Frequently Asked Questions
Answers to the most frequently asked questions about DF Kit Car and the Goblin kits.
Donor Car Questions
What is a donor car?
Kit cars often use a common production car as a donor car for parts like the engine, transmission and more. More info »
Reusing the powertrain and other parts from a donor car helps keep the build budget as low as possible. Often the donor car is a wrecked car that is not worth repairing. Donors like this are inexpensive and still have decent parts to pull for use in the kit.
For the Goblin, the donor car is a Chevrolet Cobalt or Pontiac G5. You will need to purchase a Cobalt or G5 yourself to build a Goblin.
Do I have to use a Chevrolet Cobalt as the donor car?
The only compatible donors are the Chevrolet Cobalt and the Pontiac G5. More info »
Even cars built on similar platforms (Chevrolet HHR, Saturn Ion) are not 100% compatible because of slight differences throughout the donor car's equipment. Using these cars will require extra work to either fit the pieces that differ or to swap to Cobalt pieces.
Other makes of cars will be an even harder challenge to use because none of the donor pieces will fit the Goblin frame.
Why are other donors not compatible?
We reuse so many of the Cobalt pieces that if you swap donors, you'd have to rework the Goblin frame to fit those pieces. More info »
We reuse more than just the engine and transmission so swapping to a different donor isn't as simple as just doing an engine swap. To give you an idea of what we reuse from the Cobalt, here's a list of the larger items:
- subframe
- control arms
- knuckles
- bearing hubs
- steering rack
- steering column
- pedal boxes
- brake master cylinder
- shifter assembly
- BCM and ECM (and TCM on automatic builds)
- ignition switch
- gauge panel
- fuel pump
If you don't use a Cobalt donor it'll be up to you to fit all of these pieces yourself.
Why would I want a base model Cobalt donor?
155 horspower is a lot in a car that only weighs 1500 pounds. More info »
Modern muscle cars have several hundred horsepower but all of them weigh over double the Goblin and some weigh almost 3 times as much as the Goblin. In day to day operation, those muscle cars will spin their tires while the base model Goblin will just launch.
If you are concerned about sticking with base model horsepower and think that you need 400 to the wheels, please come by the shop for a ride in one of our cars. You will be surprised how little horsepower it takes to get 1500 pounds going.
We highly recommend that you consider building a base model Goblin. It'll be a ton of fun and once you get the hang of driving it, you can easily install a supercharger or turbocharger to add 75 horsepower.
Do I have to buy the donor?
Yes, you will need to buy a Chevrolet Cobalt or Pontiac G5 to build a Goblin. More info »
We do not purchase donors for customers but we can help you find a donor near you. Just shoot us an email at [email protected].
What parts do I need from the donor car?
The short version is that you will need everything but the shell of the car. More info »
You will reuse a surprising number of pieces from the donor. This includes the whole drivetrain, electrical systems, steering and much more.
To see a full list, check out this PDF: Detailed Donor Parts List
Can I just get the parts I need from a salvage yard?
It is possible to piece it together but you'll spend a lot less time and money if you buy a whole car instead. More info »
Some of the donor parts would be rather easy to get at a salvage yard but items like the main wiring harness are much harder to remove. It is quite common for salvage yards to cut wiring harnesses when removing other parts so there is a chance the harnesses you find could be damaged.
We've purchased donor cars for under $500. You could easily spend that amount just on the engine, transmission and subframe. Piecing it all together could end up costing you more in the long run than just buying a whole Cobalt.
Kit Questions
Does the kit come with an engine and transmission?
No, the kit does not include an engine and transmission. More info »
You will pull the engine and transmission from a Chevrolet Cobalt or Pontiac G5. You will buy and strip your own donor car.
This is common among kit cars because supplying the engine, transmission and other donor pieces would drastically increase the kit price.
Does the kit come with tires and wheels?
No, tires and wheels are not included. More info »
Most builders buy aftermarket wheels and tires but some reuse the wheels and tires from their donors.
Do I have to know how to weld?
No, the chassis is delivered fully welded. More info »
We weld the whole chassis in the jig and then on a rotisserie so that your don't have to. Each chassis is thoroughly checked (with a lengthy checklist) on the rotisserie to make sure no welds have been missed.
We've done our best to include tabs and mounts for everything the average builder will need to install. This includes seat and harness mounting points, brake hose mounts, ground lugs, radiator mounts and more.
