Y'all must only be talking about the 1st gen. My mom had a 98 and what a POS that thing was even brand new. It lasted just long enough for her to buy a 2003 sxt brand new. Also a POS but it will not die. The 2003 is sitting in her driveway because it won't shift out of first gear. The engine will pull all day though, I drive it around the block a few months ago lol. She hasn't driven it in at least 7 or 8 years. She's been trying to give it away and no one will even take it ha!
How has Dusterbd missed this conversation?
ddavidv said:Streetwiseguy said:In reply to CyberEric :
Trailing throttle oversteer is certainly a thing. The dude in the video probably tried to lose a bit of speed there, when he should have planted the throttle and steered like a madman.
Duryea hill climb. I used to compete in that. That corner has a nickname that escapes me. It's a slight bend in the road but has a dip in it. The brave/crazy keep their foot planted through there but it leads to a hairpin left just out of camera shot. Lifting, combined with the dip and a overly stiff suspension, can get you that result.
I went through there without lifting in a fwd Audi. It's a bit terrifying.
That was Pagoda, but the same corner (called Oh Sh*t). The dip on the right side of the road was particularly bad that year, and drivers were warned to stay clear of it. The road was still a bit wet, so I was trying to slow for the corner and not turn in too sharply and I went wider than expected. The dip took all the weight off the rear end, it came around, and the front tire climbed the slope of the hillside and over I went. The car had a full cage and I was in full safety gear and restraints, so I was fine. The car did not survive however, it had a long and storied career, and sadly I ended it. Great car though.
^ Old Speednation car with (allegedly) the Razor concept car's engine/cylinder head?
Obviously I love all things FWD Chrysler, I sold my last 1g neon about a year ago still have a couple SRT4s a 2gn R/T and the SRT powered Omni. The ownership really started to suck in the last several years and that was part of my decision to step away from them.
David S. Wallens said:Also, see that SCCA SOLO EVENTS sticker on the rear bumper? Anyone have some? I’m on the hunt for them.
Thanks.
Gotcha covered on that, David.
In reply to Danny Shields (Forum Supporter) :
Got the e-mail and replied. Thank you, Danny!
Back in the day, we were tripping over those decals. Today, it’s a rarity.
I thought I had some in my stash but only came up with one for CLUB RACING. I just love the look of those block letters.
Thanks again!
There were two neons at the Champcar race at Watkins Glen last weekend. I know where a black flamed coupe with the neon logo on the quarter panels is parked, but I can't catch anyone at home. Large unfriendly dog prevents investigation.
Byrneon27 said:^ Old Speednation car with (allegedly) the Razor concept car's engine/cylinder head?
No this was the second Speednation neon to die on a hill.
I still have a copy of this around. The Neons aren't quite dead yet.
I still see a few being used as dailys here in the Lehigh Valley, but they're getting real shaggy
There is one where the carpet shows from outside, who put a sticker on that one? To contrast there is also a black 2 door ACR with silver stripes that I know to be original obsessive owner. He won't drive either of his cars in the wet, he rides the bus! I don't wander the local wrecking yards, but they are all so space constrained that I doubt they last long after they arrive.
OHSCrifle said:How has Dusterbd missed this conversation?
Because I sold mine. They were fun little cars but my life is too short and my parking too limited to love them all
This type of car feels like a dead breed. Light, small, 150 or so horsepower. Looking at the cover of that old issue, only the Civic Si and GTI have survived. And the Civic seems so much bigger and heavier. The GTI is still somewhat small but my guess is it weighs around 3200lbs.
I miss this type of car now.
For whatever reason, Honda and VWs are the only enthusiast groups who have kept old chassis fresh by developing more commons swaps and engine rebuilds.
People don't mind $2000 for a freshly rebuild K20/K24 or 16v, VR6 or 1.8T, but for whatever reason, they aren't going to pay that kind of money for a Neon, Cavalier, Saturn, or Ford Econobox.
Another good example of this are the turbododges. Even if I found a turbo Caravan, I'd be worried about keeping one on the road.
