how to make an AUV drift worthy

[badkuk]

peeps, sorry na lang kung overly naive ung topic. i'm just curious if, theoretically, you can turn your average RWD auv into a drift machine

in the first place...is it possible?

what kind of work needs to be done? suspension upgrade? lowering?

[ILuvDetailing]

IMO no, high center of gravity plus a weak engine.

You'll spend a lot of money on it which I don't think is worth it.

[badkuk]

well, hypothetically speaking lang. think of it as a misguided Monster Garage project. Paano kaya? B)

[ghosthunter]

peeps, sorry na lang kung overly naive ung topic. i'm just curious if, theoretically, you can turn your average RWD auv into a drift machine

in the first place...is it possible?

what kind of work needs to be done? suspension upgrade? lowering?

assuming unlimited funds... yes.

Basically the following stuff will need upgrading/changing:
engine - more HP and not diesel. Need to get a high reving engine.
transmission - with more HP, the stock unit will not do nor matched with a new motor.
rear axel - limited slip differentials will be prefered to open differential.
suspension - leaf springs are NOT a drift machine's suspension, upgrade with coil spring based suspension. Also massive lowering will be needed to lower the center of gravity. Bigger stabilizer bars to minimize yaw. Stiffer springs and matching dampers to control rebound.
rollcage - chassis stiffening to avoid flex and personal safety in case the worst happens.
seats - bench type seats will not hold you in a slide, racing seats will help keep control.
brakes - rear drums will not give good control and braking modulation.
wheels - (i assume you know why by now)
chassis mods - adjusts vehicle center of gravity. Replace roof panel, doors and fenders with lightweight composite material.


Basically, it would be simpler to build it from scratch and drop an AUV bodyshell lookalike over it.

[niky]

Actually... hmm... given a 500k - 1m budget...

- Toyota FX / Revo... doesn't matter how old or decrepit, you're going to strip it anyway...

- custom steering rack? Or use the stock rack and have a shorter gear custom fabricated. It'll be difficult to drift with the FX's truck-like steering.

- Toyota V8... it'll fit with some firewall sawing.

- custom rollcage, tube-frame, some creative frame cutting. Replace all glass with plexiglass (fancy name for transparent plastic) except front windshield.

- either lower through cut springs, or since you're chopping up the frame anyway, keep stock spring and shock height in front and move the mounts higher. Drop it about 2 inches in front and in the rear. If you're swapping in coil springs and shocks from another car, you'll be making custom mounts directly bolted to the tube frame/rollcage in the rear.

- getting a cheap rear diff may be difficult... but if we're monstering anyway, you can shove the drive-shaft into a Starex LSD. One advantage of using a rear diff from a different car is it gives you a wider and more stable wheelbase in the rear.

- oh... put real brakes in that thing.

- Wide mags, slippery tires... you're all set. With the exception of tires and wheels, this all might just slot in at around 500k-700k if all you use are surplus parts.

_____

Alternatively, as ghosthunter suggests, make the drifter then drop the AUV body or a fiberglass mock-up on top of it. Keeping it Toyota, you could use a Toyota Crown base with a Supra engine (would cost 300-500k without body) or an actual Supra (maybe around 700k).

An even cheaper alternative is to use a Nissan Cefiro GTSR (200k) with an SR20DET swap (120k +/- ). Don't know how easy it'll be to line up the wheelbase, though.

[badkuk]

suspension - leaf springs are NOT a drift machine's suspension, upgrade with coil spring based suspension. Also massive lowering will be needed to lower the center of gravity. Bigger stabilizer bars to minimize yaw. Stiffer springs and matching dampers to control rebound.

wouldn't you need to make some mods to the chassis para mapalitan ung leaf spring suspension?

[niky]

Yup... you'd have to tub the rear wheel wells and weld hardpoints for the struts to bolt into. Not very easy unless you have the rear end of the donor car to make templates from... or better yet, to cut the mounting points from for transplant. I think you'd have to remove the rear benches completely and fabricate a tube subframe to reinforce it... as I don't trust kanto-kanto welding to hold up to the stress.

[ghosthunter]

wouldn't you need to make some mods to the chassis para mapalitan ung leaf spring suspension?

yup... you will need to cut the rear chassis and install a new subframe to hold the new suspension system. This could be integrated with the roll-cage though.

[ghosthunter]

Alternatively, as ghosthunter suggests, make the drifter then drop the AUV body or a fiberglass mock-up on top of it. Keeping it Toyota, you could use a Toyota Crown base with a Supra engine (would cost 300-500k without body) or an actual Supra (maybe around 700k).

An even cheaper alternative is to use a Nissan Cefiro GTSR (200k) with an SR20DET swap (120k +/- ). Don't know how easy it'll be to line up the wheelbase, though.

well, the AUV shell doesn't have to be accurate to the original's dimensions. Just make it look similar enough to the original and it will do. Think funnycar concepts.

[niky]

Parang ang sarap nga nuun.

Finally saw the Cefiro "drift car" for myself. (The one that was at the "Drift Event" in the media). At first I thought it was a Skyline swap when I saw the stock KA sitting in a corner of the garage... but imagine my surprise and delight when I saw the familiar SR20DET sitting under the hood... great weight savings and good power... great choice for the car.... this would make a great base for the AUV "funny car".