• Engine
• Drivetrain
• Wheels & Suspension
• Brakes
• Interior
• Cooling system

History of Keiichi’s AE86

Keiichi’s drifting exploits have proven an inspiration for sideways enthusiasts around the world for coming on three decades. His green racing suit, his AE86, and his signature aggressive driving style are the key components of his iconic brand. You can read more about Keiichi’s life and racing career here, however this article is focused solely on his personal Toyota Corolla AE86 – the car that started it all..

His green racing suit, his AE86 and his signature aggressive driving style are the key components of his iconic brand

Keiichi purchased his Toyota Corolla Trueno in the mid 80s, allegedly building up his funds by working multiple jobs (one as a club bouncer!). With the keys in hand he worked during the day and practiced his driving skills at night. His chosen stomping grounds being the mountain passes of Japan.

After Keiichi had worked hard to make his way into the motorsports scene of Japan he took extra effort to build close relationships with his race engineers and while driving for Toyota (TRD) he built a great relationship with Mr Sakurai of Toyota’s Racing Division.

This fantastic video from back in the nineties shows just how potent Tsuchiya-san can be behind the wheel of his AE86 with just a 1600cc naturally aspirated engine. It is rumored that street racing and the on road driving antics shown in this video cost him his domestic racing license after a run in with the Japanese authorities.

Tsuchiya specified “total balance” over outright power for his own AE86 build

Working with Mr Sakurai, Tsuchiya specified “total balance” over outright power for his own AE86 build, all areas of the car’s performance were to be improved and only afterwards was power to be added.

The TEC-ART Partnership

When Mr Sakurai passed away Keiichi reluctantly needed to find a new workshop and engineer for his beloved Trueno, he selected TEC-ART of Saitama, Japan. TEC-ART’s is at top of the Toyota Corolla Levin scene and was the natural choice at the time.

TEC-ART took Mr Sakurai’s already highly developed platform and recommended a slew of upgrades to increase overall performance. These upgrades are detailed in the sections below.

AE86 Engine specification

The engine was given a total overhaul with a staggeringly long upgrade list, everything from the engine mounts to the cylinder head assembly were touched.

• 7A-G 5 valve (AE111 head)
• Power Output: 217ps (214 hp) @ 7200rpm
• Torque: 22.9kgm @ 4200rpm
• AE111 cylinder head ASSY
• 7A-FE engine block ASSY (Used 7AG engine and used 20-valve engine)
• TEC-CAM264 (264-9.0Mm) TEC-ARTS TOMEI collaboration products
• TODA strengthening valve spring
• 82deg forged pistons Koizumi Shokai made
• TEC-ART’S 7AG dedicated I-beam connecting rods
• Crank shaft: 7A genuine “balancing”
• Crank cap bolt (ARP strengthening bolt)
• Crank metal & connecting rod metal: NISOM Tasu TRD
• Various parts WPC / DLC processing
• Oil pan spacer (TEC-ART)
• Large capacity Carl funnel (TEC-ART)
• Leveling injector (TEC-ART)

• IMPULSE made 5-valve water around KIT
• Aluminum pulley set (TEC-ART)
• Water pump adapter
• Super alternator (TEC-ART)
• Planetary starter (TEC-ART)
• other processing: combustion chamber processing (combustion chamber volume adjustment and correction) block shakeout etc..
• MOTEC M84 set
• Direct ignition KIT (TEC-ART)
• New engine harness production
• The current car settings (with horsepower measured at the chassis dynamometer)
• Mount: TRD strengthen engine mount
• Mount: TEC-ART’S made mission mount bush SET

• Strengthening fail-pump (SARD made )
• EX manifold (Type-F)
• Street Premium muffler Tsuchiya version muffler (serial number)
• 2-layer radiator (Type-R) electric fan set)
• Oil cooler (electric fan set)
• Present car Settings (MOTEC chassis Settings horsepower measurement) at dyno
• Engine harness production
• TEC-ART’s made EX manifold (Type-F)
• Street Premium Muffler
• AE111 genuine catalyst

AE86 Drivetrain

To get the new found power onto the ground TEC-ART’s opted for their own single plate clutch kit and a hybrid 2-way rear differential.

• TEC-ART’S made 7AG dedicated carbon single clutch KIT (pro – spec 2)
• TEC-ART’S made N2 Cross mission + TRD 2WAY + 4.7 Final

AE86 Cooling System

• TEC-ART’S made of 2-layer radiator TYPE-R + electric fan 2 groups set
• Setrab made oil cooler (W360 × H265) + electric fan

AE86 Wheels & Suspension

Keiichi’s AE86 has worn many different sets of wheels over the years however it is currently on a set of MEISTER CR01 by Work. TEC-ART’s own brand suspension dampers have been fitted all round for enhanced body control.

• TEC-ART’S made by TEC-DAMPER TYPE-Aragosta (Street type front / 8k rear / 9K)
• Nagisa Auto made pyro tension rod and Pirorowaamu
• TEC-ART’S made Pirro control arm
• TRD stabilizer (front) + genuine stabilizer (rear)
• WORK MEISTER CR01 8.5j / off + 3/15 inch (front)
• WORK MEISTER CR01 8.5j / off + 3/15 inch (rear)
• GOODYEAR RS SPORT 195-50-15

AE86 Brakes

The car’s braking power has been increased by DIXEL rotors and calipers all round with ENDLESS brake pads.

• DIXEL made slit disk rotor SD + full overhaul caliper (processing for MZ20) (front)
• ENDLESS made brake pad CC-Rg (front)
• DIXEL made slit disk rotor SD + full overhaul caliper (TEC-ART’S) (rear)
• ENDLESS made brake pad CC- Rg (rear)
• TEC-ART’S made original stain mesh hose

AE86 Interior specification

The interior has only been lightly modified; three performance gauges, a TRD wheel and shifter plus a pair of custom BRIDE seats complete the cockpit.

• Water temperature gauge
• Oil temperature gauge
• Oil pressure gauge
• Driver’s seat BRIDE GIAS II (Keiichi Tsuchiya KING version)
• Passenger’s seat BRIDE STRADIA II (Keiichi Tsuchiya KING version)
• TRD Steering & Shift Knob

Want an instant hit of AE86 drifting action? Try our drifting games section. We just added six new 3D drifting games.

