Well I'm glad I didn't by this car

[Intrepidation]

When I was car shopping I did look at a first gen Dodge Neon. It was going for $800, which was well below my budget. I liked how it drove and handled, however the ebrake stuck and of greater concern, water was getting into the cabin on the passenger side and pooling in the foot well. It had started to smell like mold. I passed over it.

Friday I went to my mechanic to do some computer work for him, and what do I find? The very car I test drove...

[Justin Bimmer]

What happened?

[Drew Dowdell]

I would have been glad I didn't buy that car even if it had 4,000 miles on it and was the very last surviving example of that model.

[Intrepidation]

Well, the story goes like this:

My mechanic had the car, he was planning to fix the problems I mentioned and give it to his niece unless I wanted to buy it (he would still fix the problems of course). However while I liked how it drove the small dimensions (already had 2 small cars), water leak, and first gen Neon reliability made me turn it down. So he fixed iy up and gave it to his niece.

She's ok apparently, which is what matters. Apparently. the fire started in the dash. They aren't sure what caused it but might have been wiring from a recently installed aftermarket stereo that had something to do with it.

It was weird though, the second I saw it I knew right away which Neon it was, even though I hadn't seen it for over 2 years.

[ocnblu]

$8000??? Man, they saw you coming. With historical perspective, I think of a Neon as cute junk with a blown head gasket and a minor record of SCCA success.

[Intrepidation]

$800 is what most of these 1st gens go for...who buys them I have no idea...but I still see plenty of them.

The second gens were good cars, I think they get unfair bad rap because the first gens were so bad.

[daves87rs]

$8000??? Man, they saw you coming. With historical perspective, I think of a Neon as cute junk with a blown head gasket and a minor record of SCCA success.

True...since I had one...

BUT, I loved the way they handled..not many cars take a 40 Mph turn without stopping....

[Intrepidation]

Damn typos...I just realized I put 8000 and not 800...it was 800 just to clear it up.

[Robert Hall]

Damn typos...I just realized I put 8000 and not 800...it was 800 just to clear it up.

I wondered about that...$8k seemed a bit high for an old Neon.

[ocnblu]

:AH-HA_wink:

Edited January 27, 2009 by ocnblu

[daves87rs]

I wondered about that...$8k seemed a bit high for an old Neon.

[Intrepidation]

You'd have to be retarded to spend $8k on an old Neon...hell anything over $200 is too much.

[daves87rs]

You'd have to be retarded to spend $8k on an old Neon...hell anything over $200 is too much.

True...but I wouldn't mind one....

[Sixty8panther]

hahahahah.... it no SRT4 but damn it's hot... lookit that thing, it's cookin'!

[daves87rs]

hahahahah.... it no SRT4 but damn it's hot... lookit that thing, it's cookin'!

:rotflmao:

[ocnblu]

Last week a salvage company came in to pick up a '95 Continental that was totalled, and he had a circa '97 Accord on the truck, burned out just like the Neon pictured.