I've been asked countless times about my E36 M3 build and what it takes to create a car that's both fun to drift and reliable enough to drive daily. After our recent street session, I thought I'd break down my exact setup and share some insights from years of building these cars.
Let's dive into what makes this E36 work so well as a street drift car.
Suspension Setup
For my build, I'm running BC Racing coilovers with Swift springs in the rear. This combo gives me the perfect balance for street use - low enough to look good, but still functional enough to actually drive and drift. Trust me, I've tried a lot of different setups, and this one just works.
Angle Kit & Control
I've got the CNC71 angle kit on this car. It's one of those mods that completely changes how the car handles during drifts. The extra angle makes a huge difference when you're trying to hold those longer slides, plus it just looks sick when you're fully locked.
Style & Wheels
Let's be real - style is a huge part of drift culture. I'm running Weds Kranze wheels on my build because they nail that perfect combo of looking amazing while being strong enough to handle some abuse. The fitment has to be just right, and these wheels really complete the look I was going for.
Interior Vibes
Inside, I've kept it simple but functional:
- Bride seat with the carbon fiber back
- Sparco harnesses with a Brum harness bar
- DND steering wheel (showing some wear after 5 years, but still my favorite)
- Hard Motorsport door panels to keep it clean
Most of these interior mods aren't just for looks - when you're sliding around, you need to be properly held in place to maintain control.
Aero & Style
Here's where I get to shout out my own company - a lot of the aero on this car is stuff we make at K2 Industries. I'm running our:
- Drag wing
- Roof wing
- Side skirts
- Diffuser
While aero on a street car is mostly for style, it's part of what makes these builds so unique. Every E36 tells a story through its aesthetic choices, and I wanted mine to have that aggressive drift car look while still being clean enough to drive anywhere.
Power & Performance
I've kept things relatively simple under the hood. Running an M50 intake manifold, AF intake, and an electric fan conversion. One tip I've learned - clean your intake filter regularly. A dirty filter can actually make your car run rich (learned that one the hard way).
Quick Tips From My Experience:
1. Don't get too caught up in power - focus on making the car reliable first
2. Good coilovers and angle kit will make a bigger difference than power for drifting
3. Always keep spare tires in the car (trust me on this one)
4. Build the car for your style - there's no "right way" to build an E36
Want To Build Something Similar?
Most of the parts I'm running on my car are available right through our store at K2 Industries. We started this company because I'm passionate about these cars, and we wanted to make quality parts more accessible to the E36 community.
Got questions about your build? Hit us up - helping people build their dream cars is literally why we started K2 Industries.
Check out the full street drift session and detailed build breakdown here:
