Ask ERNIE FIXMER Something!

[case]

Wow bro, that's an awesome reply! I think that probably would've taken me a few hours to type up at 6am (EDIT: Okay, my clock is off on the forum, nvm).

I appreciate your replying to my PM from a year or so ago, in all honesty I don't think I would've done the same if I saw a year old PM. But I did remember actually sending it to you. No idea what I said though, heh. You were talking about people running tandem with you for stickers (I don't want one, no offense, just already in a team). I'd like to run tandem with you sometime at a JD event when my FC is finished if you get the chance (the Miata is okay, but not my flavor).

So, anyways, I have a couple questions for ya just like everyone else.

I'm currently in the AF (where all the real men go, haha! ) stationed at Nellis (Vegas), and my career field no longer goes to Kadena. I was aiming to get sent there when I joined the military, but now I can only go to Misawa. From what I hear it's awfully cold (good for turbo!) but that cold includes a LOT of snow (not good for drifting year-round if you like that thing called life). My old boss there had to sell his GT-R for a 4x4. How long of a trip would it be for me to get to a driftable area for most seasons from Misawa?
Also, I was thinking I'd take a vacation to Japan either this summer or next, any recommendations? I want to go somewhere where I can check out all kinds of drifting and maybe some highway action, and possibly get in on some of it.
What did you do in the Marines? I hear the guys on base are cracking down pretty hard on the guys with base tags/plates in Okinawa, was that in effect when you were there?
I saw your car at a JustDrift event at the Balcony (not the most recent one), and someone mentioned you were running nitrous. I noticed your engine bay had something that looked like it was for a throttle sensed trigger. Is your nitrous throttle-controlled??
Well, sorry for the long post, just thought I'd check in and see how everything is going, feel free to hit me up on Yahoo IM sometime.


PS: Are you actually good at DDR? Hahah, I think I might have to see that one, I haven't played that game since... I don't know. But it would be fun to go do it again sometime for shts and giggles.

[Amanda]

Do you think you will be drifting in 5 years? Why or why not?

[Ernie]

Do you think you will be drifting in 5 years? Why or why not?

I know that if the Lord permits...meaning I don't get hurt or something, I will be drifting in some form or other. I don't really know what is going to happen with the big drifting series controversy. I urge everyone pro and up and coming to get educated about this stuff and not just standbye and let people decide your lives for you. If drifting dies as a pro sport I will probably be working a full time job and just come out to the regular Club4ag stuff. If its pro I will probably be just as busy trying to maintain a yearly schedule of many events. I hope to be married and starting a family too, while making a living at drifting.

[Amanda]

Hehe! That's a good answer! I hope you get married soon too! I remember the times when you guys were in between hooking up! Awww, like I always say "you guys are going to make cute drifting babies"! (Don't get mad) Take care of her for me!~

[Ernie]

Wow bro, that's an awesome reply! I think that probably would've taken me a few hours to type up at 6am (EDIT: Okay, my clock is off on the forum, nvm).

I appreciate your replying to my PM from a year or so ago, in all honesty I don't think I would've done the same if I saw a year old PM. But I did remember actually sending it to you. No idea what I said though, heh. You were talking about people running tandem with you for stickers (I don't want one, no offense, just already in a team). I'd like to run tandem with you sometime at a JD event when my FC is finished if you get the chance (the Miata is okay, but not my flavor).

So, anyways, I have a couple questions for ya just like everyone else.




I'm currently in the AF (where all the real men go, haha! ) stationed at Nellis (Vegas), and my career field no longer goes to Kadena. I was aiming to get sent there when I joined the military, but now I can only go to Misawa. From what I hear it's awfully cold (good for turbo!) but that cold includes a LOT of snow (not good for drifting year-round if you like that thing called life). My old boss there had to sell his GT-R for a 4x4. How long of a trip would it be for me to get to a driftable area for most seasons from Misawa?
Also, I was thinking I'd take a vacation to Japan either this summer or next, any recommendations? I want to go somewhere where I can check out all kinds of drifting and maybe some highway action, and possibly get in on some of it.
What did you do in the Marines? I hear the guys on base are cracking down pretty hard on the guys with base tags/plates in Okinawa, was that in effect when you were there?
I saw your car at a JustDrift event at the Balcony (not the most recent one), and someone mentioned you were running nitrous. I noticed your engine bay had something that looked like it was for a throttle sensed trigger. Is your nitrous throttle-controlled??
Well, sorry for the long post, just thought I'd check in and see how everything is going, feel free to hit me up on Yahoo IM sometime.


