as far as the s2k...it has potential to be one of the best drift machines...people shy away from using these more because of the work that needs to go into them and the cost. Many of us are on a budget and the car in its stock form is a grip master. It makes more sense to build off a platform that is closer to the goal in its static state. 240s and rx7's are very easily altered to achieve a decent drift base.
The steering angle in the ap1 is a bit better, but is very difficult to stay locked in to the sweet spot angle during a slide. It takes a lot more precision to keep the s in that sweet spot. It either spins out or it violently corrects itself.
Every 6 months I get into the mindset of wanting to build a proper ap1 drift machine. If built correctly it has the potential to be one of the best platforms to slide with. the hardest obstacles to overcome are breaking the from being 50/50. But probably just as important the sliding angle absolutely has to be change. So you need to start getting into some serious altering. The rx-7 steering seems to work best but is not an easy task to set up in the ap1. Clearly suspension, and of course forced induction wouldn't hurt. Though a properly built bored n stroked NA f20 to 2.4 liter motor would have you in 300hp and a bit over 200f/lb torque territory would be sufficient any would be an easier throttle to control. But you are talking some serious cash for gains that fractional per dollar amount. Id rather buy a stock f20 and set up an older corolla and have a somewhat unique and very potent drift beast compared to the 240s and rx7 here stateside, that handles great is light and agile, and you can crack up and duct tape back 2gether. tho id love to have a beautiful looking drift machine its hard to keep her that way..
if I had a budget of say 75k id do it in heartbeat. But to me on a good day and when im thinking straight I really couldn't destroy one of the best handling mass produced cars an automaker has been so generous to let us have. And its a shame too, because I am finding it harder and harder to find s14 that haven't been butchered to no return. which is sad because that is one of the best looking, most simple coupe that the Japanese ever offered in the U.S.. In which the 5th gen Prelude would have been probably been the best looking RWD coupe if it had been fitted properly instead of its boring fwd layout.
I have some drift experience, and was able to compete in multiple events in Connecticut and mostly new jersey. Two of my friends and I comprised of our crew. We found that this was the easiest and most cost effective way to enter the events..I always read articles about how drifting is relatively cheap, but we never found it to be inexpensive...We found it the opposite. Don't get me wrong, we did it to have fun, but we also wanted to be good at what we were doing. We had 3 street legal drift cars amonst us. 2 turboed s13 (stock motors) which were setup as similar as possible soo parts could be interchanged and 1 s14 type se(NA stock motor, the same sluggish motor in the trucks I believe so it did have some torquieness ) on tein drift susp. wider staggered 17s,(we switched between those n stock depending what tires we could scavenge up) welded diff. intake 2 breath better, 300zx brakes to stop better.
Believe it or not we did better in the s14 compared 2 the more powerful turbo s13s. The s14 did not have enough power but it was good enough, And that car actually got us a deal with Maxxis tires through their grassroots program. We just had to put 2 large decals on the side an they slipped us 2 tires here an there but the deal was we paid the tires at cost. Tho we still opted for the free tires we got from New England tire where the 2 guys had previously worked.
2 of us slowly faded out of the drift scene, while our friend Pat moved to Texas to pursue is hope of becoming a pro...Pat undoubtedly had the talent, he was the one pushing us 2 make us better soo we could get recognized. Its funny now when I look back because he too I think got sick of having to duct tape and ziptie our mad max
looking cars...An starting competing in Porsche grip driving events....quite a different experience.
I was kind of done with drift stuff myself, and so was my friend Mat. Mat was the best overall just naturally gifted driver, while pat was the most Tech and I guess precise. Mat and I did better at hopping in and feeling it out for ourselves. Pat was the gut who watched drift bible for breakfast, lunch and dinner to study techniques. He was that kid that knew every spec for every car down to the foot poundage a nut had to be tightened. Mat went on to miatas and we co owned a track built turbod 1.6...(my opinion, is that these cars are wwwaaayy over praised, and Im pushing him 2 get an S) The money you dump into a first gen Miata could get you an awesome S2k that is way more capable than a Miata, that's my feeling) I get the Miata, its simple 2 work on, cheap but it is just that cheap, it really doesn't handle that great an needs a lot of work to get to a good car. A stock S is way more fun than a lot of tuned miatas. and the newer miatas are just plain silly looking, they lost me on chrome roll hoops.
I was itching for something else, and had totaled my still truly missed my Canadian built 1992 EG Si. that's how I learned cars could even slide...Poor ebrake, it didn't even work after I was done with it. Soo I was out test driving a 2000 or so RSX S and A 4 door saloon Si. Not the same but awesome cars...My best friend had a Type R integra soo honestly I was jealous an I didn't want to have something inferior...I called a kid who just happened to live a half mile from my house which I didn't know because I find this car on Cars.com...It was my dream car...A black Ap1 with full red interior...I ditched the test drive an flew straight over to this guys address...It was showroom condition...He let me test drive it and I was apprehensive because I knew it was his baby...I had driven the type R many of times soo I knew what a treat such a high quality built vtec motor was about and capable of. They are really in the league of their own..Both having their own distinct characteristic between the two. Very Very similar cars, weird given such different layouts, but both just being such an unreal blend of pure power and response out of a 4 cylinder...Ahh and the noise when wtec kicks in...I must admit anyone who has driven a type R might agree that the Type R may have an edge on the high end aggressive note around 7 k...(stock wise) My ap1 with invidia exhaust is one of the best sounding 4 bangers to me haha...well anyways enough of a long story...that was the night of an Obsession...over obsession. Just driving the S on the backroads with the top down shifting just to shift is heaven in itself. I gave up drifting but filled that void with an incredible piece of engineering marvel...Just thinking about it...sorry for the novel. got to go drive...