The finished Keiichi Tsuchiya AE86

So what do all of these extensive modifications add up to? Watch the video below to find out, as the drift king battles a Nissan Skyline R34 GTR!

TEC-ART offers the full ‘Tsuchiya Keiichi’ AE86 menu to owners of the car, if you have the cash and want the best drop them a line. The TEC-ART website is here: http://www.tecarts.com/.

Want to jump behind the wheel and slay tyres with your own AE86? You can do that and much more by playing Drift Hunters.

Now that you have boned up on Keiichi’s AE86 why not take a look at his life story as a street racer?

Curious to learn more about another iconic Hachiroku? Then, you’ll love our Initial D AE86 Guide.

Just as Keiichi-san has his iconic AE86 so Daigo Saito has his JZX100. Check out our Daigo Saito JZX100 feature.

Thank you for reading this article, I hope you enjoyed it. If you have any questions drop a comment below.

The post The Keiichi Tsuchiya AE86 Trueno first appeared on Drifted.com.

Wow it feels like an eternity since I’ve sat down to drop a cool feature, work commitments have really eaten up a few hectic months of my life but one could have worst complaints, given my brief absence I felt what I came back with would have to be something altogether a little special, a little unique, well thanks to Mr.Kazama and Paul Kane, we bring you just that!

Check out more Nissan Silvia S15’s on Drifted

• DRIFT CAR: Garage Life BN Sports S15
• DRIFT CAR: Just a clean Nissan S15
• DRIFT CAR: Yokohama 1JZ Nissan Silvia
• Nissan Silvia S15 tagged on Drifted

Enter on Que 1 No. Kazama built special Nissan s15, churning out no less that 450 horses may I add, but really what does that mean, 450bhp?

Well for me at least in Ireland it’s difficult to emphasis how much power that is for a road legal driveable car, I feel we have been sucked in and created this blase approach to power figures where 300bhp is  just a standardish car, spoiled with the riches of a Celtic tiger and the packed ships of high powered RWD cars that followed from Japan.

To try put it into perspective, this car produces as much power as a Porsche 911 GT3RS, it produces a whole 100bhp more than say an E46 BMW M3, that might aswell be a VW Golf , ok so we get the idea, this car is packing the punch to meet its hardcore Japanese styling.

Right away I can tell, you will either completely love this car or you will cringe at the thought of all that beautiful gear in that body, however I think all special cars are a bit like that, otherwise they would just be the same as every other subtly styled car I imagine.

Subtle S15 lines are ditched for some hardcore edges which comes in the form of the Promode body parts which have been fitted.

Dark, moody edgy, this car has some serious attitude.

The quality of the body work is flawless, you can see even from these shots above how good the over fenders match up with the front bumper.

A quick glimpse underneath the bonnet and you can instantly tell this car has all the right ingredients.

The car sits on these awesome chrome Volk GTV rims, only complimented further by an awesome set of Grex 6 pot stoppers.

As if the hardcore graphics weren’t enough we see even more signs of Japanese culture tagged on the front window.

The co-pilot at any given time is treated to the responsibility of ensuring all is good under the hood via an array of Greddy gauges mounted in the dashboard.

The driver just get’s one, Paul get’s it hard enough to keep the back wheels on the road with that aggressive Cusco two way differential without any further distractions.

More business as usual on the inside, matching Recaros, Works Bell snap off wheel, and much more.

The car, remains unchanged since is importation a few years ago, it stills carries the names of famous tuners Kazama and vehicle exporters Powervehicles, like many of Powervehicles cars, this particular car was imported by WKD Imports from Co.Carlow.

I leave you with my closing shots, as always I hope you enjoyed, special thanks to Paul Kane for allowing us to shoot his ride, Paul is selling his car, opportunites to buy a car like this are a rare thing these days.

Kazama Silvia S15 spec list

Exterior

• Repainted Kazama Auto Red
• Kazama Auto Aero (F/S/R, F/R Fenders)
• Kazama Auto 2005 D1 Graphics
• SARD Rear Wing
• Vented FRP Bonnet
• Ganador Mirrors
• Wise Square Rear Tail Lights

Interior

• Factory Option Navi (Folds away into top of dash)
• Works Bell Snap off Boss
• Personal Steering Wheel
• Kazama Auto Shift Knob and Drift Handbrake Button
• Blitz Turbo Timer
• GReddy Profec B Spec 2 Boost Controller
• GReddy Meter Controller
• GReddy E-Manage
• GReddy Fuel Press, Oil Press, Oil Temp and EGT Gauges
• Carbon Look Shift and Handbrake Gaitors
• Recaro Seats x 2
• Razo Pedals

Engine

• GReddy FMIC Kit
• GReddy Oil Cooler Kit
• GReddy T67 Turbo (Polished)
• GReddy Downpipe
• GReddy Wastegate
• Greddy Manifold
• Metal Suction Pipe
• Z32 AFM
• Induction Kit
• Kazama Auto Oil Catch Tank
• GReddy Radiator
• Nismo Fuel Pressure Regulator
• Uprated Engine Room Fuel Line and Connectors
• Custom Cam Cover
• Aftermarket Cams
• Red Injectors (720cc)
• Greddy Auxiliary engine Pulley Kit
• Kazama Auto Oil Cap
• Kazama Auto Under Engine Guard
• Aftermarket Exhaust System
• Aftermarket Catalyser

Wheels, Brakes  Transmission & Suspension

• Volk GTV 18″ Alloys
• Grex 6 Pot Front Brake Kit
• HKS D-Dash Coilovers with Camber Adjustable Pilo Uppers
• OS 5 Speed Cross Mission Kit
• Kazama Auto Engine Mount Kit
• Grex Oil Filter Relocation Block
• Stainless Mesh Front Brake Lines
• 2 Way LSD (Cusco)
• Aftermarket Clutch
• Kazama Auto Front Tension Rods
• Kazama Auto Solid Subframe Collars
• Kazama Auto Rear Arm Set
• Kazama Auto Tie Rod Ends

Who is Kazama?

