i agree with all of these guys, never go to the dealer for anything. the dealer should be a last resort. and this is a dodge site and this is the neon thread part, so no hating on the neon!

 

I will admit to going to the dealer for a few things... Mopar Manual Transaxle Lubricant being the big one since you can't get it anywhere else. And I did get a brand new rear lateral link when I bent mine because it was actually cheaper than a salvage yard... Picked up a couple sets of intake manifold gaskets and exhaust manifold gaskets as well. Got my Mopar springs from a dealer that discounts. That's about it though...

 

Why would you want an Escort engine? Maybe because they last 3 times longer than the neon engine. And no i dont buy parts from the dealer I usually try to buy them at a salvage yard because they are so expensive. For example: ac compressor new-$300 alternator new-$200 fuel pump new-$200 crankshaft sensor new-$100. I think the cheapest part i have bought for this car was the water pump which was $30 and the 2 radiators that i have put in it which were $35 from the salvage yard. And these arent the only parts that have been fixed, thank god it was still under warranty when the timing belt went at 75,000 and the rear main seal and head gasket went at 80,000. I'm not trying to bash the neon but, i have put all this money and time into this car and it only has 125,000 miles on it. So if I were you I would not buy a first generation Neon maybe try to find a 2nd generation they might be better.

 

i have a 95 sohc mtx, i have had it for 1 year now and i have 147k+ miles on here. the only probs i have had are the tranny blowin up from too long of burnouts and a timing belt breaking. i love my neon. and soon to be into the 12's!

 

I loved my '99 Neon R/T and would still have it today if I didn't have to get rid of it to buy my SRT-4. The one thing to look out for is a bad head gasket. Try to find one that has already had the head gasket changed to the newer and far better one that won't blow out. The factory didn't start using the better head gasket until half way through the '99 model year, so almost every 1st gen. Neon has the crappy head gasket.

 

Wow!! I would love to see an escort hit 750,000 or 900,000 miles, lol

$200 alternator, they are $150 at autozone

The escort is $140 Escort alternator

 

2nd gens arent really that much diff from 1st gens aside from the body...and some motor intake pieces, diff ecus sensors...no biggie my first gen is a lot better looking then 2nd gens IMO...no offense but they should still have the neon coupes. They are very attractive.

 

Hahaha ok let me reply to IHATEWIFESNEON. I previously owned an Escort before I got my Neon. It was a 95 station wagon LX with an automatic tranny. The thing did have a few things going for it...smooth ride and was pretty roomy. However the motor went out on me at 75,000 miles. Valve seats are prone to failure on those cars and thus they drop into the combustion chambers. It got on average 25-26 mpg with 28 mpg atainable occasionally with alot of freeway miles. Being an automatic didnt help but my current 96 Neon SOHC with a 5 speed just pulled over 31 mpg with mixed city freeway driving... that Escort never got close to that. Also from a roll (30-80 mph) my Neon.. bone stock outran my friends 68 Cougar with : 3.08 gears, C-4 auto with shift kit,302 V8 with edelbrock intake with 600 cfm edelbrock carb, flowmaster mufflers and an open element K&N air filter. Granted hes got 100 lbs of stereo in his car and he puts crappy gas in it. My car with a subbox and amp added, plus him actually putting the premium gas in his car that hes supposed to id say at least I would be right next to him. Only common problems on Neons at least from what I know are head gasket failures... kinda pricey but its no way a mechanical failure of the motor. Sure little things here and there will go on them but thats to be expected with most cars.

 

so your trying to tell me a sohc neon beat a cougar with all those upgrades. im sorry bro i can't even start to believe that when my 97 dohc neon gets dusted by my 86 F-150 4x4 with lift and 35s and stock fuel injected 302! i know you guys like your neons but come on even you other guys on here cant believe this guy. and by the way of all the neons i have seen in the many junkyards ive been to i have seen maybe 3 that had more than 140,000 miles. im not trying to start a war here but from what ive seen the neon is a cheap car that doesnt last long and if you can keep them limping along it costs a fortune! 140.000 miles isnt very many when you think about it my truck has 158,000 and its barely broken in. another thing they are one of the top 5 deadliest cars think about that when you get behing the wheel i know i did thats why this winter i went back to the truck.

 

sh*t, i beat a chevy 1500 pickup, 94 i think with a 350 sb in it, i beat it by half a car length. and i have no mods to speak of.
you right about the neons in the junk yards, cause i own a junk yard, however, they are smashed in the front or wrecked in some way. all the ones we have still run and drive, they just dont look good.
dollar for dollar, the neon is a better car than a civic of the same year or any honda, better fuel economy, and alot more roomier too.
besides, they look great on the inside and out, if they are not beat to crap!
just my .02!