Drifting in Tokyo on a Saturday night.

[Miguel - Newera]

Thought this might entertain you guys.
Gotta tell you about last night on the outskirts of Tokyo. This is Japanese street drifting culture at grass roots level.

My work colleague Gareth & I went out around Midnight to our local drift area...10 minutes away There was some Police presence and a few people with their cars at the local convenience store. We decided to go to Oi futo, near odaiba where people sometimes drift.. Nothing was going on there either.... with some Police presence... We found some places to drift and did some. Gareth is his S15, myself in the Hachi Rokku I bought on thursday as my replacement for my S2000, which has been sold. The AE86 is pretty easy to drift although it had developed a small misfire at high revs, traced to a dodgy ignition lead. Easily fixed!

We had fun for around an hour being raucous and getting the cars as sideways as possible... We found we're pretty good at it when we put our minds to it, I guess - although we still have a lot to learn before we get to professional standards. Before I used to think I could make a car slide well, but to do it really well and make the tyres smoke whilst getting it completely broadside is going to take practice & more power!

So we headed back to near the office and found a lot more drift style cars there. We went to the area where we'd practiced on Friday night and parked up...
Then lots of cars stared to congregate.. At first everyone just sat in their cars keeping warm in the winter chill. Around 50-60 cars in all had turned up. Everything from Silvias, to RX-7's, Skylines, Type R Civics, AE86's, toyota Chasers, etc. People started to get out of their cars to watch as 4 Skylines started to drift on the perimeter road around a field. Then 2 Silvias joined in...Drifting tallents weren't great - but entertaining to see anyways and the atmosphere was adictive. A couple of guys were quite good or just maniacs on the verge of being outa control! Entertaining...

We were considering joining in, when all of a sudden 2 Police cars arrived with flashing red beacons and sirens. It was hillarious as everyone ran at full speed to their cars and drove off as if on the start to a Le Mans race! People just hung out around the place with all sorts of cars driving around in different directions, the police just sat on the side of the road making a presence. They didn't stop anyone. It was a sort of passive presence. We eventually stopped our cars at the convenience store with around 20 cars and chatted to a couple of Japanese guys who also spoke quite good English. Turns out they'd lived in the States.They each had some bashed and old PS13 turbo drift bitch Silvias. It was their first time there...

At around 2.30 am we decide to head off to another area of warehouses also around 10 mins from our office. Found around 8 drift cars there doing all sorts of stuff from slow to really fast drifting. One very quick FC3S and a well prepared PS13 were doing pretty well! Gareth & I found a piece of road with some good wide corners and did around 20 mins of tyre smoking drifting, then found another area with a wide open crossroads...with a cone in the middle for practicing the art of doughnuts on a sixpence (This is one of the first things people learn when drifting). We got it pretty much right - lots of turning of the wheel to keep the cone just by the side of the driver's door, although we laughed a lot as it made each of us dizzy as we tried it in each car!

It was around 4am and I was passenger in the S15 with Gareth driving. I'd left the AE86 parked up to cool the oil down.... Then the Police suddenly appeared with their sirens on and red beacons just as we had finished doing a 180 Deg drift in front of them!

"Go, Go, Go!!!" I said, so he drove up to the AE86 and screeched to a halt. I jumped out and dived into the Hachi Rokku just as the police came alongside with their tanoy blaring for me to stop. Gareth had already dissapeared into the distance. Luckily I'd left the engine on, so I just dropped the clutch and floored it. They didn't try to block or give chase. I don't think they want to catch drivers as such, just make people stop their drifting, even though they know full well this will happen again. Doesn't cause anyone any harm and it's not a residential area and there's no accidents, so it not particularly bad!! They don't have penalties here such as driving without due care & attention, or dangerous driving - at least I've never heard of anyone getting done for such here. Wish it were like that in the UK. Over there they'd probably have sent in 4 porky cars and chased us home, if not followed by chopper... Motoring freedom's still alive & well in Japan thankfully.

