1996 Dodge Neon Acr Coupe Highly Modified Scca Solo2 Trophy Winner Needs Tlc on 2040-cars

           

Thanks for taking a look at our old racecar, Project Venom!    Venom is a 1996 Dodge Neon ACR (American Club Racer) Coupe, with a 2.0L DOHC engine and 5 speed manual transmission.  Exterior is Magenta Clear Coat and interior is Flash Decor.  It is a one-owner vehicle, and was purchased new in 1996 as a special order for use as a daily driver and project car for my new race team.  The Neon spent very little time unmodified, and soon became a rolling laboratory for many of the products that made Deyeme Racing the success it is.  Sadly, all good things must come to an end, and we need to sell the old racecar to make room in the garage and the budget for new projects.    The car has a clear title, and starts, runs, and drives.  It runs a little rough, and is not "street legal", so you will be towing it home, arranging shipping, or I can deliver it within 250 miles for a reasonable price.

Included with this auction is the car itself, various spare parts, technical information, and a laptop computer for programming and monitoring the engine computer.  Keep in mind, this is a highly modified race car, and is being sold as-is!  The car is sometimes hard to start, runs a little rough, especially when cold, is very jumpy at low speeds due to the racing clutch, has a stiff and unforgiving suspension, and is fairly loud.  It also hasn't been raced or driven much in a few years, although it's been cleaned up, driven, and refueled to get it ready to sell.  The speedometer and odometer no longer function, and the fuel gauge occasionally goes to Empty regardless of fuel level.  

This Neon has numerous features and modifications, so not being sure exactly where to start, I'll just jump right in with what's on the window sticker.  Exterior is Magenta clear coat, and interior is Flash Decor cloth with 60/40 fold-down rear seats.  This interior is part of the ANC package only available on the ACR, and also   includes a leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob.  The ACR was also called the "Competition Package", and included close-ratio 5-speed transmission, 14" alloy wheels, gauge cluster with 8000 RPM tach., front and rear fascias with metallic accent (but no fog lights or matching side trim), 16:1 ratio power steering, dual manual mirrors, heavy duty radiator, unlimited-speed engine controller, and competition suspension.  The only other options ordered with this car were rear defogger and an AM/FM/Cassette with 4 speakers.  Sticker price was $13,230.  Assembly was in Belvidere IL with most parts (80%) sourced from the United States.  Since new, the car has been modified with the primary intent of winning in SCCA Solo2 (autocross) type events.  It was drag raced only a few times, turning low 13s on autocross tires.   On the autocross course, the Neon has earned us a wall full of trophies.

  Interior / Exterior:
The exterior appears mostly stock (no added body kit, ground effects, wings, etc), except that the hood and trunk lid are both removable rather than hinged, and there are numerous sponsor decals all over the body.  The original wheels are no longer with the car.  It comes with the American Racing 14x6 wheels you see pictured.  The windshield washer nozzles are relocated to the fenders to make the hood removable, and the 3rd brake light is relocated to the rear window for decklid removal.  There are minor dents and dings, and a few rust spots, as this car has seen its share of action, but has been in no major collisions.  The trunk lid is fiberglass, and the hood is the original equipment "power bulge" hood.  The fog lights are not missing- that is the fascia that came with the ACR trim package, and it's debatable as to whether the primary reason was to save weight or cool the brakes.  Inside, the shifter has been shortened 1", the rear seat belts have been replaced with lighter lap-only belts, and the driver's seat includes a 5-point Simpson racing harness (4-pt usable with the stock seat).  The airbags were removed, but were re-installed (but the airbag computer is not present).  In the trunk, the spare tire, jack, and lug wrench are included.  The trunk-mount speakers were removed because the plugs were broken from filling the trunk with tools and tires for race day.  Tweeter speakers were added in the dash.  A CB radio replaced the ash tray for communications at the track, however there is no antenna currently installed.  The sound-deadener was removed from the interior floor, but the carpet was kept.  The door panels are also present, but the doors have been drilled for weight reduction.  Lightweight titanium and aluminum fasteners are used throughout the interior and exterior.  

