If you’re looking for a classic underhood look, and you want to bag more power in the process, this cold air kit from Spectre is the ticket.

For about $200, you can have a classic-looking cold air box similar in function and looks to the famous pieces engineered and produced by Ford, Pontiac, Oldsmobile, and Chevy during the horsepower wars of the 1960s. While not specific to any particular brand, the basic look and vibe will be there, and the performance will too. (You'll be on your own with the exact placement of the air inlets--so you may have to get creative. Don't forget your option for the high-pressure cowl area.) The kit is brought to us by Spectre, and they have tested the concept on the dyno with instrumentation. The general guideline they’ve found is that for every 10 degrees Fahrenheit that the incoming air is lowered, the engine will gain 1.5 to 2 percent more horsepower. That means the more powerful the engine and the greater the temp reduction, the greater the horsepower gain will be. On a typical 500 hp street engine that can easily see a reduction in inlet air from 200 degrees (underhood) to 140 degrees (outside air), that equals at least another 45 hp. We like the look and the promised performance so much, we plan on rigging one up in our ’75 Laguna once we get our new engine in. Check it out at www.speedbyspectre.com.