We went home after that, not sleepy at all. When I arrived - I was just buzzing!

This drifting bug has caught me between the eyeswith this AE86. The clutch is uprated and by the way the engine responds, it seems to have a lightweight flywheel fitted too. We've already ordered a Trust oil cooler and 45% larger aluminium Toyo radiator and next we expect to fit some TODA or TRD camshafts of 288 & 304 Deg duration which will take the power to around 200 bhp at the expense of smooth idling, etc. We're going to polish & port the head as well as fitting uprated valve springs, etc. As we won't be changing the rods and pistons this time, we'll only be able to rev to a max of around 8,500 rpm, if not 8,000. It's an easy engine to tune and there's lots of tuning parts for it in Japan. Someday we'll rebuilt the bottom end and properly blueprint & balance it, as well as fitting a racing crankshaft, etc. so it'll be able to rev to around 9,500 rpm max. We already set the rear TRD shocks to hardest and it made a little difference - had it jumping over a few bumps as we ran home last night.... Lots of mods planned. Going to make this into a true drift car!! At the moment, it's set up for small circuit grip driving, so it fights to grip when you try to slide it. Need a more agressive differential. Will probably get all FRP composite panels such as doors, front wings, boot lid, perspex windows, beefed up suspension tie rods, etc, etc. to make it handle and drift better too.
In 6-12 months, this will be an awesome AE86 ... It's pretty good already and it was lucky to find an AE86 in such good condition considering it's 20 years old. There's virtually no rust at all on it. Gareth in his S15 with 350 bhp + can only overtake it after I change up from 2nd gear - we're pretty much neck & neck off the line. The AE86 has more traction though, as the S15 spins it's rear wheels until 3rd! After 2nd, Gareth just wipes the foor with the AE86 though. But the noise it makes is awesome!

We're going to video all of this sometime in the near future. to put on a DVD. It'll look great, but we'll film it only after the AE86 is set up for drifting and we know how to do all the routes as sideways as possible, so we can get some in car footage too! This drifting is definitely also growing strongly here in Japan. What's best is this time, it's right near our office! What luck!! Absolutely hillarious.... We cracked up when we found a cone in the middle of lots of rubber rings on the tarmac. Classic!!

Attached are some pics of the new toy and a couple of Gareth's S15 which is pretty much completed now. The Hachi Rokku's interior is now getting stripped! Dedication on a Sunday!!

All the gauges will go soon to make way for a Defi only instrument binacle in carbon fibre. We're also going to fit matching race seats, etc. This is going to become one cool AE86 & we're going to imerse ourselves in this Japanese drifting culture. It's even more fun than racing the RX-7 & s15 together on the C1!!

Here's some pics of the Hachi-Rokku (AE86) and Gareth's S15 Silvia. The Corolla is going to get a lot of modification though!

[Demon Dave]

Great write-up Miguel. Sounds like you had a blast!

Luv the AE86 - looks the business in black

Gareth - your Silvia looks stunning. Simply Stunning.

What kit does it have fitted?

[GTRalex]

hi

the silvia looks amazing its been done really well. i agree the AE86 looks brill in black. great pictures mate.

alex

[Miguel - Newera]

Gareth's S15 has a mix of "Final Connexion" & "Trial" bodykit. Seriously well sorted Silvia with F50 Brembos at the front and R33 GT-R brakes on the rear including handbrake assy (for drifting), 322mm Biot rear discs, HKS F Con V Pro ECU, special inlet manifold, uprated turbo, intercooler, etc, etc. Uprated suspension, arms, tie rods, etc. The list's longer than my own RX-7 in terms of mods!! Gareth's done a great job on it.... If anyone's interested he can post some pics and a spec. list himself.

