The days of my S2000 being stock are over...after less than a month of ownership, ha.

Last night I installed the Comptech/CT Engineering induction system, aka the "Icebox". I grabbed it used off eBay for $238 shipped to my door ($260 - 10% coupon), which is a total steal given that retail is $369 and this thing didn't even look like it was ever installed.

CT Engineering store link




I chose the Icebox for a few reasons, the first being previous good experience with Comptech. My Integra had their Icebox intake and I was very pleased with it. Their reputation is truly stellar and it is easy to see why after owning some of their products. Fit and finish are excellent...things line up, all the parts are top-quality, and there's a real sense of engineering and R&D when you see things up close.

I also chose it because of the unique design. Rather than opting for a generic CAI or SRI, they've taken the SRI concept and modified it to work even better. The intake tube itself uses a large chamber similar to the Top Fuel intakes, and is quite large. The filter is also enclosed in a pressurized box. The filter itself sits against an enormous velocity stack to smooth out flow and guide air where it needs to go. These design elements really improve the intake's efficiency and help extract every last bit of power from the system. There's some real engineering there.

Another nice benefit that I noticed later was the size of the air filter: ####ing huge. The filter itself is barely larger than stock, but the obvious difference was that the opening that hooks into the air inlet tube is big. About 4.5", to be exact. This inlet actually rests against a big velocity stack/air horn. AEM used to do this on their air filters too, but I believe they have stopped.


The installation itself was not terribly difficult, but it was not as straight-forward as the instructions make it seem...nor was it as easy as my Integra's Icebox installation. I used this article to help too.

Removing the vacuum and coolant lines is tedious, and requires some brute force. The plumbing around the throttle body is complicated and it's easy to miss something. Re-plumbing the vacuum lines is kinda tricky too since you'll need to wire-tie the new ones into place or risk them getting chewed up by the belts. Fortunately Comptech includes some small black wire ties, though they don't specify anything about securing those hoses. If you make a mistake here, you'll throw a lovely check engine light...so take your time.

The most difficult part is bolting the new airbox in. The fit is very snug (a sign of good engineering, as they made it as big as possible). One of the bolts is a real bitch...you have to guide a metal bracket behind the fender half-blind and thread a bolt through the airbox, through the fender skirt, and into this bracket. It's possible with one person, though I think I wasted a good twenty minutes on this step. Part of the problem here was that my hands are huge...and the directions do not make this step very clear. I had to actually backtrack and redo the bracket since I didn't understand the placement the first time through.

After that, things are easy: drop in the filter, join the two tubing sections, and tighten the clamps. The filter is oily as ####, so have a few pairs of disposable gloves. I really wish they would've gone for something like the K&N cotton filter instead of this stupid foam. FAIL.

Last step is to screw in the carbon fiber airbox lid and go spank the car a bit.


First impression was that it's civilized around town. At low throttle angles and low engine load, it sounds stock. That's good...for daily driving I don't want something that gets on my nerves. No whistling, no "whoosh" sounds, nothing...sounds factory.

At WOT, it takes on a distinctly different tone thanks to the large chamber. It does remind me of a short-ram (K&N FIPK, etc.), but with a very unique guttural quality. There's a mechanical resonance that sounds awesome -- aggressive but not obnoxious. The tone matches the S2000's personality well.

Above 6 grand, it wails. It's an absolute hoot, and gets loud. It's not deep at all. Very hard to characterize this note, but if you've ridden in a 350Z you'll understand the tone.


What does the butt dyno have to say? Ehh, not much. I don't trust that, and quite frankly, I don't expect an intake alone to make an appreciable difference in the car's performance. Throttle response might be a tad better, but that's likely just placebo.


I'm satisfied with my purchase. The intake looks and sounds great, and was a bargain at $238. Highly recommended for someone wanting a unique setup and a bit of engine flair.

Hopefully these install notes can help future purchasers.


(pics to come tonight once I get home from work)

 

nice looks like a quality piece I would get one if I didn't already get my FIPK . I love the ice box look

 

That's a v good price, I've been following prices of these for a while and anything under $250 is a deal. I've been trying to find one with a solid top (I have hood struts installed) but agree that the comptech looks great.

 

I agree. I installed my comptech intake a couple weeks ago. Very nice setup.

My foam filter is a little dirty though, and I'm interested in finding filter options to replace it.

 

Good luck...that huge 4.5" opening is going to be tough. K&N can probably do a custom one though.

I was never a fan of foam filters anyways.

 

they sound really nice

 

You could clean it.

http://www.ct-engineering.com/store/620004.html

 

AFE and K&N both have replacements that fit.

AFE being the better choice, this has been done numerous times.

 

 

Not sure about that. It's a goofy filter since the opening is a custom size to accomodate the velocity stack.