I just got a great email from Joshua in Indiana with some questions about prepping a Dodge Neon for rally. Some of the stuff that I talk about all the time, but never posted here at rallynotes.com . Would I do it all over again with a Neon? Yes!

The Car: A Dodge Neon. Why this car? Why not a used Subaru, or a VW?
The first Neon’s are 10 years old now and widely available on the cheap. They made 350,000 of them the first year and continued making over 250,000 +/- every year afterwards. That’s A LOT of cars. For comparison – In 1998 Subaru imported about 2,800 Impreza RS’s into the country and in model year 2000 that number only rose to about 4,000. I can remember Subaru projecting sales of 10,000 WRX’s in 2002. Think about this when you’re trolling the junkyard.

The VW’s are reaching 20 years old now. They were the car to have in the late 80’s and 90’s, but it’s getting harder to find un-rusted shells. Parts for the Neon are cheap and easy to obtain. I got a complete motor and tranny for $500. Just the heads off an Impreza are going to run you that much. The Neon was a SCCA spec racer when they first came out. There is a lot of Mopar influence on the chassis and parts. Flat bottom, big exhaust.

The engine: SOHC 2.0L
You’re options for the Neon are ‘dual over head cam’ and ‘single over head cam’. I’d pick the SOHC every time. It makes more torque sooner then the DOHC, but has a bit less horse power at the top end. “Horse power sells cars, torque wins races.” Less moving parts. More engines to pick parts from. Sure, it’s only 130HP front wheel drive, but as Tim O’Neil said to me regarding the Neon: “Only after you drive an entire stage without lifting – get a faster car.”

The caveats: Looking for a used Neon.
If you get a car that’s a 1998 or older, there is a good chance the head gasket will need to be changed. I bought a car knowing this, and had no problem changing the gasket on a Saturday. Look for the tell tale brown/black sludge in the coolant reservoir. Then check for the Multi Layer Steel head gasket. Try to find a car with rear disc brakes. The suspension is good, but it’s slim with 6″ of travel. I’m starting out with some SRT4 springs and KYB struts. I’m sure I’ll want to upgrade when I start being competitive, but I’ll hold off on the $3000 custom suspension for a while, as struts are running me $60 each. Try getting that price on a set of used STi’s.

All in all – The Neon makes a great racer. I’ve been to countless rallycrosses with the car, dozens of autocrosses. I drive to the event, race, and drive home – no problems. The car is easy to work on, easy to maintain, and fun to drive. So if you’re thinking of building your first rally car and have a tight budget – think about going with a Neon!