COBALTace

Guess I'll start a build thread. This is the best fourm consitering theres good quality vendors and no kids who just want a d*** mesuring contest all the time!

This sure won't be a fast moving build or a professional build by any means. This is a car that i plan on keeping for ever as long the thing runs. Its in about 6.5/10 condition, for a car thats been in Nova Scotia and that has been driven for close to 12 years! This is good stuff.
I am no mechanic, welder, scientist, or politican so expect some curse words and some wrong turns in the seriesof this build as it will be my first. I have connections to mechanics, body guys, welders, dealership. So I am set-ish in that department.

I plan on having this build completed and tuned for fall of 2018. After that it wont be winter driven unless someone steals it or i decide to beat it (both highly unlikey LOL)

The car: 2.2 L61 ecotec, 5 speed, 2005 Ion quad coupe

143xxxkm on body. 9500km on engine and F35trans.

I am saving up for the FE5/YYZ, M62 and zzp accessories with option b cooling reservoir, single gauge and cubby bezel, full Kenwood eXcelon audio gear.

Already done to the car:
-New engine and trans (shift cables too) from parts car
-Transfered suspension from parts car
-Made a wood deck for the trunk. Had a leak and the oem trunk deck got moist, stunk up the whole car and was bowed in 7 different directions!
-custom double 12" sub enclosure, with one 12" sub and custom amp enclosure



Will post pictures when i get a better Internet source

Slowbalt2000

iTrader: (1)

Youre on the rigth track with powell springs and an sc kit.

Your car should have the f23 transmission unless you swapped it.

COBALTace

I do believe its f35. I dont know a book load about transmissions but it has right in the housin f35. Could mean something else but...if you say so haha

Would you recommend getting both front and rear trans mounts by zzp to try and help eliminate wheel hop? That **** kills. I used to beat my cobalt and it literally loosened the strut right off the top mount!

Sharkey

iTrader: (1)

the f35 only came with the 2.0l sc, it never came with the 2.2l. the f23 is what came with the 2.2l.

COBALTace

Ok. Where and how would i tell what transmission i have. Because the bell housing has F35 right in the metal. It could be an f35 or 23 or a damn cat in a hat for all i know but how do i 100% find out? Hahaha

Sharkey

iTrader: (1)

the f23 has a red or black cap on the top to fill it, the f35 doesnt

COBALTace

Got the square square now haha.
Was it ever a a pain to get it that way! Rasped for about 2 hours and checked it with a square every so often to be sure.
Plywood trunk cut out now i just need to add some braces to it because i didnt think about the factor of it not sitting flat.




Thats the plan anyways :/

jdbaugh1

iTrader: (1)

You need to find out for sure what transmission you have before considering engine mounts. Far as I know the only shop that makes rotate mounts for the F23 is Powell.

Have you built speaker boxes before? One thing I can tell you from back when I built them is make sure the speaker enclosure is sealed air tight. I used to run a bead of calking around the inside of the joints after assembly. One little air leak will ruin the sound.

COBALTace

Ahhhh craaaap! Went to the shop to get a few ring terminals and 4gu. wire for the woofers...parked by the exit and on ether side they have big dumb rocks. Well i got into a scrap with one. The ultimate of stupid mistakes! I got in the car, reveresed and took off in first gear (slowly like any other day) to find myself smack dap ontop of one of the mentioned rocks! C sucker!!!


Broken rad support, fog light housing, bottom grille, hairline crack in d side fender, and thr bumper is toast...

07blackg5

iTrader: (8)

uhhhh

user 72239

iTrader: (4)

is this for real

jdbaugh1

iTrader: (1)

Those rocks are there to keep people from cutting the corners and running over the grass lmao. Surprised you didn't screw up your lower control arm.

COBALTace

I know man! It was one awful heck of a thud. I hit the sunvisor it stopped me so hard. The damned thing was rebared down and i snapped it but the only thing metal on the car the broke was the rad support!! It didnt even fully brake it just bent two of the prongs back like a banana peel. There was a Town truck with two guys in it and when i left the shop i held the door for them. They were just getting in their truck when i put it in 1st gear. Man alive they got some kick out of my moves at first! I went over and asked if they had a chain ut they didn't....nosey buggers came over and checked it all out. They werent muh help but stood there and critiqued my driving. I mean i was standing there swearig like a spaztic up down sideways and left. There was a guy i went to school wih working today so luckly he came out and pulled me off the rock with his truck. Thank god for him!

COBALTace

Not to mention I go out this same exit/entry driveway maybe 2 or 3 times a week!!! Ughhhh

COBALTace

Bout as real as it gets LMAO

COBALTace

Would it be worth it to save for a whole set of black interior panels or would it be easier to prep and paint them with high quality plastic paint and really payig attention to doing it right? I am in between a rock and a hard place wih my front bumper. Until i make someextra money. Its only cosmetic so im not overly concerned.i can just melt & fill then paint the bumper myself.....I'd like to get fog lights aswell while I'm at it. Could i just run a loom of wires from the OEM switch spot to the fuse panel through the firewall and then straight to the lamps themselves? I wired ones in my Cobalt to the low-beam fuse and grounded them on the bumper with a bolt I put there....sadly 2 days later I got tboned and it wrote the car off...lost because i had just come off another street within 100m. Woman who hit me merged ontop of me when she came flying through a yellow light and didnt want to go slow behind the car she had followed through the lights. And I "Ran the stop sign and jumped out infonrt of her in a split second" she told the police. She made a big scene and called an ambulamce. When i went up to her SUV she rolled down the window and told me to "F off, youre giving me a heart attack!!" ....she won and got 5000$ for bodily harm, and her car fixed. I got 117$/month insurance and no car for 3 weeks while it got the frame pulled and once the parts arrived. Lol rambling much

jdbaugh1

iTrader: (1)

Holy **** bro lmao. It sounds like it's a good thing this doesn't have a supercharger on it yet. Seems like you get a bit distracted while driving sometimes.

COBALTace

Sometimes lol

COBALTace

Amp enclosure soon to have plexi glass window
Tried my luck at sewing......its dryer sheet dust, not cig ash dont worry don't smoke haha

heeter_33

Good for you for posting that, not a chance I'd be advertising I ran into a giant rock haha.

COBALTace

COBALTace

EDIT:Sorry. Undercoating made it look like 35. It is the f23. Guess icant drive or read damnit

COBALTace

Got new, metal, wiper linkage put on today... Works good so far.

jdbaugh1

iTrader: (1)

Looks like you might be leaking a little bit of fluid around there somewhere.

COBALTace

There is so much undercoating you would think an ape did it! I didnt want it to have any chance rusting out this winter since last winter was the only winter it wasnt undercoated (i have recipts; and the window sticker from dealer haha)

Im going to take all the panels off again on another nice day and wire brush and paint all of the bad spots. That may not happen for a while yet though. Been fridgd out these last 2 weeks i tell ya!




Windchill makes it -10 lower as well.