civic air box, or not?

[Australian 86]

right so i have searched and searched and... you get it. i cant find the answer to what is the best solution to my problem! :p

In Australia, for some unknown reason, on carb'd cars its compulsory to have an enclosed air filter, so i thought i could make a box for a pod filter to sit in quite high in the car, and then run a pipe down to the bumper to make some sort of CAI. But im hella confused as to what is the best method to doing all this (also without spending a fortune!)

would a civic air box conversion with a cai pod filter with an enclosure be good, or would the complexity of it kill the potential performance gain???
I promise if i come up with a good solution i will extensively post it and write a how to for everyone. (seeing as though noone can find any help on how to do the civic airbox conversion...)
Thanks guys!

[1987AccordLx-i]

honestly the only way i see us going civic airbox is if we relocate the battery to the trunk... as you most likely know.. the civic airboxes are quite big.. but it does seem like a good idea... ive mocked up a civic airbox from a 91 civic and it will fit if we relocate the battery

[gfrg88]

You could do it. It's been done many times before. No you don't have to relocate battery. MIGHT have to move it over about and inch or two, maybe!


Would I do it??? NOPE. north the money/effort put into it.. I would much rather do a K&N filter with a hacked air box....OR a weber :)

[Australian 86]

oooooh if only, if only i could go a webber... i cant see any legal way of putting one on my car, and seeing everything else is legit on it, i dont really want to spoil it by making illegal...
My biggest concern about this is if im in a big crash with say... a lambo. and then the insurance for sure would not want to pay out, because my car isn't road legal...

It seems that the amount of things that i could do to my car that are simple, and give a decent increase in performance, are all illegal...

[lostforawhile]

it's probably a flame arrester thing, in case the carb backfires

[Australian 86]

noooo..... im pretty sure its a friggn emission thing/ we dont want people to get more power from their cars thing.

The problem with the carb is that not all the original tubes that run from the original carb fit onto a webber... they say that all the original vacuum line must be used...
Im sure there IS a way around this, but i have no idea, and im sure its very custom...

[2oodoor]

Yes there is a way around it alright, cut out the bottom of the OEM air cleaner and tack in the base of the air cleaner that comes with the weber carb. Leave all vacuum lines in intact, but just don't have them connected to the carb, and but block offs inside any going to the manifold (other than PVC, brake booster)
As much trouble as it is to remove the OEM assembly< I don't see them checking that thourougly. The OEM carb is hidden quite well under all that, so could a Weber.

That is what I would do if we were inspected here, but luckily we are not at this time.

[Australian 86]

hmmm a good idea, i guess i may eventually get around to it... but it doesn't fix the fact that its still an illegal mod...
Im also thinking about the eventual resale value of the car, our cars are tested to strictly for a roadworthy over here that there is no way that this would be passed, and therefor i would have to change it before i resold it... :p