Miata Mailing List: August 1993, Message #75
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   From: Mike Rother 
Subject: Improving Air Intake
   Date: Tue, 10 Aug 1993 10:51:56 -0400



I've been thinking about going to the junkyard and finding an
old hood, making the duct in it, and then fabricating an
aluminum box which encloses the intake on all sides (except the
top), and seals when the hood is closed.  I thought about it
while examining the engine housing of a plane I was riding in
the other day.  You could get more air volume than routing
tubing to the front grille (depending on the duct size) and it
would be cooler (no contact with engine compartment heat).  It
would also have little effect on the basic lines of the car
(unlike those 427 Cobra-esque hood scoops).  Well, am I nuts or
what?  -Al

I've thought about a hood-duct too.  The air intake (stock or HKS Power
Flow) is too hot.  Maybe the new Miata ('94) will have a rerouted
intake.  That would indicate that the hot intake-air problem is
recognized by the manufacturer.

Another option.  It is possible to run a straight snorkel off the
*front side* of the stock airbox - ending with its opening just to the
left of the driver-side fan shroud.  This seems to be a much cooler
area - with considerable outside air coming over and around the
radiator.  There would be little ram-air effect, but the intake air
would be cooler.  The new snorkel would be about 1/2 the length and
straighter than the stock snorkel, which could slightly change the
"tuning" of the power curve.

What do you think??