ITA Neons!

[Rabbit07]

Who's building them? Can we get a roll call!

[mcgyverit]

I have one built, but have yet to get time to race this year thanks to Honey Do's and Work. Member St. Louis Region.

Steve

[Renaultfool]

There is one here in the MVR Region. They brought it out for the double drivers school in the spring of 2004. Blew it up at Mid Ohio Regional in July. Raced it again in October.
Chamber plates and coil overs all four corners. Headers. Sway bars. Guy named Jack O'Driscoll built it for his son. Looks fast when it doesn't blow up. These are usually pretty reliable cars. I think that they are over reving it. Looks nice though. Yellow one.

[Jan in Omaha]

We did the necessary saftey items to our ex-SSC car (tow loop, master off, steering lock) and then changed the numbers on the door.

------------------
Whoomah! ™
Jan Gerber
Ralston, NE
95 Neon ACR #63 ITA/DSP/(SN?)

[ITA Racer]

I am in the process of converting an ex ssc car for ita. Right now I am just doing the requiered things like master dissconect, tow hooks, etc. Good to here that they are fast. I plan todo more as my budget and expeirience allows. Dave

------------------
95 ITA Neon

[Rabbit07]

Well, I too am converting an ex SSC car. I will have all the Mopar Goodies though. Crate motor, camber plates, coil-overs, spherical bushed control arms, header, quaife, I soon should find out how fast they are...... I think that they should be faster down the straights than the Hondas, but not as quick in the corners.................

I am glad too hear of other cars out there. I am hoping that there will be more of us so that Dodge will give a contengencey. Dodge took away the conrengencey for Regionals due to lack of wining cars.

[Knestis]

This is pretty cool. I think they are going to be a great addition to an already good class.

K

[ITANorm]

Originally posted by Rabbit07:
..... I am glad too hear of other cars out there. I am hoping that there will be more of us so that Dodge will give a contengencey. Dodge took away the conrengencey for Regionals due to lack of wining cars.

They should'a read Mazda's "How To Buy a Class" manual. http://ITForum.ImprovedTouring.com/wink.gif

[mcgyverit]

Rabbit07,

Where did you get the camber plates, coil overs etc.. from? and how did the assembly go?

Steve

[Rabbit07]

The camber plates are still around if you check some of the mopar parts dealers, I was able to get mine from a friend that had built a car years ago for ITS and found it to be not competitive so he converted the car back to SSC. THe install is easy. There are camber plates available from Ground Control as well.

[PSherm]

I am 'kinda' in the process of building one. It's my '95 SSC car. I have to find the funds for a new cage and seat since those are in my current SSC car. I'm hoping to be able to run the car sometime next year. I believe the SOHC cars have a chance to do well in ITA, as long as the weight doesn't go up....

Have your dealer do a nationwide search on discontinued part numbers - that's how I found a set of the SSC optional wheels for mine. Van Dyke Dodge has been great for me, but don't know if they're still offering the Galeana Racing discount program anymore. Couldn't hurt to ask I guess...

[m glassburner]

Not to hijack the thread...I just bought a 98 ACR coupe...Soon as I sell the "omni" I plan on building a "spec neon" that will hopefully be a mid packer in ITA also :)

[Woody]

Since it is close to the end of the season I was wondering if anyone who had a chance to run a neon in ITA this year would maybe share their opinions of how competive the car was, or is capable of?

[Rabbit07]

Well, I always finished! The car has much potenial. I had some good finishes in ITA in CenDiv. I got my but kicked at Mid-O, but I never do well there for some reason. Lap time wise I was roughly 2-3 seconds off of the faster cars. Keep in mind some of that is the fact that I ran all season on 5 year old tires. The Saturns and some Hondas are faster down the long straights, but that is really no concern, just drive harder and you can beat'em. The car has great brakes, predictable handling, and quite a bit of speed.

[Woody]

Rabbit07,

Thanks for the reply. I see your location is Pontiac, MI, is this possibly the same ITA neon that I have seen at Waterford Hills?

[Rabbit07]

That would be me! :)

[Matt Ferratusco]

Hey everyone, this is great! I came here for advice on our 95 ACR and here's an entire thread dedicated to Neons! :)

We're converting our SSC car to ITA. I'm getting ready to gut the interior, replace the front rotors (with stock rotors for now), and install new suspension. We have adjustable Konis for the front but nothing else. I'm looking at coilover kits from Ground Control and am curious what kind of spring rates we should use? Also wondering where's a good place to get a header, intake, and rear shocks?

