When you think about air filters, chances are, a yawn isn’t too far behind. I mean, just how many ways are there to make an air filter? You’ve got your basic paper filters, and then the better-flowing, longer-lasting cotton gauze type filters, of the type that K&N Engineering pioneered decades ago. It’s safe to say most of you have the gauze type, and for good reason: they flow better (which mean more power) and they last longer.
So is it even possible to improve upon perfection? I think so, and that opinion is based on a new product I recently got to sample, called The One Piece (or TOP for short). What Advanced Flow Engineering has done is combine the benefits of a free-flowing oil-carrying cotton gauze filter, and incorporated a built-in top (normally where the chrome lid goes) made of the same gauze filter media. Other companies, such as K&N, have built stand-alone filter lids to improve flow and filtration, and they work. I’ve got that setup (a 14-inch by 4-inch K&N with a K&N X-Stream filter lid) on my 11-second Chevelle, and it’s awesome.
But TOP goes one step further, by being simpler (it’s one piece, not two), and by angling the sides for a more direct flowpath to the carb venturis. The key to making it work is the support structure of the lid portion. A close look shows that AFE has done their homework. The center button that supports the hold-down is made of what appears to be tough OEM-quality nylon, like the kind Ford and GM use to make their intake manifolds. This is attached to three beefy stainless steel support blades oriented to provide maximum strength in the vertical axis. It also happens that they’re oriented to produce zero impediment to airflow. Try to press down on the top of the TOP, and it won’t budge. It’s that solid. These three braces are molded into the urethane rubber circumference of the filter (the same material that holds the gauze in place. The entire thing is sealed up like Fort Knox, and you’d have to do something really stupid, like not put the nut on top, to experience any leakage at all.
The sample we obtained for our ’76 Camaro project car is 14-inches wide by 3-inches tall, and had the oil media with red dye. (AFE offers filters in both blue or red, and since Project g/28 is red, we picked the color to match.) The part number is 18-31413, and we found it selling on the internet for between $92 and $102. (Other widths and heights are available too, so check with AFE for your size.) If that sounds high compared to a traditional filter, it is, however, a similar K&N filter with an X-Stream lid sells for just over $100 (the same setup in our ‘68 Chevelle), so the TOP is in line price-wise with what’s most similar.
Next time you’re in the market for a high-end air filter for your musclecar or hot rod, we suggest you look at the TOP before making a decision. We think you’ll be impressed.