Joebobs build log SS/NA Auto Extended City frame #270

Joebob

Goblin Guru
Hey all,

Posted a few times on the forum to see if people liked or hated the auction car I was looking at and with good fortune and a lot of money the car is mine. See original post thread:


car.jpg

I have been reading a lot on the forum for about a year and with Covid and more time on my hands I decided now is the best time for a productive project. I had looked at the FFR cobra and 818 kits but I like the reduced body work and the open wheel concept better. I plan on street driving the Goblin so settled on an Automatic, but the 2.4L with the 3.91 final drive to make it as peppy as possible.

As some people know. I got the car and it wasn't running because of a busted Throttle body and the ABS plug got ripped off the board. A little help from the forum and Lonny, and the car runs fine.


I do have another hobby car and that is my 1967 Lincoln Continental as seen in my avatar. I have had it for over 20 years (when I was in my twenties...**** I am old) and it runs and drives just fine which means I want something else to turn wrenches on, hence the Goblin.

Anywho, Some people asked me to set up a build logs to catalog all my adventures. I have waited until I was more committed to do so but I have decided to pull the trigger and get the kit so here is post number 1. More exciting news to come.

Joe
 

Joebob

Goblin Guru
Progress...

I still waiting on a new radiator that got snowed in the storm in the NE that I want to install to see if everything is working before I strip the drivetrain. Runs up and down the driveway but want to make sure the new TB is calibrated with more than idling. In the mean time I have gutted the rear and I know everyone is bragging how much they have found so I will add mine:
rear removed.jpg
rear gutted

So far, $0.62 and a 14K gold and "diamond" ring!
ring.jpg

Yeah me. Makes a great last minute Christmas gift! :)

Have fun out there and thanks to Jason @JBINTX for stopping by and talking about his Goblin and giving me a ride. That thing is crazy fast....and fun.

Joe
 

Desert Sasqwatch

Goblin Guru
Good to see your build log! With the ring find I'm certain you have to be the winner for finds in the donor while doing the teardown. Hopefully your parts will arrive soon and you can finalize your donor check out. :D
 

Joebob

Goblin Guru
Hope all had a happy holiday and all. Got some good work done jumping around the videos taking stuff apart.
A helping M Dec 20.JPG
Had the kids help me before Christmas pulling the plastic trim off.
Marie helping Dec 20.JPG
Hand the younger one with the drill pulling out center console screws. Fits much better under the steering wheel than I would.
front right dec 22.JPG

Got the front end on jackstands and started pulling the suspension and steering parts off. Had to stop as needed a 30mm socket for the axles but everything is clean and rust free so hoping for no surprises.
 

Joebob

Goblin Guru
Fast forward a week and made more progress after Christmas. Weather has been great in Houston the past few days as we are in the high 60's to low 70's. Oh do we suffer.
Anthony help on 12 27.JPG
Father son day in the car pulling carpet, seats, and anything else we could get our hands on.
dash dec 28.JPG
Waiting for Axle nut to arrive so started picking at the dash and pulling the fenders and releasing all the body wiring. Huge PITA was getting the front driver and passenger door harness plugs undone. needed like 4 hands to be inside and outside the car and push and rotate levers all at the same time. Done so that will not bother me again.
front dec 28.JPG
Axle nut socket arrived so took off the knuckles, hubs, and lower control arms. All super easy with the impact.
right wheel parts.JPG
Everything disassembled super easy as in pushed the axle out of the hub with my thumbs. Looks like all the steering, axles, and suspension parts were recently replaced including the aluminum lower control arms. No replacement parts needed...yet.
inside dec 28.JPG
Interior is almost all stripped except for the tail lights. Looks like they are woven into the rear bumper so I have to take it off to get all the wires. I will have to pull the engine first as I have the car backed into the back of the garage to give dolly clearance to roll the engine out. Also followed the videos to cut the fuel pump junction in the inside of the car only to find out that it is easy to drill out the two aluminum rivets and keep the wiring intact to preserve the plugged connection. Maybe it makes sense later in the wiring thinning and organization.

Next step is pull the subframe and try the lower the front end onto a dolly and lift the chassis off the motor. Roll the car forward, set back on jack stands (all 4 corners, and disassemble the rear)

I do have one question for the audience. I cave a California car with the California emissions, I saw in the video that my fuel pump could be on the bottom of the tank. Is there a visual indication of this? If I need to buy a new fuel pump, do I need to pull the tank at all? I will keep the EVAP system as I am in Texas.

Later.
 

Rttoys

Goblin Guru
You will need the evap to pass inspection. Never heard of a fuel pump being on the bottom. If you scrap the body, the fuel tank will have to be out of it anyways, so might as well pull it.

on a side note, you’ll need to keep the title to the cobalt to get the title to your goblin. If you scrap the cobalt, they will want the title. This could be a problem.
 

