My pile of junk 96 Neon Project

[Dodge Aries K]

Car has been sold! Please delete this thread so I don't have to be reminded of it.

Watch this video of this pile of junk...

http://s37.photobucket.com/albums/e92/teamaenoy/Black%201996%20Neon%20Sedan/?action=view&current=SpecialNeon.flv

Yeah... ain't that lovely... so much for shifting through all the gears. At least Metalkid is hooking me up with a good transmission for cheap (so all of you who don't like him can keep your hate posts out of here) so this thing can actually have 4th and 5th gear again.

http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e92/teamaenoy/Black%201996%20Neon%20Sedan/DSCF1422.jpg
http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e92/teamaenoy/Black%201996%20Neon%20Sedan/DSCF1425.jpg
http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e92/teamaenoy/Black%201996%20Neon%20Sedan/DSCF1426.jpg

Besides the hood, pass front door, and trunk lid the body isn't too bad. Check out these awesome rocker panel pictures...
http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e92/teamaenoy/Black%201996%20Neon%20Sedan/DSCF1433.jpg
http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e92/teamaenoy/Black%201996%20Neon%20Sedan/DSCF1434.jpg

Where's the rust there? That's right, I don't see anything either. However, this makes up for it...
http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e92/teamaenoy/Black%201996%20Neon%20Sedan/DSCF1430.jpg
http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e92/teamaenoy/Black%201996%20Neon%20Sedan/DSCF1431.jpg
BEAUTIFUL HOOD... and how the hell does this happen to a door? WTF?!

http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e92/teamaenoy/Black%201996%20Neon%20Sedan/DSCF1435.jpg
This was in the back seat... so that takes care of part of it...

http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e92/teamaenoy/Black%201996%20Neon%20Sedan/DSCF1429.jpg
Yeah... three wheel stopping power... high tech action. Bad thing is the front brakes are also stopping it TOO well... STICKY BRAKE ACTION. Only after the car gets driven a bit is when the brakes start to hold it back... I figure it's the rubber hoses being stupid so I'll bend those shrink as they rust tabs that hold the rubber hose in place out a bit and see if it helps.

http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e92/teamaenoy/Black%201996%20Neon%20Sedan/DSCF1427.jpg
Engine bay doens't look TOO bad... it needs a non rusted to hell fuel rail.

However, the car overheats too... another awesome problem I didn't know about. What's screwy is that the temperature gauge rides normal, the front fan comes on about 2/3 the way up, and then the gauge just FLYS up to the H and the car starts dinging at me... I swapped the bad gauge cluster for a known good one and it did it too... but it doesn't act like it's overheating... and after it does that for about 2 seconds it starts slowly climing back down to the halfway point... and that's it's cycle of things. I have a new t-stat for it and I'm gunna score a few CTS's from the junkyard to see if that fixes whatever it's stupid problem is. If it's actually overheating... I'm gunna cry and shove this thing behind my garage for a long while.

So yeah, there's my waste of $450... hopefully someday it won't be the pile of garbage it is now. Damn me and me wanting to save it from being chopped into parts by a sawzall... *sad sigh* Should have let it stayed in WI and gotten chopped up but oh well... I'm hoping that someday it can be a four door version of this.
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a351/my98rt/n2k8024.jpg

Questions, comments, and project ideas? Got a blank canvas here with a general idea to shoot for... AFTER this pile of junk does what it's suppost to do.

[WickedShelby88]

Dude its nearly rust free. Removeable panels don't count as rust. For 450 I'd say you hit the nail on the head. For what neons are going for right now trust me as you can get your money back out of it should you choose after the trans is in. That would be sweet if it got the neon race car decal package. Along with the sport wheels and some suspension upgrades it will turn out quite nicely. A set of 200-2001 R/T wheels would look pretty sweet on it though too. First things first though. Shes gotta drive. Change that T-stat.. That sounds a lot like it might be part of your problem. I've heard of the water pump turbine blades rusting to nothing too. Make sure when it is warm most of your hoses are warm-hot and not cold as this will indicate a poor flow issue. Sad thing is what your describing sounds exactly like a cracked head/blown head gasket. Way back when I worked on a volvo it wasn't over heating but the fan ran constantly. It was really weird. It kept passing the block test. I was like f--- it we're pulling the head. Head came back fine when it was checked so we replaced the gasket with a new one from the dealer. Sure enough car was fixed and on its way. What was bad is the people were out of town from St. Louis and got stuck in good ole Greenfield, IN. Doh!!! At least it was fixed. Got some decent money out of that but I will never use anything but anaerobic for a gasket ever again. That indian head shellac
is only good as a high tack.

