Chevy Cobalt DF/S and maybe keep it streetable

[Mike Meier]

Made it back from Chandler, AZ an extra $700 lighter in the wallet due to a breakdown on I-10 with this ramp truck I bought; and probably in for some more as it's in the shop getting the check engine light related stuff taken care of. My comment on this; yes I knew what I was getting into but that's why I bought a truck with a 350 engine....everyone can work on it and parts are easy to find. I can have Jegs or Summit ship a long block to me for about $1,600 if this thing decides to spin a bearing or kick a rod. Ultimately I was happy to hear that the No Problem Raceway LODRS was postponed because I wouldn't have been about to make it out there.

But I digress....back to the DF/S

The Cobalt is completely switched to Sunoco 260 GTX. I drove to the track Friday night and managed to get a best of 26.8 MPG to and from.

The one thing that went wrong was that I couldn't unbolt the resonator from the down-pipe to go completely unmuffled. One of the nuts holding together was at an awkward angle and I wound up rounding it off with my impact wrench. I'll just have an exhaust shop cut it off.

I'm almost at the index. I started off with a 15.90 @ 85 MPH off the bat, followed by 15.94 @ 84, 15.86 @ 85, 15.89 @ 85, and 15.98 @ 84 (heat soak and fog was rolling in). Although the barometer was moving around a tick between 30.02 and 30.05; the humidity was parked at 93%; dew point at 59*, and temperature only varied between 61 and 62 degrees.

What was promising about tonight was that my sixty foot times were in the 2.32 - 2.35 range in this "meh" air and I went quicker in the quarter compared to two weeks ago; but two weeks ago my sixty foot was quicker. I hope that correlates to hitting the index or better when the air is better and they have a LODRS track prep. I still haven't even reflashed the car with HP Tuners because I was on the road and couldn't call their customer service guy about getting the credits on there to work.

[rocketolds400]

Very cool! Thanks for the progress updates and info.

I've been looking for a cheap daily driver, and this thread is making a Cobalt look pretty good...

[Rod Greene]

I see you must have figured something out you went a 15.64 almost the index. If you could figure out how to cut a better light your car seemed real consistant. I applaud your efforts.

[Mike Meier]

Originally Posted by Rod Greene

I see you must have figured something out you went a 15.64 almost the index. If you could figure out how to cut a better light your car seemed real consistant. I applaud your efforts.

Traction control is acting like a throttle stop. I've had the same problem with a 2007 Dodge Charger and an Ecoboost Mustang which I bracket raced. I'd run the number all day but RT's were crap. The "free" solution to all of this was banned in Stock over 15 years ago: deep staging.

[Mark Yacavone]

The traction control is, most likely, using the ABS to pulse the brakes.
How about disabling it by backing off the solenoid module on it?
Just a thought..No experience with Cobalts.

[Bill Bogues]

Mike : enjoyed our talk at houston. Us slow pokes need to stick together.Glad to see you getting close to index. It's always nice when you get to the one out of ten things you try that actually works instead of the nine others that slow you down. See you at Dallas.

[Mike Meier]

Originally Posted by Bill Bogues

Mike : enjoyed our talk at houston. Us slow pokes need to stick together.Glad to see you getting close to index. It's always nice when you get to the one out of ten things you try that actually works instead of the nine others that slow you down. See you at Dallas.

Thanks Bill. Hopefully I can get a tune file back before Dallas. Since I won't be racing the Houston Nationals or Tulsa that should be sufficient time for cams and a valve job before No Problem.