Brett

Well-Known Member
When I was done with my shell, the wife took an add out on facebook marketplace, "free car shell, no title, must haul off" I dont have a truck so I would have to rent a trailer to scrap the shell myself. Given low scrap metal costs, I figured it was just a wash in order to keep the title.

Took about 24 hours, but a guy came in from Brookshire, took the shell, didn't say a thing about the title and left. I felt like it was a win / win for me.

My son, 6 at the time, took apart about 90% of the interior (excluding seats / dash). I know he had a blast. Hope your kids are enjoying it too.
 

Rttoys

Goblin Guru
Cool. That’s probably the best way to do it. I just try to remind the Texas folks that you’ll need the title to the doner or the dmv will have a fit.
 

Goblin Graber

Well-Known Member
I followed Brett’s advice and had my donor shell gone in an hour with a Facebook ad. All I had to do was backup my trailer to his.

Idk about Texas, but here in Montana you absolutely don’t need a title to go take a vehicle to a steel recycling place to get it crushed for cash. It’s one of the reasons vehicle theft is so bad in Billings.
 

Rttoys

Goblin Guru
Here in TX or at least in Houston, you have to have the title for the scrap yard to scrap an entire body. I know this as 100% correct. I know some have got by with it, but the “rules” are that you have to have a title to scrap it.

after messing around with several scrap yards, I ended up cutting mine into about 20 pieces and sent it in a little at a time with other scraps.
 
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pisco

Well-Known Member
I followed Brett’s advice and had my donor shell gone in an hour with a Facebook ad. All I had to do was backup my trailer to his.

Idk about Texas, but here in Montana you absolutely don’t need a title to go take a vehicle to a steel recycling place to get it crushed for cash. It’s one of the reasons vehicle theft is so bad in Billings.

here in NE if it’s a “car” the the junkyard wants the title. If it’s stripped and for scrap metal only they don’t care.
Maybe rules or maybe since no vin parts can make it back to them they turn a blind eye and drop it in the shredder.
 

Joebob

Goblin Guru
You will need the evap to pass inspection. Never heard of a fuel pump being on the bottom. If you scrap the body, the fuel tank will have to be out of it anyways, so might as well pull it.

on a side note, you’ll need to keep the title to the cobalt to get the title to your goblin. If you scrap the cobalt, they will want the title. This could be a problem.
No problem. I will gut the rear and drop the tank and the evap stuff...and keep the Title.
 

Joebob

Goblin Guru
When I was done with my shell, the wife took an add out on facebook marketplace, "free car shell, no title, must haul off" I dont have a truck so I would have to rent a trailer to scrap the shell myself. Given low scrap metal costs, I figured it was just a wash in order to keep the title.

Took about 24 hours, but a guy came in from Brookshire, took the shell, didn't say a thing about the title and left. I felt like it was a win / win for me.

My son, 6 at the time, took apart about 90% of the interior (excluding seats / dash). I know he had a blast. Hope your kids are enjoying it too.
Brett,

when the time comes, I will try the same thing as I also don't have a truck or trailer. If that doesn't work, I will have to get all doe eyes to someone to help.;)
 

Joebob

Goblin Guru
Milestone yesterday! Engine removed!
engine stand 2.JPGengine stand1.JPG
Took a 30"X18" harbor freight dolly and stacked some scrap wood to build up the height.

engine lower 1.JPG
Slid the dolly under the engine. Raised the car up on two floor jacks to remove the jack stands. Lowering each side 1 inch at a time, I walked the chassis and motor to the dolly. Kept weight on the jacks and undid the side motor mounts. By the way, the rear is still on the tires at this time. Jacked the chassis way up for the engine to clear the front flanges and...

engine out 1.JPGengine out 2.JPG
She rolled right out. Now to finish stripping the firewall and dash. After that, I will put skates on the front and roll the chassis toward the front of the garage to jack up the rear to drop the tank and rear hubs.

Other good news is I contacted Adam and found out that I am Chassis number 270! They are crazy busy there and already up to Chassis 280+. Here's hoping to 300+ by year's end!
 

