oceans11_gt

Hey guys, I'm new to the forum, but I was thinking about buying an FC for drifting. Does anyong ehave any good info that I should know before buying one. Is it reliable? I know that you have to take care of a rotary religiously, and that is the proper maintenance is done then it will last awhile. I guess I just want to know any other things before I buy. I'm all ears.

classicauto

iTrader: (3)

its a good platform just don't be afriad to spend money......these can be costly platforms to build and maintain

Also although the cars are good for drifitng I would recommend learing how in a 240sx since the nissans seem to lend a better feel to the actual learning process of drifitng

CompuBob

dont forget to watch alot of Inital D, also it's illegal to drift unless your FC looks like that one. just a FYI.

fcdrifter13

FCs are kinda short so they feel a little jerky. Also if you geta fc for drifting replace the 4 wheel streeing bushings. But if you are just learing how to drift there are better cars. The AE86 used to be a good one to learn in and were fairly cheap until that damn initial d came out now a real shitty one is like gold. Seen them go for more than a t2 with a street port, and the ae was totaly stock (try to explain the logic in that one)

the 240 is a very good learer and are fairly cheap. you can go to 240sxforums.com and usually find a coupe in great running condition for around 1500$.

FCs are awsome cars to drift in. I just feel there are better cars to learn in. Just tying to save you a little money.

JSmith0101

iTrader: (6)

Dude, hate to burst your bubble, but you should really think about searching some.

Drifting can be a great sport when done properly, safely, and at sanctioned events only. Whatever you do, don't show off in a parking lot, or anyplace like that. Imagine someone slaloming cones during construction season, that's how you will be looked at if you do stupid stuff in your car. Drifting is one part horsepower and five parts finesse.

The rotary will treat you as well as you treat it. It's still a car, not an invinisble beast, the likes of which the world has never seen, and it's got its weaknesses. Change plugs, oil, and keep every nut and bolt snug.

And remember, there's more than one way to get a rush while driving. Ever think about autocross or the strip or even rallying?

takahashiRyosukeFC3S

Everything people are saying here is true. I drift my FC and it is a bit twitchy but this can all be dealt with, with your driving style. Due to it's relatively shot wheelbase it does turn in quickly which allows for a fairly fast transition from strait to drift. There are different cars like the 240SX, or AE86 (toyota corrola gts hatchback) that would be much better suited to Learning to drift. One of the main things is setting your car properly to drift, and regular upkeep of ANY drift car. I’m not talking about just the regular fluid changes like oil, tranny fluid, brake fluid, coolant, power steering fluid (if you leave the pwr steering intact). You also must understand that again with ANY drift car you will regularly be rebuilding the LSD on the FC if equipped, the bearings at the differential, wheels, etc will go bad from excessive lateral force - these will need to be replaced regularly. Motor and transmission mounts, differential mounts will need replacing from time to time from excessive stress. The list goes on of things that need to be done regularly for any car that you will be driving past it's limits. The harder you push it the more often these things will need to be done.

In short, the FC is an amazing car to drift. It does however take a bit of setting up and some getting used to.

Hope this helps, Jana
TR

lupin

iTrader: (3)

The rwd corolla gts coupe is better for drifting but it doesn't look as cool. The coupe is stiffer and weighed less than the hatchback. I still think the hatchback looks cooler but I believe that the rx7 is a better car.

JesterJess

If you want to get an FC, don't go out and spend useless money on an AE86 Corolla, or Nissan 240sx... spend it on a good platform to build on. Pick up an FC that is in good condition, and learn with what you will be driving. Each of these cars are totally different to drive.... AE86, very light weight, and expensive to upkeep (at a drift level.) 240sx, is a pig, but stops and accelerates great.... BOTH handle transitions and sliding complete different.

Spend some time learning how to maintain your car. This will be your #1 most important thing, no matter what you are drifting. Next most important is SEAT TIME! Not just drifting, but get out and run some auto cross events. You can find them at www.scca.org Seat time is invaluable. Learn to control you car, and drifting will come naturally.

Jesse

J.T.P.

iTrader: (13)

the RX7 is a great platform for drifting, that is if you're willing to work a little harder on learning how to keep the car sideways... the 240's are naturally a drift car, that is when they get sideways they stay sideways... i don't have too much experience with the ae86's but from what i've seen and heard they're also easier to drive.. you'll need to do some suspension and steering mods to make the car a lot easier to drift, but when you're all done, i personally think it's a really great car to drift.... not to mention there's not too many out there, which makes them stand out.... if you do some research there's a lot of information about different peoples setups and what to do to make the rx7 a great drift car...

as for what to look for:
a series 5 is the best one to start with, since they are resonably priced, and doing a turbo swap into an n/a is pretty easy (speaking from experience) although if you want to take it to the next level you'll need to do some custom modification of the front suspension and steering/spindles to get the angle and caster needed to compete with the corolla's and 240's... but like i said before it's all worth it IMO!!

J.T.P.

iTrader: (13)

i definately agree, don't limit yourself to drifting... going to grip days and learning the race line is VERY important..... it will improve your driving TONS... as well as SEAT TIME, SEAT TIME, SEAT TIME!!!

takahashiRyosukeFC3S

I know I've seen it before but does anyone have a link to the steering components that increase steering angles that may require some modification to the body to allow the wheels to clear.

thank you,
TR

JesterJess

Seat time is not something that you can buy... You just have to get out there and do it. ABSOLUTELY, learning lines will make a huge difference. Take a close look at drifting, and I will be willing to bet that 90% of all professional drifters were running road courses before they got into drifting.

13angryB's

iTrader: (5)

http://www.mazdatrix.com/drifting.htm

J.T.P.

iTrader: (13)

super angle kit

you won't need to do body mods with this kit... once u modify the tie-rod end mounting points you'll need to start doing some spindle mods

Eternal_Gamer

iTrader: (10)

I think you should get a lower powered car first. I felt my Miata handled better, but it lacked the power of the 7. The 7 should be a second step. Get used to drifting before you go up to the 7. But the 7 can be used for everything. Drifting, autox, drag, etc. It is the perfect platform in my eyes. The 7 can be a bit pricey at times for tune-ups, parts and repairs. One thing that is good is that you can find complete engine replacements for around $1000 which is better than paying 2500 for a b16. Anyways, let me put it simple, if you aren't one to give up, then the 7 is for you. If not, then you will end up blowing your engine and parting it out. To me the 7 is a learning experience. The 7 aint got time for quiters. That's what I learned. Oh yea, prepare to be a pretty good rotary mechanic if you plan on keeping this car, or else you will get frustrated and stuck. Good luck!

InMyWhiteTII

FC's are awesome drift cars, they just take a little more skill to keep sideways.

The wheelbase is shorter than the 240SX and a little shorter than the AE86, so its nervous when its sideways until you get used to it. But that shorter wheelbase also enables you to throw it into a drift or feint into another drift much faster than any 240SX. Its a tradeoff. Also the car has a midship engine layout and low polar moment of inertia (read: flickability).

If you plan on running with KA24DE powered 240SX's or the infamous 4A-GE AE86's, then an NA will be just fine, but if you hang out with the Silvia, Supra, and FD guys, then you'll be wanting a Turbo II. Once you buy it and start practicing, you'll find out that you have plenty of power to get sideways, but you'll want to make it faster. You need to supress this urge and limit your engine mods to reliability, and focus your cash on suspension, tires, and a new LSD. Don't forget to put aside a savings account for when you smash your car into a curb or guardrail...it'll happen. Not everyone has access to AutoX. (although that would be sweet) Actually most JDM drifters started out street racing (Touge, not Dragging) and used the drift because sometimes it was faster through the tight, technical corners. Until the Gymkhana (like AutoX, only drifting is allowed, even encouraged) became popular, that is. The American pros, for the most part, started off in the dirt. Same principle, you're learning how to control the car before you learn how to get it sideways. I quote Ken Gushi's father, Tsukasa Gushi: "The car at the dirt, start drifting, at the cars self. I dont teach nothing, I just teach how control the car." Ironically enough (and a bit of a paradox), the best way to learn to drift, is to not drift. Deep man...deep.

You can get a new aftermarket LSD to replace your stock clutch type or viscous type. But thats ridiculously expensive. If you have an NA, then you can pull the Torsen unit from a newer gen miata, theres a writeup in the archive on how to install that one. Or if you opt for the Turbo II, the FD Torsen drops in the same way. And I don't know if he mentioned this in the writeup, but you'll want some help replacing the LSD from someone who is in the industry and has a gauge set. Its very important to get everything just right when installing the LSD.

FC's take some skill and seat time to drift, but once you learn how to drive it, its awesome. If you want to learn how to drift a little quicker and easier, I'd suggest an S14 240SX. They've got an enormous wheelbase and are very stable when sideways.

And about the guys saying that learning to drive grip first is better, i could not agree more. Once you can drive the car at its limit, pushing it just over the limit (drifting) is no problem. This is why so many road racers come into the drifting world, having never drifted a day in their life, and are better than 90% of people who start out as drifters. Bob Bondurant, whom i saw in a Grip Video, asked a JDM drifter if he could drive his car. He said yes, and Bondurant (Road Racer) was drifting as well as any "drifter" with a years experience.

MaczPayne

iTrader: (5)

In my opinion, drifting is the next step after grip driving. And it should never be done unless you know the physics of the car like the back of your hand. I rarely drift, but i've been doing Touge driving for the past 2 years in my 85 Celica GTS. I only got the FC not too long ago, so I'm just beginning to learn about the car. And trust me, the FC is a damn fun car to drive.

2RICE4U

I was also thinking of building a Fc drifter and i was woundering if you have anyother sites to help out. Think you could list some things you would need also ex: like what suspension components


Thanks

robtechfabrications

im building my fc into a drifter too...slowly...starting in autocross this year because i agree completely...SEAT TIME!! know how to drive your at its limit well before you press past that and kill yourself

jdmsuper7

iTrader: (1)

Alot of this has been covered, but still a good read.

http://www.fc3spro.com/TECH/DRIFT/dori.html

J.T.P.

iTrader: (13)

first things first..... learn the car in stock config before you start modifying it... once u get the hang of the car and know u can control it at any point, then start modifying it... practice the 5 basic techniques (watch the drift bible) and once u have those down then start modifying your car... if you can get a stock car sideways, once u start modifying it, it'll be soOOOOOO much easier, and you'll respect the mods more...

alright, so you feel comfortable getting the car sideways....
get the DTTS bushings and a get a GOOD set of coilovers, that are VERY ADJUSTABLE, not only dampening, but separate height and preload... ex: tein drift spec (i'm bias, cuz this is what i'm running) but JIC's, Cusco zero 2R (if you're a baller) or anything else like these.. you'll be happier if you wait and get a good set instead of settling for some springs and struts..

KEEP PRACTICING, and playing with the setting to see how it effects the handling of the car... if you're not good at remembering, keep a log of the settings and how it felt... KEEP PRACTICING-- go to track events, and practice zero counter around corners (grip days usually get pissed if you start drifting, so put it on the edge, but not over... this is great for practicing car control...)

next get a 2way or 1.5way diff (i'm running a mazdaspeed 2way, love it) there's many brands that will work great... cusco, kaaz, Deftforce... whatever that locks up good.... this will make things a lot easier to get the car sideways and keep it there.... but if you do this before you know the car you'll miss out on the understanding of how the car handles and not be able to use this to it's full potential...

start with these mods, save money for tires and keep practicing...

eyecandy

iTrader: (19)

This has been compiled overtime and from various different forums. With proper setup these can be among the best drift cars, imho the best way to categorize the FC chassis is an intermediate-pro, meaning you cannot just jump and the car start drifting like a 240.

I assume you have nothing for the FC? If so here is what I recommend:

First off replace anything that is BROKEN or WORN OUT!

-Polyuerthane or Pillow Ball bushing kit
-Toe elminator bushings
-Rear adjustable camber link
-SuperNow! Steering angle kit

-coilovers (if $$ allows I suggest to purchase the SuperNow! replacement camber/castor plates for more adjustability)
-strut bars
-Sway bars (rear sway bar would be a great value and possibly higher on the list)

Thats pretty much the order I recommend them in. Strut bars are in the middle of the list because of how it effects the FCs and causes them to understeer more. Sway bars are at the bottom becasue they should be the last item to be installed and after your chassis is setup properly, sway bars tend to complement suspension setups and can hinder your ease of proper setup if they are already upgraded.

If the car has stock power, remove all the rear camber, as your power and expericene increases, increase the camber for stabilty reasons. If you would want to do a alignment setup this is what I recommend:

Front: 2-3 degrees camber; zero toe (add upto 1 degree with power)
Rear: zero camber (add camber with more power); zero toe

Most importantly, as it has been stated, seat time is very important.

eyecandy

iTrader: (19)

SuperNow! produces a super angle steering kit for the FC and almost every other chassis out there, the FC yields a 7 degree increase in steering angle. They a bolt-in minus the possible cutting reguired of the tie rods. Both the SuperNow! and GP-sports kits ( which is a rebaged SuperNow! kit) are designed for OEM wheels/tire combo size combo (16x7), if running larger wheel/tires there is the possibilty of rubbing and other modifications maybe required.

Anyways, the kit includes (pictured below):

- 2x Tie rod ends with adjustable bumpersteer
- 2x bolt on spacers

The kit retails for $285 shipped 3-4 days within the US.

If you would like more info on SuperNow! products email me at seeltuned@aol.com

robtechfabrications

eyecandy...i take it you sell the supernow kits...you should do a group buy at a discounted price

J-Rat

iTrader: (2)

My lame drift pic: