My friend started teaching me how to drift a bit with his Nissan 240 (manual). It is really cool and am planning on buying a 350Z sometime next month cuz i wanna have my own car to do that. I know that its really tough and hard to drift with an auto because it may switch gears when you dont want it to, but is it easy to drift with an automanual car (manual without the clutch)?

jn31089 wrote:My friend started teaching me how to drift a bit with his Nissan 240 (manual). It is really cool and am planning on buying a 350Z sometime next month cuz i wanna have my own car to do that. I know that its really tough and hard to drift with an auto because it may switch gears when you dont want it to, but is it easy to drift with an automanual car (manual without the clutch)?

i think you shouldnt get z if thats what you want it for. plus you just started learning right? if you mess up the outcome can be really bad. if your gonna do it any way make sure u have enuff road and no cars on the street and handle your s wheel correctly. because it wheel goo nuts if you dont know what you doing. think twice

I'll assume that you know how to drive a manual since you're learning to drift with your friends manual 240. So why are you buying an automatic? Why not just buy a manual?

Its like touching yourself in public, just because can doesn't mean you should.

on to the video:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQo0ldyAohs

Did not know you could do that, interesting.

I didn't know that was drifting, looks more like bad understeer and oversteer.

jn31089 wrote:My friend started teaching me how to drift a bit with his Nissan 240 (manual). It is really cool and am planning on buying a 350Z sometime next month cuz i wanna have my own car to do that. I know that its really tough and hard to drift with an auto because it may switch gears when you dont want it to, but is it easy to drift with an automanual car (manual without the clutch)?

Come buy my G35. It's manual...

Drifting and auto Z would entail power over and maybe some hand braking, but clutch kicking would obviously be impossible.

Throttle response and modulation are also going to be an issue since there's a slush box in there.

Seriously, buy my G. Just a little longer and heavier than the Z. Can hold 4+ tires for drift days. Newer engine. Newer clutch. GREAT brakes.

Im surprised no one has posted this

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3O4TC2zyMtE

I 'd like to think Richie got all of his drift terminology from typing up stuff such as: how to drift, i wanna drift, drifting 101, etc. and somehow ran into this video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JT0faLPcpRU

Dasoupdude wrote:Its like touching yourself in public, just because can doesn't mean you shouldn't.

on to the video:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQo0ldyAohs

^^ that video kinda made me sick

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3O4TC2zyMtE

^^this video kinda made me want to puke all over my keyboard

The three rules of drifting

1. No automatics- because its only fun for others when you make yourself look like an idiot2. No open diffs- because under steering and spinning one wheel is only cool to Honda guys3. No parking lots- because flooring it and spinning around in circles isn't drifting

Automatic+open diff+parking lot= FAIL

I think Redsx13's rules are rules to live by. I "drifted" in a parking lot.... once... then I sold the minivan for a $300 tax write-off to charity!

No open diffs huh? funny, I won a local drift competition with my base 370 two weeks ago... A good drifter knows his car, apparently you've never driven anything other than your 240.

Red370 wrote:No open diffs huh? funny, I won a local drift competition with my base 370 two weeks ago...

Don't take this personally but RedSX has a different yardstick he's measuring with - I don't think the quality of drift competition in El Paso is quite the same as it is in SoCal.

Red370 wrote:apparently you've never driven anything other than your 240.

Apparently, you're quick to jump to conclusions - or maybe you just don't see too well. If you look underneath RedSX's avatar you'l see a 350Z listed.

Welcome to NICO.

I don't see why not. It's still a manual. It's a 5 speed. Get to a stop light and drop it over. it goes to 5 gears. u just don't have the use of a clutch. Ur still shifting. In drifting ur not gonna go thru all the gears if I'm not mistaken.

No, Thats called a controlled slide. There is no way that you can 'drift' in a automatic transmission car.

andy_fairplay wrote:No, Thats called a controlled slide. There is no way that you can 'drift' in a automatic transmission car.

Ummm, no.

Ask anyone who saw me wailing on the C6 at Carlisle on the drift course last year...

Paddle-shifted automatic, and yes, that most certainly was drifting.

hmm, thought i posted on here earlier

andy_fairplay wrote:No, Thats called a controlled slide. There is no way that you can 'drift' in a automatic transmission car.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jW_TcCca_TE

andy_fairplay wrote:No, Thats called a controlled slide.

Care to explain the difference?

I'm spinning both rear tires, countersteering into the turn, and looking out the side windows as the car powers sideways through the course.

How is that not drifting?

AZhitman wrote:
Ummm, no.

Ask anyone who saw me wailing on the C6 at Carlisle on the drift course last year...

Paddle-shifted automatic, and yes, that most certainly was drifting.

Ok, You got me there, I don't think of paddle-shifted as an automatic. Yes incorrect about that.

andy_fairplay wrote:I don't think of paddle-shifted as an automatic.

Same thing as tiptronic man, cept you reap the benefits of being able to shift with both hands still on the wheel.

New 7/at 370z's have them.

andy_fairplay wrote:
Ok, You got me there, I don't think of paddle-shifted as an automatic. Yes incorrect about that.

Even a full automatic will work... Not as easy, and certainly not as much control, but it can be done.

I don't think this can be done without a manual :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n7_o-2cU9AQ

terrycs wrote:I don't think this can be done without a manual :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n7_o-2cU9AQ

That is crazy!

It can be done with an auto with enough hp to get the rear loose. Stock 350 a/t I just don't know about that.

Totally stock AT 370Z drifting:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0XQgKq0H ... grec_index

It is possible to drift an automatic car. The more power the easy it is for the car. Like stated above you can't clutch kick and keep the transmission in gear like a stick.

The first video posted the guy in the 350z was more throwing the car and using to turn to kick the rear wheels out and not power to maintain a decent drift. It's just harder to control and harder to kick it out without using the turn it's self. Power and a nice mid-range torque is the best way to get a auto to drift.