Help me out

[240sxinprogress]

Hey everyone, how's it going. I'm new to the TST forum. I just had a few questions to ask of the drifters here. I'm planning on acquiring a Nissan 240sx soon, which I hope to do some drifting with. It will most likely be my daily driver, but I would like to set it up like a drift car so I can also use it at the track. Because I'll be using it to commute, I won't be making any hardcore changes, but comfort and interior niceties like audio arent high on my priority list. I guess my first question is, where do I start? I would think with the suspension, but I'm not sure. Any help and/or tips would be greatly appreciated!

[240sxinprogress]

Sorry I forgot to include 1 more question I had- if I am building a drift car, should I add some kind of turbo, or is it fine without it? Do turbos greatly change a drift cars performance?
Thx!

[Got Insulin?]

Searching and checking out some of the member's journals on here will give you a lot of info as will looking into 240specific websites like Zilvia.

Turbos and higher horsepower make it easier to get the wheels loose, but there's plenty of budget builds that go n/a.

Lastly, try to get out to so some of the drifting events, like Freedom Moves, that are coming up soon. No better way to check out the scene than to be part of it.

[JST2KWIK]

First and foremost, I am going to say I am shocked that nobody stepped in to be an ass. Secondly I am going to tell you that i am a huge ass online and in person. But for some reason, maybe because it's so nice out, I am in a good mood. So I will be nice and give you my $0.02. Drift car and daily driver do not coincide with one another, so before any of this happens you need to establish what you really want. Maybe stick with the 'Cibalt' as a daily driver then drift the 240. If you can't afford both then you need to understand something else: drifting is expensive. Drift cars are expensive. Constantly paying to drift at the track or buying the police shiny new gadgets when you get caught on the street are expensive too. Any car being used for commuting as you said is not going to be a good dedicated drift car. Your boss/professor/9th grade teacher isn't going to care you blew out a tie ride at ECB on sunday and can't get to work/school/kindergarten Monday morning (or afternoon for PM kindergarten).

Speaking of school, research is your friend. Nico, Zilvia, 240sx forums are all great to peep other peoples' setups and read write-ups etc. Ask any drifter, any real drifter, winning is winning it don't matter if you win by an inch.... wait sorry... ask any drifter and he/she/Matt Petty will tell you that suspension is the key, not power. Also, if you are asking what effects a turbocharger will have on your commuting drift car, then you really need to do research. Turbos are great because they guarantee wheel spin, but a proper suspension/wheel/tire/differential/driveshaft setup will go much further and still ensure wheel spin. The drift car is only as good as the drifter. Turbos are good for tire smoke and added speed after you have experience. They are not necessary for drifting by any means. It's good you're thinking suspension because that is certainly where you should start. My best advice? DO LOTS OF RESEARCH!! Talk to people, read things, go to events, go to school, get good grades, get laid, etc. On the track, think with your balls, not with your head. See ya out there

[DaBombDiggidy]

^ yes drift car does not = DD. What may seem inexpensive buying an old 240 and beating the ish out of it, becomes very expensive very fast. Your also new so id also expect some crashes along the way. best have a dd before you get the 240, but before then feel free to meet up with the DKs of tst for some events.

[GmFwd]

Buy 240sx. Gut interior, weld diff, get coilovers, get a seat and harness. Then you have a great drift car that is reliable for daily driving. If your drifting englishtown theres no need for any engine mods, a stock motor is plenty. Spending money on turbos and bodykits is just a waste until you learn to drive.

Also get yourself a manual tire machine and a bunch of 15 inch rims and raid all the local tire shops for used tires.

Daily driving the car I described is no problem at all. Look forward to rainy days. The 240sx is one of the most reliable cars you can get, assuming you fix what needs to be fixed and dont buy a rigged piece of crap.

[JST2KWIK]

^You daily yours right GmFwd? That car sees tons of road time, almost as much as mine!

The key here is not that it can't be daily driven, but it shouldn't be you're only car. Unless you're going to be that guy who drives his car to the event and babies it on the track so he can drive it back home. Nobody wants to be that guy. Not even GmFwd.

