Ah. B. Normal: GOB-BALT build has Started!

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Some may recall that last summer I helped “Josh09” get his Goblin going. He is north of Fort Worth, TX. I found Josh when he put out a post for help.
Life is funny. Another Goblin builder posted a similar call for help about a week ago. The “New Guy” is about 6 miles from “Josh09” house! Josh is confident that he can finish this guy’s Goblin with that owner’s help and me on speed dial! (Pay no attention to the little man behind the curtain, I Am The Great and Powerful OZ!!!)

What is the likelihood they’d be neighbors? I had to drive an hour each way each day to help Josh out. Worth every mile! Couple of lucky Goblin builders! I’ll be meeting both of them over Christmas vacation. Hoping to see 2 running Goblin’s that I had a hand (or at least a consult) in making run! I’ll be in Ft Worth for Christmas with my 2 Grand Sons, this is gonna be one great vacation!

 

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Travel log: We have arrived in Galveston. I'm ready to sit still for a while! My wife is decorating the inside of the RV. We have a cute little tree up on the dash area. Decorations are slowly appearing in it's boughs! I'm gonna put the star on it tomorrow. I have a string of lights draped from side mirror to side mirror, looking very festive! Lighted/cute Snowmen in the side windows and festive bits strewn all about our home! It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas around here! BUT our real Christmas will be in Ft. Worth with TWO Grand Sons! I'll be visiting those two Goblins and their owners in the week after Christmas and may get a ride in each? Wishing I could be in my garage working but this seems to be a pretty good trade off in life.

 

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We left our RV in the KOA and drove our Jeep JK to Ft. Worth. Spent about 2 weeks there playing with Grand sons, 3 y/o and 7 month old.

I got to Visit Josh09 and ride in his Goblin! I almost couldn't get my stiff old bones back out! I wasn't helped by his passenger seat positioning. It is about 3" forward of the driver's; the shoulder wings on both seats force the passenger seat forward, that combined with the fact I'm a fat old man with no Goblin exiting practice + gravity, it all conspired to trap me. Unfortunately for me, my extraction was probably caught on his security system. I'm hoping it gets overwritten before he gets a chance to post it on the web!

 

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Almost through January! Galveston is a nice place to hang out but it has not been warm enough! Persistently chilly here. Lows of freezing and highs usually around 50*. Wishin' we were in Cabo!

Getting one more Grand Baby visit in before heading back east! expect to arrive at the shop April 1. I have mucho work to be ready to do Hot Rod Power Tour June 10 starting in Bowling Green, KY. I had hoped to get further on the project last spring and Drive GOB-BALT on PT 2023, that Didn't Happen! Things got in the way and stuff rarely goes to plan, injuries and balky old welders. I'm not playing a round of golf, I'm Goblin(ing) a Cobalt and I am in "Terra Incognito" here! Though I expect once I have built one, a second one will be a breeze! I just can't seem to take on the same project twice lately! Plus I need to buy land and start some building building! Geez! it just keeps getting deeper. (Plus we will be out of the country from Labor Day to Dec 1!) I'm not complaining, just splainin' the schedule I'm working under. LIFE!, it's complicated.

 

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Spring Update
Happy Easter Everyone! Well I finally return to my work site on Lavender Hill Farm on April 6. Much junk awaits my attention.
I discovered an old friend back in ATL has gone and bought a pro sized welder! He is now itching to show off his new skills by working on GOB-BALT(he calls it "The Latter Day Fiero") He has several old hotrods an a 70's Yamaha Chopper, 2 Fieros and a daily driver Golf. His wife drives a 56 Pontiac wagon. After this experience he may Ecotec a Fiero. I've got a 2.2/auto I'd give him with wiring.
Things are looking up!
I also have a 2000 C1500 with a "bent 6" I have to LS/V8 swap this spring as well. It is my "Grandpa truck".
The Plan is to have GOB-BALT running and ready to drive on Hot Rod Power Tour starting June 10 in Bowling Green, KY. We shall see!

 

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Actually on the ground in Greenville now! And it is pouring rain. I emptied a 2.2 block to use as a mock up. It came with an 09 4 door that had been hacked up, turbo'd and wrung out! Split the bore on #3. I found a load of broken roller rocker bits as well. I have no info about the moment it let go, (working like Dr. Quincy M.E. on this one). The bottom end seemed tight and pistons were in tact! No busted ring lands or obviously broken rings. Rust in the cylinders made disassembly go slowly. I did not see any bent valves but the valves on one cylinder are stuck open, probably due to being held open by the cams to rust on the stems.
Searching for an empty F23 case to use as a mock up dummy as well. I may pull apart that 09 trans as it was obviously abused some but my junk yard training says if the engine is grenaded likely the trans is fine.
I have spent hours re-gathering my bits and pieces out of storage.(I am apparently more organized than I give myself credit for.)
We are first addressing the exact positioning of the rear frame. I believe we are moving all 4 bolt points about 1" forward. We reused the bolt on rear swing axle pivot points with chunks of 3/8' steel welded on to them with a captured nut on top. The rear frame mount points are a simple crossbar welded to the uniframe with 2, ~5'' steel tube drops making the rear frame mounts. The crossbar is just tacked onto the frame, so a little grinding and it should slide forward easily. Securing the upper strut mounts has been rattling around in Shawn's imagination for a year. He imagines he has a method figured out.
Re-attach the subframe with the mock motor and trans bits bolted to it with the DF solid trans mounts and we will be able to place/construct the R/L driveline top mounts.
We will have to raise the fuel tank about 3". We will reuse the original tank with the fill port relocated to the top of the tank. A second option is possibly the Fiero tank?, more research yet. The fill cap will be in the right triangle window opening. I am removing all three pieces of glass on the back. I hope to make a Lexan rear window/louvers for the big opening. Triangle openings may get clear NACA ducts.
Now if it would just stop raining.

 

[Markm]

what do you plan on doing under the front hood? A place for the gas tank up there?

 

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what do you plan on doing under the front hood? A place for the gas tank up there?

Well, the battery and spare go up front. I will probably duct the radiator flow out through the hood.
Since there will be no rear seat I was hoping to keep the tank near it's original location, under the back seat cushion area. I expect I will be raising the tank up 3" to clear the front sub frame mount points.
I will construct a firewall behind the front seats (like on a Pantera) with Lexan at the top for rear view. The little triangle windows I hope to replace with NACA ducts in clear plastic(a product I have seen on NASCAR builds) and the fill neck in the triangle on the right side.
Hoping to replace the rear window with molded, 4"-6" wide, clear plastic window louvers like some of the RED Italian mid engine cars use. That should make it appear insect like.