build a drift car question
 

im not sure if this is the right forum but im 15 im looking into either getting a 3rd gen camaro or a nissan 180sx or 240sx hatchback when im 16. over time in high school and out of high school id like to modify whatever car i get to be a daily driver but be capable of drifting on weekends and autocross racing at gingerman raceway here in Michigan. i plan on dropping in a stock ls1 with few minor mods and more major mods overtime in either car with a t56.

for the camaro who makes replacement body panels.
what would i haft to do to increase steering angle im on a budget so.
what could i do to stiffen the cars body for cheap ill probably put in a rollcage but what else

which car do you think would be cheaper to work on, easier to work on and what would be a better platform

Re: build a drift car question
 

camaro's are alot easier to work on and dont be a idiot teenager drifting on the street it makes us look bad :P but you should just go with 240sx its lighter and has overhead cams so it revs up faster but parts will be more expensive and to stiffen it up rollcage and frame reinforcements and cross members on engine bay is the way to go same with a 240sx

Re: build a drift car question
 

i wont drift on streets im gonna take performance driving classes at gingerman raceway in south haven, mi and id drift in parking lots where theres no one round

Re: build a drift car question
 

i drift/autocross my camaro all the time.. done a few comps ive also owned a turbo charged gts ae86 corolla and a sr20det 240sx, fc turbo rx7 there fun cars to have and drive but to me the camaro is a better car to do these things with mostly because its not seen very often

now as for my car all i did was springs a poly bushing set and shocks and struts pretty cheap . good wheels and tires, now for ur steering question i swapped in a s-10 blazer ps box its a quick ratio box works good. i am also running a 5 speed with a semi built 350, my rear end is a 3.73 with eaton lsd and its tq is all it needs to step side ways.
i also have a ls1 6speed combo in the works.

the camaro is going to be ur cheapest way for sure. the 240sx is a good platform but the stock ka motors suck, the sr20 is big $$$ when u swap them in, then u have lsd to install and tuning and all ways buying stuff just to keep them going. the ae86 is a awsome car one of my favorites, light good power comes with a lsd rear end parts are cheap, but over all no top end, now i built and boosted mine but in the end it still was not worth it,

keep this in mind u can start out with a base camaro and learn how to drift/autocross and slowly add to it as u get better, i ve seen people out drift fully build 240sx's with a stock 305 camaro. its all in the driver and how good u are with the car.


you should see it sideways lol
Attachment 408390

Re: build a drift car question
 

the stock ka motors in the 240sx are the same motors they run in there hard body pick ups, they are truck motors that dont like rpms and have weak bottom ends, not once u swap in the sr20det dohc turbo motor there the ones that like rpms and love to be beat, but think of the cost to out come do some thing diffrent.. drift the camaro

here u go, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ERW_...eature=related

Re: build a drift car question
 

I don't know if he's still around or not, but CrazyHawaiian was a thirdgen.org pioneer when it came to drifting. He used to swipe used up tires from dumpsters and drift around the island. I think he even modified his front bumper. Maybe you could PM him or maybe his e-mail address is in his profile.

Mathius

Re: build a drift car question
 

steering angle is the problem, its a bit tricky getting more out of a 3rd gen.

Re: build a drift car question
 

u dont really need more steering angle just more control over throttle and brakes. my s10 box is just a quicker turn ratio

Re: build a drift car question
 

One of my buddies has a 98 240sx with a turbocharged ka24... putting down 500+hp, and hes only got roughly over 5 grand in the whole build. but camaros are always the way to go. ive had 4 camaros... a 81, 92, 88, and currently a 87.

Re: build a drift car question
 

Camaro will be cheaper and easier to work on.
Camaro will be cheaper and easier to swap an LS1 into.
Camaro probably has a larger aftermarket overall than 240sx but will be less geared toward drifting.
Goodmark and Classic Industries sell replacement sheet metal.
First thing you'll want to stiffen up a Camaro is subframe connectors.

Good luck with your decision.

