The front of my '07 M8 met up with a sturdy hemlock tree last weekend. Damage was done and new parts were bought. (nose/bumper, lower A-arm, hood pins, zip ties...) The airbox in the nose also got busted. I had planned on just riveting it back together and sealing the breaks, but there are a lot of cracks and a few pieces of plastic missing.
Could a new airbox be fabbed from sheet aluminum without affecting how the engine runs? My motivation is not to increase HP or air flow, just swap out the airbox with something maybe lighter, and won't shatter. I will continue to run the factory intake setup on the underside of the hood. Are there any design elements in the old airbox I would need to preserve?
This would be much cheaper than buying a new airbox too. Construction would be flat panels riveted together and sealed with clear silicon sealant at the seams.
Could a new airbox be fabbed from sheet aluminum without affecting how the engine runs? My motivation is not to increase HP or air flow, just swap out the airbox with something maybe lighter, and won't shatter. I will continue to run the factory intake setup on the underside of the hood. Are there any design elements in the old airbox I would need to preserve?
This would be much cheaper than buying a new airbox too. Construction would be flat panels riveted together and sealed with clear silicon sealant at the seams.
