Dakota8800's City Goblin! - 2005 Cobalt SS/SC

Dakota8800

Active Member
Greetings all!
Super excited to get started on my build!
Currently a sophomore at the University of North Texas for Mechanical and Energy Engineering degree.
I plan to use the goblin as a weather permitting daily driver with maybe eventually some autocross or time at the fun strip!

I started stripping my goblin a couple days ago. Slow and steady progress in nature's garage!
I will be working on my kit in my friend's dad's garage on the condition that I strip the car outside! He is also letting me use his tools! He has a sheet metal brake, so I am already toying with the idea of a custom dash!
Put the deposit on my kit last night!

Picked up my Cobalt for $700 from a guy in Fort Worth. Runs, drives, and shifts, but has an idle surge and needs a crank position sensor relearn. (More on this soon!)
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First day's work
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I found that it has a little secret! I think this is the 1.0 PCM from ZZP. I believe this is all that has been done to it besides an injen intake. It looks like stock injectors and pulley. I am also theorizing that the 1.0 pcm is the cause of the Crank position sensor relearn code.
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The sell pile. Now indoors.
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JBINTX

Goblin Guru
Welcome aboard, sir!
It can get mighty hot up there in Okie land.
Get the stripping done so you can get in the garage!!!! :)
 

Dakota8800

Active Member
Welcome aboard, sir!
It can get mighty hot up there in Okie land.
Get the stripping done so you can get in the garage!!!! :)
VERY hot! Wore myself out in the first day. That's the plan! My main focus is getting the engine out to get it in the garage, and then to work on the rest!
 

Ross

Goblin Guru
Congrats on your new project. Have you ordered your Goblin yet? Have you figured out which options you want?
I just did a crank relearn on my 06 SC engine. With HP Tuners to put it into crank relearn mode, it only took a few minutes. I had taken the stock crank sensor out, and put it back in, but the PCM noticed, and threw the code. Very sensitive sensor!
 

Dakota8800

Active Member
Congrats on your new project. Have you ordered your Goblin yet? Have you figured out which options you want?
I just did a crank relearn on my 06 SC engine. With HP Tuners to put it into crank relearn mode, it only took a few minutes. I had taken the stock crank sensor out, and put it back in, but the PCM noticed, and threw the code. Very sensitive sensor!
Ordered last night! Standard nonextended city frame and just a naked goblin kit with no add-ons for now

What scanner did you use for the code? Was it the MPVI2? I will probably take it somewhere to resolve the code and maybe eventually get HP Tuners. I'm on a strict budget.
 

Ross

Goblin Guru
Yes, HP Tuners, MPVI2. My Goblin was a budget build. Got it road legal at $11K. Painted the frame, stock SS seats. Slowly it has kept getting better parts, so I'm at 17K now.
 

Dakota8800

Active Member
It's been slow progress with work taking up a ton of my time, but progress nonetheless!
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Got the engine dropped onto a wide atv jack relatively easy, but moving this beast was a challenge on wet grass!

I used a little side to side motion to get it out from the chassis, but then the real fun began!

I recruited two of my friends to help me move it. The first idea was to pick it up and move it from tire to tire while taking breaks in-between. We quickly realized that it is too heavy. The engine had all the dressings and transmission.

The next idea was to make 'tracks' for the jack out of 2x6s. This worked alright for a little, until we had to make a 90 degree turn.

The third idea was quite comical. See if you can piece it together yourself. The ground was wet, so it got tilled a little.
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Finally, we made it to the garage and lifted it back on the jack to it's current resting place.
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I've got most of the interior stripped since then!

Also, I found that the engine survived over 200k on a stock timing chain tensioner.
Interesting, not even a rattle when it started.

Updated tensioner on the way!
 
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Dakota8800

Active Member
On another note, what do you guys use to paint the frame if you don't powdercoat?

While I'm sure powdercoating is easily superior and the most attractive compared to any other option, I simply cannot afford it. What should I use to paint my frame once I get it?
 

Fozda

Goblin Guru
On another note, what do you guys use to paint the frame if you don't powdercoat?

While I'm sure powdercoating is easily superior and the most attractive compared to any other option, I simply cannot afford it. What should I use to paint my frame once I get it?
What's your budget for coating the frame and all of the other bare components? Powder coat cost me $480 for everything included blasting the subframe. I realize that's hard to match but I'm sure if you look around enough you can find something close to that. I don't think you'll be happy with a paint job on the frame.
 

Dakota8800

Active Member
What's your budget for coating the frame and all of the other bare components? Powder coat cost me $480 for everything included blasting the subframe. I realize that's hard to match but I'm sure if you look around enough you can find something close to that. I don't think you'll be happy with a paint job on the frame.
Well, I only allocated about $200-$250 for coatings because I didn't plan to powdercoat. Would painting just be difficult and/or not look very good?
 

JeffsGoblin

Goblin Guru
Painting will chip much easier than powder coat, but touching up paint is much easier... so it is a give and take. Rattle can paint jobs most likely won't last as long, but you could try 2k paint from Eastwood or the like for something stronger. Some have used POR15 which looks interesting, but make sure you do your homework on it.
 
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Ross

Goblin Guru
I chose paint because it is easy to fix when modifying the frame with a welder.
The body panels are where I wanted to catch people's eye, and the frame is just the background.
Just my 2 cents, but lots of places make paint specific for metal. I went with Rustoleum metal paint, as it available most anywhere, and easy to find a color match, and available in rattle cans and liquid cans.
 

Dakota8800

Active Member
Painting will chip much easier than powder coat, but touching up paint is much easier... so it is a give and take. Rattle can paint jobs most likely won't last as long, but you could try 2k paint from Eastwood or the like for something stronger. Some have used POR15 which look interesting, but make sure you do your homework on it.
I know paint will chip easier, but the price is too attractive! This is likely the route I will go.
Thanks for the input!
 

95Blitz

Well-Known Member
I'm going to paint my frame also, when the time comes. I'm going to practice on the cobalt before spraying the goblin up.
 

Ark :D

Goblin Guru
That's a great idea. It might be pretty tough to get a nice-looking paint job, without practice.
 
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