Hello all!

I am from Washington State, western U.S., and wonder......Are there any drifters here?

I have a friend in India, who is a soon-to-be-drifter, and wonder what the drift scene is like there.

I also do Rally, and a little Rock Crawling, though I haven't done the latter for a year, now.

For those who are not familiar with drift, I have this video from Korea, that is the best representation of drift I have ever seen! Enjoy!



I would very much like to hear from any on-road enthusiasts!! Let me know how the scene is, in India!!  

Gokemidoro? Wow! That was an awesome movie!. Is your handle / call sign inspired by that?

WOW! That was fast!

No, My handle is from a really crappy Z-grade Japanese Sci-Fi movie from the 70's! It's one of MY favorites, though!

Oh, that vid is cool, huh?! There are so many out there, but that one is new, and it looks really good, so I thought it only right to share! Here is another, that is from the same team, and made to look like a film trailer.....



If anyone has questions about drift, rally, rock crawling, etc, just ask!

I am a big drift fan, but in real cars In India, I am not sure you will find much drifters but this is some hobby that I would like to get into someday.
Talking about the real cars, I got a chance to learn some real drifting skills at NASCAR Hall Of Fame, Charlotte, NC. That was the once in a lifetime experience I had and paid a hefty amount for the same In India most of the cars are FWD (front wheel drive) where the drifting is not easy (if not impossible) and I have tried it couple of times on my Lancer using just the handbrake (shift in weight) and not real drifting.


oh yeah.. Welcome to forum

Hello! Hello!

1:1 drift, eh?! How did you like it? Though I never drifted a 1:1 car, I was a street racer (a la "Fast and Furious") in my youth. built my own car, and paid probably close to $5,000 American dollars in fines! Those days are long gone, though, because the streets in America are much more crowded.
I got into RC drift, almost by accident. I have done all other forms of RC cars, and became really bored with replacing broken parts all the time, so got into on-road, and haven't been happier!

I do Rally, as well as drift, and my friend lives in Bangalore. He is just getting started, so I am helping him, as far as I am able, and can help anyone else, in my limited capacity, online.

Thank you very kindly for the welcome!!

I love street racing & do have couple of friends in Rally so have a great interest in that too. So far haven't got caught doing street racing, touchwood I did not enjoyed 1:1 drift on the FWD, BWD are super fun. Never got a chance to try it on AWD (4x4)... I wish I could get my hands on Subaru WRX STi someday

Does your friend already got his RC Drifter? he bought it from states or where?  Can you suggest a good entry level model for RC drift... I will probably be coming to Seattle in Jan-Feb just for a week, so if I could book it online that will be better..

You are most welcome, we all are here to help others in our capacity.

Great! Rally is the other side of drift, for all those who did not know (at least it's that way here, in the states).

Yah, rear wheel drive is the only efficient way to drift, as far as 1:1 cars go, I'm not so sure about AWD, though. It is a requirement for RC drift, but the physics aren't the same between 1:1 and RC.

An STi, huh?! Really nice cars!

Seattle? You will be just 100 miles from where I live!

There are many entry-levels, and the best I can think of are the HPI Sprint 2 (though those do need minor modifications, which I can help you with, because I own one, myself), Tamiya TT01E (not the "D" model!), although any on-road car can be made a drifter, with a few small mods, adjustments, and drift wheels and tires.

My friend got his in the states. If you will be in Seattle, there are a few pretty good sized hobby shops there, though I don't remember their names, it's just a quick look in the phone book! Drift is also VERY big in Seattle! there are a couple of clubs there that are HUUUUGE! They have posted vids at youtube in the last couple of years, and most are pretty accomplished, though their vernacular is hard for me to decipher!

Yes, we are all here to help! I have been at other forums, and some are full of very arrogant people, and that doesn't say much about RC!


BTW, have you seen the Ken Block Gymkhana vids? Here is a sample:



This is a "melding" of drift and rally, that has caught on BIG TIME here. Enjoy!!

What are the top drift models ?  What would be the best beginner drift RTR model that is not obscenely expensive ?

Kenny from the Block You bet... he is the drift king... and his Subaru is AWD. He is not using just the power from rear wheels for drifting but weight shifting to a great deal to drift his customized monster. The control he has on his car is simply out of this world.

If I finalize my trip, I will be visiting Seattle, Bellevue & Redmond. If not then I will ask my friend who has confirmed his trip to pick the stuff for me. Does HobbyTownUSA sell these cars too? Could not find them in their NC outlet though.

Well, Anwar, there are a few.....

NitroRCX has a few, but I'm reticent to recommend them, because they apparently have a spotty reputation for service, and their models seem to be off and on, meaning some get them and they run O.k.., some get them and they either fail right away, or soon after.
Of the RTR drifters, I can only reliably recommend HPI and Tamiya drifters, at the moment.

