V1 Fenix's Goblin #461 - 2010 Base Auto

[Jareth]

DFK Vin inspection took me less than 1/2 hour, only needed to call local Sheriff's office for them to send Deputy to my house to look at the number on the frame and sign the form.

.

 

[Fenix Nexen]

3/17: obtained the frame

3/20: passed required emission inspection on the donor and took it to get the AC lines evacuated same day, proceeding to tear into it now

 

[Fenix Nexen]

emptied fuel tank and drained the fuel line, took off the front 2 tires, unhooked the battery, assembled a hoist, frame goes to powder coating tuesday

i am wondering, did i make a mistake going automatic? iv never driven a manual so i dont have a frame of reference if id enjoy it

 

[Robinjo]

I wanted a manual but auto was also an option. It would have been easier for the wife and son (one day) to drive it. What ever works for your needs is the best build.

If you want to learn how to drive a manual, you might want to rent a manual car. Then you can learn on someone else's car that is getting it's clutch life severely decreased.

 

[Desert Sasqwatch]

A Goblin is probably not the best vehicle to learn to drive a manual transmission. You should stick with what you are most familiar and comfortable driving. There are many automatic transmission builds with lots of smiles-per-mile!

 

[Fenix Nexen]

A Goblin is probably not the best vehicle to learn to drive a manual transmission. You should stick with what you are most familiar and comfortable driving. There are many automatic transmission builds with lots of smiles-per-mile!

The automatic has a 'spirited drive' mode which turns off overdrive and holds higher revs and I was having fun with just that while driving the donor.

Anyway, recorded a short on youtube

- YouTube

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

www.youtube.com

 

[comegetjoe]

How many gears in the automatics?

 

[Fenix Nexen]

How many gears in the automatics?

Just 4

 

[Chris_WNC]

I’ve never played with the shifter in mine. Going to give it a shot this weekend.

CHRIS

 

[Fenix Nexen]

some pictures for reference, took out the seats, removed the windshield wiper container, took off the doors, more tools needed to be bought before moving on

 

[ah.b.normal]

The easiest car to learn to drive manual is a stock jeep or one with minor mods. The suspension in a jeep is slack compared to a sports car and makes it less likely to stall, NOT stall proof but with all that suspension travel it doesn't bang to a stop when you make mistakes. Actually IF you put it in
4WL you almost can't kill it. 4WL in 1st gear it will crawl about 2 MPH in idle. It won't do 60 in overdrive in 4WL, but you probably won't kill it. Everyone who has lived in my household can drive a manual, even my 80+ y/o Mom! But then again, she taught me! My Dad just didn't have the patience to teach anyone how to drive a manual. A great Dad, but teaching driving generally was NOT his thing!

 

[ah.b.normal]

Converting a Goblin from auto to Manual is NOT impossible! The rewiring of the Engine harness is mostly a cut and discard process. You do have to find the connector to attach to the reverse light switch which fortunately is the plug for the temp probe in the Cobalt front light harness!. (Manual to auto?, I have no idea!) Even if you had cut the clutch safety switch out of your wiring when you modified your wiring harnesses, it is only 2 or three wires and a connector added to the dash harness to the BCM. I have been informed that you might have to reflash your BCM but the TCM is just pulled out along with a bunch of wires. Even easier, get a manual trans engine harness. Surgery, but not Brain Surgery! Add the clutch pedal and switches, transmission, shifter, cables and brackets, clutch master and slave and piping, different half shafts, Flywheel and clutch assembly, F, R motor mounts. The Goblin frames have multi pattern mounting holes to attach to all Cobalt transmissions. I'm not going to say it is easy but I believe I could(using the magic of E-mail and pictures) walk anyone who has built a running Goblin through this change. Also ask DF Kit Cars, they may have a bundle of parts and instructions, if someone wants to do this conversion?

 

[Gtstorey]

A lot of the modern stuff is not that easy to swap over to auto. I don’t know about the base Cobalt but it might also need an ECM swap.

 

[Fenix Nexen]

Finally ran into my first problem. The nut on the sway bar link is freely spinning and I have been unable to get it free. Same deal for the other side.

- YouTube

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

youtube.com

 

[Robinjo]

Finally ran into my first problem. The nut on the sway bar link is freely spinning and I have been unable to get it free. Same deal for the other side.

- YouTube

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

youtube.com

Mine wouldn’t disconnect either. A saw-zaw ripped right through the end-links

 

[Fenix Nexen]

Mine wouldn’t disconnect either. A saw-zaw ripped right through the end-links

I'll just buy new ones

 

[Robinjo]

If you even run a sway bar. I don’t have one…. Some do though

 

[Fenix Nexen]

If you even run a sway bar. I don’t have one…. Some do though

I will have to research this then.. care to teach me the pros and cons?

 

[SmsDetroit]

I don’t run one either

 

[Robinjo]

I will have to research this then.. care to teach me the pros and cons?

I’m not sure on a mid engine setup. I’m learning just like you.