Beginning again... 2004 Neon Repair

Do you have a project going or will you be starting a project here very soon and just want to keep a log of everything you and when? Share with everyone every step of the way what sort of progress you are making on your project.
rehack
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Beginning again... 2004 Neon Repair

Post by rehack » Sat Jun 09, 2012 2:18 pm

Hey guys,

New to 2GN, but will probably be combing through for answers and help soon.

I always thought the way these 2nd Gen Neons looked when they were fixed up was brilliant, so when I first got married and my wife didn't have a car, I bought a late model one for my wife with low miles for practically a song.

Unfortunately... she wrecked it.

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Condenser, Radiator, Headlights, Bumper cover, Bumper reinforcement, Grill, both Fenders, Hood...

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Radiator Support, Pretty much the entire intake (minus the throttle body), intake manifold got crushed, as well as the A/C Pulley (which was plastic, WTF???)

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Oh yeah, and to top it off... when the firemen showed up at the accident, they cut not only the battery cable, put every wire they could see nearby...

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So today is my first day of going out to actually repair, not just tear down. My first step is to make sure it's still running well, to do that I went and picked up a new Intake Manifold from a Pick-N-Pull (which is a story unto itself and I will share a bit later) and some stuff to patch the electrical.

Wish me luck, this could be quick and painless or slow and tortuous.

Nice to meet all of you.

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Danteneon
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Post by Danteneon » Sat Jun 09, 2012 2:36 pm

Wow, what a indroduction :shock:

First off, welcome! You will most assuredly have your hands full repairing that car. Pay close attention to the apron areas for creasing or misalignment. That will determine how well things line up for you.

Also, the A/C pulley isn't plastic, that would be the P/S pulley (which is located right above it).

Good luck with your project :thumbup:
Last edited by Danteneon on Mon Jun 11, 2012 2:40 pm, edited 1 time in total.
If I could just figure out how to meld the Outback and the Neon into one car...

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occasional demons
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Post by occasional demons » Sat Jun 09, 2012 9:22 pm

Holy crap, it punched the core support clean off the frame rails.

So is the title still good, or is it a salvage title?

You may also want to consider paying to have the frame checked. It might save you some heart ache down the road.
Bill
Olha 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.
2000 Neon MTX swap with '02 R/T PCM
1999 neon coupe 2.4 swap
2021 Forester

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Post by rehack » Sun Jun 10, 2012 12:48 am

Danteneon wrote: Also, the A/C pulley isn't plastic, that would be the P/S pulley (which is located right above it).
Winner winner, chicken dinner. It was the P/S Pulley. Realized my mistake as soon as I began working on it this afternoon.

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occasional demons wrote:Holy crap, it punched the core support clean off the frame rails.
Nah, actually I did that when I was pulled it all back out. It actually struck the back end of a monster-truck-riding minivan. Hit the top of the grill, pushed the hood and top of bumper backwards (along with everything directly behind. The damage you see on the beginning of the frame rails was there when I pulled it apart, unfortunately. Since the body looked perfect on the outside when I bought it, I assume that the previous owner (since I bought it from the original) hit something, replaced the parts himself, and then got it repainted properly. Any frame damage would be present before this particular incident.

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occasional demons wrote:Is the title still good, or is it a salvage title?
First off, I want to applaud you on your use of proper punctuation. It's something I dearly miss in casual forum interaction.

Also, no it is not a salvage title. I had liability only, so when the accident occurred I had it towed home and that was that. Good thing too, they would have totaled me out, and given me less than it would cost to replace it. I've been seening a lot of these cars being totaled out for a lot less lately.

______________________________________________

In other news, worked on car for about 4.5 hours today and... GOT IT RUNNING! Boo ya!

Wasn't anticipating how much time I was going to take unplugging wires, threading wires back through things, plugging wires back in, running from wasps, swatting at wasps, shooting wasps with insecticide, and so on and so forth.

