I just had my grad party yesterday and now iv got a bunch of money and want to use some of it to upgrade my neon. Right now i know im gunna get some booger bushings. I also talked to my uncle about painting the beast and he said he should be able to around the end of the summer. I kinda want to get a better exhaust but idk yet, what do you guys think i should do????
HoodooGuru
07-01-2008, 01:04 AM
Paint it first for sure.
Some nice struts & lowering springs all round.
NO front skirt spoiler.
A nice 2.5 inch cat back exhaust.
Then a header.
Some nice sticky tyres.
Beer can the inside and install a nice seat.
Short / quick shifter.
sohc98
07-01-2008, 01:27 AM
Paint it first for sure.
Some nice struts & lowering springs all round.
NO front skirt spoiler.
A nice 2.5 inch cat back exhaust.
Then a header.
Some nice sticky tyres.
Beer can the inside and install a nice seat.
Short / quick shifter.
what are you tryin to say?
I thought about that and heres what i came up with.
1. I dont think it would turn out very good.
2. I was too lazy to finish it.
3. my dad threw it away cuz i wouldnt get it out of the shed (he put it in their in the first place, i just left it in the back yard).
One other thing i was thinkin about is motor mounts, And its gunna get painted around the end of summer, I am considering the cat back but i wanna do the whole exhaust at one time so i think that will have to wait a little while.
As far as lowering it im gunna get that stuff over this winter, im gunna try for some mopar high rates or an equivalent to them and i was thinkin kyb's but damn their expensive.
Oh and tires i completly forgot about, the ones iv got are pretty bad but should last the summer if im nice to em. :D
rice_eater
07-01-2008, 11:30 PM
I just had my grad party yesterday and now iv got a bunch of money and want to use some of it to upgrade my neon. Right now i know im gunna get some booger bushings. I also talked to my uncle about painting the beast and he said he should be able to around the end of the summer. I kinda want to get a better exhaust but idk yet, what do you guys think i should do????
Save it! The economy sucks and is tanking fast. (listen to your elders ;) )
If you're bent on mods, either you have a buttload to spend or you're looking at the wrong parts, because the things that have been mentioned are not bang for the buck mods. give us a price range and I'll give you a list... ;)
sohc98
07-02-2008, 12:07 AM
Im not sayin i wanna have the fastest neon in the world i just want it to be more fun to drive and look a little cooler(paint). i know im gunna get the boogers since their only $21 and i hate how the shifter is so sloppy. And for a price range im right around $500. I dont want to spend all the money i made on it so thats why i drew the line at $500. i already had to spend $75 on new tabs.
rice_eater
07-03-2008, 12:29 AM
You wont get much of anything for $500. I suggest fixing anything the car NEEDS. (you mentioned tires). Then buckle down and work some elbow grease into the car. There are a lot of things that can be done very cheap, they just take a lot more work than buying a part and slapping it on.
HoodooGuru
07-03-2008, 09:30 PM
Yes, fabricate a papermache performance camshaft and the like! lol
sohc98
07-03-2008, 11:20 PM
Well i was lookin arounf online last night for some ideas about what i eventually want to do. Im not gunna buy all these things right away but over time i will. Right now iv already got a udp and some rims and my car is running good now.
Heres the list i came up with for now.
a new cai (mine bit the dust)
short tube header (i want the low range power)
sway bars
strut tower bars
booger bushings
motor mount inserts (might have some lined up to buy on the org)
lowering springs & new struts
paint job (possibly flat black w/gold stripe to match rims but idk)
new exhaust (i like the vibrant)
depo projectors
aluminum air damn (from neongoodies.com)
windows tinted
and then these are a maybe
crane cam (not sure on witch yet cause idk much about them)
adjustable cam gear
So let me know what ya think and any suggestions on brands for the parts listed above &&:rck::rck::rck:
HoodooGuru
07-04-2008, 01:10 AM
I say do the flatblack sleeper paint job.
dodgeneonACR98
07-04-2008, 07:11 AM
Flat black paint is about 31$ a quart for the cheaper Omni brand and about 61 for the PPG (the good stuff). Then you will need primer,sand paper,reducer,ect.
