Starting up... help?!

D

DSEE

New Member
Hi all, always been a fan of drifting and looking to purchase something to get me started on drift days?
I come from a motorcross & own a Clio 182 track car background. I do like the sound of a cheap MX5 Mk1/mk2 but have also heard these are hard to learn in, is this right?? Ideally i'd like to spend around £1k+ on the car at first plus money for bits depending what I get. More than happy to do work on the car myself to get it up to spec.

Any help would be appreciated!
 
DSEE said:
Hi all, always been a fan of drifting and looking to purchase something to get me started on drift days?
I come from a motorcross & own a Clio 182 track car background. I do like the sound of a cheap MX5 Mk1/mk2 but have also heard these are hard to learn in, is this right?? Ideally i'd like to spend around £1k+ on the car at first plus money for bits depending what I get. More than happy to do work on the car myself to get it up to spec.

Any help would be appreciated!
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Welcome!

An mx5 is a perfect beginner car - very cheap to run and maintain, and low in power so it will teach you about using momentum to drift rather than just relying on power to aid you - also means you can keep the same pair of tyres on all day with no worries!

Initial mods:
Coilovers
Welded Diff
Bucket Seats
Go have fun


That is it - very simple, don't jump in the deep end and build a big drift car, as you don't even know if you like it yet...


Keep it simple and have fun :)
 
Bu11et said:
Welcome!

An mx5 is a perfect beginner car - very cheap to run and maintain, and low in power so it will teach you about using momentum to drift rather than just relying on power to aid you - also means you can keep the same pair of tyres on all day with no worries!

Initial mods:
Coilovers
Welded Diff
Bucket Seats
Go have fun


That is it - very simple, don't jump in the deep end and build a big drift car, as you don't even know if you like it yet...


Keep it simple and have fun :)
Click to expand...


Perfect! Thanks for the help!

That's the main thing for me, to get loads of time in just having fun. Spent a lot of money on my track race car & always came up with multiple issues on it felt like a massive money pit with no reward!
 
Yeah exactly as said above. get a mk1 or mk2 mx5. coilovers, welded diff. Done. absolute best car to learn in and so much fun. To be honest for a grand you will easily get a 5 with coils and a welded diff. prob a few other little bits. Spend the money on seat time. You see so many people spend years building these drift cars but you never see them actually driving them.
 
Well I did exactly that!

This was a pic from the night I collected it. Cleaned it up inside and out now. Had a few issues that needed sorting out. Love it!

Mk1 Eunos v2.png
 
Wow, someone actually listened and turned out not to be a 15yo schoolboy. Well done fella it looks ace. Keep DW updated on progress on the 5 and drifting. Hoping to be in your position in a few weeks.
 
Have you searched at all?

There are dozens of threads already on here that answer those exact questions
 
jay-young said:
No problem, it's a shame there hasn't been any more stuff put on it, but it's good info tog et you going.
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Cheers for sharing dude. I'd keep doing them but I've unfortunately lost inspiration for drifting.


If you go down Mx5 route I also have done an MX5 write up with the main dudes in the UK driving them well.
 
prblmslvrs said:
Cheers for sharing dude. I'd keep doing them but I've unfortunately lost inspiration for drifting.


If you go down Mx5 route I also have done an MX5 write up with the main dudes in the UK driving them well.
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It's a shame man! I'm getting my mx5 setup using your info too. Went mad for lock on my old BM, so keeping the 5 simple with 0 lock mods for now.
 
Picked the right weapon for the job! I did my first ever drift day back in May in my MX and it was great fun. Ran my rear tires (Half decent Pirellis) at 32psi and tone pair lasted me a whole day in mostly dry conditions on concrete. But you'll find tyre pressure is all about preference.

As for what to take, any tools you'll need to do basic work, jack+pair of stands, spare wheels/ tires, take a tarp to cover all your stuff in the pits too if the weather isn't looking pleasant. Take some consumables, maybe like 1L each of engine and diff oil just incase, some brake cleaner and rags. Small things like a couple of spare spark plugs and some spare wheel nuts are a good shout too and easy to store. You may need a roll bar for certain tracks, and you'll find it helps stiffen the car up loads too. I run a GCFabs one and am really happy with it.

Most important thing I'd say is make contact with someone going to the event too. One I went to was nearly 200 miles from home but fortunately I had spoken to someone through instagram who was going. Having someone to learn from between runs and offer assistance (If they're willing to) is really beneficial. Though you'll find a majority of drifters will be happy to give you some tips or help sort an issue with your car. It's just a bunch of big kids doing stupid s**t in cars really.

Judging by those wheels you should be fine, but check the clearance between the wheel and the LCA on lock. I've mashed the inside of my front wheels due to them catching (15x8 et28) even before lock mods.
 
PanozGTR said:
Most important thing I'd say is make contact with someone going to the event too.
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I personally would dispute this statement really. There is a social element to going to a drift day and limiting yourself to chatting with one person you've met on IG could be more negative than positive, especially if they are the type of person to make themselves look great on IG but are actually still learning and you inherit bad habbits from it. As long as you have a good attitude (read: be a human being and introduce yourself etc) anyone attending the event will be happy to help with advice on getting you going. I'd also encourage you to speak to the better drivers at the day and ask (politely) if they know of anyone that could jump in for advice or if you can go for a passenger lap to see what they're up to.
 
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