R34 GTT: Good Option For Drifting?

[Lucius_Fox]

Hey fellow dwellers of the drift realm. Is the R34 Skyline a good platform for drifting? I have seen numerous posts on the web but they are all vague and a bit lacking in terms of details enough to warrant a satisfying answer. I'm not talking drift missile wise, I'm talking proper suspension and power upgrades. How would it compare to say, an S15? I think the S15 will be better for the mod selection alone, but from what I've seen, there seems to be quite a few parts for the R34 platform as well. Not big as the S15 though, and not even remotely close to an S13 or S14.

I'm more interested in details surrounding the technical side of things. I'd really appreciate any input, either for or against. My heart says go for it but my brain's voice is telling me it's gonna be an endless money pit towards darkness. There's also a S15 Spec R around me for sale but I'd be too crazy to dissect that beauty and turn it into a drift machine.

 

[BenRice]

Tbh, the R34 is an under utilised chassis that works perfectly

If you can nab yourself a factory manual you're onto a winner - big gearbox in both turbo and 2.5 non-turbo form makes life easier in the long run, factory 5 stud, and NEO engine has a head that flows the best out of all RB iterations.

Aftermarket coilover suspension can be found easily enough in the main brands of HSD, BC etc

The only issue is when it comes to lock modifications. The R34 knuckle is different to the R32 so you either need to be happy with lock spacers or look for someone to do a custom cut & shut job.

A factory turbo manual would be ideal, but if none are available look for a factory manual non turbo 2.5L. You have the option of doing an engine swap or just fitting a turbo to the non turbo motor. This has been done plenty of times with great results, people regularly get over 250-300kw at the wheels / 400-500hp at the flywheel out of simple setups on stock bottom ends

The one thing that wakes these engines up the most are aftermarket ECU's as the factory ECU's have a bunch of safeguards, so budget in a Nistune and dyno session. With just an ECU, exhaust and FMIC you'll be looking at 350hp at the flywheel from the get go on an RB25DET NEO

They do tend to run hotter than other RB's for emissions reasons, so swap out the thermostat for a low temp one and throw a decent alloy radiator in and it'll take a beating all day. If you're in a slightly warmer climate opt for an external oil cooler.