Advice Needed e36 or mx5

M

Mat969

New Member
Hey all,


Just after some advice really,

I'm new to the drift scene and currently driving a bmw e36 318is with lsd i find its a struggle to skid in the dry due to lack of power end up trying to hard and spinning or breaking things, but the other day i got offered an mx5 for a swap at the time i said no but after sleeping and doing abit of reading up ive started to think it might be worth it? im just after the best thing to learn in, although the mx5 i got offered has now gone i was thinking is it worth trying to find another. also there's the idea of a conversion in the bmw but im limited to cash at the minute, and the bmw is an absolute mint car no rust no damage full m3 kit would be a shame to pick a fight with a post or tree and ruin it.


so can anyone shed some light on my dilemma? any had both n can tell me ones considerably better than the other

Cheers in Advance

Matt
 
Your lack of power thing isn't gonna be solved with a MX5, you just need to learn to drive it properly. TBH you're gonna struggle to learn anything much on the road.

MX5s are the best cars to learn in IMO, the lack of power helps you to learn.

Unless you can sell the 318iS for a lot more than you can pick up a suitable MX5 for though, I'd just stick with what you got.
 
The fact the car isnt drifting, isnt power related. Its driver related.

As stav said. Go to an actual track and practice. You wont have any problem.. or any need, to get an MX5 after that.

MX5's are slow as shit.. but that to me, can be a great thing. Mine is a pig to step out in the dry when im not going fast enough because im running the OE Torsen.. With the Welder it'll step out at any time but the torsen, you need commitment.

You wont get full commitment from just streeto. You need to be in an environment where drifting is the only focus.. Not cops, or traffic, or deer, or hill walkers, or rabbits etc etc. :) :) Go on track.. THEN go on the street..
 
As said really but would definately help if you weld the diff, you have so much more control. How do you know it is an lsd? My last is didnt come with one.

also when you do want more power its really easy to do a conversion and if you look around the engines are cheap enough.
 
Get some 15 inch wheels to skid on in your Bimmer. Was a guy at Pod in a 318 totally stripped running 15's pumped up to 60+ psi rocking the whole big track a few weeks back. At the same time some lads in 328's were struggling to get sideways with huge rims and low profile tyres on. :p
 
Cheers for the reply's and yea gathered its part me although now it might be all me lol, gonna get myself some smaller rims that might help and obviously some more track days booked.
and spaniel its definitely an LSD paid for it although they are rare for 318
cheers again
 
Blackett said:
Get some 15 inch wheels to skid on in your Bimmer. Was a guy at Pod in a 318 totally stripped running 15's pumped up to 60+ psi rocking the whole big track a few weeks back. At the same time some lads in 328's were struggling to get sideways with huge rims and low profile tyres on. :p
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I bet if you put that guy in one of those 328s they would skid just fine.
 
Had an e36 328 and a 1.6 mx5 eunos. From a preference point of view im looking for another beemer as its bigger (im lanky) feels more planted and like the looks.

The mx5 though was complete balls out fun, just had a welder and a bucket seat and was skidding the whole of lydden!

In short, stick with your 318 and just strip it.. put a bucket in and get a welder, you'll be hanging the back out in no time
 
If you really want to spend some money get a larger e36. If your 318 really is in such a good shape you should get enough money out of it for an 325.
The miata won't be much quicker than your 318, just a bit lighter.
Both cars can go sideways on dry roads, you just have to kick them really hard. If the requires Power - kick the clutch and there you go. Don't feel to much with your car.
If your 318 is kind of a youngtimer sell it and get an better tool. You will have an easier time in a 323, 325, 328.
 
Stick with the e36. Ive had both and miss the e36 318 compact. It was nicer to be in, more room and was easier to skid I thought. I felt the weight was easier to play with and it loved manjis. If it wasn't for me getting a good deal on my sbody I would have dropped a m50 2.5 in. Only problem I had was a slippy clutch and I killed 3rd gear.

My view on mx5s are they are shit, really slow, rotten, a ball ache, leak all kinds of fluids, most bolts are sezied, rounded or snap and again just really shit.... a postman asked if I'd had a midlife crisis so I sold it
 
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I have drifted a mk2 at Santa pod which was completely standard with an LSD. By lunch time I could link the whole track apart from hold it whole way round the back corner. I also took a mk1 mx5 completely standard with just an LSD and I could drift every corner there. Especially fun drifting the big left hander coming onto the straight round people in 200sx's and skylines. It is just about going all out, your down on power so you just use speed instead and it is fine! The people that say they are crap are people who either never owned one or people that just can't drive them properly so think they need 300bhp to drift!
 
MR.T said:
My view on mx5s are they are shit, really slow, rotten, a ball ache, leak all kinds of fluids, most bolts are sezied, rounded or snap and again just really shit.... a postman asked if I'd had a midlife crisis so I sold it
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Really? :/ Shit man sounds like you bought a rotter.. :S Out of all the ones I have owned only the first UK one was a piece of shit. As you say, loads of rusted bolts, knackered bushings and rot in the boot/sill's etc. Snapped a load of stuff trying to work on that.

However every Eunos i have worked on or owned, hasnt been a single issue at all. Nor do any leak .. As for being Slow? Well it depends what you compare it to but Im yet to see a 'fast' BMW other than the one at DL thats fitted with a JZ..
 
more tyre pressure, more welding, more manfoot, and the thing i found the most important was breaking the "oh shit im gonna crash" barrier into "lol im actually going sideways now alriiiiight"
anything can skid if you try hard enough

and a 318 is a revvy little monster, got enough for skids really
 
I've had a few mx5s and they are fun and can look sick... oh and streeto in the sticks with the roof down is awesome..... but I prefer the e36 probably because of the room and it being a daily. I did feel I could use the weight better in the e36 I just felt more comfortable with it, plus you can drop the bigger 6pots in cheap. Only downside for me with e36's are every one built seems to look exactly the same and on bbs wheels
 
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jaggafeen said:
build quality on mx5 is very poor and a properly set up e36 handles a lot better
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this is incorrect!

UK mx5's, or imports that have been over here for a long time will probably be rotten but the actual build quality is good. mx5's handle really nice, its the best thing about them..

it depends what you want really, I'd probably stick with what you've got and learn to drive it - when you say it's got an LSD what is it? if it's a viscous or torsen/atb diff then you should probably ditch it and get a proper plate diff or a welder for a start.
 
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