Luckee: I think what you\'re seeing in this thread is a microcosm of the reactions you\'re going to get with this car on the street, at the gas station, in the driveway, etc. There will always be people who will look down on a Neon no matter what the true specs and capabilities are. Just like me: I can\'t help seeing it as a dressed up economy car. That means you\'ll always need to be proving yourself with street races just to get the tiniest amount of respect. I myself would prefer to own a car that already carries a little respect with the import compact car crowd.
If you already have a lot of mechanical experience with the Neon, then that\'s probably a valid reason to use this model as a starting point. However you\'re probably already well aware of people\'s preconceived notions about Neons, and you know what you\'re getting yourself into. If you prefer the Neon just to make some point about the viability of domestic cars, then I think you\'re on the wrong course. I would prefer to use the Ford Focus SVT as a project car. At least the Focus has some Rally history behind it, and there are just as many (if not more) aftermarket parts available. It doesn\'t have quite as much power, but it\'s CHEAPER, and I think it looks a lot nicer.
