How do I make my 2nd Gen neon faster.
Joined: Jan 2006
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RE: How do I make my 2nd Gen neon faster.
Celtic, your friends apparently all beat the hell out of their cars. If that happened across the board Chrysler would go out of business.
If you must, get a 2.4. If you don't you'll always wish you had. An SRT-4 engine is the easiest.. no mods needed if you get the turbo unit and trans all at the same time, but you don't have the budget for that. That leaves the Stratus and PT Cruiser engines, which are the same.
You should keep your car as-is and concentrate on increasing your earnings, i.e. work more! $12,000/yr doesn't go very far, especially in the hotrod world. You should be riding a bicycle!
Arrive alive,
Bill
If you must, get a 2.4. If you don't you'll always wish you had. An SRT-4 engine is the easiest.. no mods needed if you get the turbo unit and trans all at the same time, but you don't have the budget for that. That leaves the Stratus and PT Cruiser engines, which are the same.
You should keep your car as-is and concentrate on increasing your earnings, i.e. work more! $12,000/yr doesn't go very far, especially in the hotrod world. You should be riding a bicycle!
Arrive alive,
Bill
Joined: Feb 2006
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RE: How do I make my 2nd Gen neon faster.
Bill: haha, tell me about it. 12k doesnt go far at all. that's why im in college 
just to ease your mind, i dont plan on spending all my cash on my car. my play toys come after my bills, always - no exception. i usually save up some spending money from stuff i sell on ebay to buy toys with.
all of this stuff i talk about doing to my car, im not gonna do for awhile, i just kinda think out loud. talk about things id like to do. when i got this neon, i didnt know anything about cars. but ive learned a lot about them since i got the car because i got ripped off badly (hey it was the only deal i could get with no credit history. i paid brand new price for the car last year and its a 2000 model) i mean, hey, i can change oil, filters, tranny fluid, tires, brakes, plugs, wires, service the AC, and other minor tinkerings on a car (i know not much compared to all the masters in here) now because ive pretty much had to put this car back in decent shape and that's driven me to want my car to be the best neon in nashville, haha.
my main concern is making sure my car and engine run as perfectly as i can get them too. right now i need to really focus on taking care of my engine because i just passed 100k today and I need to make sure everything in there is in good shape and if its not then i need to replace it.
So that's why I'm here. To get all the help I can get to get every single frickin penny out of this car. hehe
just to ease your mind, i dont plan on spending all my cash on my car. my play toys come after my bills, always - no exception. i usually save up some spending money from stuff i sell on ebay to buy toys with.
all of this stuff i talk about doing to my car, im not gonna do for awhile, i just kinda think out loud. talk about things id like to do. when i got this neon, i didnt know anything about cars. but ive learned a lot about them since i got the car because i got ripped off badly (hey it was the only deal i could get with no credit history. i paid brand new price for the car last year and its a 2000 model) i mean, hey, i can change oil, filters, tranny fluid, tires, brakes, plugs, wires, service the AC, and other minor tinkerings on a car (i know not much compared to all the masters in here) now because ive pretty much had to put this car back in decent shape and that's driven me to want my car to be the best neon in nashville, haha.
my main concern is making sure my car and engine run as perfectly as i can get them too. right now i need to really focus on taking care of my engine because i just passed 100k today and I need to make sure everything in there is in good shape and if its not then i need to replace it.
So that's why I'm here. To get all the help I can get to get every single frickin penny out of this car. hehe
Veteran
Joined: Mar 2006
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RE: How do I make my 2nd Gen neon faster.
If you don't rag on the engine so much and do the oil changes and radiator flushes at the intervals recomended, the engine should last you another 100,000 miles. We have a 1994 Ford Aerostar... It's a piece of **** but it still runs. It has had only 1 differental flush, 3 radiator flushes, 1 transmission flush and oil changes every 3,000 miles. We managed to pull off 220,000 miles on it. I'm currently redoing the whole suspension and brakes. As far as your engine, do what best fits your budget, but like bill said, try to get an SRT-4 motor with trans and the computer and wiring harness. It will make your life a lot easier. First things first, on that trans, take out the automatic ATF+4 trans fluid and buy the Chrystler syncro mesh gear lube. The syncro gears will love you and last longer. (for a Manual transmission)
I'm going to guess that when you do trans flushes, you drop the pan and replace the filter. The only problem with that is it replaces about only 30% of the fluid. There is still flulid in the torque converter, lines, and cooler. If you got $100 go get it professional done and make sure it's a transfusion. It's where they hook up the machine to one of your cooler lines, it receives the old fluid being pumped out by the transpump and then the machine pumps in new fluid at the same rate. It will take out about 98% of the old fluid and it's a pressurized process, therefore it cleans the varnish off the valves, bands, clutches, torque convert and wherever else. :-) (automatic transmissions only)
I'm going to guess that when you do trans flushes, you drop the pan and replace the filter. The only problem with that is it replaces about only 30% of the fluid. There is still flulid in the torque converter, lines, and cooler. If you got $100 go get it professional done and make sure it's a transfusion. It's where they hook up the machine to one of your cooler lines, it receives the old fluid being pumped out by the transpump and then the machine pumps in new fluid at the same rate. It will take out about 98% of the old fluid and it's a pressurized process, therefore it cleans the varnish off the valves, bands, clutches, torque convert and wherever else. :-) (automatic transmissions only)
RE: How do I make my 2nd Gen neon faster.
ORIGINAL: shnormo
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.
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.
Joined: Jan 2006
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RE: How do I make my 2nd Gen neon faster.
gaustang4me:
Even though the '05 Neon rolls, it handles great nonetheless. This was done on purpose. The last Neons (I own one too) are much more comfortable that the preceding skateboards, and no one has addressed the central issue. Minidodge32 came closest to it. Unless you add major HP suspension doesn't need to be addressed. Dodge has the computer calibrated as it is because they're trying to tell us something!
Modifications all go together. Balance is the key. This is true in all areas of life, don't forget it or you'll regret it. Hotrodding the engine, or increasing the intake and exhaust, upgrading the ignition, stiffening suspension, etc, do little by themselves and they all either have drawbacks or provide little or no benefits on their own. Engineering is all about making intelligent compromises or robbing Peter to pay Paul. In order to realize the benefits of such modifications they all need to be done together, otherwise forget it, and this costs more than what the car costs, and Chrysler is telling us where the line is with the computer.
If you want to go beyond the computer limitations IT AIN'T WORTH IT unless you want a true race car, and there are many better choices than a Neon for racing!!! (although I share the love of how the '05 Neon looks) Will I continue to be poo-pooed and ridiculed on this subject? If you want high performance you should be driving an SRT-4! The Neon as-is is high performance in every category but HP, and it was done on purpose! It's just not cost effective in the Neon world to do anything else. The latest Neons are comfortable, peppy, and handle as well as anything in the class, read-up! Dodge's engineers are smarter and wiser than we are... accept it!!! (that is not directed at you specifically, but everyone here too) Anyone who is dead-set on racing Neons should be modifying and racing an SRT-4 or they're wasting their money. The SRT-4 with its high performance robbed Peter to pay Paul... compared to my loaded SXT it rides like a skateboard!!!
Arrive alive,
Bill
Even though the '05 Neon rolls, it handles great nonetheless. This was done on purpose. The last Neons (I own one too) are much more comfortable that the preceding skateboards, and no one has addressed the central issue. Minidodge32 came closest to it. Unless you add major HP suspension doesn't need to be addressed. Dodge has the computer calibrated as it is because they're trying to tell us something!
Modifications all go together. Balance is the key. This is true in all areas of life, don't forget it or you'll regret it. Hotrodding the engine, or increasing the intake and exhaust, upgrading the ignition, stiffening suspension, etc, do little by themselves and they all either have drawbacks or provide little or no benefits on their own. Engineering is all about making intelligent compromises or robbing Peter to pay Paul. In order to realize the benefits of such modifications they all need to be done together, otherwise forget it, and this costs more than what the car costs, and Chrysler is telling us where the line is with the computer.
If you want to go beyond the computer limitations IT AIN'T WORTH IT unless you want a true race car, and there are many better choices than a Neon for racing!!! (although I share the love of how the '05 Neon looks) Will I continue to be poo-pooed and ridiculed on this subject? If you want high performance you should be driving an SRT-4! The Neon as-is is high performance in every category but HP, and it was done on purpose! It's just not cost effective in the Neon world to do anything else. The latest Neons are comfortable, peppy, and handle as well as anything in the class, read-up! Dodge's engineers are smarter and wiser than we are... accept it!!! (that is not directed at you specifically, but everyone here too) Anyone who is dead-set on racing Neons should be modifying and racing an SRT-4 or they're wasting their money. The SRT-4 with its high performance robbed Peter to pay Paul... compared to my loaded SXT it rides like a skateboard!!!
Arrive alive,
Bill
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 44
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RE: How do I make my 2nd Gen neon faster.
gaustang4me:
On my way to pick up my daughter tonight I took your unspoken challenge. I took the 35mph off-ramp at 60 with no noticeable body roll. I can tell that you are absolutely THROWING the same car into corners expecting it to deliver more than it can without spending more than it's worth trying to overcome it. You should have bought an SRT-4. Listen to the not-so-old man... he knows!!!
Arrive alive,
Bill
On my way to pick up my daughter tonight I took your unspoken challenge. I took the 35mph off-ramp at 60 with no noticeable body roll. I can tell that you are absolutely THROWING the same car into corners expecting it to deliver more than it can without spending more than it's worth trying to overcome it. You should have bought an SRT-4. Listen to the not-so-old man... he knows!!!
Arrive alive,
Bill
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 19
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RE: How do I make my 2nd Gen neon faster.
"Anyone who is dead-set on racing Neons should be modifying and racing an SRT-4 or they're wasting their money. The SRT-4 with its high performance robbed Peter to pay Paul... compared to my loaded SXT it rides like a skateboard!!! "
....... I have a friend who has done a lot of work to an SXT, and its not slow at all. stock 2.0L engine, with a lot of mods. he also has an entire new tranny and suspension underneath it. skateboard? not so much.
with a lot of work you can make an SXT pretty dang fast. the only reason he has this instead of an SRT is because his insurance is so high the SRT is out of the question. so, he went with an SXT and decided to mod the hell out of it. so, in his case, its just a situation with cost.
....... I have a friend who has done a lot of work to an SXT, and its not slow at all. stock 2.0L engine, with a lot of mods. he also has an entire new tranny and suspension underneath it. skateboard? not so much.
with a lot of work you can make an SXT pretty dang fast. the only reason he has this instead of an SRT is because his insurance is so high the SRT is out of the question. so, he went with an SXT and decided to mod the hell out of it. so, in his case, its just a situation with cost.
Grand Champion
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 6,258
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From: Charleston, SC
RE: How do I make my 2nd Gen neon faster.
While i agree that the SXT or R/T is just as moddable(is that a word?) as the SRT-4...you will get more HP for the money you spend on an SRT. (Spend $6k on SRT=400HP/Spend $6k on R/T=300HP)
Oh and FYI...an SRT-4 is a NEON...its just a NEON with a nicer engine and the little thing we like to call..."forced induction".
Oh and FYI...an SRT-4 is a NEON...its just a NEON with a nicer engine and the little thing we like to call..."forced induction".