Kirwan--

that is a great point! By making the pipings out of aluminum you do increase the temperature of the incoming air just a tad. There was a reason why ICEMAN made their CAI out of some plastic or some sort of polymer which would be less conducive to heat. Of course ICEMAN didnt have the bling bling so thats probably why its not as popular as AEM... Then again AEM also has more products out there than just their CAI and have more funds to market their products.

I had the ICEMAN CAI and totally am behind it 110%. Its doesnt have the bling bling factor, but is cheaper than AEM and is a solid intake. Oh yea, it is just every bit as LOUD as the AEM!

Onto the ebay intake... an intake is an intake. the most critical part of the intake is essentially the filter. You could just put a filter at the end of the stock box and you'll see some gains just because now your engine could breath better. Just need to make sure that you understand that you arent buying the best products off those ebay auctions and be ready for the consequences. Another route you might want to pursue would be "homemade". Just make yourself your own intake by getting come PVC pipings from home depot or something. They work the same!