I say buy your boogers and then start buying up the supplies to paint it with. They materials for painting isn't cheap. However flat black might be about the cheapest to do. My flame red paint was 90$ a quart for the cheaper stuff!!! 110-120 for the PPG. All together I had about 1000$ into my paint supplies. Which isn't bad for what I did.
sohc98
07-05-2008, 01:36 PM
Yea im gunna have to talk to my uncle again to see what he wants me to buy for it. He has a painting booth so i would assume that he would have sandpaper, masking tape/paper, but i can buy it if he wants me too. i want to do the flat black because its cheap and it looks sweet, but then id have a flat black car and gold rims. If i decide to keep the rims think i should paint them black too? oh and i did weigh one of my rims compared to one of my stockers and the stock 14 inch steal w/ tire weighed #34 and my 17 w/ tire weighed in at #36 so just two pounds heavier at each corner thats not to bad.
Oh and some bad news i decided to clean the whole interior of the car yesterday, so i pulled everything out, the seats console, and kick panels and such. i also wanted to see how easy the boogers would be. then i pulled the carpet to pressure wash it and then i found three holes where the floor had rusted through:VHOT:. One on the drivers floor, drivers back floor and passenger back floor. I got some pics of it and some of the other rust holes on the car. Idk what im gunna do to these yet.
rice_eater
07-06-2008, 06:31 PM
Heres the list i came up with for now.
a new cai (mine bit the dust) CAI or WAI? WAI = waste of money. Iceman's are great, but pricey. Best bet for you is probably going to be relocating the battery to the trunk and building your own true CAI.
short tube header (i want the low range power) Wrong. Long tubes add more low end. Long tubes peak effeciency @ 7-8k rpm, short tubes peak at 10-11k. In short, short tubes are a cheap replacement for the stock manifold (no pun intended). Headers are nice, but there is power to be gained elsewhere first when on a budget. That said, I had a short tube on my black car. It was ok, not a lot of power gained though. Just purchased an OBX (TTi) long tube for the '99.
sway bars Sway bar, singular. Leave the smaller front, add a 16mm R/T or ACR rear bar. You'll like it.
strut tower bars Should not even be on your list at this point
booger bushings Good choice, worth the money.
motor mount inserts (might have some lined up to buy on the org) Yep, you're buying them from me. (BlackBeast on neons.org)
lowering springs & new struts Out of your price range at this point. If your car NEEDS struts, I would strongly recommend selling your car as is (after seeing the rust) and looking for another neon with a cleaner body at a good price, such as brads '98 R/T on neons.org (awesomears).
paint job (possibly flat black w/gold stripe to match rims but idk)
new exhaust (i like the vibrant) Vibrant is overpriced IMO, and exhaust should not be this high on your list with your budget. stock pipe flows fine, good for 180hp easy. If you need to replace your muffler replace it with a DOHC stock muffler. Stock cat flows fine.
depo projectors very nice. On any other car I would say there are other things to spend your money on, but the stock lights suck wookie, and there are a lot of deer in WI.
aluminum air damn (from neongoodies.com) Vitor makes nice stuff, but I think its also overpriced. You could built your own for less, its not hard. Use aluminum, lexan, whatever you want. Airdams serve no performance purpose however, they just redirect air into the radiator. You don't really need one. I removed mine all together, gives the car a cleaner look.
windows tinted DIY, cheap.
and then these are a maybe
crane cam (not sure on witch yet cause idk much about them) too high on your list. cams get expensive when you add in the other supporting items, crane springs ($130 for SOHC i believe?) and an SAFC ($150-$200 used). PT valvetrain is nice too ($100-$150 used, $250 new I believe).
adjustable cam gear Waste on a SOHC, what are you going to adjust?
After seeing the rust.... I would keep my eyes open for a good deal on another neon if i were you. Just my 2 cents.
HoodooGuru
07-06-2008, 08:52 PM
Wat was ur car used for? Target practice with a shotgun? lol
sohc98
07-07-2008, 12:00 AM
Wat was ur car used for? Target practice with a shotgun? lol
Ha yea i think so.
sohc98
07-07-2008, 12:20 AM
After seeing the rust.... I would keep my eyes open for a good deal on another neon if i were you. Just my 2 cents.
umm wow thats what i call feedback... And just so ya know the list isnt in any specific order thats just how i typed it. And well i was drivin around yesterday i seen a strawberry coupe at a local car dealer (most likely non running). Im gunna go take a look at it and here what he says is wrong with it. It was in a fenced in yard so i couldnt look that good at it. Im gunna see if its in good shape and since its most likely non running if i could pick it up for cheap, then i could just use the car i have now for parts. If its a dohc that'd be sweet. Ill let ya know if its under $400 ill probly buy it but idk yet, will find out tomorrow.
And on the org i thought i read short tubes were for low range power but it probly said longtubes are.