Check out this action video of Kazama-san and his infamous “Rodeo Drift” in Japan:

The post Kazama Silvia S15 first appeared on Drifted.com.

Having been spoiled with witnessing drift cars from all over the world, I have found it increasingly hard to become impressed with certain builds. So often there’s huge amounts of hype and anticipation for something which eventually results in an anti-climax.

Other times, something is even more incredible than you had initially imagined. This is one of those times.

Daigo Saito’s insane JZX100 jump drift at Ebisu

Since you are already on Drifted, chances are you have enough of an interest to have stumbled across the Noriyaro videos a few years ago where Daigo Saito piloted his JZX-100 Mark II for the first time at Ebisu Circuit. I say piloted because the car was quite literally flying over the Minami jump despite being a brand new build taking part in its D1 debut.

Want to jump your drift car like Diago Saito? You can give it a try on Drift Hunters!

Fast forward a few years and the methanol-powered 2JZ 1,000bhp beast handed Daigo Saito the D1 Championship crown. However, despite its quick rise to the top of D1, it’s fame would be short-lived within the series.

“which weighed in at just 1000kg – boasting an insane equal power to weight ratio!”

With new firewall legislations put in place by the series, the JZX-100 would no longer be eligible to compete. Despite undoubtedly having one of the largest drift car collections out there, it was clear that Daigo Saito was keen to compete in the four-door sedan, which weighed in at just 1000kg – boasting an insane equal power to weight ratio!

JZX100 – The Japanese legend

This is where the perfect opportunity for the Japanese legend would arise. There are no such rules within the King of Nations Championship, handing Daigo Saito the opportunity to compete with the car in a world series.

This is when I was handed the opportunity to shoot the car for the first time and get to relive those old videos with my own eyes and camera. Nothing can quite match the feeling of seeing the car come flying over the blind crest, heading straight for the wall at Ebisu Minami before being thrown around with perfection.

There’s no doubt that there are very few people out there that would be able to tame such an animal, but Daigo Saito does so confidently whilst adapting to his unusual seating position – which is more akin to sitting in a rear seat than the front!

Is this JZX100 his wildest build yet?

These builds are undertaken at his garage; Fat Five Racing in Saitama near Tokyo. From his infamous Lamborghini Murciélago build, right through to the Corvette GT300, which he is currently preparing for this season. It is easy to see the work that has gone into the car, which keeps it close to Daigo’s heart.

Want an instant hit of drifting action? Try our drifting games section. We just added six new 3D drifting games.

Once you have lifted your jaw upon viewing the car, you can immediately see where Daigo Saito has managed to reduce such a huge chunk of the original 1480kg weight, which the chubbier standard Mark II rolls out of the factory with. The car is absolutely covered in holes – anything that was not an absolute necessity removed, both inside and out. If you look carefully, you can even see that the rear-light clusters no longer exist!

Want to play with cars like Daigo’s JZX100 right now? Then give Madalin Stunt Cars 2 a blast.

Keeping in line with the huge wings that he is famous for, the exterior styling is also perfected with BN Sports wide-body fenders. Up front, there is a combination of Rocket Bunny and Ben Sopra aero, complimenting one another other perfectly whilst also adding an aggressive touch to the front.

Keeping the power contained is no simple feat – an aluminium 2JZ block with BC connecting rods, cams and crankshaft help push the power out. No ridiculous build is complete without a crazy turbo – Saito has opted for the GTX4088R. His sponsors at HKS provide the management in the shape of an F-Con Pro ECU.

Anything that is not an absolute necessity within the interior has been removed. When you look inside, you will notice that the Racepak IQ3 takes the centre stage, providing the vital information. The un-natural seating position, which is no doubt inch-perfect for his needs. A Holinger RD6 sequential gearbox is on hand for firing the car through the gears.

With the steering arms provided by Ikeya Formula, and knuckles made by fellow JZX100 legend Shinji Minowa, from his HEY MAN! Products shop, which is located just a few doors down from Fat Five Racing.

The combination provides the car with some much-needed ridiculous lock, to which he is no stranger to using to its full potential! Huge Endless brakes ensure that it comes to a stop just as quickly as it accelerates.

The JZX100 at Yas Marina

With the first round of the King of Nations series being held at the legendary Yas Marina F1 circuit, it was refreshing to see Daigo Saito outside of Japan and desperately eager to conquer a new track. With the JZX-100 shipped and ready for the weekend, it was unloaded, given its methanol dose and was ready to tear up the Abu Dhabi track.

Something I have noticed each time I have seen Daigo driving – you can put your money on the fact that he will be the last driver out in both practice and qualifying. He will also make the least amount of laps, and on the rare occasion that he makes a mistake, you can ensure that he will not do it twice!

With just a couple of laps in practice, he would make his grand entrance during qualifying, (you can probably guess where this is going) as the last driver!

As with what is becoming a familiar story, he once again nailed the challenging layout with pinpoint precision to secure the top spot.

As the weekend progressed, his typically unbelievable form soon saw him emerge in the final against Middle Eastern Champion – Ahmad Daham, (who will also get a Drifted feature later in the season!).

Despite an intense battle, Daigo Saito made absolutely no mistake in ensuring that he took the victory before having to leave immediately to participate in the HKS Premium Day back in Japan just one day later!

A week later, and a return flight for Saito would see Round 2 of the series take place – this time in Muscat, Oman. With yet another impeccable qualifying run laid down, it would see the Japanese driver once again top the qualification rankings.

Australian Luke Fink had been eager to knock doors with Saito during practice, and when presented with the opportunity before the Top 32 battles, it was immediately obvious that the car was losing oil at an alarming rate.

After assessing the damage, it was clear that the 2JZ power plant would force Daigo Saito to make an early retirement from the round before the battles even took place. With the King of Nations rules stating that you can only run in the Top 32 in the qualification car, and just minutes remaining until the battles – it would mean an unfortunate conclusion to the round.

With the sedan now returning to Japan for the next rounds at Nikko and a return to Ebisu circuit, a brand new heart from one of the many that are sat on the shelf at Fat Five Racing will drop straight in as he fights to maintain his spot at the top of the overall rankings.

