So here it is, one of the anticipated mod that I wanted to is finally complete.
Am I happy? Is it all cracked up to be?
Well...For the price of $1500 for this intake maybe too much for most of you, but the effort and top-materials used to create this is quite evident. Installation can be very simple but not so, since some cutting is involved and it requires too much on your behalf to follow through with the installation.
The installation took 5 hours and could've added another hour or so if I followed everything in the instruction.
Chunks of time have been devoted to some odd and intricate cuttings.
Enough of my initial rants and let me present you some during-installation photos.

My car is on the lift once again, the front facia or bumper had to come down.


First we removed the Comptech strut bar and took out the stock airbox assembly and then we proceeded with the removal of air guide plate as you can see from the picture.


The removal of the hood is absolutely necessary and so is the cutting, gasp!


Lots of measuring in millimeters and came out with that outline. Seems like we did a good job since the illustration in the instruction looks exact.


Finally the careful cutting is complete. Thankfully the vin# on the hood is spared.
For now we leave it like that and will do touch-ups in later time. Don't cry for what I've done to the hood.


That shiny thing is the bracket for the Mugen Airbox. Gasp, drilling not only one but four holes are needed as well as careful measurements to drill those holes.





[This message has been edited by 1Randyc (edited October 14, 2000).]

 

After the bracket is fastened, we are now able to install the major part of the intake the duct. Oh how nice I got the 31st intake system. Aren't they optimistic on how much they will sell in the future? Look at that zeroes in the serial numbers.


If you need to know, that duct or airbox is very light. It is now sitting there all pretty. Pretty rock solid with the bracket.


Check out the filter, it is K&N. Looks pretty nifty. How to maintain is all in Japanese but the picture is easy all you need to understand what to do basically.
Revised and more thorough and complete manual is prepared according to Scott and Kings Motor Sport.


Using the stock 'whatchamacallit' the filter and other housings fit nicely. It is ready to go into the rightful place.


Installation of the major parts are almost complete. Fitting is great, nothing broke.

 

And now to secure the other part of the intake part, the opening. Gasp, more drillings!


Securing is complete. To show you, here are more pics of the way the duct is shaped, like a slithering snake.



That hump on the top is the reason why taking out the portion of the inner hood is necessary.


Looks almost done. On with the strut bar and others.

 

Now the final show photos:
I put Toda sticker in the cut-opening of the inner hood, I hope you don't mind. More touch-up will be done in the future.


Now, Mugen Intake in Sunlight.




Ahh, ready to drive for the first time with Mugen intake. My pulse in pounding with excitment, hmm what? The mechanic called the shot first, he is going first.


Here is some additional stuff to tell you during installation. If you have the stock facia unlike mine, some cutting on the front part of the grill is necessary and also some assemblies around the license plate are required to accomodate the intake opening.
Very intricate cutting on the air guide plate was skipped since I was running out of time and I authorize the installer to quickly cut to work around the intake air box. Besides, the extra air guide plate that I ordered didn't come in. Big chunk of hole is already created way before(if you remember my installation with Okuyama Cold air plate) so the cutting was very minimal. It may not look well integrated but it will do for now and later time I will do it right.

 

Final thoughts and initial impressions:
So how is it?
Well the difference is there but seems subtle. The car absolutely screams from 5K on to 9K. At 8K to red line the sound is almost explosive. My vtec kick has somewhat been eliminated by the Mugen ECU's reprogram but now there seems to be some kick. I can't imagine on others, but the kick should be even more stronger and somewhat fierce with this Mugen Intake.
Generally my car sounds little deeper. Running hard on the track proved that VTEC is working harder and only I can imagine how stronger vtec transition would be for others.
It certainly wins the wow factor. Many people at the track who saw the underhood of the car was very impressed.
Design and the materials used is once again second to none and for that you have to pay accordingly. If you want the best intake system, this is it. Your or your installer's effort and patience are much needed for installing this but in the end you will be satisfied with the outcome.
Don't expect too much from this since like I said for me performance gain was subtle.
Looks like my next project should be doing bigger throttle body assemblies to more capitalize in the new Mugen intake system.
More report of the impression will follow as I drive more, so stay tuned.

 

You amaze me 1Randyc. You have spent all that money on your car and you still have not purchaced wheels.
The Mugen intake looks really cool. The hood does not. I'm sure you can clean up the hood with some edge molding or something similar.
Thanks for the very detailed report.

 

I really like how the intake looks, although I wouldn't add it just because of what you have to do to the hood. Just a question...in the earlier pics, the intake didn't have the Mugen logo on it, but in the later ones it did...was there a decal or something? It's a pointless question but I felt like asking.

Jay

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by AaronS2K:
[B]You amaze me 1Randyc. You have spent all that money on your car and you still have not purchaced wheels.

 

Aaron,
Acutually, I am searching extensevely for the right wheels at the moment.

Jay Li,
The decal thing was done last. It is the type that you have to rub'em out. Pretty clean and nice.
According to the instruction of Mugen intake, it even shows where the decal should be applied. The right location seem to be where the filter is residing, and it didn't look ok to me there so I applied on the different location which looked better.

 

No need to. Just get yourself a set of BBS RG-R. They'll just set you down another $3000USD.