I'm considering buying a used 96-99 Dodge Neon. I just spoke to one of the local Used car places and they sell mostly neons. Less than 100K miles, around $2K. I put 140,000 miles on my current car in 5 years and it is not really worth fixing everything that needs to be fixed.

The woman who runs the place was very up front with some of the issues on the late 90s models... mostly leaking head gaskets and occasionally the rear seal. I'm only looking for a reliable commuter car (with a 5-speed), nothing fancy, maybe a few suspension upgrades in the future...

Is there anything else I should be wary of or look for when I inspect the car before I purchase? I've worked on my own cars for the most part, so I pretty familiar with basic things to look for.

Thanks!

 

Actually, they had the head gasket thing licked by the middle of the '98 model year. And most previous Neons blew the head gasket and got the newer version eventually. The new MLS (Multi-Layer Steel) gasket is pretty easy to identify. Where the block meets the head, down between the runners (near the dipstick), there should be a metal tab sticking out if it's the MLS gasket.



Crappy picture, but it should get you in the right area.

As for rear main seals - no more than any other car I suppose. 236,000 miles here and no problem, checked it when I swapped the clutch out back in December (230k miles or so).

The other big thing to find out about is timing belt maintenance. It is recommended (manufacturer) to be done every 105,000 miles (right after the warranty). Most of us high mileage folks would say closer to 85-90k miles. Replacement of the belt should include a new water pump and tensioner assembly. If any of those go, it all goes. And the Neon has an interference engine, so 16 valves go as well (in my case, a warped head along with it... in some cases, cracked pistons). Doing the job yourself would run maybe $200 (including shop rags and beer) and take a full day with hand tools. There's a very nice how-to at www.boogerracing.com on Jeff B's car.

There are other minor things that will pop up, but what they are and when they happen is anyone's guess. Leaking taillight gaskets causing water in the trunk/rear footwell, stuck EGR valve, bad bearings (had one of mine go somewhere in the 180k mile range), etc. Most are relatively minor, easy, cheap fixes though.

Don't forget that there was a '95 model as well! Only year that had the Nitro Yellow Green (NYG) color you'll see on Jeff's site.

Best of luck!

 

Thank you Jeremy, I appreciate the help. Completely familiar with the interference motors... I'm due for a timing belt on my Hyundai, but I need a lot of stuff fixed. Doesn't really justify keeping the car.

I appreciate the tip on the head gasket as well. I'll look for that when evaluating any cars that might come in.

What is the 95 model I should avoid (ie: no A/C, 13" tires)?

 

Most cars came with a/c and power steering, even the base model. The ACR (as it's known now) was on a Highline chassis that year and didn't typically come with either, but came with a close ratio tranny and a heck of a suspension package, plus the 5-lug bolt pattern and rear discs. You'll only find 13" wheels on the 4-lug pattern cars (most '95 Neons), all with front discs and rear drums. All cars went to 5-lug starting in '96 which required 14" wheels (rear discs or drums, depending), and the ACR switched to the base model to save weight.

I removed my a/c and power steering years ago. Don't miss either. 13" wheels have a terrible availability for decent street tires, and that's the only reason I went to 14's. For drag racing and autocross, I'll get 13's and dedicated tires when I can afford it. The other disadvantage is the smaller brakes which have zero aftermarket support, while the bigger brakes on the 5-lug designs have nice stuff from Hawk, EB Greenstuff, etc. Not that I have any trouble braking... The only advantage to rear discs (if you can find them) is ease of maintenance. I have yet to dig into my rear drums (yes, I know, factory original after 236k miles...), and I'm strongly considering converting to rear discs (i.e. 5-lugs all around) rather than break through the years of rust buildup from 5 New England winters... Discs are just heavier and don't contribute much to braking (until you add nice ceramic pads...).

The really nice thing about the '95 is no emissions station is ever ever going to check my OBD-2 port (which will soon be removed along with the PCM), just a sniffer, which is easy enough to pass.

If I was getting a second Neon (and I might here soon), I'd probably get a '97-up mtx Expresso coupe with rear discs (preferably no power anything). That mtx (with the DOHC engine) has the close ratio tranny but with a taller 5th gear for highway fuel economy - it's what I put in my current car since I was putting 2500 miles a month on it for quite a while. Suspension upgrades are easy (HP Performance is having a group buy on K-Sport coilovers on the .org - something like 350 lbs/in springs up front, close to that in the rear, pillowball top mount that is camber adjustable, rebound adjustable, etc. - for $950 shipped), massive sway bars from Vitor come in under $300. Add nice light wheels and grippy tires and 1+ g's on the skidpads are easy (stock ACR's pulled over 1g on one of the magazine tests way back when...).

Read through the 1st Gen FAQ on www.neons.org for tons of great info on different model years, suspension packages, etc. There is no "perfect" Neon, and making one work for your needs generally doesn't require much work or money. Like getting the tranny you want (if needed) is $300-400 and a little footwork tracking one down, plus the swap.

 

Great info... I'll check out neons.org.

Thanks!

*Edit*

Why is registration closed for neons.org?

 

Hmmm... For whatever reason, clicking on the "Become a Member" link is taking you to the Neon2005 registration page instead of the forum registration page. I'll shoot a note off to Matt and see if that can get fixed.

If you click on the Forums link, there is a "register" link up near the top that will work (I just tried it). Can't use a free email account to register (yahoo, hotmail, etc.). You shouldn't need to register to view the FAQ which links from the main page.

FYI, Neon2005 is an annual event for Neon owners. It's been held in Belvidere at the Neon plant for years. But since the Neons aren't being made anymore, we're doing it in Detroit this year (next week, which would explain why registration is closed...), and plan on Las Vegas next year.

 

i have a 95 neon that i am selling specs are in classified area and pictures upon request!!

 

ffgsxr1241@yahoo.com email if interested!!