As Daigo Saito prepares to continue the 2017 King of Nations series, which shall bring both him and the JZX-100 to Europe later in the year, the madness does not stop there. With a 1300bhp/1230 kg Nissan R35 GT-R built for sideways action whilst also showing the latest previews of his most recent concoction – an evil-sounding Corvette GT300!

“I am only fixated on winning and will drive in whatever way is required for that”

A quote from the man himself

I shall leave you with a quote from the man himself, which felt very fitting – I feel that it conveys one of the main reasons as to why he is so successful. His ability to analyse an opponent and decide the extremes that he needs to push both himself and the car during that battle are very noticeable. This is proof that drifting is not just about going 100% full-retard at all times.

“I do feel that my greatest strength in drifting is the ability to adapt, I am not fixated on any particular driving style (like being super aggressive, or overtly technical), I am only fixated on winning and will drive in whatever way is required for that.”

Take a look at Speedhunter’s feature of Daigo Saito’s shop; Fat Five Racing. What a fantastic place to build your dream drift cars.

Daigo Saito Drift Garage

Prepare to pick your jaw up off the floor once you clap your eyes on Daigo’s drift garage.

Check out this superb Aoshima 1/24 JZX100 Chaser Tourer V model over at Detail Scale View, I stumbled across this website after a search and now I find myself wanting a model JZX-100 more then ever!.

The post Daigo Saito’s Mighty JZX100 first appeared on Drifted.com.

I’d like to introduce you all to Clarence Vong’s 2000 Subaru Impreza 2.5RS.

Clarence purchased this car back in 2010 after graduating high school and has been an avid fan of the Subaru brand ever since. When not being a busy full-time student, he works on cars in his dad’s shop in Los Angeles.

Something about the Subaru GC8 gives me the chills every time I see one on the streets. It is, in my opinion, the best-looking Impreza to come out of the Subaru factory. The C-West front lip, in combination with the beautiful Sedona Red color of the car definitely adds to the menacing yet understated look of this Impreza.

The rear of the car takes a more subtle approach; JDM tail lights help make this car stand out from the normal US Impreza.

Clarence spent some time looking for this rare piece; it’s a replica 22b wing. Most people with a GC8 in the United States that choose to change their wing usually opt for the JDM WRX wing as opposed to the 22b adjustable wing.

Moving on to the wheels, the car is equipped with the “coveted” 2004 STI BBSs. They were refurbished in the silver you see above. The car sits on Tein Super Street coilovers. Brembo rotors and calipers stop the car efficiently and without fuss.

Clarence’s engine has been rebuilt with STI rods, pistons, and crank; his GC8 also benefits from an Avo turbo. A 2004 STI 6-speed transmission and differential was recently installed. An STI engine swap is in the works.

Being a daily driver, the GC8 runs a conservative 5lbs of boost, making roughly 220hp to the wheels, which is plenty more than the 165hp the stock 2.5RS makes.

Future plans for the car includes the STI engine swap and possibly a 22b sheetmetal widebody (as opposed to fiber glass).

As of right now, having just installed the STI transmission, Clarence is looking to just enjoy the car. He’s taken it to Adams Motorsport Park, just outside of Los Angeles for the appropriate shakedowns.

This 2.5RS is the perfect daily, and is Clarence’s pride and joy; there are no plans to get rid of ‘Susie’ the Subie anytime in the near future.

2000 Subaru 2.5 RS USDM Spec:

STI crank
STI rods
STI pistons
2004 STI transmission
2004 STI differential
2004 5 x 100 BBS STI rims
Avo intercooler
Avo BOV
Avo turbo
Walbro 255 fuel pump
PP6 piggyback
C-West front lip
JDM rear spats
JDM tail lights
JDM corner lights
Version 6 STI grille
Cusco front camber plates
Act clutch – stage 2
Act pressure plate
Act flywheel
Brembo rotors
Brembo calipers
Stop Tech performance brake pads

The post FEATURE: The Perfect Understated GC8 2.5RS? first appeared on Drifted.com.

When we talk about the drifting scene it is often asked of competitors What`s in it for me? The competitive side of drifting seems like a one-sided affair to most.

Little to no financial reward and certainly no stardom. To be known in this game takes a lot of hard work and most definitely a lot of money.

This can take the form of sponsorship but a lot of the grassroot drivers out the there competing are probably operating at a loss.

With this being said what makes them do it, adrenaline, thrill, excitement, probably all of the above. Maybe the promise of future sponsors, maybe some form of personal voyage, but most definitely the commitment to pushing the boundaries of the sport.

The more famous drifters out there at the moment are still not mainstream to all but to the committed followers are like the pinnacle of where grassroots drivers want to be.

To look at the grassroot element deeper we need to engage a grassroot driver.

So, stand up Richie Gilbey, the Essex native who at an early age caught the bug. Living next to the now defunct Arena Essex, UK, Richie was exposed to the early days of drifting due to his brother who through his friends was a King of the Ring fanatic.

To all that do not know, King of the Ring (KOTR) was regular event organised at the Arena Essex track. A standard oval tarmac track with a crossover. Various layouts over the years proved its success until the tracks closure in 2018.

Back to Richie and in his teenage years getting all important itch with a ride in a Volvo 340 round the wide corners of the track. In his own words “I was instantly hooked and knew I wanted to do it when I was older”.

Fast forward to 2019 and Driftcup. Richie a seasoned competitor now in his 200sx. We ask him what drives him to compete and how its all changed this year.

What was the car like at the beginning of the season?

The car was in good form at the start of season without a doubt, through the winter, we had decided we was going to push for a HEL performance Driftcup ticket and wanted to make sure the car was ready whatever the outcome.

The car was stripped to a shell, and a list was made for all the work that needed to be completed to get it in a good place for the start of season.

The car was stripped inside, and sent to CT Fabrications in lancing, for Chris and Mac to build a tubular rear, custom fuel cell and removable firewall as the back of the car was tired and did need addressing, Chris and Mac transformed the car and the work was phenomenal.

The car then went directly to JDM-J customisations and was painted inside and out to make the car presentable, and after that had various mechanical work taken out at Unitwerks including full subframe changes before a full Violent-D livery to finish the car off.

