Since the airbox writeup went up, the most common question has been some version of “I don’t have a printer — will you print one for me?” So yes: I now sell the R53 airbox and cold-air snorkel as finished printed parts, not just STLs.
Everything is printed to order on a Bambu Lab H2S with an actively heated chamber — the airbox alone is a 12-hour print, the three-piece snorkel another 14.
Pricing
Prices reflect the material — the engineering blends cost more to print, and PAHT-CF is the premium option:
| Part | PETG-GF | ABS-GF / ASA-GF / ASA-CF | PAHT-CF |
|---|---|---|---|
| Airbox (v4) | not offered | $170 | $180 |
| Cold-air snorkel (front section, 3-piece + shroud) | $140 | $150 | $160 |
Full intake kit: 10% off your two parts combined — from $279 (ABS-GF airbox + PETG-GF snorkel) to $306 (PAHT-CF throughout), depending on materials.
Shipping billed at actual cost. Color choice is free on any GF blend.
Airbox as shipped — filter not included; it takes any 3.5” ID dry cone.
Choosing a material
| Material | Color options | Airbox | Snorkel |
|---|---|---|---|
| PAHT-CF | black only | Best choice — max thermal headroom | Overkill, but works |
| ASA-CF | black only | Good — best UV resistance | Works, best if the mouth is UV-exposed |
| ABS-GF | color choices | Good — ~105 °C, adequate in-bay | Works |
| ASA-GF | color choices | Good — ~100 °C, UV-resistant | Works |
| PETG-GF | color choices | Not offered — heat-soak risk | Best fit — ambient air only, so its lower temp rating never matters |
Two things drive the choice:
- Carbon-fiber blends are black; glass-filled blends take color. Want a color-matched part? That’s ABS-GF or ASA-GF (or PETG-GF on the snorkel). Want maximum heat resistance in black? PAHT-CF.
- The airbox lives in the engine bay; the snorkel does not. The snorkel sits in the bumper pulling ambient air ahead of the engine and never heat-soaks, so PETG-GF is fine there. The airbox sees real heat — an R53 bay with the intercooler over the blower will pass 80 °C on a hot lap and beat that on heat-soak after shutdown, which is why I will not print the airbox in PETG: fiber fill stiffens a part, but it does not raise the temperature the base plastic softens at. Heat-soak note: on any non-PAHT airbox, expect the part to see its limits on brutally hot days; PAHT-CF is the no-questions material.
Fitment
Same parts as the build post:
- Fits R53 Mini Cooper S and R52 Cooper S — v4 clears both partitioned and non-partitioned master-cylinder layouts
- Airbox takes a 3.5” ID dry cone filter (Injen X-1021-BB or equivalent, ~5” base, ~4” top) — filter not included
- Airbox snaps onto the lower factory airbox section with modeled-in tabs
- Snorkel front shroud snaps into the radiator core-support opening and connects toward the airbox through the factory rubber accordion boot — the same joint the OEM snorkel uses
Snorkel front shroud seated in the core-support cutout — positive retention, no popped clips.
Both parts installed — the whole intake path from core support to throttle body, larger and straighter than stock.
The fine print
- Track / off-road use only.
- No warranty against engine damage — you are buying a printed plastic part for a supercharged engine bay; inspect it at every event like you would any other intake component.
- Shipping is billed at actual. These parts are boxes of air — carriers charge by volume, not weight — so continental-US airbox/snorkel shipping is reasonable, but AK/HI and international are quoted separately, as is the full kit (it needs a bigger box).
How to order
DM me on Instagram — @mattryan6729 — with the part, material, and color you want, and I’ll quote shipping to your zip.
Prefer to print it yourself? The STLs are still for sale:
| Part | Cults3D | STL price |
|---|---|---|
| R53 airbox (v3 + v4 + prototype) | R53 airbox | $50 |
| Cold-air intake tube / snorkel | R53 cold air intake tube | $40 |