ram air hoods

[briantech]

I'm kind of confused as to what all goes into the ram air system, or rather, what all I need to buy to convert my normal formula to a ram-air.

First off, on the ram air hood, those front hood scoops, are those actually where the air comes in and goes through the air filter? Or is the air being pulled from somewhere else and the hood is just for looks?

When people say they put a cold air intake on their car... does that have anything to do with the air filter, air box, etc? Or are they talking about something else entirely? Is a cold air intake and a ram air the same thing?

Here is a link to the WS6 style hood I am going to get:
http://www.ramairhood.com/store/detail.aspx?ID=23

As you can see they have several packages. For it all to just "work" right out of the box, do I need to go ahead and get the most expensive package, which comes with the hood, a highflow filter, and an airbox? Or can I just get the cheaper package which only has the hood. Will the airbox on my car now work or do I need a whole new one that works with the ram air hood?

Also I was looking at the Austin SSRA ram air, which has the scoop which comes down in front of the radiator and under your bumper. If I have a ram-air hood though... where is the air coming in from? the hood or the under-fender scoop?

Bottom line, I definitly want the hood itself just for looks, period. Then on top of that I would like some sort of functional ram air system to get more air into the engine. Whats the best combination of systems to use? I've heard that the OEM ramair hood is actually somewhat constrictive compared to 3rd party systems, as far as air flow.

[DJ Taso]

The 96 - 97 Ram Airs were the only actual functional ram airs. If you pop the hood on a 98+ T/A or Formula and compare it to a 98+ WS6 u can see there's no difference in the location of the air box. You're better off cutting the holes off in your existing hood if you want ram air but if you want the look of a WS6 then go ahead and buy it. My 2 cents.

[wolfdogs]

and dont forget.....ram air really does not even become functional untill speed of over 100mph come into effect. sure..it adds a little below that....but not anything to crow about.

[briantech]

well then in that case... i guess I"ll just buy package #4... it has a "functional" (whatever that means) hood, already painted black to match my car, vent grills, and decals. i guess i'll worry about the airbox and ram air later since its not that big of a deal.

and its only $970 for all that. However I can probably get an unpainted 98-02 ws6 hood on ebay for the $500-$600 range. how much does it cost to have a hood painted?

[Mixedpuppy]

Just my humble opinion

I'm by no means an expert but,

I bought my 1998 standard T/A with a GM Ram Air hood added on before I bought it from another original owner. The GM hood looked fairly functional to me. This last year some punk stole my hood. My insurance covered me. I opted for the SLP Ram Air Hood which is about the same price as the hood your looking at. I asked a few experts about the differences in the Ram air induction from WS6 and standard T/As and formulas. I was told the black plastic intake opens up about 1"-1 1/2" higher to allow a little more airflow which I bought and installed. I was also told it is functional at speeds over 40mph but I have no articles or research to back that up. You may want to consider a smooth bore air bellow offered by SLP for about $40. Again I am a novice, not an expert.