I won the May Fit Freak of the Month and finally have the photos of the installation. Thanks Tuan for sending me the CAI instead of the strut bars.
I am a hack mechanic so pardon my word use as I may not call every part by its correct name.
Minimal tools are required: 10 mm socket with extension, slotted screw driver and a pair of pliers to slide off the OEM hose clamp.
I didn't take a shot of the OEM air box because you all have one to look at.
Remove the stock air box by removing the two mounting bolts (they loosen but stay attached to the air box). You also have to remove the sensor at the top by unclipping it from the air box. Save the rubber grommet for later use in the CAI. You have to slide the air box to the right, very close to the battery to get it to come off. The OEM intake also needs to be removed from where it attaches to the inside fender area. My memory is a little foggy on the air box removal because I just started loosening bolts and gently pulling the parts out. My two year old was assisting so I had to work quick.
The below photo is with the air box off and the red rubber coupler installed. About 1000 miles on the car so the engine is still pretty clean.
Next, insert the grommet from the air box into the mounting hole in the CAI.
Now insert the sensor into the grommet.
Attach the air filter to the CAI pipe. Now feed the CAI into the engine compartment and line up the mounting flanges on the CAI with the original mounting posts. Use the included bolts to attach.
Next, slide the CAI into the red rubber coupler. Tighten the hose clamps and attach the sensor. The wire is a bit short but it reaches.
Now attach the red hose to the thing-a-ma-jig below and the other end to the CAI pipe. Tighten the hose clamps.
Here's the finished installation. Everything fit well and I had no extra parts....which is rare for me.
Driving impressions....
Generally the sound is OK to my ears. I didn't really know what to expect so I am still getting used to it. I am 42 so I suspect if I was 20 the sound would be just about perfect. There is a bit of a buzz at 75 to 80 but I have not taken a long trip to see if it bugs me. The sound is pretty quiet below 3000 rpm, but ramps up quckly after that.
I'd like to say the butt dyno can tell the difference but I still have not really wound it up too much as the car is still pretty new.
I have a long trip planned in two weeks so I can better report how I like it after spending 15 hours driving to PA and back to Detroit. I have only used about a half a tank of gas so I can't really report on mileage. This will be a tough call as I was using higher revs for the first few days of use. Lately I have been trying to shift around 3000 rpm so we'll see how it goes.
All-in-all I would say the CAI adds a nice sound around town and the installation was very easy. If my MPG does not suffer too much I will be very happy.
Paul