Project Cars: http://grassrootsmotorsports.com/project-cars/1996-dodge-neon-acr/
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July 10, 2008 3:37 p.m. Tim Baxter Online Editor
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July 10, 2008 3:37 p.m. John Brown SuperDork
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July 10, 2008 3:37 p.m. John Brown SuperDork
JINX, YOU OWE ME A BEER.
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July 10, 2008 6:05 p.m. Per Schroeder Technical Editor/Advertising Director
Thanks Tim, we had to set up the whatchamahoozies to reflect that it's a different year.
NYG went to its new owner this evening....he brought me enough parts to make the ACR run. Just need a gasket set and an oil pan.
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July 10, 2008 10:05 p.m. TIGMOTORSPORTS New Reader
With the demand for fuel friendly cars, the new Chrysler boys should seriously consider bringing the Neon back.
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July 11, 2008 12:03 p.m. cafcwest HalfDork
TIGMOTORSPORTS wrote: With the demand for fuel friendly cars, the new Chrysler boys should seriously consider bringing the Neon back.
The second gen cars weren't really that good in the MPG department. I can only imagine how bad the 'Caliber' is in that department.
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July 11, 2008 1:39 p.m. neon4891 HalfDork
The caliber gets sub-30 on new standards, 32 on old. 2nd gens got 32 new and 36 old. All figures are highway.
My theory on the caliber is that dodge took the PT and just wraped that in a distinctly dodge body style. If any one can correct me on this, please do.
As for what is going on in the minds of chrysler big wigs, I don't want to know. Actually, this would make a good thread on its own.
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July 11, 2008 1:45 p.m. billy3esq Dork
neon4891 wrote: My theory on the caliber is that dodge took the PT and just wraped that in a distinctly dodgy body style. If any one can correct me on this, please do.
Ok. I did.
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July 11, 2008 1:48 p.m. Per Schroeder Technical Editor/Advertising Director
Since I now have enough parts to build a 2.0, it's going to get that for now...with some hot cams/exhaust/intake/etc.
In rallycross terms, that steps me up from RPF to M2. Meh.
Per
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July 11, 2008 1:52 p.m. neon4891 HalfDork
^thanks^
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July 11, 2008 2:39 p.m. John Brown SuperDork
Per Schroeder wrote: In rallycross terms, that steps me up from RPF to M2. Meh.
Details, details. I am firm in my belief that you would whoop ass in M2 as easily as you can in RPF.
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July 11, 2008 2:50 p.m. Per Schroeder Technical Editor/Advertising Director
Yea, around here, we're running for top honors anyway...I wound up 3rd OA at a recent Rallycross with the old atx Neon on bald tires.
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July 11, 2008 3:08 p.m. John Brown SuperDork
Since the 2.4L swap would have landed you in the same class I wonder what the cammed up version of a 2.4L would do... I have the 2.4L now and since I will have an ACR coupe (toy) and a DOHC sedan (driver) in my possession in a week or so I think that we should find out. Gunning for 2009 in the Detroit region ;)
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July 11, 2008 3:13 p.m. fiat22turbo SuperDork
Actually the Caliber is a completely new body/chassis (remember AWD is available on some models) and I believe the engine is all new as well. Too bad it looks like the same old crap in an uglier body.
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July 11, 2008 3:20 p.m. Strizzo Dork
iirc, the caliber shares its underpinnings with the jeep compass/liberty. which are all crap, btw
had a compass rental in san diego that had some 4cyl and a cvt automatic. it literally sounded like it was going to rattle apart at anything over 1/4 throttle. seriously the worst engine sound i've ever heard,
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July 11, 2008 6:13 p.m. fiat22turbo SuperDork
Caliber on Wiki (Don't tell Hess)
So, the Caliber is based on the Mitsu GS platform (similar to the Mitsu Lancer), with a Nissan CVT as an option and an engine that is shared with Mitsu, Dodge and Hyundai.
I'm just sorry that they used this thing to reintroduce Chrysler to China and Australia. Woof!
Sounds like way too many people had input into this thing to not notice that it was pug-fugly? Then they spun it off to Jeep? I still do not understand that.
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July 12, 2008 5:48 p.m. NYG95GA Dork
That they promoted the Caliber as the "replacement" for the Neon has always kinda bugged me; there is no real comparison to the original concept. Of course it also bugged me that when they came out with the 2nd gen Neon in 2000, they did away with the twincam and the coupe; that was the death nell of the model, IMO.
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July 14, 2008 9:06 a.m. Per Schroeder Technical Editor/Advertising Director
I actually like the second gen Neon as a car..just wish it was available as a twin cam coupe....
This weekend, Tom, Greg and I went junkyard shopping for new interior parts for the ACR. The stock pieces were spray painted red, then silver then back to the stock grey. I swear, Neons should have been marketed by Playskool as "My First Kar"
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July 14, 2008 2:04 p.m. Junkyard_Dog Reader
Per Schroeder wrote:
I swear, Neons should have been marketed by Playskool as "Yo!! My First Kar yo!!1!1!"
Fixed.
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July 14, 2008 2:26 p.m. Nashco Dork
Our Achieva SCX used for the LeMons race had a similarly horrible interior paint story. The gray interior had been spray painted red and yellow, we think that perhaps a previous owner worked at McDonald's and was brainwashed, that's the only reasonable explanation.
Bryce
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July 14, 2008 2:37 p.m. Per Schroeder Technical Editor/Advertising Director
We saw a cloud car in the junkyard yesterday where certain elements of the interior (vents, window cranks, etc) were spray painted bright metallic blue (the car was burgundy)
except
Nothing was removed from the car or masked off.
Yes, it was that bad.
Even a car going to a junkyard doesn't deserve that.
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July 14, 2008 2:50 p.m. Nashco Dork
Makes you wonder what kind of person does something like that...AND thinks it looks cool. There are some odd ducks out there!
Bryce