A lot of work to go...master off, fire suppression system, camber plates, and more. I'd also like to put in a new seat and a real steering wheel. Darn stock wheel is too big.

Thanks for the feedback! :023:

[Rabbit07]

Originally posted by Matt Ferratusco@Oct 25 2005, 02:34 PM
Hey everyone, this is great! I came here for advice on our 95 ACR and here's an entire thread dedicated to Neons! :)

We're converting our SSC car to ITA. I'm getting ready to gut the interior, replace the front rotors (with stock rotors for now), and install new suspension. We have adjustable Konis for the front but nothing else. I'm looking at coilover kits from Ground Control and am curious what kind of spring rates we should use? Also wondering where's a good place to get a header, intake, and rear shocks?

A lot of work to go...master off, fire suppression system, camber plates, and more. I'd also like to put in a new seat and a real steering wheel. Darn stock wheel is too big.

Thanks for the feedback! :023:

63459

Matt,

The Rotors should always be stock, no upgrades allowed there. The spring rates are tough, the Koni's won't dampen the same spring rates that I have with the Dynamics. I have 500 lbs springs up front, you could get away with 325's. Ice man cold air intakes are what used to be in the Mopar catalog, headers are available from many of the header manufactures. Try to buy a good quality header, saving money there only costs you more later. Order your shocks from Koni to match your fronts.

Cheers!

[m glassburner]

Rotors and calipers must be stock or an oem equal !!!..Please , for your sake get a gcr and read it carefully...and then ask questions...lots of them...(something I did'nt do :( ) It will save you time , money and headaches :023:

[Matt Ferratusco]

Thanks guys. I have a GCR, just didn't read the section about brakes yet because we already have what we need. :023:

[Matt Ferratusco]

Well I started rebuilding the car yesterday. I have all new studs but only replaced the front for now. Removed the carpet, did a slight modification to the seat (more to do still), and some other good stuff. Also replaced the front rotors.

I discovered what broke in my last SSC race was one of the dust boots on the steering rack, draining all the p/s fluid. I'm unsure whether damage may have been done inside the rack. I'll probably have to remove the entire rack. Any suggestions or experience with this?

The shifter has excessive play; it has a sloppy and indirect feel. I doubt it's that sloppy when new, although the car has 14,000 race-driven miles on it. Would a new detent spring firm it up any?

I noticed a valve on the fuel rail. Is this a sufficient valve for fuel sampling, or do I need to install one on a fuel line?

Thanks for your help! :023:

[m glassburner]

As far as the shifter goes...try modern performance "booger bushings" 21.99 $ + shipping.You will get 4 of them ,2 to go at the tranny and 2 more at the shifter if it still needs work you will get a good look at everything while your in there.The steering rack needs to be replaced with a new one or a re-built one...a dodge repair manual will come in handy for this one...be careful there were 3 racks avaiable for most neons..after 96 or so there were only 2...as far as fuel sampling goes,the rail is an easy spot to get it, but dangerous ie hot engine stuff...so you might try somewhere else ?? :023:

[Matt Ferratusco]

I ordered the booger bushings yesterday! I may look into a short shifter, but I'll see how the new & improved stock shifter feels with the new bushings. This may be a stupid question, but can I rebuild the rack on my own, like you can do with a caliper? I'm sure I can find one in a junk yard. Any idea what would make one fail?

[Rabbit07]

The bushings are a good idea, but I would question there legallity in IT. The Short throw shifter is also a grey area with some. I say do it and let let someone else worry about protesting you if they think it's not legal.

[m glassburner]

The bushinga are not sold seperatly through mopar :( ...to make it even worse they sell the shifter cables in pairs only 200$+ The bushings on the factory cables are a "hard plastic" to quote a parts guy...the booger bushings are molded from the same item...so ,same shape and yes a hard plastic...no performance gain...I do not reccomend the short shifter...like you said a grey area...as far as the rack goes...failure wise..could be a # of things...wrong fluid...old fluid...low fluid...age...I would'nt mess w/re-building the rack just get another one....oh and for fluid red line power steering fluid :023:

[Greg Amy]

Originally posted by Rabbit07@Nov 1 2005, 08:41 AM
The bushings are a good idea, but I would question there legallity in IT. The Short throw shifter is also a grey area with some.
64167


No question, and no grey: these items are illegal in Improved Touring and to use them would be cheating. You disagree? Then show me where in the rulebook they are allowed. - GA

[m glassburner]

Gregg , you are talking about the shifter...right ?? I back step...I looked on the "booger" site :( they are an oem design...but a harder substance ie urethane..I'm going to give them a call since they have the molds...maybe they can change the formula to be more like stock ?? For us "IT" anal types ;)

[Greg Amy]

I can't see where either the short shifter or the improved bushings is legal. Remember the standard: IIDSYCYC ("If it doesn't say you can...")

