# Please help. I don't want a Neon



## lowridin23 (Jul 23, 2002)

OK here's the deal. I'm going out to buy a new car soon. I owned nissans since my 1996 stanza and want to stay with them. Right now I have a 96 SE-R with bolt on mods and can run mid 14's all day. I'm going to keep this car. This car has 130,000 miles on it right now so I want a new car just in case. At first I was going to get the spec-v, hands down! Then I saw a neon SRT-4 on tuner vision. Turbo, runs low 14's stock, Tight ass racing seats, and looks tight for under 19,500! Oh man this f*cked me up. Now I don't know what I want to do. I'm willing to put a little bit of bolt ons on it. You know like I/H/E and pulleys. Somebody give me some good news on why you think I should get a spec-v. Another option I was thinking about is finding a 95-98 240 for cheap and getting a new sr20det from nissan or JDM (4500). Problem is I cant find one of these for cheap! I don't even car how much miles it has on it, because I'm changing the eng., trans., and a few other things on it anyway. It'll be practically new. I just don't know. Thanks for looking.


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## sr20dem0n (Mar 19, 2003)

spec-v has lsd, cheaper, looks nicer IMO, isn't dodge, and runs a 15.0 stock

srt-4 is faster, turbo (cheap upgrades), and runs 13.9 stock


Personally if I could afford it I would wait until the srt has been out a year or so, check out the problems it's had, and then get one if the problems are minor or non-existant. It just beats the spec hands down, much better value for the money, it doesn't look as nice but I don't get cars for their looks really....the only thing holding it back is Dodge's reliablity factory, which only time can show.


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## buttons (May 24, 2003)

*hmm*

I really like the spec and all. However if you are looking to drag race, and blow someone's doors off... I'm going to have to recommend the dodge neon srt-4 as the weapon of choice. It starts out at a modest 215ish whp. It beats the 350Z on the topend, (higher trap speed) and has factory warranty up to 300+whp. I haven't sat in one, but i have some videos of them roasting wrx's. There was an article in SCC or one of them magazines turing a flat 9.0156 with some of the internals still stock. It has a very solid motor with lots of potential.

I got my spec fully loaded for 17,200. A neon srt starts at 19,995 so out the door you are look at around 23-24k. For that I would of went with an WRX (because i live in michigan)

a couple guys have spec's doing [email protected] with I/H/E/P/KS/BS. thats not far from the neon srt...


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## V Dude (Oct 22, 2002)

Other positives for the Spec V- NISMO aftermarket, possible turbos in the future. I'd wait to see what NISMO has before buying.

But yeah, that SRT-4 is a great deal. And they seem to not have any reliablity issues in the short time they've been out.


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## Guest (May 25, 2003)

*Re: hmm*

ummmmm well it might SOUND pretty close 14.6 and 13.9, but half a second on a quarter mile is quite a bit assuming that both drivers are expierenced and both have good runs...i think for a spec V to be faster then a SRT you would definatly have to go turbo, also consider that the SRT's turbo advantage, all u have to do is turn up the boost, vrooooooooooooooooom and BAM low 13's!!!!!!!!!!!




buttons said:


> *I really like the spec and all. However if you are looking to drag race, and blow someone's doors off... I'm going to have to recommend the dodge neon srt-4 as the weapon of choice. It starts out at a modest 215ish whp. It beats the 350Z on the topend, (higher trap speed) and has factory warranty up to 300+whp. I haven't sat in one, but i have some videos of them roasting wrx's. There was an article in SCC or one of them magazines turing a flat 9.0156 with some of the internals still stock. It has a very solid motor with lots of potential.
> 
> I got my spec fully loaded for 17,200. A neon srt starts at 19,995 so out the door you are look at around 23-24k. For that I would of went with an WRX (because i live in michigan)
> 
> a couple guys have spec's doing [email protected] with I/H/E/P/KS/BS. thats not far from the neon srt... *


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## Guest (May 25, 2003)

I am a big advoate for the Subaru WRX  , but the 2.5 RS is very nice as well . I really haven't seen too many Spec-V vs. 2.5 RS comparisons . You could also look into the Mazda 6 , or even V6 Tiburon .


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## ny-capo (May 16, 2003)

It's a Neon with a turbo slapped in it, and it costs you 6 grand more than doing it yourself, you do the math.