By the time the season arrived, the car was outstanding and the response we got at round 1 from the public and other competitors really spoke for itself.

What changes did you make throughout the year to make the car more competitive?
For grip we changed some geometry settings, the main changes were after round 3 at Teesside when the engine failed, which was in many ways heart breaking.

At this point, we decided to make some big changes to the car that really have paid off. Of course, along with buying another engine, there was a big conversation about lag.

Originally, the 1JZ-GTE that we had in the car had a HX40 turbo, which is a big lag turbo for what we wanted. We spoke to Martin Battye of MB Automotive who was our tuner of choice to map the car and asked for he’s opinion, told him what we wanted and believe now that he’s advice was perfect.

To bring up the response and still be able to get more power from the engine than we had previously, we collected a Garret GTX3076R GEN 2 from one of our partners Wayne Taylor of AutoExtreme LTD.

The next step was diff and gearbox change, the decision was to build the car to the best spec we could for the future of our career.

For reliability, we decided to upgrade to skyline rear diff and shafts, we purchased a KAZZ Super-Q diff in a skyline housing that Martin had built and it made a phenomenal difference to the way the car drove.

The gearbox of choice was a BMW 6 speed gearbox conversion. Bailey Morris made us a custom prop shaft that was fantastic quality. It has an internal spline drive unit to eliminate the reliability issues of the BMW rubber prop doughnuts.

Dan & Dilan from Unitwerks toiled for countless hours during the week to get the car ready within the time scale and to have it strapped onto a dyno with Martin eight days later was an amazing turn around, hats off to these men they really did make the difference in the time of need.

Martin spent the day testing & tuning the car and it definitely made all the difference, the car drove amazing afterwards and was definitely far more competitive from the changes we had made.

Current spec of the car

Nissan (R)S13 200SX

ENGINE

1JZ-GTE, Speedtek manifold, Turbo smart Twin 45 hypergates, Garrett GTX3076R GEN2 turbo, 3” V-Band exhaust, 5L swirl pot, Walbro 270 lift pump, Bosch .044 main pump, SARD 800CC injectors, Japspeed intercooler, ECUmaster EMU classic Standalone ECU, GS6 BMW gearbox conversion, Organic M5 clutch, RTD short shifter.

SUSPENSION

Driftworks CS2 coilovers, Japspeed ‘hard’ inner & outer tie rods, Cut, extended & modified front arms, Hard race adjustable rear arms, Driftworks GEOmaster3 hubs front & rear, Nissan Skyline r33 brakes with EBC disks and pads, Skyline 4.08 diff, rebuilt with a KAZZ SUPER-Q 2-way diff, skyline shafts. Japan racing wheels 18×9.5 ET 22 front 18×10.5 ET 25 rear

INSIDE

Flocked dashboard, custom centre switch panel, ACER tablet running EMU dash, Recaro Pole Position seat, TRS 3” Harness, Weld in 6-point roll cage with door bars, Lifeline plumber in fire extinguisher with remote & external shut off, Handheld 1kg fire extinguisher, Custom removeable firewall & tubular rear by CT fabrications.

Who are your current sponsors?

CT Fabrications – based in lancing. A Fabrication shop that can make full roll cages, tubular front & rears, fuel cells, custom made to spec radiators etc – you name it they can make it.

Unitwerks – Dan & Dilan are based in Ongar. An engineering team capable of doing full engine conversions, stainless TIG exhaust systems, full race looms etc.

NGK/NTK Spark plugs UK – the suppliers of the best spark plugs on the planet – we run iridium NGK plugs in our car and they’re faultless.

JDM-J Customisation – Warwick is based in Benfleet. Whether it be a full outside paint with a bit of flake to spice it up or a full restoration job, everything is possible.

Auto Extreme – Wayne at auto extreme is based in Kent. Wayne can supply any of your Japanese performance parts, from full forged engine kits for SR/RB/JZ to 7twenty wheels, all in stock at the warehouse.

What are you planning for the winter?

We will be making various changes to the car this winter; biggest changes will be in December. The car will be going back to CT Fabrications for a custom tunnel for easier gearbox access, new ‘nascar’ style door bars, sill bars, and a few other roll cage changes.

Then back to JDM-J customisations for paint inside, carbon fibre roof & Lexan windows. The rest of the changes and modifications will be decided after we take the car out for testing in early 2020.

What are your aims for 2020?

2019 was a good test year for us, first full competitive season, first season in this car too. We had various problems throughout the year and Of course lost vital championship points after the engine failure at Teesside, but we still managed to finish 9th which we think is a respectable finish for our first season of Driftcup & we was happy with the result.

So, for 2020 we’re hoping for a podium finish, and hopefully a top 5 finish in the championship overall which is more than achievable. We would like to say a massive Thankyou to all our sponsors for their continued support, our success wouldn’t be achievable without their efforts. CT Fabrications, Unitwerks, NGK/NTK Spark plugs UK, JDM-J Customisations, & Auto Extreme.

A massive thank you to all our close friends & family, helping with the car and coming to events to show support, it really does not go a miss.

A special thank you to Mark Lappage for his efforts this year, he does lots of work to help behind the scenes, helping us develop the car, transporting the car to events amongst many other things, we really could not have done this season without marks help, so a special thank you to Mark for his life changing efforts.

So, I hope this is a little insight in the mind of the grassroot competitors. I thought it might give others what drives the drifters to compete, and hopefully enthuse others to give it a go.

The post The Competitive Drifter – Mind And Machine first appeared on Drifted.com.

To kick off let’s take a couple of minutes to enjoy Lovekhana – Team Lovetap’s slick promotional video:

Pretty cool huh?

Who is Mårten Stångberg?

Mårten is a 28yr old drifter hailing from Gothenburg, Sweden. He started drifting back in 2012 and has been hard-charging ever since. He favours Mercedes as his drift cars of choice, initially starting out in a Mercedes 190.

I’ll hand over to Mårten and let him tell his own story…

My very first encounter with competition was made in 2012

“My journey started out like many others by modifying my own streetcar to make it handle better, go faster and of course look cool while doing it! But quite quickly I got a taste for drifting and decided to pursue my dream of competing in Motorsport.”

