Hi from Texas.

I'm a newly reborn engine enthusiast. I actually recently (4 or 5 months ago now) found out drifting was a real sport and desire to get into it set in motion an obsession learning as much as I could on youtube and in the forums. The more I read the more i learned that this can be an incredibly expensive hobby unless you can learn how to do things for yourself. So with the more assistance from youtube I bought a tig welder and have been learning to weld and studying cage and tube chassis design for bash bars etc. My next step was to invest in the tuning course from ya'll (which has been a whole new batch of things completely foreign to me). I live with my Grandmother and am currently her full time care taker (a roll I took on while my grandfather was fight cancer and have kept to allow her ample time to make her plans for long term care, eventually I would like to get into the automotive industry over here) and as I'm using her garage I have to play by the rules of her very strict neighborhood, so first things first I'll be repairing my fathers old car (that hasn't been ran since he passed away 5 years ago) to sell and have a little extra starting money for a rwd car to build into my dream car. I want to do everything myself, the stitch welding, cage, the painting, the interior, fiberglass panels, the engine, the tune, everything. The cars I've been looking at are the Rx8, 350z, 240sx, and 325i. The engines I've been looking at are the 1 and 2 jz's (personally I like the 1 a little more since I'm not drag racing with it), 13b rotary, ls3, the Barra if i can get it imported and the RB26. My favorites being the rb26 and the 1jz. i think the 1jz is most likely as it's the least expensive of the batch.

I'm happy to be a member, I look forward to learning as much as I can.

Start small on a project car, buy anything RWD manual and has a bit of aftermarket support (camaro?, mustang?) and just trash it break it and upgrade!

I get what you're saying, but I'm actually more excited to build the car than I am to drive it. Not that I don't want to get out there drifting but I do have my truck still, and while it's not allowed on drift tracks here there's plenty of twistys in some pretty uninhabited areas close by.

and i'm not a big fan of domestics. I'll take a properly tuned suspension over brute power any day.

Hi Fry,

Welcome to HPA, drifting is a good hobby and like you say, it gets real expensive real quick if you're paying someone else to do the wrenching. I deal a lot with drift cars, some home builds, some shop builds and the one thing I've noticed is the home builds tend to get over complicated as the builder sees what everyone else is doing and wants do that too with no real direction or end goal other than building an awesome drift car.

What Dugan is saying is right, start simple and build it up, if you're considering a BMW skid it with the BMW engine for a while to get seat time. You can buy a standalone and wire it in and run it on that to let you get used to wiring and tuning. While you've got your welder out weld the diff and modify the suspension for more lock and if you're up for it weld in a cage. As you get more seat time you'll likely start damaging panels, at this point you will need to learn to do the bodywork, if they're still metal panels a hammer and a block of wood works a treat, if GRP then fibreglass and cable ties.

The main thing is to have fun with it all, never get too serious as that when it becomes a drain on the enthusiasm and you just end up with an unfineshed projects in the garage taking up space

Hi Chris,

Thank you for the welcome. I agree, my intention is to get a car and drive it and learn before I start throwing a bunch of stuff in, and I only intend to throw it all in if I'm good enough to do some competing. I think I'm hung up on engines because I'm most likely going to buy an rx8 with a blown motor (can be had for as little as 500 locally) and from my calculations it's cheaper to swap a jz into it than it is to rebuilding the msp or swap in a rew. I can get a 1jz from the JDM importers here in Houston for as little as 1200 (1900 for a 2jz) with turbos trans ecu and wiring harness. From what I can find that's cheaper than a rebuild kit for an msp and 1/3 the price of a rew (pre rebuild kit and swap essentials). also from what i can calculate it's cheaper for me to buy a roller and jz it than it is to buy a 350z or 240sx (in good shape). the exception being the bmw. I hate bmw's I think they're the ugliest dang cars, but I may end up with one and if I do then my main focus will be to develop my ability and the suspension long before I start messing with the engine.

But building things has always been very exciting to me. I'd almost rather be on a drift team building the car for someone else to thrash....some people like running track, some people like power lifting.

I totally get you, I'm definitely not a drifter, I dont mind a skid but I do enjoy seeing something I've worked on out on track.

If the subframes in the RX8 are anything like an RX7 you'll need a 1J with a mid sump, been through that conversion before, it wan't as easy as people make out but well worth it.

The BMW's are horrible cars but any of the guys that I know who ahve drifted them, even total JDM guys enjoyed drifting them

Yeah from what I can see it's not going to be any easier with the rx8. I've always been one to take a big bite lol. I'll start a thread in the build forum when I get started. There's actually a bmw roller for sale for 400 in my area rn. If I had the space I'd nab it.