Midnight_Rider's progress log

[thomas_w]

[Midnight_Rider]

No longer for sale, reasons posted elsewhere.

[Midnight_Rider]

The SRT went into the body shop this past Saturday. The paint protection film on the hood from Ziebart has been removed prior to painting and clearcoating both top and bottom. The PPF had yellowed over the years and I didn't replace it on the new front bumper last year. This leaves it just on the front fenders for now. I purchased new under hood stickers from ECS Automotive Concepts and those will be applied and the windshield washer system will have new parts (although it isn't being used since I have the Stage 2 intercooler sprayers using the washer fluid reservoir). Also, a new hood scoop insert is being installed (and the OEM one will be listed shortly on eBay).

The worst thing is that the car had developed a rust spot smaller than a pencil eraser on the DS rear quarter panel dogleg. Today, it was sanded down and Bondo filled (yuck!). This will also be repainted and then the car will go back to Ziebart after the paint cures for undercoating, new rustproofing and Diamond Gloss application, just like back in 2006 when I had these done the first time (Ziebart informed me that I will have to start these processes all over again as the materials have dried out over time- the last warranty maintenance was done in 2017). Ziebart will not warrant the new work due to the age of my car.

I sold the stock ECU on eBay recently and also a Stage 1 badge that I've had lying around for years.

I'm really bummed out about the Bondo application but it beats the usual Neon rear quarter panel rust through.

[racer12306]

Pretty good status for a 18 year old car. we should all be so lucky.


I know it wasn't luck, it was love.

[Midnight_Rider]

Thanks, I appreciate that. Truth is, now that I'm retired and only working part-time, I really can't afford stuff like this anymore. But, after investing so much time and money into it, I can't afford to NOT take care of it.

[INVUJerry]

There is a piece of foam behind the dog leg that was for NVH that holds onto moisture. You can try your hardest, but every now and then, it'll still pop up. Good that you're staying ahead of it instead of letting it fester though, it's a good investment for you.

[occasional demons]

There is expanding foam in the rocker panels also.

It makes it virtually impossible to get full rust prevention applied to the inner panels.

When I was spraying LPS3 into the rockers, etc on the Dark Jewel, it became painful apparent that minor sound deadening was a bigger priority than rust prevention.

[Midnight_Rider]

My body man found no sound deadening foam in the rear DS quarter panel dogleg. He did find that two layers of metal between welds had come apart, leaving a gap that had started rusting. He cleaned out the gap as best as he could and shot a rustproofing agent in the cavity before clamping it shut and welding it. All told, this work cost $2,514.03.

I also noticed that there is an oily film on a pipe on the DS under the engine. And, I found an oily film that had appeared around the rim of the new power steering fluid reservoir. The car is going to the Dodge dealership on the 10th.

I took the car to Ziebart late Wednesday afternoon and got to look at the underside while it was on the lift. There are a few places where I have spot rust on the pinch welds. They will need to keep the car overnight to take care of these spots before the undercoating is reapplied. I'm also having the Diamond Gloss applied once again as well as fabric protection and Aquapel glass treatment (these are all part of a reduced-price package). The car goe in for this work on the 24th. Ziebart wants $899.99.

After all of these expenses, I am tapped out.

[Pizzacrust]

Glad to see you kept the car and doing some rust prevention work. It's a shame that our cars are rusting out like this and could've been prevented with just better materials. My buddy and I just changed the tail light gaskets for a much thicker one. It rained the past couple of days and there's no more sign of moisture in the trunk area. If all of the taillight gaskets were at least an inch thicker, some of the rust could've been prevented at the rear; it shouldn't have cost that much...

[Midnight_Rider]

I still have the OEM taillight gaskets on mine but have a new set for when the time comes to replace the originals. I agree that a few more cents per vehicle for better quality materials would help those of us who are keeping the cars long-term but, thanks to the "bean counters" at DCX, we're having to fight the rust battle.

