hey it is completly up to you what you want to put in or on your car.

but just because it is in a air box dont mean you wont get nothing in to it that wont cuse it to become damaged.

but agian it is up to you. it is your car you drive it .

 

I know it's completely up to me, that was never in question

In my 15 years of driving, I have never once found my air filter to be damaged. And I've had short ram intakes, cold air intakes with a cone filter fully exposed inside the fenderwell, never once has a filter gotten damaged. That being said, I'd prolly hit the lottery before I got a damged filter in the stock air box.