Re: build a drift car question
 

Ok few things. Ls1 conversions and a t56 tranny, if they aren't done at home they cost fat bank. By the sounds of it your in my position, on a budget. Get the maro, gobs of troque to get slideways, not played out, won't be a ***** dumb @$$, and there are SOOOOO many 3rd gens sitting in partsyards you can find most things you need for cheap. So get the thirdgen, then got to bmr fabrications and trick out your susspension. They make damn good parts for cheaper than most. Classic industries makes a lot of parts too, get their catalog. Another place for new parts is hawks thirdgen (ads for him are all over this site.) After stifening up your suspension your going to want to upgrade from the open diff to a posi unit. My advice would be to weld the open one, then get a posi unit from a 98-02 ls1 fourth gen maro or bird. If you don't upgrade your diff or weld it, your going to have issues drifting. Your also going to want to go with a stage 2 clutch for drifting/ daily driving, stage 3s are nice for racing but dd aren't the best, and stage 1s aren't high performance enough imho. Another thing your going to want to invest in is a set of cheapo rims with decent tires for drifting, performance brakes, and be prepaired to drop $$$ in rubber. Honestly, drifting is a hard sport for us teens to get into without the rents bank to back us up. If you really want to drift, be ready to pour blood, sweat, time, and money into your car and the sport. If you enjoy going to the mall and spending money with friends, might want to rethink your spending habbits.

Re: build a drift car question
 

seeing as how i drifted damn near every car thats rwd i will tell you this the 240sx is by far the easiest to learn to drift, cheapest to modifiy and maintain, and when you crash it you buy another shell for $500. All you need to drift is a welded diff and coilovers in a 240. nothing else. My roomate drives in d1gp and nopi drift and he won events with half the car everyone else brought. Its all about driver but getting the car setup properley has alot to do with it too. ive been through 12 240sx, 4 ae86, 5 supras, couple of fc, bmws, etc. Im currently building a 1991 camaro vert to compete in seda next season. my recomendation is to always start with a 240 learn to drive then build something cool once you got drifting down. There is a huge reason why 99% of drift cars are 240sx cause it works.

Oh and to the op we are working on steering angle mods the will be sold as a kit once we fully test it and make sure its safe but i do have as much angle as a stock 240sx with tie rod spacers. Once we have it tested i will put up a price and full specs on the parts. -SMDG Magic Tune

Re: build a drift car question
 

:yup: Also I'd be interested in that kit. Let me know when you have it all tested, but I'm assuming it wont be for some time though?

Re: build a drift car question
 

They have classes for that? Odd, I see people drifting into the breakdown lane, the grass, sometimes telephone poles all the time and I just figured they couldn't drive!

-- Joe

Re: build a drift car question
 

we are about 95% done with development then we want to test it for a few events and make sure the parts hold it has def made my car way way more controllable, have more angle, and the roll center is dead so it may just work.

Re: build a drift car question
 

Sounds good, just PM me when you get it all done. You should get a vid up of the setup if ya can. To show how it performs.

Re: build a drift car question
 

Even if I don't drift I would really be down for some more steering angle. There is no such thing as a 3 point turn in my Camaro. It's more like a twenty point, four curse words, lots of arm swinging, and other pissed off drivers.

Speaking of which, what is a good and easy steering box to switch to? My arms get tired of that stuff.

Re: build a drift car question
 

Haha camaroluvr, i agree completely. you should try a manual steering box...unless that is what you are talking about, manual is a workout in it self if you are trying to turn around.

On another note, I am thinking about the best of both worlds. An rx7 FC (2nd gen) with a 350/LSx backed by a T56. Plus some other work being involved, but companies make the swap easy. A rx7 shell is about 750 in good shape, and a cheap '96+ 350ci would make a killer of a drift/auto-x car.

Re: build a drift car question
 

friend of mine in town did that, except he put a Buick 455 into his RX-7, surprised he still hasn't wrapped it around a light post that rear end gets way too loose, so yeah that would be a good choice using an LSX in an RX-7, but i believe the Camaro still has a wider stance

Re: build a drift car question
 

gonna be a nice ride

Re: build a drift car question
 

I would really like a quick ratio box that is easy to install. I have driven a car without power steering but my car has it.

Re: build a drift car question
 

if i can add my 2 cents. i would go for a third gen, heres why. As far a weight, a 240sx may be lighter but really is all in power to weight ratio. it is by far cheaper to build a mild small block chevy and still make 400 hp than it is to build a nissan motor up to 400hp. also you can easily strip down a third gen to get to 3000lbs and still have a full interior. IMO you should use a t56 or 4 an early four speed tranny such as a muncie or a super t10 rather than a t5. Back to the issue, any time u buy domestic u find that parts a by far cheaper and easier to find. Also you go to most any junk yard and you can find third gen. ( as drifters will need lots of spare body panels and what not). 240s and third gen are both great looking cars and both come from thorough bred race backrounds so either way you go you'll have a wicked car. i do believe i've gotten a little ranty, so i'll stop here.