V1 ccgillett's Track Goblin - '08 SS/TC

[ccgillett]

Since the car is in my garage now I think it's time to start a build thread for the continuation (and hopefully completion) of chassis #13. I purchased this car as a work-in-progress from a builder here on the forum. It was previously located in Austin, TX and has now been moved to Westford, Massachusetts - about 34 miles from Boston, near the NH border.

I've been a high-performance driving enthusiast and track junkie for a long time. I started out going to BMWCCA events with my Eagle Talon back in 1992. Insanity took hold and I started going to as many events as I could. New England is a track-rich area - there are 11 tracks (including iconic Watkins Glen International and Lime Rock Park) within a reasonable haul from here, and several only 2-3 hours away. Le Circuit du Mont Tremblant is west of Montreal and easily reachable from here as well.

I moved to a track-only Ford Mustang, then to a Factory Five Type 65 Coupe (built from the track Mustang). Those cars are gone, and I've been working away on restoring an Amac AM7 D-Sports racer (200HP 1-liter motorcycle engine in an 800 pound car). I haven't been on track in recent years due to an outbreak of children in my house, but now that they're older I want to get back to it. I used to be an in-car instructor for the BMWCCA, PCA, SCDA, the Alfa Club, and instructed once for a Ferrari Club chapter (those guys are insane).

Like many folks here, I've wanted an exoskeleton car for some time. Ariel Atoms are great cars, but fantastically expensive. I got really fired up about the Exocet, and was very close to buying one a couple times but never pulled the trigger. They're very cool cars, but quite frankly sort of painful to look at. Finally, I stumbled on the Goblin one night while killing time watching YouTube (the Goonzquad guys, where every other sentence is "dude that is sick") . I loved the whole concept - super light, great suspension, Chevy motor, cheap donor, frame and kit manufactured by a small shop in Texas, not as hard to build as a Factory Five. The design of the car recalls the words of Colin Chapman, of Lotus Fame, "simplify, then add lightness". And the car with bodywork and wing looks badass, on par with the Atom. I was actively shopping for SS turbocharged donors on Copart when #13 came up for sale on a Facebook group.

#13 is going to be track-only. Registering kit cars in Massachusetts is wildly difficult, proving chain-of-ownership for every nut, bolt, and piece on the car will be next to impossible, and I don't believe passing the state safety inspection is possible. Plus Massachusetts drivers vs. a small kit car...yikes. I'm really excited about the build. I bought the car essentially sight unseen, relying on photographs, the previous owner's build log, and a short video call where he showed me the car to establish that he was legit. There is a lot to learn and much to do to complete the car, mostly around wiring and getting to first start. I hope to get the car on track on 2021 - there are some really expensive Porsches and Bimmer I want to terrorize.

So far everybody associated with the Goblin have been really nice, open to sharing knowledge, etc., including everybody here, on the Facebook groups, and Adam (via email concerning purchasing bodywork). I'm looking forward to being a part of the community.

 

[kalishek]

Welcome Chris. I went same route purchasing completed Goblin with 2009 Cobalt SS turbo donor in chassis #123. Builder lived in IL and was having problems with registration. He was professional auto painter and did beautiful assembly job and documented build well. The ILDMV wasn't being cooperative. He owned a nice Porsche 996 and wanted to mod that ride. Good luck for me. Oklahoma is much more car friendly. KAL

 

[Ark :D]

Welcome! I'm glad your car has found its new home!

 

[Rauq]

Welcome! One of my favorite parts about the car (mine's still under construction) is the community. Most topics either have someone who's been there and done that, or are willing and able to help figure out how to do new and cool things. Glad to have you!

 

[ccgillett]

Any other time I would have been up for a big road trip from Boston to Austin and back to pick this one up. But given the realities of pandemic health risks, and not wanting to take several days away from work I chose to have the car shipped. The driver picked up in Austin on Friday afternoon on February 5th, and planned to arrive in Massachusetts the following Monday. On Monday it was chilly, but sunny and no snow. So of course he didn't show up. The next day we were in the middle of a Nor'easter and I get the text that he's arriving that afternoon.

My driveway is 400 feet long up a hill off a cul-de-sac, so no way a 48 foot trailer behind a dually pickup truck is going to back up that hill in the middle of raging snow storm. So we unloaded in the street, and then I threw a tow strap on the Goblin, and the Fabulous Daughter and I pulled it up the hill to the garage. So first order of business - remove all the snow!

The car came with several boxes of parts, including old stuff from the donor, parts not yet on the car, etc. The interior of the car had more stuff as well.

