So is there anything I should worry about when I take it to the track like when launching what rpm's are safe? Thanks again it's an 85'gt 4sp.

T.J.

Edit to add that I am the proud owner of page two on my first post that went two pages long.

[This message has been edited by fieropimp (edited 04-23-2007).]

23 year old car...worry about breaking everything. I would say you are most likely to lose some mounts. engine trans mounts. Also you may burn away some clutch disc. You will most likely not break any drive components depending on the condition of the trans when you started. watch the redline!

quote Originally posted by Vonov: So, how would you approach setting up a Fiero for maximum controllability under drift conditions? I, too, have wondered why people seem to be able to drift 911's and not Fieros, which are a more neutral car, weight and balance wise...

1. Equalize contact pressure front/rear
2. Adjust geometry to make delta contact pressure the same front/rear for a given lateral G. (Lowering rear = BAD)
3. Eliminate compliance in suspension pivots
4. Tune springs/dampers/bars/alignment for best results.

I haven't tried an EP LSD, but I will sometime this year.
I'm more of a grip buy than a drift guy most days of the week.

quote Originally posted by Pyrthian: weight DOES matter. just not the way most are thinking. it matters in how hard you wind up & throw the rear. I find the main reason Fiero's are bad drift cars is because the super short wheel base. in order to have some visable drift, you need to be pretty steep in angle. and yes - tires is #1. in ANY mtorosport discussion. how do I make my Fiero handle? tires. how do I make my Fiero hook up? tires. a Dukie Fiero on F1 tires will beat a F1 car on 185/80-13 Michelins. TIRES. anyways - this is also all assuming you have installed some decent power AND a closed differential. overpowering just one wheel just dont do it. and leaving it up to random grabbing of most existing LSD's wont help much either. for a REAL drift car - a welded diff is NOT a bad thing at all. this will gaurantee at least one rear wheel wanting to let go in ANY turn and consistant repeatable results when the throttle is applied. and, like any other motorsport - consistancy is what makes you competitive.

Weight does matter. Weight distribution does not. Which car will be faster? A 2500# car with 50/50 weight dist or a 2500# car with 40/60 weight dist?

Understanding the traction circle is fundamental to understanding how to drift. The Fiero has enough power to drift, as long as your corner entry speed is high enough. You can only ask the tires to do so much.

You *can* induce a drift by snapping the throttle closed and immediately stabbing it back to the floor. This utilizes the Fiero's lift throttle reaction to benefit. It is not adviseable in a car with stock tire sizes & suspension tuning, however. Even in an '88 Formula or GT, I still like rod end lateral links and somewhat aggressive rear toe before I try that.

[This message has been edited by Will (edited 04-23-2007).]

You want a pontiac drift car? go get a 78 era sunfire(?) work the suspension, put a typical gm posi or locked 7" diff in the back. leave the 5 speed, it;s bulletproof, take the stock 3.8, put in an aluminum intake , 4bbl, put on headers, removing all that cast iron drops 100 lbs form the front . the engine c/l sits rear of the front axle line. lower the suspension 1" with highrate springs, add the front swaybar from the monza spyder 8cyl or the buick skyhawk of that same era, add a rear swaybar and have at it.

and just for ref, I had 2 78 skyhawks, one with the above mods, perfect balance on the suspension. drifting was unheard of then,(mid 80's) but I did drifts to show off. and no fiero I ever ran with that car could keep up in the turns. that is what happens when you carefully build a suspension and tune it to a car. (and put the right sized rubber on it)

I actually don;t see the fiero as a good drift car, too much strain on the differential, lotsa split cases in that future.
regarding the weight dist and tires, the mass being rearward will make it very hard to keep a smooth slide going, as the tires will want to grab as soon as they slow sufficiently, then it will lift the front and lose steering. sticky tires up front and not so sticky rears will help somewhat, but the trick will be controlling the snap of the rear weight as it comes around, the inertia of the majority of the cars mass will want to keep going around. drifting is as much about the cars cg and traction ratios, and getting a good balance in a fiero is not going to be easy. the car was designed to stick in corners, not slide. you want slide get a camarobird f body, they can;t keep the rears behind them in any state.

I havent heard of it but i would rather AutoCross or take it to Tail of the Dragon in Tennessee than drift it.

[This message has been edited by MiniBird86 (edited 04-24-2007).]

Too much done yes!

Ugliest far from it.

I have seen wose here and even locally.

But hey we all paint with a different brush. If they are hoppy more power to them.

Just look at all the ugly Vettes over the years that have been built.

rubber cost to much to waste

Wait until next winter and I'll let you drive my Lincoln Mark VII on a snow-covered road. You like to drift? I got MAD drifts in store for your a$$! Turn the wheel and the rear end is determined to come around and meet 'cha. It took me a while to learn how NOT to do that.

Well I still would like to learn drifting. To me it's the highest form of car control. (making all the smoke probably not, but it's part of the show I guess.) I'd do it on a wet surface. Its easier on the tires, the rest of the car, and everything happens at much slower speeds.

I would love for someone to teach me. I would like to know how to slide a Fiero and, more importantly, how to catch a slide and recover from it before the Fiero spins out. I think there would be some real life benefits..

-M

quote Originally posted by fieropimp: So is there anything I should worry about when I take it to the track like when launching what rpm's are safe? Thanks again it's an 85'gt 4sp. T.J. Edit to add that I am the proud owner of page two on my first post that went two pages long.

edit

[This message has been edited by FieroGeneral (edited 12-30-2007).]