Joebob

Goblin Guru
Long time and no post but thought I would keep all updated. Got most of the car stripped down. Just have the gas tank and evap canister left. Was cold and miserable outside so I turned my attention to the wiring.
IMG-0041.JPG
I didn't quite set up my dining room table for this but started cleaning the harness on a folding table in the home office. Man that old electrical tape is sticky and leaves residue everywhere.
sprip day 2.JPG
Needed some more space and wanted to follow the spacing directions for the harness so got some 2X4 foot plywood pieces to spread it out.
kids help thining.JPG
I even involved the kids to help. I would cut one end of a wire to be thinned. They would trace and pull it through the loom and then I would cut it out. Kept them entertained for about an hour before running off to do something more exciting.
combine 2.JPGcombine 1.JPG
I am at the combining stage and it is taking me a bit of planning. Being in Texas with the threat of emissions checking, I am keeping the Evap system wiring in place. I also have an Automatic transmission, retained accessory outlets, and seat heaters for the stock leather seats that I am working in so some aspects are off the videos for what to do. It looks bad now but my brain is grasping the next steps more and more and don't think it will be an issue. One thing that has helped immensely was to label every connector and cut wire so I remember what things are after walking away for a few days. I also used a lot of 8" velcro bands to keep the wires in shape as I move between the harnesses. I hope in the coming days the harness looks more like Adam and Lonny's

Joe
 

pisco

Well-Known Member
Long time and no post but thought I would keep all updated. Got most of the car stripped down. Just have the gas tank and evap canister left. Was cold and miserable outside so I turned my attention to the wiring.
View attachment 20223
I didn't quite set up my dining room table for this but started cleaning the harness on a folding table in the home office. Man that old electrical tape is sticky and leaves residue everywhere.
View attachment 20224
Needed some more space and wanted to follow the spacing directions for the harness so got some 2X4 foot plywood pieces to spread it out.
View attachment 20225
I even involved the kids to help. I would cut one end of a wire to be thinned. They would trace and pull it through the loom and then I would cut it out. Kept them entertained for about an hour before running off to do something more exciting.
View attachment 20226View attachment 20227
I am at the combining stage and it is taking me a bit of planning. Being in Texas with the threat of emissions checking, I am keeping the Evap system wiring in place. I also have an Automatic transmission, retained accessory outlets, and seat heaters for the stock leather seats that I am working in so some aspects are off the videos for what to do. It looks bad now but my brain is grasping the next steps more and more and don't think it will be an issue. One thing that has helped immensely was to label every connector and cut wire so I remember what things are after walking away for a few days. I also used a lot of 8" velcro bands to keep the wires in shape as I move between the harnesses. I hope in the coming days the harness looks more like Adam and Lonny's

Joe
I did something very similar with my harness which delayed my progress. I added in instrument dimming, kept the retained accessory power from the passenger door, rear defrost circuit, and both accessory plug power wires my donor did not have factory heated seats so I’m adding it. Morning drives in Nebraska can be quite chilly even in the nice season.
 

Joebob

Goblin Guru
Work has been crazy busy and kids with homework doesn't help but I got a little bit more done over the last few days. I am keeping a lot of extras that are not in the video so I went through all the thinning videos and am now going back and organizing and joining knowing how everything interacts...I hope. In the videos, Lonny splits the fuel pump harness and tosses the EVAP system that I am keeping. I have joined the fuel pump wires from the plug to the fuse box just like the video.
fuel pump wires.jpeg
The extended tan wire is not for the clutch as I have an automatic, it is for the evap which share the tan wire. If you have a clutch wire that needs to extend, I assume you would have a 4 way junction. I hope I am right.
evap wires.jpeg
Here are the evap lines spliced into the fuse box wires. I didn't know that the tan is shared until I unwrapped the bulkhead connector.
evap wires 2.jpeg
Also to note is that the wire color changes on the underbody evap harness and the in-body wiring. it is:
Green-Green
White-White
Orange-red/white
Black/white-tan
Grey/black-grey

evap plugs.JPG
Here are the two plugs for the evap system. I will route them with the fuel pump wires but have left a few feet extra becasue not sure where to put the canister. I am more concerned on how to do the fuel vapor plumbing as there is a vent and crossover hoses on the tank that are not caried over to the goblin. Much later, I may need some guidance.

That all so far. working on taillights and head lights next. Oh with a sedan and no side marker lights, I only have 3 brown wires (parking lights) so I will have to add more for the mirrors and front lights.

Later,
Joe
 

Ark :D

Goblin Guru
Are you planning to run the Dominator headlights, or are you going with something else? Reason I ask is, if you're going with something else or even contemplating it, I would include a brown (running lights) turn signal extension in with both the driver and passenger headlights now, while it's easy to do.
 
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Joebob

Goblin Guru
Are you planning to run the Dominator headlights, or are you going with something else? Reason I ask is, if you're going with something else or even contemplating it, I would include a brown (running lights) extension in with both the driver and passenger headlights now, while it's easy to do.
My current plan is to not use the Dominator headlights. I like the LED bar style as a more modern edge. I will extend the brown wires to all 4 points and use if available. Thanks for that as my plan was for only the mirrors.
Joe
 

Ark :D

Goblin Guru
I realized I had a total brain fart while writing that post ... I meant turn signal extensions, not running lights, as those are already accounted for. Duh!!
 
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