anyone have a link for an intake (and / or hose) they’ve replaced on a mk1 for a reasonable price?
thanks
1.6 or 1.8?
It also depends what your expectations are. Unless you spend big bucks, any intake is unlikely to make your car go fast
If a 1.8, then a simple universal cone is likely to achieve about 90% of most slightly fancier intakes. Filter brand doesn’t matter too much but avoid knock-off HKS Mushroom filters; the filter matrix often seems suspiciously similar to something you use for washing up. HKS Super Powerflow filters are actually a dual density foam, with some clever polymeric coatings. More dangerously, the Ripspeed branded ones (which are likely the same as the other knock offs) has the filter cage secured by a non-captive nut and bolt; potentially the nut can loosen, and end up in the intake manifold. No thanks).
The choice is oiled cotton, such as K&N or Green Filters, or Foam, such as HKS, Pipercross (PiperX) or Ramair. The cotton filters need oiling before use, the foam filters are “dry”. People I think tend to over oil filters before use, and this might be the reason why some report hot wire mass air sensor failures, due to oil contamination (a whole can of worms, and there are threads on the topic. Foam filter are “dry”, meaning they have an oil like pretreatment in the factory, and are ready to go. They also can be washed and reoiled (cone filters need a 40k mile service, panel filters about 100k miles).
The oil is needed because of the way these filters work. Like Pandemic face masks, filtration is not because of pore size; obviously really large bits get stopped because of size, but mostly filters work due to charge. Dust particles are negatively charged, the oil/polymer treatment creates a positive charge, with van der Waals forces overcoming Brownian motion. The filter material is deliberately a randomised mass of fibers, increasing the chance of a particle hitting material, and “sticking”.
Universal cone filters come with sets of rubber reducing rings, and you use combinations so the filter fits to the MAS, secured with a jubilee clip. With a universal kit, sometimes they will come with a bit of plumbers strap that you can use to make a supporting bracket, or you can toddle off the B&Q and hunt around the hardware section for something costing a fiver.
With a 1.6, you need a square to round adapter for the Bosch air flow meter. The one Mazda uses is a pretty standard one, so you can find AFM adapters for about £10-15, either metal or plastic. After that, its the same story as for the 1.8.
Over the years, on 1.6 and 1.8s, I’ve had various intakes. At one time I had the full ARC super intake with the rare airbox. I foolishly let the Airbox go because I thought I was selling the car. That was 10 years ago. Still have the car. Truthfully, the car doesn’t really miss it, but it did look great.
For a while, I had a Ramair filter. brought off Amazon, Ramair Filters CC-296-UNI, currently £48
That was ok, until a mechanic left it resting on the manifold
Its probably ok still, but now have random no-brand cotton filter
HKS
The ARC Airbox. Hmm.
You can add heat shields, hosing, it doesn’t really make any difference
Incidently, this is a factory set up used in Japan (M2-1028). Notice the intake hose (lack of).
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thank you for such a detailed reply, with great looking photos. very impressed with your different engine bay set-ups there. epic strutt you got and nice n clean. in answer, 1.6. my motivation certainly wasn’t anything to do with making it go faster 
its more of an aesthetic thing. its showing its age and is probably the tattiest item in the bay. same with the pipe, it’d just look better with a new one. so many different shapes though, i’m wary of getting one that ain’t gonna fit. thats why very interested in club folx such as yourself saying which they prefer. gonna take my time and go through the text properly now. lot of info in there 
For a 1.6, if on a budget, get hold of something like this, then you can fit a generic cone filter.
On a 1.6, this cost me £40-50 from Fast Eddy in Norwich; all he did was pair up an adapter and a cone filter.
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chrome looks amazing there, i got the special high tempy black paint to do mine but might go chrome now. lovely set of silicone pipes as well i’ve definitely got one of those adapters already on, but something else i might swap out.