Couple of questions

[Jake]

Okay, so I am looking for a fun car to drive around, but also one thats street legal because it will also serve as my main car. I found the DF Goblin and I think its awesome, and priced very well. But I do have a few questions.
1. What optional additives to I need to purchase to make the car street legal, I know the basic things like seats, mirrors, and lights. But is there anything else?
2. If anyone lives in Florida, ive seen that cars need a windshield to be street legal, is this true?
3. Is the turbocharger worth the $1000 more than the supercharger?

 

[TheNuker]

Hope you waterproof the car really good to be a daily driver in Florida!

I went supercharged because I liked the power band better, The Turbo cars according to dyno stock form seem to start dropping hp/tq over 6000 rpms.

 

[DanPerryy]

Windshield and possibly a windshield wiper. I made my windshield (see my build) from lexan (and that might not work in all states - no DOT), and as of right now I don't think I'll need a wiper. If I do I will get a manual one. I know that DF Kitcar is preparing to offer improved windshields.

 

[taz_va]

Satisfaction with forced-induction method really depends on what you want it to do. I prefer positive displacement (supercharger) due to how most designs will give you results across the powerband, however, for the Goblin, I'm going with a turbo setup just for fun on the highway. You have to ask yourself what you want the car to do. If you want an autocross/track gokart, I'd go with a supercharger, because the power plant would be linear. For all other/general purposes, either method would work.

When it comes to total power output, it's a matter of tuning and how you build the engine, how much you want to put into it.

Regarding the windshield, if your state requires a windshield, it will likely require the glass be safety glass with a DOT-approved marking. There are custom glass shops which can create such a windshield for you.

 

[Johvans]

Satisfaction with forced-induction method really depends on what you want it to do. I prefer positive displacement (supercharger) due to how most designs will give you results across the powerband, however, for the Goblin, I'm going with a turbo setup just for fun on the highway. You have to ask yourself what you want the car to do. If you want an autocross/track gokart, I'd go with a supercharger, because the power plant would be linear. For all other/general purposes, either method would work.

When it comes to total power output, it's a matter of tuning and how you build the engine, how much you want to put into it.

Regarding the windshield, if your state requires a windshield, it will likely require the glass be safety glass with a DOT-approved marking. There are custom glass shops which can create such a windshield for you.

Having ridden in P2 (SC) at speed the Goblin is not a highway car. I imagine it would be an even less fun highway car at higher rates of speed. In my opinion the Goblin is a 0-120-0 car. Not a 50-150 car.

I purchased a SS/SC for this reason. It is not unheard of to have a stock motor turbo LSJ pushing low 4xx-5xx whp with appropriate supporting mods if I decide to go crazy later. At this point I think a nice 290 WHP 249 WTQ M62 SC is a good goal. Enough to be fun without sacrificing the balance of the chassis.

YMMV.

John

 

[taz_va]

Yeah, I'm just looking to cruise around casually on roads and highways, not actually get into anything with it, which is why I'm going turbo. I doubt I'd ever even push it to 100 unless I was with friends. So when I say highway, I mean literally just cruising around, not doing any sort of 0-X-0 with it. My general goal is around 5lbs/hp which should keep it sporty. My former daily drivers had plenty of power, this one is just going to be a peppy little kart to turn heads and goof around with. A pure adult toy.

Since terminology and experience can be highly subjective, what in your mind made the P2 not a highway car?

 

[TheNuker]

Yeah, I'm just looking to cruise around casually on roads and highways, not actually get into anything with it, which is why I'm going turbo. I doubt I'd ever even push it to 100 unless I was with friends. So when I say highway, I mean literally just cruising around, not doing any sort of 0-X-0 with it. My general goal is around 5lbs/hp which should keep it sporty. My former daily drivers had plenty of power, this one is just going to be a peppy little kart to turn heads and goof around with. A pure adult toy.

Since terminology and experience can be highly subjective, what in your mind made the P2 not a highway car?

Aerodynamics is a killer on any open wheel cars.

And yeah, I felt the same on the track this last weekend. I took mine up to about 120 on the straight, But it started to feel like it was having to work really hard to keep accelerating. I think the ariel atom suffers from the same open wheel aerodynamic design problems. I knowing this built it for the 0-100 as that is by far the most common speeds on any given tracks.

Nuker-

 

[PHerder]

The Se7ens have the same problem. A Stalker with a LS376/480 all aluminum V8 in it had to put a wing on top just the keep the rear end down to get traction on the track at speed!

 

[taz_va]

Aerodynamics is a killer on any open wheel cars.

And yeah, I felt the same on the track this last weekend. I took mine up to about 120 on the straight, But it started to feel like it was having to work really hard to keep accelerating. I think the ariel atom suffers from the same open wheel aerodynamic design problems. I knowing this built it for the 0-100 as that is by far the most common speeds on any given tracks.

Nuker-

Good input, thanks. That definitely supports what I was thinking. I'll love just cruising around in it

 

[Johvans]

Yeah, I'm just looking to cruise around casually on roads and highways, not actually get into anything with it, which is why I'm going turbo. I doubt I'd ever even push it to 100 unless I was with friends. So when I say highway, I mean literally just cruising around, not doing any sort of 0-X-0 with it. My general goal is around 5lbs/hp which should keep it sporty. My former daily drivers had plenty of power, this one is just going to be a peppy little kart to turn heads and goof around with. A pure adult toy.

Since terminology and experience can be highly subjective, what in your mind made the P2 not a highway car?

I think it'll be great for what you are looking for. These days with 1320 video and all the roll racing the people around here refer to highway cars as 60-160 cars. The Goblin isn't it due to the open wheel nature of the car.

Should be perfect for you!

 

[DanPerryy]

What I want in my Goblin is a car that is super quick from 0-100 (and back to 0). If you are quick enough to 100 the other guy will just give up hope. The other guy does not need to know that he has seen all that you have!

 

[taz_va]

Yeah, my last daily driver would do the quarter in 10.2seconds, and that was with a slipping clutch. I've never really been much into drag, I only went to hang out with friends. The launch was probably the most fun part for me, after the smell of rubber from the roll pit.

 

[TheNuker]

Yep, Maybe Lonny/Adam will design a full aero-ed car next time. I'd be up for that, I need a fun car to drive when it's cold too!

Nuker-

 

[Brian74]

Given this convo, how does the Goblin do just normal cruising on the freeway at 75 mph? High workload, or is it relatively smooth?

 

[Dyno man]

I have more miles on hi way than one . Trucks don't move you around at 75 mpg. Been driving since 3 -16.first customer to own Goblin.I had lots of of toys in my 66 years .This is one of my favorite . 9000 miles having a blast!