James Rayth

Let me preface this by saying that I am not new to the car mod scene, however I am also in no way a technician or mechanic. About 3 years ago I had a Dodge SRT4 that I had quite a bit of fun playing with, but I also had a company car that was my primary method of transportation (and still is) so I sold the SRT. Just recently I picked up an automatic 2.2L Cobalt LT to be used as a leisure vehicle, probably only driven once a week, if that. My old modding instincts kicked in recently and I happened across this site, spending the last week or so trolling around. Its nice to see the 'Balt's have a pretty extensive community too.

So, leading to my question while understanding my 'balt is meerly a leisure car, is it really worth it to start modding it?

I knew when I bought it that I was going to slap a big brake kit on, 17x8, 18x8, or 19x8 wheels, and get a pair of projectors with HID's as I think of those as "safety and handling" upgrades; but are there really any justifiable gains by delving into more performance based upgrades?

I am really hoping the "seasoned veterans" out there will toss me some feedback and the ego-defensive kids just move along because I know to them the Cobalt is the best car ever with all this untapped potential, etc. I'm interested in a down-to-earth assessment. If I were to dump, say, 5000.00 into aftermarket parts, would there be a signifigant value in it compared to a vehicle that would cost 5000.00 more then the Cobalt costs (Like a Supercharged SS, for example)? With 5000.00 bucks dropped into a 145 hp engine with an automatic transmission, would I be even close to the output and control of the SS/SC?

mkulrey13

iTrader: (39)

You could prob dump 2500 and supercharge your cobalt with the SS's parts like some have. Also that includes a piggy back and you'd be a stock levels with a SS. I just recently turbocharged my car and im there with stock ss/sc's.

HackAbuse

Yeah and your tranny will pretty much handle almost anything you can throw at it.

MP Cobalt

iTrader: (4)

First if you plan on adding any turbo or supercharger, you should trade it in for a stick. thats just me, but if you keep the automatic buy the B&M ShiftPlus to reduce heat and it helps your auto tranny shift quicker and harder. If you have the money just trade it in for a SS/SC if you want to mod it up. In my position my parents were like your not spending 21k on a car for your first car so i ended up getting a LS and plan on buying a turbo. If you are only going to drie it like once a week like you said i wounldn't put a lot into it. Maybe just a CAI, Cat-back Exhaust and make it look mean as hell

tru2nrtt777

iTrader: (1)

You were asking about significant value added to a car. Whenever a car is modded 9 times out of 10 it's monitary value will plumet. If you are asking if it can hold its own... Depends what you are doing with it. If you decide to be a straightline junky... probably not since 2 year old GTO's are like 19k now? If you go with a good list of handling mods auto-X will have you at a much better standing and will be able to compete with cars more costly than yours on an even keel. Also is this 5k going only to mods or are you getting a shop to do all this? If you are going with a shop you might as well drop the mods price to about 2k.

If you want a easy tuner car get a second gen Eclipse GST for 3 k and spend the rest of your money you would have spent on the balt on mods and you could have a monster for less than the cost of a SS/SC. the auto 2.2 just doesnt have the aftermarket to compensate for other cars. Some people just perfer the road less traveled.

tsunam1

With the clutch issues that the cavi's and balts have had I'll stick with my auto and have always proffered an auto for strip/daily use anyways. Sticks are great when you don't spend 75% of your time stuck in traffic.

suburbanrobot

I agree w/ beefing up the suspension and brakes....if you do suspension and brakes, then you're probably gonna wish it was faster.... right? then, in that case, why not just get a used SS or SC and consider it done?
If it is merely for leisure, put some nice grippy tires on her (not rims, keep the cost down) get some nice pads when the brakes go and call it a day!!!