And after I got everything pulled out, and then unplugged, and then put the new stuff in, and then plugged everything back in, and then "spliced" the electrical situation back together (I'll call it splicing to be kind to myself), it wouldn't start. Wouldn't turn over, nothing. I had power.

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So, perplexed, I went inside the house for a few minutes, had a drink, relaxed for a few minutes. Then I resolved to go tinker until I got at least some response. Just started going through, making sure the wires were all "spliced," checking all the connectors to make sure they were seated well, looking for anything really.

I didn't find anything out of place, I knew I had reassembled everything I took apart. I tried to start the car again, but got the same result as before.

At this point, I thought maybe the battery was drained and it didn't have enough juice to turn it over, just enough to run the accessory lights. So I pulled my car up alongside, attached the jumper cables, and waited. After 10 minutes of that, I tried to start it again. Nothing.

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So I unplugged the cables, cleaned up all my tool boxes, and prepared to call it a day... but since my wife was still out with her mother, and I couldn't really go anywhere until she got home, I figured I'd just keep looking and started making notes of what I needed to replace.

And that's when I saw it! A ground wire was hanging below the radiator support, all tucked out of sight. I screwed it down, jumped into the driver's seat and tried firing it again. Instantly turned over. I let it idle for half a second, listening for anything blatantly wrong, seemed fine, so I quickly shut it down.

I basically felt like Anakin from Episode I when he gets the pod racer running. It was ridiculous how happy I was.

Which returns us to the present, I'm a little relaxed now, knowing that it is still running. To get it rolling again, I need to replace the radiator and serpentine belt. Should be able to pick those up pretty easily, then I'll zip tie everything in place and coax it back to my house so I can work on it without the 35 minute drive.

Danteneon and occasional demons, I appreciate the welcome and the comments. I'm going to find some way to reward you both for that... I'll think of something good.

Until next time, thanks for reading.

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Post by occasional demons » Sun Jun 10, 2012 9:19 am

Is it just the picture, or is the battery leaning towards the engine?

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What year is this beast?

And yes, Dante, and I are sort of particular about punctuation. Some others are a bit overzealous on correcting folks, as I'm sure you will notice the more you hang out here.

Also since it is an ATX, you may want to go with an external ATF cooler, and forgo the one in the radiator. Not sure on aftermarket radiators, but oem units tend to fail at the heat exchanger, and can wreak havoc on your transaxle.

Yes, insurance companies are a bit total happy when it comes to neons.

My current car, totaled in 2007
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Had zero rust at the time. The adjuster inflated the damage to $4700. I had it repaired using Mopar parts, except the hood and fender for $2500.

The only reason why I asked if it was salvage is due to R title inspection. Depending on your state, you have to have all reciepts, and VIN's from the donor car(s).

But since you still have a clean title, that won't be an issue. :)
Bill
Olha 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.
2000 Neon MTX swap with '02 R/T PCM
1999 neon coupe 2.4 swap
2021 Forester

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Post by rehack » Sun Jun 10, 2012 7:20 pm

occasional demons wrote:Is it just the picture, or is the battery leaning towards the engine?
Haha, a combination of it leaning and the way the picture was taken. I probably have it tilted so the wiring will reach, they cut the electrical all up, so I just tried to get it all stitched together to make sure it was still all running. (Wasn't going to waste my time on it if the engine was shot.) But after it was all said and done, the wiring barely reached.
occasional demons wrote:What year is this beast?
It is a 2004 SE, just the base. But has about $2500 in stereo equipment in it (which is substantially more than I paid for the whole car) because the Original Owner was a bit of an audiophile. In fact, he upgraded to a Dodge Magnum because he needed more room in the trunk to continue his hobby, haha.

As for the ATX cooler tip, I'll remember that. It hasn't been an issue thus far, and I am probably going to replace it with an OEM unit out of another guys' car most likely, but I'll look into it in the future.

