Re: So all of you Mopar guys!
 

My eldest son Nate has a Neon SRT that he used to race in the SCCA with, and has had it for many years (the body is still pristine), even though it started out as an Upstate, NY car, he never took it out on salted roads, and moved to AZ before it was damaged for life.

His wife also had 1, but that 1 was sacrificed for the Soccer Mom Van (once they graced us with the 3rd or 4th grandchild), notice hers went away, but he loves his (in fact recently said it was in the shop getting like the 3rd turbo put on it and something else), he has the full sized under car skid plate and all the ground effects stuff on it too.

We went to a Nascar race in Phoenix at PIR years ago and were in his car, and they have these like 3' high berms of soil between the parking rows (1 was in front of his front bumper, and he knew it), it had started raining, and our row was going nowhere because of a stalled car or a fender bender for over a half an hour or more after we arrived back at the car, and I guess he didn't want to get stuck in mud later. (He said Dad, Hold On Ok...?)

He pushed right up and over that berm and slid right down the other side....I was freaking out thinking for sure he just caused a ton of damage to his car (the car I know he loves), and he just smiled and said Dad, this thing has a full undercar skid plate on it, I didn't not hurt a thing.

He was right, I looked later, no damage, no harm, no foul. Except for a light coating of dust on the shiny matt alum., I could not tell it even happened.

Billy, you said no turbo's though right?

Re: So all of you Mopar guys!
 

You pull all the REALLY BIIIIG Wheelies you want...I encourage you to please, as I think it adds the COOL FACTOR. I want everyone I race to do wheelies. (Well, not the other FWD guys, unless you can...Just don't tell me how, because it is a trick I don't want to learn).

Guaranteed, I will even be watching in the mirror I like em' so much! (All in good humor ok?)

Re: So all of you Mopar guys!
 

I think that "Dime Rocket" rule went out the window.

Re: So all of you Mopar guys!
 

There is no 15.15 index.
C is 15.60
D is 16.50

Re: So all of you Mopar guys!
 

You are correct about the indexes

I got my figures off of Class Racer Info. They also appear there on the individual car's tech spec page. I sent a message to Dwight about the discrepancy.

Re: So all of you Mopar guys!
 

Having talked to a couple of Neon "guru's" convinced me it was a waste of time. At least with an automatic.

Re: So all of you Mopar guys!
 

I don't see anything in the rules requiring the cars to run facing forward....

Re: So all of you Mopar guys!
 

I don't either. Could be you are forgetting the rule that says (and I am paraphrasing here) "If something is not shown as permitted to do, ask first..."

And staging the car backwards is certainly not shown as a "permitted action." Not anywhere I have seen.

I think the answer would be a hard NO.

In the grocery store, turn the cart around (make sure nobody is nearby), now attempt to push it fast and attempt to steer it easily with the caster wheels nearest you and the locked wheels away. Driving a car with rear wheel only steering...Oh boy. Almost as crazy as driving fast on only 2 wheels. Lol.

But, it is Cool! (And experienced Class Racers who can, are the very best at it too). Then there are the other ones who get 3 wheels in the air, and that always ends badly.

Re: So all of you Mopar guys!
 

Dwight was kind enough to respond that he had corrected the index data on the site.Thanks, Mark, for tipping me off so, I could pass it along.

Re: So all of you Mopar guys!
 

Ya know Billy, getting out of bed in the morning is a "waste of time".

Re: So all of you Mopar guys!
 

The stick really is the better choice in the Neon. The 41/40TE's are an interesting piece. There is no bands, only clutches. There is an electric solenoid for each gear, and an actuating element that fills with fluid to control each gear change/how many clutches are applied. You would have to write a program to override the fill points on the element to increase the shift rpm, as well as engaging the converter clutch lockup...which can have anywhere from 50-300 RPM worth of slippage depending on driving.

If one really wanted to go the route of running an automatic Neon, I would swap in an A-413 from an earlier front wheel drive car, and do away with the electronics.

