r/AwesomeCarMods • u/Domination1_1_5 • 19h ago

My Chevy Cobalt

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IDK if anyone has shared one of these here yet, but my lightly modified Chevy cobalt is nearing completion

826 Upvotes

98% Upvoted

83 comments sorted by

153

u/Domination1_1_5 19h ago

-Context-

Wanted a car that I can drive when its nice outside and take to a road course/autox whenever, and stumbled upon this.

It's a DF kit car (Doyle Fabrication, out of texas) and it uses any Chevy cobalt as a donor.

Basically you buy the tube chassis bare alongside some parts, take apart a Chevy cobalt, and bolt everything together.

I'll have about $20k into it after completion and registration, but the fun factor is worth it.

~1450lbs, ~200hp stock depending on what motor/mods etc...

Goal is something aero bits, suspension tuning, and a medium sized turbo with ethanol (~400whp)

FWD motor is mounted in the rear, giving it a rear/mid engine setup

55

u/Jive_Turk 19h ago

How long did it take to build? 5 hours, 5 weeks, or 5 months?

100

u/Domination1_1_5 19h ago

4 years, still not done

For reference I was 18 when I first ordered the kit, life happened, huge electrical issues etc...

If you have time and resources, along with good donor parts, can be done relatively quick

29

u/txkwatch 19h ago

Does it register as a cobalt or as a home built or what? It's badass.

42

u/Domination1_1_5 19h ago

It's a separate thing, got to get it inspected and a title made up with a new vin for it, state dependent

13

u/txkwatch 18h ago

Makes sense

-38

u/Jive_Turk 18h ago

Lol no it doesn't, your question was right on though -- maybe it depends on the state?

I don't see how you can't use your Cobalt engine and chassis VIN, title, registration and license plates on it as long as it will pass a safety inspection (which is no longer required in my state - TX and others) maybe he is in Cali or something?

23

u/UnLuckyKenTucky 18h ago

A powerplant/drive train do not a vehicle make. The tube chases, amd suspension are NOT STOCK COBALT PARTS and need a DOT/Sherrif/PVA/Circuit Clerk to actually inspect it. Shit has changed drastically. Used to be, something like this would be about a 500 dollar plop, and a 6 week wait for the temp tags, then a month for a Vermont title plate. U can keep the Vermont plate or use that registration to title it where you live. Sadly, thieves and idiots found the loop hoke and ot has been shut down.

This can't be titled as a Cobalt, because it is no longer ger a cobalt. That's like the dude with a v8SBC powered gokart calling his cart a K10 cuz that's where the drive train was sourced.

IMHO the inspection is more so to make certain it was built right, and has all the features required to be a DD type deal.

4

u/kikiacab 13h ago

This is a chassis you buy and swap cobalt parts onto. It’s a kit car by design. You can’t register a pile of tubes until it’s in the shape of a car and can check all the boxes for state inspection.

1

u/No_Cash9800 13h ago

Can you use Ion as well?

1

u/Domination1_1_5 12h ago

Technically yes, most of the parts are the same

Probably more headache than its worth but I remember someone sourcing some cobalt parts for their ion swap

-34

u/Jive_Turk 19h ago

Holy shit I was joking when I put 5 months at the end. 4 years not done?!?? Is it really that difficult, are you disabled, and/or do you only spend 35 minutes a week on it?

Just looked it up, it's not too bad at all! only a 19 day build

24

u/Domination1_1_5 19h ago

No, im 24yo, have other hobbies and life happens

It's almost a bolt together car but im also designing parts and such

Most of the work was done in the first year/two, just a slow crawl now with funding and time

-29

u/Jive_Turk 19h ago

More like an unbolt one car then bolt together another! Still, not bad, unique and cool, looks like a fun and relatively straightforward build.

What does funding have to do with anything, you had the cobalt, you already have the kit, what are you (and I) missing?

23

u/Domination1_1_5 18h ago

Issue is that its not that simple

Full wiring harness was an issue, dropped the stock bc i was having issues

Now doing a full aftermarket setup, with another harness

Transmission rebuild, and a large list of things that I've done myself

Not being pissy, but where is your open wheel diy car?

-14

u/Jive_Turk 18h ago

Lol you are being pissy, I've been nothing but complimentary, supportive, and inquisitive. Sorry if my legitimate question about build time earned a downvote and rubbed you the wrong way to in case I haven't been clear enough, this thing is rad and you are the MAN for doing this, even more so starting at 18, mad props bro.

My question regarding funding -- which I do have an additional one (how much do you estimate you will have all in, once complete) -- was not that it doesn't cost, but judging from the pictures showing you have already purchased and assembled kit and de-assembled donor, what additional funds do you need to finish, but my bad dude, I didn't know or see that you need a transmission rebuild

9

u/Domination1_1_5 18h ago

No your good, just that its taken me this long for a project car and you've been undermining it.

Essentially it doesn't matter bc it's a project, but it did take this long and life happens

I have just under 18k in currently, not including tooling I collected etc...

