COBALTace

Wanting some ideas on what would be some of your guys' suggestions on what to dig into first!

The Car:
Bought it with a motor on its last legs. Made it almost home then the genies under the hood that were somehow keeping it alive, flew the coop! Towed back the rest of the way home.
-got a wrecked Ion with 9000km on it. Every thing from the rear axel up was fine on the parts car. (Since it was wrecked it sat in a yard covered with multiple tarps, it was basically like new)
-put new engine w. 9000km in
-put new transmission w. 9000km in
-put steering components in (bushings, arms, Rods, the whole 9 yards!)
-new winter tires just for this season. The car will not be driven in the winter for the remainder of its life. Gonna be a garage queen...I hope.

Only needs a headliner, driver side sun visor (original wouldn't stay up without blue pill), radio bezel, and some seats on the interior. Carpets are the same colour black they were when it left the Michigan factory. I am going to gut it of all the panels in May or June and paint them black... all black, nice deep dark desolate bllllaaaaaaaccccckkkkk MUHAHAHA

I am already in the process of saving for a m62 and all parts needed. That will be done summer or fall of 2018. This summer I want to focus hard on internals, and internals ALONE

I am purchasing an exhaust system (very small leak after flex pipe as well as around cat.), and a 2.4L ecotec intake manifold just to accommodate the internals until the supercharger build takes place.

Suspension is alright in the car. Front in all from the parts car so it's good...but the back does bounce like you got a fat chick in the trunk if you hit a good frost heave or pothole in the road, probably rate it,10 being worst - 1 being best, at most a 7/10. Would you suggest getting brand new rear struts and shocks and lowering springs. THEN risk having it being even more of a bumpy ride or go for some stock SS struts and shocks with springs

Right now I am looking at Viton valve seals, Pistons, connecting rods, metal Head Gasket, wrist pins, Rod Bolts, Headstuds, Rod bearing

Is there anything else major I should be looking at? I am wanting to achieve a solid 10psi by the end of this build. Tune will be done by ZZP at this point in time.

Picture time!! Passenger side
Driver side
Engine bay
F35
Exterior. Tinted the side markers, they looked tachy...
Interior. All panels painted black, Black cloth or SS seats also on shopping list

jdbaugh1

iTrader: (1)

You can boost 10 psi on stock internals no problem. If you are going to go to the work of installing forged rods and pistons I would go for more power to make it worth it as forged will be overkill on 10 psi with supercharger. If you go for more power the M62 will be your limiting factor. TVS is expensive so you might give turbo a consideration. Turbo is harder to setup but if you are willing to break into the engine I think you would be able to figure out a turbo.

Is there a reason you are replacing the valve seals? If you end up going with supercharger you could put in stiffer valve springs if you want to rev a bit higher.

Even though your ion (someone chirp in if I am wrong) is in new condition you might want to go ahead and replace the timing chain tensioner because the initial designs were inferior and sometimes led to timing chain failure. Your con rods should come with bolts. You will need intake and exhaust gaskets, new cam sprocket bolts because they are torque to yield. People may have a way around it but generally when the head comes off you also have to remove the front timing chain cover so that you can properly time the cams with the crank. You will need a new crank pulley/harmonic balancer bolt because it is also torque to yield. While you are at it you might consider CED's timing chain guide bolt upgrade kit to make it more robust. That's all I can think of at the moment.

As far as suspension CED has a kit from Powell that is FE5 TC Cobalt struts with YYZ springs. If you desire good handling this is the route I would go. Buy once, cry once. You will probably also want Powells F23 rotated trans/engine mount for wheel hop because it is definitely a problem once you get more power. That can only be bought direct from Powell that I know of. If you get real crazy you can put on FE5 TC Cobalt control arms with rear spherical bushings and that is also a huge improvement over our junk steel stock arms with voided rear bushings.

If you have any more questions or would like to track your build here go start a build thread in the 2.2 L61 section.