flipside27

anyone

flipside27

soo.... i cant use a harness bar in competition instead of a roll cage???

Roen

iTrader: (2)

how hot does it get in Detroit? Will you need A/C in the summer? Those are things you have to consider.

Properly depowered P/S will give you much more response and feel than P/S.....I found it hard, but not impossible, to switch to a P/S car and drift it, from a non P/S car, because you're not used to the dull response.

DTSS eliminators is a must, anything that disturbs your control at the limit needs to be gone.

Harness bar will be fine to attach harnesses to. You may want to consider looking at Schroth harnesses. They're supposed to be DOT legal and have fitment for the FC, but I can't seem to find where their "C" bolt point is. They do not require a harness bar or roll bar.

Ditch the leather seats for some 91 cloth seats if you don't want to go full bucket seats yet. IMHO, those are the best feeling seats (the 91 cloth and leather) of any year FC. Plus, the adjustable headrest makes it compatible with the Schroth harnesses mentioned before.

Basic drifting mods:

Stage 1:

Seat that holds you in. Bucket seat recommended. If not, 91 adjustable headrest cloth seat recommended.
Round Steering Wheel with centerline marker and a spacer.
Schroth DOT Harnesses
DTSS Eliminators (either Stage 1 or Stage 2)
Basic intake upgrade

Stage 2:
Shocks/Springs or Coilovers (TEIN Drifts work fine)
Energy Suspension Polyurethane Bushings with Graphite Inserts. (Delrin/UHMW would work nicer for a track car)
Camber/Caster Plates in the front, Camber Adjusters in the rear
As much toe-in as you can dial in the rear.
LSD

Stage 3
Power upgrades (Exhaust, computer, porting, turbo)
Sway bar upgrade (I would set up my drifting setup to dial in massive throttle power-on understeer, and use weight transfer/wheel locking techniques to get the rear out in the first place, so I can really get on the gas and not worry about it spinning)

EDIT: DUDE! Be a little more patient. Someone will answer your question.

flipside27

lol sorry
ive been in the house all day (the family car broke down. cant pick up the FC till sat. )so ive been sitting in front of the computer all day

but thanks alot everyone!
You all helped me out alot

when i get my car ill make a build up thread and keep everyone updated
THANKS AGAIN!

Valkyrie

NO!

A harness bar is NOT a form of roll protection.

The roll bar (cages are hazardous on the street without a helmet) is to keep the roof from breaking your neck if it collapses in a rollover (because you'd be strapped in upright in your seat).

OTOH, you may or may not really need a cage or bar for autocrossing and low-level drifting (you will need a cage for competitive drifting).

skizzle84

Good gosh, let me straighten a few things out here..

YES, you can drift a daily driver car. Why not? It's all about how serious you want to get, which goes hand in hand with reliability. Nearly everyone who drifts starts out with their daily driver or someone else's.

If you're very eager to get started drifting and improve, go in this order:
1) Drive and learn your car.
2) Drive and learn your car.
3) Drive and learn your car.
Preferably, at a track. I'm not going to get into the whole street sliding thing, even though I take part in it, because plenty of people are going to get their ants in their pants and get pissy. You can always find events. Although they may be hours away, they will be worth it. I've learned more than I could have imagined just by watching others, driving, and exchanging advice at events with others. Do it!

Through driving and learning your car, you will progress, so go ahead and improve the car as well!
-Of course, safety and security is most important. If you agree, I'd suggest getting a seat first off.
After safety has been taken care of, get a better tire and wider wheel if possible. Look around craigslist.org, ebay, and stop by used wheel shops around town, you'd be surprised what you'll find for good prices. Tire choice - federals. They're like $50 each brand new for a 15" and very grippy tire. This is as long as you're keeping costs down.
Later, bushings, suspension, steering, and a diff. If you want to get down to business, just get coilovers, steering rack spacers, diff/engine/tranny mounts, and an open diff to have welded (or a stock 1.5 way ).

Seriously, if your engine is reliable and you take care of it, it will take care of you. My car is my daily driver to school some 60+ miles a day, my road trip vehicle, and the occasional track car. Never a problem other than the usual for older cars (alternator, belts, etc)

Just go slide it!!!!!!!! Carefully, and not in public

DavidHolmesIII

The GXL doesnt have abs I dont think, mine does not anyways, check the fuse box, top right area there would be a fuse if there was an abs computer. Also gxl is a good choice in that they came with a LSD, only the TurboII and GXL had that, except for after 89 I think, then it was only the TurboII.