That sucks about the donor car issue, I haven't seen that in my own experience but that would be a nightmare in this instance. The whole car just needs a wash, the worst part is that this car was immaculate externally... makes me a little depressed to see it now. There's so much work to be done to get it back to that. Just need to keep moving one step at a time. Radiator, P/S Pulley, Serpentine Belt are all I need right now to reach the next milestone in the repair.

Hey man, I promised you and Danteneon a reward and here it is:

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I cut you a vinyl decal for helping me out and giving me support! It's about 2 inches tall and 8 inches long. Matte black and gloss red. Send me a PM if you want to claim it/tell me where to send it, haha. I will talk to you guys soon!

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Post by dvon17 » Sun Jun 10, 2012 7:40 pm

Aww...sorry about your car man. You will find many resourceful ppl and helping hands available here, you'll get that thing up and running soon.

The best part is, no Neon-related question will go unasnwered. If your Neon is giving you problems, you can guarantee that there's someone on here who's dealt with it before.

Welcome to the family and I'm looking forward to seeing what your car looks like down the line.
2003 SRT-4 :D

:glasses4:
NEON PARABOLA wrote:you deserve respect dammit! you drive a neon!
"Cause even though you left me here, I have nothing left to fear. These are only walls that hold me here..."

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Post by rehack » Mon Jun 11, 2012 1:16 am

dvon17 wrote:The best part is, no Neon-related question will go unasnwered.
This would be awesome, but I think even more I enjoy the proper grammar, correct sentence structure, and general level of politeness I've found on this forum. Neon drivers... who knew?

On a side note, did any of you guys happen to see a video about 8 or 9 years ago about a "Neon Boy" who is racing another guy in a Ford ZX2 and talks about double clutching and how hard the torque steer is? I'm sure at least a few of you guys had seen it...

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Post by Danteneon » Mon Jun 11, 2012 3:06 pm

occasional demons wrote:And yes, Dante, and I are sort of particular about punctuation. Some others are a bit overzealous on correcting folks, as I'm sure you will notice the more you hang out here.
:lol: I'm glad you posted that. When I have to type "casually" to be funny, it effects my very core. My core man!

I have found that most Mopar enthusiasts tend to be more friendly compared to the other large marquees out there. Could be something to do with being the underdogs of the big three, I don't know. We do have our exceptions of course.

Glad to see it's going well for you so far. Keep up the good work!
If I could just figure out how to meld the Outback and the Neon into one car...

Image

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Post by rehack » Sat Sep 22, 2012 3:26 pm

So I bought another car.

It started out just being a quest to find a parts car, and found a couple of them for around $500, but by the time I called they were gone. Finally got lucky. Sort of. I saw an ad for a neon on Craigslist, front end kind of messed up, but the person seemed genuine. I texted them asking how much they wanted, they asked me for an offer, I offered $450 and they took it. So without further ado, my $450 purchase for today:

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It has a couple of problems, aesthetically and mechanically, but it's also a bit better than a parts car. The engine is in good running shape, or else it was before the PCM fried. And it's SKIM'd. Therein lies the dilemma, fix both cars and sell one to make up the repair costs of both, or part one to fix the other.

I have the original PCM in a box with a spare that the last owner had, and one of them might work, they hadn't tried to fix it yet, they needed money badly and needed to wash their hands of this sad little neon.

I am honestly pretty excited about it. I met up with the girl this morning and exchanged money and paperwork, and having it towed to my place later. I love buying cars, it is damn near magical.

At this rate, I'll be starting my own parts yard soon, haha.

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Post by chew* » Sat Sep 22, 2012 8:05 pm

Good call on another neon, even with the limited pics it was preety clear frame rails were way off. They can be pulled but honestly its never the same as it was.
If the parts car is cleaner rust wise than your car, swap the inner dash panels (VIN) and use the parts car with your title.
But don't street race..!!??