[Midnight_Rider]

$291.97 today (parts and labor) for a new oil pressure switch. I had discovered a leak on the lower charge pipe last week and my Dodge tech said that the switch was the culprit. Also removed the aftermarket "Xmas tree" fasteners that my body shop had attached through the "nostrils" and reused the OEM ones that I had from before (the body shop had installed them upside down after repainting the bumper).

[MyNeonSaysHi]

yup they tend to leak over time. had to replace mine on the low mileage white srt i had. only reason i replaced mine was due to the CEL for it. it was seeping oil a little bit but not much.

nice catch on the fasteners.

[Midnight_Rider]

The leak was discovered when the car was on a lift at Ziebart- certainly not a planned expense. I'm going to drop $899 at Ziebart on the 24th (plus paying for a rental car and motel room since the car has to be there overnight).

Yeah, I was surprised that my body shop guy had installed the "Xmas trees" upside down and used non-OEM ones to boot. My Dodge tech charged nothing for the fix, bless his heart.

[Midnight_Rider]

I 've now had my first experience with Plasti-Dip. I decided to coat the end of the hood prop so that it wouldn't scratch the new underhood paint job. I ruined a paintbrush trying to apply it before discovering that my right index finger worked much better. Now, several coats later, it is finally shaping up.

Guess that I should have bought the spray can variety instead.

[occasional demons]

You would have still had to do multiple coats, and then keep it from over spraying everywhere. Unless you pulled the prop rod off, but I assume it's still on the car, otherwise you would have just been dipping it in the can.

The glossifier might help harden it a bit, so it doesn't wear off as quickly.

But I believe that is only in the spray can.

[Midnight_Rider]

Yeah, the possibility of overspray is one of the reasons I skipped the spray can. But I didn't think about the rod being horizontal when not in use- this kept me from dipping it. As it is, it doesn't look so hot but I think that it will do what I wanted it to do- prevent the rod from scratching my new under hood paint job.

[Midnight_Rider]

Full insurance coverage starts a week from today. I have an appointment at the dealership for an oil change (bought the oil and received a rebate from Mobil last Fall) and an MTX flush on the 18th. My tech is going to install the new Mopar tranny fill plug that I found on eBay. Ziebart treatment for the year will be sometime this Spring. Can't wait to get started driving this year!

UPDATE: Snow showers on the 18th so the service appointment has been rescheduled to April 2nd.

[MyNeonSaysHi]

Nice! You have the most maintained Neon SRT-4 on the planet

[Midnight_Rider]

Thanks for the compliment! I contacted Hagerty for a quote but can't afford the extra $450 annually so I'll have to stick with my non-declared value insurance. Darn it.

[Midnight_Rider]

Bit the bullet, purchased a Hagerty policy and cancelled my Auto-Owners policy. Awaiting a pro-rated (for 20 days!) refund from Auto-Owners.

[Pizzacrust]

How's the Hagerty policy like? Do they bill monthly or annually?

[Midnight_Rider]

Annually. The coverage they call "Cherished Salvage" is what sold me- you get to keep your vehicle if it is totaled. Plus, I was able to set a value for my SRT (I chose $25,000). All told, my 2024 premium is $931.

[MyNeonSaysHi]

How is the car running? Getting some nice days to drive it? Do you ever drive it in rain?

[Midnight_Rider]

The car sees little use but runs great whenever I do drive it. I had the annual oil change a few weeks ago and also had the tranny flushed as I had purchased a Mopar 4348325 fill plug to replace the 19-year-old OEM one with. There is a local car show scheduled for June 8th that I plan to go to. The last time that it was driven in the rain was enroute to Carlisle several years ago (my power steering went out that weekend).

[MyNeonSaysHi]

nice glad all is well with the car and runs well. Probably feels good to open it up once in a while and go WOT.

[Midnight_Rider]

Probably feels good to open it up once in a while and go WOT.

Yes, but don't let anyone know that I do that.

[Midnight_Rider]

Started the car up and let it run about 10 minutes today while still sitting in the garage. Looking forward to first spring drive and wash.

