Anyone into Neon performance?

[98 ACR]

 Thats the question. If so what were your mods? 

[98 ACR]

There don't seem to be any body who's into Neon Performance. Guess on that note I will just post my mods list. 
1.  Mopar Performance PCM
2. Solid rear motor mount. (bobble strut)
3. Custom CAI
4. Prothane MM inserts
5. Battery relocation-Made room for true CAI
6. 55 mm bored throttle body. Polished and port matched to the intake mani
7. EGR blocked off
8. Crane #10 Cams
9. Crane valve springs
10. Pt Lifters and Roller rockers
11. Fidanza adjustable Cam Gears
12. Pacesetter header for now----until I install the AFX Long tube header
13. Flowmaster Cat
14. Flowmaster Muffler
15. 2.5 inch mandrell bent exhaust
16. Ported and polished head
17. Accesory belt removed--- almost like adding an UDP
18. Ported and polished intake manifold
19. Booger bushings- shifter and cable bushings
20. Mopar Performance Clutch
21. Front mount Cai inlet tube---forces cool air into or onto my Filter.
22. Hood scoop---I know it's not realy a performace mod that you can feel in the seat of your pants but anything that can keep your engine bay cooler adds a little something.


Future mods!
I hope one day to actually do a 2.4 liter swap into my car and add all my goodies. I would like to reach 200 hp at the crank or better when I am done. That would make me happy for a while. LOL

[TunerWorldStreet]

I dont own a neon but are you running the 2.0 SOHC? and are you doing a N/A or going for forced induction? but from the list of performance mods you have listed and your trying for 200hp why waste the time and money on the 2.4 swap that is if your going for some type of forced induction slam it with some Nitrous from what i read you got more and enough to run 75 shot of juice smoothly without any other mods (well colder plugs and either a new or bigger fuel pump). Like i mention before i have never done a neon but i have juiced 2.2L, 2200 and a 2.4L. The only one that required some major money was the 2.4 for the 100 shot i had to get bigger JE piston and rods and a new piggy back. All in all it looks to me that you could easly get there from the list of performace mods you have listed.

[98 ACR]

It's a 2.0 Dohc. Im going to keep it all motor. The stock 2L is 150 hp 132 ft lbs. The stock 2.4L is about 172 hp and 152 ft lbs. Im only adding a few pounds with a taller block.  There are some wires and sensors that would need reworked but it's not that hard a swap. The gain in torque is well worth the work. IMO Oh and I can't run the MP PCM with the juice. Time advance is bad news for boosted cars.

 If it was just a toy and not a daily driver, Id done had the juice! LOL Thanks for the props lttr

[TunerWorldStreet]

ah you have the first gen ACR with R/T DOHC motor

150 hp (112 kW) @ 6500 rpm (R/T DOHC model) and 133 ft·lbf (180 N•m) @ 5600 rpm SAE 2.0 L DOHC four-cylinder engine.

First-generation Neons were competitive in SCCA Solo autocross.[1] Available with both the SOHC (sedan) or DOHC (coupe) the ACR was competitive in its class, and featured four-wheel disc brakes, Arvin non-adjustable struts for 1995–1996 models and Koni adjustable dampers for 1997–1999 models, thicker anti-sway bars, fast-ratio steering, heavy-duty front wheel hubs, and a five-speed manual transmission with a numerically higher .81 fifth gear and final drive ratio of 3.94 for quicker acceleration. 1995 through 1997 models featured adjustable camber. The computer-controlled speed limiter was removed from 1995 ACR models, and raised from the standard 190 km/h (118 mph) to 210 km/h (130 mph) for subsequent years. The ACR offers no badging to distinguish it from other Neon models; the only visible differences are a bumper with fog light holes, but no fog lights and a lack of side mouldings. In 1995, the ACR was only offered to SCCA members, but in subsequent years it was available to the general public. The name "ACR" was initially the internal ordering code for the "Competition Package", as it was termed in dealer materials; however, as knowledge of the model spread, the ACR name stuck, and backronyms such as "American Club Racer" were given to it by fans.


I just learned something new  i did not know that dodge used the ACR in SCCA events wich thats cool

[98 ACR]

Yep thats the car I have!  There are a few more things you might find intersting about it. They didn't come with anything "power" as in windows,locks,mirrors and so on. No rear defroster,no radio and no sunroof.  There was an option for an AC tho.  This is what gave the ACR an upper hand against  the heavier RTs. The Koni's help alot too!

 Not only did the ACR compete in SCCA races, it done extremely well and put a hurtin on some cars worth 3 times as much.  The base model Neon in 98 was about 12K after the competition package was added it was still only a 15K car.  They were 150 hp and anly around 2300 lbs I think. At the time that was pretty good.

Im going to squeeze as much hp as I can out of this engine without getting to the point where I need a standalone computer and months of dyno time. I have a friend that going thru that now. He has a 2nd gen Sohc thats putting out 185 hp at the crank and it needs tuned bad. His car has been down for around 6 months. Most of that has been trying to tune it. You know its hard to tune when the engine is broken in before it comes off the dyno! I don't want that.  The 2.4 I want to do will require a few little things to tune it but they are simple things like injectors and such. I would also be able to run a hotter cam with the 2.4.  Those alone with my mods should put me close to 200 at the crank.