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Post by freelancer1988 » Sat Sep 22, 2012 8:59 pm

Just saw your thread. Good luck with the restore(s).
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______________________________________________________________
2002 Dodge Neon SE

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Post by rehack » Sat Sep 22, 2012 10:02 pm

chew* wrote:Good call on another neon, even with the limited pics it was preety clear frame rails were way off. They can be pulled but honestly its never the same as it was.
Frame damage in the 04 was limited to a dent in the front, a bow in that the bumper support had as well. And it was not damage sustained in our accident. It was from an accident the previous owner had. My neon was hit above the frame and bumper reinforcement, it took the top part of the bumper, core support, and hood and just jammed them halfway to the windshield. Pictures look worse than how the car looked because I had already ripped half the car off and used a winch to pull the rad core support out away from the car so I had plenty of room to remove pieces/determine if the engine was still good.

And the 2004 is still going to be repaired. I have some small experience with correcting frame-rails, my older brother restores classic cars. But I can't keep waiting for cheap parts to pop up on Craigslist and Pick N Pull yards. I need to keep the cost down in repairs to even make it worth repairing. These cars don't seem to sell for much here in Portland, 1/4 to 1/3 of what a similar Honda or Toyota would go for.

The 2002 also has damage to the core support, but isolated to the driver's side corner behind the headlight, which I will have to fiddle with to get the panels to align correctly, if that is impossible, I will just hack that corner off another rad support and weld it in. I have a severe dislike for the 00 and 01-02 front and rear fascias. So I will be replacing the front and rear with 03-05 fascias and lights. Also that 02 steering wheel is an eyesore, I need to replace that with a newer version as well.

But currently I am fighting an intense desire to set that car on fire. It doesn't seem to have been washed or vacuumed since it rolled off the factory floor and now there seems to be indestructible road-film build up on several panels. I had to sit in it to guide the wheels onto the trailer and as soon as I reached home I showered... it is disgusting. Why do we allow women to own things? WHY?!

I am going to go fiddle with the PCMs for a few minutes and report back later. Tomorrow I may try to fit the 2003 PR4 bumper I bought last week and possibly order some paint for the Driver's side fender. So the panels are at least color matched.

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Post by rehack » Sat Sep 22, 2012 10:25 pm

Okay guys, the car is running. Not too well though. Got Error code P0204 - Injector 4 connector, and, confirming the code, puffs of white smoke from the exhaust.

Will look into threads for similar problems and fixes.

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Post by Midnight_Rider » Sat Sep 22, 2012 10:56 pm

Nice '02 SXT, my favorite model year for 2GNs.

About the lack of interior cleanliness- several on the boards have removed the seats and carpet and then did a little shampooing (is that a word? :lol: ). The improvement will amaze you!
Official "I'm Going To Drive My Neon 'til It Dies" Club #10

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Post by rehack » Sun Sep 23, 2012 12:24 pm

Midnight_Rider wrote:About the lack of interior cleanliness- several on the boards have removed the seats and carpet and then did a little shampooing (is that a word? :lol: ). The improvement will amaze you!
I will be removing everything to clean... right now I'm trying to focus on getting the car running.

Currently it will start with the original computer, gives off error code P0204, the engine shakes, and it alternates puffs of clear exhaust fumes and then puffs of white smoke. Also, I thought I smelled a distinct fuel smell in the oil. Lots of things to work on.

Also, because of the shape of the front end, I have a 2004 front end, already in PR4, that I will be replacing the 2002 aftermarket bumper with then I will be ordering some PR4 paint to finish the driver's side fender. The passenger side fender has some 'sooty' residue at the top of the fender that I can't get to scrub off, though I haven't used a bug and tar remover or anything stronger than than soap and a microfiber mitt. The rear bumper is completely oxidized, I'll try to polish and wax it and see I can't get it to look a little better, but I'll be on the lookout for an 03-05 rear bumper for it now as well.

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Post by chew* » Sun Sep 23, 2012 2:53 pm

These cars are preety cheap. Sometimes it is just easier to pick up an entire parts car versus chase down parts.

