need opinions

[mp3boy1984]

alright, here is the deal after heavy debating i have decided to get rid of my mp3, it will be for sale shortly soon, so if anyone is look for an mp3 here is your opportunity, but it will be like a couple of months before i sell it, maybe january, but anyway, i have decided that i want to learn and start drifting, i have narrowed it down to three cars, a subaru wrx, i am not sure how well i could get it to drift, but i really like them, plus it is already a performer stock, but then i have on my list a toyota mr2 an older one like a 91 or 92, for really cheap and then i figured i would completely rebuild it and swap out motors and stuff, that would obviously be a project car and could take a while to get it to driving status, and thirdly i am looking at a 1989 - 91 nissan 180 sx that would be the same situation as the mr2, but am kinda leaning away from it on account that there are becoming more and more of them in the magazines and to build a quality one would require massive amounts of cash......that is my situation looking for anyones opinions or input to the situation

 

[apexlater]

No offense, but none of those three cars are good for "drifting". The AWD WRX just won't allow enough throttle control, no matter how loose you set it up, you won't get the long controlled drifts that you may want.

The MR2 has too short a wheel base. You can acheive "snap" oversteer too readily and it will be very difficult to control it smoothly. And I imagine the 180 may have the same problems.

To be honest I think that american muscle could be a good way to build a drift car. No turbo-lag and nice long wheelbases...and also a good aftermarket support for parts.

I don't know where you will be "learning" to drift or if there are even classes, or how you get licensced to drift in events....but either way drift cars are very expensive to maintain/keep running. Drifting a car has got to be one of the hardest conditions to put you car through.

my .02

 

[luckezero]

^ I concur with your advice. My 1991 MR2 was a VERY rewarding vehicle to drive. However, as mentioned, it is also a difficult vehicle to drift (not that I ever really tried...). There is a propensity to oversteer, particularly in the 91-92 models that have a less forgiving suspension than 93+ models. If you read thru the www.MR2oc.com site, you'll discover that many have tried, few have succeeded, and many have lost parts trying.

You know what I think would be sweet -- a MP3 conversion kit to RWD. For the money, it would be difficult to imagine a more rewarding vehicle to drive ... almost like a mini-M3 That's what I'd set me heart on, if I were looking for a project car/drifter... as implausible as it may seem.

 

[Auzzie_Mp3]

You know what I think would be sweet -- a MP3 conversion kit to RWD. For the money, it would be difficult to imagine a more rewarding vehicle to drive ... almost like a mini-M3 That's what I'd set me heart on, if I were looking for a project car/drifter... as implausible as it may seem.

i would love to see a kit come out for a RWD mp3 or any protege...that would just rock my socks off

 

[mp3boy1984]

would it be possible to drop in the new rotary motor from the rx-8 into an mp3, i mean it is a tiny motor, so if you could custom fabricate some stuff that might be an option.....and i dunno what you speak of, about the 180, all you really read about in the magazines is about 180's converted into s-13.5's, and dropping in an sr-20 motor, and then you got one of the ultimate drifters ever.......anyway, i am not going to go to schools i figure i will just learn through experimentation, yes i am aware it is dangerous and whatever, but you gotta wonder how a lot of people learn, just because there aren't a whole lot of drifting schools, there are some, but not many and most of them are in cali...... i am not looking to build a full out drifter, sorry if i made it sound that way, i just want a car that i will be able to learn with,

 

[apexlater]

Don't get me wrong, having/setting up a drift car would be fun...but why? Those cars are set up so "on the edge" that they are very twitchy to drive. Yeah the idea of being in control of a chaotic car would be good to understand how to do, but not having a controlled environment to "learn" how to do it sounds like a bad idea to me. When you're letting it hang out like that you are creating a situation where something, someone, or you may get hurt.

 

[apexlater]

a rotary swap would take quite a doing....especially in a FWD car. Many people have tried rotary conversions (Miatas, 240s, etc) and many with little success and lots or time and money and engineering. I imagine a RWD kit for any protege would be expensive unless they could reorientate the motor without messing with the sub-frame.

 

[vaMP5er]

Somehow I think that situation will land you in jail. I don't know how, but I can imagine you learning in a parking lot, slamming into a group of children.

 

[mp3boy1984]

omg, i am an idiot, i am not going to be sitting there in a parking lots with civilians, and i certainly don't plan on doing it with people around or traffic.....

 

[apexlater]

I'm not saying that your going to do something horribly stupid, how do you plan on learning how to drift, without getting into trouble, unless you're doing it in a closed lot or very open track?

You can't really learn to rally drive without trying some events, and at least if you break your car you're not putting other people or things at risk.