My 98 Neon Sedan, 2.4 swap, limited slip, parts stash

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Time for the Neon to move on.  I've had it for almost 3 years, which is actually longer than I keep most things.  It could be (and probably was) a wicked rallycrosser in the right hands or a ready to go $2k Challenge car for someone.

Purposefully modified for rallycross by previous owner, a fellow GRM forum member.  My contribution to the car has been fixing it when it breaks and installing cheap coilovers just for fun.  I've used it as a weekend fun car and occasional track day toy.  Solid body, some surface rust showing on the surface of a couple edges but definitely "northern rust free."  It's clean enough that I'd feel bad driving it through a Michigan winter.  Some minor dents, courtesy of a fallen tree branch during a storm.  Dash is cracked, courtesy of my clumsy elbow while cleaning the windshield.  Interior otherwise in good shape. Clearcoat peeled on driver side rear quarter.

2.4 swap, limited slip, skid plate, stiffer bushings, Hawk HPS pads on the front, short throw shifter, fixed back racing bucket, other stuff...  BC Racing coilovers/camber plates are on it now - they are... ok. I've also got SRT4 lowering springs (stiffer and slightly higher ride height than stock on a 1st gen) installed on new KYB struts.

Issues: PCV/Catch can setup probably works great for rallycross but needs some sorting to be up to the task of high speed track stuff.  *-The motor makes a noise and I did find some fine metal shavings on the magnetic drain plug when I changed the oil last week.-

Oil pressure is good and runs normal otherwise.

Big part stash including an unmolested matching blue hood, stock driver seat, gravel rally tires on 14" alloy wheels, rear window glass.

$1,500 to a GRMer?  Can write seperate receipts for car/parts pile for challenge purposes too.  All the parts go with the car, non-negotiable lol.  I might try to list it on local rallycross groups too but that would mean crawling back to facebook. Bleh.

I'm in Southeast MI

out of curiosity, how much power do those 2.4s make stock? I remember liking this car back the first time I saw it for sale. 

I think wikipedia is saying 150 hp 167 lbft (96-00 dodge caravan). Sound right?

In reply to Robbie (Forum Supporter) :

But turbo ...

In reply to Robbie (Forum Supporter) :

Mine dyoned 156 wheel with a hot air intake, header, exhaust and a stock sohc ECU. 

In reply to Robbie (Forum Supporter) :

Ah yeah I almost forgot I had it posted for sale awhile ago and then pulled the plug as talk of COVID lockdown things was happening, or something like that.

145ish stock sounds right, but I'm not an expert on Mopar things. The biggest advantage is the bottom end torque bump over a 2.0. Powering out of a corner with the low end of the big motor and the grip of the limited slip almost feels like cheating.

Found the previous owner/builder's mod list from when I bought it.

Engine:

-2.4L swap

-Mopar ECU

-24 lb/hr injectors

-2g Neon fuel pressure regulator

-disconnected balance shafts

-underdrive pulley

-urethane filled engine mounts

-ported intake manifold

Transmission:

-Quaife limited slip differential

-Maddog short throw shifter

-Booger bushings

Suspension/Steering:

-Mopar SRT-4 lowering springs (raises a 1st gen Neon a bit)

-Neon ACR 16:1 steering rack

-polyurethane bushings in front lower control arms

-Neon RT rear sway bar

Wheels/Tires:

15" 2g Neon alloy wheels with General Gmax AS-03 195/55R15 tires

14" 1g Neon alloy wheels with Dmack DMG3 175/70R14 rally tires

Other:

-Mishimoto radiator

-battery relocated to trunk in a vented battery box

-aluminum skidplate

-Autometer oil pressure and voltage gauges

-Corbeau Forza driver's seat

More pics including the one rust spot I could find on the body.

Somebody buy this before I convince myself to buy it back, even though I don't have the space and time to mess with it.  It really is a good starter kit for the challenge.  If the spares package is still as big as it was when I sold it, you should be able to get a pretty good recoup on the budget.

If it had a cage id be looking at plane tickets

eastsideTim said:

Somebody buy this before I convince myself to buy it back, even though I don't have the space and time to mess with it.  It really is a good starter kit for the challenge.  If the spares package is still as big as it was when I sold it, you should be able to get a pretty good recoup on the budget.

Please buy it back.  I do not want or need another car, especially another car I cannot drive in the winter.

I'm assuming the parts hoard that come with it won't be able to all be packed into the car to drive it home?

How hard would it be to *cough* swap in a GT Cruiser 2.4 turbo? Asking for a freind.

