Junkyard - my wishlist vs what I should look for when I go

TomsNeon · Post by **TomsNeon** » Thu Oct 25, 2012 10:19 am

I have to go to the junkyard to look for a sun visor for my wife's Caravan next weekend and I figured while I'm there, check out the junked Neon's to see what I can find. Also, I need to know EXACTLY what years are direct bolt-on fit for a 2000 in regards to what I should get and what I'm looking for.

My "wishlist" is as follows but as always on the board here, I'm open to suggestions for anything else to be on the look out for. Again, mine is a bone stock 2000 Plymouth Neon.

*A white gauge speedo cluster (the wife's Caravan has one so I figured I'd look for one from an R/T or SRT-4 if the yard has one).
*A hi-flow muffler: need input on the type from you all please.
*As many headlamp screws I can lay my hands on.
*Spare 14" rim - mine came with nothing, not even a donut so I have no spare at all. I have a used full size tire I can have mounted on the rim so that's good to go.
*A CAI should I be lucky enough to find one but if not, I found an over the counter one (made by Spectre Performance) that I can buy piece meal from AZ for around $100 with filters and tubing.

Ok you all, what else should I be looking for that an everyday pull a part junkyard may have? Thanks in advance!

sidepipe87 · Post by **sidepipe87** » Thu Oct 25, 2012 12:14 pm

Any 02+ neon will have a white faced cluster. should be super easy to find one.

TomsNeon · Post by **TomsNeon** » Thu Oct 25, 2012 12:21 pm

sidepipe87 wrote:Any 02+ neon will have a white faced cluster. should be super easy to find one.

Ok cool. How easy for a shade tree guy like myself to remove old cluster and install new one? I like the white face plus tach option even though it's an ATX I still would like a tach ya know?

freelancer1988 · Post by **freelancer1988** » Thu Oct 25, 2012 8:44 pm

2000-2002 Neons with tach were all white face. They are easy to come by. I swapped a 2001 white face in my 2002 black no tach car. 2003+ will keep your brake light on and if you get any R/T cluster. 2000-2002 will swap with no problem, just remember that the "new" cluster will show the miles that were on the car you pulled it from.

TomsNeon · Post by **TomsNeon** » Thu Oct 25, 2012 8:49 pm

freelancer1988 wrote:2000-2002 Neons with tach were all white face. They are easy to come by. I swapped a 2001 white face in my 2002 black no tach car. 2003+ will keep your brake light on and if you get any R/T cluster. 2000-2002 will swap with no problem, just remember that the "new" cluster will show the miles that were on the car you pulled it from.

Thanks for the year heads up! So a 00-02 will literally be a plug and play then correct? The miles are no biggie, I just like the white gauges (like the wife's Caravan has) and really want a tach so that works well. Thank you!!

Pablodragon · Post by **Pablodragon** » Sun Oct 28, 2012 5:51 pm

sidepipe87 wrote:Any 02+ neon will have a white faced cluster. should be super easy to find one.

technically, this is not true... but if you guys are JUST talking about 2000 thru 2002, may be true...

03 and up is when they went to the last body style, and 03 and up if it is a BASE model (SE), it will not have white gauges

my 04 SE came with the black face gauges with no tach. Found an 03 SXT model gauge cluster and it had the white face gauges and a tach. Which is also plug and play, by the way... just plug in and the tach works.

Also, think you already know, the mileage stays with the cluster... so if you find one at a junkyard, yer not going to know the mileage untill u power it up after installing. Mine ended up about 12,000 miles less than my actual, but I just made a note of it. Even had it in the dealer before and after the change, and they were puzzled because they had a record of the mileage. Just told them I replace the gauges cuz they broke, and they said OK

Post by **occasional demons** » Sun Oct 28, 2012 7:44 pm

I kinda dislike the white face cluster. It sucks to read at dusk/dawn because the back light blends with the white face.

But it was a cheap upgrade to a tach.

My wish is to find a briefcase full of cash that someone somehow overlooked.