results here on XOC. If they look bad, ask for them to reimburse you so that you will NOT post the results on the board.
If you don't post the results, we'll all know the outcome. Everybody wins...!

Another hearty vote for performance numbers. I've already ordered the Volant air intake system, so if it's bad, let me know first so I don't see the results!

So would this Intake or any other aftermarket hinder me from doing this?