This week we are going to tell you what are the first steps after you realized that drifting is your passion. This is more the entry level guide to bring your car up to a racey spec, not to build a D1 machine in 20 minutes! If you already own a RWD car you have a decent head start, for all other readers, please consider selling your car or reading next week the grip tips! 🙂
Each of these steps will set you at least 1500.- CHF back. This is a big budget, but believe me, this is just peanuts compared to the expenses you have to calculate for a full drift season!
In all cars without a mechanical LSD the first step is buy one of these things. The LSD will help both wheels spin equaly fast and make the drift more controlable. Doing one or two events without an LSD is a very good practice. It helps you loosing the fear for angle and you learn how to initiate properly, as it is a bit more difficult without a proper LSD. On cars with a LSD from factory, you should consider rebuilding it. Most LSDs are worn and not working well at all! Generally go for the japanese brands in japanese cars and european brands in european cars, Kaaz, Cusco, Carbonetics, Giken just to name a few for the regular S-drifter.
A good LSD in working condition is a must have for every drifter! Welding is just a budget solution!
The second step is your suspension. Most cars we use for drifting have already done a bunch of kilometers. So we start with the basics and don’t do the full bolt on job. Go buy some bushings! If your car has a rear subframe like most S-Chasis or bimmers do replace at least the 4 big ones there. You should replace the differential ones as well, the best is really hard PU ones. Some kind of inserts made out of alluminum are even better! Rear end deflection is a pain for heart, soul and ears! The clunking noise makes you go mad and feel unhappy with the setup! Prevent this by using the stronger bushings! If you have cash for a set of coilovers go buy them, but don’t forget to buy the parts needed to do a good alignment. (rods, excentric bushings) A proven choice here is the Tein SuperDrift, Greddy Type-S, or anything with „Nürburing Abstimmung“ (Billstein, Koni). A good setup is not harsh or hard! Good Setups are mostly very close to grip setups and give you good traction in the rear to make it predictable and controlable! (exeption: AE86 – traction is a baaaaaad thing!)
Coilovers aren’t necessary – Springs and damper kits are good too!
The last regular step is considered as the boost up. Most cars suffer from limited response, lack of power or even both. The turbo cars need the regular „Stage 1“ things. Exhausts system, intake, boostcontroler, remap this will boost your power up to a 50hp! The usable revrange will be improved and response as well. Most turbocars suffer from very safe maps, which make them last forever but the feeling is laggy or restricted!
No need for fancy turbo kits – just a little boost up!
On NA cars the steps are a bit different. Intake and exhaust are a good point to start, but not as effective as on the turbo cars! For the average hachiroku driver a headpackage with a little porting and used cams in the 256-264 range is considered as a good start! Adding a decent 2.25′ exhaust will set you back more than 1.5k, but will give you a nice boost and make the car rev happy!
The NA engine needs a lot of cash and parts to get nice results – but it’s worth!
If you have an M3 which has already 280hp+ you are a winner. The car doesn’t need more power, so safe the cash for tires, fancy stickers and a set of nice JDMish wheels to cover up your EUDM fetish!
The last step, I call it the +1 step, is the „comfort“ step. At this point you should have participated at a few events and you should even consider another car as your daily vehicle. We do this step to improve our ‚relation‘ to the drift car. Get a heat gun and a putty knife and remove all the sound deadening material. In an S, AE, 3xx chassis this will give you around 25 – 30kg of weight advantage which is a lot. A lighter car has better handling and is more agile! Next step is to improve the interior a bit. Preferably, you should buy a 3 spoke steering wheel to know where the wheels are during drift. Check out all the used parts platform for a decent bucket seet. A used Cobra, Recaro, Sparco will be in an affortable price region and enought for beginners. Please do understand that a 2 piece reclinable seat has not the same safety features as a good bucket. Buckets are also safety devices, in case of a crash a 2 piece seat can be ripped in pieces or fold and cause bad injury! Additionaly get a harness, this can help you further more and with an average of 100$ it’s not an unafforable thing.
A empty car – your new office!
