Best factory intake setup to look for?

Dr.Scientist · Apr 20, 2011

Had a few intake questions I'd like to ask. By now I'm sure everyone has heard of the explorer intake swap. The explorer intake was supposed to be something like the GT-40 Ford racing intake. Or something like that. I forget what, but it was definitely better than the stock mustang GT intake. So here are my questions:

1. Is it worth it to just bolt that intake on to a stock car? Or do you need to at least port and polish the stock heads for that intake to even have any effect?

2. Would the intake even help without at least replacing the throttle body so more air can flow through?

3. And is that the best factory intake out there to look for? I'm looking for engine parts that I can buy used off craigslist or ebay or something, for cheap. But I want to make sure they will actually have an effect that is better than stock.

coupe5ohh · Apr 20, 2011

stock 94-95 cobra same as gt40 just already has the elbow...and a tubular gt40 which is on the 94-95 lightnings

RIFTER11 · Apr 20, 2011

yeh, the explorer is a GT40P intake ... for 93 cobra, 94-95 cobra, the explorer/mountaineer GT40P, and the FRPP GT40 intake, the lower I/M is the same ... the difference is in the uppers. The 93 Cobra is a cast aluminum upper as seen in many magazines new for around $400 for upper and lower ... the 94-95 Cobra is also a cast aluminum upper with a "cast in" elbow similar to the stock 94-95 GT upper ... the explorer GT40P is a cast aluminum upper similar to the 93 cobra upper in that it doesn't have a "cast in" elbow. What I have been told in the past, and I cannot confirm this, is that the explorer/mountaineer flows 100cfm less than the cobra intakes.

On another note, I have run the Explorer/Mntneer GT40P on a fox body and it worked perfect, I loved it over the factory HO intake. However, there are additional vaccum ports on the GT40P that have to be addressed, whether you cap them off or plug them. ALSO!!!!! ... if running the GT40P ... there is no threaded port on the #5 primary for the ACT sensor on the lower I/M!!!

I have seen GT40P motor assemblies go for $200 or so ... buy it like that and u get GT40 or GT40P heads and another roller shortblock for a later stroker build

*GT40P heads require special headers made by FRPP (shorty only) in order to run them on a mustang b/c spark plug angle is different*

Inspector13 · Apr 20, 2011

I have the TFS Street Burner intake on my car, but I run a nitrous plate. With the plate there is no chance of it fitting under a stock hood.

wannaboost94gt · Apr 20, 2011

The best is the Vortech Saleen intake FTW! Good luck finding one lol.

ccasion14:

CompOrangeSN95 · Apr 20, 2011

if you decided you want the gt40p intake, I have one for sale, upper and lower, complete and cheap haha I haven't had personal experience using this intake but I have heard that it is far superior to the stock gt intake.

95-stang · Apr 21, 2011

One thing to watch out for is port alignment, the one good thing about the Ford intakes is they match very well, obviously if your not using Ford heads ignore this.

95Grandtouring5.0 · Apr 21, 2011

Dr.Scientist said:
Well... do you think it would have any effect on power, if the rest of the car was bone stock? Or if you do an intake, do you need to do a throttle body, cold air intake, heads, cam, etc etc. I mean, can the stock setup even take advantage of the increased airflow that a better intake would offer?

Yes that intake will give you somewhere around 10-15hp over your stock intake manifold, even on your mostly stock motor, throttle body and cold air intake hp gains are VERY minimal. You really don't need either of those two parts until you really start stepping up the motor, ( heads cam intake). The stock set up will take advantage, but again if you bolted that intake to a motor that had afr heads with a stock intake, then put that one on the gains would be even more. Hope thats the answer you are looking for,