I've got a 96' Neon (4dr sedan). Besides new wheels/rims and a paint job, what are some other upgrades/improvements that can be done for a relatively small price to turn this ugly car into a descent ride?


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I happen to think Neons look fine, including the one in your picture. At least they are reliable for daily use, unlike some much prettier Jaguars, Alfa Romeos and Lancias.
New headlamps would give you much better lighting at night, and an upgrade to the audio system, with a radio that plays CDs and better speakers would be on my list. I also removed the tail-lamps from ours and sealed the gasket area with RTV, to keep the trunk dry in heavy rains.

jw.. what color are you planning on painting it? and do u want performance mods or just apperance? for apperance i would say go with new headlights, new taillights, and maybe a body kit depending on how much u wana spend.. this would b a good time to do that since you are wanting 2 get it painted.. but as far as performance i personally am getting a udp, different muffler, and 3.0L cai. those are all relatively cheap mods.(look at my post Exhaust... das2123 helped quite a bit) but i would definitally get new rims.. please dont go 2 big.. they look gay especially on neons.. 16's max and MAYB 17's.. besides rims and tires r cheaper when they r smaller o and clear corners would b good 2..

Thanks for the replies.

I was thinking I would probably go with something dark for the body (like black or really dark blue). Definitely new taillights/headlights. Rims are also a must. I couldn't agree more on the size. Too big and it just looks retarded. I was also thinking about the possibility of a wing, like the one below (nothing too big). New antenna, muffler, wiper blades, and sound system are also on the list. I'm leaning towards appearance more than performance at the moment. I'm not sure that I want a body kit. I found a cool site with a load of mods/parts: http://www.andysautosport.com/dodge/1995_1999_neon/ I will probably be shopping on ebay for the most part ;)

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http://www.modernperformance.com/ has both show and go products for any neon. Be careful when buying from ebay...parts tend to have fitment problems.

is it automatic or manual? i would say get a shift knob and boot if it is stick.. and new mirriors would b pretty sweet 2.. any idea on how much you want 2 spend on mods? have you thought about hoods? or mayb just a hood scoop if you going just for looks that would be cheaper

It's just an automatic, but yea.. I think new accessories would be nice. You wouldn't believe how clean the interior is. Under the hood looks brand new as well. I know the re-sell on these cars is pretty low, but I should be able up the value quite a bit after I flip it.