PT is not a Neon

[robinjoe]

I remember reading an "authoritative" article (I think from Chrysler) saying that the PT Cruiser has few parts in common with the Neon. I know about this article:
http://www.ptcruizer.com/about.html

But I'm afraid some people won't consider the PTCruizer web page as authoritative.

Does anyone remember where that other article is?

Thanks, Joe

[Basset Hound]

Joe,

I'm not sure what article you're talking about. I haven't seen a good one on that subject posted on the web.

The best source to use to prove that the PT Cruiser is not based on a Neon is the book, Chrysler PT Cruiser, by Matt DeLorendo and John Lamm published by Motorbooks Colortech. The book has some quotes from the designers including Dan Knott who is the Director of Vehicle Development for the Small-car Platform, the group that designed both the Neon and the PT Cruiser. He states, "There is a synergy between the Neon and the PT Cruiser. It's not so much that the vehicles are the same or that these vehicles share so many parts. Rather, it's sharing the process, and what we learned on the Neon we were able to apply to the PT Cruiser."[8D]

[SRG]

It doesn't matter what you say, or what any authoritative source says, some people will alway think, and worse, say that the PT Cruiser is based on the neon.

I've heard that this started when the PT was being developed, they used a Neon to put prototype parts on, (supposedly).

After we bought my Silver 02 LE, we still had the 97 Neon my wife used for work. Other than the manufacturer, they had very little in common. It was a reliable little car, but not in any way a PT Cruiser.

We traded in the Neon, so my wife drives a 2003 Touring Edition PT, Electric blue, to work now!

We just have to inform those uninformed unfortunate’s ,to set the record straight.
SRG

[robinjoe]

SRG, Yeah, I know some people won't listen, but I'd still like to find that article.

Joe

quote:Originally posted by SRG

It doesn't matter what you say, or what any authoritative source says, some people will alway think, and worse, say that the PT Cruiser is based on the neon.

I've heard that this started when the PT was being developed, they used a Neon to put prototype parts on, (supposedly).

After we bought my Silver 02 LE, we still had the 97 Neon my wife used for work. Other than the manufacturer, they had very little in common. It was a reliable little car, but not in any way a PT Cruiser.

We traded in the Neon, so my wife drives a 2003 Touring Edition PT, Electric blue, to work now!

We just have to inform those uninformed unfortunate’s ,to set the record straight.
SRG

[Mr.Barton]

Wasnt the 2.4L Turbo being designed for the PT before it went in the Neon?

[Nova69]

quote:Originally posted by robinjoe

SRG, Yeah, I know some people won't listen, but I'd still like to find that article.

Joe

The information below is quoted directly from "Chrysler PT Cruiser", by Matt DeLorenzo and John Lamm, published by MBI Publishing Company. This book is a great read and gives the complete history of the PT Cruiser from its inception through the first attempts at production, to the final product and features some awesome pictures and diagrams of the prototypes and production cruisers. I highly recommend this book to any PT’ers who may be interested. For easy ordering, the ISBN # is 0-7603-0988-4.

Here are some excerpts from Chapter 4 – Under the Cruiser’s Skin - pp. 57 – 71

“One misconception is that the PT Cruiser is merely a reskinned Neon. Nothing could be further from the truth when you look at a comparison of base vehicles. The Neon rides on a 103-inch wheelbase and is 185 inches in length. It is powered by a 2.0 liter sohc 134 brake horsepower four offered with a choice of 5-speed manual or 3-speed automatic. It also has a fully independent suspension.

The PT Cruiser also has a 103-inch wheelbase but is only 168.8 inches in overall length….

In the United States, PT Cruisers come with 2.4 liter dohc 4-cylinder engines that make 150 brake horsepower and are offered with 5-speed manual or 4-speed automatic. The PT’s rear suspension is a beam axle, as opposed to an independent setup, to increase the load-carrying capacity…..

(First) The money to create the PT Cruiser came from the allocation for the 2000 Neon platform. Second, the PT Cruiser resides with the small-car platform team. Many of the same engineers who helped develop the new Neon, also worked on the PT Cruiser. And finally, where possible, component sets such as the 5-speed manual, the front suspension, and other assorted bits and pieces that could be shared were used in order to cut costs.

‘There is a synergy between the Neon and the PT Cruiser,’ said Dan Knott, director of vehicle development for the small-car platform. ‘It’s not so much that the vehicles are the same, or that they share so many parts. Rather, it’s the sharing process, and what we learned on the Neon we were able to apply to the PT Cruiser.’ “

[calicranberry]

guess it depends on your definition of platform sharing. my wife and i have owned a second generation neon for several years, they are very different cars with very different personalities. while it is obvious that the cruiser is not a reskinned neon, they do share lots of parts, (many already mentioned in these posts) from brakes and the front suspention to HVAC controls. and with the same wheelbase, that has always lead me to believe that they share a platform. sorta like a saab 9-3 shares a platform with chevy (the malibu i think), the infiniti g35 and the new z, or the camry and the lexus rx suv, different cars with things in common. also, i think every review of a cruiser i have ever read in any car rag has mentioned a neon connection. in a review of the convertable, car and driver (i think) said the fully loaded GT model was too expensive for a car based on a neon. i would imagine if this was not true, chrysler would be all over these mags to print the correct facts (they were quick to react when car mags said they were moving the brand upscale and that is why the pacifica was so expensive. chrysler said they had just made a mistake and over priced the car, and made sure all the mags got the word out). also, seems that parts that work on one fit into the other (synergy i guess), as the neon has now been given the cruiser's turbo motor, and four speed auto. guess in the end i really don't care how they made the cruiser, i'm just happy that they did it!

[Hooligan]

quote:Originally posted by calicranberry
Guess in the end i really don't care how they made the cruiser, i'm just happy that they did it!

[|)] What he said!!![8D]