Thanks for that Shawn!

I had found other posts alluding to the removal of the elbow but I didn't realize that's what they were talking about. I've decided to fab up some sort of straight intake tube to connect the throttle body & MAF (I'm still using a bendy tube) which will also allow me to extend the MAF & cone filter to that front corner of the engine bay. I'll pull the air box and the elbow when I do that, and that should lower my intake air temp even more.

I also came across an old thread regarding "missing instructions" in the S/C kit for cutting a second hole in the bottom of the air box and attaching a short plastic tube to draw air in from behind the headlight. Seems pretty critical info to me, but these instructions only found their way to a couple of VXers - no one else knew anything about this!

I have had no oil-on-the-MAF or high intake air temp problems since installing the cone intake, and I'm in the peak of summer heat right now, so that bodes well. The VX feels pretty quick (the Calmini filter definitely helps getting air into the S/C at high revs). I can't wait to drive it with air temps in the 60's!!!

Now if I can just find a cat-back performance exhaust...