I picked up and very clean ATX for $600 with a bad head. That was one was kinda lucky though, they were in a pinch and it was at a midas and midas wanted it gone. It was in to good a shape to part it so I fixed it.

No title is the best way to buy them. I got a running 03 R/T for $750 and a running 02 ATX for $300.

Finding a clean shell is the tough part....I settled for a front end damaged shell myself that was hit under frame rails, probably a curb...only because anything else I looked at was rotted or they wanted way to much for car...
If the parts car is cleaner rust wise than your car, swap the inner dash panels (VIN) and use the parts car with your title.
But don't street race..!!??

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Post by rehack » Sun Sep 23, 2012 5:01 pm

Exactly, chew*!

I have been looking for a parts car, I occasionally see one on CL for around $500-600 in various conditions.

Finally settled on this 2002 because the engine was in running shape (though not running at the time), it was an SXT with all the power options, had the black interior that I liked, had the alloy wheels that I liked, and because it was there and I had the cash. But now it's just too good of shape to turn it into a parts car. Maybe if it was all beat up, but it's actually in awesome shape.

I picked it up from a mechanic's shop, who told the previous owner that it would require a new computer and that she would have to order it through the dealer ($300 for the PCM and another $200-$300 to flash/install it). But All Computer Resources will sell you a flashed PCM for $169 shipped so, I think I came out better on that one.

The unibody is in awesome shape on both cars, the front is messed on both though. :sad1:

So, I may just order a new computer from All Computer Resources and when the 02 is running well and doing it's job. I'll keep slowly working on the 04.

Alternately, if the new computer doesn't solve the issue in the 02, I will turn around and pull the parts off the 02 to fix the 04 (P/S Pump, Rad/Fan/Condenser, core support, etc.

Not sure what I'm going to do quite yet. I now have 2 Neons that are almost finished.

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Post by rehack » Mon Oct 01, 2012 8:44 pm

Another 2002 Neon parts car showed up on Craigslist. He was trying to sell his for about $700 when I bought mine for $450. But now he's just decided to part it out! And it's a PR4!

Unfortunately, like every other Neon I've ever seen, it also had some front end damage, isolated to the bumper/front of hood. So I still wasn't able to get a hood, but I picked up both front fenders already painted in PR4 for $60.

So, once I get a hood I'll have all the panels together for the 2002, one step closer. On Wednesday, I'm planning on ordering a refurbished PCM from All Computer Resources that is already flashed to match. They claim it will be plug and play, and, for $160, that sounds like a good deal.

On my next day off I'm going to settle in and get the fenders and bumper cover installed. It might take a little bit of time to get all the panels to line up perfectly but in the end it's going to look awesome!

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Post by rehack » Sun Oct 07, 2012 8:58 pm

It's been an eventful week since my last post. A couple additional trips to PnP yards that went pretty successfully!

First thing's first, gave the 02 a much needed bath:
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Managed to pick up a good set of floormats for the 02 out of a Neon that just hit the N. Portland yard for $6! That was one of my most pleasing purchases.

Also went out early Saturday morning and drove over to the S. Portland yard and picked a hood in immaculate shape off of a 2001 Plymouth for $50! Also picked up the sidemarkers (including wiring since the driver's side on both of my Neons is missing the wiring for the sidemarker). Also picked up an inner fender that was missing on the driver's side of the 02, an intake manifold sensor that was missing on the 04, and a couple of miscellaneous parts.

On Saturday afternoon I pooled all the parts into a pile and spent the afternoon swapping parts around.

Here's how the 02 sits currently:
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New fenders, new hood, passenger side headlight, and was able to replace various other odds and ends. I am really pleased with the progress that is taking place! I'm hoping to source a grill and driver's side headlight by the end of this coming week. Get this thing buttoned up. If the hood was a little darker gray, I'd be more willing to let it remain for a little while at least. The light gray looks at odds with the bright red, so I'm going to talk to a couple of paint shops this next week as well, see what kind of deal they'll give me to paint the hood PR4.

