Pipercross Performance Air Filter. VW T3/T25 1.9 Petrol Engine
Performance filtration specialist Pipercross may be best known for its vast range of competition, tuner and sports car filters, but the firm also has a burgeoning range of classic and retro car applications, too. The latest new release to come from the company’s Northamptonshire factory is a bespoke cylindrical filter for all 1.9 petrol-powered versions of VW’s ubiquitous T3/T25 in its many guises.
Like the VWs themselves, all Pipercross filters are built up to a quality, rather than down to a price. Yet, despite being entirely hand-finished here in the UK, each one retails at a most reasonable £29.99 + VAT. As each filter solution leaves the entire factory air box untouched, it’s also an insurance and originality-friendly improvement that enhances that character and performance of the T25, without spoiling it.
The 1.9 will never be the most brisk of engines, but they do really respond well to breathing modifications, with a panel filter and exhaust upgrade often being the first improvements that many owners make. The Pipercross filter is designed to be an exact replacement for the rather asthmatic factory paper filter and uses multiple foam layers to allow up to 30% more air-flow through to the engine, improving power, torque and drivability over the stock set-up.
As well as increased flow rate, thanks to its unique multi-laminated open cell polyurethane foam construction, the Pipercross upgrade can actually filter down to a much finer rate than the OEM part, preventing any foreign particles from entering the induction tract, meaning even greater protection for the VW’s engine. This same construction means that the filter can also go longer between service intervals than even leading cotton-gauze filters, before needing to be cleaned.
Best of all, despite these impressive abilities, the Pipercross filter comes with a lifetime warranty and can be easily cleaned again and again for re-use, providing decades of faithful service and paying for itself many times over.