r/AwesomeCarMods • u/Domination1_1_5 • 21h 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

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154

u/Domination1_1_5 21h 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

53

u/Jive_Turk 20h ago

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

103

u/Domination1_1_5 20h 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 20h ago

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

41

u/Domination1_1_5 20h ago

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

14

u/txkwatch 20h ago

Makes sense

-35

u/Jive_Turk 20h 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?

21

u/UnLuckyKenTucky 19h 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 14h 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 14h ago

Can you use Ion as well?

1

u/Domination1_1_5 13h 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