E21 as a Drift Car
- Thread starter R60BBA
- Start date
PinkPineapple44
Member
R60BBA said:
Why not go for an E36 323? Cheaper to fix when you bin and loads of parts for modifications with a better chassis plus has more than enough power to get you sideways. The M10 in the 316i will be pretty sluggish in comparison too.
I had a modified 328 for about 5 years and it was the best drift car I've owned in terms of value to performance by far.
PinkPineapple44 said:
I’m a big fan of the E36 328i but so are many others hence why a lot of drifters use them!
You don’t see many E21s on the roads anymore and at just 1,100kg, the 150bhp from the 323i should be enough to have fun sliding sideways.
My main concerns are reliability and part availability.
As nice as the E21 is, for a car that's going to get thrashed, crashed and worked on a lot, I think it is likely to cause more headaches than necessary when it comes to parts. I can't remember the last time I saw one so I wouldn't fancy your chances finding a new wing in the breakers, for example.
What about using an E46 instead. Not as charming as the older cars (yet) but there are parts everywhere and the non M cars are worth relatively little. Spares should be in cheap and plentiful supply for the foreseeable future and they are new enough that theres probably some decent cars out there that don't need a total overhaul to be roadworthy. Strip it, fit a decent seat and a diff and away you go.
What about using an E46 instead. Not as charming as the older cars (yet) but there are parts everywhere and the non M cars are worth relatively little. Spares should be in cheap and plentiful supply for the foreseeable future and they are new enough that theres probably some decent cars out there that don't need a total overhaul to be roadworthy. Strip it, fit a decent seat and a diff and away you go.
North West Surrey
As has been said you might find getting parts for an E21 tricky - and given how rare they seem to be now I'd rather see them preserved (but that's a personal feeling).
An E36 or E46 must be a cheaper option, but I can't see any model of 316i being up to drifting - gotta be a 6-pot surely? I'm sure one of our members uses an E46 325Ci.
An E36 or E46 must be a cheaper option, but I can't see any model of 316i being up to drifting - gotta be a 6-pot surely? I'm sure one of our members uses an E46 325Ci.
I have had 5 of the e21s mainly 320 6 cylinder ones they were great , the back end would come unstuck if you even looked at a corner , I had a bag of sand in the back of mine it was that loose .
The early cars had 4 cylinder engines that took a bit of winding up , 316 was out of puff very early , the best of the bunch was 320 or 323 6 cylinder cars although they do tend to rust everywhere so chances of finding a good one are very slim , they also command top money so buying and prepping to drift standard maybe expensive .
E36 maybe safer bet ( I know we're an e36 M3 is Estoril blue but it has stood in a damp garage for quite some time it had 120,000 miles on but was quite clean )
E46 would be best choice or a Mazda mx5 .
The early cars had 4 cylinder engines that took a bit of winding up , 316 was out of puff very early , the best of the bunch was 320 or 323 6 cylinder cars although they do tend to rust everywhere so chances of finding a good one are very slim , they also command top money so buying and prepping to drift standard maybe expensive .
E36 maybe safer bet ( I know we're an e36 M3 is Estoril blue but it has stood in a damp garage for quite some time it had 120,000 miles on but was quite clean )
E46 would be best choice or a Mazda mx5 .
Mr Tidy said:As has been said you might find getting parts for an E21 tricky - and given how rare they seem to be now I'd rather see them preserved (but that's a personal feeling).
An E36 or E46 must be a cheaper option, but I can't see any model of 316i being up to drifting - gotta be a 6-pot surely? I'm sure one of our members uses an E46 325Ci.
Just to clarify if I do get an E21, I wouldn’t modify it and make it look like a Japanese ricer.
I would keep the exterior stock, but uprate the suspension and diff.
