CAN DRIFTING BE CHEAP? - BMW E46 DRIFT BUILD
We’ve always wanted to learn how to drift, ever since we owned a Nissan 240sx and drifting isn’t as expensive as you’d think. We started drifting with less than $5000, all you need is the right type of car.
The Nissan 240sx is hailed as one of the best beginner drift cars, but it’s nearly impossible to find at a good price.
We wanted to learn how to drift, so needed something reliable, inexpensive, and capable of drifting with little to no mods. Our total beginner budget drift car needed to be under $5,000. This included the car, maintenance, tires, safety gear, and any necessary mods.
WHAT YOU WANT VS WHAT YOU NEED
The GOAL in drifting is to get your car to slide sideways by breaking traction in the rear end, so RWD (rear-wheel drive) will be your minimum requirement. I’d highly recommend a manual transmission that allows you to perform a clutch kick.
Clutch kicking is a method that allows you to manipulate the clutch in order to dump higher RPM from the engine to the rear end.
Then there’s what you want, a high-speed 500+hp tire burner versus what you need. Beginner drifting isn’t necessarily focused on high speed, so you don’t need a crazy expensive fast car. With practice, you could drift a low-end 120HP RWD car like this low powered Datsun 510 featured on Hoonigan.
We also recommend a welded differential or a limited slip differential (LSD). This will allow both rear tires to lock up to perform a smooth and consistent drift. A stock welded diff will cost less than upgrading to an LSD, so I’d recommend a welded diff for beginners. Other than tires and safety gear this is more than enough to get you going.
For a beginner’s drift build, KISS. Keep it simple stupid. This will help keep things somewhat affordable.
WHY AN E46?
We decided to go with the BMW 3-series e46 after months of searching for the perfect beginner’s budget drift car build under $5k. The e46 is RWD sporting a manual 5-speed transmission and rocks 180HP from its inline 6 cylinder M54B25 engine.
Our e46 came with the differential welded as the previous owner had aspirations to drift, but never got around to it. The car also came with racing seats not yet installed for a grand total of $3600. Other than that, the e46 2 door coupe is completely stock.
If you’re targeting under $5k, you need the initial price of the car to stay under $4k. The biggest challenge you’ll come across is used car prices.
There’s also drift tax or the additional cost due to low supply and high demand for RWD cars used for drifting.
Other RWD cars such as the Nissan 350z, Lexus IS300, and the good old Nissan 240sx always sell above $5k, which is another reason we settled on the e46. You could also go with a Mazda Miata which is possible to find under budget, but we like the higher horsepower you get out of the BMW e46.
Don’t buy something over priced and dump another $10k+ of mods into it. This WILL NOT make you better at drifting. You don’t need to change your diff for a different gear ratio, you don’t need an angle kit, turbo, or v8 swap. You need something reliable that you can consistently drift and build technique. Building technique requires seat time, seat time, seat time.
THE E46 BUILD BREAKDOWN
If you’re going to start drifting with a budget in mind I’d also suggest you learn how to fix things yourself. Car maintenance and repairs can be costly. Invest in some tools and take advantage of your local auto store tool borrowing service. You’ll save a ton of cash on labor. Before heading to our first drift event, we planned to take care of general maintenance. The e46 also started to go into “Limp” mode or randomly lose power, so we fixed that first.
DETAILED PARTS LIST
The first parts you’ll want to upgrade are the basics such as your cooling hoses, belts, tensioners, oil, and diff fluid. We also decided to upgrade our thermostat to a Mishimoto low temp version which will help alleviate initial heat build-up.
EXTRA PARTS
Next up are extra parts that will help along the way. You’ll need a helmet and some tracks may require SNELL approved. Get yourself a racing seat with the appropriate bracket along with a fire extinguisher. Most tracks will require this as well. Make sure you check your specific track for all the rules. These parts will be a few hundred dollars, but are necessary for a legit track.
You’ll also need some spare burner tires. I found eight spare tires and wheels that we got from an e36 on Facebook Marketplace for $85. To my surprise, the e36 rims didn’t quite fit and we had to slightly shave down the rear calipers for fitment. So make sure you leave some wiggle room within your budget for properly sized spare wheels and decent tires.
All in all you’re going to want to set aside $1500 hundred for your beginner drift car. The next suggested item outside of this list you should eventually do is add coilovers. Coilovers will stiffen the car through corners and will significantly reduce body roll. It’s a great next upgrade.
I’d highly suggest you check out your local race track and see if they host any open day drift events or novice days. We’re lucky enough to have TONS of different drift tracks here on the east coast.
WATCH HOW TO BUILD A BEGINNER DRIFT CAR
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