PS: Are you actually good at DDR? Hahah, I think I might have to see that one, I haven't played that game since... I don't know. But it would be fun to go do it again sometime for shts and giggles.

The McKinney car used to use nitrous that was triggered on what is called window switch (turns on at 1500rpm and off at like 5000) Now the car is using my setup from the first Rotora car. A power FC with 264 cams and some pretty aggresive tuning. The car is pretty stinkin' responsive now and requires no NOS.

DDR? I wouldn't say I'm a pro, but I got to know the game pretty well...it kills your calfs after playing for 3 hours straight. The one thats a pro is Alex Pfieffer.

In the Marine corps...I was a Houey helicopter mechanic.

For a drifting vacation... I would have to recommend Okinawa, cuz its the only place I know that you can get to at least 10 different street drift spots in less than 2 hours. Yes they are cracking down, but I still know the private unknown spots, hehe. I don't know much about mainland Japan...sorry. Maybe someday I will go there.

[Ernie]

Hehe! That's a good answer! I hope you get married soon too! I remember the times when you guys were in between hooking up! Awww, like I always say "you guys are going to make cute drifting babies"! (Don't get mad) Take care of her for me!~

Taking care of her?...We're working on it, hehe. ttys

[DeL]

What were your 1st few cars set up like? stock or fairly modified?

What set up would you recommend for beginners? lsd's etc

What do you think of the judging at drift events? fair or not?

[case]

The McKinney car used to use nitrous that was triggered on what is called window switch (turns on at 1500rpm and off at like 5000) Now the car is using my setup from the first Rotora car. A power FC with 264 cams and some pretty aggresive tuning. The car is pretty stinkin' responsive now and requires no NOS.

DDR? I wouldn't say I'm a pro, but I got to know the game pretty well...it kills your calfs after playing for 3 hours straight. The one thats a pro is Alex Pfieffer.

In the Marine corps...I was a Houey helicopter mechanic.

For a drifting vacation... I would have to recommend Okinawa, cuz its the only place I know that you can get to at least 10 different street drift spots in less than 2 hours. Yes they are cracking down, but I still know the private unknown spots, hehe. I don't know much about mainland Japan...sorry. Maybe someday I will go there.

Cool, I guess I'll probably end up going to Okinawa anyways just because that's where everyone is from that I know, which means I'll have a better idea of where to go. If I do this vacation while I'm still in the military, do you know if they have one of those inn's on base that I could stay at for free/cheap? I think I can fly by cargo plane or something too if I wanted to save all my money for parts to bring back.

I didn't know that you could do that much tuning with a Power FC, that's pretty cool. Who do you know that tunes them, I heard they were difficult to find tuners for (although that may only be for rotary guys).

Did you get all/most of your mechanical skill from being a helicopter mechanic?

Thanks for the great reply, I hope to see you at another event again soon. Do you plan on running in the JD events again this year? Oh, and if you could message me about some of the secret spots in Okinawa, I'd appreciate it. Have a good day!

[vrtblacksheep86]

I got one for ya...

What's the worse car you ever drove. (If this means jeopraizing a companies name, just give car type) I mean you no matter what just didn't appreciate it at all. I dont mean types of cars, but a particular car...Like I hate my American GT-S compared to my RHD Truenos in Japan....


Booney

[Ernie]

What were your 1st few cars set up like? stock or fairly modified?

What set up would you recommend for beginners? lsd's etc

What do you think of the judging at drift events? fair or not?

first car...AE86 Trueno Hatback (aka. the purple people eater)
1. stock 4ag with a cold air pipe that was removed after sucking up lots water in a typhoon and bending the rods.
2. TRD pressure plate and 3 puck metallic clutch system for pretty solid abuse.
3. RSR springs with some kinda short stroke supsension already installed on teh car. (I once got it up on the right two wheels and almost flipped it at a place called SenagaJima, big potholes on the side of the road)

4. TRD exhaust
5. Cusco 6pt. cage w/fire extinguisher
6. 15" longchamp wheels
7. AE85 stock non-power steeing rack and pinion.
8. Some kinda clutch-type LSD...never any problems there.

