sO YOU HAVE SCROLLED INSTAGRAM, STRUCK THE RIGHT ALGORITHM AND CAUGHT THE DRIFT BUG?
HERE IS A EURO GUIDE ON A JAPANESE FOUNDED SUB CULTURE
1
WHAT KIND OF CAR DO YOU WANT?
THE NUMBER ONE CHOICE IS THE MAZDA MX-5 MK1 OR MK2
-HIGHLY ACCESSIBLE WITH LOW INSURANCE AND CHEAP MAINTENANCE
-PHYSICALLY ROBUST AND RELIABLE
-TEACHES YOU HOW TO DRIFT PROPERLY, NO RELYING ON BRUTE ENGINE FORCE OR HANDBRAKING
IF YOU DO NOT WANT AN MX-5, THE RECIPE SHOULD STILL REMAIN THE SAME FOR WHICHEVER CAR YOU CHOOSE, LIGHTWEIGHT, FRONT ENGINE, REAR WHEEL DRIVE. ENGINE POWER IS NOT NECESSARILY IMPORTANT TO LEARN.
2
WHAT MODS DO I NEED TO START DRIFTING?
-COILOVERS
COILOVERS ARE THE SINGLE MOST IMPORTANT MODIFICATION FOR DRIFTING IN MY OPINION. STOCK COILOVERS ARE DESIGNED TO BE OVERLY SOFT TO APPEASE THE UNENTHUSIASTIC FIRST OWNER WHO DEPENDS ON THE VEHICLE ON A DAILY BASIS FOR A WIDE VARIETY OF TASKS WHICH OFTEN REQUIRES GROUND CLEARANCE.
WHEN YOU INSTALL COILOVERS, TRUE DRIVER'S FEEL IS RESTORED AND WILL ALLOW YOU TO SHIFT THE WEIGHT OF YOUR VEHICLE MUCH MORE EASILY THUS INCREASING CONTROL WHEN DRIFTING.
DO NOT WASTE THOUSANDS OF POUNDS 'TUNING' YOUR CAR YOU HAVE NOT YET DRIVEN ON TRACK, IT IS A WASTE OF TIME.
DO NOT CHEAP OUT ON COILOVERS, FOR THE MAZDA MX-5 I RECOMMEND TEIN. DO NOT BUY MAXPEEDINGRODS OR OTHER CHINESE COILOVERS.
3
WHERE DO I PRACTISE?
IT IS NOT RECOMMENDED TO LEARN ON THE STREETS AT LEAST IN THE UK. WE ARE NOT JAPAN, WE DO NOT HAVE MOUNTAINS WHICH CONTAIN MILES OF CONSTANT WIDE HAIRPIN TURN ROADS WHICH ARE MERELY ABANDONED AND ONLY OCCUPIED BY FELLOW MOUNTAIN RACERS AT NIGHT, UNBOTHERED BY LAW ENFORCEMENT.
THE UK AND MUCH OF EUROPE IS FLAT WITH ROADS CUTTING THROUGH THE THE COUNTRY IN EVERY DIRECTION, THERE ARE VERY FEW ROADS WHICH ARE NOT A THROUGH ROAD AND ESSENTIAL FOR COMMUTERS OR LOGISTICS
IT IS RECOMMENDED TO BOOK A DRIFT DAY AT SANTA POD. ONE DAY AT SANTA POD IS ONE YEAR'S EXPERIENCE ON UK / EURO STREETS
GET COMFORTABLE ON TRACK FIRST AND MAY THE REST BE AT YOUR DISCRESSION
4
HOW DO I GROW AS A DRIFTER?
AS YOU GRASP THE BASICS, YOU WILL GRADUALLY ENCOUNTER LIMITATIONS.
aNGLE OR 'LOCK' - THE MORE, THE BETTER. THE MORE YOUR FRONT WHEELS CAN TURN, EFFECTIVELY THE MORE SIDEWAYS YOUR VEHICLE CAN BECOME. YOU CAN ADDRESS THIS WITH STEERING RACK SPACERS (THE MOST POPULAR AND CHEAPEST METHOD) BUT ALSO WITH MODIFIED KNUCKLES TOO.
GRIP - DRIFTING IS ALL ABOUT SPEED, AGGRESSION AND STYLE. MORE GRIP WILL ALLOW FOR A FASTER DRIFT AND MORE SMOKE PRODUCTION.
POWER - AS YOU ENCOUNTER MORE ANGLE AND GRIP, MORE TORUE WILL BE REQUIRED TO KEEP A HEALTHY WHEEL SPEED. FOR MX-5'S THIS IS MOST COMMONLY DONE BY ADDING A TURBOCHARGER
MODIFYING YOUR CAR MAY SNOWBALL IN COSTS VERY QUICKLY. THERE IS NO SHAME IN KEEPING IT SIMPLE AND PRIORITISING SEAT TIME.
5
WHAT CAN YOU TAKE AWAY?
- DO IT ONCE, DO IT RIGHT. PICK A CHEAP AND POPULAR CAR, GET A DRIFT DAY BOOKED TO PRACTISE
- DON'T GO CRAZY WITH MODS, YOU NEED VERY LITTLE TO START SLIDING ON TRACK
- FEEL THE CAR AND HAVE FUN
