Chrysler/Dodge Neon powered Midget

[s-type]

My midget is faster, more economical, more reliable, handles better and is generally a better car than it was before. The only way to can tell it's K-powered is the gearstick comes out of a different place. The essence of the car I feel is retained, it's still unmistakably a Midget to drive.

the only place where it won't match up to a standard midget is in originality. It's cheaper and faster than an MX-5, and it really feels like my car, rather than a car that is mine. It needs just as much attention as the old one, at least, I give it as much attention.

In the case of the Midget, I can see why you would want to keep it standard, they're nice cars, but I found mine to be lacking in real-word performance & handling when puching on. I didn't just jump straight into the K-series conversion, I spent 3 years breathing on and tweaking the A series. This broke 2 gearboxes. The cheapest (and arguably most reliable) route to more power and a reliable gearbox (which I wanted) was the K. My car gets used all the time, and does it's job better than ever now.

Yes I'm young, so speed and excitement is high on the agenda. There are becoming less young people interested in cars this old, mine will survive for a long time. I also want something different, something people point at and say WOW what's that.

I'd hope I was in the same category as Mitsuru.

There is another category: the people who have modern engined/geaarbox'd classics who shove that down peoples throats - every time someone says "my gearbox is tired" they shout "Get a 5 speed" etc. I try hard not to be in this category.

What he said./\

Why did the other guy fit such a crap engine?

[admin]

Interesting choice of engine i'd say. I'm all for engine swaps and general trickery - as long as it's done well and on cars for which there are plenty. They did it back in the day - Triumph were forever sticking different engines in things to see what would happen and they even paid Lotus to turbocharge a TR7 with a Sprint engine in the late Seventies. A bloke i used to work for (who also did the engineering work to turbocharge the Esprit - all cast iron and so heavy the engines kept falling over in the experimental shop at Lotus according to him) told me that the TR7 Sprint Turbo was a hoot. They used to draw lots at Lotus as to who would take it out at lunchtimes (although he admitted it was because it was so low they could look up the skirts of the office secretaries walking to their lunch break...)

Look at Seth and his MX5 powered Herald - what a great conversion for a car that is used for a 100 mile plus daily commute. I'd rather see a Herald with a modern engine used everyday, than a modern with a modern engine used everyday (if you see what i mean). I nearly bought an Ital estate with a Vauxhall 1.7 TD engine to make for a economical classic commuter, but i don't think the conversion had been done that well, and well, it was an Ital...

[Richard Moss]

The simple truth is that we can all do want we like with our cars and their running gear - the owner pays the bills. My first TR7 got uprated brakes, my MGC GT has a number of suspension improvements and my second TR7 got a tuned Dolomite Sprint engine.

I do wonder at the choice of the rather stodgy Neon engine with its penchant for blowing head gaskets, though. Mind you, MG stuffed the Spitfire engine into the Midget (and finally got it up to 100mph at last).

[Mitsuru]

I do wonder at the choice of the rather stodgy Neon engine with its penchant for blowing head gaskets, though. Mind you, MG stuffed the Spitfire engine into the Midget (and finally got it up to 100mph at last).

the standard 2.0L sohc engine is 132bhp
the 2.0L R/T DOHC also in the MK1 Neon is a 150 bhp

The cylinder head of the DOHC version is an outright copy of that of Mitsubishi 2.0 L 4G63 engine, while the SOHC version borrows heavily from Mitsubishi's early 90s 4G15 enigne from Colt.
Mitsubishi also used the Chrysler-designed DOHC ECC engines with a reversed cylinder head. The Mitsubishi engine code is 420A and so is the Chryslers

[CompoSimmonite]

We had a Neon and liked it but not enough to want the engine in another car. Cann't exactly put my finger on what I didn't like but reminded me a little like working on FSO's - did the job but not the best quality.
Personally I like the A Series (my Austin Sprite is a 1275) but can see the K Series is a worthy replacement. Anyone tried a MX5 engine and gearbox combo yet ?

Paul H

[JPB]

....Anyone tried a MX5 engine and gearbox combo yet?....

There are a couple of Reliant Rebels with that very combination, and there's a fella on Autoshite, "Seth", who runs a Herald with those bits fitted. That small Triumph chassis may be a bit easier for fitting alternative bits than the Midget engine bay, but it has to be possible, especially when you consider this: