Serious Drift build Questions.
 

ok a bit of background. Started drifting an NA S4, blew then engine on casually driving down the highway, got a red S5 that im currently doing an auto to manual tranny swap on, and an SA. I loved my second gen, but im finding the first gen to be easy to drive even with a manual steering rack, and much more controlable (granted i did not have DTSS eliminators on my FC.

So my plans may be to sell my S5 after i finish, buy an S2 or S3 with power steering (if they mad S2s with PS, im still new to 1st gens), and build a drift car out of it.

now for my questions requarding possibilities.

1.) looking for decent HP, but not alot of it. I'm thinking of going with an S4 NA engine. now my question is, can I swap the engine, and ecu with the uncut wire harness and run it as Fuel injected with minor customizations. im trying to make roughly 160 to 170 HP.

2.) what kind of Coilovers, if any, are available for 1st gens.

3.) what can I do for a good LSD. I know driftlanta was or is running a 1.5 kaaz lsd for a miata it seemed like i read a while back.

as for my other plans, i was going to strip the interior, and have just a drivers seat, the dash, and a custom Roll cage, relocate the battery to the passenger side floor, and preferably have no emmisions on the car.

sorry for such a long post, and any feed back with suggestions or comment is appriciated. I'd love to make a drift 7 that could compete similar to the way most AE86s do when they have low power, and and use the lightwieght chassis as an advantage.

check out Mazdatrix and Racing Beat.
Its possible for a swap search around the forums you'll find a lot.
Mazdatrix and Racing beat both sale coilovers.
and i think mazdatrix sells the Kaaz lsd system for 1st gens.

Power wise--, I think it is best to pick up a 13b-re. Look around for a while, and you can get one for $1000.00 shipped. Now strip off the turbo's, sell them, sell the turbo rotors out of it, and you are down to less than $500.00, then high comp n/a rotors, street port, and header. Go with a cheap fuel only haltech ecu, use the factory 12a distributer, use the GSL-SE font cover and oil pan. I have made 206rwhp with this identical setup.
Chassis-- Only 84-85 1st gens had power steering options. They also have better geometry, and larger bearings (larger brakes on GSL-SE) Get a good lsd, urethane bushings, and all new factory tie rods/ball joints
Put on some stiff shocks and springs, and ideally take off as much weight from the rear, and add as much to the front as possible. AKA, leave the battery in the stock location. Drift cars like 52/48 weight balance.

Then go burn it up!!

thanks for the information you guys.

Get a disc brake rear end, because they all came with LSD. Then get that old tired stock LSD rebuilt by ISC Racing, they can improve on the clutch pack. Get some 4.88 gears.

1st gens do not have steering racks

do you compete in events or just..

Get a good seat as well, you'll need a bucket seat of some sort because the stock seats just don't cut it.

I've got s5 seats in mine but even they don't do the job of holding me in place. So I'd recomend a good bucket seat that won't have you flying all around the cabin, then you can just sit down and focus on driving the dam thing.

You can make your own coilovers if you get a sleeve kit and modify the strut towers. Requires a bit of welding but it's a cheap and easy way to go about it. Or as mentioned, just buy the racing beat coilover kit or whatever.

Yeah buddy, you dont have rack and pinion. 1st gens are REALLY old school "recirculating ball" there are a few people that have switched to rack and pinion, but I dont know if its worth it. You should rebuild your steering linkage if you plan on drifting, maybe get some poly bushings made up for it, or at least put new rubber in there. And there is a writeup on how to eliminate "wonder steer" I am sure someone can link you to it.

currently im just messing around. there is a limited amount of drift competitions here, but there are alot of autocrosses. ive been out of a 2nd gen for a while, and i dont like to drift the SA since i want to restore it, so i really havnt been able to practice that much.

i promise you im not picking up little bow wow and expecting to go drift in rush hour traffic for because its the cool FATF thing to do haha.

Thanks intense7, and loki. I didnt knwo about hte steering rack haha so thats great to know now. I actually have a momo racing bucket that was going in my FC, but i am holding off because i got like new black seats for it.

Coilover mod might not work for me, unless me and my dad get a welder within the next several months. but, thanks for the idea.

There are more options if you wanna go coil-over. Repeed sells a coil-over kit just for the street which means no welding or even cutting (I think no cutting). I would advise you go Tokico Lluminas, respeed springs (as they have various rates and dead coils for the rear), and respeed coilover set-up. They also have chamber plates and roll blocks to restore your roll center after you've dropped the car.

If you have the 110x4 bolt pattern i suggest either swapping out a gsl end and going with bigger rims (better tire choice) or swapping out the entire suspension (with tires) to a GSL-SE suspention (better tire choice, ride quality).

A lot can be had with $6k. Including a motor swap fresh rebuild (if you do all the work your self) and port, big brake kit, lightweight flywheel, clutch and plate, fresh tranny fluids, new radiator and hoses, bushing kit, coilovers ect ect.

Plan before you do and you'll see the money lasts.

If I got a non GSL/SE chassis, i can aquire a rear end easy. I currently actually have a GSL rear end going on my SA.