What would you order for a street oriented canyon carver?

[woodlandfarms]

I just purchased for $250 a 2005 5 speed Cobalt 4 door that was lovingly rear-ended cutting its life short at around 100K miles. $250. The car is clean and appears to be reasonably well maintained. I want to go run with my Porsche buddies up the mountains, go tool around in town. I live on a 1 mile gravel road that dumps out onto the local highway. In my design idea, I am going to start with stock, then MAYBE add a supercharger if the fun factor is not enough. I have driven a few supercars in my days, so I know what happens when you put too much power and you have too little skill, and so the Turbo and all the craziness will probably not be for me. I am a capable mechanic and have some minor machining skills (and am a terrible painter) so this should be a fun learning experience.

When I look at the kit and all the extras I get a bit confused. I was wondering if anyone could give me your opinions on my opinions. Help guide me to a purchase that I will be happy with.

I was going to order the Manual Base / Sport frame. Standard Lenght, Open Frame.
If I go to Supercharging, have I messed up by not ordering the SS Kits (I assume I can order the additional parts at that time)

I plan to go with the Easy Entry sides, I have a wife and friends who aren't as spry as they should be.

I plan to get the Fiberglass Hood, Low Wind Screen, and aluminum side panels. Should I get the Footwell covers? Thoughts on the other items?

Do I get the engine cover? While the naked engine could look good, I like the look with the cover. But I may go supercharged, so have I made a mistake if I order the NA version of the cover?

So Fenders (and the footwell covers). We have the gravel road, we live in the country. It seems to make sense to get those for passenger safety. Thoughts? If I did get the wheel covers, my thinking is going staggered... thoughts?

Will get the wing mounts. Any suggestions on wings? And what are you guys using for front downforce? It seems to be the one thing missing off this beast.

So, Lights, Turn Signals and Mirrors. I might just buy their package, but I really would like to maybe customize these items, At least the headlights. We do live in the sticks, and deer love the highways at night. I wouldn't mind more upfront than some small headlights. Not sure what I would do but thinking on this issue. I think ordering the custom button panel makes sense. thoughts?

Seats. Man, I can't tell you how many sports cars I have been in that the seats suck after 20 minutes and while the FX-1s are great seats, there has to be something more comfortable for a canyon carver. Would love all suggestions on this.

And to the last section of the order, this is where it goes into the weeds for me. Suspension is important of course, but I don't want something so unforgiving the fun is gone. Do I just keep the stock, or do I get the coil over adapters or the whole kit?

Heat exchanger ducts? I assume this would be for the Supercharger and could be ordered at a later date (I wish they posted pictures of this stuff).

So Hubs. I assume that this gets me a wider choice of rims? Is it worth the $400?

And the parking brake kit? I plan to drive and park this in town, and we have hills. I can't really find any notes on why this kit is offered and if it is worth it.

Upfront, thanks to everyone in advance. I have read a lot of posts here, super excited to get my kit ordered. Look forward to all the knowledge I will gleen from you all.

 

[k.rollin]

For that use case, I'd spec an extended track frame, though I don't know what door bar option would be best since I only know the full version. The A pillar bars make me feel better on the street vs just the main hoop, and the halo makes for great ingress/egress support or other accessories (e.g., rear view mirror, bikini top, roof rack).

Side panels help a lot at reducing the amount of gravel getting thrown into the cabin area, so I'd get those too. Coilovers don't necessarily equate to a harsh ride, but I don't think they're necessary for a street car either. I feel that there's an adequate selection of wheels available for 4x100 PCD and it may reduce the custom part count, making serviceability easier.

 

[Gtstorey]

I just purchased for $250 a 2005 5 speed Cobalt 4 door that was lovingly rear-ended cutting its life short at around 100K miles. $250. The car is clean and appears to be reasonably well maintained. I want to go run with my Porsche buddies up the mountains, go tool around in town. I live on a 1 mile gravel road that dumps out onto the local highway. In my design idea, I am going to start with stock, then MAYBE add a supercharger if the fun factor is not enough. I have driven a few supercars in my days, so I know what happens when you put too much power and you have too little skill, and so the Turbo and all the craziness will probably not be for me. I am a capable mechanic and have some minor machining skills (and am a terrible painter) so this should be a fun learning experience.

