Homemade LS430 True Cold Air Intake

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LS430 CAI

If MacGyver made a custom cold air intake for his Lexus LS430, it might look like this.

The 2005 Lexus LS430 is a solid performance sedan thanks to the 4.3-liter V8 with 290 horsepower and 320 lb-ft of torque. Unfortunately, there isn’t a huge amount of aftermarket support for this sleek sedan, leading one of our members to undertake the task of engineering a true cold air induction system for his 2005 Lexus using fairly common household items.

The Introduction

This homemade true cold air intake build thread from the Club Lexus forums was originally started by “05ls430518”, who owns a 2005 Lexus LS430. He explained that he wanted to create an air duct to the filter area along with a metal box that would isolate the air filter from the heat of the engine bay. He planned to do this by using HVAC supplies, heat insulation tape and some American ingenuity.

LS430 Injen Intake

In addition to explaining his plan, he included an engine bay shot of his Lexus with an Injen cold air intake that actually just draws warm air from the engine bay.

Insulating the Intake Pipe

This project began with the OP removing his Injen air intake setup, wrapping it in reflective heat tape. The idea here is that insulating the pipe will shield it from the heat of the engine bay, thus hopefully keeping some of that heat out of the intake air.

Wrapping the LS430 Intake

"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.

"Being based on Detroit," says Rall, "I never miss the North American International Auto Show, the Woodward Dream Cruise and Roadkill Nights, along with spending plenty of time raising hell on Detroit's Woodward Avenue with the best muscle car crowd in the world.

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