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- Thread starter LLBenJ
- Start date
escapepilot
Goblin Guru
There is not a video but there are some pictures in the Helpful Photo Album thread.
Sluggonaut
Goblin Guru
Mine didn't fit all that well either then I realized I installed the brackets backward.
Almost all my fitment issues were caused by me with the one major issue caused by QA1 and not DF/me.
Almost all my fitment issues were caused by me with the one major issue caused by QA1 and not DF/me.
GoblinGuyZ
Well-Known Member
Keep in mind, many of the parts DF supply the vehicle with they do not make, the heat exchanger being one in particular so if a batch or one has the brackets welded just a couple mm off then their brackets won't fit cleanly. If you're comparing Atoms and Factory Five builds then I don't think you're fairly comparing apples with apples, an Atom is what 85g? Of course they can afford to build all components in house or have an entire team of quality control for these issues.
I've purchased and sold items from huge manufacturers who have been in business for decades before DF was around and to this day many require massaging on some vehicles, and most come with the 'must be installed by a professional' to cover that side of it. Just this week I sold a $2500 exhaust system from HKS Japan and customer had to get one of the mount angles changed to line up correctly. This if for a 2013 vehicle they have been selling that exhaust for for over 7 years and in researching many people had the same issue. Not making excuses but if I find an issue with an incomplete or poor weld or an issue with the framing I would be concerned but a couple of holes in a bracket for a secondary part i'm not going to lose any sleep over.
I do appreciate however that the ideal is everything working and fitting perfectly and if that doesn't happen then feedback is necessary for them or any business to improve.
On the NACA ducts I have a set to install myself and I would think the fan would be unnecessary. The way I see it. similar to a radiator the fans would only make sense below a certain speed since the air flow you get at anything over 30mph (in a typical radiator setup) will outflow any fan cfm. The reason for a fan in that area without the ducts would mostly be because there is no direct airflow there however unlike a typical radiator most of the heat from the supercharger spikes from hard driving on boost where it shoots up quickly for that pull and you will be going fast at that point so the ducts will almost certainly be more efficient than a fan. Once you slow down the need for that extra cooling is minimal as heat is no longer being generated so the temps drop relatively quickly so the fan would just be something that gets in the way of the duct flow when you really need it hence why I personally opted for the ducts over the fan. Also I'm doubting the fan will allow for a neat fit on the ducting box anyway. My 2c
Good luck with the build, I think everyone goes through some frustrating patches where you just want to burn it all and curse everyone lol. Good think about the Goblin is that we have this great community that helps make up from any short comings from DF.
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escapepilot
Goblin Guru
I understand getting frustrated with some aspect of the build, but you are building a car, not assembling one and building implies there may be some fabrication or adjustment necessary. The majority of the kit does go together so well that it can raise one’s expectations to being able to just assemble it. Some of the issues you documented are ones that are well known and simple to fix but a few have left us wondering what happened because we have never seen that issue before. I’ve only been involved with the Goblin community for about two years, but in that time I have seen DF correct issues many times and make improvements when needed. They are usually quick to respond to technical questions, but the people at DF qualified to answer a technical question is very limited and have many other roles to fill as well. Fortunately, that is where the forum excels. Is that business model as you put it sustainable, no, but neither is the explosive growth they had since COVID gave the nation time and money to spend on a project like a Goblin. I’m confident it will get better. In the mean time, we’re here to help.
Hey Ben, sorry about the build issues.
Unfortunately we do not have the one on one communication that we use to have so we don't catch quality issues as quickly.
As you run into more issues feel free to text me an image of the problem and I will try to get it resolved as quickly as possible.
Lonny
214-334-0232 cell
Dale E
Well-Known Member
I don't own a Goblin. I own a Stalker V6, Birkin S3 ( those two are kit cars and do not have a common one donor, but kind of whatever fits and works for the builder) and a factory built 1971 Lotus Europa S2. All have their faults. Go buy an Atom 4, a Lambo, Ferrari, Porsche, and I'll find something wrong with it. A lot of the factory (computer welded, glue bonded, super accurate measuring devices, robot, white glove QA) built cars are being recalled.. There is no perfection anymore and never was in the auto industry.
Quite a few happy Goblin owners enjoying their builds, while others find it wasn't their cup of tea after all and sell.
Your choice to do what you want in life! Make it happen!
Quite a few happy Goblin owners enjoying their builds, while others find it wasn't their cup of tea after all and sell.
Your choice to do what you want in life! Make it happen!
Ark :D
Goblin Guru
I am confident that DF will right any wrongs you find with your build, @LLBenJ ... I am not on their payroll, but I can tell you, they fixed multiple issues in my build, whether they were my own fault or not.
As I said, I am not on DF's payroll (maybe I should be?!), but I will always endorse them in that they'll take care of any problem that arises in any customer's build.
Btw, @Lonny , you still owe me some commission checks! I will gladly accept Steak'Ums in lieu of dollars.
- I bought my kit before the parking brake was standard, so it was an "add-on" at that time. They knew my donor was a SS/TC, so they sent me the parts specifically for the SS/TC donor. However, I failed to inform them that my knuckles (and some other bits) were from a 2007 SS/SC, so a pair of mounting brackets did not fit. They shipped me a new set at no cost. My fault
- One of my rear calipers was sticking closed after pulling on the parking brake. DF offered to ship me a new caliper, even though I had painted my calipers and was possibly responsible for paint causing the stickiness issue. I rejected their offer because of that. (For the record, it doesn't stick anymore, so that's a win) Probably my fault
- I had a big problem early on in my build ... I was installing the Heim joints in my lower front LCA's and I encountered resistance partway into turning in the first one, so I set it aside and tried the second one. Same story ... resistance. I tried un-turning them both out when s*** hit the fan. One of them, I managed to get out, but the other one was stuck in there and would have taken the strength of Thor's hammer to get it out. DF asked for pics, I gave them what I could, and they blamed it on the threads not being cleaned out after welding. They sent me two new LCA's and two new Heim joints. The problem could have just as easily been with errant powder coat in the threads, which I did not clean with a tap after I got them back. Regardless, DF footed the bill and took care of me. My fault? Their fault? Who knows
As I said, I am not on DF's payroll (maybe I should be?!), but I will always endorse them in that they'll take care of any problem that arises in any customer's build.
Btw, @Lonny , you still owe me some commission checks! I will gladly accept Steak'Ums in lieu of dollars.
GoblinGuyZ
Well-Known Member
I have a friend of a friend building a Factory Five 818 and he gave up and is paying someone else to assemble / build because of things not being as straight forward as he expected or was lead to believe. That business then had to half strip the vehicle and almost start over with it and were complaining of getting very poor communication from FF. Here by contrast we have the owner of the business reaching out directly with their personal number. Is DF perfect? No but I’ll take that level of commitment happily any day. Keep at it and when you’re done you’ll probably be too happy to remember these issues.
Andy
Well-Known Member
Don’t mean to pile on but I have been enjoying my goblin for many years. There were a few hiccups in the build process but to me that was part of the challenge and fun parts of building. Others hit it on the head the YouTube videos the goblin guys have put out were awesome putting the car together but have to know what your getting into when you get the kit. I have an early chassis number and when I met up to pick my kit up the designers and builders gave me their cell phone to help in the build. Highly doubt one of the other major builders would do a similar thing. All that being said the forum is a great resource and when you ask a question you get an answer very fast. Best of luck on the build and I hope you finish it and enjoy it. I get looks everywhere I go and people always want to hear about the car.