Michael's Goblin was supercharged from the start but now it is supercharged AND turbocharged. This week's Goblin of the Week might be the only twincharged Goblin out there.
What is your name?
Michael R
Where are you located?
Greer, SC
What is your forum screen name?
@Rauq
Build log on forum:
Rauq's Twincharged LSJ in SC - #240 - GOBZILA
What is your chassis number?
240
When did you buy your Goblin?
2020
Tell us a little about yourself.
I'm a Clemson engineering grad and my other hobbies include duck hunting and making pizza!
How did you become interested in cars?
I was president of the Clemson Sports Car Club, the oldest collegiate car club in the country!
What drew you to the Goblin?
I sold an S2000 to fund the build. It was a great sports car, but didn't satisfy the tinkering urge. The Goblin is significantly faster in every aspect and provides the opportunities for regular small and large improvement projects.
How does the Goblin fit into your lifestyle? (daily driver, weekend warrior, both)
Both
Tell us about your build. (who did you build it with? where did you build it?)
It took about 3 months to build with the help of a buddy and my loving and supportive wife, plus a great group of Goblin guys in Charlotte, NC.
What, if anything, have you modified on your Goblin that sets it apart from others?
The only really unique part of my Goblin is the twincharged setup. I started with a bone stock SS/SC donor and did only regular maintenance to the LSJ. After the first year of driving the completed build, I swapped the F35 to an F23 transmission with an LSD, installed a smaller supercharger pulley, and put together a boost referenced fuel pressure regulator system. At the end of 2022, I added an S257 turbo. I've been beep booping up the boost ever since. The turbo's currently making 18psi by itself but the LSJ computer can't tell me how much boost the engine is seeing because it's maxed out... but I'm working on that before I turn it up any further. I've got a handful of 3d printed parts around the car as well.
Do you have any memorable road trips, races or events you've attended in your Goblin?
I trailered the car to its first autocross a month before it got its GOBZILA license plate. I had to bed the brake pads in an adjacent parking lot, and despite being a fresh build with no seat time in it on my part, managed to place top 5 in the event overall. Pulling off a whole track day on the then-new twincharged setup at Road Atlanta last summer was also a huge accomplishment.
Is there a particular aspect of the Goblin—be it the design, performance, or community—that you appreciate the most?
The community is wonderful; it's a part of the reason I decided to join the Goblin family, and I like to try to do my part to give back by sharing my experience and knowledge where I can. There's a core group of folks with real Goblin experience who frequently walk both beginners and the experienced through planning, troubleshooting, repairing, and building. Shoutout to @Ross , @Rttoys , @Gtstorey , @ctuinstra , @Ark :D , and @JBINTX in particular (but only off the top of my head) for being the most visible and best advice-givers on the forum. Folks like these make the community. No hard feelings if you're trying to help others but aren't on my foggy brain-radar at the moment
I'd advise folks, don't let your idea of a perfect build get in the way of a completed build. Even the most basic of Goblin builds is a better performing car than most other cars out on the road. These are great platforms to tweak to your liking based on your experience behind the wheel!
Finally, do you have any future plans for your Goblin—any upcoming modifications, trips, or events?
I'd like to add some mild underbody aero and eventually get around to installing my Saturn Vue power steering motor. Besides that, I plan to keep working on my tune, turning the boost up, and enjoying the car whenever and wherever I can. I'll keep driving it to work, doing Clemson autocrosses, and track days in the southeast. I'm also planning on driving HPDE at Gridlife Carolinas (CMP) on 4/14 which should be a blast!
What is your name?
Michael R
Where are you located?
Greer, SC
What is your forum screen name?
@Rauq
Build log on forum:
Rauq's Twincharged LSJ in SC - #240 - GOBZILA
What is your chassis number?
240
When did you buy your Goblin?
2020
Tell us a little about yourself.
I'm a Clemson engineering grad and my other hobbies include duck hunting and making pizza!
How did you become interested in cars?
I was president of the Clemson Sports Car Club, the oldest collegiate car club in the country!
What drew you to the Goblin?
I sold an S2000 to fund the build. It was a great sports car, but didn't satisfy the tinkering urge. The Goblin is significantly faster in every aspect and provides the opportunities for regular small and large improvement projects.
How does the Goblin fit into your lifestyle? (daily driver, weekend warrior, both)
Both
Tell us about your build. (who did you build it with? where did you build it?)
It took about 3 months to build with the help of a buddy and my loving and supportive wife, plus a great group of Goblin guys in Charlotte, NC.
What, if anything, have you modified on your Goblin that sets it apart from others?
The only really unique part of my Goblin is the twincharged setup. I started with a bone stock SS/SC donor and did only regular maintenance to the LSJ. After the first year of driving the completed build, I swapped the F35 to an F23 transmission with an LSD, installed a smaller supercharger pulley, and put together a boost referenced fuel pressure regulator system. At the end of 2022, I added an S257 turbo. I've been beep booping up the boost ever since. The turbo's currently making 18psi by itself but the LSJ computer can't tell me how much boost the engine is seeing because it's maxed out... but I'm working on that before I turn it up any further. I've got a handful of 3d printed parts around the car as well.
Do you have any memorable road trips, races or events you've attended in your Goblin?
I trailered the car to its first autocross a month before it got its GOBZILA license plate. I had to bed the brake pads in an adjacent parking lot, and despite being a fresh build with no seat time in it on my part, managed to place top 5 in the event overall. Pulling off a whole track day on the then-new twincharged setup at Road Atlanta last summer was also a huge accomplishment.
Is there a particular aspect of the Goblin—be it the design, performance, or community—that you appreciate the most?
The community is wonderful; it's a part of the reason I decided to join the Goblin family, and I like to try to do my part to give back by sharing my experience and knowledge where I can. There's a core group of folks with real Goblin experience who frequently walk both beginners and the experienced through planning, troubleshooting, repairing, and building. Shoutout to @Ross , @Rttoys , @Gtstorey , @ctuinstra , @Ark :D , and @JBINTX in particular (but only off the top of my head) for being the most visible and best advice-givers on the forum. Folks like these make the community. No hard feelings if you're trying to help others but aren't on my foggy brain-radar at the moment
I'd advise folks, don't let your idea of a perfect build get in the way of a completed build. Even the most basic of Goblin builds is a better performing car than most other cars out on the road. These are great platforms to tweak to your liking based on your experience behind the wheel!
Finally, do you have any future plans for your Goblin—any upcoming modifications, trips, or events?
I'd like to add some mild underbody aero and eventually get around to installing my Saturn Vue power steering motor. Besides that, I plan to keep working on my tune, turning the boost up, and enjoying the car whenever and wherever I can. I'll keep driving it to work, doing Clemson autocrosses, and track days in the southeast. I'm also planning on driving HPDE at Gridlife Carolinas (CMP) on 4/14 which should be a blast!
