DRIFT 101 Picking a Drift Car
Picking a car to go drifting in isn’t all that difficult. The simple idea is to buy something that is already rear-wheel-drive and go.
However, not all rear-wheel-drives will work perfectly so here are some chassis to look for and why they are a good choice. We’ll also include some parts to add to really get started.
Chevrolet Camaro/Pontiac Firebird (Generation 4)
The Generation 4 Camaro/Firebird is a great starting point since this was the car that was battling the Mustang for vehicle superiority.
It handles better, is already packed with either the LT or LS V8, and aren’t terribly expensive for as new as they are, well for this list. You’ll definitely want to step up the rear differential to a LSD or spool if yours doesn’t come with one.
You’ll want to have shocks that are either setup for aggressive driving or adjustable to stiffen the suspension just like you would for a track day but are not a must if you’re just starting out.
Ford Mustang SN95
The SN95 was the Gen 4 Camaro/Firebird’s competitor when it was out, so this Mustang Chassis has a lot of stepping up to do. However, its cheap entry price more than makes up for the money you spend to make it handle better.
First upgrade should be a track bar or Watts-Link to help make the rear end track better than how the four-link does alone. From there either use a true LSD, locking, or spooled rear to allow the tires to spin easier. Finally, being that this is LS1Tech, we obviously say put an LS in it.
Nissan 240SX S13
A little bit older than our two previous chassis, but still a great car to work with. It comes in either the fast-back hatch or notch-back coupe body styles. Nearly everyone makes a suspension part for the S13 and many parts from within Nissan’s own lineup fit to improve the chassis.
There are even bolt-in options for nearly every LS that was made by GM and it nearly fits like it was meant to be inside the bay. Like the two previous cars, you’ll want to ditch the open diff and go with an LSD or spool. This includes ditching the factory Viscous LSD as it is probably not working anymore, anyhow.
You’ll also want to remove the rear HICAS system, which allowed the rear wheels to toe as you drove it to improve handling, if your S13 chassis comes with it. It actually hurts handling and converting to a non-HICAS isn’t expensive.
Mazda RX-7 FC3S
This is another great chassis to grab if you’re going to use an LS as there are tons of kits out there to do it and doing it yourself isn’t all that expensive. It’s also a great handling car out of that box but the front end will not get much angle as it came from the factory, though there are solutions to that.
So that would be an upgrade to look into along with changing to the Turbo rear differential if you bought a naturally aspirated FC3S. The Turbo differential will have a 4.10 ratio and come with a clutch-type LSD in the 86-88 FC3S, however the 89-91 will be viscous.
Try to find an 86-88 and its axle shafts since those will be different than the NA version but you don’t have to change the hub from 4-lug to 5-lug since the axle splines are the same. Those axles are also an upgrade since they are thicker for more rotational strength.