My personal preference hot rods are better. Why spend $250,000 to get the same horsepower that my $7,000 engine can get? I bought just the body, I put in a roll cage, subframe connectors. I got a 10 bolt 8.5" rear end with 3.73:1 gear ratios, Detroit locker, Royal purple sythentic diff lube, and strange axles. I got a 383 pushing out 510 HP at the fly wheel naturally aspirated and no NOS with 475 ft lbs of torque. The stock floor pan was rusted out so I put in an aluminum one. Still working on the body. I have tubular A-Arms, cross drilled and slotted rotors, SSBC aluminum twin piston aluminum calipers, and a Turbo 350 decked out trans, hardened input shaft, B&M kevlar racing bands and clutches, 3500 stall speed converter, and a shift kit. When you get your car done give me a call and we'll settle it on the race track.

Would you want to back your statement up on the track and race for the title?

You have probabbly seen Too Fast Too Furious, the 69 Yenko Camaro smoked the eclipse and the evo. Even with NOS they couldn't keep up that's why they pull some ghetto *** bull **** cheating. Well then again that is a movie, but the money you have to put into a neon to beat my camaro is a lot more money than what i have to put into my car. As far as the power steering, if your steering rack was designed for a power steering pump, don't disconnect it. It ruins the gears inside due to lack of lubrication.

 

Hahahaha performance modding a motor with 100,000 miles. Your piston rigns are worn so bad already, once you start adding power, you'll wear them faster. You'll lose compression so fast. Dual exhaust won't help you since you don't have two sets of exhaust coming out. But it's your money do as you like. If you're doing the cam belt change, it is a good idea to put in the adjustable cam gear, transmission flush, get a full fuel injection cleaning. Clean out the throttle body with spray and rag, get behind the butterfly as best you can clean out all the carbon. Use a wire brush that will help remove any deposits. In tank addative with a water remover that way you'll clean the tank, lines, and fuel pump. Then take the vacuum line off the brake booster and stick in an "iv drip" cleaner. It will suck in the cleaner and break down the carbon in the intake and the runners and it is a concentrate and it will pass through the fuel injectors before it mixes with the fuel therefore cleaning it to the tenth power. It also cleans out your catalytic converter and 02 sensors. It's a professional only kinda deal, so you look around for the best deal. Make sure you look for a 3 step, not the two. Also look into power steering flush and radiator flush. Powersteering builds up dirt, wears out the seals and actual steering unit. Swapping it out with synthetic fluid also reduces friction and drag on the motor. Radiator flush would be a good idea too the rust inhibitors are probablly gone. Get this done professionally... They use a vacuum to evacuate all the fluid from the radiator, the block, the lines, and even your hearter core. It's a lot faster and it's a lot cleaner.

Synthetic oils... yes you can free UP to 10 horsepower... but that's when you switch all you fluids to synthetic. Royal purple is actually the best stuff I've used. I get better gas milage with it than with mobil1.

 

I'm actually getting my fuel system cleaned this coming Thursday
and the dual exhaust sounds purty
and yes, hot rods are sweet. I'd love to have a camaro or a charger...but id still keep my neon too

 

At last, Shnormo is another voice of reason! I don't know how my point got lost on these guys. If they can afford to bring a Neon up to SRT-4 standards they can afford an SRT-4 and the hottest chick in town and believe me, she doesn't give a damn if you built it yourself or not! Besides, the SRT-4 will perform better overall because Dodge's engineers are smarter and wiser than you are! The SRT-4 is not comfortable at all and it has 230 HP. Adding more HP makes such a car even less comfortable and/or harder and more dangerous to drive. Do you really think you can effectively second-guess an entire engineering staff in this age of advanced automotive technology? How did you do in Calculus? Ever heard of it? I got a C and it made me feel DUMB. I found Physics, Algebra, Trig, and Geometry far easier. (straight A's)

Sure, hot-rodding is a fun (and expensive) hobby but the Neon is one of the worst cars (as is the whole econo class) to hotrod! You want a real hot rod? Build a Chevy V-8!

It's all about balance, guys. When you add more power you need to increase intake and exhaust, stiffen suspension and motor mounts, etc. All of this comes at the sacrifice of general driveability and comfort. Any experienced racer will tell you this. Better for the track or strip, worse for the road. That's a fact of life. That's why they race their race cars and drive pickup trucks daily! I don't want to drive a car that rides like a skateboard over some of the worst roads in the country. If Dodge's engineers hadn't redesigned the Neon a few years ago to make it a lot more comfortable I never would have bought one! The latest models are also the sweetest little cars I've ever seen with 4 doors that don't cost a mint.. I still do have a boyish side. I'm not about to scrap my back seat because my passengers need it! I have children and friends!

