Dave Ramsey Approved: 1999 Plymouth Neon
Sometimes a car just needs to be a car. Nothing fancy, just some wheels and an engine to get you from point a to somewhere else. Maybe it is a first car for your kid. Or maybe it is a cheap car because you are liquidating all of your assets to sink it into a startup that will be the next big amazon/google/facebook competitor. It really doesn’t matter — because what you need is a beater that is low cost, low miles, well maintained and have a clean title and cloth seats (because cracked/faded leather is not cool). Find this 1999 Plymouth Neon offered for $3,000 in Wethersfield, CT via craigslist. Tip from Cory.
From the seller:
1999 Plymouth Neon
condition: excellent
cylinders: 4 cylinders
drive: fwd
fuel: gas
paint color: grey
size: compact
title status: clean
transmission: automatic
type: sedan
1999 Plymouth Neon
41,000 miles
Runs perfectly
4 door
Sunroof
AM/FM Cassette
Power WindowsMeticulously Serviced
Garaged Year Round
See a better beater for cheap? tips@dailyturismo.com
If I recall, there was an amateur racing series for these Neons with factory support; you could buy one off the lot and head to the track. Anyone else remember this or did I do one tab too many?
I think it was the ACR Neon you are thinking about. http://dailyturismo.com/2k-challenger-appears-1995-dodge-neon/
Read more info here; http://acrregistry.com/1st-gen-neon-acr/
Yep.
This was the article that caused me add the ACR Neon to my saved searches:
https://grassrootsmotorsports.com/project-cars/1996-dodge-neon-acr/neon-rallycross-action/
I vaguely remember a conversation with someone around that time, probably (and provably) a few years earlier, re “the cheapest way to get into real racing”. He or she suggested I look into series where you do exactly what you’re describing: buy a new, specifically-optioned version of the cheapest new car on the road, from the dealer, for running in same-model races.
And the car in question… Renault Alliance!
No, I did not.
The modern equivalent in the UK is the CityCar Cup series, in which competitors are only allowed to run a Citroen C1, Peugeot 107, or Toyota Aygo (which are all essentially the same car). The standard kit of safety bits must be used, with a bolt-in roll cage, and some minor upgrades. The Bad Obsession Motorsport guys have a nice series on YouTube they just released about building and racing a C1.
Yep. My dad bought one. It was white with a blue racing stripe. I think he might have sold it after I pointed out that no matter how fun it was to drive he was still a 60 year wearing driving gloves in a Dodge Neon.