i can find srt4s selling for 8k all the time.

 

yea exactly

fuk wit it!

 

yeah but you can also find 1st gens for $300 all the time, build a motor and compete easily with a srt, my 2.0 with a built head and stock bottom end ran 13.6 n/a and beat a lightly modded srt off the line many times. if as in this case of hard times build one for 2,000 and take the extra 6,000 and buy something of importance like rent/mortgage and have no loan and if it breaks so what...your not out really anything that you wont be able to repair

 

yea thats tru, but damn i just hate the way the older neons look

 

Buy some good aftermarket parts, the first gen Neons are good bases for performance since they are snotty light. but keep in mind you get what you pay for, I'm a sucker for it myself I'll buy an EBAY exhaust for myself and need to rebuild the whole thing before Installing it. I like how you asked to spruce it up and were told to swap it.. LOL I guess that's a bit of a spruce. Seriously though, a nice sounding single exit exhaust can be found cheap. you don't have to go HUGE with the wheels but 16's or 17's look big on this small car.. but get somthing really light, every pound you take off a wheel is like adding 2 horsepower. plus it allows the suspension to work easier if it does not have a big heavy weight it's trying to damp. suspension, this is one of the best places to work the old Neons. the ACR came with koni's and shocks/struts are cheap. even a coilover set can be had for $850 that will make the car a rocket 'round corners. since the combiniation of light weight, a good suspension design, and a 1/2 way powerful engine made these cars "the car to have" in Showroom Stock racing back in my day. feel free to call, 813-333-1100, I've worked on a bunch of these..

 

NEONDRIVER that is a clean looking car. I'm not feelin the tach though. Sounds mean... I wonder what it would do against my srt swapped 97 base with no weight redux. Eitherway to the mod. Get a first gen. Mopar PCM if you want to stay N/A, then the 3.0 intake mod, and a pacesetter or mopar header at least. Get some 24# injectors and the MTX swap (if it is not already) and you wont belive how much better that is. Also you can go mega squirt and an SRT stock turbofold and dump 10Psi down the motor and easily make 250+ HP. JUST MAKE SURE YOU HAVE THE FUEL TO SUPPORT and some sort of boost control.. Check my sig out.

 

yeah im moving the tach in front of the mph above the steering wheel instead on the dash. my car ran 13.6 na stock bottom end built head. my new motor puts it to shame its a stratus block bored .20 with 8:1 je, eagle rods, port/polish head, crane springs retainer and #16 cams, ported intake mani, 60mm tb, srt turbo, agp wastegate, 3" o2 and dp, zex direct port, msd dis-2 with 2 step, msd coil/wires, spec stage 4 clutch solid front/bobble strut, filled passenger mount. and some nice 8.0" m/t slicks to get a little traction.

 

Asside the static compression ratio, it sounds pretty close to mine. I'm not using the juice or anything but still sounds pretty comparable. How much boost are you going with that?

 

stock 15lb the nitrous sould spike it up to 20 i want to go a higher boost but dont want to destroy it yet if i get a bigger turbo i plan 20-22 plus nitrous (150 shot)

 

Christi when did you move here and are you here for good?

To the original poster... You should really decide what you want to do with the car overall before you start spending money on it. It'll save you alot of money in the long run. True you will get alot of haters just because it is a Neon and nobody really respects them...

As far as cheap & first performance upgrades I would recommend a cold air intake. The Iceman seems to the best performer, but is no longer in production and they can get pricey when you find them on the boards. A cheap alternative would be the "3.0 intake" which just uses the J bend from a 90's caravan and a cone filter.

Next I would recommend an underdrive pulley. It's a noticeable upgrade on even an ATX Neon but you will need to buy different belts. Alot of companies make these, and yes the eBay ones in general are just as good as the expensive ones.

A Mopar performance ECU is also another good upgrade. You can find them from $100-$150 on the boards. Only downside would be that it does require you to run premium fuel.

I wouldn't bother upgrading the exhaust piping itself. The stock piping is 2 1/4" already and flows pretty descent. The stock DOHC "twin outlet" muffler also flows well, so no real need to replace that if you already have it. A longtube header is a great upgrade though. Those go from $150-$350 depending on the manufacture.

If you have a MTX Neon then you have a 49mm throttle body, the ATX Neons came with a 52mm throttle body that is a direct swap. Just pick one up at the junkyard, no modification is required to install it.

If you have a MTX (manual transmission) I'd tell you to order you a set of Booger shift bushings and a solid bobble strut right now. Those should have come factory on these cars. A set of Prothane motor mount inserts are also a good choice ($30), or you can fill your stock ones with window urethane.

As for suspension, you may or may not have factory sway bars (I'm not sure of your model). They're easy to remove from a junkyard car and install on your car if you don't have them already. Prothane endlinks and sway bar bushings make a big difference also. If you're lucky you might have an ACR that already has Koni adjustable struts.

As far as looks go... I'd tell you to stay away from all that ricey stuff. A clean drop with some nice 15" rims go a longway! You can also make your own lip with garden edging from Home Depot, sounds ghetto but it usually looks good. A set of Depo diamond clear headlights also look very nice. The export Neons came with amber front signal lights which I think look better than our stock clear/fogged ones.

Here's a few helpful links:
Booger Racing
Neons.org
Florida Neons
Neon Tuners
Modern Performance Racing Products
Neon Goodies
SRT Forums

All & all they're a great car as far as handling & performance go. Very competitive with most 4cylinders on the road. 120-150hp/110-140tq isn't really something to complain about, plus have a suspension built for road racing... The SRT-4 turbofold is a direct bolt-on if you have a DOHC car if you choose to go that route. Stock internals can hold a 75shot if they're in good condition. Have fun with your car!