Drift Car on a Budget – Part 1, How to Choose Your Car

So you are interested in drifting and you want to start racing. Long before you can start racing, you need to have a car that can race.

This can be a problem. If you were like me when I started, you don’t have the money to build a Formula D level sliding machine. So what do you do? Well, do what I did; build a drift because we have a budget!

The first step is to find a good platform to start with. This can be a challenge with all the different cars that are used in the drifting world. But I have some solid rules that you can follow that will help you make a much easier decision.

First, you will want something that moves. By driftable, I mean it must have the essential features of a drift car. You will need to find a car that has a rear wheel drive (RWD) and a manual transmission. Don’t go out and look for something with an automatic transmission or, for some reason, front wheel drive (FWD) and say “I can do a transsexual change” or “I can do a RWD conversion.” WHOSE! NOT WORTH THE EFFORT, PERIOD! The purpose is to build a drift car as cheaply as possible and as fast as possible so that you can be on the drift track as soon as possible.

Second, you want it to be cheap. I set a budget of $ 1000. I know a lot of people who found a car for less, but were lucky. I set my budget of $ 1000 for a working car that I could turn into something that was competitive. In addition to the cheap price of the car, you want the parts to be cheap. You want a vehicle that has a large following in the aftermarket and a large number of parts that are easy to find and inexpensive.

And third, you will want a vehicle that you are not in love with. In the world of drifting, you will make mistakes, crash, and crash. Therefore, you want something that you are willing to push to the limit and to the past to improve your skills. Too many times I have seen people who are afraid to push themselves and there because they are afraid of crashing. In order to learn and improve, you cannot think about crashing, you must think about how you can improve your technique. You cannot be afraid of crashing, it is inevitable, so do it.

I chose a 1992 Nissan 240sx for several reasons. They’re cheap, they have a huge aftermarket following, other Nissan parts are bolt-on upgrades, and the 2.4L DOHC (KA24DE) engine is tough and loaded with torque.

The cars I would recommend are the Nissan 240sx S13 and S14, the Mazda Miata MX-5 (any year), the Toyota Supra (I recommend the older early 90s body style), the Mazda Rx7, and the Toyota Cressida. Or if you like domestics, you can go for the Ford Mustang or any other cheap and hearty RWD car.

Next up, “Drift Car on a Tight Budget: Part 2, The Essential Mods.”