to get an idea heres mine

 

+1

You beat me to it. If you want to go cheap just chop off the MAF tube from the GS300 (98-00) and pit a filter on the end of it and chop a 90degree pipe to proper length and connect it to the throttle body. Of get a 90 degree silicone elbow to the throttle body then a straight pipe to the MAF. But in all honesty, the Weapon-R is a one piece aluminum pipe with a CNC'd MAF adapter and vacuum lines welded on. Its pretty damn cheap at under $200 shipped if you ask me. I don't know if I trust the filter, but a pipe is a pipe. The filter I would probably change out for something maybe a little more reliable

Or Just get this. Its designed for the ES300/Camry. Just get a universal 90 degree aluminum pipe or silicone elbow and you're set. I'm not sure whats the diameter of the throttle body of the ES300 so you may need a reducing coupler.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/1997-1998-LEXUS-ES300-3-0-3-0L-V6-AIR-INTAKE-KIT-INDUCTION-SYSTEMS-/180830060913?pt=Motors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&fits=Model%3AES300&hash=item2a1a4fc171&vxp=mtr

 

Keep in mind, the reason why your car will throw a CEL after intake pipe is because of the incorrect pipe diameter. The stock GS300 MAF is calibrated to work inside a 2.7" ID pipe. Most of those aftermarket intakes use a 3" pipe. The good name brand ones will have a smaller 2.7" pipe that steps up to a 3" filter at the very end of it. The cheap ebay ones are going to be a 3" pipe the whole way. If you get a SAFC or some kind of MAF corrector, then you can tweak the MAF signal so that it will work ok in the 3" pipe, or 4" pipe like the SRT. The SRT intake is just a big pipe with a MAF signal corrector box.

The reason why this is important: The engine is going to ingest the same volume of air no matter what pipe you put on the intake. With a smaller pipe the air velocity is much higher, and much slower with a big pipe. The MAF is sensing the air velocity(it's a bit more technical, but this is the easiest way to explain) so when you change the pipe diameter, the reading is no longer correct.

Just like a water hose when you let it run by itself on the ground, it comes out slowly. If you pinch the hose a bit, the water will spray further with more velocity. Same volume of water, just different velocity. So you need the MAF corrector to tell the computer that the higher velocity speed is still ok.

Anyways, the quick and easy way is to use a intake that has the correct diameter pipe. If you want to make your own intake then make sure the pipe diameter where the MAF is located is the correct size. Or you can just use whatever pipe size and put a MAF signal corrector on it.

 

hers mine. nothing to special I made it in about 10minutes after the car was running a little funny and I found a split on the underside of the intake pipe

 

Anyone know if I can just pop a filter at the end of the maf pipe?

I tried to separate the maf housing pipe from the airbox but the two pieces seem to be melted together from the factory. Would I run into any problems by just getting a little saw and chopping the two pieces and popping my new filter on the end of the maf piping?

 

Thats how it looks like in post #19

 

Yes but it looks like that could possibly be a maf housing from another Lexus or Toyota.

I was wondering if anyone has had experience cutting the two pieces apart that were pictured. I don't want to blindly go cutting up all my intake plastics without confirmation that it would work and not throw codes.

 

yes just cut it and no it will not throw a code. it has no reason to.

 

Thanks man. PS clean that *****ing engine bay! lol