And for the sway bars im pretty sure mine dosnt have on on the front unless all neons do and my vin code says mine is a highline.
The reason i said a new exhaust was because when i bought the car it had a fart can on it and its bent down even so it looks like a shlong hangin off the back of my car, and i like the looks of the vibrant.
mm inserts money will be sent tomorrow.
dosnt the airdamn increase gas mileage thats what it says on his site i think but that could be a bunch of bull.
Tint i would probly do the sides my self and get the back done profesionally.
As far as the cams go i know nothing about them at all. Same for the cam gear.
and for the intake it would probly be a custom cai like my last one that went down in front of the battery tray.
rice_eater
07-07-2008, 10:38 PM
You should have a front swaybar. Only base models came with no sway bars, and only in '95 and early '96 I believe... Since you're is the highline you should have the 19mm front bar (or 20mm, depending on who you talk to... same bar regardless).
sohc98
07-09-2008, 03:36 PM
You should have a front swaybar. Only base models came with no sway bars, and only in '95 and early '96 I believe... Since you're is the highline you should have the 19mm front bar (or 20mm, depending on who you talk to... same bar regardless).
Hmmm... i dont recall seein one ill have to go check it out in a little bit.
dodgeneonACR98
07-10-2008, 10:35 PM
Well do you have one or not? LOL
sohc98
07-10-2008, 11:40 PM
Well do you have one or not? LOL
i do....lol only a front one tho.
rice_eater
07-12-2008, 03:03 PM
This is where I get to say "I told you so." ;)
sohc98
07-18-2008, 12:55 AM
Well i ordered some boogers and got a full set of prothane motor and tranny mounts from Rice_Eater (thanks again). Ill be puttin both those in as soon as the boogers get here.
I also got a new wiring harness today from a guy i know whos got a junked neon. Im goin back to his house tomorrow to get some more parts off the car befor it gets junked, its a 95 sohc atx. Ill be taking the pcm, o2 sensor, egr, tb, intake, battery tray, starter, alternator, the stock radio, a bunch of small interior peices, the windows, the headliner (since i dont have one), and anything else i want, and its all free to me. Now i'm glad i decided to help the guy roof his garage.
dodgeneonACR98
07-18-2008, 12:33 PM
I see that Advanced Auto can now order Prothane suspension kits. I am thinking of getting new bushings myself.
sohc98
07-24-2008, 02:04 AM
Well I got my boogers the other day and put them in. They make a huge difference, my shifter has no slop now. It feels better than my friends dads 08 Focus shifter. I havnt put the motor mount inserts in yet, but maybe tomorrow. I am currently not able to drive the car again because of the alternator goin bad. A new one is a $130 bucks too. I couldnt get the one off the junked car mentioned above either, seeing as how it needs to be taken out from the wheel well, and the car was sitting in an ass load of sand i couldnt jack it up. So now im kinda pissed about that, I could have had a good working Alt for free but now i have to buy a new one. :VHOT:
dodgeneonACR98
07-25-2008, 05:33 AM
If your junker car is just that. A junker. Why not just take off the exhaust manifold,pull the power steering fluid box and take out the alt that way! May be a deal more work but it will save you 130$. Seems worth it to me. If not get a jack and a nice 2x8 board to sit it on. That will keep it from sinking in the sand. Trust me! The car I got my motor from had been sitting in the feild for a year or two with out wheels and let me tell you it's soft and muddy there. Good Luck man!
sohc98
07-25-2008, 03:24 PM
i did take the manifold off and the power steering, i still couldnt get it, I dont think its possible to get it out from the top. iv actually got the manifold in my trunk right now, i need the o2 sensor from it. The car is gone now it got scrapped last saturday. If i would have wited a little longer i could have got the guy to pick the car up with his skid steer, but i cut my hand super bad and i hadnt eaten ahything yet that day so i got pretty light headed. oh and the two tires i got are to big, so that sucks. Their 215,50,R17. people over on the org say their to big.
dodgeneonACR98
07-25-2008, 04:08 PM
I would say they are too wide. A 205 is as wide as the spring perch will allow. So I would have to agree with them at the org.
sohc98
07-25-2008, 05:55 PM
Its not the width that wont fit its the hight, i have 215,40,R17's now and they fit but just barely.
sohc98
07-25-2008, 05:55 PM
oh and i just bought a new alternator and put it in, cost me $132.87.
