I want to make a nice cheap custom intake. I already have a 3" K&N, and will be running speed density, so a recirc tube or MAS is not needed. So basically I need a very simple 3" pipe. What would be the easiest/cheapest way possible, while still maintaining performance, and at least a moderate amount of appeal? Fiberglass with a foam mold? Crush bent SS? I really have no clue. I even thought PVC, but I dont think I could bring myself to it... Any suggestions are welcome!

If you want something that looks nice and is easy just get the FP intake. Forced Performance Turbochargers: FP DSM Aluminum Intake pipe

If you want to make something yourself i would order some 3" mandrel bent SS and go to town. I will be making mine shortly. It would be cheaper just to get the fp though.

Don't use crush bends. It will be less internal diameter then the three inches you are looking for.
Maybe try a 45* mandrel bend with some good sized legs coupled with a 45* silicone coupler to the turbo. With those two angles you can spin it this way and that to make it fit and it's simple enough to look good. Trim it up, clamp it down, and you are good to go.
I would go with aluminum too, but that's just me.
Something like this;

Any decent fabricated intake pipe will probably cost more than the FP intake. So, if you want the cheapest good one, get the FP kit. If you want a decent/kick-ass fabricated intake pipe, then be prepared to spend a little coin to make it properly. You could use SS mandrel bends and weld one together. Aluminum is also another good option for material. Or go composite with fiberglass or carbon fiber. I'd stay away from PVC though. It will be heavier and it will look like crap, IMO.

Or if you had your own tools and some fab skills, you could make your own to mount/re-mount it in any location that suits your needs better.

Columbia River Mandrel Bending

2 45's is about $40. Then a reducer runs about $15 from

Intake Pipe Reducer

You can run a piece of rubber under the 2.5" end around a tdo5 inlet and it will fit just fine.

Same price for 4" aluminuzed mild. Some paint and away you go.

Does the FP not come with couplers? $80 seems like a deal until you add in $40 in couplers.

I don't mean to shut down the sick fabrication fivestar but I always read it was best to keep Mass Airflow Sensors straight up and down. Am I wrong on this or what? Anyone else know?

Yeah, I heard the same thing, but after a lot of discussion with a few people, we figured it wouldnt make to much of a difference. Besides, I cant imagine that anything in the sensor would be disrupted by a gravitational pull.

Best place I've found for mandrel bends so far is ebay, do a search on "assorted mandrel bends." There is a seller that sells 10 assorted bends of various sizes for much much cheaper than if you bought them new. Perfect for making intakes or fabbing downpipes. It's aluminized mild steel, so not SS or Al, but SS would be worthless anyway (unless you like bling) and Al is nice and light but mandrel Al bends are not cheap.

I guess I'll share my carbon fiber intake pipe. It's 4" in diameter and it locates the element right where the factory side-mount intercooler sits. I don't have any pictures of it installed yet, but the last picture shows how it will fit.







I would have spent much more on material alone to build a 4" aluminum pipe, and this piece is lighter and better looking.

99gst_racer said:

I guess I'll share my carbon fiber intake pipe. It's 4" in diameter and it locates the element right where the factory side-mount intercooler sits. I don't have any pictures of it installed yet, but the last picture shows how it will fit.

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I would have spent much more on material alone to build a 4" aluminum pipe, and this piece is lighter and better looking.

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I just wanted to point out, but that pipe looks like some siney stock IC piping . "I swear it's factory officer" "See how it all matches "

Nice work both of you, Fivestar (whom I thought was "firestar" beacause of the avatar) and 99GSTRacer. Wish I had the tools and/or know how to make my own parts.

Thank you, but I cannot take credit for the work on this one. My intake pipe was crafted by gixrman on this site.

99gst_racer said:

Thank you, but I cannot take credit for the work on this one. My intake pipe was crafted by gixrman on this site.

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Well props to him for making it AND you for going custom

LiQUiDx said:

I just wanted to point out, but that pipe looks like some siney stock IC piping . "I swear it's factory officer" "See how it all matches "

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By the look of it, that would be the only factory looking piece

I like the carbon fiber tube. How do you plan on mounting it so the sheet metal does not cut trough it?

nuclearr said:

I like the carbon fiber tube. How do you plan on mounting it so the sheet metal does not cut trough it?

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At this point, I plan to rivet an aluminum "L" bracket to the tube so I can bolt it to the chassis. But I might come up with a better solution when I go to install it.