I don't remember the exact quote, but Bob Lutz once said in his R&T column that people buy cars based on emotions, much like falling in love, and that the experience is a very primal human reaction. I can attest to this and the proof is parked in my driveway in the from of a red 05 Ion RL that I just bought yesterday. For as long as I can remember my head has been buried under the hood of something usally of Japanese origin and almost always with a "H" somewhere on it. My pride has always been tied to my first car, a 99 Civic Si which I've owned for the last 14yrs and will never part with... But this Ion RL, a car which I've always admired along with its Cobalt SS stable mate, is something really really cool. And although she may need a bit TLC (the biggest being the clutch, because of a bad TOB, i know they're kind of weak part on the these cars) I'm pleased with it, and I lucked out finding one owned by an old lady, she even had a name for it. anyways, I look forward getting to know some of you and my RL better.

 

Nice, welcome man. Post some pics

 

So right about buying a car based on emotions. I was shopping for a 350z or a camaro and came home with a cobalt...lucky it was sitting in the back of a lot and I decided to test drive it because **** why not?

Anywho welcome! post some pics of your cars! I'm kinda interested in seeing what the Si looks like lol

 

These are stock photos from the dealer I bought it from. The car is completely bone stock with 95k on the clock.








It had a clean carfax with all warranty & tsb work done. When I get around to the clutch I think I'm going with the gmpp clutch with a zzp TOB. I've read on here that a new stock TOB can be hit or miss.

 

I can attest to the TOB being a hit or miss. Had a clutch installed and my 1st GM TOB was bad

 

welcome! Nice to see someone else who came from Hondas. My pride and joy was my 89 CRX

 

I had the same issue. The first car I purchased on my own was the 2.4l cobalt SS. I regretted trading it in from the moment I did it. I had always wanted the proper SS supercharged, or turbo. I found one that a dealer was selling it was a white (just like my 2.4) turbo, and I fell in love with it from the posted pictures. I walked in and bought it.

 

I gotta be honest, Being a Honda guy is really easy. Sometimes it seems that almost every performance part company in the known universe offers something for your car. Of course, it depends on how far you want to take a Honda build, but for the most part, it's easy. I mean, just knowing that there's this entire industry specifically dedicated to the enhancement of your car kinda gives you a solid peace of mind, and it's taken for granted.

In the relatively short time I've spent researching Cobalt ss/RL's, the tech write-ups, articles, part references, I'm still not done/still learning. I just gotta say you guys as serious about these cars, and that's pretty f**kin cool. I'm blown away by the level of support that is dedicated to these cars. I honestly didn't expect this. Now Im like, "how far do I want to take this car"...lol this is great. I guess I already need to correct myself because zzp doesn't make an upgraded TOB, it's just an LNF piece, so yeah, that's where I'm at, and the front suspension top hat mount is kinda goofy compared to the more traditional cobalt design.

 

they are some fun ass cars. '06 Cobalt S/c here. effectively the same as yours. got any plans for it?

 

So far I've ordered a set of new tires, nitto neo gens, and a new wheel because of some bad brake dust rusting on one of the wheels. Aesthetically, I think the car looks great stock. The rear wing is huge but is does compliment the rest of the car. Suspension wise, the options seem limited because of the front strut hat design, but I think I'm going to keep it simple with FE5 struts with SSC springs, zzp end links, moog tie rod ends, and zzp strut tower bar. Engine wise, not sure yet, it's already kind of a badass engine for my standards, but I'm definitely going zzp dual pass and maybe option b as well. Drivetrain wise, gmpp clutch kit. I'm also thinking about the LNF brembo front brakes, I see zzp offers a kit for them to mount on 03-07 knuckles, and I like their front Lca's.

 

Check out OTTP springs if you haven't already made the purchase. they are a good drop, really good ride quality, and were on sale for $200 as of recently.

Review: https://www.cobaltss.net/forums/susp...prings-314475/

 

niice car!

If it just seems to be slipping, maybe try shifting at higher rpms for a while. these don't like to be shifted at low (2kish) rpms and can cause glazing. Some have reported slippage to go away.

 

The clutch has plenty of bite in any load and rpm combination. The disc, pressure plate, and flywheel feel like they're in good shape, but the TOB is definitely on its way out. Thing sounds like a bad ps pump whenever the clutch is disengaged.

 

well whats it name? dont let me hanging like that!