Will This Neon Fulfill Your Need for Speed?

Is this Plymouth Neon the answer to your sleeper dreams, or not as it cool as it seems?

The Plymouth Neon. Brought to the market as Chrysler's answer to the growing popularity of Japanese compact cars, the Neon was produced by Chrysler and was offered with variants of identical models branded as either Chrysler, Plymouth and Dodge all under the same namesake. It was produced from 1993-2005, with rumors of returning to the American Market sometime in 2018.

Over the years, this car was predominantly produced to be a low-cost, basic commuter car on the lowest end of the market in terms of pricing and options. There were several higher-performance models introduced to the market throughout its years in production, including the R/T, ACR, SX 2.0 (Canada) and the highly-acclaimed SRT-4.

It took a while for these cars to earn respect as performance machines. Prior to the 2003 release of the SRT-4 that competed with high-performance compact cars such as the SVT Focus and Integra GS-R, they were generally laughed at by enthusiasts, who saw them as grocery-getters and recognized them as "kid cars." After all, they were designed in an attempt by Chrysler to draw-in a younger customer base, as well as make profit off a cheap, simple, yet otherwise funky design.

One specific trim of the vehicle was a bit overlooked. Luckily, we have an example right here to review today. Under 5,000 examples of the ACR package were offered during their production from 1994-1998.

The seller of this 1998 Plymouth Neon coupe with the ACR package emphasizes that point. He also doesn't shy away from providing a detailed list of the performance mods done.

According to Chrysler, the ACR package offered a dual-overhead cam (DOHC) engine, featured four-wheel disc brakes, Arvin non-adjustable struts for 1995–1996, 1997-1999 saw Koni adjustable dampers, thicker anti-sway bars, stiffer suspension bushings, fast-ratio steering, heavy-duty wheel hubs, and a five-speed manual transmission with a shorter .81 fifth gear and final drive ratio of 3.94 for quicker acceleration. 1995-1997 models also featured adjustable camber. Additionally, the package came standard with ABS brakes, offered a radio and A/C delete for weight reduction (Chrysler credited the buyer to reflect cost reductions), and a de-badged, de-molded exterior to differentiate from lower-end models.

It was known as the "American Club Racer" by those aware of its build potential, and was even exclusive to SCCA members for a brief period.

Overall, it is definitely a great base to build a solid race car, wrapped in the shell of a basic commuter- the perfect sleeper.

This example seems to fit that scenario pretty well. It has a big turbo paired to the 2.0 DOHC inline 4, along with upgraded suspension (BC coilovers) and stainless steel brake lines.

The seller seems to have listed the majority of mods in great detail, including Racecraft Stage 2 turbo kit, 2 brand-new fuel pumps, completely redone cylinder head ported and polished Crowler cams, valves, valve springs, valve seals, upgraded lifters, MPx catch can, Braille lightweight battery relocated to trunk, Indy intake, semi-solid motor mounts, side exit exhaust, Hahn Racecraft front mount intercooler and bov, Modern Performance shift knob, Booger bushings and a lightened crank pulley. It also has most of an SRT-4 interior.

Based on this list, it is safe to assume the seller is fully-aware of what went into this build. He also used lots of quality name parts and had her tuned at reputable performance shops, meaning the build was done for speed- and was done right.

This example boasts 280-hp and is tacked with a $6,200 asking price. It is important to keep in mind that when it comes to builds like this, money and time invested into parts and labor do not reflect the true value of the car.

Based on the work put in, it is safe to say this build cost well-over $6,200, but is this Neon worth the price? After all, at the end of the day regardless if it's fast, modded, clean or done right- it is still a '90's Neon.

So Gas on E pro's, let us know... is this Neon a cheap high-performance cop, or a wonky Chrysler flop? You decide!

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