View Full Version : Suitabile BMW's for drifting
Given that i spend alot of boring days at work and don't have alot to do all the time i spend quite a bit of time looking on the net at various cars, sussing out their drift credentials and seeing if they have what it takes to be my next car.
Anyway i have been having a little look at BMW E30's recently as i've noticed that after all of the Jap cars these are some of the most popular drifters. The thing is i just wondered what they are like, as there seems to be enough of them around for little money plus theres lots of cheap parts about. What models are most suited as well, i'm assuming M3's but they are a bit rich for me, so what about 325i sports and 318is's?
If anyone has any info i'd appreciate it.
:D
Right, depends on what you want to do really, 318is would be good for low speed but I just can't believe it would be up to competitive standards at Silverstone judging by my experiences with my car.
325i, well, I'm not sure. From watching videos I'm not convinced it has enough oomph again, although Julian in the E30 M3 reckons with his bodged manifold he's only running about 170bhp (the same as a 325i), and he was going top guns. So if his power estimate is correct a 325i would be great.
I reckon you want an M535i or M5, you can pick up an E28 M5 with the pukka 286bhp engine in good nick for about £3k. That would be my choice if I had the money to do it.
I'm really not sure how much power you actually need, as you know I was going to weld the diff on my car, but I have a feeling that if I weld the diff I will then have too much traction to keep the wheels spinning and will then have the problem of not enough power instead of an open diff stopping me.
I'm hoping to get a second car to drift with now, I've got my sights set on an ex-police Vauxhall Senator, standard cars have 204bhp@6000 and 200lbs/ft@3600, the police spec should have a little bit more. I'm hoping that'll be good enough to be competitive, since with much deep thought I just don't think I'm ever going to be really good at the corner transitions with 150bhp(that's if my car still is still developing that much, too).
325i, well, I'm not sure. From watching videos I'm not convinced it has enough oomph again, although Julian in the E30 M3 reckons with his bodged manifold he's only running about 170bhp (the same as a 325i), and he was going top guns. So if his power estimate is correct a 325i would be great.
Hmm, i figured that a 325i might have enough power as its about the same as a standard S13, plus i know it had a bigger torque curve than the M3 engine. I do like the fact that 325i Sports come with an LSD (although i have no idea how good it is) plus the mtech suspension might be better than standard. They also seem to have quite a few tuning parts available.
All that said i'll probably just end up getting a S13, i was just thinking about what alternatives there are, especially some of the euro cars as we have so many of them kicking about.
I reckon you want an M535i or M5, you can pick up an E28 M5 with the pukka 286bhp engine in good nick for about £3k. That would be my choice if I had the money to do it.
Think you'll only get a decent M535i for that... good E28 M5's go for good money. The M535i come with (i think) about 220bhp
You could always get an E21 323i? i've had a couple of these and they're great fun!! if a bit juicy! Very cheap to buy :)
Nah, seriously, there was a mint E28 M5 with 850CSi brakes fitted by Munich Legends and Full BMW/Munich Legends history, under 100k that sold here recently for a tad under £3k. I can find you a decent M535i for under a grand and I bought my top 525i (that I'll admit is a little less top after me terrorising it for a while) for 260 quid. M535i is 218bhp.
E21 323i is an idea I've toyed with myself, but I think the wheelbase may be too short and drifting at high speed, with not much power and no power steering could be hard work.
What about some of the E34's, are they too heavy or would something like a 535i be suitable? Any idea if they have LSD's? Also what LSD's are on the BMW's, are they viscous ones or some kind of clutch type?
E34 should be good, I had an E34 520i 24v with crappo tyres on the front and superb dunlops on the back, now, it understeered like a pig but every time I say that to someone else they scream at me "MY MATE'S IS AWESOME" or "MY OLD ONE WAS AMAZING" or some other argumentative comment, so I think the tyres were the problem.
I can say that if you dumped the clutch mid-wet-corner then it would slide very nicely thank you very much, but I couldn't hold it out there, probably down to my driving then too since my E28 taught me to drive sideways (I had two options, that or learn to crash).