[MyNeonSaysHi]

Nice! Such cool cars

[Midnight_Rider]

For MyNeonSaysHi:

5/30/02 Purchased 82204787 Tray Kit (from my previous Neon), Westgate C-J-D, Plainfield, IN
8/17/05 Vehicle built at Belvidere, IL DaimlerChrysler assembly plant
6/7/06 Ziebart new car rust protection, underbody sound barrier, Diamond Gloss
Date? Purchased 82300160 Wheel Lock Kit, Westgate C-J-D, Plainfield, IN
5/25/06 Installed Trunk Decklid carpet (from my previous Neon), Westgate C-J-D, Plainfield, IN
9/9/09 4665305 (2) 95-99 Neon cupholder cushion, Valley C-D, Boulder, CO
10/6/09 4665305 (1) 95-99 Neon cupholder cushion, Viva Motors Corp., Socorro, NM
1/28/10 Accident damage repaired at Church Brothers autobody, Indianapolis, IN
11/12/10 Installed P4510548 Blow-Off Valve Conversion Kit, Kriegspeed, Greentown, IN
12/17/10 Installed PL009007ST (2) SilverStar headlight bulbs, Westgate C-J-D, Westfield, IN
12/17/10 Replaced screws in fuel filler neck, Westgate C-J-D, Plainfield, IN
2/18/11 Purchased P4510461 Mopar Performance (Borla) Cat-Back Exhaust System, Westgate C-J-D, Plainfield, IN
5/25/06 Installed P4510461 Mopar Performance (Borla) Cat-Back Exhaust System, Westgate C-J-D, Plainfield, IN
2/13/11 Purchased 77060004 Cold Air Intake, Kernersville C-J-D, Kernersville, NC
4/2/11 Installed 77060004 Cold Air Intake, Kriegspeed, Greentown, IN
5/24/11 Purchased P4510447 Mopar Performance Stage 2 Coilover Suspension Kit, 5272458AB Mount, 5272459AB Mount, 5272226 (2) Seat, 6502481 Pin (8), Mike Anderson Dodge, Marion, IN
5/28/11 Installed coilovers and related parts (above), Kriegspeed, Greentown, IN
6/25/11 Replaced rear brake pads with OEM Mopar pads (part number?), Kriegspeed, Greentown, IN
3/31/12 Replaced wheel lock key (Discount Tire ruined original key by using an impact tool on it), Avon, IN
3/4/13 Purchased P4510454 Mopar Performance Anti-Sway Bars, Westgate C-J-D, Plainfield, IN
4/2/13 Installed P4512454 Mopar Performance Anti-Sway Bars, Westgate C-J-D, Plainfield, IN
9/24/13 Purchased Mopar Performance parts P4510478 Air Filter, P4510826 Rear Tension Strut Kit, P4510870 Rear Adjustable Control Arm, P4510875 Titanium Strut Tower Brace- Rear, Westgate C-J-D, Plainfield, IN
9/25/13 Purchased P4510870 Mopar Performance Rear Adjustable Control Arms, Westgate C-J-D, Plainfield, IN
9/24/13 Purchased P4510874 Mopar Performance Titanium Strut Tower Brace- Front, Rick Hendrick J-C-D, North Charleston, SC
10/12/13 Installed Booger Bushings, P4510875 Titanium Strut Tower Brace- Rear, P451074 Titanium Strut Brace- Front
Date? Installed Maddog 50% reduction Short Throw Shifter
1/24/14 Purchased used P56038629AD RB1 Navigation Radio
4/9/14 Purchased P4510529 (4) Fuel Injector, Westgate C-J-D, Plainfield, IN
8/29/14 Purchased 4884273AC Shield-Exhaust, Westgate C-J-D, Plainfield, IN
8/30/14 Purchased 82208414 Primed SRT-4 Spoiler, FWD Performance, Spring, TX
1/28/15 Purchased (part number?) Mopar OEM Clutch Pivot Ball, Modern Performance, Houston, TX
3/30/15 Purchased 5103022AB Radiator Engine Cooling, Vintage Parts, Beaver Dam, WI
4/14/15 Purchased 5278944AD Charge Air Cooler, Vintage Parts, Beaver Dam, WI
12/20/14 Purchased 5290203AC C/Member-F, Westgate C-J-D, Plainfield, IN
Date? Powdercoated Gloss Black, 5290203AC C/Member-F, PCT Coatings, Anderson, IN
7/16/14 Purchased 5008605AD Glass-Sunroof, Westgate C-J-D, Plainfield, IN
4/9/15 Purchased 5290180AC Gear Power, Shaver Automotive Group, Thousand Oaks, CA
4/18/15 Purchased 1 Way Connector, 4 Way Connector, 90 Degree Pump Elbow, Cushion Clamp, Aluminum Bracket To Hold Sprayers, Zip Tie To Secure Bracket To Intercooler, Water Pump For Sprayers, Reservoir To Pump Rubber Grommet (parts for a Stage 2 With Toys Kit) (part numbers?), Modern Performance, Houston, TX
7/6/15 Replaced lower control arms, installed 5290180AC Gear Power, replaced front/rear brake pads and rotors, replaced 5103022AB Radiator Engine Cooling, 5278944AD Charge Air Cooler, thermostat, heater hoses, timing belt, tensioner, idler, water pump, both axles, clutch, Laukemper C-J-D-R, Mound City MO
5/28/16 Purchased 5012455AI- Decklid, Vintage Parts, Beaver Dam, WI
8/20/16 Powdercoated Rear SRT Spindle (2) Gunmetal Grey, Battery Tray Gloss Black, PCT Coatings, Anderson, IN
8/31/16 Purchased used Stage 2 With Turbo Toys wiring harness and bezel, eBay seller
9/29/16 Purchased 4668526AE Support Engine Mount, Vintage Parts, Beaver Dam, WI
10/11/16 Installed Stage 2 With Turbo Toys Kit (except for red and blue LEDs), Westgate C-D-J, Plainfield, IN
3/21/17 Purchased brake parts and dust caps, Laukemper C-D-J-R, Mound City, MO
4/5/17 Replaced front knuckles (2), replaced rear knuckles (2), replaced parking brake shoes, installed 4668526AE Support Engine Mount, replaced battery tray, installed Stage 2 red and blue LED lights, Hendrickson C-D-J, Monticello, IN
7/8/17 Purchased 4879251AA Wheel: Steel, Twin City D-C-J-R, Lafayette, IN
7/14/17 Purchased 6036168AA Bolt, Village Dodge, Hudson, NY
7/15/17 Purchased Cooper Arizonian 205/65R15 spare tire, Discount Tire, Avon, IN
10/4/17 Painted and installed rear deck lid and spoiler, Ray’s Autobody and Refinishing, Piemento, IN
10/15/17 Purchased 5008136AB Seal- Fender To Hood, MoparPartsGiant,com, El Monte, CA
6/6/18 Purchased 5014793AB Arm Wiper, Westmont Auto Parts Co., Chicago, IL
6/5/18 Purchased 5014792AB Arm Wiper, Ganley C-D-J-R, Bedford, OH
7/14/18, ?, Hendrickson C-D-J, Monticello, IN
8/19/18 Repaired driver’s seat upholstery, Indy Auto Trim, New Palestine, IN
9/24/18 Purchased Lloyd NorthRidge Mat (2 front mats), Lloyd Mat Store, Northridge, CA
10/9/18 Purchased 4783879AF Hinge, Riedman Motors Company, Inc., Connersville, IN
4/6/19 Painted and installed 4783879AF Hinge, Ray’s Autobody and Refinishing, Piemento, IN
11/12/19 Purchased 5290977AF Power Steering Lines And Radiator, Modern Performance, Houston, TX
11/18/19 Purchased 4891519AE Belt: Serpentine, 5273760AC Pump: Power Steering, Butoon D-C-J-R, Kokomo, IN
11/29/19 Installed 4891519AE Belt: Serpentine, 52773760AC Pump: Power Steering, Button C-D-J-R, Kokomo, IN
2/15/20 purchased 4509808AE Hose, 4509809AE Hose, 4860068AE Line: Brake, 4860069AD Line: Brake, Button C-D-J-R, Kokomo, IN