NA/FC-Drifter

I have an 88 GXL also. As far as the ABS, no, mine locks up all day. The 225s are the tires (the tread width) (in mms i think). I think our stock tire size is like 205/60/15s. Same as S13 240SXs stock wheels.

magus2222

iTrader: (22)

like skizzle said, dont be sliding around in public, it ends up something like this alot of the time.................




peace

flipside27

okay so now the list of priorities goes....
from most important to least important

mods

1. seat
2. steering wheel
3. roll cage
4. suspension upgrade (what should i buy?)
5. sway bars
6. TII swap

and durring these transitions of course plenty of seat time!

Roen

iTrader: (2)

i'm still very opposed to running cages on the street.....flesh < metal

Rotary_Knight

iTrader: (4)

Yea it's actually quite dangerous lol. I had to ride in my buddies car in the back seat and I layed across the whole thing to keep myself as far away from that metal as possible. No padding and if I hit that, there goes my brains.
I don't think a cage should be up there quite yet, but I do think it is something very important of course. It's hard cause it is a matter of safety, but it's kind of a double edge sword on the street cause you can't wear your helmet everywhere on the street. Unless you just get a 4 point roll bar for the rear it's not so bad.

flipside27

what about that styro-foam stuff u can wrap around the metal? and i wouldnt get the type that blocks the rear view mirror

Hypertek

iTrader: (3)

skimmed thru this thread.. but a differential is a must.. probably the first and only thing you need to get started.. , putting your car on a diet wont hurt... and you want a real good clutch and ebrake.

Learn how to spin the car first.. like doing 180s.. you basically learn how to break rear traction... funny how soo many noobs do not know how to do this and say they drift..

All my cars have been built for drift, ironically i dont drift.. daily drive now becuase i dont have the work scedule to allow it *I work weekends*..

Roen

iTrader: (2)

flesh compressed on the styrofoam < metal.

The thing I worry about, is that after an accident happens, it's too late to say, oh well, I guess I probably shouldn't have put the cage in.

None of my street cars have/will have cages. I have a strict no cage rule because I think it's dumb and because I value my skull/brain/etc.

blwn rtr 89'

iTrader: (5)

first off i just wanna say that this thread is filled with alot of bullshit.

its your DD, the first thing someone shouldda said is drifting your DD is not a smart idea. its your only car, think about what your trying to do one mistake on the track even at slow speeds you can wreck any car. its not fun it sets back your money so you mod slower and not worth it.

for now forget everything but tune-up needs.

save some cash and buy a junker for $400 that works. then proceed on tracking your 7, i can tell you right now the drifting scene where we live is nither big nor great.

the last thing you need is to go to woodward and try to do some stipid ****. there quite a few tracks around here, there a small track in clio that lets people drift, its not bad.

your going to need a cage

dont get pissed when your car dosent put down what you thought"if you build the GXL"

and ask your self this before you commit to a drift car, do you wanna buy new tires every 2 weeks and drive a car with no suspension travel ........daily?

flipside27

umm...yeah

I actually don't have a choice.
drifting/racing is something I want to do
At the same time I have to manage a company and raise money for collage so all the cash i can get goes straight in the bank
and all my other time is spent getting my portfolio ready

and "don't get pissed when your car doesn't put down..." correct me if I'm wrong (seriously correct me) but it sounds like your talking ****. are you saying a TII swap wouldn't work?

and go to Woodward? do something stupid?
I am a child but I'm not childish

I have a car.
one single car
and I have a goal

isn't this what tuning is about in the first place?
In japan when the kid was given shitty little civics, they wanted to race.
and that civic was all they had. they didnt say "oh, dude, i might crash it!"
they tuned theyre only car the best they could, took great risks, and did what they wanted to do

and with this GXL I hope to achieve the same thing

blwn rtr 89'

iTrader: (5)

i never said not to do it, i said its not smart to make your DD full on race ready.
modding a DD is fine, but drift cars drive like **** on open roads. and you know michigan has pot holes big enough to fall inside of.

by all means if u wanna race and you got goals more power to ya. but those kids in japan, with the civic their car and parts for that car are cheap as ****.

