my 03 SX 2.0's journey (smurfette)
my 03 SX 2.0's journey (smurfette)
*EDIT* photo hosting went down so ive had to re-host them. doing my best to put pictures back up.
i figured i may as well make a project log of my own. while i dont plan anything crazy, who knows. i pulled a perfectly good engine out of my charger 2 years ago, i might do the same with my SX.
so here it is, an atlantic blue 2003 SX 2.0. 5 speed. manual windows, and mirrors, power locks and keyless.
the car came with a bunch of goodies from the last owner as well. a JVC radio, 6 disc CD changer, front strut bar, summer and winter tires all on OE wheels, some eibach Pro springs, and an AEM cold air intake.
anyway, i bought the car, quite clean but with a cylinder 3 misfire. i parked it in the garage after picking it up, and didnt move it until the next weekend. i didnt have time, life, and so on.
so at 6:00 on saturday i finally was free of working so i pulled the car onto the hoist and pulled the cylinder head (compression was pretty much dead)
i found a cracked exhaust valve, and a worn exhaust cam lobe, both on cylinder three. i lucked out in a way, i expected a valve to be at fault, but figured it was a bent valve due to a broken timing belt at some point. i had bought a used cylinder head from an auto recycler. it came with a new cam, new rockers, and a valve cover. so i was set!
i put all of it back together, and including a 1/2 hour pizza run, i had it back up and running by midnight!
up next was fixing the slop in the shifter. it was the first aftermarket part ordered for the car, the same night that i brought the car home actually. im glad i did.
then i got bored of the JVC radio. which wasnt bad, but i had a kenwood deck in my intrepid r/t, and honestly, i liked it better. so in it went. plus the tilt display is helpful. its getting up there in age, but still sounds nicer than others ive heard.
up next:
the SRT4 tail pipe, ive had since 2005 or so in the garage, i just need to find a good muffler or resonator to go in the transmission tunnel, so the sound doesnt drive me (more) insane. LOL
oh yeah, i forgot, the eibach springs had a crack in one of them, im dealing with getting them warranted now. i have new KYB struts, and mounts for them, and new Energy suspension control arm bushings for when (if) the eibach's come in. not bad for the first month of owning the car. LOL.
i figured i may as well make a project log of my own. while i dont plan anything crazy, who knows. i pulled a perfectly good engine out of my charger 2 years ago, i might do the same with my SX.
so here it is, an atlantic blue 2003 SX 2.0. 5 speed. manual windows, and mirrors, power locks and keyless.
the car came with a bunch of goodies from the last owner as well. a JVC radio, 6 disc CD changer, front strut bar, summer and winter tires all on OE wheels, some eibach Pro springs, and an AEM cold air intake.
anyway, i bought the car, quite clean but with a cylinder 3 misfire. i parked it in the garage after picking it up, and didnt move it until the next weekend. i didnt have time, life, and so on.
so at 6:00 on saturday i finally was free of working so i pulled the car onto the hoist and pulled the cylinder head (compression was pretty much dead)
i found a cracked exhaust valve, and a worn exhaust cam lobe, both on cylinder three. i lucked out in a way, i expected a valve to be at fault, but figured it was a bent valve due to a broken timing belt at some point. i had bought a used cylinder head from an auto recycler. it came with a new cam, new rockers, and a valve cover. so i was set!
i put all of it back together, and including a 1/2 hour pizza run, i had it back up and running by midnight!
up next was fixing the slop in the shifter. it was the first aftermarket part ordered for the car, the same night that i brought the car home actually. im glad i did.
then i got bored of the JVC radio. which wasnt bad, but i had a kenwood deck in my intrepid r/t, and honestly, i liked it better. so in it went. plus the tilt display is helpful. its getting up there in age, but still sounds nicer than others ive heard.
up next:
the SRT4 tail pipe, ive had since 2005 or so in the garage, i just need to find a good muffler or resonator to go in the transmission tunnel, so the sound doesnt drive me (more) insane. LOL
oh yeah, i forgot, the eibach springs had a crack in one of them, im dealing with getting them warranted now. i have new KYB struts, and mounts for them, and new Energy suspension control arm bushings for when (if) the eibach's come in. not bad for the first month of owning the car. LOL.
Last edited by fargo59 on Sun Feb 08, 2015 5:35 pm, edited 4 times in total.
well, things change again. i picked up my payment for scrapping my intrepid R/T, so i went shopping for goodies. first was at futureshop, and picked up a compustar/firstech remote start. i put one of these in my uncle's pickup (1967 dodge A100) this summer and i liked it. simple enough.
then tonight i stopped by bestbuy and found the "new" kenwood deck i'd been eyeing was on sale. so i bought the KDC-BT852HD deck while i was at it.
i have a feeling i'll be putting my JBL sub and amp in the trunk soon if i can fab a box for the corner like the stock kicker.
the box it's in now would take up the whole trunk!
im really wishing i'd kept my alpine speakers from the intrepid. oh well, live and learn.
