944 Drift project

[Starch]

Well thought I would finally start a thread about this.

I have enjoyed drifting for a while and chose to learn in an old BMW which got smashed whilst learning. It was when I went to got a competition license that I realised I had outgrown the abilities of a cheap learner car and wanted something else.

The next task was to decide what I wanted to use, the typical cars people have are Jap performance (think 200sx, skyline, toyota corrolla etc), or the budget option is the E36, E30 or E39 BMW. However as you have guessed I didnt fancy any of those usual routes. I have seen a few people try out the 944 or 924 option but pretty much all give up pretty soon.

So I found a car on here and after some prep work, (mostly sorting the diff to work well for drifting) took it for its first day out.

It looked great sitting there, but in action it was a little boat like and was in need of a chunk of work to get it ready to try and get a license for the 2012 season.

To fix this I purchased a new set of Spax RSX coilovers, re-indexed the rear axle and ended up with a much more manageable set up on the car, looking far more composed when in action.

Looking lower

Only action shot from the day, taken by my dad so not the best

Then the third day out was my first day at a proper circuit, which was a bit different to the wide expanses of Santa Pod, so as a result a one of the more typical drifting injuries occurred

But that didnt stop the fun

This cued the winter break, but due to a lack of funds not much happened to the car. The next outing was in January for a test day where I managed an hour before the original rubber clutch died and all drive was lost. So the next major job was fitting a turbo item all in time for last sunday so that I could go and try and get my license for this year.

Silverstone was wet, very very wet, and cold and even snowing and it was probably one of the most miserable days I have had at a circuit. The plus side is that it has attracted lots of attention as a different car, so there are some good pics.

The best news of the day was that I got a license and all being well the car will be out a lot more this year doing BDC and NDC

 

[Hairyarse]

Some great pics there - love the one drifting with no bumpers! Looks fun

 

[MarkK]

Looks like fun!
Tell us more about the competions etc?
Loved the pics!

 

[Starch]

Thanks, it is loads of fun and can get some good pics, one of the joys there are some great photographers that follow the sport and with its nature they easily look spectacular.
As events go they are pretty cheap. I can do a days testing for £200 including everything.

The comps are divided into classes related to skill levels. NDC is supposed to be a amateur series that will allow people to get some competition experience before feeding into the national championship the BDC.
The NDC is run over 4 events at the same venue (teesside autodrome) and only the top class of the 3 allows twinning.
BDC is a national championship run all over the UK at Teesside, Norfolk area, Lydenn hill, Knockhill (and silverstone for the super pro class) comprising of 5 events.

Each class will have up to 32 entrants, who will compete to qualify for the top 16 in their respective classes. Qualification is done via judging related to speed, clipping points, angle and style.
The top 16 will then compete head to head in twinning runs. A twin run requires 2 drivers, each will get a turn to lead, here the following car has to try and match the lead car as closely as possible, if the lead car manages to pull away it is their advantage, if the following car stays very close behind it is their advantage.

The winner from each battle will then go on to the next round until a winner is found.

If you want to see more check out this video.

http://vimeo.com/32437536

 

[Hairyarse]

That's an EXCELLENT video! Didn't realise it was such a big sport - looks fun and looks a good spectator sport too. How many sets of tyres do you get through in a day? ...and does your neck get stiff from looking sideways all the time!! []

 

[Starch]

Yea there are some pretty big budgets in the top cars here now. The Supra in the video I believe is getting on for 6 figures including a race spec Pectel (cosworth) engine capable of over 1000BHP

Depending on track time and conditions its possible to use in the region of 16 tires a day. The 944 though being light and low powered seems to use them alot less. normally 8 for a heavy day. It also depends on the start condition and the type of tire too. For example conti's are well known to de-laminate real quick. I tend to get mine from a local tire guy and use stuff thats no good for the road any more, its a good way of keeping the costs down. However for competitions I might start to look at buying some to have some consistency.

 

[MarkK]

Awsome video[]

 

[homesea]

Great video and good to see a Porsche drifting.

Just out of interest what did you do to the gearbox? I'm sure if you tried to do that in most Luxs the gearbox would explode!

Guessing weld the diff up??

 

[Starch]

The car is just a standard Lux 2.5 was converted from an Auto to manual at some point in its life. Yes the diff has had the mig treatment, cheapest LSD known to man and for this probably most effective.

 

[Joss Walker]

Loved the video and I didn't realise this was a competitive sport! I thought it was just Japanese cars having a laugh on a track!

