2000 Neon budget project. What to do?

My son found a 2000 Neon 5 spd car in pretty good (really good actually) shape for $200.

It will be his commuter/beater car, but luckily for him, he's caught the bug from me, and can't leave well enough alone

He wants to do a little buildup, and make it a lot more fun to get around in. He's wading through the tons of info on the forums, but I know there are a few well versed Neon aficionados on the board.

What are the best bang for the buck mods? Snowflake rims are cheap, and 15", he has a bushing kit on the way, and good front brakes (needed them anyway). Any budget motor, or handling mods? It would be nice to get it down a bit.

SRT4 Neon/Caliber swap?

Sport Compact Car (RIP) did a build of one of the n/a cars, I seem to remember good things said about a throttle body swap. I think they used some aftermarket unit like an RC Engineering part, I'd probably look for a junkyard part instead. There's also the Grassroots SRT4 build; springs and shocks would be a good place to start to get the rear end down a bit I think.

Find an R/T gearbox. Closer ratio, 3.91 final drive. Its the single biggest difference you can make to one. Good unless you like to drive 140 kph for lots of miles.

Check for cable or hydraulic clutch. Some of the early second gen cars have cable still, all the R/Ts are hydraulic. I actually like the feel of the cable clutch better, but thats probably just me.

Find an R/T gearbox. Closer ratio, 3.91 final drive. Its the single biggest difference you can make to one. Good unless you like to drive 140 kph for lots of miles.

Absolutely true. I bought a $300 sohc neon with a broken trans, swapped in a 3.92 trans, and that thing moved silly well for how little was done to it. I raced a few things.. modded 2.3/5spd mazda 3, svt focus, big ol cx-9 (about as quick as the others), etc, and never lost. Of course, a 2g is much heavier.

Also, you can find the 3.92 trans in ANY dohc car (they stuck dohc into every kind of 1g neon, sporadically), and you can also find them in a 5spd sohc stratus, which is where i got mine.

the SCC was done on a SOHC also...

I miss my '98 ACR... was a fun lil car even mostly all stock (had booger bushings (shifter bushings) even with all its flaws and my lack of maintenance it was a great car... i'd own another (and then immediately change the t-belt)

You can think mopar family for engine swaps if this one is not healthy.

Stratus/minivan's had the 2.4 dohc and it will fit in the pee-on, plenty in the j-yards and can be updated with srt-4 turbo internals later for relatively little money. If you have a 2.0 dohc you can keep the cam's and stick them in the 2.4 for a little more top end. Minivan's with 2.4's had crazy gearing however I do not know if the gears can be swapped over from the automatics to the manual trans.

GET RID OF IT!!!!!!!

Not a big fan of the Neon.

Thanks for the input.

A little more research indicated that the stock muffler is so restrictive, that a good flow-through type is actually worth real power, as is a 56-57 mm throttle body, and CAI. I would imagine doing that along with the 3.92 gear, it will be an entertaining little pkg.

The 2nd gen neon has a composite throttle body which is not easily overbored like the aluminum ones on the 1st generation cars. It does not interchange with the one on the 1st generation cars.

Don't worry about the throttle body, i've berkleyed with those way too much chasing 2hp.

In reply to MCarp22:

I'm reading more in the 5 hp range. I've bored a lot of tb's. I'll have a look and see if it's do-able.

Zomby woof wrote: I've bored a lot of tb's. I'll have a look and see if it's do-able.

Here's what you're working with. It's made out of plastic.

If it were my car, i'd do:

3.94 gearbox / 01 R/T camshaft / header / muffler

Bushings and tires are first on the list. Followed by a rear sway bar ES and SXT packages came with a 14mm rear while R/T acr and SRT acr came with a 19mm try to find one of those. You struts may not have attachement points for the end link I make bolt on ones no big deal.

As for power forget the TB get an Ebay CAI just for the bellows tube (between TB and manifold) use the stock airbox after the TB. Use a Mopar Performance (if you can find one) or stock R/T acr header and whatever muffler you like. I second the 3.94 or for extra super mega punch find a 1.6 export neon and its matching 4.11 final drive

Check out 2gn.org for more neon based fun! Welcome to being weird

2.4L PT Cruiser long block, DOHC cams, 2004 Stratus intake manifold, Wrangler exhaust manifold and bellhousing, Supra transmission, and a second generation Mazda RX7 body.

BoneYard_Racing wrote: Welcome to being weird

You're saying that to the guy who's been racing Geo Metros fro 10 years?

John's idea sounds the easiest.

I'll check out the tb. I'm a machinist, and worked in composites for 15 years. Might be able to figure it out.

I think John's idea is RWD...
It may be worth considering a swap for an '01 Magnum (R/T) motor. Better head/intake/cam...and the motors can be had for pretty cheap the last time I looked.

The hot setup, of course, involves finding a wrecked PT Cruiser GT with the 2.4T motor. A wrecked SRT is even better, but usually more money.

I miss the wife's old '99 DOHC Sport. I was never a Neon fan, but that car with nearly 200,000 miles on it impressed me with a nicely planted feel on the interstate at 70 mph, decent acceleration and super fuel economy.

It's a shame they dumped the 2-door body style on the redesign for 2000!

If I ever got another one, I'd want to do a 2.4 Turbo.

I was given to understand that the 1st gen Neon intakes were easier to fit into the engine bay without having to relocate the radiator a bit. That's for a 1st gen, not sure how it would work on a 2nd gen, though.

1st gen Neon Intakes have a very restrictive 90 degree turn after the TB.

In reply to Moparman:

I don't want to hijack the thread, but I have to ask: will the Stratus intake work on a 1st gen without having to relocate the radiator? I peered at one in a junkyard, and it looked to be twice as long.

Brett_Murphy wrote: In reply to Moparman: I don't want to hijack the thread, but I have to ask: will the Stratus intake work on a 1st gen without having to relocate the radiator? I peered at one in a junkyard, and it looked to be twice as long.

I believe you'd have to lose the radiator fans and any high rpm power the DOHC aspires to make.

^yes

The Stratus intake is the basis for my ITB project as is its way too long to fit I may have a pic somewhere. If you want to kill DOHC top end just space the hood up and use a PT intake

Dont do that PTs are awful just awful

I think I've got it: keep the 1st Gen intake for top end.