Tech Thread Spotlight: Things to Look for When Buying a Used Neon

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The Dodge Neon was one of the most popular cars on the market in its day and with so many Neons sold between 1995 and 2005, there are likely tens of thousands of them available on the used car market.  The Neon (whether from Plymouth, Chrysler or Dodge) is a great car whether you are looking for a reliable daily driver or an inexpensive project to turn into a monster sport compact tuner but as is the case any time that you buy a used car – you have to watch out for certain problems before handing over the cash.

DodgeForum moderator darthroush put together a post that details the things to watch for when buying a used Dodge Neon.  In fact, he went ahead and included a bunch of tips for people looking at any used car in addition to those problems that specifically affect the Neon so no matter what kind of used car you are considering – this thread should prove to be helpful in helping to make sure that you don’t make a bad purchase.

Click here for darthroush’s Used Car Buying Guide!

(Note – the Neons shown on this page are not used cars for sale…they are just great looking Neons that I included in this article so that it wasn’t just plain text!)

"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.

"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.

"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.

"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.

"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.

"Being based on Detroit," says Rall, "I never miss the North American International Auto Show, the Woodward Dream Cruise and Roadkill Nights, along with spending plenty of time raising hell on Detroit's Woodward Avenue with the best muscle car crowd in the world.

Rall can be contacted at QuickMirada@Yahoo.com


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