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I was thinking the other day, while driving my drift machine of a 240SX (not really) that although I drive the RWD driftomachino (not really) slower than I drove my FWD ZX2, the 240SX has the allure of puttin her sideways.
I hence I wondered, how many "good" motorsports enthusiasts has fun with the aspect of rear wheel drive on the street?
I'm not going to lie and say I never have, but its really rare these days. Honestly I think I got my pickup sideways more often than I do in the Miata. Although its as much because I'm not trying as it is because my Miata has a horsepower deficit (and sticky tires.)
Not much & not often, but I imagine we all do it every now & then. I think the difference is the older we get, the more cautious we are about it.
I rarely get my miata sideways on the street. In the winter I drive a RWD MPV and it is sideways almost every corner.
Coming home from work at night, in the Alfetta, I'd usually coax the tail out in certain spots, like this one roundabout, situated on a wide street, in a quiet/deserted area. And only in the wet, so as not to explode the transaxle, lol.
i USED to back in the day. I dont know how i didnt get a ticket for being brain-free, but i would clutch-kick my E30 at every corner i came to. Now im considered the Grandpa of the group by all my friends because i drive too slow and cautious...
My wet weather driving was pretty grandmotherly before, but with RWD I'm even worse. I usually only drive spiritedly when the pavement is dry and warm.
As far as hanging the ass end out, I usually only do that on certain corners or in parking lots. Sometimes when I pull out at a stop light and have got an open area I will...but pretty rarely.
I think this would have to be split into two catigories, summer and winter. Everything from minivans to box trucks become a drift king in the winter with the sideways action being so easily obtainable.
I am (mostly) only a winter drifter with the occasional tail step in the summer just to know where the limits are.
A lot more when I was younger ;P These days it's only by accident when I forget I'm driving on Azenis and it's 40 degrees out and wet.
Winter time, absolutely. I took my drivers license exam during a snowstorm (or at least, what would be considered a snowstorm down in these parts). The Miata is just so controllable, it's easy to flick the tail out, and bring it back at will. Reverse donuts in the Jetta are also fun if I can find an empty parking lot without any police presence.
If any other cars/people are anywhere nearby, I drive like an old man. If no one's looking, I drive like an idiot.
This past winter, our street was very slippery/snowy. I drifted my truck clear around the large, sweeping curve on our street, a few hundred feet. I'm pretty sure no one else saw me.
GhiaMonster wrote:I think this would have to be split into two catigories, summer and winter. Everything from minivans to box trucks become a drift king in the winter with the sideways action being so easily obtainable.
I only once got a ticket for some sideways action on the street... and the worst part was, I was not trying. Pulled out onto a busy state highwy (non-limited access) and there must have been some oil or coolant in the curved driveway from the parking lot as the tail of my 318ti came around.. in the dry.
Unfortunately I did it right infront of a cop.
I did get the wreckless down to careless when I talked to the persecutor.
Now you mention box trucks. Years ago when I used to drive one, I was heading back to the shop just as a snowstorm was starting. I was sitting at a light, first in line and got through the ultra-low first gear with no problem as I made my left. I hit second and suddenly the whole truck (all 43 feet of it, from bumper to bumper) went sideways in pure drift action. I gathered her up, got her straight, and kept going. Looking in the mirrors, all the cars that had been around me were now FAR behind and hanging back.
Black ice can be a real surprise.
I've had 4 240's and I had one with an extremely aggressive alignment and big falken azenis at every corner, Z32 brakes all around, and a honkin turbo... it was a convertible AND my daily driver in Houston, and houston is known for its standing water when it rains... with the aggressive 2 way clutch type limited slip and the alignment and super stiff RSR race springs, adjustable struts, and sus tech sway bars, driving that thing in the rain was an excercise in counter steer. I would be driving next to mercedes and bmw's at 35 that were smoking, talking on the cell phone, playing with the nav system, and eating a sandwich, and I've have both hands trembling on the wheel as the car skated around and hunted for traction between puddles.
ugh.
great track cars make E36 M3ty street cars.../
I'll echo what a lot of people already said.