   Under the Hood:
The engine still ran strong at 91,000 miles, but was rebuilt for performance and to make use of the Electromotive Total Performance Kit.  The engine rebuild includes ceramic-coated high-compression pistons, Crower cams, and mild knife-edging on the crank.    Engine external mods include AEM adjustable cam gears, and an Unorthodox Racing underdrive pulley.  The vacuum hose is Hose Techniques silicone.  Most of the engine bay wiring was completely inspected and re-wrapped, and includes colored convoluted tubing.  Air intake is via 4 K&N air filters and 4 Hillborn throttle bodies.  Exhaust gases are expelled through the rare Mopar Peformance race header (Swain Tech ceramic coated), high-flow catalyst, and stainless steel "glass pack" style muffler.  An additional rear muffler is included and currently attached, since some racing was done where there were sound limits.  Fuel is delivered through an adjustable fuel pressure regulator through Bosch fuel injectors.  Engine timing is managed with a high-resolution crank-mounted trigger wheel.  The drivetrain is held in place with DMR billet aluminum solid polyurethane engine and transaxle mounts, a DMR solid poly front mount, and a Mopar Performance bobble strut.  The transmission is a New Venture Gear T-350 close-ratio 5-speed, and has a Quaife limited-slip differential in it for incredible traction.    A Mueller's flywheel and high performance clutch transmit power from the engine to the wheels.  Also under the hood are DMR aluminum radiator brackets with poly bushings, Mopar aluminum oil pan, DMR aluminum power steering bracket, DMR aluminum alternator bracket, DMR aluminum fan shroud and blue radiator fan with adjustable thermostatic control, and even a fairly new battery, held in with our own prototype aluminum battery hold-down.   

  Suspension and Chassis:
  The Neon came from the factory with an already more-than-capable suspension, so the front and rear sway bars are stock size.  The rear swaybar attaches to the chassis with DMR billet aluminum brackets, and to the struts via adjustable end links and DMR billet link-to-strut brackets.  To enhance stability in the front, the U-shaped k-frame is boxed in with a DMR aluminum crossmemeber brace.  The DMR aluminum airdam mounted to the frame under the radiator direct even more fresh air in for better cooling, and a DMR tow bracket makes getting the car on and off a trailer easy.  Suspension all around is coilover with adjustable height (threaded housing) and adjustable compression/rebound (single adjusting knob).  Most, if not all, of the suspension bushings have been replaced with polyurethane- either our own, or Energy Suspension.  Camber plates provide additional front suspension adjustment.  The car is surprisingly low on rust for its age, but it has been garaged for most of its life beyond 2002, when it was taken off the street and made race-only. 

Okay, enough wall-of-text, right?  Let's sum up:  

Specs & Features:
   

That's pretty much it, although you're going to want to see the pictures, too!  They say a picture is worth a thousand words, and you'll probably never see it ring more true than below.  I really, really like this car, and I hate to even sell it (especially with the blood, sweat and tears that's gone into it), but with a young teen that's going to be driving soon, and the need to modernize our product line, it's time to let this incredible machine go.  

I've done my best to describe this item, however I am human and, subsequently, imperfect.  I'm sure to leave out some detail, but a picture is worth a thousand words.  Read the descriptions.  Look at the images.  Think about what you're bidding on before you bid.  If you have any questions, or would like a close-up of some part of the car, just ask.  I'm just an email away, and will respond quickly.  Keep in mind, this is a used vehicle, and I make no warranty, expressed or implied.  

I will need a deposit (Paypal, or debit / credit card) to be made withn 72 hr. of auction close, and remainder to be payable on pickup of item in cash, bank check (no personal checks), or debit / credit card.  You can trailer it home or arrange for shipping, or I can deliver it within 250 mi. of our location (ZIP Code 63379) for $2 per mile.

  Pics: