Car Performance mods

When it comes to engine performance, especially a turbocharged one, there are no better modifications than ones that improve the breathing capacity of the motor.

Walker Morgan of Morgan Performance Fabrication is a man who focuses on such performance-oriented items for the Chevy Sonic platform. That’s not to say he doesn’t build some amazing parts for other cars. We have actually featured his beautiful Mitsubishi Evolution, and our November ’13 RX7 cover car had its turbo setup custom-built by Walker himself. High-quality fabrication is what MPFab does best, and it just so happens that when this Sonic project came up, Walker and I got to chatting and he mentioned that he actually owned a Sonic and was going to be producing performance parts for the car. Naturally, I was keen to work with him for Project Sonic Boom’s go-fast goodies.

Photo 2/24 | The stock intake box is made more for durability and noise reduction than performance.

Factory intakes have come a long way and flow well, but they need to meet certain criteria like noise levels, filtering percentage, durability, etc., so there are still power gains to be had in an intake system that is designed with performance in mind.

Aside from the spot-on fitment and perfect aluminum welds, MPFab’s intake uses a heat shield to protect the air filter from ingesting the engine’s hot underhood air temperatures. While this may seem trivial, it’s actually very important and helps a great deal when it comes to maximizing power out. The cooler and denser the air, the better.

Photo 3/24 | Engine Performance Mods - Project Sonic Boom

Photo 4/24 | MPFab’s intake system includes a velocity stack on a high-flow filter for optimal performance gains. Plus, a heat shield ensures only fresh, cold air is delivered to the intake.

That’s why I decided to add a ram-air setup by way of eliminating the front high beam headlight and creating a duct through it that would feed the air intake.

This required a bit of Dremel work to the headlight but proved to be a simple DIY task. The result is an intake system that has a constant flow of fresh air.

Photo 5/24 | Engine Performance Mods - Project Sonic Boom

Photo 9/24 | Engine Performance Mods - Project Sonic Boom

Creating a ram-air induction setup through the high-beam light requires a bit of Dremel work and a metal, mesh scrim to keep large pieces of debris out.