Sent you a message

In reply to Appleseed :

A afternoon. 

79rex said:

I'm assuming the parts hoard that come with it won't be able to all be packed into the car to drive it home?

Between the rally wheels, spare hood, and extra seat, probably not.

Appleseed said:

How hard would it be to *cough* swap in a GT Cruiser 2.4 turbo? Asking for a freind.

Check out wae's Neon, which is basically this more or less.  IIRC it started out with a SRT4 turbo on the stock 2.0 engine for the sub-$1000 class at the Challenge, and then it sort of morphed from there after parts of the 2.0 decided that they needed to add some daylight to the crankcase.  I don't know all the details but you need to use various parts from different versions of the engine to get it to sort of fit in the Neon engine bay.

Personally, I'd stick a 2.0 back in it because I think the 2.4 is a bit much for the chassis.  The 2.4 turbo engine is a LOT for the chassis.  Fun as all get out (like the mighty Boot of God kicks you when the boost gauge swings positive) but it seems to be a balance between lots of speed and lots of mechanical carnage with respect to engine mounting and keeping the transmission connected to the wheels.

Pete. (l33t FS) said:

 

 

Personally, I'd stick a 2.0 back in it because I think the 2.4 is a bit much for the chassis.  The 2.4 turbo engine is a LOT for the chassis.  Fun as all get out (like the mighty Boot of God kicks you when the boost gauge swings positive) but it seems to be a balance between lots of speed and lots of mechanical carnage with respect to engine mounting and keeping the transmission connected to the wheels.

I'd have to defer to wae, but I think a lot of the carnage was because there was no front of the chassis engine/transmission mount until this past season, so the relatively tiny bobble strut was the only thing keeping the engine from rocking back and forth.  That car is an e-ticket ride.  I think the only time I managed to beat him in Modified Front for a season was when the car was down with the blown up 2.0 for most of the year.

In reply to Indy "Nub" Guy :

Got it and replied

In reply to BlueInGreen - Jon :

Replied.

For anyone else following along, this is a great car, but it just doesn't quite fit the need I have at the moment, so I'm going to pass.

This 2.4 swap is really well put together, I think.  I remember the first time I drove it on the street I was absolutely amazed at how it just wanted to be in 4th gear at 25mph - the low-end torque just delivers. 

As for making it a turbo:  I do have the turbo version of the 2.4 in my 1gn chassis.  The block mounts basically the same, but if you take the motor out of a PT, the intake manifold won't fit under the hood, so you'll need to figure that out.  I went with a stock SRT-4 intake, but you can also re-drill the stock aluminum 2.0 DOHC manifold.  It will bolt up to the 1gn tranny, but as mentioned, axles can get to be problematic.  More specifically, the CV joints will break a lot if you have a stupid driving style like I do.  As long as you keep your foot out of the boosts when you're at full-lock, you won't have as many problems as I have had. 

The PT block will mount the same as the 2.4, but where I went wrong was with the front center mount.  There's a structural collar that goes between the block and the tranny on the EDV and it mounts pretty much where the stock 1gn front motor mount goes.  I fabricated a new bracket that accomodates that and combined that fabricated motor-side bracket with the stock core-support-side bracket and my problems have gone away.  I also really like the Moorespeed mount that Jon hooked me up with: https://www.moorespeedperformance.com/product-page/moorespeed-motor-mount

Having the turbo in that chassis is just wicked.  You could argue that it's really too much power, but my counter-argument would be "so what!?".  It's kind of hard to drive in the rain, and if you're tooling around at 35 mph in 4th gear, you need to ease in to the throttle, otherwise you'll break the wheels loose.  Tim's absolutely correct in that my carnage was all caused by the insufficient mounting of the engine combined with the really rough courses that we ran at Bitzer's Farm.  It would have probably been just fine on the street and I never had a problem with it breaking anything at any other site.  The 2.0 that I had turboed only died because the wastegate wasn't opening and the Megasquirt overboost protection was kicking in.  Like the moron that I am, I thought "hmm, overboost protection?  that shouldn't be kicking in and cutting power on me.  I know the wastegate is set for 7psi of boost, so I can just turn this off!". 

So, in short, buy this car!  The 2.4 is fun!  Add a turbo to it later and it'll be more funner!

I don't need a neon I don't need a neon I don't need a neon I kinda need a neon I kinda need a neon berkeley

Oh yeah, for those who might be curious, I can't remember the gear ratios exactly, but the transmission in this has the steep differential gearing, combined with the tall overdrive gear, so you get the bonus of good gearing for acceleration, but also decent highway mileage.