BMW drifters and their set up

[andysapp]

I drifted the car 100% stock, at first, for two reasons. 1) Wanted to get use the feel of the and 2) Had no money to spend on mods haha.

That is an excellent approach! It refines your learning curve for when you mod the car. That is how I started with my e46. I spent my money saved to mod the car on travel to drift events for seat time. I feel that it created a solid foundation for me now that I'm modding the car. I feel it really helped me understand the dynamics of what the car is doing/about to do. Now that I'm modding the car, everything seems much more fluid behind the wheel.

Earlier I was saying that the expense of my e46 may overshadow it's feasibility as a drift car for most people... I think an e30 would be more within reach for the masses. You can find them cheap, they weigh about 2400 lbs, 50/50 weight distribution... they even make kits to shoehorn in an SR20DET.

[Blue Ice]

Noob here.

I have the opportunity to pick up a 95 M3 for $1700. I've been searching the internet a few days now to see how good of a platform for learning to drift this car would be.

Also, the car needs a clutch, and was wondering; With setting a car for drift would it be benificial to go with a clutch upgrade and lightened flywheel, or would i be causing myself more grief.

When reading up on all the different techniques it seems there are benefits and setbacks.
Lightened flywheel;

benefits:
better throttle responce possibly used for breaking traction in power overs, and also clutch kicks

setbacks:
with less inertia for the crank it may be harder to keep a steady throttle during wide corners. plus i haven't seen a price for an M3 flywheel for less than 750.

Clutch upgrade;
Benefit:
strunger clutch to with stand my brutal learning process of drift techniques. and will have stronger clamping force than stock.

setback:
more advanced techniques may be harder to learn due to having to press down fully on the clutch to get it to disingage.


I appreciate any feed back possible.

[FD3S_pilot]

That is an excellent approach! It refines your learning curve for when you mod the car.

Yup.

I think an e30 would be more within reach for the masses. You can find them cheap, they weigh about 2400 lbs, 50/50 weight distribution... they even make kits to shoehorn in an SR20DET.

Haha, though many bmw purist will be pissed with the idea of a non-german engine in a german car,but i for one would love to rock one. There are a small group of people in euro land that are dropping RB's,SR's,and 1jz's in their e30's. There is alot of info now about swaps now that one can build his/her own kit. I already done much research and when I feel its is time, I will have a SR or 1jz in mine or stick with bmw and drop a S50 in.

Noob here.

I have the opportunity to pick up a 95 M3 for $1700. I've been searching the internet a few days now to see how good of a platform for learning to drift this car would be.

Well I think for $1700,there has to be more problems than just a clutch.
Also the with a E36 M3 you would be spending more triple the cost of the car in maintaince,repair,labor and such.
Ideally you dont want a car that you cant afford to maintain in the first place.I dont know what backround your coming from but oweing an E36 is going to cost a pretty penny.

But whats the details of the car?
Is it salvage title? Engine condition?Frame damage?

Where is the car located? I want the engine

feel free to aim/pm me.

-Frank

[FreeThinker]

......................

[Casper]

That's lucky, at last i found someone who drifts bmw's as well I live in Moscow now, and it is such a funny feeling to go against crowd of JDM cars, when they look at you WTF beemer is doing here So hard to find techs info anywhere, all is purely experiment for me. Thanks for nice thread!

My car in action:

[Ghost of Duluth]

I would have to say, Andy has had great success with his Bimmer, but unfortunately that car is probably the only thing holding him back from really busting out and going big time. The skill is there, the experience and everything is there for him to go big but the car holds him back. It's a kickass car no doubt but as he said, glass ceiling. It will take a ton of cash to make that car what he really wants and needs it to be and with that money he can have a cheaper car that will do what he needs it too until he can grab a sponsored ride.

[AllMotorKing]

yeah man these cars are a money pit. hehe. i love my e36 m3 but they are expensive to maintain. i spoke w/ a world challenge team out here on the west coast and BMW was actually talking with them about running a drift car next year.

who knows if this will happen any time soon though.

[rxsevinn]

ANDY SAPP!!!! want to learn the secrets?

hello all,

this is my first time posting on the drifting forums, i have been a member of the bimmer forums for a while...long enough to know they dont like drifting over there...so i came here.

Hello Mr Sapp,

i also live in atlanta and am familiar with the batlgrounds team. I have seen you in compitition and your kung fu is strong...(dont mean to sound like a stalker)...but my question to you is, i also have been preparing my car for drift also, ive been learning and basing my upgrades off of other ppls success stories, however, i dont think that my car is whats holding my skill back. I have a e36 that is ready for turbo...but when im drifting, i cant seem to keep my car in the power band when i clutch kick...u being the master of doing so...how do you survive?...

thanks for the info,

-Evinn

[Monster88]

Whatsup

Im new to this forum but my friends an i have been drifting for a while. For some reason im in love with my 1999 E36 M3 and i went to tun it for drifting. My friends all have nissans 240s and i feel as if its gonna be hard for me to meet those standars sence my car weighs 400pnds more stock. The good thing is that my car already has better torq and a faster engine but i need some help with my setup. I was thinking about putting a Dinan S3 setup suspention with the Dinan front and rear strout bar, but then i was thinking about the eibach swaybars with the eibach strout bars and thn H&R springs with Blistein sport shocks. I heard that the stock clutch is relly good so i wasnt thinking about changing it. I dnt know if i need to chang the differential, coil over setup, arm bushings and e-brake. i have heard from other beemmer drifters that the subframe needs to be renforced. For the engine i was thinking about just putting a dinan air intake and fuil throttle. Im also in the process of changing my doors, hood, and body kit, for a Mashaw gtr hood and bodykit. Can some one please give me some back up info on what i shd also change or what woud be better. thanks

[Piner]

Stock E36 M3's are great drift cars. Really the only thing you need to change and or get is a set of camber plates for the front and dail out the front toe to around 0* and the rear toe get it around 0.02* and run a bit more negative camber in the front. The stock diff is pretty good. Just practice a bit and you should do fine.

Heres a couple of my videos
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-tE-eBdyVsw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j4C7Xflnjxw

[Monster88]

So

I know that the 1999 M3 stock is good already but i heard that the camber arms need to be changed and for the suspention i was thinking about using a ground control coil over kit, with eibach anti roll bars, front and rear tower braces, and then some brembo brake plates. What do you think. Im also adding a conforti perfomance lvl 3 package for more power and maybe a track pipe exhaust. And the camber plate idea does sound relly good. Thanks!

[Piner]

well none of that stuff is gonna make you any better. It will make the car more predictable but you have to be the one to make it drift.

My car has
Jim conforti intake and Shark injector
Bimmerhaus 3" catless exhaust
Ground control Driving school Adjustible coilovers with ground control camber plates 10kg/mm front spring rate 14kg/mm rear spring rate. UUC sway barbarian Adjustable sway bars
Fan delete
F1 racing lightweight flywheel/ stage 1 clutch
Bimmerworld solid aluminum diff bushings
Rebuilt 50% lock LSD

And to tell you the truth I think the car is way too much for me even with only 230rwhp its damn fast and I don't think you need anymore than a stock M3 for a beginner. I mean I have spent the last 4 events just learning my car. Because i used to drift pretty underpowered cars S12's Z31's Stock S13's and the like.

So I would say wait on the on upgrades learning to drive the car fast is more important.

[Monster88]

Me again

I was looking at your setup and it seems that we basicaly have the same things. Iv been drifting for i while its just i bought this M3 and i love the way it drives. I have been driving a nissan 240 so i kinda want to make my beemmer as smooth as the nissan, but back to the point. Isnt the M3s stock diff 75% and isnt it a 3.23 diff if not can i just rebuild the stock one or would i have to buy a new 3.46 diff. Cus thats some money. Also how heavey is you car cus mine is about 3000 and i want to make it a bit lighter and with the different suspention which is a stiffer suspention it shd drift smoother, but i woud be glad to get any more info and why did you even do the fan delete, you knw that it dsnt add anymore hourse power and for the cooling perpose you will need it whn it gets hotter so you car wonr over heat, but thanks.

[Piner]

Actually for the fan delete these cars already have a pretty good electric fan so you dont really need the clutch fan it just puts drag on the engine. My car has never overheated hell its never even run hot even when beating on it.


Stock M3 diffs are 25% lock I have a 3.23 rear ratio and thats plenty fine. You don't need any shorter than that. I think my car weighs in around 3050lbs Not too sure but the exhaust I have is a lot lighter than the stock exhaust. Some other stuff I have taken out.

Probly the thing you want to do is your bushings. They are old and rubber so they are probly like mine and deflect alot when pushing the car hard. So you do those and it'll help alot. I need to get the rest of mine done but right now my 2nd gear is kinda messed up so im gonna try and get a rebuilt tranny or anotherone here soon so thats the priority right now.

[Monster88]

Nice

Thats sounds good. Ill do that first then let you knw how it went.