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## sr20dem0n (Mar 19, 2003)

ny-capo said:


> *It's a Neon with a turbo slapped in it, and it costs you 6 grand more than doing it yourself, you do the math. *


c'mon, it's a whole helluva lot more than that....you can't over simplify a car like that. That's like saying the spec-v is a gxe with 175hp, or an evo viii is just a lancer with a turbo


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## Silvspec86 (Apr 4, 2003)

its...a....Dodge.....and its American. i would never in my life buy an american car, well there are exeptions but over all i hate american cars with a passion. look for anything unamerican, if you like turbos, look into the GTI's and NISMO is back so if i were you i either just go ahead and buy a spec, or wait, but i'd never think about stepping foot into a Dodge dealer.


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## Guest (May 25, 2003)

yea i totaly agree sr20dem0n, and when u look at the specs the SRT4 and NEON are alot diferent, diferent engine, stronger better geared transmission, bigger brakes,rims, bigger tires, tougher suspension, aparntly comes with very nice racing seats , and its under a facotry warenty to 300WHP, that isn't a neon with a turbo slapped in it....


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## Guest (May 25, 2003)

I would go with the srt-4 in the short run..but, being an AMERICAN car with 2.4L Turbo engine, i dont think itsgoing to last very long...its a hard call, if you plan on having the car for a long time i would go with the spec because 1)it will definantly last longe 2)it will also cost you a lot less after you purchase it (Insurance, gas)


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## Guest (May 26, 2003)

well.. have you gone to the dealer and looked at the SRT yet? I did... the dealers around here all have them marked up around 3-5k... 25k for a neon... suddenly the car isnt such a good deal.


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## lowridin23 (Jul 23, 2002)

Man, I really appreciate all the good responses. The one guy was right though. I need a car that's going to last long, and nissan hasn't done me wrong yet. I still don't know what I'm going to do yet so keep the responsed coming. I'm still leaning towards the spec. I may keep looking for the 240. As for the neon, I just can't see myself driving in a car I used to bash for years. I've handed out quite a bit of ass whoopings to it in the past with my 200 and even the stanza. I might just wait a while and see what nismo does as it said in one of the responses. Thanks a million and keep the responses comin!


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## BORNGEARHEAD (Apr 30, 2002)

If I were to buy a new car. It would be the SRT-4, in it's second year of production. 14.6 with a Spec-V, with all those bolt-ons, and it still can't touch the SRT-4 stock. Now add up the price of all those bolt-ons. Remember, Chrysler now has 7/70 standard warranty. And the Spec-Vs have had their problems. To me, the answer is obvious.


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## olsaltybastard (May 11, 2003)

Let me see how fast I can get flamed!! Buy a 2002 Camaro SS. It will be about three or four years before a neon will take you. Then spend 3 grand on a Vortech supercharger, and you will have another 3 years covered! 

Seriously, it's your money, so spend it wisely. Horsepower costs money, and kills reliability. I bought a Spec-V to get the best of both worlds. So what if a neon can take me, lots of cars can. A Camaro can take a neon, a Vette can take a Camaro, a Viper can take a Vette, a 55 Chevy with a 700hp blown big block will eat a Viper for breakfast, John Forces' funny car will make mince meat out of a 700hp blown big block, an F-16 can fly twice the speed of sound, and SR-71 can get to almost mach 5, the space shuttle goes a lot faster than that! Basically, until you drive a space shuttle, you will never be the "Fastest guy on the block." I'm personally building my own space shuttle. I just need to figure out small details, such as where to get the fuel. That stuff ain't cheap, and it isn't available at every corner gas station. Until then, I'm just an also ran. Good luck with whatever you purchase!


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## Guest (May 27, 2003)

its so true man, there is always going to be someone faster then you, no matter what u do, but if fast is what your going for in the long run, stick with the old saying " there is no replacment for displancement" cause there really isn't, you can do all the shit to a little 2 litre engine and get it pusing 800HP, but at the same time you can do all the shit to a 305, and you would proboly be pushing 1400-1600HP, 350 might be able to handle 1800-2000, then you could move to a 454, perhaps a 504 and your posabilities are only limited by your pocket book and at that point reliability is out the door, but just keep that saying in mind if your going for fast 
PS some ppl like to say FI, is a reaplcment for displacment, but i disagree becuase any engine can go FI....


