Goblin Build Difficulty

T

TheD4rthMaul

New Member
Hey guys.

New member here. I have been interested in building a goblin since the beginning of the year. I know this build is touted as fairly easy to do.

My question is, if I have zero experience, and zero tools outside of basic tools like socket wrenchs, how hard will this build be?

What is an estimated tool spend?

Can I trust the directions and do myself, or will I realistically need to have someone knowledgeable help me?

Thanks!
 
G

Gtstorey

Goblin Guru
We really don't know what you don't know. If you struggle to change the oil and sparkplugs this won't be easy. If you have never really worked on things, this won't be easy. It all depends on your natural mechanical and electrical ability.

Don't be surprised if this doesn't take yo well over a year to complete, and it could easily take a lot longer. But of course all of that depends on how much time you have available

If all you are a few sockets and screwdrivers, you can probably end up spending $500 for tools pretty easily. But this depends on how ingenuous you are with tools, and how much effort vs the correct tool for the job you want to be.
 
Mahkoi

Mahkoi

Well-Known Member
I wouldnt call it easy. I've wrenched on things my whole life and was a mechanic for 10 years before going to corporate life and there were a couple of times where i had to walk away from this thing out of frustration. I picked away at mine on nights and weekends for 2 years before it was done. (Some of those nights were just drinking beer and staring at it) I think you'll struggle but I'd imagine it can be done. Luckily for you there's a ton of people here who love to help out and answer questions. We'll help as much as we can to get you through it. I'd guess $500 is probably a safe guess for tools. Wouldn't hurt to grab a 3/8s torque wrench that can do up to 100ft lb of torque. I think I found my 3/8 craftsman on sale for around $40. That will cover just about everything on the car that I can think of except for the axle nuts. A cherry picker can be a huge help but if you start buying those big things your are going to blow that $500 tool guesstimate pretty quickly.

I don't want to lure you into thinking "oh, this will be no problem". If you don't have much mechanical experience you will struggle with some things. If you have a question ask, and we'll hopefully point you in the correct direction.
 
G

Gtstorey

Goblin Guru
with limited skills you will want to get a good running donor. Or at least get the donor driving before disassembling it.
 
Ark :D

Ark :D

Goblin Guru
At the very least, I'd recommend reading through several build threads at minimum. Get yourself familiar with some of the most common problems.

I lay claim to the title of "longest build thread", and that's not a great thing. There's like 20 pages of electrical troubleshooting in my build log. That is a testament to the fortitude of people on this forum to give help for free.

So yeah, thoroughly read yourself some build logs before you make your decision.
 
Last edited:
Desert Sasqwatch

Desert Sasqwatch

Goblin Guru
Make certain to read the build logs of those builders who have completed the model Goblin you are planning to tackle. There are several differences between the TC, SC and NA models for the build process. Also look through the build videos from DF, both sets of them.
 
RGSkid70

RGSkid70

Active Member
Remember: He who dies with the most toys, er, tools, wins!

Dismantling the donor was not particularly difficult, but I would recommend you find a donor from somewhere outside of the rust belt. Rust-welded fasteners and broken bolts are a real kill-joy. I would also recommend you buy the harness service offered by DFKC. Electrical troubleshooting is a bear.
 
Goblinfanclub1234

Goblinfanclub1234

Well-Known Member
a naturally aspirated goblin would be the "easier" of the 3 types to build in my opinion. to make things as easy on yourself as possible I would find a decent donor that runs and drives well
 
S

Sebnuts

Well-Known Member
I agree with an NA donor, keep it as simple as possible.
Also, if you want a little practice wrenching on stuff and working through your state's paperwork shenanigans, get yourself a salvaged vehicle with a little front end damage, fix it up with parts from a pick n' pull, freshen up the engine with a timing chain, new plugs etc, and then go through your state's process for getting a prior salvage title. This will leave you with a good running donor for a goblin, or a car you can sell for a small profit if you decide this sort of thing is not for you.
 
