If you clicked on this post to be dazzled by pics and stats from an ultra-modded Neon you shall be sadly dissapointed.

I had originally purchased my '96 as a 'family' car.

It began it's reign of terror almost immediately by marking my driveway with a large oil slick. It was determined that my head gasket was leaking badly. Although the car was no longer under warranty I contacted Chrysler in order to voice my opinions about a head gasket blowing at 36,000 miles. The head gasket was replaced by a Chrysler dealer with a nominal $100.00 'deductible' coming from my pocket.

The nightmare had only just begun.

Shortly thereafter the instrument cluster died completely. It started with throes of inactivity and spuratic jumping. Then it just died. It's been a while, but I think that wound up costing me about $300.00.

After that the fuel system began causing me a problems (problems that would rear their ugly heads again). I wound up paying another $400.00 to have several sections of the wiring harness, and the fuel pump, replaced.

Then came the biggest blow.

One morning I started my car and noticed an unusual 'ticking' that I had not heard before. Over the next few days the 'ticking' grew into a 'knocking' which grew into a horrible 'thumping'. It seems the wrist pins had gone bad on the primary piston rod causing the piston to wiggle back and forth inside the cylinder, which one may imagine, was causing considerable damage. Several weeks, and three motors later, the block was replaced and I was on my way again. Price tag: $2000.00 This is an estimate. I was in the middle of an ugly divorce and my parents arranged, and paid for, the entire process.

This was two years ago.

Since then I have replaced o2 sensors, EGR valve, another wiring harness that rubbed on the CV joint and shorted out (another Chrysler freebie...too bad they didn't pay for the tow truck when I broke down), and have, in the last week, had more of the fuel system wiring harness replaced.

I'm not sure what the shop did ( I do NOT recommend taking your car to Columbus Auto Repair Service (C.A.R.S.) if you live in Columbus, Ohio. They're shady and have NO customer service skills), but now the car is difficult to start and is reading codes 22 and 23 (something about engine air temp).

The beef that I have is that after checking the TSB's (Technical Service Bulletins) for my car I have found that EVERY one of my problems is listed. Chrysler has a lemon on their hands and they know it. That's why the second generation Neon's were born.

After my divorce I discovered several websites dedicated to modifying Dodge Neons. I was fascinated at the power and performance that these little 'four-bangers' could be persuaded to generate. Being a frustrated, shadetree mechanic I began to get lots of ideas. Sadly, any money I would've liked to invest in my Neon is being used to keep it limping down the road until another problem arises.

I would recommend that, unless you're a Dodge mechanic, that you just skip over the ads that read: Neon for Sale!

You are right, Neon's, on the whole, are a money pitt just waiting to happen ... But, you are also right when you say that you can gain Extreme amounts of HP out of the 2.0L 16 valve 4-cyl engine, it is the same engine used in the main La Mans races ... I personally have spent the past 2 and a half years rebuilding, revamping, and moddifying my own Neon, adding part after part, but not to replace what had gone bad, but seeing it listed right after I bought the car, finding a correct fitment aftermarket part and making the substitution ... In doing so, I have replaced the headgasket with a carbon-kevlar replacement by Jackson Racing, replacing my factory exhaust and header with 2 MPx exhaust system for turbocharged Neon's, Pacesetter chrome-ceramic headers which allowed me the opertunity to add dual HKS universal fit T66 turbochargers, HKS wastegates, high pressure release HKS blowoff valves, and lower front mount intercooler. I also took that opertunity to ditch the existing intake system and go with a dual, 4", HKS universal fit racing suction kit with SHMotorsport's dual HKS "mushroom" filter addapter for each of the suction section, CryO2 induction for each, as well as dual 100 shots of Nitrus Express, one direct into the ports, and the other a direct intercooler injection. It is basically limitless what you can do with the Neon, and I am sorry for and sympathetic to what you have gone thru with yours. I wish you much luck with your Neon, and I hope things look up for you.