[GmFwd]

No but ryan has been driving the described car to work every day and kills it on the track.

There is no reason you cant drive it on the street, unless your a pussy and cant get into a bucket every day and your tires chirp too much and you cant avoid potholes.

[JST2KWIK]

My thing is the sudden loss of traction. I've never been able to get used to it. I don't even drive in the snow because of it.

[Munky]

Buy 240sx. Gut interior, weld diff, get coilovers, get a seat and harness. Then you have a great drift car that is reliable for daily driving. If your drifting englishtown theres no need for any engine mods, a stock motor is plenty. Spending money on turbos and bodykits is just a waste until you learn to drive.

Also get yourself a manual tire machine and a bunch of 15 inch rims and raid all the local tire shops for used tires.

Daily driving the car I described is no problem at all. Look forward to rainy days. The 240sx is one of the most reliable cars you can get, assuming you fix what needs to be fixed and dont buy a rigged piece of crap.

You just described 240sxDoug (http://www.tristatetuners.com/forum/member.php?u=6934) to a T. For at least the last year or two that's exactly how his car has been. :lol:

[240sxinprogress]

Jst2kwik reply: , I have been doing lots of research, I just thought asking the ppl who drift firsthand might be a good place to start. You know, I'm not really looking to do a whole lot of drifting competition, more for a pasttime, so I probably won't be having two cars (FYI it's a chevy cobalt,srry my bad misspell) Plus being in college, i dont have loads of extra money to spend on two separate cars. But your right, I didn't really realize how expensive it was going to be; I knew the upgrades would be expensive, but I wasn't counting on having to buy do many tires and replacement parts, but after talking to other drifters and seeing stuff they've gone through, my wallet was crying seeing at their damaged rides. but thanks for your help and small insults (pm kindergarden? Really?) haha jk it's all good man, and thanks for trying to be nice to poor uneducated wannabees like myself :)

[240sxinprogress]

seriously tho, it was helpful and kind of a relief cuz I really wasn't looking forward to paying for a turbo and more power..

[Renegade_]

The correct way to start a drift car off is the following.

1. Coils
2. Diff
3. Seat/Steering Wheel

Drive on that for 1 season.

Next season you replace everything you broke and you will have learned enough in that one year to know where you want to go next.

[240sxinprogress]

Buy 240sx. Gut interior, weld diff, get coilovers, get a seat and harness. Then you have a great drift car that is reliable for daily driving. If your drifting englishtown theres no need for any engine mods, a stock motor is plenty. Spending money on turbos and bodykits is just a waste until you learn to drive.

Also get yourself a manual tire machine and a bunch of 15 inch rims and raid all the local tire shops for used tires.

Daily driving the car I described is no problem at all. Look forward to rainy days. The 240sx is one of the most reliable cars you can get, assuming you fix what needs to be fixed and dont buy a rigged piece of crap.

Okay sounds good, honestly this sounds like a better plan than going all out with a new motor and stuff. Now, forgive my complete lack of knowledge, but what exactly does gutting the interior include? And what are diffs? I do know what coilovers are (amazing, I know lol).. And just out of curiosity, what is in englishtown that I would drift? Because so far my drifting experience ( i dnt think u cud call what I've done to my buddies 240 drifting yet lol) has been mostly in the empty IKEA parking lot. Thanks a lot!

[GmFwd]

Gutting interior is not necessary but it helps a little. It just saves weight and gives you more room to haul tires/wheels with. Take out everything but the front seats dash console and door panels.

Differential... look it up. You have a lot to learn. It is one of the most important parts of a car. For drifting, there's not too much to it. But it plays a huge roll in handling characteristics in other motorsports. For drifting you need a good clutch type limited slip, or us cheap asses just weld up a open diff.

Go to clubloose.com and see when the next NightMoves is. It is a parking lot event that is great to learn at. Once you get better you can try the roadcourse.

I have nothing against street drifting if your smart about it. Late night, no population areas are cool. Populated street drifting is bad.

[240sxinprogress]

Gutting interior is not necessary but it helps a little. It just saves weight and gives you more room to haul tires/wheels with. Take out everything but the front seats dash console and door panels.

Differential... look it up. You have a lot to learn. It is one of the most important parts of a car. For drifting, there's not too much to it. But it plays a huge roll in handling characteristics in other motorsports. For drifting you need a good clutch type limited slip, or us cheap asses just weld up a open diff.

Go to clubloose.com and see when the next NightMoves is. It is a parking lot event that is great to learn at. Once you get better you can try the roadcourse.

I have nothing against street drifting if your smart about it. Late night, no population areas are cool. Populated street drifting is bad.

Okay, I'll prbly end up taking all unnecessary stuff out anyway tho.. Haha wow I feel like a complete idiot I know what differential is..one question about that though, I have looked at limited slips, but apparently there's several types, eg a fluid type, a clutch, and a gear. From what I've read the clutch type seems to offer the most performance. Any thoughts? And I won't be practicing on the streets, or drifting on the streets even when I'm good,unless I'm out in the middle of nowhere. Thx for all your help man

[240sxinprogress]

Yeah I knew what a LSD was, for waterer reason you sed diff and I thought you were talking about something else..

[auk113]

from someone who has been in this game for a while:

1) drift car can be a DD if you are willing to pay for it, so to all ^ ---> there is not need to have 2 cars (yest its helps) i was DDing my s14 untill 2006 when i got my second car
2) start with BEST 240 you can find in your price, RUST IS NOT YOUR FRIEND
3) coilovers are a must
4) DIFF get one
5) year into knowing how to drive and repair it look for more power.

[240sxinprogress]

from someone who has been in this game for a while:

1) drift car can be a DD if you are willing to pay for it, so to all ^ ---> there is not need to have 2 cars (yest its helps) i was DDing my s14 untill 2006 when i got my second car
2) start with BEST 240 you can find in your price, RUST IS NOT YOUR FRIEND
3) coilovers are a must
4) DIFF get one
5) year into knowing how to drive and repair it look for more power.

Okay thanks man. I plan on getting coilovers, and I'll probably gut my interior, and mayb do a little more with the suspension (depending on my budget- which isn't very impressive rite nOw; paying for college sucks).. I have a question about the diff tho: ppl say it's a necessity, and I believe that a clutch type LSD is one of the better options, but I hearsome guys swaying they went cheaper and "welded" their diffs; is that a good way to go, or will I have to eventually get a LSD anyway and I shud just get one and not waste time and money welding mine?

[auk113]

Okay thanks man. I plan on getting coilovers, and I'll probably gut my interior, and mayb do a little more with the suspension (depending on my budget- which isn't very impressive rite nOw; paying for college sucks).. I have a question about the diff tho: ppl say it's a necessity, and I believe that a clutch type LSD is one of the better options, but I hearsome guys swaying they went cheaper and "welded" their diffs; is that a good way to go, or will I have to eventually get a LSD anyway and I shud just get one and not waste time and money welding mine?

you can try to drift with open diff but it never turns out well.

weld has risk. it might fail.

you can get a good LSD for 700-1200. get a used one it will be cheeper

[evomike]

Buy a car that's done it's cheaper

[JST2KWIK]

Jst2kwik reply: , I have been doing lots of research, I just thought asking the ppl who drift firsthand might be a good place to start. You know, I'm not really looking to do a whole lot of drifting competition, more for a pasttime, so I probably won't be having two cars (FYI it's a chevy cobalt,srry my bad misspell) Plus being in college, i dont have loads of extra money to spend on two separate cars. But your right, I didn't really realize how expensive it was going to be; I knew the upgrades would be expensive, but I wasn't counting on having to buy do many tires and replacement parts, but after talking to other drifters and seeing stuff they've gone through, my wallet was crying seeing at their damaged rides. but thanks for your help and small insults (pm kindergarden? Really?) haha jk it's all good man, and thanks for trying to be nice to poor uneducated wannabees like myself :)

I hear you on the college thing, it really blows trying to finance a drift car and go to school/pay for school. Haha, and no problem glad it helped and most of the guys forget that they were all uneducated clueless people at one point too, and love getting on people's cases when questions are asked.

As to other stuff that was said, LSD's really aren't super necessary, welding your diff is easy, inexpensive, and effective. And if it breaks? OMG!! Weld it again big deal. Worse comes to worst, buy a spare def for like $20 and have that one welded too so you have a backup in case one blows up on you. $1500 for a KAZ two way can go wayyy further in a 240 especially for a budget build.

Just being at a drift event and watching all the guys do their thing is also really helpful. I've learned a lot from quietly observing as well as checking out people's setups - both pros and Joes. Like GmFwd said, the clubloose parking lot events are a great place to start. I've never driven in one (I'm still finishing my car) but they are a step up from the IKEA lot :lol: and the CL guys will give you tips and pointers too.

[GmFwd]

Get it welded good and you won't have a problem. It's the easiest diff to learn with because nothing changes, it's always locked

[Reese]

im too lazy to read everything but.....

If you plan on just doing drifting event for fun then YS you can DD your "Drift" car....

lets say you have a stock s13 and everything is in "B" quality condition....


1)coilovers (after some events and when you cana feel for the car i would get arms)
2)Diff....weld or LSD
3)Clutch- get yourself a good one
4)E brake- Make sure your is working correctly
5) Tune up- lookover the car thoroghly
6) Seat- get a good bucket seat...i mean i never used one when i first started but it might be required at some local events....And when i say events i mean events where you can go practice and learn.

[240sxinprogress]

I hear you on the college thing, it really blows trying to finance a drift car and go to school/pay for school. Haha, and no problem glad it helped and most of the guys forget that they were all uneducated clueless people at one point too, and love getting on people's cases when questions are asked.

As to other stuff that was said, LSD's really aren't super necessary, welding your diff is easy, inexpensive, and effective. And if it breaks? OMG!! Weld it again big deal. Worse comes to worst, buy a spare def for like $20 and have that one welded too so you have a backup in case one blows up on you. $1500 for a KAZ two way can go wayyy further in a 240 especially for a budget build.

Just being at a drift event and watching all the guys do their thing is also really helpful. I've learned a lot from quietly observing as well as checking out people's setups - both pros and Joes. Like GmFwd said, the clubloose parking lot events are a great place to start. I've never driven in one (I'm still finishing my car) but they are a step up from the IKEA lot :lol: and the CL guys will give you tips and pointers too.
Alrite, thanks man. In all honesty, my car modifying experience has been limited to helping a friend change his cams and manifold (horrible experience haha), installing a body kit, and helping install a new exhaust system, so I would not trust myself welding a diff. How much does it usually run to have one welded? And is that like a normal operation, that I could take my car to a performance shop and they could do it no problem, or is it like a homemade alternative to buying an LSD?

[240sxinprogress]

And I plan on going to the next night moves with a buddy who goes sometimes, and I've been to one or two of the IKEA meets, which was pretty chill. I'm assuming there's way morre drifting going down at nightmoves; at the ikea meet a few dudes were messing around but no serious drifting was going on.

[240sxinprogress]

Actually strike what I said before; Ive been looking at some tutorials on how to weld a diff, and it looks relatively simple, I couldn't do it rite now cuz I don't have a welder but I'm sure I could borrow/rent one. Quick question anybody- do ALL traces of oil need to be out before I weld? And is it necessary to get it sandblasted after welding to remove Any small pieces? Some say yes, some say no, but will it affect the welding in anyway? I wasnt sure so I wanted to check here..

[Reese]

I held the Ikea meets and i can say with out a doubt that going to nightmoves so way better.

you could go to freedom moves because group see will be allow to learn on the back section

[240sxinprogress]

Buy a car that's done it's cheaper

Yeah, im also looking into doing that haha, save me large amounts of hassle and money/time. I've been looking on modified car trader and similar websites, and a few rides have caught my eye. However, building it myself would teach me a lot, which is one of my goals. Also I'd probably end up spending money anyway to change things that I didn't want. But this is a good idea and thanks, I'm still considering it :)

[240sxinprogress]

I held the Ikea meets and i can say with out a doubt that going to nightmoves so way better.

you could go to freedom moves because group see will be allow to learn on the back section

Oh okay, I probably saw you there but had no idea who you were lol. Yeah I was thinking bout freedom moves, on the clubloose website it seems like a big deal. Nice that'd be awesome to go and just learn and soak it all up. Is the back section like down by the track, or..?

[GmFwd]

C guys run on the roadcourse....but do us all a favor and wait for a night moves. No offense but the roadcourse requires at least a basic knowledge of how to control a car to be okay. People getting stuck in the grass all day sucks and gives better drivers less seat time

[Reese]

Oh okay, I probably saw you there but had no idea who you were lol. Yeah I was thinking bout freedom moves, on the clubloose website it seems like a big deal. Nice that'd be awesome to go and just learn and soak it all up. Is the back section like down by the track, or..?

yeah its down by the track but its cant be seen from the stands. If you find video from HOLD THE LINE Rd 2 you will see the layout

[240sxinprogress]

C guys run on the roadcourse....but do us all a favor and wait for a night moves. No offense but the roadcourse requires at least a basic knowledge of how to control a car to be okay. People getting stuck in the grass all day sucks and gives better drivers less seat time

Okay, I see what your saying, that's cool; I won't be driving for a long time, since I want to have my car set up before I drive, and I'm gonna practice by myself and with a friend who can help me before I even drive at a nightmoves. I'd really rather not completely embarrass myself before I know what I'm doing haha. But yeah when I go to nightmOves in september (I missed 1 two nights ago :( ) I'll just be watching at least for now..

[240sxinprogress]

Okay I'll look that video up- do I have to pay extra to get down there or..?

[evomike]

You can't spectate the back course and who is your friend? You'll learn more from comin to a night moves

[240sxinprogress]

You can't spectate the back course and who is your friend? You'll learn more from comin to a night moves

Oh ok gotcha.. Yeah the night moves is probably where I'll end up going.. My friends name is Kyle, he drives a grey/ black primer 93 240sx.. He's not on TST but idk what forums he's on... He's been drifting for I think 3 or 4 years now, he used to go to the IKEA meets all the time and dragged me along before I was into cars at all haha... Idk if he's ever been at nightmoves, I'll have to ask him...

[GmFwd]

I learned in the passenger seat. Ride with someone in a similar car to yours and you can almost feel their next move, its strange.

[240sxinprogress]

I learned in the passenger seat. Ride with someone in a similar car to yours and you can almost feel their next move, its strange.

Haha that's crazy, I've only ridden with someone drifting once or twice, the other times I've been driving and they've sat shotgun and gave me pointers. I can count my drifting experiences on one hand tho haha...oh btw does anyone know of any YouTube channels that are used by ppl in TST or clubloose? I've found a couple, but I'd like to find more. ( if this question is answered on the forum somewhere, I'm sorry I couldn't find it)

[Renegade_]

You dont learn drifting from watching videos...

Its a pure feel thing. Eventually you stop thinking about it and have natural inclination to do what you need to, to make the car do what you want. Go drive and stop browsing the webs...

[240sxinprogress]

You dont learn drifting from watching videos...

Its a pure feel thing. Eventually you stop thinking about it and have natural inclination to do what you need to, to make the car do what you want. Go drive and stop browsing the webs...

Haha I didn't mean that I wanted to find videos to learn, just to get a feel for how the different events go and see what goes down at them. I didn't think I was gonna learn by watching how to videos haha

[Reese]

Haha I didn't mean that I wanted to find videos to learn, just to get a feel for how the different events go and see what goes down at them. I didn't think I was gonna learn by watching how to videos haha

If your car is ready for freedom moves and you drive on sunday then just find me and i will teach you.......i can explain the process until im blue in the face on the forums but if you show up ill just show you and have you sliding but the end of the day...

[Reese]

i really wish i could hold a small clinic...somewhere.

[Renegade_]

i really wish i could hold a small clinic...somewhere.

Depends how far you want to drive. The oval is still around and if you keep it small I could set something up for you... problem is the distance.

[Reese]

yeah i thought about it but in order for me to go up there i would need to be convinced people would go....

[kunt_masha]

throw on a 42r and youll be fine




reese - do it!

[240sxinprogress]

If your car is ready for freedom moves and you drive on sunday then just find me and i will teach you.......i can explain the process until im blue in the face on the forums but if you show up ill just show you and have you sliding but the end of the day...

Really? That would be amazing, but unfortunately, the 240sx I was planning on purchasing was taken off the market, so now I'm back to square one looking for a car, although I do have another one in my sights but it still wouldn't bE close to ready in timE for freedom moves.but once it is ready and if you decided to have a clinic id definitely be t here ...quick question once my car is ready ill be gointhrough a lot of tires ive been trying to figure outwat kind and wat size... Because my car womt be very powerful rite awayi wud think I shud get thinner tires just so its easier to break traction, bur I'm provably wrong lol.. Wat tyoe and size do u think I shud use oe wat kind do u use? Thanks for allthe help...

[JLAWDET]

I daily mine all the time. its my only car. its sees limiter and tires smoke daily as well lol change your oil regularly, keep up to date on maintenace and buy nice **** n youll be fine. it sucks driving in winter time but i drove it everyday last winter and didnt miss a single day of work. i love my car lol its all in what u want to do. Boost is best too IMO :)

[Will@R/TTuning]

REESE... Im down for something small...

Seat time is the most important part to learning. Its all a matter of time before you get to a point that your happy with and then you progress from there.

[supraghost]

im down for a clinic as well... im sure my gf would be down too

[Reese]

REESE... Im down for something small...

Seat time is the most important part to learning. Its all a matter of time before you get to a point that your happy with and then you progress from there.

agreed,,imma see what i can find local in PA but something small would be nice

[thefro526]

Actually strike what I said before; Ive been looking at some tutorials on how to weld a diff, and it looks relatively simple, I couldn't do it rite now cuz I don't have a welder but I'm sure I could borrow/rent one. Quick question anybody- do ALL traces of oil need to be out before I weld? And is it necessary to get it sandblasted after welding to remove Any small pieces? Some say yes, some say no, but will it affect the welding in anyway? I wasnt sure so I wanted to check here..

Don't know if anyone answered this but:

You want to TRY to remove ALL of the Gear Oil that you can. Best method I've found was to let the diff drain for an hour or two to let as much of the oil out as possible and then to blast the spider gears with 2-3 cans of brake cleaner. The cleaner the gears are the better your welds will come out.

From there it's just a matter of making sure your welds have proper penetration which can be problematic on lower powered machines since the gears are cast iron and require quite a bit of heat to weld. Most people use a torch to pre-heat the spider gears before welding. Once they're warm they weld like butter.

Also, there are a bunch of ways to weld a diff, and some are stronger than others. The most common method seems to be to weld the spider gears together where they meet and call it a day. Some shops will add gussets to increase the holding capacity of the welds - this is pretty much the best way. See below for picture of gusseted diff.

http://www.gtfactory.jp/cms/e107_files/public/1199941026_2_FT911_sp1020610.jpg

Also, there's the option of getting a spool. They're ~$400 or so.

[icedout]

i'd be down for a Drift lesson!

[jdmwill]

daily drove drift set up 240's for the past 4 years. as for set up coilovers, welded diff and a sweet clutch to get you started.

[stover]

i dont own a "driftable" car but if you guys held a "clinic" and had a car for people to use if they couldnt supply their own i would totally be in, ive slid my truck in the rain a bunch but id love to get some seat time in a car