I was asked to post my own thread... So here it is. Some of this is repeated from a posting in a previous thread and some of it is new.

Hammer Automotive is, for all intents and purposes, (at least as of the writing of this post) a one man band. From what I know, Scott (Rev. Hammer) does this all on his own, with the volunteer help from kind people like Marc (Mr. I) who help for free because they believe in the product. Unlike mass produced CAIs like AFE and K and N, Hammer has no giant factories, no production lines and no massive warehouses. This guy can barely keep stock on the shelf, the orders come in faster than they can even go out sometimes!

I could go on, as I have on other posts, about the business model, etc. and possible explanations as to the reasons why some people have hesitated to buy from Hammer. I think instead of that, I would rather talk about their product, since at the end of the day, that is all anyone will REALLY remember anyhow.

I remember one of the first posts I read on this forum was about the release of the mild steel air hammer CAI for the 5.7s. This was super exciting, as CAI was one of the few mods I was willing to do. This was also when they only costs $239 out the door. I hesitated because I had been told by friends (mind you, not LX owners) that K and N was the only tried and true way to go for CAI. I didn't buy. Not long after they would go up as manufacturer costs went up, and that meant I had to put it off even more so I could save up. Well, I waited, and waited, and saved, and waited, and continually read threads on how happy people were with their Hammer CAIs, custom painted, powder coated, etc. etc. At this point, I knew I had to have one, I just couldn't afford it. Finally I pm-ed the Rev. and told him that I wanted a hammer but that I was broke. Not long after, Hammer offered various scratch and dent yard sales. As soon as I saw the black powder coated version, I knew that was the one I wanted. One problem: still broke. Rev. suggested he would take something I had in trade. I tried to calculate the value of my stock OEM headlight bulbs and see how many sets would equal one air hammer. It was going to be a while.

Long story short I finally saved enough and not 2 days later the Rev. had another yard sale, and I immediately responded.

About 1 week after that I had my CAI installed, (ironically the guy who pushed me toward K and N the whole time could not believe how HUGE the tube and filter on the hammer were and how sexy it looked, even before it was installed!) Anyway, during install I had a question, called the Rev. and had a call back in less than 10 minutes!

Once all the clamps were tightened, the spring was in place and the fuse reset, I started her up. Waited for the oil pan and then hit it.... Softly. Heard a small suck but nothing major. Hit a bit harder. More suck but still nothing super exciting. Finally, smashed the pedal. Between the suck of the filter and the rumble following, I could not believe how loud this thing was. I took it out for a test drive, windows up followed by windows down, and it sounded absolutely amazing. Totally blew me away, and my buddy, the K and N guy, well, he eventually apologized for doubting my choice in the first place.

It has already been almost 2 weeks since I put the hammer in place, and I could not be happier. Under normal acceleration and driving, the intake is subtle and quiet. Don't be fooled however, just the other day, when a cab driver tried to make an illegal turn right in front of me, I pulled around him and hit the gas hard to let him know he was being stupid and I think he may have peed his pants. The ROAR was so load that even a biker down the street turned his head all the way around and almost crashed because it sounded like a stockcar was racing up behind him. Every once in a while when I am in a tunnel or going under an overpass, I hit it, just to hear the sound echo and its always exciting. Sometimes I floor it on the open street, just to make sure she isn't sleeping, and I am thrilled with the results.

In my own experience, and from what I have read, many other members would agree, Hammer Cold Air Intakes are some of the best available, and Scott is by far one of the most attentive and customer service oriented vendors on this forum. He is repeatedly gone out of his way, and above and beyond, to make as many people happy as he can. Naturally, you can't please everyone, all the time.

Enjoy the pictures