Looks excellent fun and makes me think I might go to a meet, I liked spotting the old Nissan 200SX in there as well, its a fantastic car, I had one 20 years ago as it looked so similar to the Porsche 944 that I wanted but couldn't afford!

Good luck in the forth coming season and please keep us posted, we'll be interested to follow how you do.

 

[Starch]

Well here we are now at the end of the season. Its been a interesting/difficult year.

The car struggles with a huge lack of torque is the biggest thing and ultimately there will be a Turbo lump being dropped in over winter I think on order to fix this.

Even so I have still got some pretty good pictures from the NDC (northern drift championship) I have been competing in this year.

Images courtesy of Harpix photography

I have also this year acquired another car which I have been using for some development, but ultimately I think that will be for sale to fund my turbo conversion. Some of you may recognise it.

It had previously been used in the PCGB speed championship.

With this I also managed to get some nice split rims, however they have some slightly weird combinations of lips etc and I would like to try and identify them to build some proper sets. anyone any ideas? There is not a single mark/stamp on them.

I have also been using a dirty nissan for practice at one of the more risky venues within the UK. It has been used for practising track position by rubbing the back on the wall mid drift. Great practice, but it has somewhat taken its toll on the rotten shell of the nissan. Its also immense and cheap fun.

So for next year the plan is now to fit a Turbo engine into the white one, and use this within the British Drift championship, as well as maybe the NDC again, the brown one will probably come up for sale in the new year and the Nissan will be cheaply prettied up (if we can be bothered/have time) and it will continue rubbing the wall when ever we have chance.

 

[andy watson]

Looks total fun, would like a go at that - but in the Nissan []

Would be interested in your view on the Spax coilovers I am thinking of those myself for my 944

 

[Starch]

It is huge amounts of fun, its basically doing everything in a car that your not supposed to do all in one package.

As for the Spax dont have much to compare them to other than standard, however I think they are a huge improvement in the way the car handles. As you can see in the early photos the original set up is very boaty, but the Spax allows much more control over the feel and improves it a great deal.
I havent tried them on the road, but on the track they dont appear to be noisy or anything like that and they seem to ride the rumble strips well.

 

[MarkK]

Hi are those wheels made by a west midlands company called "Image"??
Great pics by the way[]

 

[Ex Skyline]

ORIGINAL: andy watson

Looks total fun, would like a go at that - but in the Nissan []

Would be interested in your view on the Spax coilovers I am thinking of those myself for my 944

It's KW vw3's that you need my son! The best of the best. [8D]

 

[jonnyporsche]

Looks great fun as all motor sport is, but and its a big but, isn't a 944 balance all wrong for drifting? Please tell me I'm wrong because I love all motor sport.

 

[Starch]

The 944 is ideally suited, anything that makes a good track car makes a good drift car (so long as its RWD anyway). The set-up used is fairly similar to any good track car all round only with a solid rear axle in order to get the most predictable handling. I have talked to alot of guys who have spent ages trying to get the 50:50 distribution on skylines etc. Cheapest way to go drifting out there is a E36 325, weld the diff and go play which IIRC was famed for also being pretty equal.

 

[nicksonmsport]

hi starch, surprised i havnt spotted this over on driftworks? i am a trader on driftworks and also have a 944 turbo track car in build. if you ever need any bits for your 944 give me a shout i have loads of spares! i will also be doing a fair bit of custom fab work on my turbo, aswell as a big holset currently being fitted. be good to see how this does with some good power from the turbo engine.

as starch has said the 944 is actually quite well suited to drifting, you may think that having lots of weight over the rear wheels is a disadvantage and will provide to much grip, but actually you need grip just as much when drifting as it provides drive whilst in the slide, which means you can drift much faster and still achieve good angle, and the chase car will struggle to keep up if all he is doing is spinning his rear wheels faster and not pushing the car forward.

it does make for a slightly more snappy car as if the rear end grips when on opposite lock it will fire you the otherway! but its just something you will adapt to getting used to the car.

interesting to see a 944 being used in this way!

 

[Frenchy]

Coooooooooooool, i worked with a guy that drove for one of the teams Falken i think, used to get his Mitsubishi 4 x 4 sideways.

 

[Starch]

I am on driftworks Nick, but just never got around to putting a project thread on there, and as it happens I have just emailed you about some bits.
I have been reading your project thread and it sounds really interesting and ultimately I think we are both heading in similar directions.

Falken guys are Matt Carter, Paul Cheshire and Alan Green IIRC. There are some pretty talented guys competing here in the UK.