Sounds like fun.. i have seen them and it looks like a blast. How much would it take to use a HPI Nitro rs4-3 as a drifter?

there are several threads about it, but the short answer is: all you need is to modify the tires (wrap them in tape, buy the yokomo tires, or use ABS or PVC)

Another important step is to adjust your suspension to balance the front and rear traction, otherwise you'll spin out instead of drift. I set my car for more grip in the back and less in the front to compensate for the fact that pretty much all the RS4-3s battery and engine weight are in the back half of the car (stock setup anyway).

As further adjustments go, I also swtched to a 1 speed tranny (for fear that the shift would break the drift and because my 2-speed got stripped out), ditched my heavy THS tuned pipe in favor of the stock HPI one (to balance the car left/right and to slightly de-tune the car for more control), then cut the windows out of my S15 body and richened up my fuel ratio to keep engine temps down. Have fun!

I like my 2-speed, actually. I have it set very low so I can use it to adjust angle more rapidly without steering input.

never buy yokomo drift tire with rings it worn out quick and cost lotz of money

also hpi has the drift kit for the hpi rs4-3 kit... it moves the motor to the middle of the chassis wich is also .5mm thicker and has the corrected header for the repositioning of the motor... this will even up the weight to all 4 wheels... check it out on there website

i have a rs4-3 evo set up for drift but you might not want to go my route of mods if you have a low budget...

shock towers and upper deck switched to carbon fiber... makes it lighter and stiffens it dramatically with hot bodies adjustable coilovers with 60w oil and blue stiff hpi springs, low geared 1st gear with a high geared 2nd gear, lightened non pull flywheel wich gets better throttle response, also my rear camber is set to 0 and front camber is at -2...

with that setup it handles great...

i wish you the best of luck and dont forget have fun

Still not available in the US. As I mentioned on another thread, i have friends in japan, and we import things from time to time (1:1 car parts), but I might have them grab a kit for me next time and see how it is. It really depends on what it costs in the US when it gets here, but it really might not be worth the time. I don't have many problems drifting my SS as it is now.

heavy oil and stiff springs make drifting harder if you are running plastic tires, btw.

thats is true about the stiff springs and heavy oil but i guess i got used to it since thats my setup... works great for me...

on the cost of the drift kit by hpi i have seen it for $200 on ebay... not worth it... might as well buy a new car...

if you do manage to get ahold of one of the stage-d kits let me know how it turns out