What happened to the 2-door neon?

[SilverCloudR/T]

Why'd they drop the 2-door model?
I mean, those were way better!
Now all the neonR/Ts have to be 4-doors.
How lame is that?
I wont buy one just for that reason.

[Sluttypatton]

I don't know why they did it, but it was a dumb move. I remember reading about it somewhere, but I can't find the article anymore.

[Scatch!]

Originally posted by SilverCloudR/T
Why'd they drop the 2-door model?

Because the "geniuses" at DC decided 30% of the Neon sales weren't enough to design another body. Fools.

I mean, those were way better!

Says you. I have a sedan and a coupe, and I love all Neons equally.

Now all the neonR/Ts have to be 4-doors.
How lame is that?
I wont buy one just for that reason.

*shrugs* The R/T always came in four-door form. It's just that it /only/ comes in four-door. Four doors handle better anyway (stiffer structure).

[Sluttypatton]

He's right about the 4 doors being stiffer. 4 doors also tend to survive rolls better, as the pillars between the front and back doors help to support the roof... a budget roll bar.

[arcdude]

Also, 4 doors make the back seat much more useful, for both people and cargo. I remember after we had a party I had to bring back the two huge coolers we rented. You know those big cyllindrical things that are made to cool a beer keg? I picked them up no problem in my wife's PT Cruiser, but she was gone with it when I had to bring them back. There was no way even one would fit in the trunk, but they both fit fine in the back seat of my 1st gen sedan.

Also, 4-doors don't have the problem of breaking hinges the way the coupes do with their long, heavy doors.

Oh yeah, and sedans are lighter AND stronger.

I don't know why they even bothered building the coupes in the first place.

[spearman8516]

If anyone could tell me, i wanted to know what R/T meant. and out of the SE, ES, and Highline models of the Neon, which is the best feature wise?? and are there enough mods out there to make a Neon a 300 HP vehicle?

[spearman8516]

btw, that neon is a 2000-2002

[Sluttypatton]

It's from the muscle car days and means rapid transit, of the cars you mentioned R/T would be the best.

[Scatch!]

I don't know why they even bothered building the coupes in the first place.

'Cause people dig 'em.

and are there enough mods out there to make a Neon a 300 HP vehicle?

Yes. But it will take a turbo. There's no way you're going to get a 2.0L N/A to make 300hp and remain streetable.

[RWD Maniac]

well.. fyi, insurance is cheaper 4 doors too.. &@^$%@&# shit... i dont got a car cos of insurance!!! 6k for a sedan just for me!! WTF! stupid new york!!

[genjy]

Originally Posted by spearman8516

If anyone could tell me, i wanted to know what R/T meant. and out of the SE, ES, and Highline models of the Neon, which is the best feature wise?? and are there enough mods out there to make a Neon a 300 HP vehicle?

The Dodge designation "R/T" means Road/Track, meaning the car is a capable performer on the road and on the track.

[Sluttypatton]

Originally Posted by genjy

The Dodge designation "R/T" means Road/Track, meaning the car is a capable performer on the road and on the track.

Thats what I always thought too, but then a friend told me it stood for Rapid transit, and I beleived him because he is a generally pretty knowledgable guy and owns a bunch of old R/T's. I guess I always figured he would know better than me. Road/Track does make more sense though.

[genjy]

I did a search on deja.com/googlegroups' usenet posts. About 10 years ago, some people had the same discussion. It seems at least 3 people had the same respond in the thread :

>The R/T stood for Rapid Transit.

Sorry, wrong. It stood / stands for Road/Track. Note the absence of the "and." Further, Rapid Transit System was a Plymouth name in '70 and '71 only. The two are unrelated. Somebody put this in the FAQ.

Carl

: The R/T stood for Rapid Transit.

Not this again! This was discussed weeks ago. R/T was Road/Track. See 1967 Dodge ads and magazine tests. Rapid Transit was a Plymouth term for its performance cars in general in the early 70s.

>The R/T stands for Rapid Transit. Both me and my father are Mopar
>enthusiasts, so I hope we're right!

Not quite - R/T is a Dodge designation, and the Rapid Transit System was a
Plymouth marketing campaign. R/T stands for Road/Track.

[crankwalk 2g]

Originally Posted by Scatch!

*shrugs* The R/T always came in four-door form. It's just that it /only/ comes in four-door. Four doors handle better anyway (stiffer structure).

If you don't know what you're talking about then don't post misinformation. The Neon R/T did come in a 2dr coupe model.

Also where did you hear this bs about four door cars handling better and being stiffer than a coupe. A four-door car is longer and causes the body to have more flex than a more compact coupe design.

[Scatch!]

Originally Posted by crankwalk 2g

If you don't know what you're talking about then don't post misinformation. The Neon R/T did come in a 2dr coupe model.

Calm down, son. It should have read, "It's just that it now /only/ comes in four-door." Is that OK for you?

Also where did you hear this bs about four door cars handling better and being stiffer than a coupe. A four-door car is longer and causes the body to have more flex than a more compact coupe design.

Nope. All G1 Neons have a 104" wheelbase. Second, the coupe has more flex in it because of the larger doors. So maybe you should take your own advice...