So I've been lurking here, and posted a bit, for a while now. And I still haven't answered my question that I came here to find.

When I bought my celica, it was an impulse buy and I didn't do my research. It ended up costing me an engine because of leaking oil. I've found that guys on forums with experience know exactly which model works best for which purpose.

Here's what I want:
Form and function
Look good slammed
Slide sideways

Essentially, it needs to have the lowest center of gravity possible for drifting, but needs to be high enough to not bottom out. So basically, which model has the best engine for the purpose? 05 and 06 are the uprev, but I've also heard they leak oil. This is a project I've been planning for a while, and will continue to plan. The car will serve as a daily driver while I finish my celica, and then itl go to track purposes only.

 

get a MT, change your diff if you dont like
350z has no problems wagging its tail
if just for drift get a base model

and if you still cant drift get some 80,000mile rated hard compound tires for like $30each and those will spin easy enough

 

What kind of Celica did you have a gt? I've heard the early 1zz engine burns oil.

The 2006 engine doesn't leak oil but consumes it meaning burns it and your oil will be low. That's no good of course and will cause internal damage.

If you have money and want the best get a 2007-2008 bc it has the hr motor which means more power.

 

less questions, more searching

 

Damn I look like a newb posting on this forum since I'm usually on Zilvia but this can't seriously be a genuine inquiry... LMAO.

 

07-08 HR motor is legit, but if you're drifting I'd go with 03-04 because the DE appears to have cheaper aftermarket options

 

It was genuine. ^

 

2000 1zz. Burned 3 quarts of oil in 2 months. I did a 2003 swap. Kept the old engine to replace the rod and put updated piston rings on. I'm not too worried about power considering the set up will be turboed. I'm looking for the most reliable engine that can take a beating. Now if 07-08 can do that, bonus power points!

Yeah base model it is. Interior will be fully stripped of everything but necessities. And where the he11 can I find these freakin tires?!

Edit: Oh really? I mentioned up top I was looking at a turbo setup. But I'm also considering an ls1 swap. Following the guide I found here. Little pricy haha but hey, gotta pay to play. Hopefully itl win me enough to make up for the cost.

 

They all sit at about the same height, they all have the same suspension geometry that gets fcuked very quickly if you lower if much more than about 1 inch up front and 1.5 inches out back. A DE car may be your best bet for turbo application, parts are available used, HR turbo kits are expensive. If you dream of turbo and will never get one, go with an HR car. A base model is best and usually cheaper, has no LSD , you will need to get an lsd for drift, the other models all have an LSD, it is junk.

 

lol 1.5 inches. I'm planning on BC drift coils. And dropping 3.5-4 inches. Also, amen on the LSD. I've got a buddy who will weld my dif, but I've never done any research on the topic. What's the advantages of the LSD over just welding?

 

"What's the advantages of the LSD over just welding?"
"Here's what I want:
Form and function
Look good slammed
Slide sideways"

I suggest that you get a miata and a Haynes manual so you can learn about cars Mr. ProDrifter

 

haha, hmm welds can break and all those little plates are in the for a reason.

btw 03 is the lightest overall i believe

 

The Z in stock form with stock height tires has 4.1 inches of ground clearance. Most drifters will run a 245/40-18 front and rear NA, lowering the rear by roughly 1/2 inch. Now you are at 3.6 inches. I would re-eval what you know. Also for drifting you still want to need suspension travel, I would drop no more than 2 inches total. There is a big difference between drifting and sliding out if control.

 

07+

/thread

 

just a suggestion T-Man. Do your research then post on what you want. To anyone that is on the often this is just another person asking questions that have been answered time and time again. Have you ever been to any professional drifting events? Drift cars are slammed, yes they are lowered but the car height still has to compensate to the compression and dampening of the coilover without the side skirts smacking the ground every drift. I dont know if that made any sense to what i said, maybe someone else can explain it better

 

Not a miata, but I will def not be starting on the z. Buddys got an rx7 he said hell teach me on. And with the differential, as I said, I haven't gotten that far. I'm not rushing Into this and will plan until the last moment. I want to do this the right way and I'm seeking advice from experienced z owners, please don't get snippity.