Repairing with new OEM-quality bushings is fine, but harder bushings and/or a short shifter is definitely out...Regardless, I wouldn't choose the lime green ones, if I were you...

[Andy Bettencourt]

It amazes me how many IT cars in the 'classifieds' are illegal with this type of mod. Short shifters are illegal - PERIOD. Non OEM shifter bushings are illegal - PERIOD.

What grey areas are we talking about?

AB

[Rabbit07]

Ok, The grey area thing is stretching it! The reason I say this is grey is because I have heard people justify it in many ways. You can bend the shifter above the tunnel right? Well in a Neon the whole shifter is above the tunnel. Some have said that a short throw shifter is bent above the tunnel? It's a stretch, but I have heard it that way. I think the Neon shifter is sloppy, but you get used to it. The bushings in the cable ends are the problem to much of the feel. By the letter of the rule you are unable to replace with anything but stock. If the part you replaced them with looked stock could anyone protest you and win, I doubt it. Any plastics guys out there? The simple truth is if someone wants to piss and moan because of a shifter bushing they have way to much time on their hands. I believe that most of those folks should spend more time driving and less time worried about such things. We all do this because we love it, lets keep it that way and not worry about such things like replacing a bushing to service a very expensive part. The guys that are good at cheating, don't cheat parts that you can see through the drivers window anyway.

Please don't misunderstand me, I don't condone cheating. We do need to use some reasonableness ( is that a word?) when dealing with issues like this.

:blink:

[Matt Ferratusco]

:blink:

The steering rack costs $600 new from Dodge. Determined by the VIN #, mine is Canadian-built...I doubt junk yards would be able to decipher. I've searched the internet for places to find stock Neon parts but I can't find much other than Howell and Mopar. Does anyone have suggestions for getting a used steering rack?

[Matt Ferratusco]

I found a remanufactured rack from NAPA. $320.

Thanks for pointing out that the short-throw and bushings are illegal. I'm used to my local club whose rule is opposite: IIDSYCYCan, so I need to keep in mind that SCCA is opposite when reading the rulebook.

Ammended IT rule for 2006: Air intake hoses, tubes, pipes, resonators, intake mufflers, housings, etc. located ahead of the carburetor/throttle body may be removed or substituted. On cars so equipped, the air metering/measuring device (i.e. air flow meter, air mass meter, MAF) must be operational and shall not be modified. (Nov. 05 Fastrack). I ordered an Iceman intake and Pacesetter header. :happy204:

[ITAntNeon]

I ran a Spec Neon level car in ITA in 05. My first year of road racing. I think it will be a very competitive car. The main tuning issues are the dampers and suspension bushings. There just aren't any good hard core parts suppliers out there with Neon racing in their blood. So everything is custom for now.

I get sick hearing my friend talk about the Mazda Racing catalog of parts for his RX-7. I wish that Mopar HQ would get a new VP, someone with a ITA neon, a SRT4 drag car, Charger 6speed manual drift car, and a Dakar prepared Jeep SRT8 in their garage. :angry: <_<

I think the DOHC 2dr&#39;s are the way to go. With time I hope our numbers will grow to a point that Koni, TIEN, Bilstien, or somebody will help out with some serious, neon specific dampers. Maybe even Mopar will help out with some technical support at least, maybe some contingency $$$, like a few years ago.

I will be back in 06 with some cheap $1000 coilovers from D2 racing and a few more improvements. Eat the elephant one bite at a time.

[GregM]

To color in the grey area a bit....... As per the GCR ITCS-9
4- Transmission Final Drive
e. shift lever may be bent above tunnel or floor

That means no aftermarket shifters. I couldnt care less if you had one or not.
Now is this a shifter or just a shifter handle ? Who cares.
http://www.electrodyne.cc/search_engine_in...ods/945076.html (http://www.electrodyne.cc/search_engine_info/prods/945076.html)
Freedom Design Short shift kit - 945076