i'm still debating on which intake would benefit me more because i know at times there is more power in a short ram but cold air is so much more tempting, can someone help me out??

 

cold air.... im not a 350Z guy but go cold air.. and get a water diaphram cause chances are there will be a time when succeptable to sicking water into your intake... colder air = more power.

 

Actually on the Z, you will likely not make any power with either. Some intakes may gain a few peak horsepower, but it will change the power curve in a way that it doesn't affect how fast your car is. I have been very involved in the Z/G community for a while now and have not heard of any real horsepower benifits by adding an intake to the VQ35DE.

Now that being said, intakes still do have some benifits. Aside from the obvious re-usable filter, the intake will also improve throttle response and increase the noise level coming from the engine bay.

The cold air intakes are longer and since they are longer, they can actually hurt throttle response as well as giving you a rough idle. So, since neither form of intake really adds any power, if I were to run an intake, I would get a short ram because of the increased throttle response, better noise, and re-usable filter. Besides, the short rams are MUCH easier to install and its much easier to get to the filter every time it needs cleaning. You also don't have to worry about submerging it in water.

I put an Injen cold air intake on my Z when I first got it and experienced the problems I mentioned above. Shortly after, I turned it into a short ram and it smoothed out my idle and gave me a good throttle response again without any noticeable loss in power.

Also from my experience hanging out on the Z/G boards, the general concensus is that the JWT Pop-Charger intake is the best bang for the buck.

Hope this helps.