Is it hard to take the air box off a 2002 bonni se so i can put a cold air intake system?
And is that a good idea???

better off just gutting it does about the same thing no real performance gain from either

There'* always the option of removing the original airbox altogether, then run a flex tube into the driver'* side fenderwell and put a K&N filter on. I used to have pictures of my set up, but have since removed them. I'm sure there are others here who have done this and may have pictures to explain. Otherwise, google has tons of info that should get you through.

Either way, good luck!

Gutting or removing the airbox on an SE won't make it any faster. But if you just want to do it, or think itz cool, ....or want do it ahead of some other mods that would make use of more air, here'* a thread showing how to gut. If you decide to remove all together, and a a CAI pipe and cone filter, you will need a PCM tray to hold it.

https://www.gmforum.com/t281861/

I Have a setup on mine where i have half the box gutted and i have noticed a slight increase in pickup however my engine has been tuned up and maintained so if you think yours is maintained enough then you should notice the increase ask a mechanic on how to install it properly you should notice a 2-5% increase in hp its not much but its something i have a 2001 Se so i should know if it worked because i tried and tested it any modification is well worth it when it comes to making your bonny run good.

I don't know about 2000+, but gutting the box and putting in a K&N improved my '95 SE.

A year after doing the PBC "best practices" tune-up, I did mine. The MAF and manifold readings changed immediately. I didn't know if this was a good thing, more air means more gas, and it was my DD. I had been skeptical, but I recorded some data, and gave it awhile. I wanted to see what the PCM thought about it, if anything. After I had done the tune-up, the whole car had changed significantly, and IMHO that still remains the most return you can get for your car. So, everything had been stable for quite a while, and it would be a good test.

A month later (with a few peeks in between), I broke out the scanner. The most obvious change was the LTFT. But it didn't move up like I speculated (I didn't understand how the different cells add to the LTFT at the time), it moved down closer to 0.0 for its predominant static state.The second obvious change was how fast the O2 sensor reading moved from LEAN to RICH. It hopped like bunny. This would flesh out in improved readings in my next emissions sniff.

The 90 days after the change my mpgs improved by 1.8, The next 90 days by 2.0 mpg above the pre-test mileage. (All measures seasonally adjusted) Which is not to contend a specific nominal improvement, particularly at 8-9%, that would be ridiculous. But it did unquestionably confirm there was some improvement in mpgs.

Did I have more hp? I have no freakin' idea, I didn't measure it. But at idle, the unnoticeable vibration in the steering wheel disappeared to a dead calm. My wife noticed it immediately, when she stole the car for a day in the midst of the test.

(She can be a real nitpicky biyatch with her '96 Majestic Teal. She has incredible sense and feel with her car. She sensed dysfunction with her car a month or so before the anti-freeze started to visibly disappear. Our mechanic, who owns a '95 SE, and I couldn't convince her. Besides checking all of the other usual suspects, no chocolatey oil, no sweet exhaust and we both drove it. There was a slight cleaning of two plugs, but insignificant enough to be random. She didn't know, or care, that it was a UIM/LIM situation. She just knew her car "wasn't right". And she wanted one of us to fix it. )

Was the throttle peppier in the low and midrange? I definitely thought so, buts it'* equal money that that could be real or imagined. I will be real stubborn though, about the 3rd gear to lock shift, up an incline. It was no longer so flat.

So can just increased aggregate air supply, increase aggregate horsepower? Well, unless you can further compress it into the chamber, and have the appropriate fuel and ignition advance waiting for it, I think you have a real uphill battle against some basic laws of physics.

However, if you can maximize specific narrow situations where the NA stock has demand points which are adjusted for, rather than properly supplied by the stock kit, then you have small opportunities for more effective utilization and efficiency. For which, it appears to me, the PCM is happy to accommodate.

My experience and measurements on my '95 and '96, indicate that these situations do exist on the 3800. And added together make for more efficient operation of the car when you take into account the entire spectrum of performance... and enjoyment.

it does for the 2000+ as well it is noticeable especially if you have a */c lil more whine and sucking noise