Whether you are buying a new Ram, a used Ram, a new Dart, a used Stratus or even a brand spanking new Charger SRT8 – one of the easiest (and often the first) modifications made by most owners looking for more power out of their vehicle is a cold air intake. This allows the engine to pull air from a location where cold air is being sucked into the engine rather than the stock intake setup on many vehicles that draws hot air from inside of the engine bay.
Unfortunately, no matter what vehicle you are trying to modify, the odds are good that there are dozens of cold air intake options on the market so which do you pick? Every company has claims as to why theirs is the best choice but when it comes down to brass tacks – no one is better to offer advice than someone who has purchased a cold air intake and installed it on their Ram or Dodge car/SUV. In our 3rd generation Ram truck section, there is a long thread with a poll asking members to pick which CAI they chose for their vehicle followed by 23 pages of members talking about their experiences with the various intake brands. So if you are looking to buy a new cold air intake for your Ram, this thread offers up plenty of advice from the people who are most likely to be honest about whether or not a given company offers a quality product.
Click here to check out the 3rd gen Ram CAI thread!
"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.
"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.
"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.
"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.
"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.