I don't know where you are getting this from? the majority of us DO NOT have clutch issues

hugemurph4

Trade it in for a stick my stock base cobalt beat a stock auto cobalt. Def get a stick you can play with your shifts way more than the auto, and get a little more HP. i think i have every bolt on and im so close to the ss sc...but again i just bought a supercharger so im pretty excited to put that on. oh word to the wise... dont get the halo headlights. yea there freakin sweet for the first 6 months but then the halos start to flicker then the leds shut off and then all you have is a plain old headlight.

Helltime

I would have bought a SS/SC had i not just got another job and having my parents finance it for me (then i pay the bill under their name) we figured that would be too much of a risk. I am glad i didn't spend the Extra cash on an SS/SC though because i have figured out with my 2.2L that FWD SUCKS! Well for some stupid reason i keep putting money into my balt. I don't know where it will end but i really wish i would have gotten something RWD or AWD instead. Its a nice daily driver, and a fun highway car (after modding) but it all really depends what you wanna do with it. If your just wanting something to cruise in thats your own, just do window tint, wheels, lowering springs, CAI and full exhaust (true header, not the gmpp honed mani) and maybe a decent sound system and call it good.

chris88z24

Most who complain of clutches and what not do not adapt their driving to the car. They drive it like it's their old 5spd (it cannot be driven like such) and blame the clutch when it gives out. I'm over 10k on mine and the clutch bites just like the day it did coming home from the dealer with 9 miles on the odometer. In fact it seems to bite even HARDER than the day it was new. I changed my driving habits to fit this car. Funny how that works isnt it? Of course there are people who have had legit clutch issues, but I wouldn't back away from buying a car because someone got a lemon clutch.

I have two balts actually. I have my 07 SS S/C, and my parents drive an 07 LS 2.2 auto. I've driven both, of course. Let me tell you right now if you have 5,000 to spend I would trade in that LS of yours and go right to the SS S/C. In my opinion it's just not worth it to dump a bunch of cash into the 2.2 because I can guarantee you after 5000 dollars you will still want MORE and MORE out of the car. Why not start with a platform that is already designed to perform and look sweet, and then go from there? Just my .02 anyway.

suburbanrobot

and FWD sucks, for what reason?

D4u2s0t

i would say it depends on what you're expecting out of it. done properly, you can have a pretty quick 2.2 for around 5,000. the auto tranny sucks a lot of power in these car, right now you'd be lucky to be in the low 16's. 5,000 will put you somewhere in the 14's most likely, which is a huge jump, but still not "fast". i loved my 2.2 when i had it, but after about 2 years i realized without dropping a **** load of money into it it wouldn't perform the way i wanted it to. i traded for a 2.0 and was the best thing i ever did. my payments are only 30 more/month, and i have more than double the whp. and i'm actually paying less for insurance, so it works out to be roughly the same payments.

the 2.2 is a great car, depending on what you're looking for. i never had any issues with it, and never regretting buying it. but it's rather hard to make fast, resale like on all cobalts absolutely sucks, and there's a lot of things to be upgraded once you get to a certain point. the brakes, suspension, exhaust, etc. were not designed to work well with a lot of power. so you can add a turbo kit or something and make it significantly faster, but there's going to be other things you will want to upgrade as well to be able to take full advantage of the power.

i know many 2.2 owners get defensive quickly, and don't like to hear the "trade for a 2.0" speal, and that's not what this is. i'm simply sharing my experiences, having owned a 2.2 for about 2 years and then trading for a 2.0

Helltime

Launching at the drag strip, and i can't get the ass end loose when my tires spin Don't get me wrong, i like my car for a DD and highway car but i really wish i had something RWD to dump my money into. Just a driver preference thing

suburbanrobot

"I changed my driving habits to fit this car" AGREED 100X .... I feel that is what you have to do in any car you buy!

