Drift Car on a Budget - Part 2, Building a Parts List

So you've found your new car, soon to be drift monster. Now what? Well, now you will need to start the build up. There are several directions you can go and there's no right or wrong. However there is a quick and slow. Now with the direction I'm trying to take you with these tutorials, I'll be teaching you the quick way to get out on the track and to be getting the seat time you will need.

One common misconception about drifting is that you need gobs of power in order to control a drift through a corner, however with my teachings through this tutorial, you will learn this is a myth. What you will need is a tweaked and tuned suspension set up that will make it next to impossible to be unable to control your vehicle through a corner.

So, with that said, let's get started. The first priority is a parts list. You have to know what you need and stick to that list. You don't want to be buying items like steering wheels and glowing shift knobs when you should be looking for polyurethane bushings and sway bars. If you want you drift car to look like a show car then stop right now! Your first drift car will be beat up and probably crashed. So you are looking for form over fashion.

You parts list at this point should be all about suspension. You can have a car producing 150 hp and lbs torque and slide like a pro if you have the proper suspension set up. Therefore your parts list should consist of the following:

- Adjustable coil overs
- Bigger sway bars
- Polyurethane bushings
- Strut bars
- Limited slip differential (LSD)
- SFI 16.1 certified 5/6 point racing harnesses
- Snell SA 2000 or newer helmet

These are some of the essentials to getting on the track. You should be able to find everything on this list for a budget of around 4000 dollars US, putting the running total in the area of $5000.

KEY POINT: Always do your research! During you search for the right parts research the brands and parts you find. Check forums, read articles, and search the web for the pros and cons of the item you want to by. You won't want to be wasting your time and money on things that don't work.

To recap where we are with this budget build, you've found your car, you have your parts list and are buying the things you NEED. With this you are off to a great start and your heading in the right direction. So look forward to part 3 where we will talk about where the rubber meets the road, choosing the proper tire and rim combination