[xboxizdope]

I really hate neons, but dayum...after some limo tint and new tail lights, mine is already starting to look better and better. If I get a good drop and some rims...it'll be pimpin! As this being my first post, I want to ask you what I should do to my neon. I got it cheap from my sister so I had to "un girly" it with the tint and tail lights, but it still is a bit high for my preference and I'd really like rims.

What are your suggestions? So far the only thing I've done performance wise is added a short ram intake system I got off E-bay, No exhaust or headers yet cause I'm short on cash. As I've said I got limo tint all around, which looks really sweet on a white car, aftermarket tail lights, and some blue wanna-be HID lights. I'm also looking into some M3 mirrors with LED lights on the sides, and maybe a new gauge cluster

I wanna lower the car bout 2", but I'm not sure if I should go with coil overs or springs. Eventually I'd like rims, hopefully 17" if they'll fit, but rims aren't first priority right now. I just don't wanna lower it so that I can only get 16" rims, cause I really would prefer 17s on a 40 size tire.

Oh by the way, I really dig the newer SRT Neons

 

[xboxizdope]

I don't really want to go too crazy, just some basic cheap mods to make it quicker and not so lame looking. I wish I had the tint guys put some tint on the headlights to give it some eyelids, I don't think I'd go anyother way cause paint would chip and tape just plain looks ghetto. I'd also rather have heavier 17s because since this is an automatic, I won't be taking it to any tracks or street races.

I'll probably replace the spark plugs and wires first since they need replaced anyway. What are some good brands?

I might sell the car in about a year, so everything I do I'm trying to make it good for a resell. That means I don't want some insane stuff that'll make it a pain to smog. Quick question, can you smog a car with performance exhaust? Probably a dumb question, but I've never actually had exhaust on any of my cars....just gone ghetto unbolted style, but hey, what do you expect? I'm from the Inland Empire

 

[xboxizdope]

I guess nobody got the sarcasm from my post...well anyway even though I plan to sell it, that doesn't mean I will. I hate car payments and don't really want anymore after this car is paid off, so I might just decide to keep it. Besides, it's not a bad car, certainly better than the 87 Honda Prelude I had before! But I don't want to do something that'll be a turn off for most buyers if I do decide to sell it, like shaved door handles are tight...but a lot of people wouldn't want to use a remote to open their door.

I wasn't really saying painting the headlights was ghetto, I meant putting tape on them is. I use to know a guy that did ghetto stuff like that and had masking tape all over his headlights to make them look like aftermarket lights....but it just looked really trashy. If the paint doesn't chip then that'd be good....but I just assumed it would because headlights don't seem like the best surface to paint on....just my guess.

If and when I lower it, I want to replace the shocks too so it rides well. Anybody know of some good brands? I want a smooth ride, but I don't want to be bottoming out...especially if I drop it a couple inches. I think I will go for coilovers, because after thinking about it for a while, I'd really like this car to sit on the ground....but obviously some days I might want to have it ride higher.

One last thing, I ordered some M3 mirrors with led turn signals on them, they were pretty cheap off Ebay so I'm hoping they don't look cheap. I'll find out in about a week.

 

[xboxizdope]

I might try painting on the headlights, did you use clearcoat also or just paint? Also, how did you keep a good line at sanding as to not sand down the parts that wouldn't be painted? Or does it really matter if the sanding is all the way to the line where the paint is to be laid? Not much of a painter here, but I might give it a try. At night when your lights are on does any light shine through the paint? What color did you use? And do you have any pictures of the front of your car?

 

[xboxizdope]

If you're going to drop your car with coilovers, be prepared to spend some cash! The one's you see on ebay are junk.

I don't know about 2nd gen neons, but the cheapest "reasonable" coilover for a 1st gen goes for about $1100.

That's what's keeping me away from lowering my car, plus I don't want to eat my tires up so I'd need a camber kit too. What are some good coilover brands?

I might wait on the headlights thing, don't have an airbrush, or know anyone that has one. How do you know if your car is 1st gen or 2nd? One of my headlights looks like its starting to turn yellow, but I thought most car headlights do that over time from water getting inside?

 

[xboxizdope]

I can't find K-sport or Ground Control coilover kits for a 2000 non SRT neon. What about Tein coilovers? Some other forums said those are pretty good too and drop it nice.

 

[xboxizdope]

^^How does your neon handle with those coilovers? Do they feel too soft, or hard? I really don't want to be spending $1500 on coilovers, even if they do ride better, but because I plan to sell the car in about a year or less if I can get some cheap coilovers that don't ride too bad at a good price I'd be more interested to go that way.

I basically want to know all the disadvantages of having cheaper coilovers over the better, more expensive, brands.

Besides, if people in my area are ghetto enough to buy a body kit and not even paint it, I doubt they pay much attention to their suspension when lowering it lol