Second Car....S13 Silvia K's w/HICAS that didn't work, but later started working after breaking one of the rear tie rods and rebleeding the system....the car sucked after that.
1. CA18det w/S14 turbine and GReddy Profec B boost controller @.8 bar
2. Nismo press. plate and 3 puck ceramic disc. Similar to AE86 setup clutch
3. KGMM springs w/Gear clime shocks
4. Stock Viscous LSD...later modified with extra spider shim for ghetto 2-way action.
5. R33 GTR fuel pump
6. I think I had an old Super AFC too that came with the car.

Third Car...S13 180sx w/CA18det and S13 Silvia front.
1. This car was stock and only lasted me a month or so cuz I totalled it during a drifting accident (just stupidity w/alcohol DUI included)

Fourth Car...R32 Skyline GTR Gunmetal Grey (450ps??maybe?) drifts great in two wheel drive mode, how do you do that without removing the fuse?...hehe, itsa secret
1. RB26dett Nismo N1 turbines HKS VVC somethin thing boost controller @1.5
2. OS Giken twin plate clutch
3. Bilstein Suspension
4. 4 core intercooler


Thats all my cars, hehe. The AE86 I never did more than scratch the rear bumper a little and get it up on two wheels once. My friend Brad wrecked it real good though at 4 corners drift spot.
The S13 Silvia I did it up real good....I hit some parked car that was in the course causing me to change the color of the Silvia front end, I hit a tree on the outer course of one of the mountain drift spots on the rear left quarter panel, and I ran it into the curb at 4 corners destroying the front right control arm and stuff that gets damaged when you do that.
The Sil80 I totalled.
The GTR survived untouched...I smoked probably about 3 sets of tires on that thing on the street in the time I had it.

[Ernie]

Did you get all/most of your mechanical skill from being a helicopter mechanic?


My father was well know among Caterpillar dealers on the west coast. I grew up watching him solve the worst of problems when it came to heavy machinery. He passed away in 93' in a car accident on his way home from work involving a truck driver falling asleep at the wheel and crossing the centerline. My family ended up getting a small settlement out of it and I went to school using that money. I decided to use my dad's tools and go to Diesel School in the main city near where I grew up. I worked for the same Caterpillar dealer my dad worked for just stocking shelves in the wherehouse for the two years of college. I graduated with an AAS in Diesel/Heavy Equipment. I then joined the Marine Corps with Aviation mechanic in my contract. Everything went well and I got orders to Okinawa, Japan. Not really where I wanted to go, but it was ok cuz I could get away from my family for a while and learn something new and challenging. I ended up doing really well and became pretty familiar with the helicopter engines and how they worked also discovering how to make them more efficient. During my time in Okinawa I worked a second job for a year at the base hobby shop. There I became sort of a specialist on drift specific vehicles. I ended up doing quite a bit of work on not only my car, but my friend's cars too. Nissans and I get along pretty good so they tend to be my favorite car.
After returning to the U.S. and finishing my last year with the Marine Corps I tried to build a car here too and met a few friends along the way that taught me even more...like how to tig weld, how to base tune a Power FC, and pretty much make a drift car more reliable. Being a pro-level drifter and instructor has also helped me to see more things clearly.

[case]

It's very insightful to see where you have come from to get where you are. It kinda gives me hope. Thanks so much for sharing your time with me to answer my questions, it means a lot. If you ever need anything out of Vegas, need a hand with anything on the weekends, or want to know anything about rotaries, let me know, I'll be glad to help. I hope to see you again soon at another event!

[Piner]

Ernie I just want to say your my hero dude.

[swifty949]

How did you meet Gary Mckinney and Mike AKA Drunken Master?

[Ernie]

How did you meet Gary Mckinney and Mike AKA Drunken Master?

Gary I met through my friend Booney who told me about McKinney motorsports while I was still in Okinawa. I began emailing Gary and talking to him about shipping some of my stuff back to his shop. Gary was nice enough to store a bunch of my junk up in his shop space until I got back to the states. Gary introduced me to many of his friends...Mike(drunken master) too. Gary also introduced me to Sam Chang of JSPEC.com who's car I drove in the first D1 driver's search and the RSR drift festival.