Reversed engineered deflector "intake scoop"

[Turtleshuffle]

I have been snooping around for about a month now and finally decided to join. Insteaded of paying a ungodly amount of money for a pice of pvc pipe or aluminum, I took a looked at how others on this forum built them from sheet metal, but I decided to use the stock part because it looked like a better part by designied. I used the stock intake deflector, flipped it, trimmed it, and added a extra pice of plastic to it. Took me about 20mins to take apart modify and take pictures. If your interested or can't figure out how I did it, I will post steps and better pixs explaining how...

Enjoy

don't bash me too bad, I don't normally post alot on any forum, by the way love the site too!!!

[Dammmittt]

I dunno why people try to make their own, just buy RPIs and have something that looks like its supposed to be there...

[Turtleshuffle]

Because it was free.

[O-cha]

Originally Posted by Turtleshuffle

Because it was free.

Exactly, I'd rather not be charge for a 2$ piece of sheet metal with questionable benefits. It's a joke.

I'll never understand people who spend money on little "performance" things like this.

[MVF4Rrider]

Originally Posted by Turtleshuffle

Because it was free.

Yes, but all you've done is rip off someone's idea and present it in the very place it's marketed. Copying it is fine. It's your car and you can do what you want. But it's a one-off so keep it to yourself then. Ripping off product developers only encourages them to not make things for retail. And I'd rather keep RPI encouraged to think of new products for our car, considering so few people make things for it as it is.

[MVF4Rrider]

Originally Posted by O-cha

Exactly, I'd rather not be charge for a 2$ piece of sheet metal with questionable benefits. It's a joke.

It's no more questionable than the M3 CSL OEM front bumper air duct opening/plumbing which performs essentially the same task. Little things like this and others can add up to a even better overall package. I wouldn't consider the stock intake system as flawed, but like most anything it can be enhanced. Two things would have made the Z4 M stand out more as modern traditional M car: 1) side vents; 2) a body colored rear lip spoiler. To a lessor extent, a CSL type intake integrated in the bumper, CSL wheels, and alcantara wrapped steering wheel and headliner would have been cool too.

[Z4HN]

Originally Posted by MVF4Rrider

Yes, but all you've done is rip off someone's idea and present it in the very place it's marketed. Copying it is fine. It's your car and you can do what you want. But it's a one-off so keep it to yourself then. Ripping off product developers only encourages them to not make things for retail.

Exactly, all you people who make fake scoops are ripping off those who invented physics and invented the philosophy of ram air effect.

And I'd rather keep RPI encouraged to think of new products for our car, considering so few people make things for it as it is.

Last time I checked RPI didn't invent physics.

[Turtleshuffle]

How is it ripping off some ones idea if I only fliped a stock part so air could be rammed in there???? So I guess RPI "ripped off" the idea from american big blocks???? How about if I drilled a hole in my hood and mounted the deflector there. Would I be ripping off the american hood scoop companies???? Maybe you should have actually looked at the part, I didn't use sheet metal nor does it even look like RPIs. I just posted this for people that didn't want to waste a $100 on a $2 pice of sheet metal.

[F360C]

Originally Posted by Turtleshuffle

How is it ripping off some ones idea if I only fliped a stock part so air could be rammed in there???? So I guess RPI "ripped off" the idea from american big blocks???? How about if I drilled a hole in my hood and mounted the deflector there. Would I be ripping off the american hood scoop companies???? Maybe you should have actually looked at the part, I didn't use sheet metal nor does it even look like RPIs. I just posted this for people that didn't want to waste a $100 on a $2 pice of sheet metal.

I agree this is no even close to ripping off RPI! All he did was take the stock scoop and turn it to make it work better. I don't get how everybody always get bent out of shape when some one makes a scoop and starts crying that they are ripping off rpi. Do you think RPI was the first company to discover that having a scoop to direct air to the intake make more power? If you do you have been living under rock! Hell the idea has been around on cars since the for at least 60 years. Think of the muscle cars that had hood scoops and "ram air." I guess RPI was ripping of Chrysler, Ford and Chevy... come on guys relax! I give you two thumbs up for actually making something for your car... I am sick of the people on thsi board who get all bent out of shape when one actually has the balls go forge out on his own and try something different! Yea it may or may not work but hey you tired something different. I for one love trying different things as the process of making something is tons of fun. I also thank you for offering to post up a DIY.... the Z forums are way to slow! No one really posts and pictures, videos or even reviews of products let alone trying to make parts themselves. The only time anybody posts is when they want to bitch. Oh BTW I own an RPI scoop.... well I will once it gets off backorder.

[Dammmittt]

I dunno, it just looks a little ghetto, but I understand what you're trying to do.

[MVF4Rrider]

Originally Posted by Turtleshuffle

How is it ripping off some ones idea if I only fliped a stock part so air could be rammed in there???? So I guess RPI "ripped off" the idea from american big blocks???? How about if I drilled a hole in my hood and mounted the deflector there. Would I be ripping off the american hood scoop companies???? Maybe you should have actually looked at the part, I didn't use sheet metal nor does it even look like RPIs. I just posted this for people that didn't want to waste a $100 on a $2 pice of sheet metal.

