A Drifter's Life...
Philosophy and notes for a drifter to be...
With many inquires on those getting into drift... Here's a collection of my replies to those who might want to consider making drifting and sport driving a hobby. There are some hints and excerpts from good advisors here at Club4AG. Make use of it, and get into it with full knowledge of what we have to say. By carefully reading this stuff, you should have a better idea of what to expect on the road to drifting for REAL!
I have made it plain and simple...for the actual tactics and technical stuff, there are other pages here that cover them in detail... I hope you make use of this and see you someday to talk more about it.
Costs and what you should expect:
The popular modifications of this and that, reading and updating
according to magazines, and watching videos are all nice. BUT, don't
forget to save money for the race track too...
And repair bills as you WILL break lots of things mechanical, from both simple
abuse by racing around and all sorts of accidents... on and off track.
Beginning stages of drifting especially will break engines, suspension and
driveline as inputs are mostly inexperienced, abrupt, and very hard on
equipment. Lots of flat spotted tires, bent lower arms, shattered driveline,
over revved engine, overheated motor, shot master cylinders, cooked flywheels
and clutch...
As one gets better, the motions become less stressful to the car, driver's
inputs more fluid, and more relaxed to feel and detect troubles mechanically
before it destroys itself. BUT this all comes from experience and there's no way
around it... SO, leave some cash aside and keep pooling money, as DRIFTING will
deplete cash fast! And without depleting money, there's no such thing as a good
driver.
This money pool is outside of any modifications, that is a separate bank
account...This account is strictly for repairs, maintenance, track fees and
instructions where available...
Canyon racing is usually more expensive in the long run as you'll total
out your car a few times, and hit trees, cliffs, other cars, get tickets etc...
Go to autocross, and race tracks where there are people good at 'instructions
and suggestions' and where you can learn car control in a safe, sanctioned
environment.
Lastly, drifting is an extension of racing skills. You must learn how to drive
fast on a track and be able to control a car on it's edge. Screeching around
public roads with foot to the floor is a very slow compared to balanced smooth
driving on a race course. And this smooth transition at tip toe balance of the
car is what you need to engage in a smooth, graceful, controlled oversteer.
And for those that say he has cash and I don't... and
other related excuses:
Alex works his ass off to make sure he doesn't miss open racetrack days.
Actually all of the guys who are good at this sort of thing live that way. Like
any good athlete or great artist, its life centered around something and all
else focused on it. It's not a pastime, it must be a passion...
I once had, 3 jobs during college days and gave up dating girls just so I can
hit snow covered mountain roads and empty parking lots in the middle of the
night. It was like class, gas pump, tire shop, race, class, gas, tires, race,
class, tires, gas, tires, race... 4 day/nights every week, the other 3 days I
did homework for an hour, and repaired my car for the rest of the night, test,
repair, test, repair, adjust, test, adjust, test, tires, race, gas, race, gas,
tires, gas, race...
My line during college Friday nights 12 years ago...
"Prom? Movies? uh... sorry got to go replace my shocks, and make good
grades so I can keep buying my tires with a good occupation... hey! if you like
me great! Help me with this jack stand. I need to get those brake pads
replaced!..."
The Car:
Any car will do and AE86 is certainly a great choice!
Before any upgrades, replace "everything" so the car is like
new. Things like shocks, bushings, cracked welds on the body, wheel
alignment, state of engine, transmission, differential, and all of the
fluids. After all of this is done...actually it's never done... You
should first make modification with a good bucket seats that fit you.
Price isn't an issue, but fitting is prime consideration here. Like a bad shoe,
you will regret a wrong choice till the day you sell it. Position of the
rails and brackets are important too as this determines if the seat is good or
bad just by its location. Good fit on the seat and proper driving position
will give the driver more steering and braking information to the driver and
relaxed posture to make accurate control moves, line your sight, and think.
Center and concentrate on this cockpit environment...its the first thing you
need to be doing after repairs.
Hit the tracks often and you should be able to determine what you'd need to make
"YOU" go faster. That way no money wasted on stupid upgrades and you
can go straight to the top! For more on what you can do check all of these
articles found here in my 'reference'
section
Here's an input from Alex, Club4AG's first drift contest champion and seasoned race car driver:
I feel like i should write a book on the subject of drifting, but I'll
give a few suggestions.
You can do just fine in a stock car but some mods make it easier for you to
learn. Don't worry too much on getting a lot of parts to start with, but do
improve the car as you improve your skills. Getting more hp is also an option to
making drifting easier. You really don't want to over build the car before your
driving skills are ready for it as i may hinder your learning just as much as it
helps you to drift. There is a certain point where the more you build your car,
the more skill it requires to drive it. I would suggest shocks, springs and
lateral rod to start off with. A set of high-grip front tires are also a
bonus. (Just until you get used to sliding the tail, and learn to induce the
oversteer)
Alex
this is just to start, don't believe anything you see on initial D, its just a
cartoon...