n00b question: import vs domestic drifting

[Vinsanity]

hey guys sorry for posting a tired n00b question but I was just wondering how muscle cars like 5.0's and IROC's handle drift courses compared to let's say an S13 or AE86.
are the domestics harder to control a drift in? I would imagine they would be a buttload of fun equipped with a quicker steering ratio and a posi-trac of some sort...but are they too easy to spin out in?

I'm not actually that new to drifting. my first car was a 1986 Mustang V6 that I 'drifted' around dirt roads in rural south GA back in 1997-98, but as I discovered, paved surfaces are a whole new world.
now I drive a FWD piece of crap and I miss hanging the tail out like in the good ol' days

so anyways...what car would you guys venture to say is the most 'beginner-friendly'? (the one with the easiest learning curve) or does it truly all boil down to driver taste?

thanks

[panda_3ight_6]

Alot of people here will get mad because you repeated a post... about 5 billlion kids asked that same question.(whats a good beggingers car) and yes its drivers taste,skill,and driving expeaince

As for american cars.. currently theres a Viper and a GTO(new school), competeing in the D1GP. Also I've seen drifters driving camaros,(one of hawaii's best),5.0 and other RWD american cars. A upside to american cars is theres many more RACE built parts for them, like quick steering boxes, full lock rear ends and hundreds of engine mods. but a downfall of american cars are... they are big and heavy making them somewhat hindering to move.

hope that helps

[Wickdmarz]

You know whats the easy to spin out in???? .....Anything if you're a new driver.

The lame import vs domestic thread is over. I know you're new but really do you're research before asking questions.

You know domestic cars have rwd, so why wouldn't they beable to drift? Whats more difficult in any car if your new to it. You think kids in Japan are asking "hey whats better to drift in domestic or imported?" They don't. They grab any car you can find and try it. Mercedes, BMWs, and any japanese cars. I'm sure if they had more American cars there they would drift them too. Sure weight can be an issue, but there's nothing stopping you from lightening it.

But anywho I would really check out the beginners threads before asking questions.

PS theres nothing wrong with FWD, you can drift that too!

Sorry if I was harsh, just needed to make the point clear.

[Vinsanity]

ok......got it...I could drift an 87 Plymouth Voyager with woody paneling if I so pleased...

but I'm just saying...I was merely wondering if there was such a thing as an "easiest" car to learn on. cuz when I had the Mustang and tried to drift it on pavement (actually I was attempting to do donuts in an empty parking lot) it would understeer and actually struggle with breaking traction. whenever I'd try to powerslide it on pavement, it would rotate like 90' and slide for like 20 feet before nearly coming to a complete halt.
my brother got an '89 S13 coupe fairly recently, and while it's still hard to kick the tail loose (140hp + Z-rated rubber on aftermarket 16"s), you still had a good degree of control with the car.

as for drifting my FF car, the E-brake cables seem to be loose
but we'll see what it can do when I replace the front tires

[CrazyHawaiian]

Yeah domestics can drift good too. Like any Japan big body VIP drift car, you gotta focus on weight reduction and balance. Good example would be reading up on how Ueno modified and tuned his car. If you car understeers then change the suspension tune to generate more oversteer and balance it out. For my first Camaro I used to drift that meant a bigger rear swaybar (OEM suspension setup was tuned to understeer, bigger rear swaybar evened it out). If the car struggles to break traction, then it might be an issue with your tire selection. Going too wide/grippy at first can make it hard to learn. Try to run smaller width tires or harder compounds, or even higher psi (I run 42psi in the rear) and you should not have a problem breaking the rearend loose. If you wanna see some pics of domestics drifting, check out this club I started at www.powerslideways.com If you're looking for a good domestic car to drift, research what models of your prefered make (Chevy, Ford, etc) have a roadracing background and roadracing aftermarket support. Those cars will probably be the best cars to drift. Camaros and Mustangs are great, but there are a lot of other choices out there as well. All depends on what you like and what you want.

[Vinsanity]

thanks bro

awesome site, btw
love the slogan in your sig, too

so yeah...I'm thinking a nice late-80s Mustang GT 'vert would be pretty cool to drift in...might be a lil heavy, but hey, like you guys said, it's my car, right?
and besides, stunt drivers do it in movies all the time

[nissanguy_24]

I have to say crazyhawaiian is great, he knows what hes talking about and is always friendly.

As for easiest car to learn on. Well i havent drifted anything besides my S13 (240sx series of cars) The 240 i known to be forgiving And i had a blast learning on it. But really i think easy to learn on boils down to lightness, i think it may be tougher to start out with a big heavy american car, or for that matter a big heavy japanese car like the VIP guys do. HOWEVER drifting is the ultimate driver skill. Drifters shouldnt be afraid of things being hard. If you can drift a 3200 pound car, then imagine the control you will have over a 2500 lbs car, or that 3200 lbs car with 300 lbs taken off.

Less weight is easier to control, its just physics.

But a late 80s mustang would probably work out well. And they arent big cars, so im sure theres alot of weight to be stripped out
(i was kindof surprised they werent lighter because of there size) And theres a few guys giving it a go. CH's site is a good resource. Check out the forums there as well as here for some of the other guys who either post or lurk who are interested in Mustangs or other similar cars to drift.

[Vinsanity]

sweet, dude

good info from what I can tell, you must be the Godfather of the forums

anyways, another thing I've been wondering (maybe I should start a new thread about this) is:
what have you guys found out breaks most often (or most easily) on the car from drifting?
I would imagine the drivetrain components would be taking the biggest beating, but I wouldn't doubt that the engine and suspension are being put through hell either.

so I guess what I'm now asking is, what kind of upgrades ('stronger' parts) would I look forward to buying for a drift car to make it more durable?
also, what kind of preventive maintenance measures would be a good idea to keep me from blowing crap up in the car?

[nissanguy_24]

Run a thick oil. When drifting your car will spend alot of time at or near redline. I know partial throttle isnt in my vocabulary when i drift. When drifting suspension components can be damaged. I know bent lower control arms is pretty typical of a S13 drifter. Im not sure how that qill equate to your mustang or whatever you choose but you should watch your suspension components carefully. I'd say anything to stiffen the car up will help keep your chassis from flexing and damaging anything on it that may take the extra ware. Bushings and those kind of things as well.

[Vinsanity]

awesome!

just the kind of answers I was looking for

alrighty...off to play some Gran Turismo 3 now...there's a 300-hp Varietta waiting for me with my name on it