you dont own a civic, you own a 7.

parts= cash
the rotary is not easy to diagnose if you are unfimalir with it
most mechanics wont touch them
most of the ones that will fick them up
rotary shops= cash
oem replacements=bank

point being not many people own one unless they love them due to the nature of the car

if you are going to beat the **** outta this car at the track, you need to know whats up. with drifting its not a matter of "might crash" its "when will i crash"

look at most drift cars, bumpers go out along with exhaust and fmic's daily(same can be said for auto-x) just because sometimes **** that you dont expect happens.

you can swap a 13bt into the GXL just fine, i own a GXL with a bt swap.

a turbo is the only way you will get real power to the rear wheels, and with you being a student, and paying for things on the side building a DD track ready car is alot to undertake (unless you shop it out$$$$)

the club usually meets on woodward, but we dont need any more wannabee drifters drawing cops over to the parking lots cuz some douche is doing donuts.

im not talking ****, but i take pride in seperateing my self from said douches as much as possiable

drifting if anywhere is for the track

i got some hooks on parts, and me and a few other guys can give you a hand if you need it.......... good luck

katona8c

Practice, Practice, Practice.

flipside27

I completely agree

I want to learn as much as i can about this machine and Im going to need all of the help I can get. As you can see I dont know much about it at this point but I dont make petty gestures in hopes of gaining attention. And I dont start anything and half *** it.

The life style, the culture, the technique, everything about racing in general apeals to me. I want to drift asap. With help from any rotary enthusiast, I should be able to reach my dreams faster.

My dad wouldnt even let me get this car untill I could drive as good as him.
(still cant) but He believes Im capable of doing so.

As for cash, If i get enough scholarships and financial support I should be able to use my job money for my car which should allow me to swap engines and be complete with the luxury->race transition by next fall-ish or sooner

and since you dont want any wannabees in the club
Id appreciate it if you pm'd me before your next meeting

Im sure you've seen them or have friends like them who talk about how great they are and how skilled at yanking the e-brake they are . Yeah thats 95% of the people I know...

Michigan is full of flaky people who talk out of their ***
I admit to my nievity, and hope that others can at least see my ambition.
And blwn_rtr_89 i want to ask you and the guys you know to teach me everything you know about this car

I'd appreciate it


and you wouldnt happen to know about some FC in royal oak with (i think) a blue streak off center from front to back? It had an NA hood but Ive never seen another FC in my life other than mine

Rotary_Knight

iTrader: (4)

It seems there are lots of folks with different opinions about how to set up an NA for drift, there are tons of options you'll learn what suits you best as you go along. At least now you get idea of what is coming up. I learned by going to the track. I learned from guys Todd Ho, Henry Ahn, and Peter Jun. Todd is in Formula D, henry has won a bunch of events but is lazy lol, and Peter is just a crazy driver who you won't find on the track much he's been driving with henry from the beginning. So yea I'm done puttin in my 2 cents. have fun and make a build thread they're fun.

Roen

iTrader: (2)

lol, if you're into racing......drifting's probably not where u want to start.

if you're just a car enthusiast, drifting's not that bad of a place to start.

Vernal

Swap a FD motor and you're good to go

blwn rtr 89'

iTrader: (5)

if you compare cost of the swap to benifit of the brew platform. there more expensive, you need a ecu, mounting brackets, mount a fmic, and the trans you get with the front clip is useless to you, unless your sweet with a welder and can make a propreller shaft, as well as cut the fd rear end brackets off and size it up with fabed plates to fit the fc which would cos as much as a bt tranny anyways, you would be better off with a bre or 20b swap, most brew' s who want to gain a whole lot of power switch to single turbine.

bt is the way to go in his situation

flipside27

no man I gotta take it one step at a time! lol
Im not just an enthusiast I realy dont like cars much at all actually

The Rx7 just seemed to match my personality and it became my weapon of choice

But i love performance, and being able to use things to their fullest potential. Pushing limits
when Im not studying RX7 stuff im either jumping off of roofs with skates on or training for MMA

As soon as i heard about drifting, It looked as if the drivers had full controll over the car.

since the day I got my permit, I wanted to learn how to be able to do ANYTHING with my car under any circumstance.


and maybe after Im satisfied with my drifting abilities I might move on to grip or drag