Im Lookin to buy a 98 Neon R/t...

How much HP/TQ should i expect? Are there any common major problems that go along with the neons? Is it worth $5500 with average miles? Ide appreciated any sort of feedback. Thanks

i believe the numbers at the crrank are 150 hp and 132 lb-ft of torque, cant help on the other stuff though

I looked on AutoTrader and compared cars...it considered the R/T to be the same as a highline....if thats so then it has 132 HP, theres one that is a "Competition" and that has 150...whats the difference?

One is an ACR, and its a rare model I guess that comes with a racing package...like adjustable Koni struts or shocks. Its not as comfortable and doesnt have the luxuries like a Sport or R/T does. That car is made for racing though, but the R/T will only hit 132 HP stock. My '95 Sport with 91K was only $2,300 after all the needed things to buy and drive it, so the car alone was maybe only $2,100 and it was fine until I hotrodded it and "helped" the head gasket to kill itself. Ive never seen an ACR, but Im sure I would rather have one just because of the extra power and such. Im not quite sure but I think it has different headers too. That price almost seems high for that car, unless its totally babied.

That car is made for racing though, but the R/T will only hit 132 HP stock.

Not true. All R/Ts are DOHC cars, which means they make 150hp. Not all ACRs are DOHCs, however. ACR sedans are SOHCs (132 hp), and ACR coupes are DOHCs. Also, the ACRs had plenty of differences, but a different exhaust manifold wasn't one of them.

I think the price is a wee bit high, but it depends on how well the car's been taken care of, and what kind of driving and where.

Common problems with Neons include:
Head gasket - Fixed sometime in the '98 model year, IIRC, and no longer a problem unless of course you have the old gasket.

Noisy windows at speed - not all that bad, but much worse with coupes due to the longer windows. Make sure the seals have been cared for properly and the window alignment has not been screwed up.

Leaking tail lights - quickly and easily fixed with an adjustable wrench and a silicone sealant. :)

DOHC exhaust manifolds sometimes crack. SOHCs less so. Keep the hood seal on the cowl, and I think you'll minimize the probability of cracking. At any rate, I don't think it's a biggie.

There are other small issues, but as the Neon aged it got much, much better. My '96 is better than my '95 by a good margin, and my stepdad's '98 was better than my '96...

hey guys i really appreciate the help, yeah 5500 is too pricey...if i do buy it i think ill offer them 4400.., anyways...i heard about the head gasket, i also heard that it went at about 30K? Is this a huge problem to fix? or is it like a 200-$300 job?

Also, another question...is there anyway u can put an SRT-4 turbo into the 2.0 DOHC? I know the SRT's have the 2.4's...

$4400 is a good price. But like I said, it depends on the condition of the car and what kind of driving it's seen.

The headgaskets don't have a known interval for failure. Anyone who tells you they go at XXXX miles is full of crap. I've seen them go in 15K, and I've seen them go at 180K. I personally had one go at 36K, and one in my other Neon at 64K.

My guess is that you can put an SRT-4 turbo in the car as long as you have a DOHC, but it would take some work. The manifold/turbo housing is cast as one piece, so you'd be better off looking for another turbo system. Hahn Racecraft makes pretty good stuff.

i know, but Hahn is expensive....i priced it out a lil. With the SRT-4 i think i would be able to buy peices at a time, and once i get everything i need i can put it in. I dont think ill be able to come up with $3000 anytime soon, especially while im in college still and only working part time. I saw someone buy the turbo, BOV, and some other accessories for like $400...he'd obviously need more..but still thats very reasonable...again thanks for the help

Almost all Dodges head gaskets go out around 90-100K. Mine went out at 91K and my friends dad fixed it and he said its common with all Dodges. He replaced one in his 96 Intrepid at 90k too.

whats the chance of the head gasket going bad again after its already been replaced???

whats the chance of the head gasket going bad again after its already been replaced???

If it's been replaced PROPERLY with the updated MLS gasket, the chance of it going bad again is almost nothing.