 

[ccgillett]

Unheated garage plus New England living means working in the cold, and there's a lot to do. So a few days later I purchased a garage rug and spread it out on the concrete garage floor. This $130 garage upgrade makes a huge difference in being able to work comfortably. With a light down jacket, hat, and gloves I can now work for a long time without freezing. Plus it helps define the work area and makes it neater.

With the car safely inside, and cleaned up we went through all the boxes, putting together an inventory of all the bits, and reducing everything down to size to save space.

Going to go with air-to-air intercooling on this car. Right now I'm planning to run the LNF engine pretty much bone stock. Given the weight-to-horsepower ratio that should be plenty of power for now, especially while I get used to the car, get the suspension, weight/balance, etc. all dialed in.

I believe the original builder intended to plumb a larger intercooler in the rear of the car, below the wing and behind the motor. I am going to take that idea and run with it, perhaps including an electric fan to help move air more efficiently. That said, I have a lot of intercoolers...

 

[Desert Sasqwatch]

Unheated garage plus New England living means working in the cold, and there's a lot to do. So a few days later I purchased a garage rug and spread it out on the concrete garage floor. This $130 garage upgrade makes a huge difference in being able to work comfortably. With a light down jacket, hat, and gloves I can now work for a long time without freezing. Plus it helps define the work area and makes it neater.

View attachment 21293

With the car safely inside, and cleaned up we went through all the boxes, putting together an inventory of all the bits, and reducing everything down to size to save space.

View attachment 21295

View attachment 21296

View attachment 21297

Going to go with air-to-air intercooling on this car. Right now I'm planning to run the LNF engine pretty much bone stock. Given the weight-to-horsepower ratio that should be plenty of power for now, especially while I get used to the car, get the suspension, weight/balance, etc. all dialed in.

I believe the original builder intended to plumb a larger intercooler in the rear of the car, below the wing and behind the motor. I am going to take that idea and run with it, perhaps including an electric fan to help move air more efficiently. That said, I have a lot of intercoolers...

View attachment 21298


View attachment 21299

View attachment 21300

Photo #2 intercooler looks like it could span the space between the rear diagonal downbars above the engine - and it appears to have the most core volume - which is the that appears to be a better choice (IMO).

 

[ccgillett]

Photo #2 intercooler looks like it could span the space between the rear diagonal downbars above the engine - and it appears to have the most core volume - which is the that appears to be a better choice (IMO).

This is from another builder's car, that's the same intercooler. I'm going with the same general plan. No clue yet on what to do with the exhaust though.

 

[Desert Sasqwatch]

Not much cool air back there unless there are air scoops on the sides of the engine bay directing it into that area. Others have made it work and I'm sure you will too.

 

[ccgillett]

Not much cool air back there unless there are air scoops on the sides of the engine bay directing it into that area. Others have made it work and I'm sure you will too.

Yeah, I'm considering an electric fan on the outboard side forcing air toward the engine. Obviously the bracket design would need to be different. Another solution would be air ducting to direct air into that area. Thoughts?

 

[Desert Sasqwatch]

Air ducts are probably the ticket, along with a fan (or two) to keep the air flowing at low speeds.

 

[ccgillett]

Rolling into July, I've made much less progress than hoped, mostly due to work and family demands on my time. But I'm also realizing that I'm a bit reluctant to get into the garage. I think that reluctance has to do with the wiring.

I bought my Goblin as a work-in-progress. The wiring harness has been thinned, but the harness is far from complete. I think the effects of time, having the car shipped, etc. has led to tangles of wires, missing labels, etc. It's all a big mess, and I'm eager to get it behind me.

I considered going with a 3rd party wiring harness/fuse box, etc. but if I do that I'm definitely all alone, which is something I don't want. So I think what I'll do is get the correct wiring harnesses from salvage yards, pack it all up, and have DF do the work for me. That way I can focus on getting the rest of the car finished up and hopefully get to first engine start and on the road faster. I'm also wanting to do a full build later, so I can keep the current harness, get it all sorted out over the winter, and then use it for future work.

So the question is: What are the correct part numbers for the wiring harnesses I need? Donor is a 2008 SS Turbocharged. Is the body harness "universal" between TC, SS, and NA cars? There are a lot of harnesses for sale out there, I want to be sure to purchase the correct one.

I feel like a bit of a cheater solving a problem by throwing money at it, but I really want to get this car wrapped up soon and put my efforts into getting it dialed in for the track, etc. Any help you all can provide with part numbers would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Ross]

The turbo cars have a different ECU than the supercharged cars, so the wiring harness will be different.
Maybe the 2008-2010 turbo cars are the same wiring harness???