When I look at the kit and all the extras I get a bit confused. I was wondering if anyone could give me your opinions on my opinions. Help guide me to a purchase that I will be happy with.

I was going to order the Manual Base / Sport frame. Standard Lenght, Open Frame.
If I go to Supercharging, have I messed up by not ordering the SS Kits (I assume I can order the additional parts at that time).
Parts can be ordered later or from other sources.

I plan to go with the Easy Entry sides, I have a wife and friends who aren't as spry as they should be.

I plan to get the Fiberglass Hood, Low Wind Screen, and aluminum side panels. Should I get the Footwell covers? Thoughts on the other items?
Footwell covers help keep the heat from the radiator out of the cabin.

Do I get the engine cover? While the naked engine could look good, I like the look with the cover. But I may go supercharged, so have I made a mistake if I order the NA version of the cover? Not sure if there is a different cover for the SC version or not.

So Fenders (and the footwell covers). We have the gravel road, we live in the country. It seems to make sense to get those for passenger safety. Thoughts? If I did get the wheel covers, my thinking is going staggered... thoughts? Most post on here indicate the fenders do more at parking lot speeds that on the road.

Will get the wing mounts. Any suggestions on wings? And what are you guys using for front downforce? It seems to be the one thing missing off this beast. There isn't anything off the shelf for front downforce. The ones that have added it are completely custom.

So, Lights, Turn Signals and Mirrors. I might just buy their package, but I really would like to maybe customize these items, At least the headlights. We do live in the sticks, and deer love the highways at night. I wouldn't mind more upfront than some small headlights. Not sure what I would do but thinking on this issue. I think ordering the custom button panel makes sense. thoughts?

Seats. Man, I can't tell you how many sports cars I have been in that the seats suck after 20 minutes and while the FX-1s are great seats, there has to be something more comfortable for a canyon carver. Would love all suggestions on this.

And to the last section of the order, this is where it goes into the weeds for me. Suspension is important of course, but I don't want something so unforgiving the fun is gone. Do I just keep the stock, or do I get the coil over adapters or the whole kit? I went with ordering the coil adapters and will run the stock struts at first.

Heat exchanger ducts? I assume this would be for the Supercharger and could be ordered at a later date (I wish they posted pictures of this stuff).
DF Kit Car Store

So Hubs. I assume that this gets me a wider choice of rims? Is it worth the $400?

And the parking brake kit? I plan to drive and park this in town, and we have hills. I can't really find any notes on why this kit is offered and if it is worth it. Some states require a second way to apply the brakes for registration.

Upfront, thanks to everyone in advance. I have read a lot of posts here, super excited to get my kit ordered. Look forward to all the knowledge I will gleen from you all.

 

[Ark :D]

I just purchased for $250 a 2005 5 speed Cobalt 4 door that was lovingly rear-ended cutting its life short at around 100K miles. $250. The car is clean and appears to be reasonably well maintained. I want to go run with my Porsche buddies up the mountains, go tool around in town. I live on a 1 mile gravel road that dumps out onto the local highway. In my design idea, I am going to start with stock, then MAYBE add a supercharger if the fun factor is not enough. I have driven a few supercars in my days, so I know what happens when you put too much power and you have too little skill, and so the Turbo and all the craziness will probably not be for me. I am a capable mechanic and have some minor machining skills (and am a terrible painter) so this should be a fun learning experience.

When I look at the kit and all the extras I get a bit confused. I was wondering if anyone could give me your opinions on my opinions. Help guide me to a purchase that I will be happy with.

I was going to order the Manual Base / Sport frame. Standard Lenght, Open Frame.
If I go to Supercharging, have I messed up by not ordering the SS Kits (I assume I can order the additional parts at that time) No, you can order parts at any time.

I plan to go with the Easy Entry sides, I have a wife and friends who aren't as spry as they should be.

I plan to get the Fiberglass Hood, Low Wind Screen, and aluminum side panels. Should I get the Footwell covers? Thoughts on the other items? Personal preference. Footwell cover keeps radiator heat out of the driver/passenger area, but it's pricey (imo). I got one. I also got pretty much every other option, aside from fenders.