The LSDs are clutch type 25% lock, I don't think they're that great for drifting since they're not a very strong lock, but once you've got the car sliding I know they're ok because I've seen plenty of Beemers with 25% lock diffs doing some very impressive stuff. :)
I reckon a 535i Sport would be pretty good at it, 211bhp, LSD, good suspension setup, about 1500kg. I don't think they're too heavy, I mean the car I want as a dedicated drift car is a similar weight (won't be for long though. :wack: ). Having ridden in an E34 535i I can tell you the 3.5 engine is superb, elastic band type acceleration from low down in the revs. No exciting "wallop" of power it just kinda...goes...and goes...and rev limiter next gear...and it goes...and goes....
Having ridden in an E34 535i I can tell you the 3.5 engine is superb, elastic band type acceleration from low down in the revs. No exciting "wallop" of power it just kinda...goes...and goes...and rev limiter next gear...and it goes...and goes....
Yeh they are cool, when i was a young lad and when they were first about my grandad had one, and even though it was an auto it really shifted. I used to think it was like the millenium falcon, looked a bit simple but it was properly rapid. :D
E21 323i is an idea I've toyed with myself, but I think the wheelbase may be too short and drifting at high speed, with not much power and no power steering could be hard work.
My second 323i was very good at getting sideways... infact it could be a little scary sometime! In the wet, the wheels would lose traction if you happened to go over a mancover or metal grille while very gently accelerating!! :eek: Loads of torque! :thumbs: Then again my 323i was'nt exactly standard.
Then again you could always get hold of a M535i engine and shoehorn it into an E21! I did consider doing this many times but never got round to doing it...
My second 323i was very good at getting sideways... infact it could be a little scary sometime! In the wet, the wheels would lose traction if you happened to go over a mancover or metal grille while very gently accelerating!! :eek: Loads of torque! :thumbs: Then again my 323i was'nt exactly standard.
Except for "loads of torque" this sounds like an exaggerated version of my car. :) It's ok over manholes etc, but touch the pedal on a greasy road with a gentle curve and weeee....floor the pedal and YEEEEE HAAAAW. hehe You get used to it though, it's predictable and you just get used to cornering with a dab of opposite lock all the time. Totally communicative, you always know what it's doing. Awesome stuff.
I seriously won't let anybody drive my car in the rain, it's far too easy to break traction. I love it, it's fantastic, understeer? What's that?!
lol, that does sound fun but i can't believe i'm being tempted to buy a 535i. I've always been into jap cars really and have never considered a BMW but i imagine one might be fun. The other thing is i hope that at some point i will have the money to buy a big Jap car like a Toyota Mark II, Chaser or a Soarer, so maybe a 535i would be some cheap practice at driving a 1500kg car. :thumbs:
For drifting though I'd really look at E28s, I know they're a bit gangsta and you get called a grandad by the comentator, but an M535i would be superb and is lighter than an E34. With uprated suspension I'm 100% convinced they'd be a great drift car.
PhilMorrison
02-06-2004, 17:21
If he reckons it's only 170bhp, Julians E30 has a 'very' good power to weight ratio, he was nearly as fast as me in the Twin comp..
Except for "loads of torque" this sounds like an exaggerated version of my car. :) It's ok over manholes etc, but touch the pedal on a greasy road with a gentle curve and weeee....floor the pedal and YEEEEE HAAAAW. hehe You get used to it though, it's predictable and you just get used to cornering with a dab of opposite lock all the time. Totally communicative, you always know what it's doing. Awesome stuff.
They certainly are great "drivers cars", i am very tempted to get a E28 535i just as a drift slag :) I do love the "old sharknose" Beemers, very refined for their time, way ahead of everyone else in their class (except Mercs).
It might have been a little dodgy over manhole covers e.t.c in the wet because it had questionable tyres, but i seem to remember them as being fairly good brands to compliment my deep dish Alpina alloys and slammed suspension... :nod: :D
E21 on Alpinas.... :thumbs:
But don't say Mercs were more advanced for their time, hahahahahahaha, hahahahahhahahahahahahaha.... :)
Phil, you're right, I was sceptical when he said it too, from following him down to the petrol station I reckon he had more than that too, but it can't be more than 200ish.
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