Hey everyone

I picked up a 98 Neon about a year ago for $1850. I bought it outright, cash in hand, as to not worry about making payments and all that jazz. So far, it's been a really good to me. The only thing I've done to it is replaced the brakes and the EGR valve. Nothing to serious... yet.

A few weeks ago, I started looking into getting a newer quicker car, but the prices just push me out. I can't afford a $15,000 car at this moment, nor do I want to pay $300+ payments. I got the tip from a friend to just drop a new tranny, motor, and get the suspension redone, and basically come out with a car that runs like new, fast as hell, and a total sleeper

Heh, sorry for the life story, my question to you all is where can I go to look at SRT/4 engines and transmissions? Is there any good websites out there for my cause?

Or, lemme put it this way... I can afford roughly 8k to spend on my neon, what would you all suggest I do to it to make it a helluva lot faster, and run like new again?

Thanks,
Jared

 

What kind of car are you working with right now? It might not be as bad as you think. When I first got my Neon I thought that they were garbage but after I found this website I changed my mind completely. Now I'm always trying to do something to improve it. Tell us what year your car is and what engine and tranny is in it and you'll be suprised what you can learn from this website. You may not want to buy a new engine after all.

 

It's the 98 2.0L SOHC with whatever stock tranny came on the 98s.

 

Automatic or Manual?

 

Manual.

 

How much money do you have to spend? Intakes are easy to make and cheap to buy if you don't want to spend the time to build one. They're real cheap on eBay, only about $35. You can also change your muffler, the SOHC muffler is the most restrictive according to the guys on this site. I put a Flowmaster on and it helped out alot plus I love the sound. Underdrive pulley's are supposed to help out a little also but I'm not quite sure because I don't have one yet.

 

I can spend probably up to $8000, give or take. I have a glasspack on it, and a cheapo cool air intake. Not sure if those really did anything to it, HP-wise, but it sure sounds cool.

 

For 8k.

I would personally tear the motor down and build it bottom up forged everything, have it machined and drop in some 8.5-1 pistons, cams if you want, computer or personal tuning program if your good with that, such as megasquirt.

After such you're ready for a turbo. Apperently the chill factory is out of business or not selling them anymore. Hahn Raccraft is only one that still makes a kit IIRC.

Or you could custom fab a setup meaning buy like an srt-4 turbo setup like Spud is doing.

Or put a T-80 in there jk

Anyways, turbo is really the best dollar per hp setup.

You could also stay n/a and build the engine up nicely and gain the respect of staying n/a. Around here you seem to get more props for built n/a engines.

Choices are almost endless my friends. Depends which way you want to go.

Goodluck

 

I was leaning more towards dropping an SRT/4 Engine/tranny in.

Are there any good websites you all could point me towards?

 

if you do a search on this site you will most likely find everything you need, including links to Specific SRT-4 info, a good couple of guys have done the swap, or are in the process of.in some posts you'll find problems they have ran into, and pics of what the engine bay looks like in various parts of the install there are even lists on everything you need, just use the search. Srtforums.com will have a lot about the Srt 4, but since your wanting a possible swap like this, it would be wise to utilize the info on guys who drive our cars and have or are dropping the Srt -4 engine in to there neon