Do I get the engine cover? While the naked engine could look good, I like the look with the cover. But I may go supercharged, so have I made a mistake if I order the NA version of the cover? Personal preference. If you like the looks, get it if you feel it's worth the price. All engine covers are the same, but you have to cut it into two pieces if you have a turbo donor.

So Fenders (and the footwell covers). We have the gravel road, we live in the country. It seems to make sense to get those for passenger safety. Thoughts? If I did get the wheel covers, my thinking is going staggered... thoughts?

Will get the wing mounts. Any suggestions on wings? And what are you guys using for front downforce? It seems to be the one thing missing off this beast. I spent just under $200 on a "carbon fiber" wing from eBay. I didn't want to spend big daddy-warbucks on a Seibon or 9 Lives, but I didn't like the plain straight aluminum ones that cost $50-$100.

So, Lights, Turn Signals and Mirrors. I might just buy their package, but I really would like to maybe customize these items, At least the headlights. We do live in the sticks, and deer love the highways at night. I wouldn't mind more upfront than some small headlights. Not sure what I would do but thinking on this issue. I think ordering the custom button panel makes sense. thoughts? I found the DF-provided headlights to be lacking, so I went with something else. The button panel makes sense if you have cruise control in your donor; otherwise, I don't think it does (just my opinion).

Seats. Man, I can't tell you how many sports cars I have been in that the seats suck after 20 minutes and while the FX-1s are great seats, there has to be something more comfortable for a canyon carver. Would love all suggestions on this. I got cheap-ass seats off eBay and I love them. Braum is also popular and they look great.

And to the last section of the order, this is where it goes into the weeds for me. Suspension is important of course, but I don't want something so unforgiving the fun is gone. Do I just keep the stock, or do I get the coil over adapters or the whole kit? I originally intended to use the stock struts, but that plan changed with my choice of wheels. I had to get the BC coilovers due to clearance issues.

Heat exchanger ducts? I assume this would be for the Supercharger and could be ordered at a later date (I wish they posted pictures of this stuff).

So Hubs. I assume that this gets me a wider choice of rims? Is it worth the $400? $400 seems steep to me. If your only consideration here is a different choice of wheels, you can always go with wheel/lug pattern adapters instead.

And the parking brake kit? I plan to drive and park this in town, and we have hills. I can't really find any notes on why this kit is offered and if it is worth it. New for 2021, all manual kits include the parking brake kit.

Upfront, thanks to everyone in advance. I have read a lot of posts here, super excited to get my kit ordered. Look forward to all the knowledge I will gleen from you all.

 

[Ross]

You mentioned deer. They can be unpredictable, so if it was me, I would add A pillars. If you remove the top Halo bars, like BAR-AIR did here, with an easy entry sides, you still will be able to enter/exit your goblin easily, but have a bit more deer protection with the window frame in front of you. Up to you if you want to put a windshield/polycarbonate in it.

 

[Brian74]

You mentioned deer. They can be unpredictable, so if it was me, I would add A pillars. If you remove the top Halo bars, like BAR-AIR did here, with an easy entry sides, you still will be able to enter/exit your goblin easily, but have a bit more deer protection with the window frame in front of you. Up to you if you want to put a windshield/polycarbonate in it.
View attachment 22833 View attachment 22834

Did he remove the hoop? My understanding is he started with an open frame and actually added that A pillar and two top bars to it. (He needed to have a glass windshield due to his state requiring it)

 

[G Atsma]

Yeah those A-pillars/windshield frame and center bars were added.

 

[woodlandfarms]

For that use case, I'd spec an extended track frame, though I don't know what door bar option would be best since I only know the full version. The A pillar bars make me feel better on the street vs just the main hoop, and the halo makes for great ingress/egress support or other accessories (e.g., rear view mirror, bikini top, roof rack).

Side panels help a lot at reducing the amount of gravel getting thrown into the cabin area, so I'd get those too. Coilovers don't necessarily equate to a harsh ride, but I don't think they're necessary for a street car either. I feel that there's an adequate selection of wheels available for 4x100 PCD and it may reduce the custom part count, making serviceability easier.

Thanks for your input. Can I ask why your would do longer frame? I do like to sit far from the steering wheel but wonder if my 5’9” legs will hit the pedals.

