When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
For me, I would rather try adding a turbo than do a full swap to an RT. If I was going to go through all that trouble, I think I would wait until I blew my motor, then just jump right to a SRT swap... not much difference in cost and time if you find the right parts at the right price.
I'm pretty sure the engine block is the exact same on the Neon R/T as the regular neons. I think the head is the only difference when it comes to the engine. I think all you would need to swap is the head and ecu.