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## Lurker Above (Apr 21, 2003)

olsaltybastard said:


> *So what if a neon can take me, lots of cars can. A Camaro can take a neon, a Vette can take a Camaro, a Viper can take a Vette, a 55 Chevy with a 700hp blown big block will eat a Viper for breakfast, John Forces' funny car will make mince meat out of a 700hp blown big block, an F-16 can fly twice the speed of sound, and SR-71 can get to almost mach 5, the space shuttle goes a lot faster than that! Basically, until you drive a space shuttle, you will never be the "Fastest guy on the block." I'm personally building my own space shuttle. I just need to figure out small details, such as where to get the fuel. That stuff ain't cheap, and it isn't available at every corner gas station. Until then, I'm just an also ran. Good luck with whatever you purchase! *


hee...notice that the faster the ride, the more impressive the burnouts!  nhra ain't got nothin' on nasa! i used to see sr-71s back at kadena taking off at night...all you see are these two blue-white cones of flame rapidly disappearing into the clouds, with their accompanying full orchestra shaking the earth


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## FletchSpecV (Nov 26, 2002)

olsaltybastard said:


> *Let me see how fast I can get flamed!! Buy a 2002 Camaro SS. It will be about three or four years before a neon will take you. Then spend 3 grand on a Vortech supercharger, and you will have another 3 years covered!
> 
> Seriously, it's your money, so spend it wisely. Horsepower costs money, and kills reliability. I bought a Spec-V to get the best of both worlds. So what if a neon can take me, lots of cars can. A Camaro can take a neon, a Vette can take a Camaro, a Viper can take a Vette, a 55 Chevy with a 700hp blown big block will eat a Viper for breakfast, John Forces' funny car will make mince meat out of a 700hp blown big block, an F-16 can fly twice the speed of sound, and SR-71 can get to almost mach 5, the space shuttle goes a lot faster than that! Basically, until you drive a space shuttle, you will never be the "Fastest guy on the block." I'm personally building my own space shuttle. I just need to figure out small details, such as where to get the fuel. That stuff ain't cheap, and it isn't available at every corner gas station. Until then, I'm just an also ran. Good luck with whatever you purchase! *


Hahahaha, hilarious ol salty,  . My dad said when he was in high school he had a tricked out space shuttle, but when he got married and had me he had to trade it in for a station wagon. Damn you dad!


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## king_johnthegreat (Apr 6, 2003)

I have a factory turbocharged American made vehicle with plenty of mods, and it pushed more than 285 hp in stock form. It is all wheel drive, even, and I have had NO PROBLEMS with it whatsoever. I bought it brand new in 1991, and it now has well over 160,000 miles on it; I take it to the track, and drive it all over town, so don't talk to me about American cars being shitty. Saying that kind of crap is just plain ignorant, and those people should be ignored. That '91 puts down mid 12's, so if you think your '02 and up Spec is going to be any more reliable after 12 years and still perform better than stock, I would love to see if you even think you will still own it. I've had five Nissans, and drive one now, as well. I love them, and they do last, but for an aftermarket turbo kit'ed Nissan to last as long as a factory turbo'ed Neon, I would think it would take a whole lot more work. You would pay as much to make your Spec even keep up with an SRT-4 as you would just buying one. The other option is to buy an SXT Neon, and a Hahn Racecraft turbo kit; it would be cheaper than the SRT-4 (Even after buying the kit), and a whole second faster in the quarter mile. That puts the Spec even further behind. If you treat it right, it will last; I promise. Buy what you like, but don't let these flag burners sway you with their anti-American engineering propaganda. Just understand the options you have, and what it would take for you to achieve the goals you have in buying and driving YOUR own car. If you want style, the SRT and the Spec both have quite a lot of it. If you want fuel economy, the Spec; if you want sticker economy, the Spec; if you want a road scorcher, the SRT. If you want a better warranty, the SRT. I would buy the SRT, personally. I don't mean to flame anyone, but c'mon, guys, say it like it is. The SRT has got it, so let it have it.
John


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## Guest (May 27, 2003)

king_johnthegreat said:


> *I have a factory turbocharged American made vehicle with plenty of mods, and it pushed more than 285 hp in stock form. It is all wheel drive, even, and I have had NO PROBLEMS with it whatsoever. I bought it brand new in 1991, and it now has well over 160,000 miles on it; I take it to the track, and drive it all over town, so don't talk to me about American cars being shitty. Saying that kind of crap is just plain ignorant, and those people should be ignored. That '91 puts down mid 12's, so if you think your '02 and up Spec is going to be any more reliable after 12 years and still perform better than stock, I would love to see if you even think you will still own it. I've had five Nissans, and drive one now, as well. I love them, and they do last, but for an aftermarket turbo kit'ed Nissan to last as long as a factory turbo'ed Neon, I would think it would take a whole lot more work. You would pay as much to make your Spec even keep up with an SRT-4 as you would just buying one. The other option is to buy an SXT Neon, and a Hahn Racecraft turbo kit; it would be cheaper than the SRT-4 (Even after buying the kit), and a whole second faster in the quarter mile. That puts the Spec even further behind. If you treat it right, it will last; I promise. Buy what you like, but don't let these flag burners sway you with their anti-American engineering propaganda. Just understand the options you have, and what it would take for you to achieve the goals you have in buying and driving YOUR own car. If you want style, the SRT and the Spec both have quite a lot of it. If you want fuel economy, the Spec; if you want sticker economy, the Spec; if you want a road scorcher, the SRT. If you want a better warranty, the SRT. I would buy the SRT, personally. I don't mean to flame anyone, but c'mon, guys, say it like it is. The SRT has got it, so let it have it.
> John *


AWD Turbo American vehicle bought in 91? Would this be a Syclone? If so, I want pics.


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## Dego (May 21, 2003)

I have not personaly driven the SRT-4 but a co-worker on mine bought one a week ago and he loves it. He took me for a ride and it seemed to ride smooth and fast. He ended up paying $20,400 with a 3.5% intrest rate. Not bad, that's alot of bang for the buck. Pluss it is under warenty, there is no problems meeting emitions or any of that crap.


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## Accord_SiR (May 13, 2003)

lowridin23 said:


> *OK here's the deal. I'm going out to buy a new car soon. I owned nissans since my 1996 stanza and want to stay with them. Right now I have a 96 SE-R with bolt on mods and can run mid 14's all day. I'm going to keep this car. This car has 130,000 miles on it right now so I want a new car just in case. At first I was going to get the spec-v, hands down! Then I saw a neon SRT-4 on tuner vision. Turbo, runs low 14's stock, Tight ass racing seats, and looks tight for under 19,500! Oh man this f*cked me up. Now I don't know what I want to do. I'm willing to put a little bit of bolt ons on it. You know like I/H/E and pulleys. Somebody give me some good news on why you think I should get a spec-v. Another option I was thinking about is finding a 95-98 240 for cheap and getting a new sr20det from nissan or JDM (4500). Problem is I cant find one of these for cheap! I don't even car how much miles it has on it, because I'm changing the eng., trans., and a few other things on it anyway. It'll be practically new. I just don't know. Thanks for looking. *


It sounds to me like you dont need any help at all. You said it yourself, "You Dont Want A Neon" If you have some time, look for the 240 dude, it will be well worth it. Just check eBay, Autotrader, and your local newpaper everyday for as long as it takes. When you do find the right one for you, you will be happy. especially since your going to do an SR20DET swap... They are out there. a 96 that was in mint condition sold here in Phoenix on eBay for 5600 bucks, i was so temped to try and sell my car ASAP and buy it. The main prob. i have looking for them is Auto trannies. But I have come accross at least 3 in the past 3 months that I would have bought if i had the doe


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## Lurker Above (Apr 21, 2003)

i got an interesting letter in the mail...it seems nissan is trying to buy used s14 240sx's. they wanted me to trade in my '96 and they would sell me any 2003 model car with $1500 cash back. this s14 hunt is going on until june 1. sounds like a sales gimmick more than a concerted effort to sell second hand 240s though


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## Guest (May 28, 2003)

I was offered a 1500 dollar rebate too, and all I did was walk in the dealer.


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## lowridin23 (Jul 23, 2002)

Hey RB26, you're right. I don't want a neon. I'm going to find the 240 and put in the SR20DET. I could go hard and put a turbo in my 200sx too, but like I said I want a second car. One that's got a serious sporty look. Oh and by the way, I made a typo in my first post. It was a 1991 stanza, not 96. Again, thanks a lot.


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