CP-e INTAKE KIT....

[crispone]

....there.... I learn fast.

- crisp

[PXLpainter]

Well - that was weird! Your post with all the links popped-up about 5 minutes after mine - but it still stuck it in front of it??

Anyways - looks great! Take it for a spin yet I hope?!! So how does it sound/feel?

Also - don't know how much of this is true or not, but I've read that you should keep the stock air inlet installed to try to force more fresh air into the intake area...

[crispone]

[quote="PXLpainter"]Well - that was weird! Your post with all the links popped-up about 5 minutes after mine - but it still stuck it in front of it?? quote]

....Simple! I made a post, then began the "edit" while you were typing your post. (My initial entry held a "marker" in the slot PRIOR to yours...)

HOW DOES THE CP-e PERFORM?

....let me tell you...

- Solara's adequate brakes are now lame
- I experienced brake fade issues in the first test drive w/CP-e
- I couldn't stop giggling from the moment I first "punched it" after the install during my test drive last night
- I couldn't WAIT to get up at 4:30am to go to work this morning (not my usual start time... otherwise an inconvenient exception... but today, a welcome chance to "hear the howl" again right away
- I am wondering how long the tranny will handle the incredible rush-to-redline, jerk, slam through the gears now
- I caused two cars to swerve over onto the shoulder as I came up on them at a modest closing rate and then "PUNCHED IT" when I got alongside
- One guy elected to catch up and follow me to figure out what kinda car just ROARED past him
- Not sure if this car can cruise at under 80 anymore

..... I could go on.... maybe save some for later!

- crisp

[Sebas007]

Hey crispone !!

Nice work....your reaction is similar to mine ! Where did you put the battery...back in the trunk ?? I have the project to put it back in the rear trunk and maybe built a custom CAI for the CP-e Intake...I don't know if it will worth the adding of 2%-3% hp but I've it in mind. Welcome in da club !

About the tranny...in the beginning I was feeling something about it...but now it is all right...maybe it is the same and I get accustom to it ! hahaha

I think that the CP-e MAFci kit is a must to have for Solara V6.

[Sebas007]

It is really a not stupid idea !! I thought to put it back...I just get too lazy ! I'll do this week...but here it now approching 60F during the day and 50F in the morning always colder air but I would exchange my cold air with your road anytime !

Also - don't know how much of this is true or not, but I've read that you should keep the stock air inlet installed to try to force more fresh air into the intake area...

[crispone]

Sebas,

Sorry, the battery wasn't placed back in the original location for some photos. (better view of the sweet aFe filter!)

The tranny concern may be a mute point, but IT SURE SHIFTS stronger than before! (LOVE IT!)

Actually, EVERYTHING is smoother and stronger and quicker responding now. The ENTIRE CHARACTER of the CAR has changed! (This is not your fathers "Oldsolaramobile"!!!)

I immediately noticed that the engine now "SEEMS" to produce dramatically less "braking" effect on off-throttle, coasting, and deceleration.... I am suspecting the the EXTREMELY restrictive stock intake system may have been causing NOT ONLY inefficiency in terms of resistance to incoming air under acceleration, but perhaps also "pumping losses" associated with energy that was being transferred to the engine when it wasn't in a powerstroke mode (under throttle) wherein it had to "work" to pull air into the cyclinders through the intake which created a "vacuum brake effect".... of trying to suck through a "small straw", i.e. the stock intake.... It's like the difference between sucking through a coffee stir-stik straw and a paper towel core tube! (am I being TOO sensitive to these subtle differences?) It just seems like there is a much lighter "free-wheeling" effect when off-throttle since putting the CP-e on!

Whatta ya think?

- crisp

[crispone]

......

2) not a job for "simpletons" (I'm not meaning offense, here... just fact)

- crisp

Okay, I just wanted to come back and let everyone who is considering this kit know that the job was very straight forward. I had NO TROUBLE following the clear, concise instructions and illustrations, but you DO NEED TO TAKE YOUR TIME! (Don't RUSH this install.... I'm glad I waited ONE day, anyway, and familiarized myself with the information and parts.)

I believe the "Tuneable" option is "trickier", mainly because the documentation is more (I'm assuming) extensive than the non-tuneable. The tuning information could intimidate some users, but the kit installs with pretty minimal skills.

If you are worried about the install, I would either suggest a capable mechanic friend or local shop.... another option would be someone who is experienced with stereo installs. (I think this type of "wiring" experience is the more important skill-set that is needed, and any stereo install shop/tech would have NO PROBLEM with the slick Scotchlock3M crimp-ons that are provided. Personally, I have years of fooling with stereo installs, and these experiences made this really basic. Wiring into the stock ECU harness only took me 30 min. or so, and I WORK VERY SLOWLY! I even had time to clean out the air-filter.... didn't even realize it was there! HA!)

Oh yeah.... if you are getting the "tuneable" option, and you don't have ANY experience with air/fuel ratio or rpm/throttle position relationships and tuning principles, YOU SHOULD GET SOME EXPERT ASSISTANCE before messing around with your "MAP"! (I simply bolted mine on and let'r rrrrrriiiiipppp, so far. But TUNING will be a much more involved subject to be approached with great respect and deliberacy. I'll keep you all posted if I do anything down the road, but I suspect some fairly substantial mods would be necessary before you would have to mess with the map....)


