I am a Volkswagen guy normally however today I am buying a 99' Neon R/T! I just want to see what is available for that car as far performance goes! Can this car be quick without a turbo?

 

Welcome to DF Chris. We have a Neon forum that you might find helpful.

 

Welcome to Dodge Forum!! Enjoy the site!!

Dusty

 

Welcome to the site.

 

Good luck wit ur neon, i had a 2004 r/t n didnt have much luck wit it but then again i prolly just got a crappy one

 

Welcome and yes it can be quick w/o a turbo. The first typical mods people do are the CAI, UDP, header, motor mount inserts and maybe a Mopar PCM. Don't worry about a new muffler or exhaust since the stock piping is 2.25" and the DOHC muffler flows well from the factory. Modern Performance is the best place IMO to get neon parts. The guys there are helpful and best of all own and tune their own neons. A stock R/T with a good driver can start of around 15 sec in 1/4 mile. Happy tuning and let us know how it goes.

 

2nd gen neons are heavier and IIRC suffer from the NGC.

 

How quick do you want, and how much are you willing to spend to get it there? There are a pretty good number of n/a 2.0L DOHC's running high 12's/low 13's, although we're talking forged internals, higher compression, massive cams, and plenty of stuff that would make the EPA freak... It's very easy to get a DOHC deep into the 14's on the stock bottom end though. R/T's have been known to run 15's off the showroom floor. Dollar for dollar though, a turbo kit will get you quick for less.

Don't neglect the suspension either. There's a reason the neon dominated in their classes for Solo racing for years, and it wasn't just the "beefy" 132/150 HP engine... The R/T suspension isn't anything special, really. And there's really no "cheap" way of upgrading. Going to the Koni adjustables (which the ACR had stock) and a higher rate spring (Mopar) will run you $800+ if you go new. A full coilover set (compression/rebound adjustable, camber adjustable, camber plates up front, height adjustable, and wicked stiff springs) will only set you back $1000-1200, and will dance around a stock ACR setup.

Best of luck!

 

Don't forget about nitrous. Best bang for the buck!

Didn't the 95 & 96 ACR's come with Arvins and not Konis?

 

Thanks everyone I think I'll start with the simple stuff CAI, chip, springs