hey im new and dont no much please help

[romuna94]

hi, my name is kenny, im 16 and will be getting my drivers licence in a few months...i live in chicago ill, i dont no alot about cars i probolly dont no much about drifting.i recently just got into racing. i mean ive always enjoyed it and liked it... but ive never been into it like i am now...but the few problems, i only no about what ive seen in the movies... and on my anime show(inital d) =(
i dont no alot about cars so if anyone could help me teach me how to make my car faster.. i was thinking about getting a mazda rx-7. the problem is i wouldnt no how to make it go faster casue i dont no what parts to put in.and the other prolem is i wouldnt be able to instal the parts myself. the only think i can think of doing is putting in new exhaust, intake, inter cooler, and a turbo. other then that i couldnt install it... wow sorry if i repeaded anything =( i just wanna learn about cars and race
thank you for you time

[漂流の学習者]

No offense dude, but there is an automatic spell check in the posting system so it would be for your benefit, and the benefit of everyone who wants to help, that you take the time to make sure your grammar is correct. Anyways, on to more important stuff. Okay, so you want an RX-7. Start by finding out exactly how the rotary engine works. An extremely good, very beginner oriented site to how engines work, is howstuffworks.com I'll do you one better by giving you the link to rotary engines. That has a ton of information as to rotary engines work. Now me personally, I'm not much of a rotary fan (I'm going to get killed for that one.) I don't hate them, I just prefer the good old fashioned piston. I would suggest also learning how turbochargers and superchargers work and what their advantages and disadvantages are and how they are different since you are interested in them.

There's a ton of information out there you just have to look. The other thing I want to say is that as a fellow 16 year old I understand your feeling about making your car faster right away. But don't. Your priorities need to be getting your car to factory specs. Don't worry about getting into racing now either. We're both too young for that. If you must race do it safely and with the proper safety equipment installed. Make a roll-cage a priority once your car is running smoothly.

Oh, and don't settle for any piece of junk car unless you personally have the expertise to repair anything that is wrong with it. Don't rely on a parent of a friend who says that they'll fix it for you once you get it. Odds are, they'll get wrapped up in something and it'll never happen. Find something running, and something cheap. Also you should look at other cars. I'm assuming that you are wanting to eventually learn to drift seeing as this is on drifting.com. Look around before you settle on a certain car. Don't buy something for the way it looks. You watch initial D the crappiest looking cars can be the best drifters and the best looking can suck. (Of course some of the best looking cars rock at drifting b/c they are made to be that awesome and their price shows, but you get my point.)

Make sure that when you do choose a car, you research everything about that car. Like if you were going to buy a 1993 MR2, there's two different styles of the car and it make a big difference later on when you do start modifying. The turbo body has extra room for intercoolers and such, while the boring standard version would require custom fabrication to incorporate those upgrades. Learn about whatever engine your car has in it. learn what problems other people have had with their car; rust, tranny problems, etc.

And last but not least, when buying a car, Craigslist.com is your best friend. you can find some amazing deals on some very decent cars and parts. For instance, I found a set of 4 MR2 factory wheels with tires for $35. you can't beat that. Look around, learn, watch and go out and find out for yourself. That's the way to do it man. Be careful.

Peace

[atlantian]

Actually, Ebay is a better place for buying cars. It's more expensive, but it is more reliable. Everything is insured 2000 dollars and up.

[romuna94]

Thanks for the help you guy's.

[Grip]

i say google "RX7 discussion board"

or anything of that nature.. what you need is a specific RX7 or atleast Mazda environment.. good luck homie...

[Soldat]

My little contribution . . .

First - Movies/Initial D = Not a good source for information. Fun to watch and entertaining, but not a good place to go if you're trying to actually learn about drifting. FYI, this is coming from someone who's watched 1st, 2nd and 4th Stages.

We have a lot of very knowledgeable people that frequent this forum including long time veterans, mechanics, professional drivers and Formula D judges. Don't be afraid to ask questions as many here will be happy to help.

Secondly - Do it right, do it safe, do it on a track. I know that when you first start driving it’s fun to go fast and carve corners, but it’s also dangerous. I can’t even count how many close calls I had when I was in high school because I was doing stupid stuff and going way too fast. If you’re really looking to learn how to drift properly and get good at it, then the best place to do it is on a track. There’s no cross traffic to worry about so you can concentrate on controlling your car rather than looking for cops/pedestrians/other cars. You’ll also have the luxury of being able to run the same part of the track over and over, allowing you to, again, work on your car control rather than worrying about what’s around the next corner. Find an organization in your area that holds local events and start going to those. Talk to the other drivers, most of the time they’ll be happy to critique you and tell you what to work on or how to improve your technique/suspension setup/whatever.

Third - If you're serious about learning about cars, a good idea might be to get a job at a local mechanic/performance shop. Even if you're just sweeping and vacuuming for them, then you'll still have the benefit of being around people who know what they're doing and they might just let you help out when they're working on something. Plus, the extra money is always nice.

[romuna94]

thank you very much very ver much.. the thing is i still have to learn how to drive stick wich i no how to mentally but ive never tried it my friend is going to teach me im also cunfused on the timeing when to shift when i drift that will be ahrd... =)

[漂流の学習者]

Third - If you're serious about learning about cars, a good idea might be to get a job at a local mechanic/performance shop. Even if you're just sweeping and vacuuming for them, then you'll still have the benefit of being around people who know what they're doing and they might just let you help out when they're working on something. Plus, the extra money is always nice.

