My E30 Drift Machine Project

[BMW325]

ok, ive come to the conclusion that i want to make my '89 325is into a drift machine. The only luxuries i plan to keep are the backseats, carpet, doorpanels, and perhaps the aircon. The only mods i have so far are a Z3 shortshifter, K&N cone, ebay chip, and in the mail is an Ansa exhaust. I plan on removing the sound system, obc, and any other stupid electronics.
My last car ($1100 87 325is) was a beater that i would "drift" in the rain and on gravel roads all the time...so ive had experience driving an E30 sideways, but i want my '89 to have a more serious setup than the rusty $100 Eibachs and old original shocks on my 200k mile (im guessing since the odometer was broken) '87.
I know that i want to concentrate on making the rear end stiff and making the front end grip. I dont have too deep of a budget so heres my short-term plan:

-upgrade rear shocks
-upgrade rear shock mounts
-lowering springs front and rear
-rear shock tower brace
-upgrade fuel injectors
-upgrade spark plugs, wires

so does anyone have any advice or suggestions regarding which specific parts to get or where to get them

[BMW325]

pics of the '87

[whiteballz]

cool drifts, but uhhh on public roads?

not really all that smart...

[McReis]

Originally Posted by BMW325

ok, ive come to the conclusion that i want to make my '89 325is into a drift machine. The only luxuries i plan to keep are the backseats, carpet, doorpanels, and perhaps the aircon.

My last car ($1100 87 325is) was a beater that i would "drift" in the rain and on gravel roads all the time...so ive had experience driving an E30 sideways, but i want my '89 to have a more serious setup

I know that i want to concentrate on making the rear end stiff and making the front end grip. I dont have too deep of a budget so heres my short-term plan:

-upgrade rear shocks
-upgrade rear shock mounts
-lowering springs front and rear
-rear shock tower brace
-upgrade fuel injectors
-upgrade spark plugs, wires

so does anyone have any advice or suggestions regarding which specific parts to get or where to get them

Yes. I Suggest you learn what makes a car drift. Like an LSD perhaps. otherwise all those mods worth nothing.
Not even a car with 400bhp can drift whithout an LSD.

A 325 with a LSD doesn't need gravel or rain. It does it on tarmac.

But I don't think you'd like to make your road car a drift car, because drifting will demand too much from it, causing too much costs for a car you need to be running all the time.

Were you really serious, or just kidding with us?

[pimento]

And no stereo?! Are you mad?! You must be mad. I didn't have a stereo in my mini for a while, I was perpetually irritated and short tempered. Just can't not have music. Can't do it. ...Am I alone with this?

[Sweeney921]

Originally Posted by pimento

And no stereo?! Are you mad?! You must be mad. I didn't have a stereo in my mini for a while, I was perpetually irritated and short tempered. Just can't not have music. Can't do it. ...Am I alone with this?

yes, the sound of the engine is enough

[McReis]

Originally Posted by pimento

And no stereo?! Are you mad?! You must be mad. I didn't have a stereo in my mini for a while, I was perpetually irritated and short tempered. Just can't not have music. Can't do it. ...Am I alone with this?

That's because you don't have a BMW straight six, otherwise you'd find yourself with the stereo off al
l the time.

[BMW325]

Originally Posted by McReis

Yes. I Suggest you learn what makes a car drift. Like an LSD perhaps. otherwise all those mods worth nothing.
Not even a car with 400bhp can drift whithout an LSD.

A 325 with a LSD doesn't need gravel or rain. It does it on tarmac.

But I don't think you'd like to make your road car a drift car, because drifting will demand too much from it, causing too much costs for a car you need to be running all the time.

Were you really serious, or just kidding with us?

well my car actually does have a 3.73 LSD since is the "is" model. I know that the right chasis doesnt need much power to get sideways...thats why i want to concentrate on making the frame stiff and getting the suspension setup right. Ill admit that while i know what makes a car oversteer, i dont exactly know what make a car drift well.

and yes i was quite serious; while i dont want something thats undriveable, i do want something that i can throw around when i feel like it...i know its gonna be hard to get that balance

[BMW325]

Originally Posted by pimento

And no stereo?! Are you mad?! You must be mad. I didn't have a stereo in my mini for a while, I was perpetually irritated and short tempered. Just can't not have music. Can't do it. ...Am I alone with this?

hah, well i have a CD player that i bought from a friend a few months ago, but i never got around to installing it ( it woulda cost me $150 to have a shop do it because i have the 'premium' stock system that would require everything to be re-wired) so im used to no music already

[BMW325]

Originally Posted by whiteballz

cool drifts, but uhhh on public roads?

not really all that smart...

well those dusty roads that you see were in areas where a bunch of new houses were being built, so there was no traffic

[Quiggs]

H&R coilovers. Wide tires. I'm thinking 16x9. Lots of camber. Have fun.

[McReis]

Originally Posted by Quiggs

H&R coilovers. Wide tires. I'm thinking 16x9. Lots of camber. Have fun.

The wider the wheels, the less you drift.

Leave the car it is. It drifts enough with that LSD.
A few years from now you'll be thinking: "Why the hell have I done that to my car? And now I wish I had a perfect one and can't find them anymore..."

[BMW325]

Originally Posted by McReis

The wider the wheels, the less you drift.

Leave the car it is. It drifts enough with that LSD.
A few years from now you'll be thinking: "Why the hell have I done that to my car? And now I wish I had a perfect one and can't find them anymore..."

perhaps...see the thing is that ive had this car only since the summer but i keep finding things wrong with it, so i figure that rather than sinking money into keeping it a 'nice' car, i might as well make it a stripped-down machine

but i know what you're sayin

[BMW325]

i found this chart...

http://bmwe30.net/cgi-bin/datacgi/da...087&Section=05

Gereral setup for more oversteer:
Front tire pressure: Higher
Rear tire pressure: Lower
Front tire section: Larger
Rear tire section: Smaller
Front wheel width: Wider
Rear wheel width: Narrower
Front wheel camber: More negative
Rear wheel camber: More positive
Front springs: Softer
Rear springs: Stiffer
Front sway bar: Thinner/softer
Rear sway bar: Thicker/stiffer
Weight distribution: More rearward
Front aerodynamics: Less downforce
Rear aerodynamics: More downforce

now while some/most of those are good for a drift car, im sure that not all are...because i dont want to just have a tail-happy beast that cant be controlled

[kko]

http://www.driftsession.com/index2.htm

this site seeems helpfull