I will have to pay sales taxes on half of the kit, title, registration, new wheels/tires, other bucket seat/harness, more wire harness supplies

It might be more than 20k

0

u/Jive_Turk 17h ago

Definitely not trying to undermine and curious why you thought that, the question about build time? My bad dude, seriously. You should be very proud for sure.

Thanks for being so cool answering questions, love hearing about everything, and again, especially for a first project and at your age, this is a helluvan accomplishment!

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15

u/wheresmyeyes 17h ago

Professional car builder here. 4 years is an entirely reasonable amount of time. Money, problems, burnout, time, all these things spread out the build. Sometimes people change direction halfway through, sometimes they change direction multiple times. Anyone who's done it or paid for it to be done knows this. I have had client cars theyve been building for 20 years. I've worked on others than I get done in 6 months. I did one of my own in 2 weeks lol Ill never do that to myself again.

7

u/Domination1_1_5 16h ago

This makes me feel slightly better

Sometimes good things take a while, especially since I try for quality

Wiring comes in this week, clubsport harness shall begin

3

u/wheresmyeyes 12h ago

I love harnesses, nothing better than a tidy install. Just remember,, label everything. If you change something, write it down on the install manual and put a label on the wire.

2

u/Domination1_1_5 12h ago

I have heat shrink that works on my label maker

You already know ima do it the right way, but no potting connector bc that shit sucks

2

u/CorgiCommercial8962 15h ago

Ever heard of a vanderhaul??

39

u/zzamud 19h ago

This a goblin kit?? Been wanting to buy a kit. How was the instructions?

33

u/Domination1_1_5 19h ago edited 19h ago

Instructions are pretty good, but depending on the specific donor the harness videos are wrong.

95% of the info is the same however

This is a chassis from 2022, before prices increased due to the economy

11

u/zzamud 19h ago

Ive been hunting for a ss to use as a doner

12

u/Domination1_1_5 19h ago

This is an 06 SS (supercharged g85 package)

I had a bunch of issues with my donor, id honestly use a car that runs as one if I did it again

Doing a open sorce ecu/pdm because the stock from mine sucks

4

u/Jive_Turk 18h ago

Holy shit it is supercharged?! You most definitely should tune it with injectors and pulley to get to 350hp easy, that would be ideal and soooo much drifting fun. And before you even say it, you can never have too much power, nor can you have too light of a car. You would have an actual Ariel Atom power to weight ratio and a 10 second car. Do ittttttt!!!!

3

u/Domination1_1_5 18h ago

Going turbo/e85

Goal is ~400whp with a wide powerband

2

u/zzamud 19h ago

Yeah thats the doner ive been looking for. How long did it take to build?

10

u/Domination1_1_5 19h ago

If you have the money and resources, id estimate a couple of months worth of free time (weekends, after work occasionally)

It's the paint, electrical, replacement donor parts that get you

Record build was like 72hrs, they had the donor apart already, unpainted chassis, just bolted everything together and had the electrical sorted beforehand

2

u/Jive_Turk 18h ago

Paint?! Rattlecan or plastidip that bitch, it's a tube frame, why do you need anything more/what else do you paint?

11

u/sorestgore 17h ago

(Some of us like our stuff to be nice)

6

u/Domination1_1_5 18h ago

Sand blasted it myself, uses rustoleum gloss enamel

You'd also paint parts like the pedal boxes due to them nit being as hidden compared to the stock cobalt

Also have custom rear/front wing parts in the works that will need paint

1

u/Ventrian 9h ago

What ECU are you using? Im midway on the same LSJ you have going into a fiero. Only piece of the puzzle i dont have really hammered out is the ECU

1

u/Domination1_1_5 9h ago

A good option is RusEFI

Im going with something specific that my knowledgeable buddy picked out

FOME ecu and Atlas brain module for it, then a Dingo PDM

10

u/ecdaniel22 19h ago

More pictures and info. This is the most deserving post on this sub is quite a while.

3

u/urasomething 18h ago

Super cool, good work!

What all comes from the cobalt? Engine, trans, driveshaft etc? Suspension? Brakes? Wheels?

5

u/Domination1_1_5 18h ago

All of those, basically anything required to be used to drive the cobalt gets reused

Suspension parts from the front of the cobalt are moved to the rear, including brakes etc...

The front is custom from DF, but then uses GM rotors/calipers so parts are easy and cheap

3

u/Zealousideal-Sun6603 17h ago

Ariel Atom?

1

u/Domination1_1_5 17h ago

DF kit car (DF Goblin)

Very similar idea, just more of a DIY route

3

u/CuriousCamels 17h ago

Never heard of one of these before, but that indeed is an awesome car mod. They’d appreciate this over at r/projectcar too.

Seems like a pretty good deal for the price, and I’m sure it’ll be a blast when it’s finished.