I hope, we brought the basics of a drift car to you. You don’t need a gazillion of dollars to build a good drfitcar. Do each step after another. Don’t do big projects which are everlasting construction areas! I for my self messed a lot of time around with a close to stock spec 87′ AE, it was fun, although hard to go sideways, but VERY educational!This week we are going to tell you what are the first steps after you realized that drifting is your passion. This is more the entry level guide to bring your car up to a racey spec, not to build a D1 machine in 20 minutes! If you already own a RWD car you have a decent head start, for all other readers, please consider selling your car or reading next week the grip tips! 🙂
Each of these steps will set you at least 1500.- CHF back. This is a big budget, but believe me, this is just peanuts compared to the expenses you have to calculate for a full drift season!
In all cars without a mechanical LSD the first step is buy one of these things. The LSD will help both wheels spin equaly fast and make the drift more controlable. Doing one or two events without an LSD is a very good practice. It helps you loosing the fear for angle and you learn how to initiate properly, as it is a bit more difficult without a proper LSD. On cars with a LSD from factory, you should consider rebuilding it. Most LSDs are worn and not working well at all! Generally go for the japanese brands in japanese cars and european brands in european cars, Kaaz, Cusco, Carbonetics, Giken just to name a few for the regular S-drifter.
A good LSD in working condition is a must have for every drifter! Welding is just a budget solution!
The second step is your suspension. Most cars we use for drifting have already done a bunch of kilometers. So we start with the basics and don’t do the full bolt on job. Go buy some bushings! If your car has a rear subframe like most S-Chasis or bimmers do replace at least the 4 big ones there. You should replace the differential ones as well, the best is really hard PU ones. Some kind of inserts made out of alluminum are even better! Rear end deflection is a pain for heart, soul and ears! The clunking noise makes you go mad and feel unhappy with the setup! Prevent this by using the stronger bushings! If you have cash for a set of coilovers go buy them, but don’t forget to buy the parts needed to do a good alignment. (rods, excentric bushings) A proven choice here is the Tein SuperDrift, Greddy Type-S, or anything with „Nürburing Abstimmung“ (Billstein, Koni). A good setup is not harsh or hard! Good Setups are mostly very close to grip setups and give you good traction in the rear to make it predictable and controlable! (exeption: AE86 – traction is a baaaaaad thing!)
Coilovers aren’t necessary – Springs and damper kits are good too!
The last regular step is considered as the boost up. Most cars suffer from limited response, lack of power or even both. The turbo cars need the regular „Stage 1“ things. Exhausts system, intake, boostcontroler, remap this will boost your power up to a 50hp! The usable revrange will be improved and response as well. Most turbocars suffer from very safe maps, which make them last forever but the feeling is laggy or restricted!
No need for fancy turbo kits – just a little boost up!
On NA cars the steps are a bit different. Intake and exhaust are a good point to start, but not as effective as on the turbo cars! For the average hachiroku driver a headpackage with a little porting and used cams in the 256-264 range is considered as a good start! Adding a decent 2.25′ exhaust will set you back more than 1.5k, but will give you a nice boost and make the car rev happy!
The NA engine needs a lot of cash and parts to get nice results – but it’s worth!
If you have an M3 which has already 280hp+ you are a winner. The car doesn’t need more power, so safe the cash for tires, fancy stickers and a set of nice JDMish wheels to cover up your EUDM fetish!
The last step, I call it the +1 step, is the „comfort“ step. At this point you should have participated at a few events and you should even consider another car as your daily vehicle. We do this step to improve our ‚relation‘ to the drift car. Get a heat gun and a putty knife and remove all the sound deadening material. In an S, AE, 3xx chassis this will give you around 25 – 30kg of weight advantage which is a lot. A lighter car has better handling and is more agile! Next step is to improve the interior a bit. Preferably, you should buy a 3 spoke steering wheel to know where the wheels are during drift. Check out all the used parts platform for a decent bucket seet. A used Cobra, Recaro, Sparco will be in an affortable price region and enought for beginners. Please do understand that a 2 piece reclinable seat has not the same safety features as a good bucket. Buckets are also safety devices, in case of a crash a 2 piece seat can be ripped in pieces or fold and cause bad injury! Additionaly get a harness, this can help you further more and with an average of 100$ it’s not an unafforable thing.
A empty car – your new office!
I hope, we brought the basics of a drift car to you. You don’t need a gazillion of dollars to build a good drfitcar. Do each step after another. Don’t do big projects which are everlasting construction areas! I for my self messed a lot of time around with a close to stock spec 87′ AE, it was fun, although hard to go sideways, but VERY educational!