whats up everyone. im in the market for another car, i currently own a 03 sentra ser spec v. I have had the car for about 8 years i bought it because it was "best bang for your buck" at the time but i ended spending over $10,000 over the years on an engine rebuild and lots of other stuff that went wrong with the car.
Now... cobalt ss tc.. pretty much best bang for your buck again performance wise.
i want the car i just dont want to be in the same situation where i replace one thing and another breaks. is the ss tc one of those cars that can never seem to run right?
im looking at one that has about 40,000 miles and 1 owner.
with your current knowledge would you advise getting the cobalt or be against it reliability wise. i plan on getting around 300whp in the end.
do these things need clutch replacement at 300whp as well?

 

Not really. Stage 1 bring it very close. All depends on what your plans are... launching from a drag box, auto x etc. If it's just a daily driver with the odd pull from a roll etc you should be fine IMO.
As far as asking the question " i replace one thing and another breaks. is the ss tc one of those cars that can never seem to run right?"
I am not hard on my car at all, and this is NOT the case. The TC seems to hold up well. The launch control was tested hundreds of times without issue during one review. I dont use it.
Again, if you beat the **** out of any car it will break. If you continuously run 1/4 mile pulls from a drag box time and time again, then the clock starts ticking. If you race, you will break something. Im sure someone here will say thats BS but it's been my experience and I have been driving balts and launching them etc since 05

 

Cobalt ss turbo, best bang for your buck performance wise. to get 300whp, just have to get HPtuners, intake, downpipe. Good to go.


This car is not one of those cars that constantly have things breaking on it but the stock clutch is rated to 320trq so if you make 300whp, chances are you'll be making north 320trq and you may experience slip at lower rpms.

THe engines pretty solid, so is the turbo. The transmission has been stated to handle 380-400 hp so there shouldnt be a problem there for you.

The thing you will complain about most on the cobalt is the tires are going to constantly need to be replaced as 300whp will spin your tires like crazy.

Good luck finding the car. Hope you can find one. Its a nice deal of a car. Suspension is pretty good from factory.

 

They are solid with decent care. Stock clutch would hold that.

Try to find an untuned one and save yourself a potential headache. I'm not saying don't tune it. Just be careful about who tunes and how far it may have been pushed.

 

^ x2 on this. Try finding one that is all stock,that someone used as a daily driver. Then start building it. Also didn't some of these cars have bad blocks from the factory? NOT SAYING THERE WAS, but thought I heard something about that. So might want to keep your eyes open on that.

 

I haven't had to do anything major. I just do my regular maintenance and everything is good. You cannot beat the performance to dollar ratio. With just the gms1 tune im faster than a lexus IS350 and BMW 335. You do some simple bolt ons and a better tune your gonna leave them in the dust. I've owned a sky redline and i think.the cobalt is way more fun to drive

 

I believe those were just the 08s with the porous block.

 

09 were affected by this if the build date is around 9/2008 might want to stay away, didnt hear anything with the 08 and porous blocks

 

I heard 08's too, right from GM head office in fact. Funny I bought my TC in Oct of 08 and the block is perfectly fine.

 

are they all built in mexico? my car was built there and thats probably why it fell apart so much. anyone know by vin # which ones to stay away from? also, if im doing 75 mph (120km/h here in canada) what kind of mpg's would i be looking at on the freeway?

by the way my other option for a vehicle is a genesis 2.0 but they are sooooo underpowered that my spec v will spank it

another thing is im not going to race it all the time maybe do some autox here and there, you think these motors can see 200k miles with good care and a bit of abuse here and there?

 

I think sstc like every car is hit and miss. Some people have no problems, some have nothing but problems. If u get good one, besides the Gm rattles. It's very good and reliable. 300 whp is easy with tune downpipe. Remove all plastic tubes and intercooler and put in aluminum piping and its reliability goes up

 

If you have a Cobalt it wasn't built it Mexico. It was built in Lordstown Ohio. All of them. It might have some parts made in Mexico but 100% of them were assembled in the same Lordstown plant that now builds the Cruze.


Just to throw this into the pot -

2008, 77 thousand miles. 312whp/386tq. Right about 100 1/8th mile passes. A season of road course racing and Autox. Original clutch, no slip. Only issues so far have been an ABS issue that I haven't managed to get to the bottom of - yet.

 

built in ohio for the cobalt.

genesis 2.0t is a cool car, but. I believe the stock turbo and exhaust manifold in one piece. I also believe the motor does not take to well to gobs of boost as well and needs some engine strengthening.

turbo cobalt is faster than the newer rev of the genesis 2.0t as well on the 1/4 mile, but the genesis is rear wheel drive so more fun factor.

cobalt gets 30mpg highway even tuned as long as your highway doesnt go uphill the entire time.


Here are my cars stats.

73,000 miles, original clutch, 2nd set of tires (continental DWS)

297whp 327trq @ 20psi HPtuners.

XXXwhp XXXtrq @ 24psi HPtuners. I hadnt dyno'd this one but its definately faster that the 20 psi tune lol.

20mph roll race: pulled a 20g turbo swapped stage 3 08' wrx which dyno'd 380whp 360trq.


All I got on the car is K&N intake, ZZP upper charge pipe, Treadstone TR8 intercooler, Forge BPV, Clear Image Auto Catted Down Pipe, TWM sts, BYT tune through HPtuners.

 

The hhr was built in mexico if you get your lnf that way.

 

so how is the paint holding up on these cars and interior pieces? does it rattle alot on the inside?

 

Right..

 

2009 rally yellow ss sedan. 0% fade anywhere. of course I have a few rock chips but no ugly clear coat wind erroded off.

 

WHich part are you doubting? I can post the dyno sheet or drag out two people that have driven in last week's autocross.

 

Stay away from the Genesis. I have a friend who has one and he has already had to replace the engine AND transmission and the stock clutch shattered on him. Not saying it was all manufacturer defect but it just didn't hold up well. My TC has 94xxx and it's still going strong. My only problem has been the transmission which was replaced under warranty and goes back next for noises it has made since the day they replaced it.

 

are you modded at all? if you are did you hide your tune when you brought it in

 

No tune for me so I didn't have to worry about it. They did ask me if I was though and said no. If they checked to confirm it I don't know.

 

I've got 75k on mine. Stock clutch. Minor rattles but nothing uncommon on an econo car. Really no issues.

 

There are plenty of tuned people still on stock clutches. Don't abuse it and they hold.

 

i bought mine back in Feb, it had 69k on it then? its at 82k now no issues, well i do have an axle half shaft to replace and a hub bearing, but thats nothing major..

the previous owner of my car did note in the owners manual about the pressure plate falling apart awhile back but it was replaced... no issues since...

I feel if i am looking for sounds of things are wrong to have checked out/fixed before my warranty is gone i'll hear things and over think it... but for DD going WOT here and there its had no issues other than getting traction in 2nd gear WOT hhah

 

how old are you guys if you dont mind me asking?