In reply to pheller :
Because the perception is usually "American compact cars are trash" thus why lavish any attention on them?
My Neon stories:
Chrysler screwed the pooch. The first gen car had four design flaws. Three can be laid at the budget department, one at the design department.
1: design, cab forward, droopy nose, lousy suspension travel, and all the ride compromises caused.
2: budget: every single sohc built for the first few years leaked oil from the cheap head gasket. Saved a bunch of money replacing them all under warranty, didn't you?
3: budget, cheap short pistons so they all sound like they are gargling rocks on a cold start.
4: budget, frameless windows make the doors cheaper to build, but if you don't German it in the window regulators, you are loud, wind whisting junk.
The results of those four things:
1: a Neon is a cheap throwaway car in the mind a the consumer.
1a,I guess: the four things were all fixed in the second gen car, which was a very comparable car to the same vintage Accord, at Civic pricing. I know. I owned both. However, the die was cast by two things- the previous bad reputation, and the Merc ownership. The 02 Neon was a very nice car. The 03 was built with content removed by order of the Germans, and they were toast then.
Then we got a Caliber...
Last Neon story: A friend was an engineer on the SRT4 team, and one of his jobs was to figure out how to drive the car for the dB test, so they could sneak the "No muffler" thing past the corporate lawyers.
I built half a dozen turbo neons(usually 2.4L swaps) loved them all. I still occasionally look for a neon on FB marketplace to use as a daily driver...but I cant seem to find the one I want. They are all beat to death these days. Hell, I still have a 2.4L long block sitting in the garage waiting for me to find the right one to buy...I really only like the 1st gen coupes though, so its a long search these days.
In reply to Streetwiseguy :
I looked at an '82 TC3, it was just too small. But a great rorty exhaust note. I was told that they had managed it such that it only had the turbo and the cat doing the muffling, no other resonators, but never confirmed that since I couldn't fit in it comfortably.
I had to wander out to Amigo's auto wrecking for a Toyota part this morning, and while walking past the new arrivals, there is a Neon with two pipes out of the muffler. Look through the window, three pedals. Pop hood, DOHC.
Now, I'm trying to resist buying the power train, because I have no spares left for the car I don't use anymore.
Streetwiseguy said:Now, I'm trying to resist buying the power train, because I have no spares left for the car I don't use anymore.
The best GRM logic summation I have ever seen.
I was recently explaining to a newer autocrosser how, back in the day, Neons (then) were like Miatas (today) when it came to cars in the paddock.
By coincidence, I saw a perfect looking Neon over the weekend. Seems more fitting to post it here than in Unicorns. Pardon the sloppy retouching to blank out the owner's face, but wanted to keep his privacy.
Car looked perfect from the outside. 2005?
https://cars.ksl.com/search/make/Dodge/model/Neon;Neon+SRT-4/zip/84310/miles/100
Dodge Neons within 100 miles of me
matthewmcl said:https://cars.ksl.com/search/make/Dodge/model/Neon;Neon+SRT-4/zip/84310/miles/100
Dodge Neons within 100 miles of me
Those are all second gen Neons. They didn't have anywhere near the success or following of the first gen from 1994 to 1999.
So, some related history.
That’s me, driving a Neon at the 1999 SCCA Solo Nationals, when Street Touring was just one class.
And as car No. 1, that means that I was leading for at least a few seconds.
This was back when everyone was still trying to figure out Street Touring. Did you want the torque of a Prelude? The agility of a Neon or torsion bar Civic?
Not long before we sold our third and final Plymouth Neon (our SCCA Solo Nationals and Pro Solo championship car from 2000), my wife was backing it out of the garage while two neighbor kids stopped their bikes to watch. One kid asked the other "What kind of car is that?" The other replied "It says Plymouth on the back." The first kid got a confused look and said, "Plymouth? I've never heard of that!"
Another Neon (not mine) on BAT two years ago supposedly had documentation indicating it was the Last Plymouth, stored since new with 68 miles:
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