That makes sense now because from what I've read deck plate mods don't really do all to much, Hince why I didnt do it. I don't see a reason to cut a hole in a perfectly good air box that has a good stock intake location to take air from inside the engine bay.
Id say you'll get more noticeable gains if you go with the exhaust route first. Here's why: Exhaust literally flows like water. Not only that, but a very good analogy about automotive exhaust is that it flows like traffic on the freeway. For the sake of "keep it simple" I'll use the freeway analogy in this article.
Picture 3 very busy on ramps in Los Angeles, or Atlanta rush hour traffic. These 3 on ramps are only 20' apart from each other and have only a 100' runway before they force themselves through all 3 lanes of traffic and merge you right into the fast lane at a 90* angle. That is your stock exhaust manifold.
From there you travel 1/4 mile or so and you reach an area of the freeway that not only has painted lanes to separate traffic, but lining the lanes there are steel poles. Not only are there poles lining the lanes but the poles cause the lane to become so narrow that there is only a foot of clearance on either side of the vehicle. This is your first catalytic converter. Then you travel the length of a football field and come to another field of narrow lanes lined by steel poles, that's your second catalytic converter.
Now, it's smooth sailing for another quarter mile and you merge with an entirely new 3 lane freeway that just went through what you went through, all 6 lanes have to merge back into a 3 lane highway, this is the y pipe.
Continue on for another 1/4 mile and there is a huge brick wall right in the middle of the freeway!!! This brick wall blocks all 3 lanes! With no signs saying which way to go to get around it. Some traffic is going right, some left. But ether way you go the only option is get right up to the wall, stop, then go around using the left or right shoulder of the freeway. Now go around 2 more brick walls right in the way of the lanes!! This would best describe your muffler.
Continue down some sweeping long curves with very little obstruction and exit the freeway into oblivion, this would be your tailpipe.
What does all of this tell you? What part of this freeway would you fix first? Obviously the brick walls in the middle of the freeway are causing the most back up in the entire system. For goodness sake, you have to completely stop and in no certain order go around the walls before you can continue on to the long sweeping curve that is the tailpipe.
any more comments?
