Interior Modifications
By now you've probably noticed that most of my after market parts are aimed towards performance. However, there are a few interior pieces every SRT-4 owner should consider replacing when looking to build a well balanced car.
Autometer Lunar Series 30/30 Boost Gauge
The stock boost gauge is crap, it's that simple. Most owners have at one point or another replaced the stock Automer Pro-Comp 20/20 gauge. How do you know when the stock gauge is broken? If it doesn't sit at 0 (zero) when the car is off or rattles under boost, it's broken. Your options are simple: Either get it replaced at the dealership a few times until the warranty expiries, or spend a few bucks on a better gauge and never look back again.
I picked up an Autometer 30/30 gauge from So-Cal Speedshop and turned the stock gauge into a paper weight. The installation was pretty straight forward. Removing the dashboard takes a few minutes after the A pillars have been pulled off. Remove the pod that contains the gauge, splice a couple of wires and hook up the line. The new gauge matches the instrument panel better than I imagined and provides more accurate readings.
Maddog 58% Short Throw Shifter & Shiftknob
Remember the truck height suspension I was talking about? Well the stock SRT-4 shifter compliments that look and feel really well. This is definitely not the kind of shifter you would expect to see in a performance driven sport compact, but in a base Neon instead due to its very unreceptive feel. Throwing the shift knob through the back window is yet another side effect of the stock shifter, although most will tell you it's because of the lack of the 'driver mod'. True, it's possible to drive aggressively without causing the knob to twist off, but why bother when there is an inexpensive and effective solution?
The Maddog Shifter seems to be the weapon of choice for the SRT-4 crowd, so when the opportunity came to exchange web design work with Chuck (aka Maddog) I quickly jumped on the deal. Within days I received my 58% reduction shifter with a black powdercoat/threaded rod & Viper shift knob. The knob is a little bit bigger than the stock one, making it more difficult to grip during hard shifts, but thanks to the threads replacing it is just a matter of finding a new one and putting it on. The shifter's install was straight forward and adjusting the rod-brakes was easy thanks to the instructions. The shifts are solid, with a *clank* as the rod-brakes attempt to save the gear selectors from the abuse. Maddog Shifters can be had for just over 100 bucks and it's a great way to improve your cars feel without sacrificing driveability.