“My very first encounter with competition was made in 2012 when I entered my first round of the Swedish Drifting Championship since that day I was hooked and I knew that this was what I wanted to do.”

“Our Competition debut was made in my first Drift car that was a Mercedes 190.”

“It got some serious attention worldwide from a lot of different online media and car magazines.”

“The 190 was used in competition until December 2014 where it was deemed illegal due to new regulations in the Swedish Drifting championship. This meant that we had to either rebuild the entire chassis our build a new one.”

“None of these alternatives felt good because we had experienced problems with keeping our drivetrain from breaking down, it just couldn’t handle the torque our engine produced.”

“So we decided that we should build our next Drift car on a new chassis, but which kind of chassis was the big question.”

That chassis is a Mercedes CLK.

This is the first of it’s kind, a fully built CLK drift car. Here is the spec:

Mercedes CLK spec list

• Mercedes M104 inline six (792 whp & 915wnm)
• BorgWarner EFR 9180 turbo
• Nuke performance fuel system
• Auto Verdi DrySump system
• 200mm Sachs Motorsport clutch and Tenaci flywheel
• Tex Racing T101a Dogbox (4 speed)
• E34 Differential and custom axles fitted into stock subframe
• KW Suspension
• Custom built steering angle kit (55 degrees of lock)
• Xt206r Cosmis Racing wheels (18×9.5″ front / 18×11″ rear)
• 6 Point rollcage
• Custom built wide bodykit

Back to Martin:

“So a couple of seasons has passed with the CLK chassis and we felt that we had a quite competitive platform as we went through the 2018 season, this, however, is where it starts to get interesting.”

“Now that we have figured out a baseline for the car where it performs well and holds together, it’s time to take it to the next level step by step and that is what the 2019 season will be all about!”

“This offseason will be the calmest one we have had in many years when it comes to rebuilding the car, we have decided that we will only do a few but very important changes coming into the season to make sure we don’t have to start from zero.”

“One of our biggest challenges with the CLK right now is the weight, so we are trying to focus on reducing the weight on every area that we are rebuilding.”

“Rebuild 1:
One of the things we are doing this winter is rebuilding the fuel system, we are going from a traditional external surge tank setup to a Nuke Performance CFC Unit setup.”

“This is a replacement lid for the 24 bolt patterned fuel cells that include a built-in surge tank and feeder pump setup that will be inside the fuel cell instead of the external version. This helps us save a couple of o kilograms both in hoses, surge tank weight and brackets.”

“Rebuild 2.
We are changing to a new set of KW Suspension competition coilovers that also saves us a couple of kilograms compared to our old coilover setup, this will also improve the handling of the car as well as gaining more grip that always is an important factor when it comes to competitive drifting.”

“Rebuild 3.
After more than 5 years running our current ECU setup we are about to change to a new brand of ECU! We have been struggling with some problems back and forth with our current setup and we are very excited to announce that Autogruppen is helping us replace it with an Emtron KV8 Ecu.”

“Emtron is an Australian based company which produces high-quality Ecu’s and they are focusing on the market between the standard ECU brands and top-level brands that are extremely costly. ”

“Rebuild 4.
When running a unique chassis like the CLK it means that you can hardly buy anything off the shelf for the car, this means we produce a lot of the parts ourselves and this often means that we maybe don’t have the time to make spares.

So this offseason we are working hard on making sure we have spare control arms and all of the parts that are exposed to wear and tear in drifting.”

“Our season kicks of at the traditional season starter Bilsport Performance & Custom Motorshow in Jönköping 19-20 of April, this is Scandinavia’s biggest car and bike show and they host a competition called Påsksladden (Easter Drift).”

“This is a single event with a lot of spectators and media so it’s definitely one of the best events of the year!”

“After that event, we head up to Gatebil Vålerbanan were our first round of the Gatebil Drift Series takes place, this is a drift series where the best in Scandinavia competes during the awesome Gatebil festivals.”

“So that means its always a good time no matter what, the 2019 championship features 4 rounds which include Vålerbanan, Mantorp Park, Rudskogen and Mantorp Park again! This will be our main focus as a team and will be the only full championship we take part in during 2019.”

“Besides the drift series we are going take part in the Gatebil main event at Rudskogen in July, this will host the Gatebil Super 3 competition where we will compete as well as the Breisladd.”

“Outside of the Gatebil events, we have some events we are planning/interested in but we are not going to release them quite yet!”

If this tuned up Mercedes has inspired you to pick up your own tuneable car then check out our best tuner cars article.

So, who are team LoveTap?

Team Lovetap consists of Mårten Stångberg and mechanics Christopher Reinholdsson, Robin Carlsson, Stefan Engström, Jesper Jumisko, Edvin Olsson, Joel Haglund and my Spotter/Media person Sebastian Simonsson.

You can follow Team Lovetap’s adventures on their website or social media.

Photo credits

Drifted extends warm thanks to P.Blomqvist Photography, Bringitonmedia and Patrick Visser for the amazing photos used in this article.

The post Team Lovetap Mercedes CLK Drift Car first appeared on Drifted.com.

The car’s owner is Matt Crarey, a happy father of one who resides in Canada. Matt is an artist by trade and his profession really influences the build of his 240sx. The car has a distinctive JDM inspired street style that just oozes cool.

He has a collection of exterior aero parts that he swaps around, mixing up fenders, guards, lips, side skirts and rear wings on a monthly basis.

The car currently runs a carbon hood, OEM front bumper with a customised Honda Prelude Wings West front lip and a set of Bomex side skirts.

The really interesting rear wing is actually an OEM item, but it has been set back and raised on custom risers. The high level rear hatch wing was fashioned from a piece of discarded aero Matt found on the side of the road after a snowstorm.

The wheels are XXR 513s in 16″ 8j ET 0 fronts and 16″ 8j ET 15 rears with a 1″ rear spacer. These are wrapped in 205/55/16 tyres all around.

Matt regularly mixes up the stickers and vinyl to keep the look fresh. Nearly all of the stickers and vinyl on the car are hand-cut by himself with scissors and razor blades.

