In case anyone is interested, I just ordered a drop in WORKS air filter. My 09 RA is completely stock and this is the first 'mod' so I'll report back to let you know if I notice any improvement.

If I end up liking it, I'll be happy to donate my stock air filter to anyone here (provided they pay for shipping)..... it has 6000 miles on it.

 

Cool have you noticed anymore intake sounds with it?

 

Yeah I have the HKS drop in and you definitely notice more intake/turbo spool/recirc. BOV sounds with it on.

I would love to take your stock filter, but are you even in USA?

 

marco: it's in the mail haven't gotten it quite yet

alpha: i'm in the US, maybe PM me your email address and I can arrange to ship it.

 

Will be very keen to hear your thoughts once installed. Cheers,

 

ok so i installed the filter last night, it was a real pain in the *** because the filter box is really crammed in there and they give you just enough room to open it without uninstallling other parts of the car to get better access. i was also slightly nervous that i wasn't getting a good enough seal because you can really feel an improvement in the air flow , so much so that i thought there must have been a gap somewhere. however i made sure the air box was tight and the filter was snug after i installed it (the clips on the air box have a little snap to them when you put them back on).

anyway, i do notice an awesome improvement in acceleration, particularly when you hit the gas, i think the car is getting more of the proper air flow it needs when you accelerate. as for sound, i do hear a little bit more of the engine - you hear the BOV more clearly as well even though the ralliart BOV is just plastic. i think it was worth the 100 bucks.

 

Here's some photos of the filter (and some of my RA with the factory leather upgrade and sunroof)

 

whoa there buddy. how were u able to get the "stock leaher seats" ? who did that for you and how much $ was it? I'm definitely interested, that came out really good.

 

the dealership i bought my RA from had it done at a local upholstery company that is authorized by mitsubishi to do the leather upgrade. i had two RAs : one was totalled and this was the replacement. the one i had originally had the GTS cloth seats and these are without a doubt more comfortable. the tradeoff is going to be in the summer when it gets really hot.

it is a factory mitsubishi upgrade, there are mitsubishi stamps on the inside sides of the driver/passenger seat (you have to fold the seats forward to see them, they are covered up by the center armrest).

 

well what can I say : Yay for you buddy, Enjoy! Looks like it came out GREAT. Nothing like this @ my dealership

 

it was the last RA at the dealership, they had to get rid of it before they got in new RAs and EVOs, so I think that's why they did it. a week after i bought it, 10 EVOs were sitting on the lot.

 

if it is a mitsubishi dealership there is, they just never tell anyone about it, you gotta ask. there is a "diamond certified leather program" they can look up on the parts dept. dealerlink page and find a local authorized installer and then hook you up with the installer so they can order the official leather wraps from and redo your seat upholstery and keep your warranty in tact. just make sure the dealership re-programs the passenger seat airbag sensor once the install is done to account for the leather weight increase/change. you'll probably have to pay for that too tho

sorry to go off topic, but anyways, car looks good man. so has anyone told you the car sounds like a jet yet since you've put the filter in? if you notice on moderate acceleration (about half pedal) right around 3000-3500rpm you get a much louder turbo whine from the engine, at least i did with the hks.

 

yeah - you notice the sound from inside the cabin when you hit the gas moderate to hard. it's a pretty noticeable improvement over the car's entire range. i haven't had anyone stand outside the car to notice the sound, i'll have to check that out now .

i might get an evo BOV from AMS or one of the other sites soon for added spiffy sound effects