I've had my 2002 CL type s auto for a while now and want to start modifying her. My goals are to make a little more hp than she already does. For intake should I keep the factory box with a K&N air filter or do a cold air intake?
Aftermarket headers worth the money for hp? Also doing an exhaust and an e cutout after the headers to annoy people, but should i keep the stock headers or aftermarket? Also any other recommendations for hp gains? Thanks for reading

 

Ive read that a cold air intake isnt worth it and neither are headers.. If youre not already on it, there is a FB page "Acura CL owners" that I have found to be a big help. . There are a couple people on there that are VERY knowledgeable about these cars. You'll get some people talking S on there sometimes, but Ive found that when i ask a question on there, I usually have a decent answer within an hour or two.

 

K&N will get you about as much gain as you'll see with the CAI without headers or other mods and will cost far less.

Header is totally worth it for the 30HP or so that you can see gained from adding one.

 

P2R makes/made some nice bolt-ons for this car, between those and a light tune it's not far to 300hp. The tuning solution is the expensive part though, and it's always wise to find someone reputable who knows what they're doing.


Honestly if I were you, I would just swap to 6MT to really bring the car alive.

 

I installed headers, CAI, and a 2.5" Magnaflow cat a couple of weeks ago.
I didn't do any dyno tests but I'm pretty sure there wasn't even close to a 30hp gain. If you only want a little more power then its worthwhile.
Its a fun car but in my opinion its the transmission that makes the difference. A transmission swap would be a lot harder than headers and CAI. I'd recommend concentrating on the suspension/tires and just enjoy the car as it is.

 

Headers are dyno proven many times. Look in the dyno section for before/after runs. They're good for 25 whp if memory serves me.

 

I've heard that I'm just giving my own experience after having installed headers and CAI.