The 240sx sports a set of BC Racing coilovers, carbon fibre strut tower braces, PBM solid subframe risers and a Driftworks Hicas delete kit. Aaron Glendon custom extended lower control arms and knuckles, offset steering rack spacers and adjustable arms throughout help the car to perform on the track.

Matt has been drifting this car for over three years so naturally the car has seen a few scars. Kudos on the Drifted sticker Matt

After beating on the car with the stock KA24DE for over three years, Matt decided the need for more power was too much so he handed the engine to Post Haste Performance.

They installed a brand new set of Manley H arms and Weisco Pistons. These were over-bored by 0.5mm to 2.45 litres. These reinforced components are finished off with a Cometic head gasket and ARP hardware.

An IRS bottom mount exhaust manifold holds a custom-built turbo by Chris Scremin of Spectrum Motorsports Langley. The turbo unit started life in an S15s SR20DET, but was bored out to fit larger billet wheels to suit the increased displacement of the KA24DE-T. An internal wastegate was then installed to limit the boost.

The turbo dumps its waste through a test-pipe equipped, custom stainless-steel exhaust system. Fuel is fed into the KA24DE-T by an AEM fuel pump and is filtered through a 300zx fuel filter.

An EMU stand-alone ECU by ECU Master controls the engine and produces a solid 270 WHP and 249 WTQ at 14 psi.

The interior of the car is simplistic, a reclining bucket seat and stock passenger seat, MOMO steering wheel and a Villains dual calliper hydro kit. Matt has stripped the rear for extra loading capacity.

That really comes in handy on a drift day…

Matt likes to get his whole family involved in his drifting, young Stevie even gets to draw on the car – cool dad!

Matt has joined a local drift team (Dark Lotus Drift Team) that his old roommate, Shelby Moreau started back in the day.

As you can see from these action shots the running gear and handling modifications have made a very capable drift car.

This is a 240sx that does not take itself too seriously. Underneath the mismatched aero and wild vinyl is a well set up and reliable drifting platform. Matt loves his car and we commend him for not being a sheep and building a car that is right for him.

While wilder cars are awesome, we feel that Matt’s 240sx is a car that is a little more relatable to most of us enthusiasts.

It goes to show that you don’t need an LS swap or JZ under the hood to enjoy the best drifting has to offer. Friends, family and fun.

Thanks for sharing your ride with us, Matt.

Matt would like to give shout-outs to his local underground street scene Chilliwack D-Boyz, Facebook group; Slammed N Sidewayz Drift events, darklotus.ca performance parts, Post-Haste Performance dyno tuning. Photographers; Endless Motion, DwyerZ Photography, RIDIC U LOOSE Photography, to Lil Stevie and finally, my co-pilot Alan (rally) Werner.

We would like to thank Cody McLachlan for use of his photography in this article.

Want to get started drifting yourself? Then it’s time to pick out you first drift car. Not got the cash for the real thing? Try our drifting games.

The post Matt’s Home Built 240sx S13 first appeared on Drifted.com.

Mark Mcburney the engineer/fabricator from Co. Antrim Northern Ireland spends his weekend’s building and preparing his Team Driftshed NI S13 to get out for a weekend’s sideways action, climbing his way up into the top 16 battles at most rounds.

He got started into the sport just over 6 years ago when his brother Philip took him to a local racetrack called Aghadowey in his AE86 Twincam, as soon as he jumped in that seat he knew what he wanted to achieve in the future.

So he went out and bought his first drift car which just happens to be the same car he competes in today.

His 180sx started off as a white road legal Japanese import and slowly became what was to be a 2016 Irish Drift Championship, Semi-Pro “Japfest” Round winner.

Mark came 9th overall in the 2017 season of the IDC PRO with Mike Fitz also finishing 9th. With a score of 101 points, both men had a fantastic season along with over fifty other pro drivers.

In 2016 Mark placed 17th in Pro and 4th in Semi-Pro overall, before his IDC days he was competing within the NI DRIFT AMA series in 2015 where he was crowned: “New Comer of the year”.

He was later asked to be one of the Judge’s of the Series by Ni Drift AMA Founder Con Tinney.

A man with dedication like no other for the sport of drifting I asked Con why Mark was asked to be a judge.

Con replied “Mark has been part of the series from day one, he is a gentleman and a true legend of drifting with a wealth of knowledge”.

Mark’s brother Philip has his own custom E36 powered by an SR20 which can also be seen in the shot below.

I will be doing another feature in the future on Philip’s story to see what he loves about drifting. I also want to see if there is any competition between both brothers.

Mark has one of the most unique drifting styles around, he is mostly known for his fast backwards’s entry’s at Mondello Park and at Anglesey in Wales (UK).

Did you enjoy that? You’re going to enjoy this!

Nissan 200sx S13 Specification

Right, let’s get into detail about Mark’s beloved S13 Drift Machine.

• Make: Nissan
• Model: 180sx S13
• Year: 1993
• Power Output: 480bhp
• Turbo: Garrett GT30
• Manifold: Custom 6 boost built by Powermax Engineering, Northern Ireland
• Gearbox: 350z & running an ACT clutch
• Differential: Cusco 2 way
• Lock kit/Hubs: WiseFab front & back
• Rims/Tyres: 17″ Rota Grids with a full set of Westlake tyres
• ECU: Link – Fury
• Hydro/Bucket seat: OBP Wilwood Hydro handbrake & Oldskool Jap Eastbear Bucket seat
• Wheel: Nardi with a full boss kit
• Bodykit: Full fibreglass Nissan Kouki kit

Driver information

Now for a little about the driver..

Missile car: E36 TDS

Before a round of drifting I asked Mark what he would be doing:

“Full car prep, loaded on to the trailer ready for the next day. I cant sleep as I’m usually buzzing before any event” I then asked what Mark does after and he told me “SLEEP …SLEEP & MORE…SLEEP”

Favourite food & drink: “Steak & chips & a can of Fanta pineapple”

Drifter that inspires you: “Naoki Nakamura and ‘Local talent’, Quinns Motorsport 180sx driver – Damien Wilkinson”.

I hope you enjoyed my first feature and I will have more to follow very soon.

