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V1 LaunchPad's technology demonstrator -08 SS/TC donor- #109 registered
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- #109
LaunchPad
Well-Known Member
- LaunchPad Well-Known Member
I'm still down for recovery- no pain involved so it would be really easy to overdo things and open up more bleeding and longer term bad things. Feels like an eternity just lying around for the most part or short walks, enough so that I lost count of the days. The wife to cheer me up stuck the wheels from my Solstice GXP (245/45R18 all 4 corners) on the wheel studs and let me run the lug nuts in with my dewalt- the car still sits up on jack stands tho. 
I haven't been able to locate a vendor the rear rims I need for the 285/40r18 tires I really want to put on the rear just yet so these will have to do for this year.
One thing I immediately noticed is the rear is 1.5 inches more narrow than the front. I don't like it a bit. the aesthetics is all off for one. it is not quite a trike but man that just bugs me. This narrow rear end does not fit the car lifetime experience. I have seen folks on the forum swear it will handle better but my mechanical engineering degree and vehicle dynamics classes and books do not back that statement up- unless we actually want to talk trikes and CG for those is dramatically different among other things. So these are likely anecdotal opinions perhaps? I can also point out dozens, if not many many more, examples of performance vehicles where this is absolutely NOT the case as well as some of the worst performing vehicles on the planet having narrower rear ends. . .ford vans and citrons just two of those. My Stalker is extremely wider in the rear than the front and the Stalkers (Locost/clubman/super 7/etc) hold more road course records to this day than ANY other car- but then its weight bias is to the front where I am very sure that the Goblin weight bias is to the rear (I haven't weighed it yet but it should be obvious) .
So any chance one of the folks making the claim that a narrower rear end is better are able to produce the graphics and math?
Meanwhile, I am off to hunt for wheel spacers. . .which may end up helping me locate a set of suitable rear rims until I have actual math data I have 6 cars to try and standardize my wheel/tire combos. Hopefully, it isn't a 6 time mistake. lol
I haven't been able to locate a vendor the rear rims I need for the 285/40r18 tires I really want to put on the rear just yet so these will have to do for this year.One thing I immediately noticed is the rear is 1.5 inches more narrow than the front. I don't like it a bit. the aesthetics is all off for one. it is not quite a trike but man that just bugs me. This narrow rear end does not fit the car lifetime experience. I have seen folks on the forum swear it will handle better but my mechanical engineering degree and vehicle dynamics classes and books do not back that statement up- unless we actually want to talk trikes and CG for those is dramatically different among other things. So these are likely anecdotal opinions perhaps? I can also point out dozens, if not many many more, examples of performance vehicles where this is absolutely NOT the case as well as some of the worst performing vehicles on the planet having narrower rear ends. . .ford vans and citrons just two of those. My Stalker is extremely wider in the rear than the front and the Stalkers (Locost/clubman/super 7/etc) hold more road course records to this day than ANY other car- but then its weight bias is to the front where I am very sure that the Goblin weight bias is to the rear (I haven't weighed it yet but it should be obvious) .
So any chance one of the folks making the claim that a narrower rear end is better are able to produce the graphics and math?
Meanwhile, I am off to hunt for wheel spacers. . .which may end up helping me locate a set of suitable rear rims until I have actual math data I have 6 cars to try and standardize my wheel/tire combos. Hopefully, it isn't a 6 time mistake. lol
- Gtstorey Goblin Guru
I try and not get hung up on perfect geometry/setup on anything I have and just concentrate on learning to drive what I have. That said, I don't see that 1.5" will make that much difference anyway. Maybe not mathematically the best, but practically probably not that much difference.
Rttoys
Smokin' Goblin
- Rttoys Smokin' Goblin
I don’t have an engineering degree and I didn’t stay in a holiday inn express last night, but my CDO won’t let me keep the rears narrower than the front. I used 1” spacers in the rear for a long time, when I had a “square setup”. I later went with larger rear tires to give the illusion of it being square. I have no idea if it affected the handling in any way or if it’s better or worse than stock, but my CDO is happy. 
LaunchPad
Well-Known Member
- LaunchPad Well-Known Member
My wife calls all my cars my mistresses; and I like a little shape to 'em rather than looking like an old dudes butt. lol. How many folks remember this ad? should be the same lookin at em in the garage.
Cadillac commercial - Turn You On feat Hum [HQ]
i'll likely be following the with Goblin with wife or daughter behind the wheel- the seats in the Stalker are not adjustable and i just cant seem them being able to drive that one.
I’m not old, but can’t believe I’m the same age as old people. 
Desert Sasqwatch
Bigfoot Goblin
- Desert Sasqwatch Bigfoot Goblin
Old dudes butt:
Mistresses butt:
Mistresses butt:
LaunchPad
Well-Known Member
- LaunchPad Well-Known Member
On Thursday the doc gave me clearance for "light duty" but 6 more weeks of recovery- not sure what that really means other than when the gurls stepped out I snuck out to the shop and got the Goblin off the jack stands and took it out for a drive at LONG last!! woot woot. it has also graduated from a shop car to parking in the garage!! the gurls were a bit upset at me I think only because the daughter missed out on being "first" so the Goblin has been out on 3 each 2 mile length rides thus far because of course i had to take them too- lol.
I have some CELs to address-- mostly the same ones over and over.