[Dodge Aries K]

Yeah, the body is in suprisingly nice shape! I couldn't believe it either.

The engine is from a 99 Neon with about 80K on it so I'm pretty sure it would have the MLS standard equipment. Both the hoses and the radiator get nice and hot so the water pump must be doing it's job... new t-stat and cts and I'll report back on it.

[Dodge Aries K]

Overheating problem fixed!

New thermostat... didn't help.
New coolant temp sensor... didn't help.
Made radiator fan stay on all the time... FIXED!

Seems the dumb computer can't decide to turn the fan on at the right time... I fixed that issue for it. Runs good now... just needs a trans and it'll be set.

[Dodge Aries K]

Got busy on this thing last night... first though, some final transmission abuse before ripping it out...
http://s37.photobucket.com/albums/e92/teamaenoy/Black%201996%20Neon%20Sedan/?action=view&current=DSCF1436.flv
http://s37.photobucket.com/albums/e92/teamaenoy/Black%201996%20Neon%20Sedan/?action=view&current=DSCF1437.flv
Transmission LOVED that fun activity...

http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e92/teamaenoy/Black%201996%20Neon%20Sedan/DSCF1443.jpg
http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e92/teamaenoy/Black%201996%20Neon%20Sedan/DSCF1442.jpg
http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e92/teamaenoy/Black%201996%20Neon%20Sedan/DSCF1438.jpg
Brakes and cv shaft removal... same as the older K-based cars... that was easy.

Few hours of magic... and then we have this!
http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e92/teamaenoy/Black%201996%20Neon%20Sedan/DSCF1446.jpg
http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e92/teamaenoy/Black%201996%20Neon%20Sedan/DSCF1445.jpg
http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e92/teamaenoy/Black%201996%20Neon%20Sedan/DSCF1447.jpg

But wait... why is THIS here?!
http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e92/teamaenoy/Black%201996%20Neon%20Sedan/DSCF1450.jpg
That's freakin discusting... the engine/tranny swapped into here was from MEXICO NEON! Dammit! Why would someone do something stupid like that?! I LOATHE MEXICO NEON!

http://s37.photobucket.com/albums/e92/teamaenoy/Black%201996%20Neon%20Sedan/?action=view&current=DSCF1451.flv
There's another video of my sadness with it.

So now I'm waiting on getting a tranny so I can put it back together! :)

[raccoon]

can I have some of whatever your smoking?

[Dodge Aries K]

Smoking? I don't do drugs...

I just act like I do LOL

[jory]

Nice work, for $450 you can't go wrong. Reminds me of what I did with my neon. Did you put a 3.94 trans in it or did you keep the 3.55? I used the sohc trans and it gets 40mpg.
http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d75/jvory/Stuff/DSCF0115.jpg

[Dodge Aries K]

It'll be getting a 3.55. My main plan with it is to get it fixed and resell it. I'm getting my turbo Sundance brought home this week and want to spend some $$$ on that.

[Dodge Aries K]

Put a transmission in it last night... just to see that the reverse doesn't work! It refuses to go into reverse and fights about 5th gear...

I hate this car. :(

[BadAssPerformance]

Dude its nearly rust free. Removeable panels don't count as rust. For 450 I'd say you hit the nail on the head.....

I'm pretty sure any rust counts as rust :confused2:

Not bad for $450 tho...

As for no 5th/reverse, is there any adjustment in the shifter cables on those?

[Dodge Aries K]

It does it even if the shifter cables aren't on the trans and you move the linkages on their own. I've been fighting with it and it will go into reverse if you go into 4th and then over into reverse. At least it moves again. Someone might be giving me $800 for the car as it sits right now... I hope they do. :) Got a turbo Sundance to work on.

[Dodge Aries K]

SOLD! Lock this thread and delete it because I don't got this car anymore! WooHOO!