95Blitz

95Blitz

Well-Known Member
First things first, Put your location in your signature, you could live down the road from somebody that has built one already and is willing to help you out. 500 for tools will not cut it, your going to need a engine hoist, there goes most of the 500. Tool wise it's going to be closer to if not over 1000. Some you will need to start the project some as you go along. So no real need to worry about the upfront cost. With that being said, with all the help on the forum I don't see a reason you couldn't do it.
 
Ark :D

Ark :D

Goblin Guru
95Blitz said:
First things first, Put your location in your signature, you could live down the road from somebody that has built one already and is willing to help you out. 500 for tools will not cut it, your going to need a engine hoist, there goes most of the 500. Tool wise it's going to be closer to if not over 1000. Some you will need to start the project some as you go along. So no real need to worry about the upfront cost. With that being said, with all the help on the forum I don't see a reason you couldn't do it.
Click to expand...
An engine hoist is not strictly necessary, but does make things easier.
 
escapepilot

escapepilot

Goblin Guru
Do you have helpful friends? Some steps are easier with more hands and if not, then more tools.
How confident are you in your abilities to just do basic assembly? There is very little that isn't just following directions.
Do you follow directions or do you wing it? Winging it without experience will more than likely end in failure.
Is your budget a hard number or a goal you'd like to stay below? Replacing a part or upgrading rather than repair can get expensive.
Do you WANT to build or is the building a task that needs to be done in order to reach the actual goal of owning a Goblin? It's possible to buy one completed that is cheaper than building one.
Are you ok with building per the directions? Customization and modification can be expensive and if you don't have the background...well...
Do you have a place to build it?

Stage 1 videos are great and most people should be able to get that far pretty easy. Stage 2 and 3 require watching the older videos and looking at pictures to figure out a few things. Not difficult, but not as easy as the videos in stage 1.

Advice if you decide to build. Watch all disassembly videos and stage 1 videos before doing anything. Then watch a video and do that step and LABEL anything that you don't know exactly what it is. Label connectors, harness, even some bolts because you will use them later. Thorough organization will help ensure your success.
 
A

ah.b.normal

Goblin Guru
95Blitz said:
First things first, Put your location in your signature, you could live down the road from somebody that has built one already and is willing to help you out. 500 for tools will not cut it, your going to need a engine hoist, there goes most of the 500. Tool wise it's going to be closer to if not over 1000. Some you will need to start the project some as you go along. So no real need to worry about the upfront cost. With that being said, with all the help on the forum I don't see a reason you couldn't do it.
Click to expand...
DON'BUY A NEW ENGINE HOIST! They are bulky so someone is almost always selling one!, unless you are in a town of less than 25,000 people. ALSO, Hoists can even be rented! But rental would get expensive fast. The engine hoist's major attraction is it is like a really strong(but dumb) helper who can be left holding something heavy for days!! He stands very still and rarely complains. Craigslist! As sometimes hoists just get in the way!, a thing you'll notice that about them IF you have two. A friendly type might loan you theirs to have it clutter up YOUR PLACE for a while. But be aware they'll either want to borrow it back or they may decide to sell it to you at a very reasonable price! Another option is a Chain Fall, provided you have a very sturdy overhead beam to hang it from.
 
A

ah.b.normal

Goblin Guru
Do you WANT to build or is the building a task that needs to be done in order to reach the actual goal of owning a Goblin? It's possible to buy one completed that is cheaper than building one.
Are you ok with building per the directions?

Then watch a video and do that step and LABEL anything that you don't know exactly what it is. Label connectors, harness, even some bolts because you will use them later. Thorough organization will help ensure your success.
[/QUOTE]

EP gets my "BIG D'oh!" for today! (Why didn't I think of that!) There are several for sale on this forum! The responses of this forum in just one day should show you we are car nuts and we like helping others with their nuttiness! Buy built or build your own? There is more than one way to have your Goblin!
Standing by with both my "Help" and "Encouragement" Launchers fully loaded!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top