then tonight i stopped by bestbuy and found the "new" kenwood deck i'd been eyeing was on sale. so i bought the KDC-BT852HD deck while i was at it.
i have a feeling i'll be putting my JBL sub and amp in the trunk soon if i can fab a box for the corner like the stock kicker.
the box it's in now would take up the whole trunk!
im really wishing i'd kept my alpine speakers from the intrepid. oh well, live and learn.
okay yesterday i FINALLY managed to get some things done on the car.
new ball joints
Energy suspension control arm bushings
KYB struts and mounts all around
Eibach pro springs
and the ACR 19mm rear sway bar (i already have the 22mm front bar)
oh and i finally reinstalled the strut brace, which i cleaned up and polished.
what a day, but my shopping list keeps growing, now i'm looking for disc brake rear knuckles since i need to do rear brakes anyway, as well as a resonator for the SRT4 exhaust tail section i already have.
new ball joints
Energy suspension control arm bushings
KYB struts and mounts all around
Eibach pro springs
and the ACR 19mm rear sway bar (i already have the 22mm front bar)
oh and i finally reinstalled the strut brace, which i cleaned up and polished.
what a day, but my shopping list keeps growing, now i'm looking for disc brake rear knuckles since i need to do rear brakes anyway, as well as a resonator for the SRT4 exhaust tail section i already have.
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- 2GN Member
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- Joined: Sat Jul 28, 2012 12:20 am
- Location: Nashville TN
wow, that's great. I'm going to talk to a few yards I've been to in the past, i just dont have the time to go for a wander.
i did manage to get some of the prep work done on the CAI tube, which had some digs, dents and a thin spot worn into the tube. hopefully it will be ready for paint work this week.
i also bought a set of R/T side skirts, so they'll be on the paint work pile this week as well.
im a shopoholic, i know...
i did manage to get some of the prep work done on the CAI tube, which had some digs, dents and a thin spot worn into the tube. hopefully it will be ready for paint work this week.
i also bought a set of R/T side skirts, so they'll be on the paint work pile this week as well.
im a shopoholic, i know...
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- 2GN Member
- Posts: 103
- Joined: Sat Jul 28, 2012 12:20 am
- Location: Nashville TN
Okay Keep me posted. I will be wandering a couple yards Thursday morning.fargo59 wrote:wow, that's great. I'm going to talk to a few yards I've been to in the past, i just dont have the time to go for a wander.
i did manage to get some of the prep work done on the CAI tube, which had some digs, dents and a thin spot worn into the tube. hopefully it will be ready for paint work this week.
i also bought a set of R/T side skirts, so they'll be on the paint work pile this week as well.
im a shopoholic, i know...
*Edited*
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2002 Dodge Neon SE
time for another update:
ive done a lot in the past few months actually.
rear disc brakes are a hybrid of neon and intrepid parts. brackets and rotors are neon, backing plates, ebrake shoes are neon, as are calipers as they are 36mm, which i liked for a rear disc setup. i plan a larger front brake setup so this worked well
next up, exhaust!
i finally got to installing the SRT4 tailpipe on my car and adding a Solo performance 24" QR resonator to help quiet it down
it was a bit much, so ive added a 17" Jones Exhaust resonator behind the other resonator. better.
now for headlamps:
i bought a pair of eagle eye lamps off ebay, and immediately baked them open.
to install these:
Morimoto Mini H1 5.0's.
and blue demon eyes.
ive done a lot in the past few months actually.
rear disc brakes are a hybrid of neon and intrepid parts. brackets and rotors are neon, backing plates, ebrake shoes are neon, as are calipers as they are 36mm, which i liked for a rear disc setup. i plan a larger front brake setup so this worked well
next up, exhaust!
i finally got to installing the SRT4 tailpipe on my car and adding a Solo performance 24" QR resonator to help quiet it down
it was a bit much, so ive added a 17" Jones Exhaust resonator behind the other resonator. better.
now for headlamps:
i bought a pair of eagle eye lamps off ebay, and immediately baked them open.
to install these:
Morimoto Mini H1 5.0's.
and blue demon eyes.
- Pimp_Daddy_Patty
- 2GN Member
- Posts: 51
- Joined: Mon Mar 11, 2013 12:11 pm
- Location: Cambidge, Ontario
Just seeing this now.fargo59 wrote:time for another update:
now for headlamps:
i bought a pair of eagle eye lamps off ebay, and immediately baked them open.
Cool !!
Question - What temperature did you set the oven at, to 'bake' the headlamps open ??
- Nick
-1998 2-dr SOHC MTX= 57mm TB; Maddog STS
-2000 Ply.LX w/MTX = Maddog STS; CAI; 2.5 exh.; 60mm T/B
-2001 ATX w/Syked PCM + Magnum header
-2001 ACR w/SRT T/B bored out to 55mm
Official "I'm Going to Drive My Neon till it Dies" Club #000009
-2000 Ply.LX w/MTX = Maddog STS; CAI; 2.5 exh.; 60mm T/B
-2001 ATX w/Syked PCM + Magnum header
-2001 ACR w/SRT T/B bored out to 55mm
Official "I'm Going to Drive My Neon till it Dies" Club #000009
- Pimp_Daddy_Patty
- 2GN Member
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- Joined: Mon Mar 11, 2013 12:11 pm
- Location: Cambidge, Ontario
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- Location: Ashland Ohio
Or export SRT.