_ hoffdirt1

 

my above post sorry I should specify why I wrote that also, because I am keeping my eyes out for a Miata for my friend Mat, and I know he wants one so he can take to drift events, but I am trying to get to him and show him that all the money you are going to spend, the s2000 is just such a better well put together car. and I want him to experience it. He drove mine yesterday and today, Im hoping it will get him to change his mind, and I came across an old post of where it showed a video of a properly built ap1 for drift. for me I'd like to see more ap1's used in drift, just to show how superior its chasis is to most of the roadsters on the road. And to show how versatile the car is...I'm not to into all the ls swap stuff and big chevy motors into our cars because I do think that is stretching it a bit. But just seeing the guys in japan in the best motoring and hot version really go to show that it should be more common than what it is...Those videos were put out a while ago...Whether its grip or drift, I just love to be part of community of just straight up awesome cars. Awesome cars that really perform, for the price we own cars that we say $30k cars, but in reality perform like $50-60k cars. Its unbelievable. For once, car wise; we didn't get screwed on a car. I mean look at all the cars we missed out on due to import laws, and the strict emissions and just overall companies just opting not sell them in the U.S. because our market is soo different and bland compared to Europe and Asia. Its sad, our sports car in America is a huge V8 long bed truck. We are a small fraction of people who take pride in what we drive whether its cruising around town, hitting the backroads or going to the store. That's how it is across the pond...They want sporty cars, and take pride in their choices. Look at the S in Japan, It is regarded as a luxury to own...This car is soo highly praised there. And cost a significant more than here, because they know what they built and know that it built and performs top notch. That's a lot coming from a country who built a $120k coupe with backseats that is more fun and overall better than many $200k+ supercars...not bad considering its great grandfather was a little Datsun...

 

Well then.

 

Sooooo, you want to be a drift king! Awesome!

I like a person that has goals. Go for it! I only read 2 lines so, if that's not what you want, my bad.

Edit: this thread has potential!

 

Sorry, but that was way too long a post. Try using paragraphs and spaces to help...

Unfortunately I didn't read it

 

Talks about drifting, spends 3/4 of post talking about FWD cars.

I read it but I'm still confused.

I'm not sure if I just read a post with a question or a Fast and Furious fan fic.

The miata and the s2000 both make terrible drifting cars without excessive changes made. It's just not in their nature. The miata's a fantastic road racing car.

 

 

With all that time you spent typing you didn't think to make some cliff notes? Terrible. Take a lap.

 

Someone's on meth. Either way, be prepared to waste a lot of money on parts and tires tires tires

 

Too long, Didn't read. But does OP want to make an ap1 a drift car?

Ok I kind of skimmed it. I would let your friend build his miata drift car, because 1 I'm sure it's a lot cheaper in the initial buy of the car, and body panels, suspension, etc. and 2, I don't like looking at beat up s2k's on the road.