As I said, it's your car so do what you want. One thing for sure is yours and RPIs solutions are not equivalent (not that you're directly claiming it to be, although you did speak of the cost savings between the two so in fact you did). For all you know just removing the OEM restrictive scoop would have given your car the exact same benefit as what you have now. Therefore perhaps all you've done is waste time by modifying a part and mounting it for no added benefit. If that's the case, then I'd advocate just removing the restrictor piece, which saves time/effort and avoids the cheesy DIY look. In addition, the real performance benefit is in the free flow filter inside the airbox. Since none of us invented physics, guess you're cleared hot to create your own filter too. Gee, you could save another $100.

Sometimes it pays to throw money at someone else's laboring.

[MVF4Rrider]

Originally Posted by F360C

I agree this is no even close to ripping off RPI! All he did was take the stock scoop and turn it to make it work better. I don't get how everybody always get bent out of shape when some one makes a scoop and starts crying that they are ripping off rpi.

What I wrote had no emotion in it whatsoever. Read it again completely monotone -- as intended. Just made simple points. And it's not just about a ram air affect. The size/shape of the deflector has a lot to do with the efficiency. Actually, neither is an ideal ram air solution anyway.

[Mikewarlover]

Good work MVF4RIDER I have to agree more of this personal genius is needed on this board. We are constantly ripped off by manufactures with their cheap parts which they claim to have power gain but in the end they really have shit gain.

[MVF4Rrider]

Originally Posted by Mikewarlover

Good work MVF4RIDER I have to agree more of this personal genius is needed on this board. We are constantly ripped off by manufactures with their cheap parts which they claim to have power gain but in the end they really have shit gain.

irrelevant

[Burt Reynolds]

I have the RPI scoop myself. I am not sure if it does anything to be honest but I bought it second hand pretty cheap. Maybe with ESS software it will do more work who knows.

I guess I am torn on the innovation thing. I mean if it is for you why not. However, we all complain about how few companies jump in to build product for us and then when they do we reward them with not buying it. To me it is not just the cost of a 100.00 scoop but also the cost of lack of innovation from frustrated tuning shops. It costs more but then at least we have options and future products...know what I mean?

[Z4Kevo]

Originally Posted by MVF4Rrider

Yes, but all you've done is rip off someone's idea and present it in the very place it's marketed. Copying it is fine. It's your car and you can do what you want. But it's a one-off so keep it to yourself then. Ripping off product developers only encourages them to not make things for retail. And I'd rather keep RPI encouraged to think of new products for our car, considering so few people make things for it as it is.

Geez dude. get a grip.

[Speedtronix714]

I give you props dude. Personally, I would by the RPI that has proven gains. I dont think its stealing unless you are out there making money out of it like what aFe did.

[pbdm4k]

Originally Posted by christian915

I give you props dude. Personally, I would by the RPI that has proven gains. I dont think its stealing unless you are out there making money out of it like what aFe did.

So Supersprint makes headers for our cars, and now Rogue Engineering, Technik and ebay brands all make headers for our cars.

So everyone is ripping off Supersprint??

Mother F**K. It's called competition. Without it, you'd be paying $1000 for a strip of metal bent into a shovel.

Intel makes CPU's. *Gasp* AMD makes CPU's!! *OH MAH GAWD!! AMD is ripping off Intel?!?

Seriously, grow a brain.

There's nothing wrong with similar products and a little competition. Competition between manufacturers benefits YOU, the consumer! By providing you with options and keeping manufacturers from price gouging.

Without AMD, you'd be paying Intel $1000 for a Celeron CPU and 10's of thousands for a Xeon.

The same holds for any other company willing to market products down the same alley.

If it's patented, then that's a different story. But last I checked, a scoop that directs air is nothing new. Is RPI stealing Dinan's idea? They had the product first... no.. guess not. Cuz a plastic tube and a metal plate that do the same thing are different products??

Props to RPI for bending a metal plate and doing the dyno testing. Sucks if someone else comes along and makes them to sell at half the price. But unless company B's product is exactly the same and a clear violation of any copyright or patent laws, tough bananas. That's business. Deal with it.

[ZStig]

interesting idea. does the car sound any different under full throttle?

[iranmeba]

I don't see anyone flaming RPI for stealing the intake scoop idea from dinan. Props to the OP for making his own version of the scoop. I went through similar flaming over on bimmerforums.com when I created and marketed my own version of the scoop. Some people just refuse to look at things objectively.

[papitosabe]

Originally Posted by MVF4Rrider

Yes, but all you've done is rip off someone's idea and present it in the very place it's marketed. Copying it is fine. It's your car and you can do what you want. But it's a one-off so keep it to yourself then. Ripping off product developers only encourages them to not make things for retail. And I'd rather keep RPI encouraged to think of new products for our car, considering so few people make things for it as it is.

you're so right...now I feel guilty...I told some guy to use a coat hanger to try an unlock his door...that was wrong of me!!!....i should have told him to buy a lock picking set or just call a locksmith... oh yea...even worse...i charged him a buck for the hanger...

Originally Posted by pbdm4k

Is RPI stealing Dinan's idea? They had the product first...

yeaaa...how you like dem apples MVF!!! heh heh