I guess this isn't the car for me.

[Prop Job]

I've been trying to buy an LNF donor from the auction sites but every car I've bid on had sold for $3500-$4000. After fees and shipping I'd be looking at $5500+ for a wrecked car! On top of that I can't get DF to answer my emails. I really want to build this car but this is really killing my motivation. Maybe this is just the covid effect trickling into the wrecked market. I don't know, I'm pretty down about it and am very jealous of you guys that have been able to make this happen. Maybe I'll give it another shot once the world is back to normal.

Any recommendations on how to actually make this work would be greatly appreciated.

 

[AZmoto]

Well this isn't helping....

 

[Ross]

Buying a car takes time. Well, so does building one.
I know I was super impatient when looking for a donor, but if you are taking a break, keep looking for a donor.
Where are you located? How far are you willing to drive?
Have you considered a new ATK LNF/LDK/LHU long block, as this allows you to bid on broken cars.

 

[Corgithulhu]

It is definitely a seller's market for used cars. Keep in mind that the LNF turbos weren't exactly common, so they are very niche cars. From googling the production numbers, there were only a few thousand LNF models to start with. Once you figure how many got wrecked or terminally abused, the inventory is predictably very low, making prices for running models go up. A clean, 4-digit mile turbo went for $15k on Cars and Bids a couple weeks ago, so they are definitely still valuable versions of the Cobalt.

Don't give up on finding one, it just might take a little more time and money to commit to an LNF. Also, from personal experience, DF does tend to be very good at response, but I give them a lot of leeway because they are all hands on deck busy right now.

 

[CodyP]

As far as donors go, it really just comes down to finding the right car at the right time and being the first person to scoop it up. It took me a few months to find the right one and I changed my plans and expectations several times to get there. You wouldn't expect to find the perfect wife in a week, there's even fewer decent cobalts out there. Haha. DF is busy. Swamped. They always take a few days to respond to emails. If it's a question about the car or ordering process it's probably already been answered here in the forum. If you can't find the answer you're looking for then feel free to ask here. Someone will likely chime in. Good luck!

 

[Ark :D]

Patience, first and foremost.

You could always find a lesser donor and add a turbo later.

 

[Ark :D]

As far as donors go, it really just comes down to finding the right car at the right time and being the first person to scoop it up. It took me a few months to find the right one and I changed my plans and expectations several times to get there. You wouldn't expect to find the perfect wife in a week, there's even fewer decent cobalts out there. Haha. DF is busy. Swamped. They always take a few days to respond to emails. If it's a question about the car or ordering process it's probably already been answered here in the forum. If you can't find the answer you're looking for then feel free to ask here. Someone will likely chime in. Good luck!

This, exactly. My first donor had a catastrophic engine failure that required a full rebuild. I was considering my options when, with perfect timing, a totaled LNF donor for $1700 appeared within driving distance of me. I was at the right place at the right time.

 

[k.rollin]

Buy a NA donor and add a turbo. Or use a crate engine. The whole thing is a project, so a power adder is just one more step. Also, consider posting your questions on the forum or the fb owners groups, as the builder community is a wealth of knowledge that may be able to answer your queries without impacting the DFKC crew's bandwidth for technical assistance.

 

[Adam]

On top of that I can't get DF to answer my emails.

I only see one email from you and it was about us buying a donor or donor equipment for you. Sorry for not responding sooner.

That is definitely not something we can do. I will try to make that message more prominent on the website in the next update.

 

[r3drckt]

Are you hard set on a LNF? You could always go LSJ and do a turbo swap (like I am). A lot of the people say the SC is more than enough fun and I'm sure it is. Heck, the SS/SC even with a slipping clutch was fun to listen to the SC whine and run out. I have no doubt that it is plenty in a goblin being so light weight. You might have better luck finding and LSJ variant and save money doing the intro turbo swap honestly.

 

[JPas914]

I've been trying to buy an LNF donor from the auction sites but every car I've bid on had sold for $3500-$4000. After fees and shipping I'd be looking at $5500+ for a wrecked car! On top of that I can't get DF to answer my emails. I really want to build this car but this is really killing my motivation. Maybe this is just the covid effect trickling into the wrecked market. I don't know, I'm pretty down about it and am very jealous of you guys that have been able to make this happen. Maybe I'll give it another shot once the world is back to normal.

Any recommendations on how to actually make this work would be greatly appreciated.

What questions do you need answered? People on the forum might be able to help you. Have you looked on your local buy/sell/trade pages to see if one is available?

 

[Chubbs]

I bought my donor just before the prices spiked, so I guess I got lucky (LSJ car). With prices the way they are now, I would probably be looking at a base model, with a manual, and build the motor up. I'm amazed at how cheap parts can be for cobalts. If you can find a base model in rough condition for $1000 (it's easy in the midwest, I don't know about elsewhere), that gives you $4500 to play with before you get to the $5500 you said for the LNF.

How fast can you build a base model engine with $4500 in go fast goodies? My guess is, pretty darn fast. That's a full turbo kit, connecting rods, and pistons from ZZP, with money left over. You may even get heads and cams with the money leftover. When you're done, I bet you're just as fast or faster than a stock LNF, and maybe cheaper still (neglecting labor, if you DIY).

I'm sure I'm neglecting a lot of cost somewhere. But a base model plus heavy mods would probably be more cost effective than an LNF with the market as it is.