I, myself build my own, as that is the only way to get what I want, price not being the determining factor.

HOWEVER, any on-road RC car can be made a drifter, as I said, with a few adjustments, mods and drift-specific wheels and tires, which are a nominal cost, because they are replaced often, much like tires on off-road cars.

Rally cars can also be made to drift! YES! just by switching out the wheels and tires for drift-specific ones! That is all!

As far as the top ones, that is very subjective, at least here, in the states. the Tamiya TA05 VDF, Yokomo Type "C" and DRB, seem to be the most popular, as far as drift-specific chassis go. Many other company's TC cars are utilized for drift, with a few mods and drift wheels and tires. I have one, a Losi JRXS Type "R", that has been modded for drift, and it is the best drifter I have made to date!
Drifters are like women, you lavish money and attention on them, but they will always make you look good, as long as you invest time in them, and love them!

Amazing video. Its very new to have RC Cars drifting like this. I have seen these kinds of drifting only in Movie Tokyo Drift.  Great will start soon to learn drifting.

 I think you should check online, if you can, to confirm. Right now, it's the Christmas season, and I find a lot of online retailers are out-of-stock. Just make sure that where you go, they can order for you, so by the time you get to Seattle, it will be there waiting for you, or just order by mail.
I hear customs is very stringent. Is that a problem?

Here is more Ken Block!



Traxxas sells a representation of this car, but it's scale is out-of-whack with traditional drift, which is 1/10th scale. The RC car seems to do O.K., though.

So far I never had any problem with customs while carrying the stuff myself... once I carried a big box containing RTF indoor flyer, and once I carried DX6i TX without any problems.

I checked they do have a store in Redmond so that would be easy for me to walk in and walk out.

Since I never bought any RC car (other than toys) can you throw some light on this model, like performance & specs..
http://www.hobbytown.com/Shop/ready-to-run-cars-buggys/116-rally-racer-vxl-4wd-rtr-with-24ghz-radio

Its a gymkhana style rally racer... I can always buy separate tyres to convert it between rally & drifter model...

Yes, I know it.

First, let me warn you, I'm not a Traxxas fan. That said, The Rally VXL is a very good car!

It's chassis is descended from the 1/10th scale Electric Revo, and that chassis is the most advanced off-road chassis ever made. For drift, however, it has a very short wheelbase, making it difficult to control in a drift. Wheels and tires need not be changed on it, as the ones it comes with are suitable for drift and "pavement stage" rally (it's not really meant for the dirt), but being made of rubber, will wear quickly.
A heli gyro, placed properly on that chassis, however, will "tame" the car enough to control a drift.

I personally don't like it, because it's not 1/10th scale, which all my drifters are, and Traxxas is notorious for being out-of-scale. I guess I'm a purist, when it comes to scale, but aside from my opinion, the Traxxas Rally VXL is a great little car!

I've had Revo's in the past, and they are very well built, handle extremely well, but are a bear to work on. Entire subassemblies must be removed, just to replace a driveshaft, or suspension arm. Still, the decision rests with you, and I can find no fault, if you decide to get it.

Thanks Man, not lets see how well I plan my budget here as I already have a long list of stuff to bring

Good Luck!! 

If you have enough time to visit the west end, by Port Angeles and Sequim, we ought to get together!  Just let me know!!

Sure!!!

To all interested:

This is another model made by Traxxas that is licensed. It is most popular right now, for the reasons that are obvious in those vids I posted!

http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&I=LXARKX&P=0

I suggest anyone considering this model obtain a heli gyro to help with drifts.

Not much difference in pricing... and its Monster Energy
Thanks for sharing this linkyy

No prob!

Always here to help!!

Hello all!!

Here's that same KB Ford Fiesta...............IN THE DIRT!

Who says a drifter can't rally?

http://www.youtube.com/watch/?v=GFHzvCnHM2M&feature=channel

 I   tried   the nitro4tec with slight modifications like slik tires new gearing sway bar and it was drifting like a pro....i'd say better than electrics.
Obviously when you make such modifications in a car of 7Omph what you get is drift.
 

hey i can help you with that, my cousin is selling a nissan 35OZ two years old for sixty lac. You can contact me. I will Pm you his contact

Welcome to the forum! 
I always wanted my 1st car to be a drifter.. But there are no on road tracks to drift and drifting on the street becomes boring after sometime..
I was SO close to buying a TT01-D kit but to get it imported and all was a problem for my father..
Next time I buy a car, it will certainly be a drift car! Probably a TB-03 or TB-01 because its belt driven, so I can switch to a CS mod whenever I want!