I'm due to receive the 02 PCM on Tuesday, that's the day that determines my next set of actions. Will it be a running and driving 02, or a front end swap onto my running 04? I'm kind of getting attached to the 02, so I'm hoping everything works out.

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Post by redneckmoparman » Mon Oct 08, 2012 3:39 am

Welcome! Glad to see another PNW neon enthusiast! Cars also look like they're coming along well. I can help source some parts and my club, nwneons, has a lot of Portland/ Vancouver area members. Check out the forum nwneon.com. Although we are not very active online, we do a monthly meet.

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Post by rehack » Mon Oct 08, 2012 7:10 pm

Thanks for the comment, Bootz.

I'd appreciate any help I can get. Been getting lucky off of parts yards recently, but am having a heck of a time trying to get a 03+ grill. If I get the 02 running, I might make the meet this month, we will see. Since today is Columbus day, my PCM is getting delayed an additional day, now it's not getting in until Wednesday.

I've got a massive to-do list ready for when the 02 fires up. I am skeptical of how easy it seems to just order the PCM, plug it in, and it's good. Everyone who works on cars knows that if a deal seems too good to be true, it probably is. For that reason I am worried.

Hopefully it works out, I have a Plan B in mind, but I hope it works...

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Post by FAC3L3SS » Mon Oct 08, 2012 7:15 pm

I want that teggy.
el. oh. el.

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Dylan-00Blue
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Post by Dylan-00Blue » Mon Oct 08, 2012 11:25 pm

hahaha way to pick that out from a passengers door, and rear window.


OP- you're taking on two decent sized projects. good luck with them!

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Post by chew* » Mon Oct 08, 2012 11:38 pm

rehack wrote:I am skeptical of how easy it seems to just order the PCM, plug it in, and it's good. Everyone who works on cars knows that if a deal seems too good to be true, it probably is. For that reason I am worried.

Hopefully it works out, I have a Plan B in mind, but I hope it works...
Sometimes it's that simple. Not all 02's had a skim. If your car has skim just unplug the skim box under dash near ignition just in case. If it's a non skim PCM and you have a skim box plugged in it can skim the new PCM......
If you fire car up and it stays running longer than 3 secs without box plugged in it's a non skim PCM, don't plug the skim back in if thats the case....

Should have asked, I just sold a 02 harness and pcm.
If the parts car is cleaner rust wise than your car, swap the inner dash panels (VIN) and use the parts car with your title.
But don't street race..!!??

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Post by rehack » Mon Oct 15, 2012 7:58 pm

Hey 2GNers,

Just a quick update and I'll add a picture in later.

02 is running really well so far. The PCM really WAS that simple. I've been soft-pedaling it around the neighborhood. Just got it insured this afternoon and need to find time to run into the DMV this week to get the licensing worked out. I still need the 03+ Grill and Driver's Side Headlight in order to be 100% finished with parts collecting for this bad boy. Got all the bits back together and torqued down (PCM, Airbox, injector cover, various trim pieces) I just need to get the inner fenders back in and it will be good to go.

Was planning on polishing and waxing the thing, but then the beginning of the autumnal storms rolled through from the coast. It has been raining pretty hard the last few days.

Don't be getting any ideas about my Integra, FAC3L3SS, that car is my ol' trusty. 205k miles with no problems. Had a 96 Honda Civic Coupe in high school that I turbo'd. It got wiped out by a Subaru that ran a red light, and I bought this Integra a few weeks later. I grew up in Southern Idaho and this was literally the first one I had ever seen outside of a magazine, I couldn't count the bills out fast enough, haha. That's my forever car. I'm going to retire in that car.

Thanks for all the comments guys, this forum has helped me a lot in the last few weeks and I really enjoy browsing around in here. A lot of you guys have some bad ass neons. I thought I just loved Hondas, but after owning a couple AE86s and now a couple Neons, I think I love Sport Compacts in general... the way our demographic modifies cars is awesome to me.

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Post by rehack » Tue Oct 23, 2012 9:58 pm

Mail Day!

Got my Driver's Side Headlight and Grill in the mail for the 02 today! Went and purchased some hardware and mounted them up... it was dark when I finished but since it was finally legal I made a short victory lap of the town.

I think with repairs and updating the front end I'm somewhere around $750 into this little car and am super pleased with how it's all turned out. It runs like butter on wheels.

However, I noticed right before I shut it off that at idle it is a bit inconsistent. I took some video and will post it up shortly to illustrate what I mean, but at idle is tends to fluctuate between 450 RPM and 1000 RPM, usually staying between 500-650 the majority of the time. And it doesn't happen all the time. I took a short trip to the store about 15 minutes later and it was perfectly level. Now that the bigger projects are coming to an end, time to start tackling the ghosts in the machine.

chew*
2GN Member
Posts: 655
Joined: Thu Nov 17, 2011 12:14 am
Location: Rhode island

Post by chew* » Wed Oct 24, 2012 1:46 pm

Could be computer learning. Vaccum leak, IAC.
If the parts car is cleaner rust wise than your car, swap the inner dash panels (VIN) and use the parts car with your title.
But don't street race..!!??

rehack
2GN Member
Posts: 85
Joined: Sat Jun 09, 2012 1:45 pm

Post by rehack » Sat Mar 30, 2013 1:47 am

Hey guys, it has been a while since I posted. It's been kind of a chaotic few months, my daughter was only a month old the last time I posted, now she's 6 months old!

The 2002 Neon I purchased has become the 'Mommy Missile.' And I have been working on it now and again. Trying out new things, enjoying that it only cost me a few hundred bucks.

I am not the type of person to spent money easily, I have been saving for a house, retirement, that sort of thing. But I managed to get myself to splurge for a new stereo head unit for it, and found that it already had decent aftermarket speakers throughout! So that saved me a few dollars right there.

You might remember the dust/gold hood I snagged for $40 at the local Pick-N-Pull:
Image

Well after looking into having it repainted, and trying to decide if it was worth it, and then having a friend suggest plastidipping it, I decided to try vinyl (I'd never done it and thought that wrapped cars looked awesome) found a place that sold a good quality outdoor vinyl that was 48 inches wide and they sold it by the yard!

Was it specifically wrapping vinyl? No, it wasn't. Is it supposed to be used for this purpose? No, it isn't. Are there going to be any lasting negative effects because of this? No, there won't be. But for $12 total cost of materials and a couple of hours of mine (and a friends) time. We managed to pull off a decent job!
Image

Laying a non-wrapping vinyl is a pain in the ass, I'll say that right now, the types designated for automotive wraps costs about 10 times as much (literally I paid about $3.75 per yard, wrapping vinyl is sold at $36 per yard) and that extra cost buys you a specially designed material that is supposed to help release oxygen bubbles more easily.

I didn't want to spend $60+ just to 'try it out' so I bought the cheap stuff and tried my best, it was a struggle and took a lot longer than we anticipated (about 4 hours total)
Image

It worked out well in the end, here is how it sat as of this afternoon:
Image

I still need to pick up the grill trim, but it is definitely on the right track. The matte finish looks good, cleans easily and looks way better than the gold-ish color it was before.

And it's not finished yet... I may or may not have some R/T sideskirts sitting in my shed being prepped right now :-**

Thanks for reading, have a good Easter weekend everyone!

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RobsProjectSOHC
2012 Gold Contributor
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Joined: Fri Aug 19, 2011 11:36 am
Location: NY

Post by RobsProjectSOHC » Sun Mar 31, 2013 9:11 pm

I like it when people give life back into cars....looks fresh, keep it up!
Project 003. Just building a Daily Driver with some upgrades.
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