This is my Toyota Soarer GZ20 D1 Drift car

If you've ever thought you'd love to become a D1 Drift driver, but don't have the budget, think again. This is my car, built entirely by myself with a tiny budget but it's competetive, looks cool & is one of the rarest cars on the drift circuit.

I originally built the car in early 2006 from a standard JDM road car, originally running a 1G-GTE Twin Turbo Straight Six engine. In 2006 I bought the car for $3000 & built her to D1 spec for less than $3000. I did all the work myself, in my spare time on my driveway at home. For 2007 the car is fitted with a 1JZ-GTE converted to a big single turbo for 500bhp, for which I have had help from my sponsors who have supplied with Turbo, engine management, boost controllers & suspension. A lot of parts I have custom fabricated by myself from subframe modifications, downpipe, intercooler pipework, rollcage etc.

What 500bhp looks like

The car is fully stripped of weight, has a six point rollcage, 2 FIA seats, 6 point harnesses, plumbed in fire extinguisher system and some rather cool graphics.

Full Safety kit

The car is currently road legal & driven to all of the events, when everyone else's cars are arriving on trailers I just pull up, unbolt the passenger seat, unload 8 wheels & tyres, my tools, tent the lot. Then I bolt the passenger seat back in & go drift in D1. Praying I don't bend it & get to drive home in one piece.

I was turned down for several drives in a few works or tuning companies cars for more famous "racers" who've taken up drifting. I'm glad to say I'm currently beating many of them :) this is one of my greatest pleasures & for which I have gained a lot of respect from some of the works teams, my car proved to be the most reliable car of the season by far. Despite the fact the car was built on a tight budget, I like to keep up appearances, it is a competition car foremost but its always polished clean & smart, the battle scars just add a bit of charachter :)

For 2007 some of my sponsors wanted to see the beast with a bit more go, something it was lacking in 2006. So early 2006 I removed the 1G engine, rewired the car for the 1JZ & did the swap over several winter months I now have a monster of D1 Drift cars.

500bhp fits like a Glove in the engine bay, the monster sits on solid engine mounts, 2" lower & 2" further back than the old engine.

I have a few extremely helpful sponsors mostly small companies who've gone that little bit extra, they've helped me out enourmously for which I'd like to plug their names. Universal Turbo's who supplied the Garrett GT3076r Turbo for 2007, Prolex-UK my main exhaust system, RHD Japan for the Greddy Emanage, Boost Controller & HKS Twin Plate Clutch, SJS Design for the awesome graphic works, GAZ Shocks for the coilovers & Surrey Rolling Road who give me dyno time when I need it. I give them feedback on their products & services, pass them customers & try & keep them as happy as possible. Thanks guys.

500bhp eats tyres like you would not believe

I still have to buy my own tyres & in D1 that's expensive! because of this in 2006 I stuck with the low powered 1G engine despite having the 1JZ sidelined, as I could'nt afford to blow it on tyre smoke, quite literally. Low power just meant I had to drive harder, more accurately & beat my opponents with twice the hp. Which I duly did.

Twin Drift Battling

A humble driveway in Dorset England, where a D1 car was first born in 2006

Happy drifting to all - Declan