V1 JCas Tacoma Wa city easy entry 07 LS #188 "REGISTERED"

[Jcas]

So the old ball end mounts where angle iron.

If my memory serves me I have the 1st chassis of second gen of V1 as my lower radiator supports are bolted. I think people like waterdrivers is all welded. I also see fewer holes in the uprights. New on the left old on the right

Is all of the above changes stronger possibly but I don't feel like trying that move over again as it did not go well the first time. Besides I never said "hang on I want to try something"

It is fun to be out in this garage over the one i built the car in. I am finding lost tools and finally moving into it as up to now has been a place to put things out of the way so clean up happens when I want to think about something for a few minutes.

 

[Jcas]

So i have had a few hours of free time so been slowly putting 188 back together. We have been busy spending a bit more time on details and repainting things. Also been playing with the headlights. Tired of the flat black. Tried to paint them that look like I tried to paint them LOL. So got the wifey to help by cooking my fingers with the heat gun while I stretched vinyl wrap. Took a few tries but happy with the end. Another huge learning curve.

I will say it is easier to find things now than it was at the start of covid. So we are back together aligned by eye and drove down the street. Waiting to do final alignment until I have all my upgrades in. I have a piece of old maple from an old department store shelving here in Tacoma. I have tagged it as my new dashboard. Like everyone here we see something then put ourselves through a bunch of why did I start that.

Just finished the new shifter upgrade. Now wonder why I waited so long. Feels like the old school shifter now. It should preform well.

 

[Anks329]

The wrap looks great on the headlights! And you added a floor to the rear under the engine? Does it help with downforce?

 

[Jcas]

The wrap looks great on the headlights! And you added a floor to the rear under the engine? Does it help with downforce?

Not sure it helps with down force but I know that by running full panel front to rear closing off most any air getting up under the car has improved notably drag. Fuel eco improved by 8 miles to the gallon and it is like I added another 10 horse at 60 and 70 MPH

 

[Jcas]

It looking like wife and I may get one of the last V1s at the end of the year my plan is to do the same on that car as well.

 

[Anks329]

no jump to the v2 platform?

 

[Jcas]

no jump to the v2 platform?

I already have a donor with less than 95000 miles. Wife wants an auto so will be going that direction. I don't want it but it will be hers. I bet I end up doing most of the build though. And I guess that is supposed to hurt my feelings how?

 

[Anks329]

Exciting! I’m sure it’s going to be a blast with both of you driving around in your own Goblins!

 

[Jcas]

Exciting! I’m sure it’s going to be a blast with both of you driving around in your own Goblins!

So while we are on that topic did you figure out the shifting rims and loads for you trans. If so may lean on you when we do this one for reprogramming the TCM

 

[Anks329]

So while we are on that topic did you figure out the shifting rims and loads for you trans. If so may lean on you when we do this one for reprogramming the TCM

No, never played around with reprograming the TCM, really left the TCM alone all this time. I've done a bunch with tuning the MAF and VE tables in the ECU.

 

[Jcas]

No, never played around with reprograming the TCM, really left the TCM alone all this time. I've done a bunch with tuning the MAF and VE tables in the ECU.

does it seem to run and shift okay. I am just asking because it is a world I am not used to.

Mine likes to go into limp mode if the battery gets low or if I plug any scan tool into the OBD 2 port. Takes a few runs to get it out of limp but have cheated the system by making it think that the clutch was used and back in again. I know that that switch is eliminated by most but for whatever reason mine has to see the clutch work. Its the gremlin in my Goblin LOL

 

[Anks329]

does it seem to run and shift okay. I am just asking because it is a world I am not used to.

Mine likes to go into limp mode if the battery gets low or if I plug any scan tool into the OBD 2 port. Takes a few runs to get it out of limp but have cheated the system by making it think that the clutch was used and back in again. I know that that switch is eliminated by most but for whatever reason mine has to see the clutch work. Its the gremlin in my Goblin LOL

Yup, no issues with it shifting at all! I have run into an issue where I end up stalling at red lights and have to restart the car, but I think that has more to due with me messing up my tune rather than anything with the auto transmission.

With the battery, I got a battery tender and set up a SEA power connector near my dash so I don't need to remove the hood. That keeps the battery topped off for whenever I want to go on a drive.

 

[Jcas]

Well I finally got it back on the road. So many changes so much new stuff and so much fine tuning. Still need to hook up the HP tuner to it and change the tire revs to get the speedo correct again. I also need to figure out the new shifter as front to back is smooth as butter but side to side got stiff while taking wife to Port Orchard yesterday. I think it is a dry cable and needs more lube. Need to fine tune the alignment again as it tends to drive left and right under acceleration and letting off. Has a bit of a pull right going down the road. The dash..... sometimes we do things and can't put it into words without bragging. Pictures just do not do it justice. Once completed to me is a show stopper. I don't at the moment have any pictures of it in natural light as my garage LED lighting is great but makes this dash look like total boring. The piece of maple I used gained more character as the epoxy cured and even where I didn't think it had anything it had tons. All I have to show you guys at the moment is first install before all the lights and buttons where installed. I had to create a new wiring harness from the old Cobalt instrument panel. I still have the important lights like the turn signals and high beam and I even wired in the check engine light. It is nice to know when that crappy thing comes on. I also wired in the info screen. These are some of the features that I wanted from the old cluster. I hid the old cluster under the foot well cover above our feet. I used a digital speedo that uses the OBD2 port for tack, speedo and believe this I even have fuel in %. The embarrassing on this tho was when I went to the gas station I had to find the fuel cap as I didn't have the cheater arrow on the dash to tell me where it was. Thankfully I had my Helper in the car who told me (wife) not sure what I would do without my helper in the car LOL.

If you happen to be reading this and getting ready to build your first Goblin make sure you buy the front brake proportioning valve kit. It might/will save you rebuild time. To be honest I feel that had I installed the one that I had I would not be here now. But with that being said Adam and team have been fantastic to work with. Its great to be up to date with the current builds in the tech of things. it seems that the alignment was easier than the first time. Maybe it is because we have done it before. Wife came out to help align I had by eye set everything so close the caster on the rear tires was exact to spec and matched on both sides. I was out on the passenger side front by 0.2 and had to adjust ride height by 1/4 inch tow was close to spec

After my drive yesterday had to hurry up and mow the lawn so didn,t really get to enjoy much as we had done the alignment and drove. On the next nice day I will get the car out and take more pictures to show dash and get a few full shots of the car back together.

 

[Ross]

Wow, that wood has amazing grain. Very nice.

 

[Jcas]

Wow, that wood has amazing grain. Very nice.

Like i said to me it just adds to the wow factor. I am so glad I did not find a use for that piece of story wood

 

[Jcas]

Well we finally got a great day here in Washington. The aliens where friendly and let us enjoy the day. I had promised to post completed photos. Here are a few. I do have a side note don't let the shift cable come to rest to close to the exhaust. The shifter worked great until it didn't tracked it down to a very small section of melted housing on the side to side cable. So will be ordering that one. I have it freed mostly but feels funny and sometimes miss third. These pictures where taken to make new insurance company happy

 

[Desert Sasqwatch]

Aliens?!?

 

[Jcas]

Aliens?!?
View attachment 51729

Well they didn't land the ufo but it sure was nice of them to warm us up for the day