 

[Gtstorey]

20782130 - Engine Harness - 2008-2010 Chevrolet Cobalt | Findlay Part (findlayautoparts.com)
25862011 - Harness - 2008 Chevrolet Cobalt | Findlay Part (findlayautoparts.com)
GM HARNESS ASM-I/P WRG 25862011 GM 25862011 | eBay

 

[Lonny]

I would send your harness to us as-is. As long as the body and dash harnesses are mostly there I think we can fix/finish it.

 

[Brett]

Lonny is a Cobalt / Goblin wiring savant. Definitely reach out to him before you put money towards the problem and see what your options are.

DF / Lonny went through my harness and I had zero issues with wiring.

 

[ccgillett]

Thank you for your comments @Gtstorey , @Ross , and @Brett !

@Lonny that is GREAT news that I can do that. I don't think any real serious errors were made, it's just a mess of untagged wires and connectors...I really need an expert to go through it while I focus on the other stuff. Thank you, and I'll reach out to arrange shipping.

 

[Towerdog]

Thank you for your comments @Gtstorey , @Ross , and @Brett !

@Lonny that is GREAT news that I can do that. I don't think any real serious errors were made, it's just a mess of untagged wires and connectors...I really need an expert to go through it while I focus on the other stuff. Thank you, and I'll reach out to arrange shipping.

Lonny dont need no stinking labels! No, I think he knows the wire colors by heart and what they charge is a little on the cheap side in my opinion.

 

[ccgillett]

Decided after some additional troubleshooting to have the DF team get the wiring harness sorted. Shipped it last week and it's there now - hopefully they can turn it around before we get snow on the roof here in New England. They're really busy, which is a good thing for all concerned, so I'll be as patient as possible.

I spent the rest of July and August validating all the bits and pieces that have been put on the car. This means inspecting the work vs. other photos and assembly videos, verifying hardware used, checking torque, etc. I installed the new steering wheel from DF, and realized that seating is going to be really tight with the supplied Corbeau seats. So I'm starting to research race seats to see if there's a better solution.

Finally, and the real reason for this post, is that I'm re-thinking intercooler solutions. Right now I have the DF supplied air-air intercooler. It's a good piece, but the only way it will work is attached to the roll cage or wing mounts, or behind the car with electric fans. I don't like how the car looks with the intercooler up in the air flow, plus I want to try to get some legit downforce on the rear wing. Putting it behind the car complicates my exhaust layout too much, and I question if I can get adequate cooling. After reviewing some of Lonny's posts I've decided to go air-water intercooling....more work, more plumbing, more fun with tools, but I think I'll get a better result.

Based on searching the forums and doing some reading, I think what I need is this frozenboost kit w/Type 16 intercooler. This looks like what Lonny has in his car. Just wanted to make sure folks agree before ordering:

I don't plan on crazy engine mods or horsepower - thinking I'll be 320-330HP when I'm done. Am I on the right path here?

 

[TheNuker]

Decided after some additional troubleshooting to have the DF team get the wiring harness sorted. Shipped it last week and it's there now - hopefully they can turn it around before we get snow on the roof here in New England. They're really busy, which is a good thing for all concerned, so I'll be as patient as possible.

I spent the rest of July and August validating all the bits and pieces that have been put on the car. This means inspecting the work vs. other photos and assembly videos, verifying hardware used, checking torque, etc. I installed the new steering wheel from DF, and realized that seating is going to be really tight with the supplied Corbeau seats. So I'm starting to research race seats to see if there's a better solution.

Finally, and the real reason for this post, is that I'm re-thinking intercooler solutions. Right now I have the DF supplied air-air intercooler. It's a good piece, but the only way it will work is attached to the roll cage or wing mounts, or behind the car with electric fans. I don't like how the car looks with the intercooler up in the air flow, plus I want to try to get some legit downforce on the rear wing. Putting it behind the car complicates my exhaust layout too much, and I question if I can get adequate cooling. After reviewing some of Lonny's posts I've decided to go air-water intercooling....more work, more plumbing, more fun with tools, but I think I'll get a better result.

Based on searching the forums and doing some reading, I think what I need is this frozenboost kit w/Type 16 intercooler. This looks like what Lonny has in his car. Just wanted to make sure folks agree before ordering:
View attachment 26397

I don't plan on crazy engine mods or horsepower - thinking I'll be 320-330HP when I'm done. Am I on the right path here?

As far as I know the DF supplied intercooler for the LNF is Air to water already no? Most of us have switched to the Air to air simply to help avoid heat soaking. But I agree the Air/water is a clean look!

Nuker-