I did a lot when I was younger. Not so much anymore. (and if you're looking at the list of cars I own it's not just because everything I own right now is FWD)
I consider using the handbrake a natural part of driving FWD in the snow. With RWD I use the throttle & a bit of left-foot-braking for the same purpose.
That said, I do tend to drive somewhat discreetly these days. No reason to attract attention to myself.
That ALSO said, I have powerslid a full-size school bus around snowy corners on several occasions. They do surprisingly well. I tried not to do that when there were kids on board though. I miss that job, wish it'd payed more.
J
Not completely on topic, but reminded me of a story....
I was forced to move my household once on a snowy day. You haven't really lived life until you have all of your worldly posessions packed in the back of the largest U-Haul they will rent, sliding completely sideways down a big hill at 45-50 MPH with oncoming traffic.
Gravity was causing me to gain momentum and a gentle application of the brakes broke the rear end loose. I got off the brake, got it pointed straight and tried downshifting, which snapped the truck sideways.
As a separate lesson that same day - you can pull a refrigerator on a hand-truck up the traction enhanced ramp of a U-Haul in the snow, but when your snow-coated boots hit the smooth aluminum deck of the box truck, you will likely find yourself lying on your back with a fridge on top of you.
Wowak wrote:I'm not going to lie and say I never have, but its really rare these days. Honestly I think I got my pickup sideways more often than I do in the Miata. Although its as much because I'm not trying as it is because my Miata has a horsepower deficit (and sticky tires.)
Honestly i agree with this statement, drive a pickup in the rain with no cargo in the truck bed and you end up with an unnervingly twitchy rear.
easy solution- put your miata in the bed of your truck.
then at least if it does break loose, they get sideways together!
regarding moving trucks + drifting: I had a penske truck and car hauler that had to be back by 6 PM and I was an hour away and it was 5:30. Theroad between was a twisty two lane.
I had thing sideways with the trailer just bouncing everywhere, probably scared the E36 M3 out of some oncoming drivers... locking the brakes up diving into apexes, redlining the poor gas v8... at several times I actually had the steering wheel turned to full opposite lock... on a box truck... with a car trailer...
exciting.
Some more than before I broke my lsd rear diff and am currently running a stock open one back there...
jcanracer wrote:Honestly i agree with this statement, drive a pickup in the rain with no cargo in the truck bed and you end up with an unnervingly twitchy rear.
It's funny because my very first car when I was 16 growing up in Maine was a 2wd F-150. Not sure my parents realized putting a beginning driver in one of those when it's snowy 6 months out of the year was a great idea. I probably learned a lot from driving that truck, now that I think of it.
Most of my tail out driving happens with my cherokee in winter in 2wd. (I only use 4wd for the real deep snow.) One winter, I was following a newer pickup down the highway (70 mph) and the car slightly infront of the pickup in the slow lane began to spin around in circles. While the car seemed to stay in their own lane the pickup began to brake rather dramatically especially since my jeep doesnt have ABS. So rather than rear end the pickup, I drove into the median/ditch. I got up along side of the pickup going 40 mph or so and made eye contact 
. He looked startled and promptly drove away and allowing me to get back up on to the road. I slowed down after that.
I drive low power cars, but I did drive my buddies old C5 Vette with an auto one time, and was unsupervised. I had it sideways on the street, and up to 70 with spin. Not really wise, but what are you going to do? I've never driven a car that had such power on tap, much less with an auto that took care of the shifting for me.
A pretty impressive car really. Someday I'll buy one myself, but with a manual.
I would put my self in the "its a rarity these days". I drive the 240 swiftly from time to time (ok almost daily) but nothing tire screeching or too crazy... just saving some gas by not slowing down too much... its good for the earth...
Though I must admit this past weekend I had a Kia rental van... and I misbehaved. Man did that thing ride smooth at high speeds, and enough power (or bad enough tires) to spin the wheels easily...
my first car was a 74 vw superbeetle with a hopped up type 4 2.0 from a 914 stuffed into the back. double dells, big lump cam... car taught me a LOT about oversteer.
I want another
i think driving my old rwd corolla last winter was the easiest to drive winter vehicle i ever owned. too bad i sold it.
my jeep was pretty easy too. but it didnt have as much fun on the tail-out factor.
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