 

[Rauq]

I've been trying to buy an LNF donor from the auction sites but every car I've bid on had sold for $3500-$4000. After fees and shipping I'd be looking at $5500+ for a wrecked car! On top of that I can't get DF to answer my emails. I really want to build this car but this is really killing my motivation. Maybe this is just the covid effect trickling into the wrecked market. I don't know, I'm pretty down about it and am very jealous of you guys that have been able to make this happen. Maybe I'll give it another shot once the world is back to normal.

Any recommendations on how to actually make this work would be greatly appreciated.

I'm sure you don't need anyone to "tell you how it is" but building the kit is more than satisfying if you can accept that there's going to be challenges to overcome. In my experience, finding a good donor is one of the first and biggest challenges, on the order of deciding what you want to build and how you want to build it. There's definitely some luck involved, but being able to cast a net far and wide and respond quickly are also important.

I would imagine that DF can be overwhelmed with curiosity-type questions from folks less committed than you (absolutely no offense intended). They're also trying to balance answering questions with building kits, fulfilling component orders, ordering parts, and responding to builders' inquiries. I promise these folks want to help anyone and everyone but the reality is that resources are always constrained. If/when you get to placing an order, I'm sure you would rather they're building your car than doing anything else

And last but not least, I think the community here is great, and a huge asset to the business. Of course we've got our grumpy cats as any group does, but if you're well intentioned and trying to do your due diligence to ask the right questions and put in your own effort, we'll support you to the best of our abilities. None of us speak for the company, but many of us have successfully built these cars, so we're not that dumb... well most of us at least

 

[Ark :D]

I'm sure you don't need anyone to "tell you how it is" but building the kit is more than satisfying if you can accept that there's going to be challenges to overcome. In my experience, finding a good donor is one of the first and biggest challenges, on the order of deciding what you want to build and how you want to build it. There's definitely some luck involved, but being able to cast a net far and wide and respond quickly are also important.

I would imagine that DF can be overwhelmed with curiosity-type questions from folks less committed than you (absolutely no offense intended). They're also trying to balance answering questions with building kits, fulfilling component orders, ordering parts, and responding to builders' inquiries. I promise these folks want to help anyone and everyone but the reality is that resources are always constrained. If/when you get to placing an order, I'm sure you would rather they're building your car than doing anything else

And last but not least, I think the community here is great, and a huge asset to the business. Of course we've got our grumpy cats as any group does, but if you're well intentioned and trying to do your due diligence to ask the right questions and put in your own effort, we'll support you to the best of our abilities. None of us speak for the company, but many of us have successfully built these cars, so we're not that dumb... well most of us at least

I'unno, me kinda dumb

 

[Rauq]

I'unno, me kinda dumb

Intelligence is inversely proportional to the length of your build thread?

 

[Ark :D]

Intelligence is inversely proportional to the length of your build thread?

da

 

[Lonny]

Intelligence is inversely proportional to the length of your build thread?

If you lose a brain cell per build thread post Ark :D may now be best suited for the passenger seat of his Goblin.

Don't give up Prop Job you will find a donor, it may take a few months but they are out there. We have lots of Cobalt owners driving all over the US every day risking bodily harm to create potential donors.

 

[Ark :D]

If you lose a brain cell per build thread post Ark :D may now be best suited for the passenger seat of his Goblin.

I've always been an eggplant with legs, @Lonny .

 

[Prop Job]

Thank you for all the replies guys.

And Adam, thank you for addressing my questions here. I thought I had seen what looked like a stockpile of cars behind you guys shop in a video or two so I was hoping that maybe you guys bought up good donors as you found them to sell to new builders. I was also hoping that maybe I could buy a crate motor and ebay trans and you guys used that stockpile to provide parts kits. But I understand now neither of those cases are true.

I had originally considered building a GTM about two years ago but decided against it after pricing it all out and reading about all the bodywork issues with it. With that car you can get a parts kit from several sellers so I was crossing my fingers that the same might be true here.

I had also looked at building the Goblin a little over a year ago but decided against it at that time because I just wasn't crazy about the looks of the bodywork. So I bought an old C5 Z06 instead and built it up. Well I've got that car where I want it now and I'm ready for the next project. Hopefully that little delay didn't cause me to miss the boat.

Recently I came across a few pictures and videos of naked Goblins with different headlights and fell in love with the Goblin again. That is exactly how I plan to build it if the stars will ever align for me. I plan to build the car primarily for the track. I currently track my C7 Z06 and going fast at 3500 lbs is just getting too expensive. New tires and brake pads every 4 days and rotors every 8 days is getting old. I think 300 hp and 1500 lbs sounds just right for track duty. Hopefully it'll be a little easier on the consumables.

My C7Z is currently 4.1 lb/hp and I'd like the Goblin to not be too far off of that. Looks like the best way forward may be to just try for an LSJ car for now with a turbo swap down the road.

Thanks again for all the replies guys. You've given me enough motivation to keep the search alive. I look forward to joining your ranks.

Alex

 

[Rauq]

I believe that power/weight is in the neighborhood of, or maybe a bit shy of, a max effort tune on an LNF. An LSJ definitely won't make that without a turbo, but if you're going to install a turbo, then it probably doesn't make a huge difference whether you start with a turbo or supercharged donor.