He's talking about wanting to sell it soon and is thinking of changing to an Evo 6 Tommi Makkinen... Not if I can persuade him to keep it though. It's his company car, so I guess I have some say in it

As for the AE86, we've just completed stripping out the interior leaving only the head lining, dashboard and door cards, plus the 2 front seats. It's raining now, so we'll wait till midnight, then head back for those deserted warehouse roads to see the difference it's made

[GTRalex]

yeah that would be good if he could post some more pics please and a spec list.

alex

[Miguel - Newera]

Here's a pic showing the bonnet. Want more composite panels now!!

[GTRalex]

hi

very nice mate looks the bomb

alex

[Gareth-Newera]

Piccies and spec as requested. Enjoy

Gareth

























Engine & Transmission
HKS Remote Oil Filter and Oil Cooler
HKS EVC IV Boost Controller
HKS Steel Headgasket
HKS Turbo Actuator
HKS F-Con V Pro ECU
HKS Spark Plugs
HKS Tubular Equal Length Exhaust Manifold
HKS Twin Dump Turbo Elbow
Split-fire Coil Packs
Blitz Front Mount Intercooler
Apexi Induction with no MAF
Apexi Aluminum Intake pipe
Custom Cold Air Feed
Large Capacity Radiator
Despot 3” De Cat Pipe
Nismo Fuel Pump
Nismo Full Exhaust System
Nismo Engine & Transmission Mounts
'Leak' Socks on PAS and Brake Reservoirs
OS Giken Twin plate Clutch
C’s Shortshift

Suspension and Brakes
GAB Coilover Suspension
GAB PillowBall Top Mounts
GAB uprated Anti-Roll Bars
Swift Springs
Cusco Adjustable Rear Arms
Ikeya Formula Adjustable Front Lower Control Arms
Nismo Front and Rear Strut Braces
Do-Luck Central Brace Bar
355mm 2-Piece Slotted Front Discs
4 Piston Ferrari F50 Front Brembos
2 Piston R33 GTR Rear Brembos
Biot 322mm Slotted Rear Disc Conversion
Goodridge Braided Brake hoses
Endless CCR High Performance Pads
Skyline R33 GTR Handbrake Mechanism with Fly Off Handbrake

Exterior
Custom Rear Wide Arch Conversion
Final Konnexion Vented Fibreglass Bonnet
Final Konnexion Fibreglass Front Wings
Final Konnexion side skirts
Final Konnexion Rear Bumper
Final Konnexion Rear Light Units
Ganador Electric mirrors
Try Force Front Bumper
Tinted Rear Windows
18" Volks Racing TE37’s
HID Driving lights
LED Front Sidelights
Blue Anodised Alloy Bonnet Pins
Carbon GT Rear Wing

Interior
Techtom CMX-100 to monitor Injector Duration, AFR, Speed and RPM
Apexi Turbo Timer
Defi Black Face Gauges to show: Boost, Oil Pressure, Oil temperature and Water Temperature
Defi Link II Controller (inside glovebox)
Nismo Gearknob
Sparco Steering Wheel (with scramble boost button)
Willians 4-point Harnesses with Sabelt Pads
Bride Fixed Back Drivers Bucket Seat
Alpine Component Speakers
Electronically Operated TV/DVD Sat Nav/CD/Radio

[Richie]

Great writeup and awesome looking car!!
I especially like the AE a lot, I have a soft spot for them.

[GTRalex]

that is so geogeous that silvia what BHP is that running at.

a really good job on that mate

thanks for posting the pics and spec list

alex

[hyrev]

wow, looks sick. That black is bad. It would look sick with real hid's on it.
we gotta meet up some time, i need to hear it, possibly get a ride in it?

[Gareth-Newera]

Its running around 350, not much, but it makes for a very fun rear drive Silvia! Its also perfectly matched to Miguels RX-7, making racing nice and even!

[GTRalex]

i wish i lived in Jpan so i could see it

alex

[Gareth-Newera]

You may see it in the UK soon, with Ben Linney (GT Culture)............

[GTRalex]

nice one do you know where and when

thanks for the info mate

alex