Help me get started with drifting!

[MaxBell]

I learned to drift in the winter, at low speeds in my E30. Then when the snow melted, I had the technique mostly down pat and so I slowly increased the speed.

[Geoff.T]

Get a RWD car and don't fall in love with it. If you drift long enough you will crash it.

Like the post above mine says: Diff, suspension, and a seat.

Try to avoid a welded diff. Get a good LSD. No one likes off throttle understeer.

[pittxdrift]

If traveling for the car is an option, there's a bunch of 240's on the Pittsburgh Craigslist. Even a few FC's that are worthwhile..

[racoon_goon]

Thats for all the great responses everybody I really do appreciate it.

Ill chime back in once I get myself into a car! Hopefully sometime soon !

[Ollie]

Come up to Lebanon Valley for the drift events. Super friendly and grassroots envorionment that's perfect for getting started and there's only like one wall you could even potentially hit. it's way laid back which I love about drift events compared to auto-xes etc.

[StraightDeezin]

Heavy and underpowered, but Volvo 240? CHEAP and bulletproof...

this. strap on a turbo for 200 bucks and you got a winner.

[racoon_goon]

Yeah I feel ya on that.

Sounds like its pretty easygoing at etown then which is cool. What exactly is the kidde pool haha?

Also, I found this s14 in the bronx. Thoughts?

http://newyork.craigslist.org/jsy/cto/2571883231.html

[driftsucky]

Thanks for the response driftsucky. Yeah I mean I don't expect to really be ripping around the tack for the first couple times I go there haha. You make a good point about the car being beat tho lol, and thats one reason im having such a hard time finding the right car to get into. I don't want to spend like 3-4k on a car only for me to absolutely trash the thing in a few months. Id much rather get into something cheap and just learn with it.

How do the drift days usually work at etown, and what month do they usually stop them in?

Your car doesn't HAVE to be beat up, but I wanted to illustrate that knowledge can be obtained and fun can be had on the cheap.

MOST of the events I went to at E-Town were more or less open runs. You pay a fee for entry. They sit you down, go over the track layout, group you in order of skill level (sux if you get bumped down to teh kiddie pool...lol) and then the fun happens.

On occasion, there was practice sessions and ride alongs. But it depended on who was there. MOST times DA was around so it happened. But there were a few where it was sort of a free for all.

[Lt. Dangle]

I would say 3-4k would be a good base for a drift car, honestly. Im sure for the absolute beginning of things, a stock dual cam KA s13, with a little suspension, a lot of camber, a welded diff, and a strong clutch... Which can be had for 1-2k, if you spend wisely, and get a good running car to start.

From what I have seen, the best grassroots drift setups are usually something like this;

s13, sr20, ball bearing t28, rocker arm stoppers, bolt-on's, tune, and boost controller motorwise
Suspension wise, whiteline makes nice stuff, megan racing would be fine, I think they actually have drift spec coilovers, j30 or kaaz lsd, or hell even a welded diff still...

Just remember you need something that spins some rpm's and doesnt have a problem being ragged on up top like that...

Good luck

[racoon_goon]

Thanks for the response driftsucky. Yeah I mean I don't expect to really be ripping around the tack for the first couple times I go there haha. You make a good point about the car being beat tho lol, and thats one reason im having such a hard time finding the right car to get into. I don't want to spend like 3-4k on a car only for me to absolutely trash the thing in a few months. Id much rather get into something cheap and just learn with it.

How do the drift days usually work at etown, and what month do they usually stop them in?

[driftsucky]

when you DO get into it, don't take yourself too seriously at first. Reason being, you're gonna crash, spin, slide, all that. Like Fluid said, whether you've been in it for a day or a decade, you will fail at some point. My last drift car (1991 240sx with a ka-t motor) had no hood or front bumper, both rear quarters were missing, both front quarters were bent, neither door matched, momo 3 spoke steering wheel, tien suspension, Z32 brakes (previous owner), welded diff (so turning, backing up, and all basic traffic maneuvers sucked donkey balls) 1 bride seat and 1 stock seat out of an S14 that my friend tank sent into a tree on the 418 in ATL, GA. So, from that, you can see where the money went. Oh, and an old Pioneer single din radio so I could pump the tunes through my 1-3 speakers that did or didn't work at any given time. lol. LOVED that car and only drove it if I was drifting.

That's just to give you an idea that it's okay to have a beat car. I got some vid of me somewhere from some drift days at Etown back in the day. I think my car was the most beat or close to it. There was always some good crap tho. The people with the pretty cars generally sucked. lol. I don't know if there was a correlation but that's just how it went at those things.

[racoon_goon]

I have gotten decent with practice in wide open areas- I work at a trucking terminal and on sundays the owner lets us come down with a few of my coworkers(mustang and 2 240s) and we do basic beginner drifting- but thats a huge yard with very little shit to hit- moral of the story is become friends with people who own big parking lots

If I was to get into it more it would require replacing factory lsd with something beefier and a few more hp's- that and I dont have any money to spend on more tires

besides Id rather go fast over sideways imho

Thats pretty awesome that you guys have an open lot to practice in. I dont think I would be in the same situation tho haha!

a few things

Keep it off the street
Dont mod your car until you break something, replace it with something better
Exception to the rule:
Diff
Seat
Suspension

other than that, dont replace it till it breaks

Dont replace it till it breaks seems to be a pretty good rule to follow.

I just have to really commit to this and spend the initiall money on a car, im very bad at making big purchases haha

[FreshLikeSushi]

a few things

Keep it off the street
Dont mod your car until you break something, replace it with something better
Exception to the rule:
Diff
Seat
Suspension

other than that, dont replace it till it breaks

[Skibum291]

I have gotten decent with practice in wide open areas- I work at a trucking terminal and on sundays the owner lets us come down with a few of my coworkers(mustang and 2 240s) and we do basic beginner drifting- but thats a huge yard with very little shit to hit- moral of the story is become friends with people who own big parking lots

If I was to get into it more it would require replacing factory lsd with something beefier and a few more hp's- that and I dont have any money to spend on more tires

besides Id rather go fast over sideways imho

[racoon_goon]

A drift should not be a daily.

Unless you don't mind driving around on the cords of your tires while your bumpers fall off and half the shit on your car doesn't work from smashing into things (it happens to everyone, good drifter or not).

Too bad you're not in the city of Chicago. I could introduce you to the meanest street-drift kids on the planet, they'd have tons of tips for you I bet.

Yeah I didnt really think of that, I guess im just going to have to really start digging into craigslist to find the right car for me.

Yeah sadly enough im on long island which from my knowledge does not have the hugest drift scene.

i was reading this thread and didn't realize that was you steve haha tryin to go sideways i see

Haha yes sir! Ive been interested in it for too long now not to give it a shot.