Finally! I'm about to start drifting... But could really use some help...

[Neon]

personally id say that is way too much spec for a beginner car. it will hinder more than help you.

Without knowing the price no way of saying if its a good deal or not

Do you think i should be looking at a more basic setup then? Learn with the basics to become a better driver before getting something that is more forgiving?

I was hanging back on putting the asking price up to see if anyone would suggest what they would pay for it first.

 

[initial_j]

hard to say really price wise. id buy it myself if it was cheap but then im a stingy bastard, some people might pay more.


Yes, cant recommend enough. All those modiications are pretty pointless if your beginning. I know this from first hand as i started in a stupid spec car that i couldnt use. I just looked like an idiot

Sure its been said already but all you need to learn is a welded diff, coilovers and a bucket seat. Master the car, then improve things to your level of driving.

90 percent of people these days do a few days (or less) struggle and decide that its the cars fault and money will fix their problems. Spend thousands of pounds on pointless crap because theyve seen pro cars with it, and they still end up being shit.

same as any sport really, if you learn to play golf you dont go out and spend 10k on the best set of golf clubs in the world.

And not to mention, you are going to crash and break shit. Crashing expensive cars costs a lot to fix

 

[silverzx]

I was going to go the cheap route like you suggest. But i went to look at 6 different sub £1,000 potential drifters and they all had pretty major problems. So i thought that by the time i've bought the car, added a few essentials and then had to pay out to fix the problems and worn out old parts i may as well up my budget and get something a bit better. Especially as i know this is something i'm going to stick at, rather than have a go and see if i like it or not... Plus i would rather get something that's got less chance of constantly being in the garage needing work than something that's had a lot of work done already so should be a bit more reliable.....

50% of being a drifter is repairing your car.

No escaping that.

My S14 has cost a fortune compared to my 325.

You pay out your ass for anything Jap.

 

[Pilkboid]

Like everyone els has said no one will even take any notice of you if your spinning or learning. Everyone was there once. And thats the hole point of defferent level groups. I live in west sussex just south of guildford and hit up lydden hill when ever i can. Its only a 2hour drive and your closer than me plus if you over cook it you just end up on the grass or gravel which is good! Its an amazing track i love it there. And again like others have said, Low power car, cheap, easy to fix (mx5, e36,e46). There are loads of people driving mx5 and e36 in the expert groups up at lydden.

 

[BenRice]

First up, don't bother with that additional turbo. 3076 on a CA? Naahhhh

I'm getting the feeling this guy is being a little dodgy. The hp claim is straight-up idiotic and "forged internals, no receipts" almost always ends in tears. A lot of what he has rattled off can't be checked without pulling bits apart either.

Unless he has a build thread / insta somewhere for you to confirm he has fitted them?

It sounds like it has a lot of suspension work, but the geo's are really the only thing that would cause it to be grippier than average and make it harder to drive, but a slippery alignment will solve that.

If he could provide evidence of the parts he claims it has, a compression test comes up good, and would be willing to knock a decent amount off the drive for not including the 3076 then i would go for it. It's hopefully just a re-map and alignment away from being a pretty solid package.

(PS would still just import an R33 from Japan tbh)

 

[Neon]

Hi guys.

Thought i would post an update...

So for once in my life i decided to actually listen to what people were telling me. i decided to take the advice i was given by several people on here (plus a few others). I now have a mk1 mx5 1.8 eunos and i'm REALLY happy with it. It's in tip top condition with no rust. A low milage healthy engine, plus a few nice modifications too.... Oh and it has a diff. )
So firstly - Thanks to everyone who gave me advice. Very much appreciated!
I now have a couple of questions i was hoping someone might be able to help me with so i can get her ready for her first drift outing....

- She is currently on 15" x 8" rims (with stretched tyres). I need to buy some drift rims... Someone told me that i would be better off getting some 14" rims (and thinner) as this will help her skid much better... Is that right or should i just get a couple of extra 15 x 8's???

