I read somewhere that the cobalt ss/tc rear rotors are .8” bigger and I bought a set to verify. I’m doing a brembo swap on the front with new brembo pads and rotors, used brembo callipers, stainless steel brake lines, hawk hps pads for the rear with the larger ss/tc drilled and slotted rear rotor. I’ll be doing moog endlinks and Powell spherical CABs while I’m in there but I can’t actually bleed the brakes until my master cylinder, hydraulic reservoir, and pedals come in. When those come in, I’ll be installing my clutch line, short throw shifter, shift boot, and shifter cables. I’m going to try to use the automatic console as the manual ss consoles are nearly impossible to find

the F23 is stronger than the F35, unless you have deep pockets for a B3 designs built F35. But with the Canadian dollar being low and with shipping and duty, it makes an expensive transmission unaffordable. I can get F23’s for about $200 cad and have them built with LSD for under $700cad, so for $900cad I have a 700hp capable transmission. With a twin disk and a short throw shifter, I think it’ll perform great. It also has a better FDR than the F35

remote start is great as long as I don’t leave it in gear :clappy:

I’ve been told to document my progress on my build so far. I’m using a junkyard 4.17fdr F23 from a base model hhr with a team green LSD insert, driveshaft shop LNF to F23 axles, clutch masters twin disk F23 to LNF street/race clutch.

I took the auto shifter out, installed my F23 HHR shifter cables. I had a B&M short throw F23 shifter from a sunfire so I took it apart and installed it on the shifter base of a junkyard Pontiac g5 gt. It fit the bolt pattern but was too tall to use shifter base bushings, so I replaced them with washers of the same size. It was hard to keep the studs from spinning with the nut. I ended up crazy gluing the stud in place so I could run the bolt down without it spinning. That did the trick. I put the trim all back together and made sure the shifter couldn’t hit it anywhere. The shifter feels very solid but much lower than the stock shifter in my other ss.

Next I unbolted the automatic brake pedal and removed the foam over the firewall, where I expected the hole for the clutch master cylinder to be. It wasn’t there. I’m still having trouble taking the auto pedal out but if I can’t figure it out in an hour this week, I’m taking the dash off and cutting it out. Somebody said it was welded somewhere. I have the brake cylinder disconnected, 3 top bolts and 4 around the brake cylinder. Once it’s out I’m going to put the new one in. Only a fool would weld it again if that’s the case. I’m going to need to drill pilot holes for the studs to secure the clutch side and hammer them in. I’m also going to need to use a hole saw for the master cylinder.

The master cylinder reservoir had to be changed as well.

My motor is being built over over the next few weeks. So when that’s back and I have the clutch, axles and big turbo downpipe, it’ll be ready for install and then tuning.

I’m also swapping to SS/TC bigger vented rear brakes and using 14K front and rear BC coil BR series and putting the FE5/YYZ combo on my daily.

If you have any questions or tips let me know

I just posted a thread with pictures and updated progress. Forgot I made this one

https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.che...9d0079d73.jpeg
Trim is all back together, just need to staple to boot down
https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.che...cf99c1dee.jpeg
Cables are all hooked up
https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.che...49c3b0fb0.jpeg
Racecar and the daily
https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.che...5eda38b0f.jpeg
Switched the reservoir
https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.che...d2aef5436.jpeg
The built F23
https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.che...678247066.jpeg
A few pictures to go along with it