k-car 1/4 performance

[neontj]

i am trying to get a 89 k-car 4dr to fool around with what would be some good mods to do to it and no turbo also or nitrouis. i seen a rampage doing 16.3's at the chrysler classics this year and it was pretty stock minus an open header and different carb, it was faster than my 98 2dr dohc neon was.
i know that a 2.5 spirit will out run a 2.0 2000 neon with a cai, header, and exhaust from a dead stop up till 55 mph. so there is potential for it right.
thanks for any help and input.

[capev86]

2.5 engine, preferably with roller cam
properly tuned mpi setup (ffv parts or modify turbo stuff)
2" mandrel bent exhaust w/ low restriction muffler and converter
(anything bigger and you will lose torque, w/out a turbo there isn't enough air pumping through to keep the exhaust gas velocity high in a big pipe)
synthetic fluids, dodgegarage.com oil flow mods
high stall turbo converter (stratus v6 unit has lockup which will work with your auto trans) or preferably 5spd
tune, tune, tune.....need i say more?
raise compression (at the expensive or running premium gas)

lose the balance shafts (i prefer the refinement of keeping them, not worth the 10 horsepower at WOT, or 3 hp at 3000 rpm where the engine normally operates at). i think the oil flow mods, synthetic and mpi make up for the balance shafts, but thats my opinion!!

[GLHNSLHT2]

if you can only run 16.3's or worse in your DOHC you need to drive better. I've seen a SOHC 2.0 run 15.9 with a heavy driver, Iceman, DOHC MP puter, and DOHC muffler.

[neontj]

understand that my neon has 143000 hard miles on it with an atx and has a bad vaccum leak from a bad egr vavle and solenoid it does not run well.
so for the k-car swap in a 2.5, mill the head a little and how about a bigger cam? is there a header availible for these cars? would a shift kit help or be a good idea my goal is a quick for what it is car with good driveablity. thanks for the info.