Modified Dodge Neon SRT4 Yellow Rocket

The Dodge Neon carved out a special niche in American automotive history as one of the most popular compact cars of its era. During the 90s and early 2000s, this nimble little FWD car took a serious bite out of Honda’s Civic-dominated market. But for those in the know, the real magic happened when Dodge unleashed the high-performance SRT4 variant with a 2.4L Turbocharged 4-cylinder engine pumping out 230 HP. For a lightweight compact sedan, those numbers weren’t just good – they were downright awesome (Not for the Civics though).

While most Neons have long since disappeared from our roads, there is a small community of enthusiasts that keeps them alive. James Tobias from Summerville, South Carolina the owner of this awesome looking yellow Dodge Neon SRT4 has preserved this cool street sedan and modified it in a subtle way.

Key Mods

• Side Swept Performance Exhaust
• Coilover Suspension
• Mopar Stage 2 with Lots’ of Toys

The Build

We’re fortunate that James agreed to share the ins and outs of his build giving us an in-depth look at the mods and upgrades he’s done to the car over the years. He’s improved every aspect of his ride from suspension to performance and exterior and making it outperform Civcs and Imprezas.

Read on to discover what makes this particular SRT4 special – who knows, it might just inspire you to breathe new life into your own Neon!

Performance

The owner’s performance mods significantly improved the HP and Torque of his SRT4. One of the biggest upgrades is certainly the Mopar Stage 2 package with “Toys” – it significantly boosted the output and made the car feel even more agile.

The K&N FIPK Air Intake was install to give the engine more air while the Mopar Blue Plate BOV (blow-off valve) improved the turbo operation. It’s further enhanced by a cooling system overhaul featuring the CX Racing 4″ Intercooler, which efficiently manages intake temperatures during hard pulls.

The exhaust side received equal attention with a 3″ MPX Side Exit system (channeling Viper vibes) paired with the 3″ MPX O2 Housing, dramatically improving exhaust flow and adding an aggressive soundtrack.

Suspension and Wheels

Premium KW v3 Coilovers tuned spring rates (340lb/in front, 228lb/in rear) for optimal balance replaced the factory struts to improve the handling and dial in the stance of the Neon. They work harmoniously with Progress swaybars on the front and rear to minimize body roll, while Ground Control camber plates enable precise alignment.

DCR Quiet Ride LCAs and Moog front arms with spherical bushings – sharpen response while maintaining reasonable NVH levels. Stopping power comes courtesy of a serious Wilwood 13″ Big Brake Kit up front paired with StopTech slotted rotors and Hawk HPS pads on the back.

And finally the ightweight 17×8.0 OZ Ultraleggera wheels in Satin Black, wrapped in sticky 245/40/17 R888r tires top off the build maximizing the grip and boosting the looks.

Exterior

While James went all-out on performance, he kept the SRT4’s looks clean highlighting the original styling. Instead of wild body kits or tacky add-ons, he focused on subtle upgrades like the Morimoto headlights and some cool touches under the hood.

Chrysler’s decision to produce a turbocharged performance variant of their compact car wasn’t a first. The 80s had seen Chrysler produce some commendable turbocharged versions, like the Dodge Daytona Turbo Z.

“STOP GAWKING. GET GOING. 230 hp. 250 lb.-ft. of torque. 0-60 in 5.8 seconds. Under $22,000. You can gawk but don’t drool on the car, okay?” – The original 2005 Neon SRT4 Brochure

List Of Modifications

Engine

• Mopar Stage 2 with Toys
• Mopar Blue Plate BOV
• 3” MPX O2 Housing
• 3” MPX Side Exit Exhaust
• CX Racing 4” Intercooler
• K&N FIPK Air Intake
• Torque Solution Motor Mounts (2) and Trans Mount (1)

Drivetrain

• Maddog STS 50-4
• AGP Billet Shift Selector
• AGP Forged Shift Fork
• AGP Forged Pivot Ball
• Booger Bushings
• MPX Clutch Pivot Arm
• ACT XTSS Clutch Kit
• ARP Clutch Flexplate Bolts

Suspension

• Pwerks Front and Rear Strut Brace Bars
• Pwerks Intercooler Crash Bar
• Front Control Arms: Moog Arm w/ new ball joints, sealed spherical vertical bushings, and prothane poly horizontal bushings
• Rear Control Arms: DCR Quiet Ride LCA
• Rear Trailing Arm Bushing – Prothane Poly
• Progress 27mm Front Swaybar with poly bushings and prothane endlinks
• Progress 24mm Rear Swaybar with poly bushings and adjustable heim joint endlinks
• KW v3 Coilovers w/ 340lb/in Front and 228lb/in Rear spring rates
• Ground Control Front and Rear camber plates

Interior

• Sparco R345 Wheel w/ hub and spacer
• Lloyds floormats, front/rear/trunk
• Mopar Stage Toys bezel

Brakes

• Front: TCE Wilwood 13”x1.10 Big Brake Kit with BP10 pads
• Rear: StopTech Slotted Rotors with Hawk HPS pads

Wheels

• 17×8.0 OZ Ultraleggera in Satin Black
• 245/40/17 R888r Tires

Appearance

• Morimoto D2S Retrofit Headlights
• MPX SRT4 Radiator Shroud w/ custom brackets
• MPX Silicone Hose Kit (Radiator Hoses, Heater Core Hoses, Oil Cooler Hoses, Turbo Coolant Hose)
• 5% Llumar Ceramic Window Tint
• Black SRT4 trunk badge
• Torque Solution shorty antenna

Conclusion

Conclusion

James has gone all-in on the performance aspects of this SRT4, maxing out both Suspension and Performance categories with a perfect 10/10 each. His suspension work is the real deal – those KW v3 coilovers paired with all those control arm upgrades aren’t just for show.

While the car only scores 3/10 for both Exterior and Interior, it’s only shows the owner’s decision to maintain the original looks and keep it OEM+ which is actually a great decision, because there’s not many of these left on the roads today.

Watch the progress and find out more about this Dodge Neon SRT4 project by visiting the Instagram profile of the owner: @theyellowcarguy!

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