Im not sure what I was thinking when I said drop 3.5 inches lol. I was thinking about closing the wheel gap for looks and forgot that the 18's are for drifting and the 20's are for show time. Thanks for the advice though, I really appreciate it. Another thing, don't drifters stagger the wheels? I know 240's usually do 9" up front and 10" in back.

 

Some do for looks and ignorance, other do with high HP. NA you will want a 245/40-18 square , the FI power you are talking about will probably run a 265/35-18 square setup. If you stagger , you have to fight understeer, understeer is a bad thing for drift and grip driving.

BTW 17's and 18's for performance , 19's for looks. 20's if your trying trying to be Homie bling bling and should have bought an SUV.

Closing the gap is about a 1 inch front drop and 1.5 rear when running proper sized tires. Focus more on learning than looks, as a beginner you can have a pro built car but still look like a fool when you go out on track. Where an experienced drifter can look good driving a bone stock car.

 

I'm no drifter, but here's my advice(and main reasons I don't drift--money, and car condition)

If you want to seriously get into drifting, if parts/tires are coming out of your pocket, go cheap. Find the best condition 03-05 you can(cheapest models) and look for a base model. Base models have open differentials(aka peg leg, one tire fryer, etc) but they also don't have ANY electronic assist. (Covered later) Any other models will have a Viscous LSD which uses a "thick liquid" to limit the amount of slip that happens when one wheel breaks traction. As Terrasmak mentioned, they suck, for serious drifters. they are REACTIVE rather than PROACTIVE meaning you have to get one wheel loose before the diff realizes wtf is going on and sends power to the other wheel. This happens in a fraction of a second, but gets slower and slower each time, plus heat and repetition-something that happens continuously while drifting. Suggestion for a cheap fix for this is to have your OEM Open diff welded. This can be done by most machine shops, but you have to get the diff out for them to do it. This locks both wheels to be a "fixed axel". This can be undesirable if you plan on daily driving your Z. not only is it more [minor] wear and tear on your tires, but it can be dangerous in inclement weather. Making U turns will be odd for the car since the inside wheel SHOULD be turning less than the outside(think of how wagons with fixed axels work when turning). This is a minor inconvenience and merely prompts a "spirited u turn" in most cases

If you are SERIOUS about drifting, get a good 2 way/1.5 way differential that can be adjusted for more or less lock. 2 way setting being similar or the same basic idea as welding. It's preference from what I understand.

Now electronic aids- the base model has no traction control what so ever, except your feet. This is desirable for serious drifters since even when off, the traction control can "interfere" and tell you you can't do that (drift) anymore. There is a thread to permanently disable VDC, but I have not read much on that.

Money/Car Looks(my main reason to stray from drifting) Obvious cost is tires. I would say in the beginning just get your hands on any decent tires(wheels too if they come with) to practice on. Drifting isn't about having crappy super hard tires so they don't do anything but spin, quite the opposite. when you get better, you will need traction(contradictory thought) to control the drift better.

But also keep in mind that WHEN you hit something, not IF, something will need replaced. Body panels (if salvageable) can be zip tied on, but if you hit a wheel and it bends your suspension, that will add up. More costs could be the entire engine or drivetrain since the Z CAN drift all day stock, but it may not want to(previous owner's maintenance skills and even manufacturer defects)

Drifting is violent. Crashes are the obvious danger, but asking too much of your car for too long with it being unprepared is dangerous as well.

Like I said, I'm NOT a drifter. I hardly EVER break my wheels loose. My Z is my daily driver and has been for 3+ years. The option of crashing and walking to work was NOT in my vocabulary. Plus paying 25k for something to beat on didn't make sense to me.

Don't buy cheap parts, and be safe. Keep it off the streets/parking lots

/sideline drifter coach rant

 

/thread


Jesus that was spectacular! Thank you so much. Also, the tracks around here don't have any walls, curbs, poles, etc. an there's no way in HELL will I be drifting on the street. Thank you!

Also on wheel size, I've seen a 350 pull a 20" vossen deep concave rims. Absolutely love the look of it. Just that vossens are $$$$$$$

 

Thanks everyone! I pretty much have the answers I was lookin for. If you have anything else to add though, feel free