Automatic Transmission Drifting...

1viadrft · #1 06-01-2004, 12:47 PM

Hey crew!

I know this has been mentioned indirectly a few times... but here goes! Keep the flames down! This is a discussion... and it can be pretty interesting if you all keep an open mind!

What do you guys think of AT drifters? I thought it was an oddity (well it still is) but I am bumping into more 'n more AT drifters! As I mentioned before... I don't really consider myself a drifter anymore... but on ocassion I take to the Industrial part of town and whip my AT Z around corners! I can do it fairly easy using weight transfer and throttle techniques! I have more than enough power to get her sideways. I also often drive up to the mountains with my buddies and when I hit those hairpins I can also experience drift. I have heard of people with AT's using left-foot braking and e-brake techniques also.

What are your takes on it, fellas? Do you think it possible to have an all out drift-car with AT? I know someone mentioned there was a S13 with AT that OPTION put together? I have not seen any footage so I would not know how well it did... What are the advantages? Disadvantages? Some of you out there are much more technical than I and may know these answers...

PS--- Just in case you are wondering why I have an AT Z... no it's not 'cus I don't know how to drive MT! I used to have a '93 240sx Coupe with MT that I used to drift all the time! At the time of purchasing another used car I found a great deal on this beauty of a Z... and here I am!

joebowlr21 · #2 06-01-2004, 01:05 PM

At drifting....good for the soul.........bad for your tansmission LOL!

But seriously, poeple that say drifting in an AT is stupid, needs to check themselves.Think about it like this, there are more ways to initiate a drift other then using say a clutch kick technique.Yes you do have to down shift to keep the pwer going through the corner but when u give an AT full throttle it automatically gose down a gear for you to have the power.It's all about the weight transfer and your braking technique.I've seen this done by a buddies auto s14(95 240sx with kouki headlights).

Your suspension is almost a must when drifting in an AT.It has to be set to a more difficult setting rather then with a manual because of the difference of power in transmissions.Also, you have to reinforce the trans with high strength syncrhos or else that baby ain't lasting you more then a week of this turture.

AT drifting.............is alright with me!

1viadrft · #3 06-02-2004, 01:53 AM

AcH!!!!

So I could be messin' up my tranny? Do they even make Hi-Perf. parts for my AT tranny? Sucks.... I know that Grex/Greddy/Trust makes a an AT cooler... but that's all I know of!

drftk1d · #4 06-03-2004, 01:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 1viadrft

AcH!!!!

So I could be messin' up my tranny? Do they even make Hi-Perf. parts for my AT tranny? Sucks.... I know that Grex/Greddy/Trust makes a an AT cooler... but that's all I know of!

Well, when your transmission breaks, then you can swap to a manual.

jdmkenji · #5 06-03-2004, 07:31 PM

i've seen automatic open-diff drifting... nothing crazy but it can be done... plus its difficult to spin out with open diff.

Fully_Sick · #6 06-07-2004, 01:32 AM

hahaha nothing wrong with AT drift. you use what you have I suppose.

My friends old 88 mazda 323 AT used to go hard with the help of old "e-brake" around the corners, until it drifted into a bike.

I think people are now realising it doesnt matter if its rwd, fwd, at, manual, etc just as long as you flog it and get some slide action happening!

peace!

Bunta · #7 06-07-2004, 05:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fully_Sick

hahaha nothing wrong with AT drift. you use what you have I suppose.

My friends old 88 mazda 323 AT used to go hard with the help of old "e-brake" around the corners, until it drifted into a bike.

I think people are now realising it doesnt matter if its rwd, fwd, at, manual, etc just as long as you flog it and get some slide action happening!

peace!

Yes. People are realizing, now, that if you push your tires past the limit of adhesion they will slide.

TankMMC · #8 06-16-2004, 07:40 AM

Yep, you can get pretty much anything sideways, usually quite easily.

My FWD auto Diamante is easier to get sideways round a corner than my Cefiro ( good old lift-off-the-throttle oversteer). Much harder to control the slide though, as you need to slam the loud pedal to the floor and wait for the auto kick-down so that the weight shifts back and the front wheels pull you back out on the straight line. If the auto isn't responsive enough...well...

As for stuffing up the auto , unless you do truly stupid shit ( like neutral drop it to try to unstick the rears) you shouldnt break anything..Of course frequent kick-downs put more wear and tear on it than grandma driving but I wouldnt lose any sleep over it.

Fully_Sick · #9 06-16-2004, 08:14 AM

^the thing is...

I see more people in shitty cars trying to drift then guys with the so called "real driftt cars"..People need to stop being pussies..

Best drifting action = the wet and a Yugo...

p.s: TankMMC props! your the first person I know to do that to a magna! they usually break down when taken over 4rpm

TankMMC · #10 06-16-2004, 08:53 AM

heh..its not quite a magna, its got a 6g73 (JDM y0!!) instead of the dirty ol' Astron...

drifting family cars is d shizzle

NSX-R-SSJ20K · #11 06-16-2004, 06:24 PM

One of the option videos has KeiOffice's Kazama drifting an Auto Toyota Vitz. hahahaha

VAD0R · #12 06-16-2004, 10:42 PM

I guess now people can reconsider the Buick Grand National as a non-aligned drift car.

I know this is off topic but do you think the Saturn ION Red Line would make a good drift car, for a FWD. I saw on the Speed channel during their overview of the International Car show in Madrid they showed a SEAT Leon drifting around corners while demonstrating their counter skid system, it is a FWD car. I know that can sound a bit strange to some.

I think they were talking about their "Agile Chassis" system, not skid control I suppose.

Car_Ram/Rod · #13 06-18-2004, 12:20 AM

I used to drift my stock 79 monte carlo all the time (before i sold her). It was a 305, with a th350 and an open rear diff lol. As with any car all it takes is torque, experience and balls to drift an AT. I found it worked best when I would accelrate hard towards the turn, stomp the brakes to get weight transfered to the front, then hammer the gas until the tranny hit kickdown mode to keep the tires from getting traction. From there it's all in keeping it in kickdown mode ( to keep it from upshifting) while modulating the throttle and countersteering appropriately. So there's my two cents.

Corey I RanciD · #14 06-28-2004, 12:46 AM

You could drift with an automatic transmission but you'd have a lot less control than you could with a manual. What if half way around a corner it decides to shift? Using an auto not only eliminates many techniques used to initiate a drift, but puts you at the mercy of the transmission. It doesn't know the difference between going up a steep hill and sliding around a turn. It just knows you're pressing harder on the throttle and will act accordingly. Let's just say I don't want to be in the car when that happens.

monkeyboy383 · #15 08-31-2004, 03:21 AM

well, in my 94 accord lx you can select all 4 gears on the shifter (1st, 2nd, then D3 (1-2-3), then D4 (1-2-3-4))... the only problem is that 2nd gear only takes you to about 60mph, then 3rd will take you to 85 (that's hitting the 6250 redline)... but it will upshift if pushed past redline no matter what. hearing more about FWD drifts (or sudo drifts for those that may not consider it a drift)... i've drifted a 3500lb, fwd, AT, 130hp wagon... not with Great success... but that we have awesome tires up front and bad ones in back helps!

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