I did the ziptie a year and a half ago and I installed the Vararam VR-2B around three months ago.
I must say the ziptie is not a bad mod to start with, but I think the Vararam is a better intake. (more expensive too)
My car dynoed 370 rwhp with the ziptie (other than that stock)
This weekend I am taking it to dyno it with the VR-2B for the 1st time, car is stock other than that. I'll share the dyno results to see.
After installing the VR I noticed that the RPMs spool faster, I didn't hit the limiter before, now I hit it all the time, 1st and 2nd gear. The RPMs just haul a$$ from 5 grand thru redline. It goes so fast, that I am not used to this new fast timing to shift (yet) and it hits.
I measured a 3rd gear pull with the accelerometer AP-22 and th car showed a 33.6 hp gain from similar pulls with the ziptie. 378.3 before (ziptie), 411.9 now (vararam vr-2b). Same road, almost identical temp conditions. 65 degrees, +/- 5 degrees give it or take it. 2 persons, 1/2 gas tank.
The Vararam intake prevents pressure loss, it doesn't do boost or anything like that. Most other intakes, including the ziptie, are inside the hood, and therefore, they will lose pressure the faster you go. Less pressure = less air to suck in. so, in a nutshell: you loose power the faster you go. There is no dynojet that will show you that the Vararam is better than X or Y or Z intake on the road. Thats why I used an accelerometer to measure the gains, if any.
I must say I was pleasantly surprised, and trust me, in the 4+ years I've owned the AP-22, I've never seen the AP-22 invent 30hp gains on any of the cars I've owned under similar circumstances.
Now, the Vararam is not easy to install, granted, but hey... no pain, no gain.
GB.