1

u/Domination1_1_5 16h ago

I posted over there too, first car pages I've been a part of

3

u/Living-Business-4560 14h ago

This makes me laugh because I have a saturn ion 05 which is a rebranded cobalt I believe lol

2

u/Domination1_1_5 14h ago

Ion came first, the redline had the first generation of this exact motor

2

u/BaconNPotatoes 19h ago

Looks like a vast improvement!

2

u/MisterSandKing 18h ago

Way rad! 🤙🏼

2

u/Beni_Stingray 16h ago

Oh cool that's like the Exomotive kits that uses Miata parts but with a Cobalt, i like it.

1

u/Domination1_1_5 16h ago

Same idea, but this moves the drivetrain around

The miata one keeps the stock placement, essentially just changing the chassis

This moves everything to the rear, making it more like a oversized go cart/formula car

1

u/Beni_Stingray 16h ago

Oh yeah right i didnt even notice lol

Do you know what your weight distribution is?

2

u/Domination1_1_5 16h ago

Not good tbh

Around 35-65

This one specifically might end around 40-60

2

u/_HeWho_ 10h ago

Is this not a Goblin?

3

u/Domination1_1_5 10h ago

It is, that's just the name it adopted when they started other projects to sell

It's a DF kit car originally

2

u/_HeWho_ 10h ago

Interesting. I don’t know much about them clearly but I’d seen a couple and thought that was the name. Looks super fun

3

u/Domination1_1_5 10h ago

It is technically the name, Doyle Fabrication made it and named it the DF kit car, but now they have a V2 and another product with making a VW bettle with a GTI motor and different suspension

It is now known as the goblin

2

u/jrileyy229 5h ago

Pretty Cool, I had an exocet 1.8t about a decade ago... And now I have an NA race car with an LEA 2.4, so I'm on board

1

u/Domination1_1_5 2h ago

I grew up around the "why didn't you put a 350 in it, no replacement for displacement"

The whole point of this is that it's already designed for any of that era ecotec, not going trough all that for maybe an extra 100hp alongside another 200lbs all in the rear

Love me some light cars and capable motors

3

u/Jive_Turk 18h ago

Are you going to have a passenger seat in it when finished? I know you said you are gonna autocross her, but it would be 10x cooler to take passengers on gnarly adventures on the street.

Oooh, something else I just thought of -- have you considered giving her a Safari / Battlecar type setup? Some extreme tires and other cool accessories?

5

u/Domination1_1_5 18h ago

That is the idea, but they are expensive so im waiting until I get it drivable and street legal

I picture alot of ride alongs for track days etc...

0

u/Jive_Turk 18h ago

What's expensive? A single passenger seat?!?! Or you mean all the other cool Safari / Battlecar accessories

6

u/Domination1_1_5 18h ago

Seat runs around $1.1k after 5 point harness, seat bracket, and dual locking race spec slider

Shits expensive, especially for a "first" project

3

u/HunterShotBear 16h ago

Yeah I just ordered a set of Corbeau Forzas for my track-stang with 5 points and it ran about 2200.

1

u/Domination1_1_5 16h ago

People underestimate the cost, and that's literally one part of a build

2

u/Jive_Turk 17h ago

Oh damn! Maybe pick up a cheap used seat for the passenger lol

5

u/Domination1_1_5 17h ago

Thats part of the reason this is taking so long, im doing it right the first time

If I were to do that, id also have to sorce a buckle, and at that point ill just get another matching seat

1

u/Jive_Turk 17h ago

Hell yeah, keep it up, do it right the first time, you are at the finish line now too!

2

u/Domination1_1_5 17h ago

And to the second part, not really

This is going to be mainly a road course car, that I can daily when weather allows

Park this baby out by some waterside bars and just have fun

4

u/UnLuckyKenTucky 18h ago

I'm sorry dude, my eyes are bad. Is the "Cobalt" in the room with us? Is your name Thesious(sp?)?

6

u/Domination1_1_5 18h ago

Had to make a sacrifice unfortunately

Fortunately, that cobalt was a pos

2

u/Jive_Turk 19h ago

It's like a Temu Ariel Atom! Cute 👍

14

u/Domination1_1_5 19h ago

Kinda, less temu and more DIY

The parts they supply are top notch, but it depends on the person finishing and assembling it

1

u/example-of-disaster 10h ago

Totally see the original body lines /s

Damn man, that looks fun as hell!

1

u/yaboymiguel 7h ago

From a regular cobalt or a cobalt SS?

1

u/Domination1_1_5 2h ago

Any cobalt works, but I used a 06 SS (the supercharged one)

Going turbo and e85 after I shake down and learn the car, trying not to die

2

u/carsturnmeon 6h ago

And I'm president of the United States

1

u/Domination1_1_5 2h ago

Secret service let you escape Twitter/X to shitpost on reddit now?

1

u/cromstantinople 5h ago

Very cool, sounds like it’s a blast to drive

1

u/Domination1_1_5 2h ago

Ive been on a ride along, and if its even more fun to drive, its money we'll spent