I also agree w/ Chris on bumping up to an SS or an SC.... I think the SS is a great car w/ enough power and handling to be great fun

understood.... you're a RWD type of guy

I don't give a crap.... I'll drive any layout, if it's fast

D4u2s0t

i'll give you one. traction. i have decent tires, and lose traction at the top of 2nd. no traction in first whatsoever at more than about half throttle. both can be fixed by driver input, but it sucks ***** that i have to let off the gas at the top of 2nd or short shift putting me out of my power band. not to mention that i have to go half throttle through first. and that's with an ingalls and tranny mounts. yea, i could get drag radials and stronger axles, but for the way i drive the car it's not worth it.

i don't race the balt, never had it at the track, and 90% of the time i don't go over 80 on the highway. but, if i was looking for a serious race/track car, this would not be the one in all honesty. majority of people struggle to get out of the mid-high 13's. there's only a handful of people in the 12's, and the car has been out for a few years already.

tsunam1

I've had plenty of manuals and have never had to ADAPT my driving style to it. And to say "our" clutch is not like other clutches is just BS, it is a standard hydraulic clutch system like every other car out there. It is just a piece of **** piece that has to be babied, and that is F'D up. (manuals owned include, 91 Nissan SE-R, 92 Toyota MR2 turbo, 00' mustang V6, 02 BMW 325) I didn't buy the 2.4 it was a gift from the girlfriend, I would have purchased the 2.0 and upgraded the clutch, just like I upgraded the brakes on the 2.4 because I know they are crap too.

suburbanrobot

I hear ya on the TRACTION issue.... but SUCKS???? less desirable, maybe....

having to control the power (to me) is part of the fun of driving
I rarely floor it off the line because I know I'll just go up in smoke/wheelspin But, once our cars get beyond 1st gear... the car is great!!

I live where we get lots of snow.... I'd rather be FWD that RWD in the snow

D4u2s0t

i have to let off the gas at the top of 2nd. in my opinion, that sucks. i shoultn's have to let off at 60mph because i'm losing traction. i can understand that in a car that has much more hp, but come on. i can't go, and stay wot untill i'm into 3rd, which is what, over 70mph?

again, going 1/2 throttle through first, letting up at the top of 2nd, yea, with my power level i would say that sucks. yes, it is controllable by being careful with throttle control, but wtf. what's the point of giving the car more power just so you have to let off the gas. doesn't make sense to me. i've decided to stop modding because of it. more power can only make it worse. i'll never mod a fwd car again. just so not worth it.

suburbanrobot

I understand your frustration.... that is why I have not gone above my level of mods! When I Auto-X, I cannot put down all my power as it is! But, that's FWD.... there is the good and the bad

shouldn't you be able to fix that w/ suspension mods??? (I dunno)... my buddy has STAGE 2 w/ the 2.9 (if I am correct on pulley size)? He put in the mounts, lowering springs and his car launches and sticks really good, with minimal wheelspin (it is fast and very impressive)... If I did not have to use mine as a DD, I'd go that route also!!! But his car is soooo stiff, it rides like a freakin truck

Helltime

That is why my next car is going to be either RWD or AWD.

D4u2s0t

yep. next will DEF> be awd or rwd. maybe i'll just keep the balt around and mod the next one

Helltime

Well the resale on mine is ****, it is 100% base, right down to the crank windows, manual locks and no cruise So it will be staying til it drops as my DD that way i can build my next car and not have to worry about how long it takes me or if i have to order more parts or what ever the case may be.

suburbanrobot

I've had all the layouts.... I think AWD is the most fun of all if you have big HP... great traction out of the hole and out of each and every corner

donjuaniii

IMHO it's a waste of time & money to (performance) mod a car unless it's the stock top performing level of the model.... examples - SS/Sc vs. 2.2 & 2.4 'balts, GT vs. V6 mustangs, hemi vs. non-hemi dodges, etc...

Why pour money into a car just to catch up...?

Once again - this is just I M H O ....

One exeption might be the base corvette, etc.

artawesome

i m one of these! i traded my 2006 2.2 ( which i loved btw! ) for the 2007 2.0. which i love even more!