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Sideswipe CAI Deflector

5846 Views 18 Replies 10 Participants Last post by  SS1LE02
I purchased this a little bit ago and thought I'd share my experience. The Sideswipe is really neat. It mounts behind your grill and feeds air into the air filter area behind the headlight. I noticed with it that my IATs were lower by about five degrees in similar temps via my Dashboss. I think this is good because I run the metal D3 CAI and think there is a lot of heat radiating into that area from the motor and exhaust manifold. The Sideswipe seems to really help flush that hot air out. I found some data that seems to verify it. Anyone else use this and find similar results? I've been pretty impressed.

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Sorry. I found it on eBay. Pics are in the listing there as well. Link Below:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/CTS-V-Side-Swipe-Air-Deflector/141571229354?_trksid=p2047675.c100011.m1850&_trkparms=aid%3D222007%26algo%3DSIC.MBE%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D28772%26meid%3D7e6f149cd3b647a8b32aed4a1bcb5caa%26pid%3D100011%26rk%3D1%26rkt%3D3%26sd%3D141532443633

Seems to have really improved air flow into over just removing the brake duct. Looking for others findings. I did this over a complete CAI redo and going to a 4.5". Don't have a before and after on my car as I added it right before a tune last fall. Car is on blocks for the winter.

Current mods:
D3 CAI / Green Filter / Filterwear sock
2.85/9.5 Pulleys/Solid isolator
Ported LS7 TB and blower snout
Zl1 Lid, Jabsco pump, Norcal Icebox, Fluidyne HX
SW Headers, test pipes, stock axle back
609 RWHP / 620TQ
Alky Meth Injection
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Wow, $65! I ought to be able to make one for any forum member cheaper than that. What is this made out of, 1/8" thick Lexan? I could do the same or aluminum.
Great product and does exactly what seller claims it to do. Tons of V owners running these out there already. Could you cobble something together to save a few bucks, probably but i'd rather pay someone for a clean proven design and let them make a few bucks for their hassle and efforts.
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I don't disagree. I just was wondering (since I am a late buyer of a V) about this as I had not seen one of these. Since I own a metal fabrication shop and we also work with Lexan I was more than curious.
Could you cobble something together to save a few bucks, probably but i'd rather pay someone for a clean proven design and let them make a few bucks for their hassle and efforts.
Or, the Tinman here could come up with a better quality part for a better price.
I have had a standard CTS for a few years. I never needed to look at this section of the V Forum. Since I am new to the ownership of a V now I am looking here. I am not familiar with all of the speed/performance parts for our cars.

If you guys have an idea, we can try to make it. I don't make money on these parts, I do it because I love to do it. The dead pedal, for instance, is definitely not a money maker which is why I make it on a weekend when I just putz around in the shop. I enjoy it. So if anyone has an idea, let me know.

And we don't cobble anything together. We do work for Johnson & Johnson, Anheuser-Busch, HJ Heinz along with others. If we cobbled something together we wouldn't be in business long.
Hey, you make something to replace the plastic dead pedal? I'd be in for one of those!
I tried to upload my picture, but I got a screen that said I exceeded my quota by something like 24kb or some such BS.

Try this link: http://https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-w1dhP3yqZUM/VOTV24gB7XI/AAAAAAAAGwQ/dS2IVzo1TgU/s2048/IMG_0992%252520%252528640x480%252529%252520%2525282%252529.jpg

That is an old picture from my current standard CTS wagon. It is a little bigger than what I use in my Vagon. It is 16 ga. polished (brushed) stainless steel.
Looks great! Much better than factory. Can you cut narrow slots to simulate the look of the gas/brake pedals? If so, what would you ask for one?
I can cut the slots. I haven't found the rubber to fill out the slots.

No slots, $50 including shipping to the USA via USPS. I haven't priced the slotted, but I will check on that and have something tomorrow. I have to waterjet those slots out, so I have to CAD this out.

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The more I cut out at one time the more economical it is. We have a setup cost, and that is amortized over how many we cut out at one time. One pedal would add about $45 bucks whereas two would add only $30 per pedal, etc. This is dead cost, I don't get any profit on this stuff. I do it because I like to do it for our cars.If we got a few of these at one time, like four or five, I could get the cost down significantly. I would donate my time, but I have to pay the CAD/Waterjet operator.
Sounds great Paul! Your offer to produce/sell them at cost is especially appreciated. I'm definitely in for one. Even at $100 that's less expensive than the ones GM sells for the Gen3 CTS and will be a better match.
Hopefully some other folks will read this and jump in.
Thanks again! :)
I bought a sideswipe. Very happy for the money I spent. Granted it would be easy to do it myself, I don't have time and appreciate others providing a simple solution. Haven't tracked with it yet but it appears to allow much better direct airflow to the air filter so I'm expecting lower temps. Still funnels air to the radiator too but also directs some to the filter.
Suggest you get right with the vendor rules here before going too far.
I've had mine for a while now and consider it a killer mod for the money. My IAT1's were finally the same as ambient since it gets such a copious amount of air in to my AirRaid setup. Did I think "wow, that's a lot of money for a piece of plastic" when I first read about it? Yep. Then I got the piece and the instructions were detailed and easy to follow. It made me realize that I wasn't paying for the cost of plastic. I was paying for an idea that was followed through to completion of a product. I mean I'm pretty sure the creator of this thing isn't living on a 175 foot yacht and sipping cognac as he laughs about ripping us V owners off :) In any case, I think it's a no-brainer to do. These cars NEED more air. That's evident just in big the gains are by just swapping to an Airraid or similar setup. Getting MORE fresh air to the filter area will never hurt.

Here's my setup with the new Green Filter I swapped in.
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I ordered a Sideswipe this morning and got a ship notification this afternoon. Same day shipping is amazing. Excellent communication. I saw it posted in the following link with installed pictures and performance testing.

http://www.**********.com/forum/16-...ame-up-new-intake-piece-called-sideswipe.html
Hey I just saw this over here. I make the Sideswipe. When I was down there making this I also came up with a heat shield to block the hot engine air that bleeds into the pocket under the filter. It lowered the IAT temps around 5 degrees up to a certain point.

I love coming up with stuff on my own to improve a cars performance.
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