all neons(barring SRT4s) have the same NVT350 transmission....but the 02+ neons have a hydraulic clutch setup...meaning that if you use a pre 02 transmission you will need to use the bellhousing and hydraulic clutch setup from the old transmission...so you can use whatever neon tranny you want...one thing to keep in mind though....there are quite a few different gear ratios available in the different years and trims, I would look through a chart on neons.org to find the one best suited to you....for instance I want an 03 SXT tranny for my neon since I feel it has the best suited gears for boost for my application...your choice may be different