 

[k.rollin]

Thanks for your input. Can I ask why your would do longer frame? I do like to sit far from the steering wheel but wonder if my 5’9” legs will hit the pedals.

I have a standard length track frame with full door bars and think that the extra height and length would help to facilitate ingress/egress on account of being a larger hole.

 

[ctuinstra]

1. You will not mess up not ordering the SS kit if you plan to add later. I ended up returning most of my kit because I decided to go a different route. The only issue would be running the water lines through the center tunnel, but that can be done later.
2. Easy entry is nice. We have it. You don't have as secure of a feeling, it's pretty open. I would not use the donor seats with and Easy entry, the donor seats sit too high and your butt will darn near slide out of the seat and out the Easy entry opening. Not exactly, but it will feel that way.
3. The footwell cover is primarily to keep the heat from the radiator off of you. Yes, you will feel a bit more closed in protected but it's not like rocks are coming in and pelting your legs or anything. What little heat I feel doesn't bother me and on cooler days, it's actually kind of nice.
4. I know nothing about the engine cover, don't have one and like to show off my SS/SC.
5. Fenders aren't a bad idea for a gravel road. We have a 1/4 mile gravel driveway but we go slow enough to keep the dust down and the rocks, but that may not be doable for you on a public road.
6. Seabon wing is about the only wing that fits about perfect. Not that other don't work, they will take some work. Seabon is terribly high but very nice.
7. Personally, don't go with the headlights. Maybe they are different now and LED, but the originals were dangerously dim! I think my phone camera light was brighter. We used Rigid Industry off road LED lights, yeah, yeah, I know the may or may not meet the DOT standards, but I don't think most OEM cars and trucks do now a days.
8. Spend money on the seats and don't get race car seats that are just a piece of aluminum with cloth over them. We have Corbeau that recline in our extended frame for all kinds of room. We have spent hours in our car at the meets. I have no problem with them and I'm even fat and don't fit in them well.
9. Go with stock suspension for now. There is nothing wrong with it! We had it and it was fine for cruising. We only changed because it was cool and we planned to do autocrossing and wanted the adjustments.
10. HE can be installed later and you don't have to use the DF if you come up with your own. Look at some of the build logs for different ideas. Look at mine, for example.
11. Wider choice of rims only if you are looking for specific rim sizes. I found them limiting for certain size tires. You could look for the wheels and tires that you HAVE to have now and get the hubs that work with those. You may find the perfect wheels but not in the bolt pattern. You have lot's of time to order the other items, you don't have to get all at once. Do a lot of research on this forum, go through a lot of the builds and get ideas, it helps (and hurts).
12. Parking brake if you wish. We leave it in gear if it's not on too steep of a hill and I actually bring a wheel chock along many times, works great as long as you don't drive over it or forget it.

Hope this helps!

 

[Rttoys]

The longer frame, you can move the seat up. Shorter frame, can’t go further back. That’s the only thing I wish I ordered, is the longer frame. Not a deal breaker, but it’s nice having the little extra space.

 

[Brian74]

My only regret is not going extended frame. A slightly longer wheelbase is more forgiving on oversteer, and the extra space behind the seats means more room for subwoofers or storage.

 

[woodlandfarms]

Boy, I have to be honest. I can't thank all of you enough for your insight. Super excited by this project. And there are a few goblin owners within a 200 mile radius of me so I am really looking forward to being part of the group.

 

[Zoom Zoom]

Thanks for your input. Can I ask why your would do longer frame? I do like to sit far from the steering wheel but wonder if my 5’9” legs will hit the pedals.

Thanks for your input. Can I ask why your would do longer frame? I do like to sit far from the steering wheel but wonder if my 5’9” legs will hit the pedals.

Resale valve for one thing. Most people prefer extended frame. You can always slide seat up after you get in if you want but you can’t slide it back that extra 4” if you wanted to on the short frame.

 

[GoblinGal]

Boy, I have to be honest. I can't thank all of you enough for your insight. Super excited by this project. And there are a few goblin owners within a 200 mile radius of me so I am really looking forward to being part of the group.

We have a GREAT Goblin Family for sure...Always supportive, helpful & super fast to step up to help!