- After buying the 1.8 i was told that actually i'd have been better off opting for the 1.6 as it revs a bit faster... I'm guessing that's probably true. If so, would i benefit from swapping to a 1.6 gearbox maybe???

- I have also been told to put really cheap coilovers on it as that would also help (as opposed to fitting some decent ones)... Sounds odd to me... It actually came with some pretty cheap ones (as it was just a road car and done mainly for looks). So i was originally considering switching them for Meister R's or Gaz Gold Pro's.... But then i was told not to and that i should stick with the cheap ones... Any idea why and does this sound right to anyone???

- The mx5 came with a 'Torsen' diff. I'm not actually sure if i need to weld this or if it's good to be left as it is???

- Thinking i will probably have to drive her to drift days and back for now. So was thinking of ways to transport the extra drift rims. I thought that some kind of wheel rack that secures to the top of the boot could maybe work. I reckon i could get 4 rims on there. Does anything like this exist for me to buy? Or would i need to make one myself??? Is it a good / bad idea???

- Last of all... Does anyone know of a decent Mazda or Drift garage in or around the Surrey area? I want to do as much of the work myself as i can. But sometimes i will need to rely upon the experts. I never take any cars to garages i don't know. But as this is my first Mazda and drift car, i haven't used any Mazda or drift specialist garages before, so good recommendations would be really, really helpful.

Thanks!

 

[akinadan79]

It makes a nice change to see somebody on DW actually listening to the sound advice that has been given rather than the ever common 'ask a question, then argue the toss until somebody says what they want to hear'.

Out of interest how are you getting on with your Mx5 what with you being 6'3" mate?

It would be good for future reference for the next time somebody over 6' dismisses the Mx5 as a viable option due to their height.

Good luck bud, it certainly sounds like you have the right mindset for improving your drifting skill'age

 

[Neon]

It makes a nice change to see somebody on DW actually listening to the sound advice that has been given rather than the ever common 'ask a question, then argue the toss until somebody says what they want to hear'.

Out of interest how are you getting on with your Mx5 what with you being 6'3" mate?

It would be good for future reference for the next time somebody over 6' dismisses the Mx5 as a viable option due to their height.

Good luck bud, it certainly sounds like you have the right mindset for improving your drifting skill'age

Thanks. I'm really glad I went the mx5 route. Listening to all the advice really did make a lot of sense and although it was really tempting to get a big fancy s14 or similar, I totally believe that learning the basics in the mx5 will hopefully make me a stronger driver. I want to get really good at this and starting out with a car that makes it so easy will not do me any favours in the long run. Having 'all the gear and no idea' is not the way I want to start out.
Besides, as surprised as I was, I have actually taken a real shine to the little mx5! Every now and then when you sit in a certain type of car it makes you smile for a reason you can't quite explain and that's so true here. Admittedly this little mk1 has had a few mods (coilovers, poly bushes, full exhaust, brakes, induction, clutch, wheels). I'm sure they help! But it just feels really good being inside it. A real surprise to me! There's something raw about it and a sense of everything being quite simple and easy to fix / mend should needs be. Rather than being in a bigger car where I would be dreading anything going wrong.
Oh and as for my height (I'm 6ft 3"). Absolutely no problems at all. In fact I have a lot more headroom in the mx5 than in an s14 with a cage! No issues at all.
The real test will be next Wednesdsy at Santa Pod for her first outing. But so far on the roads I couldn't be happier!

 

[Stavros]

Ok. Well...

Drift wheels- Just get whatever, a set of standard MX5 wheels, whatever, need more than 2 though. Don't get more 8x15s just for drifting so you have to fanny about getting tyres stretched on every time, just get something cheap and cheerful.

Engine- That 1.6 1.8 thing is a load of old bollocks. Neither is much better than the other if they in good nick, just leave it.

Box- No, leave it.

Coilovers- Cheap ones work fine, so do better ones, but better ones are likely better. If anyone told you cheap ones are better, they probably told you the other odd advice too, so stop listening to their advice. Personally though, I've found the cheapo 200quid ones to work perfectly well for drifting MX5s so cant justify more. You said you have coilovers anyhow, so whatever you got, just leave it.

