Am I crazy?

[Blue Man]

Been looking for a project for my son and I to do. We both love making things want to do something productive with an end product that will provide meaningful memories for us both in creating it and in the future while using it.

This really looks to fit the bill. My son (20) and I are both interested in doing this together, but have very limited auto experience. I do a lot of wood work, but not metal work. I can change brake pads, oil and head lights, change a flat etc but that is the extent of my experience. My son is an electrical apprentice.

Is this project beyond us? I've got a donor car lined up and just need to pull the trigger.

I look at the threads with photos of finished vehicles, but then I worry about our ability to see it through and pull it off.

Any advice or thoughts?

 

[Ark :D]

It is not beyond you. There's two series of videos in various states of completion, provided by DF via YouTube. Their support is top-notch (Lonny called me on a weekend once to discuss my wiring troubles) and the free support you'll receive from this forum is amazing.

If I did it, you can do it.

 

[Desert Sasqwatch]

For many, the hardest part was reworking the wire harness. Since your son is electrical oriented, it shouldn't be that intimidating with the numerous videos - as Ark stated. Get the schematics for your year and model and he should be able to get this knocked out with little problem. The rest is not too difficult and there are answers to almost everything in the forum or one short answer away with a message to the Goblin family.

 

[Rauq]

Where are you located? A ride in one would seal the deal for sure, in addition to providing a local reference for how stuff goes together. If you were in my neck of the woods, I'd do my part to make sure you got through it. Really, though, if you want to see it through, and you're willing and able to ask good questions when necessary, I'm sure y'all can pull it off. Pull the trigger!

 

[JBINTX]

You CAN do it. Plenty of others gone before you with less mechanical knowledge. The videos are easy. And. This forum has solved every problem for builders so far.

 

[Sluggonaut]

If I did it, you can do it.

Ditto.

As someone with the same (or less) experience as you that has gone through the build process, I recommend watching the videos and reading the various build logs first.

Videos: It really is as simple as the videos make it.

Build Logs: Pretty much any issue you may run into has been encountered and solved before. Even if you don't read about it before you run into it, someone on the forum will quickly provide or direct you to the solution.

The support is amazing. I had planned on paying for the wiring service but Lonny encouraged me to try it and I was glad I did. I learned a lot from doing it myself. It also gave me something to do while I waited for my kit. I had basically zero electrical experience, but the support from the forum and DF made it possible and successful. Every issue (more questions than issues really) I ran into was not only answered, but was answered quickly, allowing me to keep working at a steady pace.

 

[Desert Sasqwatch]

@LLBenJ and @Todd M are Idaho builders who may be close to your location in Idaho. Send a PM to each and see if they would be amiable to a visit by you and your son.

 

[Blue Man]

Thanks for the input. It's really helpful and encouraging. I am in the Treasure Valley (Boise area) in Idaho.

Sounds like there might be another buy or two here . . . ?

 

[Robinjo]

If you can turn a wrench, you can do this. Some things do need a bit of automotive knowledge, but that's where the forum helps out. Most of it is things not covered in the build videos. Like Stage 2 and 3 items. It's more, how does this go in. Or, how do you clip this, route this, etc. My son and I built ours, to be completed in the next few day (pending his homework load).
Label every wire and part that comes out of the vehicle!

I'll repeat (in that exact voice):

 

[Waterdriver]

Like it's been said, you CAN do it.

It can seem overwhelming looking at the project as a whole.
But like in the DF build videos, breaking it down into each individual steps, it's very doable.

Think of it as building a plastic model car, following the step by step instruction sheet.
That is how DF has broken down the build process videos and I applaud them for that. It makes the build process very manageable.
Along with their top notch customer service you can't go wrong!

The build is almost more fun than driving it. Well, almost. Lol

 

[escapepilot]

It is much easier than it looks...and it doesn't even look difficult. There are ways you CAN make it difficult by changing an item or modifying, but if you build "by the book", it isn't bad.

Some things I wish I had though of before hand:
Use containers to group bolts, nuts, and other fasteners together by location used. If you throw them all in a pile, it gets difficult to distinguish which one is which when Lonny says use one in a video.
When you find a forum post that you want or may want to use later, use Bookmarks and give it a meaningful label.
Start a build thread as soon as you buy a donor! (ps buy your donor before you order - certain models of Cobalts are getting harder to locate for a reasonable price)
When in doubt - ask. It is amazing the level of knowledge on this forum.
Paint vs. Powdercoat - if you powdercoat, open all of the boxes and check bags as some steel items are smaller and are in a bag. It's better to powdercoat everything at the same time to minimize cost (usually).
Any of the options from DF that you may want are worth it. Some are costly, but they either improve assembly, performance, reliability, or cosmetics.

Good luck.