Does the chassis come powdercoated/painted?
The chassis does not come powder coated. More info »
As of mid-2020, all Goblin chassis are shipped uncoated and will need to be coated or painted after you receive the kit.
Purchasing Questions
Why is the SS/SC kit more expensive? Does it include a supercharger?
The SS/SC Goblin kit does not include a supercharger but it does include more pieces than the base model Goblin kit. More info »
If you select to get an SS/SC Goblin kit, you must get a Cobalt SS with the supercharged engine (2005-2007 Cobalt SS 2.0 are supercharged). You will use the engine as it is with the supercharger that is already installed on it.
The SS/SC Goblin kit costs more because we supply many extra parts to make the Cobalt SS hardware fit. These parts include:
- SC MAF tube
- intercooler to heat exchanger plumbing
- heat exchanger with fan
- SS shifter hardware
- shifter cables
- rear brake calipers
- rear brake rotors
Why is the SS/TC kit more expensive? Does it include a turbocharger?
The SS/TC Goblin kit does not include a turbocharger but it does include more pieces than any other Goblin kit. More info »
If you select to get an SS/TC Goblin kit, you must get a Cobalt SS with the turbocharged engine (2008-2010 Cobalt SS are turbocharged). You will use the engine as it is with the turbocharger that is already installed on it.
The SS/TC Goblin kit costs more because we supply many extra parts to make the Cobalt SS hardware fit. These parts include:
- turbo MAF tube
- turbo intake tube
- CNC machined turbo outlet adapter
- intercooler tube
- turbo MAP tube
- silicone elbows and adapters
- T-bolt clamps
- water to air intercooler
- intercooler water pump
- intercooler to heat exchanger plumbing
- heat exchanger with fan
- SS shifter hardware
- shifter cables
- SS/TC specific fuel tank
- rear brake calipers with CNC machined brackets
- rear brake rotors machined to fit SS/TC hubs
Shipping Questions
Can I pick the kit up in person?
Yes, and we'll give you a tour of the shop and take you for a ride while you're here. More info »
Because we are pretty centrally located in the US, most of our customers make a weekend road trip to pick up their kit in person. We've had guys drive from as far away as New Hampshire.
To pick up the kit yourself, all you'll need is a truck with a standard sized bed. The full kit will fit in the bed.
How does shipping by freight work?
We ship via YRC Freight to the freight terminal closest to you or to your business address. More info »
We can't ship by freight directly to a residential address so if you do not have a business address with room for a semi, we will ship it to the freight terminal closest to you. You'll then need to take a truck and trailer or a box truck to the terminal to pick up the shipment.
When we ship by freight, the kit has to be boxed up in an enclosed wooden crate. The charge for crating up the kit is $400.
Freight prices vary greatly depending on your location. Prices range from as low as $500 to as high as $1500 (these prices do not include the crating fee).
Is there another delivery option?
A local delivery company will deliver straight to your door if we can bundle your shipment with at least one other kit order. More info »
Quite often we will have two or more kits headed in the same direction. When this happens, we can bundle the shipments together and have them delivered by a local delivery company. The cost to deliver is split between the customers and usually ends up considerably lower than shipping by freight.
We can't guarantee that a kit will be ready to ship in the same direction as your kit but we do our best to group shipments as often as possible.
Do you ship internationally?
We do not ship internationally at this time. More info »
The Goblin kit is only available to customers in the US. We are also unable to ship to Canada at this time.
Registration Questions
Is the Goblin street legal?
Registering the Goblin for street use is possible in most states. More info »
The laws for registering assembled/custom/kit vehicles vary by state. Some states require additional equipment like a safety glass windshield, parking brake, emissions equipment and more. You'll want to research your state to see the requirements.
You should also search our forum to see if anyone has registered in your state.
We don't yet offer all of the specialty items that some states require. Once you determine what is required in your state, contact us to see what parts we have available to help you register.
Will the kit come with any ownership documentation?
DFKC will supply a Manufacturer's Certificate of Origin with your kit. More info »
The Manufacturer's Certificate of Origin (MCO) will prove your ownership of the kit. It will include a serial number that matches an engraved serial number plate attached to your chassis.
This document is not a title. In most states you will use the MCO to obtain a title when you go to register the car.