Finally have enough $$ but still have ??s plz help a noob.

[Spicymchaggis22]

hey guys ive finally been able to save up enough to buy my own car to drift.
right now im looking at a 1991 300zx and i was wondering if it is okay to use stock, what aftermarket parts are a nesscesity, or what aftermarket parts are recommended.

if you could please help me out that'd be great!

[cfrost]

LSD and suspension (springs and shocks or coilovers) are key in such a big car

you picked the spicy mchaggis of drift cars; big, burly n strong

[Soldat]

I really don't know all that much about Nissan's, I'm more of a domestic Guy, but I've heard that the 300ZX can be pretty finicky from a technical standpoint. Some are great and never have any trouble, some are nothing but problems.

Again, just what I've heard.

[Spicymchaggis22]

haha yeah
and is it true that a heavier car is easier to control?

what? no! heavy is bad, heavy means more inertial force, and that means, harder to move... get a perfectly balaced car, since you will need rear end grip just as you need front end grip...

you will need to still grip with the front while drifting around a corner, and you will need rear end weight to allow ur throttle input to reach the ground and propel you in a skid; which then will allow you to initiate a dictionary drift...

[Silverwolf]

How much are you looking to spend on a car exactly? Cuz there may be better suited cars in your price range.

[Spicymchaggis22]

around 5k
what do you think would be better?

[Silverwolf]

I don't have the experience to recommend one, but someone else may be able to. I would suggest a 240sx from what I've heard though.

[Amaya]

YAY!!! New car blues!!!

Well, dont quote me on it, but I think that the 300zx's already have a 1.5 way LSD, but that might be just the sports model. I think I remember something about bastardizing a 300zx driveline for a 240, as a cheap LSD.

As to weight, they are HEAVY cars alright, weighing in at roughly 2500 kilos, about the same as the Skyline and Supra TT. They CAN be finicky from what I have heard. I really cannot recommend one as a starting drifter car.

A 240, though overdone, is adequate. An 86 is another consideration, only because if you learn on a low power platform like an 86, you can drift practically anything ^_^. You might also look into an MR2. These are pretty sick, and dangerous, since they are easy to initiate but hard to pull out.

On the techy side, if its an MR2, get an NA. Turbos can be harder to learn on, and that car will be difficult enough. Also the MR2 had small turbos, meaning a lot of early boost, but it falls off quickly into the revline. Mid Engine Rear drive is an excellent platform for almost anything, though it is not considered a conventional drift platform.

Despite what some say, there is not perfect drift car, and no perfect starter car. Just some that are easier than others. That being said, if you want a nice easy starter car get a 240SX, preferably the S14 variant, as the S13s tend to understeer (this can be easily corrected with suspension though). The S14 is perhaps one of the easiest out of the box drift cars. 3 series Bimmers are also pretty decent, but generally only a consideration if you live in Europe where they are common as cockroaches.

Another often overlooked car is any of the Skyline FR based platforms. These include the GTS (NON GTS-4 Variants), only an option outside of the USA though.

YES! get the corolla! light and agile! and i don't think he can get an mr for 5k... even less of a chance with the skyline...

[Amaya]

Originally Posted by atlantian

YES! get the corolla! light and agile! and i don't think he can get an mr for 5k... even less of a chance with the skyline...

If he is in Canada or Europe than a GTS skyline is an easy 5k or less. But in america, no, you are right. As for MRs, yeah, they are too expensive as well I think.

The Corolla is an amazing car, even though it is underpower and understeer friendly at first, once you correct those, it is a dangerous car in the best way ^_^. It is I think the lightest affordable car for him that has an engine capable of being worked to 200 or greater horsepower.

I have heard of well tuned Corollas giving Supras a good run on a road course.

well, i love the body style(plz question my taste...) so i got a junked up celica gt for 82 and working on an engine rebuild, heard that the 22b is hella strong...

well, skyline for 5000 sounds great but the thing is you want it for the legendary technology... so i guess i would save up for the real gtr instead of the "rip off"

[Amaya]

Originally Posted by atlantian

well, i love the body style(plz question my taste...) so i got a junked up celica gt for 82 and working on an engine rebuild, heard that the 22b is hella strong...

well, skyline for 5000 sounds great but the thing is you want it for the legendary technology... so i guess i would save up for the real gtr instead of the "rip off"

The GTS was not by any means a rip off, it was simply a cheaper version of the same car. Like a Mustang GT versus just the 6 cyl Stang. The FR was also a lot lighter then the 4 wheel. Of course the FRs never got HICAS as I understand, which is too bad. The GTR is of course an amazing car, and a very doable drifter, even in 4wd. But again, not in the states...

I love those older AE86, it personifies all the ugly beauty of 80s hot hatches,

[hachiroku-fc3s]

Originally Posted by Amaya

The GTS was not by any means a rip off, it was simply a cheaper version of the same car. Like a Mustang GT versus just the 6 cyl Stang. The FR was also a lot lighter then the 4 wheel. Of course the FRs never got HICAS as I understand, which is too bad. The GTR is of course an amazing car, and a very doable drifter, even in 4wd.