IDK that the Canadian/export R/T clusters went higher than 140 MPH/220 KMH that the domestic ACR and R/T's had.
IDK that the Canadian/export R/T clusters went higher than 140 MPH/220 KMH that the domestic ACR and R/T's had.
Bill
1999 neon coupe 2.4 swap
2021 Forester
2000 Neon MTX swap with '02 R/T PCMOlha Koba, a psychologist in Kyiv, said that “anger and hate in this situation is a normal reaction and important to validate.” But it is important to channel it into something useful, she said, such as making incendiary bombs out of empty bottles.
1999 neon coupe 2.4 swap
2021 Forester
well just a brief update, i had to replace both lower control arms for a few reasons. as i mentioned in another thread, one of the arms was aftermarket and had caused some issues with the energy suspension control arm bushings. it fit weird, and wore out prematurely. lately i had been chasing a clunk, and assumed it was the bushings. i also assumed that my alignment issue with Caster being off, was due to the aftermarket arm. looking closely i noticed one of the Moog ball joints had come loose in the OEM arm, meaning both arms had issues. so a new pair of OEM arms went in. so far, so good!
more to follow.
more to follow.
What's the rear disc setup?
So many neons so little time.
https://www.youtube.com/user/invujerry/videos
www.instagram.com/invujerry
the rear brake setup is sort of cobbled together. cables rotors, and hoses are neon, backing plates and brackets are from an intrepid. im using a 36mm caliper from an intrepid as well. I had to drill out the ends of the flex lines to fit the banjo bolts of the caliper. this could have been corrected by using 1gn flex lines (which i had, but the used lines were blocked or collapsed. so i bought new lines.)
all in all, the rear brakes should have less grab at this time, but will work better for my plan when i swap the front brakes to PT cruiser setup soon.
the car is quite stable on braking though i dont think its on par with my charger just yet.
all in all, the rear brakes should have less grab at this time, but will work better for my plan when i swap the front brakes to PT cruiser setup soon.
the car is quite stable on braking though i dont think its on par with my charger just yet.
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So, Intrepids do serve a purpose.
Bill
1999 neon coupe 2.4 swap
2021 Forester
2000 Neon MTX swap with '02 R/T PCMOlha Koba, a psychologist in Kyiv, said that “anger and hate in this situation is a normal reaction and important to validate.” But it is important to channel it into something useful, she said, such as making incendiary bombs out of empty bottles.
1999 neon coupe 2.4 swap
2021 Forester
- caustic neon
- 2GN Member
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- Location: Pa
- Contact:
lol, hey, i had 2 intrepids both were 3.5's. my last being an R/T.
i would have loved to use the front brakes off of it as well, but they're A) too big, and B) part of the knuckle.
im hoping today to squeeze my alignment in at the end of the day today, it bugs me when the steering wheel is off, even just a small amount. lol.
they never came with 2.4's. or any 4 cylinders for that matter.caustic neon wrote:lmao that and 2.4 donors
i would have loved to use the front brakes off of it as well, but they're A) too big, and B) part of the knuckle.
im hoping today to squeeze my alignment in at the end of the day today, it bugs me when the steering wheel is off, even just a small amount. lol.
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- Junior Admin
- Posts: 20306
- Joined: Thu May 03, 2007 12:14 pm
- Location: Ashland Ohio
Nothing really wrong with Intrepids. I do like the Concord and the 300M better tho.
The early Intrepid body style, I absolutely hate.
With the Viper Kaminari fascia on my '01 neon, I actually refer it as the "Mini Intrepid", because it looks more like an Intrepid than a Viper.
The early Intrepid body style, I absolutely hate.
With the Viper Kaminari fascia on my '01 neon, I actually refer it as the "Mini Intrepid", because it looks more like an Intrepid than a Viper.
Bill
1999 neon coupe 2.4 swap
2021 Forester
2000 Neon MTX swap with '02 R/T PCMOlha Koba, a psychologist in Kyiv, said that “anger and hate in this situation is a normal reaction and important to validate.” But it is important to channel it into something useful, she said, such as making incendiary bombs out of empty bottles.
1999 neon coupe 2.4 swap
2021 Forester
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I had a 96 3.5 i loved that car for some reasonfargo59 wrote:lol, hey, i had 2 intrepids both were 3.5's. my last being an R/T.
they never came with 2.4's. or any 4 cylinders for that matter.caustic neon wrote:lmao that and 2.4 donors
i would have loved to use the front brakes off of it as well, but they're A) too big, and B) part of the knuckle.
im hoping today to squeeze my alignment in at the end of the day today, it bugs me when the steering wheel is off, even just a small amount. lol.
neons coming along nicely
Member of Spork Racing
2002 Dodge Neon
Frankenstien
2002 Dodge Neon
Frankenstien