This Dodge Neon SRT-4 Puts Mopar Performance in a Compact Car

Chrysler brands—Dodge and Plymouth—made some of the most exciting performance vehicles of the 1960s and 1970s. Legendary cars like the Charger Daytona and the Superbird featured powerful iconic engines, such as the 426 Hemi and the Max Wedge. But when the American car market was hit by the oil crises of the early 1970s, Chrysler put its thirsty V-8s on the shelf.

That’s when Mopar, Chrysler’s performance parts division, provided a solution: turbocharging. Dodge started using turbochargers in 1984, as a way to boost performance while maintaining high fuel economy in four-cylinder K-cars. Legendary racer Carroll Shelby even offered wild custom-tuned models of turbo Dodges.

The tradition continued for decades, as we can see in this 2004 Dodge Neon SRT-4 recently offered on eBay.

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Give It a Boost

A turbocharger uses the movement of an engine’s exhaust to spin a compressor. The compressor packs additional air into the engine, enabling the engine to make extra horsepower. As a result, a small-displacement engine can make equal or more power than traditional, large-displacement engines.

Read this: Four Bolt-On Engine Power Upgrades That Add Crazy Combustion

In the late 1990s, Dodge was planning the second-generation of the Neon, its front-engine, front-wheel drive compact car. Engineers decided on turbocharging, which had worked well in the 1980s. The car was redubbed the Dodge Neon SRT-4, which stands for Street and Racing Technology.

The company revised the 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine to handle the additional turbo boost pressure—anticipating that enthusiasts would further modify cars beyond showroom specs. The ‘04 SRT-4 for sale on eBay started its life with 230 horsepower and 250 pound-feet of torque—impressive numbers for a compact, even by today’s standards.

Over-the-Counter Dodge Neon SRT-4 Performance

Those numbers could be easily increased with aftermarket parts provided by Dodge and others. Mopar supported the Neon SRT-4 with performance parts—engine and handling packs labeled Stage 1, Stage 2, and Stage 3, depending on how wild the owner wanted to go.

Dodge Neon SRT-4 performance goodies available over the counter from Mopar include:

• An upgraded engine control unit
• A dash-mounted switch to control that computer, providing an extra boost when drivers fill the fuel tank with high-octane gas
• Larger, high-flow fuel injectors
• A water sprayer to cool the turbo intercooler for more boost
• Larger, higher-performance turbochargers.

An Almost-Blank Slate

This 2004 Dodge Neon SRT-4 is lightly modified, with an upgraded intercooler as its most significant engine modification. The seller added coilover performance shocks to control higher speeds.

The black aftermarket wheels look sinister with the blacked-out paint finish. However, the neon green accents under the hood—and on the shifter and brakes—lighten things up.

Unlike many of the 25,000 Neon SRT-4s built over three model years, this one remains mostly true to its original gear and appearance. However, if you want to revisit the heady days of the tuner era, eBay Motors has everything you need to make a hot rod like this one worthy of the Dodge name.