Over & Out
Christopher Shaw

LIVE ACTION SHOTS: COPYRIGHT CHRIS USAL

Insta: @chrisshawuk
FB: Chris Shaw Motorsport Photography

#DRIFTED #TEAMDRIFTSHEDNI #DRIFTSHEDNI #180SX #christophershawphotography #NORTHERNIRELAND #S13 #IDCNATION #NIDRIFTAMA

The post Team Driftshed NI Nissan 180sx Feature first appeared on Drifted.com.

The Nissan S13 is a vehicle that has a pretty big following and fan base. This is due to the fact that it not only has a huge aftermarket and great looks, but it’s a classic among the Japanese drift cars that also include the AE86 and Miata.

S13 owners modify and do what they please to their babies to truly make their S13 different. The only problem is that there are too many S13s that are similar to one another. In comes Ryan Carroll, who, for some reason, wanted hamburgers on his bumper.

Honestly, aside from that, the car looks like another other S13, cosmetically at least.

From the looks of it, Ryan doesn’t seem like someone who would do that to his car. He works IT and is a pretty mellow guy.

From the outside of the vehicle, most (drift) people will notice that Ryan’s car isn’t a street car. It is, in fact, a drift car that Ryan slides around Southern California’s race tracks.

The hamburgers add a nice touch to help his car stand out from the crowd of other S13s. Hamburgers!

The hamburger bumper hasn’t always been around. I dug up a picture from 2012 at All Star Bash and this was what it used to look like.

I small fender bender lead to his decision to paint his new bumper with hamburgers.

Ryan’s close friend did the paint job for him.

It looks delicious.

Ryan competes in Just Drift’s Top Drift, a grassroots drifting tournament that consists of 4 rounds per year with drift clinics and other events in between.

When asked if he’s ever go pro and compete in Formula Drift, he said he just does this as a hobby. It is a respected answer because at the end of the day, drifting is all about the enjoyment of sliding your car around a corner.

With a drift car comes a list of modifications. An extensive amount.

Ryan’s engine is actually getting replaced right now, but during the shoot, he was rocking the SR20DET engine that many people in the US try to get for their S13s that come with the KA24. I can only assume that another SR20 will be on its way into the S13’s engine bay.

Inside the cockpit is what you’d expect to see inside a competition-spec drift car.

The water bottles are used as a ballast to help distribute the weight evenly between the front and rear of the car. Fact (not really).

A couple weeks after the shoot, I met up with Ryan at a drift clinic that was being held by Just Drift. He didn’t want to risk damaging the bumper so he took it off temporarily and the fenders no longer fit onto the car. Ryan said he might as well get matching hamburger fenders when he gets his new ones.

I think we can safely say that his car will be a full-on canvas of hamburgers by the end of the year.

You can view Ryan’s blog about his journey with the S13  HERE.

The post The Hamburger 240sx first appeared on Drifted.com.

Now you can’t say that we don’t treat you..

Brothers Bradley and Daryl were both introduced to the world of motorsport at a very young age whilst watching their Father Gary compete at various oval/grass track racing.

Whilst they both started their motorsport careers in Karting and MotoX it wasn’t long before they were both following in their father’s footsteps and graduating onto four wheels.

Their Father really fueled his sons’ passion for motorsport, from the age of 12 they were both racing in Mini stock cars (built and funded by their Father) and held the championship title for three years.

Bradley started his career in mechanical engineering but always seemed to find himself back to Autograss which found him racing oval lightning rods (Ford Sierras).

His time racing on the grass and producing excellent results was the key to his drifting talents. You might say this is where drifting all began for Bradley.

At this time, Daryl decided he wanted to focus his interests on aircraft and flying and so he became an accomplished Glider after ten years of hard practice.

With Bradley being the eldest now at around 20, he decided to introduce Daryl to what “FUN” a rear wheel drive car can be and it wasn’t long before Daryl found it a struggle to find the time for both flying and motorsport.

After 5-6 years of juggling both hobbies he decided to stop the gliding and dedicated himself to the brothers passion for drifting – and so Team JBR was born! Now having the drifting bug truly bitten it was time to build some serious competition cars..

Bradley purchased the Nissan 200sx S13 shell and built it from the ground up. After seeing many car builds throughout his journey he quickly decided on a V8 – it had to be a V8! The car was built using the well known Toyota V8 1UZ.

For the turbocharger he decided on a Garrett GT35 with an external wastegate and running 0.65bar of boost. He added a Collins bell housing adapter to the stock Nissan transmission.

To tune the car he opted for a Link G4+ Storm engine management system mapped by Protuner in the UK.

The results of all this hardware? The car is now pushing out 480bhp with 500lbft of torque. Not bad right?

For footwork Bradley’s S13 uses HSD coilovers all round with Driftworks Geomaster knuckles and a set of Rota GTR-D wheels in 17″ all round.

Daryl also purchased a Nissan 200sx S13 but decided to go a different route, using a fully forged engine RB25DET sourced from an R33 GTS-T Skyline. This engine is running a tried and tested Apexi Power FC engine management system and is producing 510bhp and 500lbft of torque.

The RB25DET received a full complement of forged parts inclduing Eagle Rods and Carillo pistons. The turbo was upgraded to a Garratt GT3076R and uses a Tial 4mm wastegate. This perches atop a premium 6Boost exhaust manifold.

A Q45 AFM, Nismo 550cc injectors, Splitfire coilpacks, Wahlbro fuel pump, R35 GTR MAF sensor rounds out the supporting modifications.

The stock RB25DET gearbox was matched to a grabby twin plate clutch.

All of this work results in over 500bhp and 500lb ft of torque.

Daryl’s car also runs HSD coilovers, Driftworks Geomaster knuckles and Rota wheels, this time Rota Torques in 17″ all round.

Are you running an S13 and looking at suspension upgrades? Check out our S13 Coilover guide.

Watch the results of the boys work in the short clip above.

With the two brothers having laid their hands in both engineering and motorsport it certainly shows in their cars – considering they regularly compete, are involved in passenger laps etc, both cars are extremely well maintained by their own fair hands

Drifted wishes Team JBR all the best for the upcoming 2018 UK drift season.

The post Welcome To Team JBR first appeared on Drifted.com.