Torsen- Yeah it's fine if it's a torsen, just leave it.

Wheels/Tyres- Can get about 8x 13/14inch wheels+tyres in an MX5- Behind seats in rear window, in boot, and on passenger seat. That's normally enough.

 

[BreadBin]

I'm 6'3 and have a mk2 MX5 with a big chunk of foam cut out of the seat, space is not an issue.
Google foamectomy if you are looking for a bit more space.

 

[mad.matt]

I'm 6'3 and have a mk2 MX5 with a big chunk of foam cut out of the seat, space is not an issue.
Google foamectomy if you are looking for a bit more space.

As above but I'm 6'2 in a MK1 with standard seats and while it could be lower, it's certainly not a deal breaker.

Wheel wise, I take 4 14" wheels with me in my boot set up this way - IIII. Take the air out of them, string a small ratchet strap through the center holes and around the back of the boot hinges/struts, a second one to keep johnnie law happy and job done.

2 of these were 195/60R14 E30 BBS and the other 2 were 185/65R14 OEM Mazda 5 spokes. I only needed 2 tyres all day.

 

[Neon]

The previous owner had actually removed the rear foam from the drivers seat in mine. Which I like a lot. Gives more of a bucket seat feel and still very comfortable. Plus some extra room. But my seat still isn't all the way back on the rails so even with the foam in its absolutely fine if your a bit on the talk side!

 

[Ikeaaxel]

Sounds like you are overthinking your car. What you have will drift, unless your torsen diff is shagged then it should lock both wheels up fairly well.

Get yourself to samtapod or similer a few times and then start thinking about what you can do to improve your car set up wise.

Here is my set up on my mx5 go transport wheels. It's just a generic roof rack I had lyeing about which was fitted to the truckman cargo cover that came on a navara. This was I can carry tools etc in the boot and not have to worry about water getting in if it rains. Was a bit scary at first but done over 700 miles without it falling off haha

 

[BenRice]

Going for the 1.8 is the best move you could have made tbh, just keep on top of any corrosion.

If you want some little things to tinker with on it before the first outing try throwing a pair of rack spacers in, then go grab a good wheel alignment (i don't know if mitto's thread is relevant to mx5's, if not throw up a post asking for specs). Would be a good idea to swap out the oils and coolant as well.

Then just make sure your skidders are over 60psi and you'll be the owner of the quintessential "drift starter pack"

Am actually quite jealous

 

[Neon]

So i thought i would do a quick update....
The new mx5 had it's first outing at Santa Pod a couple of weeks ago. It was a cold, windy, wet day. But that did mean it was fairly quiet so lots of potential tyre burning time to be had! Sadly after only a very short lived session there was a loud snap, followed by the temperature gauge rising at an alarming rate. So i jumped out, opened up the steaming bonnet and found that the alternator belt had snapped.... Bugger!
Luckily i managed to find an auto part shop 20 mins away who had 1 spare. So i got a lift there, picked it up, shot back and fixed it on the poor little mx5. Relieved to find there was no damage caused. However i did notice that the pulley on the water pump wasn't looking too healthy. So i drove her home with her tail between her legs.....
When she got home i parked her up in the garage, had a few beers and did some drunk shopping on the internet.... The next day woke up and actually heard my wallet crying in the corner.... Oops!
So i now have a few bits to fit on her including the new water pump (and all the gaskets etc plus i will be doing the cam belt at the same time). I also have an uprated ally radiator, uprated twin fans which i want to fit with a manual override switch on the dash, plus a couple of other bits i realised i could really do with.... So that will keep me busy!
It doesn't look like i'll make this weeks Santa Pod (it's half term anyway and sold out...). So i was thinking i should get myself booked in for a decent day of drift tutorial practise. So that's where i need a bit of advice now.... With so many to choose from, where should i go? I've done 3 half days before (each time with a different company). The first experience was awful. Moody instructors, an overfilled session with too many people meaning that you had virtually no actual 'in car' time, cars that were constantly breaking down and it was a complete joke (good old Groupon offers eh?). The second experience was much better! But that company has now closed down. The third was the best experience (although i might have just been lucky). I went with a friend. It was based in Hemel Hempstead on an old airstrip. My instructor 'George' was awesome! I felt like i gained loads from the 2 hours i spent there. However my friend had a female instructor who was miserable, moody and he hated every second. So it really does seem like a bit of a russian roulette experience where it all depends who you end up with on the day.... I'd love to track down this guy 'George' who was amazing. But not sure how i would manage that.... So i'm hoping someone out there might be able to help me out a bit.... Where would you recommend and with who???? These drift days aren't cheap, so i really want to make sure my money is spent with someone who is going to help me learn, be patient and hopefully crack the occasional smile....