- crisp

[Sebas007]

I'm totaly agree with what you just said ! I've the tuneable version...CP-e needed it to tune the mapping for the 2006 Solara stock AFR (I went to their facilities as Down2htec did...I was their '06 donor...)...but also I choose the tuneable beliving that some exhaust upgrades parts could come in...like maybe the Y-PIpe for 3MZ...http://www.solaraguy.org/viewtopic.php?t=28426

But again when you plug your laptop to the CP-e module...be sure that your laptop will not miss battery !!! I was reading the MAF into my laptop...then to be sure I re-write the data but my battery started to be low and my car was starting to rev under 800 RM !! I run 2 minutes like that to get back home...I recharge my battery and next morning I un-plug my battery and replug it...I push my backup copy of A/F mapping in and I restarted the negine...everything went fine...so it's why you have to be sure that your laptop will not run on low battery while transfering data.

CP-e wanted to do a shift kit and headers (stock headers are soooo restrictive...the 3-2-1 connection are the main restrictive problem because the diameter of the pipe are too small after merging...) but the success of the first products for Solara...is still so so...htey put their effort on the big Mazda market...but if it come to a good level those headers will be mine first !!!

Oh yeah.... if you are getting the "tuneable" option, and you don't have ANY experience with air/fuel ratio or rpm/throttle position relationships and tuning principles, YOU SHOULD GET SOME EXPERT ASSISTANCE before messing around with your "MAP"! (I simply bolted mine on and let'r rrrrrriiiiipppp, so far. But TUNING will be a much more involved subject to be approached with great respect and deliberacy. I'll keep you all posted if I do anything down the road, but I suspect some fairly substantial mods would be necessary before you would have to mess with the map....)
- crisp

[Down2TheC]

Hard to keep the foot off the gas now isn't it? The giggling wears off in about a month or two. The >>I'm a douche<<-eating grin stays indefinitely.

[Sebas007]

^^^^

I agree at 100%

[crispone]

Yeah, grinnin' like an idiot here!

I couldn't wait to go to lunch... (ate out), and invited a couple of guys to go along... they joked about my intent to "modify/tune" my Solara... thought the car was just a nice highway ride....

Of course, the Jekyll-n-Hyde nature of the CP-e (brilliant!) that allows it to be TOTALLY undetectable when starting and driving normally, led my passengers to make a sarcastic comment about my "hot rod"... (...."yeah, crisp, you've sure hot-rodded your car up now! It's so fast I can feel the time standing still!!) So I gently made my way up the road through the first two turns and then a stop......

Then, as I began to pull around the turn and straighten up a little, I PUNCHED IT, and the wheels broke loose, torque steer dragged us left, then right for a moment, and the car upshifted with a short chirp and proceeded to HOWL through 2nd and 3rd until I let off just short of 90 and let it settle into fourth then fifth and a mellow throaty hwaaaaaaaaa from the TRD..... OMG! Says the one dude.... this thing ROCKS!

.... like I said, guys.... heh, heh, heh....

CP-e intake RULES! (...it turned me into a TEENY BOPPER for heaven's sake!!!)

- crisp

[Sebas007]

hahahaha

I'm really happy for you buddy !! I like also your confirmation of my rocking statement...

My friends here also joke of me...saying that people on a Solara forum must be all older 50 and talk about the confortable heating seats and so on hahaha...I know they do that because I can be quickly "pissed off" hehe but I rarely really mad

One thing I know is that CP-e claim to get around 20 hp (or wheel hp...need to search on down2thec posts for that...) anyway something around 20-25 hp for the solara V6 3.3L headers cat-back much more than just the CP-e AFC intake...it would become real serious performance !!

[PXLpainter]

Well - before I go w the CP-e, I need to take some videos with the Injen still installed so I can hear the sound difference between the two. The Injen sounds agressive, but pretty high-pitched in tone. I think I've read that the CP-e is lower-pitched since it's a larger dia?

Anyway - it's obvious that the tuned version is definitely the way to go here.

Thanks for sharing your experiences!

[crispone]

Definitely LOVE to see headers/"Y" pipe/cat-eliminator set-up dialed in and check dyno numbers. I'd be on the list for that setup for sure.

I had a great conversation with Josh @CP-e a few minutes ago thanking him for their great service to me. Josh is a straight-up guy I would deal with anyday. We have to make sure efforts such as CP-e is bringing to our platform are recognized, supported, and encouraged into continued development. I believe the FIRST STEP to achieve this is for someone out there --> MOST LIKELY FROM THIS FORUM!!! --> needs to get their Solara published in ANY SIZE ARTICLE, even just a HALF-SPREAD blurb in Sport Compact Car or Import Tuner or ONE or more of the "TUNER MARKET" mags out there. (WITH the CP-e intake...) I've already seen Solara's on this site and links that would DEFINITELY turn heads for their VISUAL APPEAL as well as fuel the fire of many imaginations by offering a great alternative to the "dime-a-dozen" ricer-Honda's (I'm not meaning that in a BAD way... just the reality of high-volume/budget platform that gets all the attention...).

Let's make the Solara a good platform for TUNER's MARKET!

Okay, off the soapbox, crisp.....

Time to fire up my new BEAST!

[onefiend]

Good job man! I wonder if they'll release one for the new Camry.

I don't think the brakes got any lamer on your Solara, but because you like the noise so much you are definitely pushing the car a bit more now and probably is braking a little bit harder too.