Re: So all of you Mopar guys!
 

There's an 05 Neon SE on Facebook Marketplace in Hermosa South Dakota for $150. Its a parts car though, no engine or trans, cheap start though

Re: So all of you Mopar guys!
 

Kinda like the trans in my Buick.

Re: So all of you Mopar guys!
 

I'd rather work on the trans in your Buick. :)

Re: So all of you Mopar guys!
 

If there's an "electric solenoid for each gear", couldn't you rig up some kind of electric "shifter" to control what solenoids are engaged and dis-engaged and use it for gear selection and engagement? Just "brain-farting" here.

Re: So all of you Mopar guys!
 

I would second that A-413 swap choice, you can make them live easily, and the gearing choices are there if you look hard enough. Just keep it cool to make it live.

Re: So all of you Mopar guys!
 

I don't see why not. Would be interesting to see how people react to that. It would be similar to what they were using in Pro Stock during the 90's to control the Lenco solenoids I suppose.

I will add that I have had some in depth conversation with a Chrysler transmission engineer who didn't come out and directly say, but heavily implied that these transmissions were designed to fail.

Re: So all of you Mopar guys!
 

Steve, I've had to deal with Powerglides and later, 200 Turbos. They were junk until Racers got their hands on them and fixed them. Now, they're in everything!
Maybe it's time for a Racer to step up and prove that "Chrysler transmission engineer" wrong.

Re: So all of you Mopar guys!
 

When we did the Monte Carlo, (3.4 V6 , 3300# , high 13's) I had decided to use a 125 C 3 speed, rather than the electronic OD.
The 125 started life in a 1980 4 cylinder Citation ( X car).
It never failed us at the track, but it tended to wear out final drives.
It was a bunch of work,.. having to fabricate mounts, a bracket for the TV cable ,and a custom right hand axle of the appropriate length.
If the earlier Mopar transaxle is close to a bolt -in deal, I'd go that way.
If not, the later one could probably be controlled by a series of switches. Clutch apply could be firmed up, I would think.
Light car , 4 cylinder shouldn't cause a lot of grief in that department.

Re: So all of you Mopar guys!
 

As far as the solenoids go...(I'll try to be brief) Had a 93 f350 with a 7.3 and the e4od. Broke the planetary so I got another e4od out of a 98. Connectors etc all different.(6 planetary instead of 3 planetaries, much stronger too) I wired the solenoids (to test) and ran the wires up to the dash. Put the truck in drive and nothing. Depending on which switch (or series of switches) I went through all the gears as well as locking up the converter. Even went for a test drive.
So, yes it can be done.
Hassle? Yeah, a bank of 4 switches that you toggle through going down the track?...that would be interesting to say the least in competition!

Re: So all of you Mopar guys!
 

You'd probably have to throw some relays into the mix, too.
Doesn't sound impossible though.

Re: So all of you Mopar guys!
 

Bill, are you tuning the Buick thru HP Tuners ? if so, should have some trans tables in there to "adjust" or turn off and on...

Re: So all of you Mopar guys!
 

Yes, I'm using HP Tuners but it's not quite that simple with the Buick. The Cavalier is pretty simple.

Re: So all of you Mopar guys!
 

Here You go, expensive, but has to be worth it ... https://www.usshift.com/index.shtml

Re: So all of you Mopar guys!
 

Both cars are relatively simple. The Cavalier sort of just does what it's told. The Buick seems to be a bit more rebellious, maybe even a bit vindictive at times.

Re: So all of you Mopar guys!
 

I am not a computer guy.

Could you just monkey with the speed sensor pulse
to trick the transmission on the Neon to shift later?

Re: So all of you Mopar guys!
 

John, I'm thinking the short tires would mess with you. RPM would be up, but actual MPH would be down...maybe?

Re: So all of you Mopar guys!
 

Hi Steve. Ya gotta remember..We're in the dime rocket realm here ;-)