 

[Stavros]

Fat smiley man with a beard? George Tilling. Good bloke.

Overall, if you've got your own car, I'd not bother with experience days, seem a lot of money for not much driving. There's usually people at Pod and in fact most other days who'd be more than happy to jump in and give you a few pointers about what you're doing wrong, if anything.

And to be honest, if you didn't break your car at the start of the day you'd prob not be asking this question now as you'd have got so much practice in you'd sort of feel what you're doing wrong and just learn from there.

 

[Neon]

Fat smiley man with a beard? George Tilling. Good bloke.

Overall, if you've got your own car, I'd not bother with experience days, seem a lot of money for not much driving. There's usually people at Pod and in fact most other days who'd be more than happy to jump in and give you a few pointers about what you're doing wrong, if anything.

And to be honest, if you didn't break your car at the start of the day you'd prob not be asking this question now as you'd have got so much practice in you'd sort of feel what you're doing wrong and just learn from there.

Hahaha! Well, your words not mine... But yeah! I think that's him! He was a really good guy! He did give me his contact details, but it was a while ago and i've lost them...

Oh really? Ok. I was thinking that if i was 'self taught' i might start off with some bad habits that will be hard to change later on...

 

[BenRice]

Find some in-car videos of some good mx5 drivers at any track you're likely to go to, that can always help with initiation points/gear changes etc

But as Stav said, there are generally a few good drivers at practice days. Keep an eye on other mx5's there and just go say hello to the best one out of them and ask them to ride along with you, or you ride along with them.

Try to avoid letting them drive your car though - getting pointers and tips from a relative stranger is one thing, entrusting them with your pride & joy is another.

 

[Stavros]

Hahaha! Well, your words not mine... But yeah! I think that's him! He was a really good guy! He did give me his contact details, but it was a while ago and i've lost them...

Here's the man himself---
View Profile: GmasterT - Drifting forum - Driftworks

Ref bad habits- Keep off the handbrake, go really really fast, have a very heavy right foot, and use the shit out of clutch kicks is the basic MX5 things to know.

Aside from that, the usual- Let go of the wheel as unless your geometry is fucked it will countersteer faster than you likely can, and dont give up as its not something everyone gets super quickly.

 

[Neon]

Find some in-car videos of some good mx5 drivers at any track you're likely to go to, that can always help with initiation points/gear changes etc

But as Stav said, there are generally a few good drivers at practice days. Keep an eye on other mx5's there and just go say hello to the best one out of them and ask them to ride along with you, or you ride along with them.

Try to avoid letting them drive your car though - getting pointers and tips from a relative stranger is one thing, entrusting them with your pride & joy is another.

I like that idea. I'll have a hunt around for some in-car videos.
A couple of people did suggest that i ask random people at Santa Pod for some help. But as it was my first time it was a bit disorientating at first and i was worried that if i did ask then they would do exactly that - jump in my car and toast it... lol. I wouldn't mind so much after i've had a chance to thoroughly check the little mx5 over and make sure she's 100%. But as this was her first trail outing i wanted to be a bit cautious with her at first. But yeah, going in with someone in THEIR car would be awesome! Or even better - having someone ride in my passenger seat giving advice! I'll def look out for someone who looks like they might be up for that next time i go!