Many ppl consider a V6 mustang a rip off. So horrible example. It's a muscle car without the muscle. So its just a car....that wants to be a muscle car (ie. rip-off, not to say it doesn't have anything to offer, but still a bad example)

HICAS is bad when drifting. So......No, not "too bad".

The GT-R was never offered in 4WD as I understand it, however it was available in AWD. Yes, there is a difference, I'm not a noob.

AWD cars do not make capable drift platforms, while possible, it is far less than ideal. Why do you think every EVO/Skyline stunt car is converted to FR? AWD cars are AWD for grip, they are by nature, engineered to do exactly opposite what drifting is all about.

[hachiroku-fc3s]

BTW, to the original poster, anything that is FR can be drifted. The S14 was the easiest car to drift that ever came to america. The only reason a person would talk you out of getting any other car that is FR is because:

1) They are a fanboy, and it's what they've been told
2) It will take a lot more work in the end for you to be competitive

but as far as recreation, enjoying yourself, and learning the sport goes, anything FR. Enjoy bro!

[Amaya]

Originally Posted by hachiroku-fc3s

Many ppl consider a V6 mustang a rip off. So horrible example. It's a muscle car without the muscle. So its just a car....that wants to be a muscle car (ie. rip-off, not to say it doesn't have anything to offer, but still a bad example)

HICAS is bad when drifting. So......No, not "too bad".

The GT-R was never offered in 4WD as I understand it, however it was available in AWD. Yes, there is a difference, I'm not a noob.

AWD cars do not make capable drift platforms, while possible, it is far less than ideal. Why do you think every EVO/Skyline stunt car is converted to FR? AWD cars are AWD for grip, they are by nature, engineered to do exactly opposite what drifting is all about.

Ai ai, AWD 4WD, although I understand the difference I still use the two interchangeably. As for "too bad" I meant that in a general sense of the term. I am aware the HICAS is not exactly a drifting godsend, however in a pure sports driving sense, HICAS is a good thing. Especially on an AWD (Happy?) platform where the car naturally is going to have understeer issues.

And yes, in D1GP AWD are converted to RWD, however, AWD can still make a competent drift car. Suspension settings and increased power will do it.

There are some very good AWD drifting cars out there, such as the JUN HYPER LEMON EVO V.

As for the V6 mustang. Alright. Ya got me there, it is a bad example. However Skyline GTS's are still very decent all things considered, though not a possibility in USA.

I cannot imagine what I must have said that made you so pissed off, but perhaps next time you could use a little reservation in your rant style attack upon someone. Even someone offering information that may not be 100% accurate is still offering information. While it is fine to correct them, and always in a respectful manner, it is foolish to seemingly attack them. I don't remember coming on these forums and asking stupid questions, merely trying to answer them to the best of my ability.

I am sorry that my answers did not seem to please you. I am sorry that I am such a noob that I said 4wd vs awd, not that I really care to argue over semantics anyway. And I am sorry that I am so delusional to think that awd/4wd can drift. I am quite sorry that I did not completely explain what I meant by despairing over the lack of HICAS.
I have tried very hard throughout this post not to resort to an out and out flame war, given your attack upon me such a thing is certainly a possibility. I hope I have succeeded. Have a nice day Hachi.

[cfrost]

what's with all these long posts?

don't tell a beginner that AWD cars make competent drift cars, they don't

also why are so many people talking in absolutes??

s14 easiest driftable car that ever came to the usa??

how about the 350z? that's easy as cake to get sideways in stock form compared to an s14. I'm sure there's plenty of other cars i haven't driven that are way easy to drift

blah blah blah

[hachiroku-fc3s]

Good reply, Amaya. I'm suprised that you took offense to what I said here, all I did was offer correction. The most aggressive thing I said was "horrible example", but this is the internet and it is hard to determine emotions, but it seems it did the job. Good.

[Amaya]

Originally Posted by hachiroku-fc3s

Good reply, Amaya. I'm suprised that you took offense to what I said here, all I did was offer correction. The most aggressive thing I said was "horrible example", but this is the internet and it is hard to determine emotions, but it seems it did the job. Good.

I should apologize. I am be no means an authority on these subjects (even though sometimes I am pretty good at winning the authoritative award for being full of poop). Unluckily I happened to read both of your (Hachirokus) posts in this thread and the other back to back, not to mention I had also been at a full workday and missed out on the sleep I needed to get. So I was already a bit irritated. I feel I overreacted. So I want to say sorry on both counts.

And though I am not the brightest, I still think an AWD vehicle has its advantages in terms of drifting. Though I do stand corrected that there is no good AWD learners car.

Anyway, now I have gotten my sleep, and looking back at what I said previously, I am embarrassed of my own insolence. Again, I am sorry.

[hachiroku-fc3s]

Don't worry about it. It happens on the internet. It's all good.

[TwinchargedSol]

Originally Posted by cfrost

what's with all these long posts?

don't tell a beginner that AWD cars make competent drift cars, they don't

also why are so many people talking in absolutes??

s14 easiest driftable car that ever came to the usa??

how about the 350z? that's easy as cake to get sideways in stock form compared to an s14. I'm sure there's plenty of other cars i haven't driven that are way easy to drift

blah blah blah

Well good luck with finding a 350Z for $5,000 dollars buddy...