Unless you want to get really serious and build your rod from the ground up you're better off driving what the older, smarter, and more experienced engineers design. I know, I know, you want to learn it for yourself. I've lived that lesson, and it's expensive and generally not worth it unless you make it your living. I have to give you guys some credit though... I love how some of your rides look!

Arrive alive,

Bill

 

Well, for one, Im married so I dont need to impress chicks and two, getting an SRT-4 means a car loan which I cant get and three I love to improve things and four I don't want my car so fast and modded out to the point that its uncomfortable. So I guess none of that applies to me.

And if Dodge's guys are so smart what happened with the Intrepid? Don't the engines blow up in the majority of them?

haha anyway, no one get crazy on me, Im just joking around. I couldnt care less about anyone elses opinions. I know what I want and I'm just here to figure out how to get it.

 

You're digging yourself in deeper every time you touch the keyboard, my friend. I'm not about to get crazy on you, I'm just trying to save you some dough, and since you're married and can't get a car loan you need all the help you can get! I got a car loan and I maintain two households and made $36k last year. You really need to learn how to manage money. It takes discipline and resisting childish impulses. I can't wait until my mortage is paid-off next year... Yaaaahoooooo!

The Intrepid is still sold. It's called the Chrysler Concorde and is the best American mid-size sedan made. They consolidated their models to save costs, that's all. It's the same reason there are no more Voyagers. Who told you most Intrepid engines blow up? That's ridiculous! My girlfriend's daughter has a 1997 Intrepid that still runs fine and has as many miles on it as your Neon which you foolishly want to hotrod. If the Intrepid's engine was no good neither would any Chrysler V-6's because the same engine is used across the whole product line! You need to become more knowledgeable of what you're driving and what Chrysler offers. You also need to learn to discern rumor from fact. Don't take my word for it, read it here: http://www.safetysedan.com/

If you're hell-bent on hotrodding your Neon on a budget here's what you do. Go to the junkyard and get a 2.4 out of a late model PT Cruiser wreck and start there. If you can't afford that you can't afford to begin. If you don't get a 2.4 with low miles you'll ruin what's left of your present engine and wish you had listened to me, and as you've already been told, hotrodding an engine with 100k on it is foolish.

Arrive alive,

Bill

 

Oh, one more thing... If you listen to me and get a 2.4, port and polish the heads, get a header and high flow exhaust, and leave the bottom end alone, it'll be a sweet ride you may be able to afford, but if you lower it and stiffen the suspension I guarantee you'll regret that move unless your roads are all flat as a pool table. My second son who is 19 just learned that lesson with his '98 Eclipse. He put the stock springs back in and took out the lowering kit. He now wishes he had listened to me after he cracked his front end kit entering a driveway apron.

Arrive alive,

Bill

 

hey like i said, dont get crazy on me, haha. and from everyone that ive ever met that has bought an intrepid has had the same problem with the engine blowing up and Dodge replaces it. a few people have had theyre engines blow up more than once. I was just going by what they said. maybe they just lucked out and got a lemon.
Im not really planning on hot rodding my neon, I dont plan on racing it. And guess what else? you make 3 times as much money as me, haha. but anyway, in all seriousness (which i havent been yet) the smartest move i feel i could make as far as all this goes is getting a 2.4 from a junkyard. Ive actually been looking for one. thanks for the info, btw.

 

Look up Thorton Automotive in Whitmore Lake MI they have 2.4 engines out there with all sorts of milage and prices. IF you can find it, a junk yard called T&M in Canton MI, 48188 there is an SRT-4 that was rolled... Good motor, high performance aluminum calipers, slotted rotors, racing seats, 5 point racing harness, and cold air intake. They're pretty cool guys and that's where i get all my parts for NEWER cars.

 

Bill and shnormo. What do you guys think would be the smarter thing to do: grab an engine from a junk yard or just rebuild my own engine and replace all the pistons, rings, valves, etc, plus a higher performance camshaft and lifters and such. and if the junk yard is the case, what would be better to go with? a PT cruiser, SRT4, or stratus engine? ive been hearing (or reading) about any of these being used.

thanks for your help guys