P0036-HO2S heater Control Circuit Sensor 2
P0100- Mass Air Flow (MAF) Sensor circuit
P0449- Evaporative Emission (EVAP) Vent Solenoid Valve Control Circuit
P0452- fuel tank pressure sensor circuit low voltage
and some instrument cluster lights that i think the computer needs sent in to be programmed for (air bag, abs, traction control, parking brake- are there wires i am missing for the parking brake?)
Some things i noticed on early drives that i need to fix or in some cases might just need to get used to:
She's very fast- but 1st gear is waaaaaaaay too low even with the bigger wheel/tire combos there is quite a bit of lurching like a Hollywood version of someone that cant drive manual. lol.
The frame bar just outside the clutch pedal area tends to hang up my foot when operating the clutch- going to need some interior tin work for free travel of my big foot.
5th gear has thus far been inaccessible while driving- just doesnt want to go into this gear.
the roads are sooooo rough and bouncy around here I cannot drive at a steady speed without the gas pedal foot bouncing on the gas pedal making the turbo cut in and out. woosh woosh woosh woosh. anyone got a suggest preload distance for the various springs? i want to upgrade the fronts to a progressive style but right now i need to prioritize funding things that are show stoppers vs just upgrades.
6 miles with no grill has already messed up a great many of the radiator fins. . .so i need at least some level of nose protection until i really decide what to do with for a body.
My wheel spacers for the rear have arrived. . .may have daughter install them. it will build character. lol.
I have some CELs to address-- mostly the same ones over and over.
P0036-HO2S heater Control Circuit Sensor 2
P0100- Mass Air Flow (MAF) Sensor circuit
P0449- Evaporative Emission (EVAP) Vent Solenoid Valve Control Circuit
P0452- fuel tank pressure sensor circuit low voltage
and some instrument cluster lights that i think the computer needs sent in to be programmed for (air bag, abs, traction control, parking brake- are there wires i am missing for the parking brake?)
Some things i noticed on early drives that i need to fix or in some cases might just need to get used to:
She's very fast- but 1st gear is waaaaaaaay too low even with the bigger wheel/tire combos there is quite a bit of lurching like a Hollywood version of someone that cant drive manual. lol.
The frame bar just outside the clutch pedal area tends to hang up my foot when operating the clutch- going to need some interior tin work for free travel of my big foot.
5th gear has thus far been inaccessible while driving- just doesnt want to go into this gear.
the roads are sooooo rough and bouncy around here I cannot drive at a steady speed without the gas pedal foot bouncing on the gas pedal making the turbo cut in and out. woosh woosh woosh woosh. anyone got a suggest preload distance for the various springs? i want to upgrade the fronts to a progressive style but right now i need to prioritize funding things that are show stoppers vs just upgrades.
6 miles with no grill has already messed up a great many of the radiator fins. . .so i need at least some level of nose protection until i really decide what to do with for a body.
My wheel spacers for the rear have arrived. . .may have daughter install them. it will build character. lol.
Rttoys
Smokin' Goblin
- Rttoys Smokin' Goblin
Clear the codes and see what comes back. the MAF and fuel tank pressure sensor may be the only 2 of concern. Evap and second O2 are gone, so those need to be programmed out.
you can’t program out the abs, srs, or tc lights. Easiest is to open up the cluster and put electrical tape over them.
everything else is normal goblin stuff you’ll get use to.
you can’t program out the abs, srs, or tc lights. Easiest is to open up the cluster and put electrical tape over them.
everything else is normal goblin stuff you’ll get use to.
Ross
Goblin Professor
- Ross Goblin Professor
The EPA has been hassling the shops that tune ECUs. So HP Tuners got scared, and removed all their race engine tunes from their library, and they updated their software so that it couldn't remove some of the instrument panel lights. I don't know if ZZP can remove those lights because they use HP Tuners, just like we do.
Use tape to block off some of the instrument cluster lights, and fix the the MAF, as that looks like a real issue.
Taping the idiot lights on the dash / instrument cluster.
Use tape to block off some of the instrument cluster lights, and fix the the MAF, as that looks like a real issue.
Taping the idiot lights on the dash / instrument cluster.
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Desert Sasqwatch
Bigfoot Goblin
- Desert Sasqwatch Bigfoot Goblin
Contact @Brian74 for a grill option he is working on. No fabrication and can be customized, within reason. He may make a few extra to sell to select builders if they ask nicely. 
Desert Sasqwatch
Bigfoot Goblin
- Desert Sasqwatch Bigfoot Goblin
The EPA is getting their teeth pulled and are trying to crack down as their last 'hurrah' before they become the overseers they were meant to be and not rule makers. This cannot happen soon enough.
Markm
Goblin Guru
- Markm Goblin Guru
I used the same method as Ross to turn of the airbag light. Our donor didn’t have abs but if it did it would’ve gotten the same treatment. The purge solenoid and the fuel tank pressure sensor codes ignore. Check your fuses for the Maf code or check for power the pink wire on the Maf connector.
Markm
Goblin Guru
- Markm Goblin Guru
A couple other things you noted. What shifter are you using to have trouble finding 5th? And the bouncy road syndrome, I place my foot differently for bouncy roads, I try to keep my foot straighter vertical so the bouncy roads don’t effect throttle much. Also when I wear my work boots I have the issue of the side bar/shoe contact issue so when we travel in it I wear different shoes that are more narrow.