RedNeckSmoker
07-25-2008, 09:05 PM
on first gen if you are using a 17in wheel you have to use a 215 or 225 40/17
dodgeneonACR98
07-26-2008, 03:13 PM
OH I see. Prehaps if the tire was a 205 50 it might fit thats all im saying. LOL Im not sure about 17's tho. Guess I should SU!! lol A 205/50/16 is about equal to a 215 40 17 then. They barely fit my car. Thats ok tho! I didn't like the torque loss so I sold 'em. Cheap! LOL It might have not been so bad with a 205/40/16 but I wasn't spending another 400$ on test tires more or less. Piss on that!
rice_eater
07-27-2008, 11:14 PM
225's will rub the strut bars (suspension braces that run front to rear in back, why they're called "strut bars" i don't know), 215s may or may not (depends on actual section width), 205s and smaller are fine.
New alternators have a warranty, alternators from a junked car do not. I'd buy the new one if you plan to keep the car for a while.
When you put the MM inserts in, make sure you have plenty of penetrant, or a torch, or both, as well as extra time and a nearby hardware store thats open. ;) Front and pass. side aren't bad, may break a bolt or two on the front one if you're not lucky, but the trans mount is a royal pain... allow a couple hours, involves removing the battery and box and I can never get the bolts to line back up right on the mount when reinstalling the mount. If all goes smooth it shouldnt take more than an hour start to finish for the trans mount, but things never go smooth for me. And if you're really unlucky you'll get the mount out only to realize its torn and have to put it back together and order a new mount and try again. ;)
sohc98
07-28-2008, 01:43 AM
My 215's dont rub. I did buy the new alternator but i could have gotten the other one for free if i could have gotten it off. When i did the engine in this car i had all the mounts off, none of them were to hard and i didnt even break any of them. Im thinking they shouldnt be that bad when i get around to doin them iv probably only put 3k or less on this motor so far. And i just had the battery box out a few days ago to do the boogers and to replace it, mine was broken. I might do it tomorrow but idk i have to drop my cat out to get to the o2 sensor replaced.
rice_eater
07-30-2008, 01:25 AM
Why would you need to drop the cat to replace the O2 sensor??? :huh:
sohc98
07-30-2008, 01:29 AM
Because the stupid thing wont come out of the pipe right off the cat. Iv tried soaking it in wd-40 and pb blaster and still no luck, and since my cat isnt welded on just clamped it will make it alot easier to get tho o2 out, instead of doin it from under neathe the car. It just makes more sense i think, and its only about a 2 minute job to drop it.
sohc98
10-02-2008, 03:23 PM
Well I decided i should resurrect this old thread of mine, to let ya guys know what goin on with my car. Iv been talking to some of my older family members like my grandpa, and he said that when summer comes around that we could cut out my floor boards and weld in some new ones. He just bought a sheet metal roller thing and wants to get some use out if it. So we might put some kind of design in the floorboards. After that I'm finally going to get my car painted. I'm going to do it myself, i just need to get a bigger air compressor. Idk what color yet.
Over this winter im thinking of doing some bolt on's like a long tube header, a new exhaust to go with it, maybe a aluminum sohc manifold ported out, a larger cam or maybe even a magnum head swap.
dodgeneonACR98
10-02-2008, 05:37 PM
Sounds like a plan! Why not install some glass in the floor boards so that you can see your roadkills!!!!! By next spring I may sell you a Dohc motor for cheap. There is a good swap for ya. Heck I might even throw in the Stock ACR PCM with the 130-35 mph cut off. LOL
sohc98
10-02-2008, 06:09 PM
That would be sweet ACR, i bet the shipping would kinda suck though. The glass floor idea would be pretty cool, but it would have to be some strong glass, and would probably weigh quite a bit.
dodgeneonACR98
10-02-2008, 10:34 PM
LOL you would have to use some bullet proof plexiglass or what ever it's called. I imagine shipping would suck with a heavy motor. I think im going to go with a 2.4 next year tho. Im not going to go thru the trouble Hoodoo is going thru to get my 2.0 worked and tuned. Just not worth it! Not when I can do a few simple things to a 2.4 and get it close to 200 hp. Then I wouldn't have to worry about the interferance engine either.
If it all goes well, I will have a complete running 2.0 dohc and a torn down engine that needs some TLC to get rid of. I hope to get enough out of them to do my swap. Atleast buy my parts for the swap. ttyl
Bagged2000
11-17-2008, 10:41 PM
I hace rear disc setup for 96 neon, everything but the e-brake cable and calipers. Maker stop gooood! Been considering it on my 2000 but I gotta have the money to finish the swap! Tough times!!!
