Cheers for all the kind words guys, I've just seen a video of me in my final runs, and the car looks glacial compared to everyone else, and is understeering half the time and spinning up its inside wheel while I was "drifting". I really had to fight the car, I think it was a combination of my stinky diff, troublesome gear ratios, poverty spec part worn tyres and my real lack of experience. Still, I know I had some great runs during my practice, and its all a learning curve, so I'm not going to feel too bad that it wasn't all my own merit that got me through (lots of people spun during qualifying, and one guy spun in all 3 of his final runs, handing me 7th).
I got the 318 Touring diff out tonight and had a look at it, its leaking pretty badly, I hope its only the gasket but I fear the casing may be cracked (the car was in a roll). Will open it up at some point this week and inspect it, if its fecked I'll be on the look out for a 316 diff
. The car is pretty much at the peak of where it can be for my budget, I threw daft amounts of money at it over the winter, so suspension wise its in pretty good shape, and I did a few power mods too. All I'm going to do now is throw this welded diff in, as well as an E36 rack and PAS (4 manual turns lock to lock makes neither parking nor drifting fun!). Then I'm going to practice solidly for 2 or 3 months and see how I feel about the car then - if I feel I've improved enough and its going well, I'll keep it and hopefully M30 it, but if I'm still not happy I'll probably scrap it and buy some ready made Jap gayness (good for you guys though, I'll be selling lots of nice bits
).
My mate has a NA S14 Silvia with a 2 way diff and coilovers, its heavier with less power than the E30, but I can slide it all day - keep it in second, back off as you enter the corner, then adjust your right foot depending on how sideways you want to be, whereas with the beemer I'm frantically yanking on the handbrake and clutch kicking and all sorts, and only doing half as well! Really hope the welded diff is going to be the key!
Buster - it was at Teeside Autodrome/Kart track
Ziggy - was it a track car before you sold it to Olly, or was he the one who gutted it? Shes a beauty, though I'm glad I've had the bushes changed now
! I was moaning about rust before, but now I've changed the front valance theres hardly any to speak of...
Jai - I'm very lucky that I've got Crail airfield about 8 miles down the road from me, every second Sunday they put on a run what ya brung type affair. While all the nobbers in Corsas are busy flinging themselves down the quarter mile, all the people with cars that drive the right wheels muck about on a big figure of 8. Its great for learning on, its really wide and quite long, and quiet enough if you pick the right days. It can be a bit unforgiving if you get it wrong though, theres big tractor and lorry tyres for barriers (which explains why my splitter is stitched together with cable ties and my oil cooler is bannana shaped) and theres big ruts in the field on the other side - not nice to put your car into. But then again, it costs 7 quid for entry, then another 5er for as much sliding about as you/your tyres/car can handle - brilliant value.
Munky - you seen about the Tramp Drift event at Teeside in the Summer?
! 
..in my novice class there is seventy..bout 4 bm's a sierra and the rest are jap 300bhpplus cars..