5/1/20 Installed above brake parts, Button C-D-J-R, Kokomo, IN
10/13/20 Purchased 5066133AA AC Expansion Valve Gas, Vintage Parts, Beaver Dam, WI
10/31/20 Installed 5066133AA Expansion Valve Gas, Button C-D-J-R, Kokomo, IN
11/27/20 Purchased 5101776AB Front Fascia, Modern Performance, Houston, TX
11/21/20 Purchased 5303600AB, lower Cooling Grille, Vintage Parts, Beaver Dam, WI
3/23/21 Purchased 5303551AM Driver Side Headlight and 5303550AM Passenger Side Headlight from eBay seller
11/18/16 Purchased 5029249AB Bezel and 5029433AA Air Cooler Duct, Vintage Parts, Beaver Dam, WI
11/12/16 Purchased 5029432AA Air Cooler Duct, Evergreen Parts
2/11/17 Purchased 5303482AF (2) Foglamp Bezel Surrounds, eBay seller
4/13/21 Purchased 4777994AE Gasket- Oil Pan and 6507741AA Bolt- Oil Drain, MoparPartsGiant, El Monte, CA
10/5/21 Purchased PISCO PG8-GT Pneumatic Fitting (Toys kit replacement part). eBay seller
5/8/21 Purchased P4510626 Online Filter (Toys kit replacement part), JEGS, Inc, Delaware, OH
5/21/21 Purchased 5303482AF Lamp- Fog, Terry’s Rt. 50 Super Lot, Burnt Hills, NY
6/9/21 Purchased 5303482AF Lamp- Fog, MoparPartsGiant, El Monte, CA
6/23/21 Purchased 205/50R17 Michelin Pilot Sport (4), Discount Tire, Avon, IN
7/23/21 Purchased 5303482AF Lamp- Fog. Baxter C-D-J-R, Omaha, NB
7/23/21 Purchased 5037340AA Clutch Master Cylinder, Baxter C-D-J-R, Omaha NB
7/29/21 Purchased T580 Transmission Clutch Cable Access Cover (part number?), eBay seller
8/5/21 Purchased 806-2486mm 15 psi Check valve hosetail and 806 301C (140cc) (4), Stage 2 waterjets replacements), aquamist-direct.com
8/26/21 Purchased 5029422AB Isolator Cowl Front, Vintage Parts, Beaver Dam, WI
10/19/21 Purchased 5290402AB Hose, Vintage Parts, Beaver Dam, WI
3/24/22 Replaced P4510929 Intercooler Sprayers, replaced P4510626 Inline Filter, installed 5303482AF Lamp- Fog (2), installed 5037340AA Clutch Master Cylinder, installed clutch slave cylinder, installed 4777994AE Gasket- Oil Pan and 6507741AA Bolt- Oil Drain at Button C-D-J-R, Kokomo, IN.
3/22/23 Oil change; NextBase dashcam wiring kit installed; RH mirror replaced; replaced 5015343AA drier, replaced 4882139 O-rings (2), replaced 4796565 O-rings (2), replaced 5015344AD line assembly, replaced 506613AA X-valve gasket at Button C-D-J-R, Kokomo, IN.
4/24/23 Had VIN etched on catalytic converter and converter spraypainted yellow at Jiffy Lube, Avon, IN
6/28/23 Sanded, painted and clearcoated hood (top and bottom), replaced both windshield washer nozzles, replaced hood scoop insert with (part #?) new scoop insert, replaced windshield washer hoses, Ray’s Autobody and Refinishing, Pimento, IN.
9/18/23 Purchased BB26R001A battery and installed at Button C-D-J-R, Kokomo, IN.
12/6/23 Purchased 4348325 transmission fill plug from eBay seller.
4/24/24 Oil change, transmission flush, installed 4348325 transmission fill plug at Button C-D-J-R, Kokomo, IN.
6/11/24 Ziebart Inner Guard Renewal, Interior Sanitize, Engine Degrease, Rust Inspection / Vehicle Preparation, Diamond Gloss Renewal, Ziebart of Lafayette, IN.