Ross's extended city, easy entry Goblin- 06 SS/SC, NW Arkansas

Peregrinus

Well-Known Member
That is crazy. I'm out.
$135+ to buy crimping tools plus $30+ to buy the plastic BCM plug and some pins!
If it was my career to do electrical harness work, then sure, but I just don't see that I will use this tool enough to justify it.
I will just reuse a BCM pin and wire that is not currently in service. I left a few inches of wire on every wire I cut, so I can solder onto.
It will cost me a little bit of time and solder, instead of over $165.
Use the second link I posted, it's the link to just the one tool for like $20, that's why I posted both :)
 

Peregrinus

Well-Known Member
This is what I use.
You can use this one, or the A version. The A version is the oem compared tool similar to the packard tool I have, but either one has the correct crimp positions I think, the A tool gives u one extra set of smaller holes to use, the B version gives u the round weather pack holes, so grab whichever tool fits your needs better.
 

Brian74

Goblin Guru
When I went to build my Bosch ECM connector, their recommended crimp tool was over $2000

The Iwiss 1424B crimper that Lonny recommended is great. $16 on Amazon. Its got a very versatile dye set and it is wide enough to cover the entire terminal. I’ve since used it for Bosch, Delphi, and Molex.

I get all of my Delphi (now Aptiv) connectors from Mouser. Awesome company, great stock/prices, and decent catalog once you learn how to use it.
 

Ross

Goblin Guru
Mouser is great, amazing selection. I use to stop by in Mansfield, TX and buy parts for my projects at their counter. Online shopping and the web has greatly enhanced my projects. Weird to think that we use to be limited to the selection at the local stores.
 

Rttoys

Goblin Guru
Yep. Much easier now to get things with the interwebs. The thing is, sometimes you don’t know what something is called, but you know what you are looking for. That’s when walking into a store has its advantages.

We have an old electronics store in Houston call ACE Electronics. If you remember how radio shack use to be selling electronic parts, this is that place on steroids. Rows and rows and rows of diodes, resistors and stuff you have no idea what it’s called, much less know what they do. o_O But they have it all. You might have to sift through dusty boxes to find what you want, but it’s there.
 

Ross

Goblin Guru
I have joined the TDGC (Two Donor Goblin Club).
19950
19951

This one side swiped a boat trailer, blew the airbags, bend the steel?! front swingarm, almost tore the whole front wheel off.
It is a 2006 SS SC LSJ, 144K miles, with Recaro seats, but it shouldn't have steel swingarms. Cheap fix for worn out swingarm rubber? Accident #2 for this donor? The engine runs and the transmission shifts. It was $900, but a gamble, as I don't really know its full health yet.

One engine in the Goblin, one engine being worked on in the shop.
Spent the day driving & loading on and off a trailer.
19953
 

Ark :D

Goblin Guru
Well, aside from them obviously!!

Side note; why did you buy a second donor? I thought your car was pretty much done, other than some tweaking.
 

Ross

Goblin Guru
Well, aside from them obviously!!

Side note; why did you buy a second donor? I thought your car was pretty much done, other than some tweaking.
Just wanted a second engine to tinker on (in the spring, summer & fall), while still being able to drive the Goblin.
Last winter I dropped the subframe, it got a new GMPP clutch, new clutch slave, an engine paint job, AC pump gutted.
I will pull the engine again this winter, putting in a new DF F35 tranny, new timing chains & sprockets, balance shafts delete, etc.
Next winter... well I still have upgrades I want to do. Turbo, injectors, intercooler, etc.
 

Ross

Goblin Guru
The silver car's VIN ends in 666, and the rear window has a devil on it. Good thing I'm not superstitious. Unless the engine is damaged, and then I am blaming this omen :)

19969
19970


On a bright note, the G85 code is on the trunk tag, as I forgot to check before buying it. I heard that the Recaro seats don't guarantee it has a LSD differential, but this car did when it left the factory.

Oh, and this arrived today. Pretty heavy box. Guess my winter's work has arrived. No more leaky, stuck axle, with worn syncros, and an open diff.
19972
19973
 
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Ross

Goblin Guru
Documenting my cheap button panel, that used the stock switches from the Cobalt donor.
19983

The 6 controls are:
- 12v accessory plug,
- fog lights switch on the Cobalt goes to the purple accessory wire,
- the dash dimmer dial,
- emergency flasher switch,
- the info button
- and the return button.

I repurposed the Cobalt button panels on the left and right of the steering wheel.
19985
19984


I cut and epoxyed the 2 panels together, adding a 1" strip of spare Cobalt plastic to the back to strengthen the joint. Then drilled 2 extra holes, for a Cobalt 12v accessory plug, and the Cobalt emergency flasher button.
19988


The strap on the left was a 1" steel flat bar that goes up to the gauge panel bolt. The right side was an attempt at a light weight steel strap, but was too wimpy, so I need to go back and use a heavier steel strap like the other side. Then I drilled thru my custom button panel and the steel flat strap, using small button head bolts to hold the plastic button panel to the steel straps. I could have used epoxy there too, but didn't want to until I had done more testing.

The right panel with the info and return buttons was a little taller than the other side, so I sanded it down to the same height as the other side.
I probably should have bondo'ed it, and painted it white, but never got that far, yet. The Cobalt buttons had custom plastic mounts, so by re-using the stock button panels, I was able to keep the stock mounts, and didn't have to connect wires to new switches.

I put my horn button on the clock spring and then the steering wheel, but there is room on this button panel if you want to add a momentary switch for a horn.
 
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Ross

Goblin Guru
Anybody interested in making custom gauges? I would like a 3D printed part, and need that skill set. The custom oil pressure gauge is accurate to a fraction of a PSI. Amazing. Now I have ordered the parts to make a custom fuel pressure gauge. It will match the custom oil pressure gauge, and I noticed today that I should make them all match my stock boost gauge. I have 3 more 270 degree servos for more custom gauges... suggestions? I was thinking intake air temp as one of them.

20181


The boost gauge has an aluminum? ring around the faceplate that is 3/8" deep. The ring for the custom gauge would need to fit over a 2" tomato paste can once it is cut down to about 2" tall. I think I will glue the front ring, clear acrylic and tomato can together with some caulking adhesive. I could make the front ring on the metal lathe, but I wonder if a 3D printed black PLA ring would work just as well, but be repeatable.
20182
20176
20180


Today I replaced the steering arm with a new one (from the welded one I did a quick fix on), and adjusted the tow in. The steering wheel got centered too. It kept moving on me, so I clipped a level on it, and could easily tell when it needed to be re-centered while I adjusted the tie rods. Took it for a test drive today. Needed a Goblin therapy fix.

20173


Been cleaning up the Recaro seats, cut down the plastic seat sides to fit in the Goblin. It took 3 cuts on the drivers side, but only one cut on the passenger side. Those little plastic pieces clean up the look of the seats and should reduce the gravel I get in my seat rails from the driveway.
20174
20175
 

Ross

Goblin Guru
I ordered 12V seat heaters, and I want to repair the seat covers before installing them.
39293

The Recaro seat base frame (I painted white) has side support metal tubes. The SS seats don't have this, and it should help keep my butt from sliding around. Kind of an unnerving feeling in an easy entry city frame with stock seatbelts.
I've never stripped a seat down this far. The black lines in the foam are velcro strips. Pretty easy to take apart.
20238


The only challenge I had was removing the 2 black headrest tubes at the top of the seat. On the seat back, you have to undo the fabric at the bottom, then pull up the fabric about 2/3 the way to the headrest, gaining access the back of the seat, you can release the black tubes from under the foam.
 
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