I've tried that many many times where I live, but since the 90's or something, you have to be 18 to do ANYTHING in a shop. It's all because of the liability bs. I'm so sick of everyone worried about covering their own butts. If I screw up it'll be because it was my fault. If a machine falls on me I was probably being too stupid to check to make sure all the safety devices were engaged. If it explodes or something, than I guess those things just happen and it's too late to change now. They had it so much better in the old days. *sigh* Another option that i'm currently trying to exploit, is working in a bike shop. That way you can at least say that you have mechanical experience when you are old enough to work in a garage.

[Neo_Drift]

My little contribution . . .

First - Movies/Initial D = Not a good source for information. Fun to watch and entertaining, but not a good place to go if you're trying to actually learn about drifting. FYI, this is coming from someone who's watched 1st, 2nd and 4th Stages.

We have a lot of very knowledgeable people that frequent this forum including long time veterans, mechanics, professional drivers and Formula D judges. Don't be afraid to ask questions as many here will be happy to help.

Initial D is bad? are you kidding? All I did the years before I got into drifting was watch initial d and play gran turismo, and many of the people out in our events say i'm the best beginner out there after only 3 events. It's not what you study but how you study it. Initial D may be fake, but they spent plenty of time researching it so you can understand at least basic techniques by watching the show. which is how i got them down before I even got a rwd car.

Don't underestimate what you can learn from such things as initial d. just don't try them in the same way. you need to come to some mental understanding of the differences between shows and real life, but once you have that down, there is all sorts of stuff you can get from it.

Actually, Ebay is a better place for buying cars. It's more expensive, but it is more reliable. Everything is insured 2000 dollars and up.

I almost went nuts when i heard that.
craigslist.com and autotrader.com are THE best sources, handsdown, that you could go to to find a good cheap rwd car. I was on ebay for the years since I got my license back in 2001 and I never found the types of deals like i did on those 2 sites. As well, in utah here we have kslcars.com which is freaking AMAZING. and local adds as well. ALL 4 of those options are better than a billion ebays put together. The problem with ebay is that you have the auctions. and with a larger amount of people watching ebay than these other references, you have a much better chance of buying a car at at least $1k more than you could find locally. (Not countind dealers. They will usually have a few thousand on top of whatever you could possibly get from ebay. but not always. small dealers are sometimes good. that's how i got my 2000 miata. 68k miles for $8.9k which was at the bottom of its book price.)

Anyway. good luck with the rx7. if you do buy one. get one with less than 100k miles if you can. usually over that and things start going wrong (or at least with the turbo models. i'd say maybe under 130k miles for the nonturbo would be ok.)

Good luck, and have fun learning to drift. PM me any time on any questions you may have. I may be new to drifting, but with the studying I have done up on it, (and studying up is priceless) I have plenty of information to help you out on most things basic to drifting.

[Soldat]

Initial D is bad? are you kidding? All I did the years before I got into drifting was watch initial d and play gran turismo, and many of the people out in our events say i'm the best beginner out there after only 3 events. It's not what you study but how you study it. Initial D may be fake, but they spent plenty of time researching it so you can understand at least basic techniques by watching the show. which is how i got them down before I even got a rwd car.

Don't underestimate what you can learn from such things as initial d. just don't try them in the same way. you need to come to some mental understanding of the differences between shows and real life, but once you have that down, there is all sorts of stuff you can get from it.

Don't get me wrong, I loved Initial D. And yes, it's clear that they did a lot of research, but they also spent a lot of time bending the truth simply for the sake of making the show more exciting/dramatic. All I'm saying is that if you're serious about learning, then your source material should be free of fiction.

[Neo_Drift]

agreed. drift bible helped me out a lot more than initial d ever could have.

[K!NCH[FC3S]]

An Rx-7 is a good car, but not something I'd recommended to somebody with little to no automotive background. Rotaries are a whole new world when comes to cars. I know, I own an FC myself. It runs fine and everything, but I have done countless hours of research on parts, tuning, everything. Your best bet would be a 240sx. Good platform easy to "pick-up and play" for drifting. But if you really wanna go with a 7, more power to you. Go to Rx7club.com, and just brew yourself a pot of coffee and just read post and such until your eyes fall out.

[verprose]

Learn by doing is what i say, im only 18 an i work at tire kingdom -how i can afford all those tires- any way, before a started drifting i had been racing since i was 8 yrs old, i went from bandileros, to 4cyl dirt cars. I dont want to knock your rx-7 dearms here but your best bet is a 240sx s13 or an e30.. you know tha cheap an easy to find, second e-brake is your friend, third- shifting is somthing that will come in time, don't stress about it. fourth, be safe, find a spot or track an practice there, dont fly down a mountain an yank the wheel just cause you saw it on tv. fifth, power aint every thing, 140hp will do wonders in the right hands. work your way in to high hp cars. I started in a pos bmw e30, an now im drifting an s14 kouki with an rb20. and finally, a drifter should know every thing about what they drive, that way when it brakes they can fix it. get a car then start studyn thats all i can tell you.

may the drift gods watch over you

[Bebop]

Unless your a baller

Don't try to drift unless your willing to work on your own stuff.

Got a automotive class in your high school, if so get in it... and pay attention, take it seriously.