Deep Inside The Drift Cave
Shop Space

With the 2017 Formula D season said and done, teams are going all out to get their cars ready for 2018. Matt Field’s Drift Cave shop is no different, but it’s located in California’s Bay Area where there isn’t really an off-season when it comes to drifting.

The evening I made my way to the shop it was full of Matt’s friends getting cars ready for Winter Jam, a massive annual event at Sonoma Raceway. It’s one of the largest gatherings of drifters in the US, and a quality opportunity for drivers of all skill levels to come and get some seat time on a variety of layouts over the entire circuit.

But all the track time does no good if you don’t have a properly built car that passes tech in the morning. And for that, you need a proper space to get work done.

2018-SH-Drift-Cave-Trevor-Ryan_002

Inside and out, the Matt’s workshop is probably more or less what you’d expect from a driver who’s been putting a dent in the top level of the sport stateside since 2011.

2018-SH-Drift-Cave-Trevor-Ryan_005

Old chassis, friends cars, and customer projects are strewn about the lot, as is a fat stack of used rubber.

2018-SH-Drift-Cave-Trevor-Ryan_007

Complete with a timid pup (the neighbor’s), who warmed up to me after sharing some peanut butter pretzel snacks, it’s definitely got the right vibe. When I showed up the crew was loading Matt’s hauler with cars, spare parts, and sponsor bits for the Winter Jam event that weekend.

2018-SH-Drift-Cave-Trevor-Ryan_009

Upon entering the shop, my expectations were again met. The first thing I saw was an older Nissan chassis getting a few odds and ends tidied up by Daniel Chow. And yes, this is the ‘Yellow Ranger’ car from the Cosmic Drift video.

2018-SH-Drift-Cave-Trevor-Ryan_010

In a bit farther is last year’s chassis, along with this coming season’s in-progress build.

2018-SH-Drift-Cave-Trevor-Ryan_011

But first, a proper stroll around the space. Tons of spare wheels ready to roll, lined up next to a cutout of Tony Frangieh’s face — a local drifter who competes in Pro-Am and has a penchant for getting rowdy in the Bay.

2018-SH-Drift-Cave-Trevor-Ryan_012
2018-SH-Drift-Cave-Trevor-Ryan_018

There aren’t a lot of bells and whistles or needless fancy stuff, but all the necessities are present. After all, you don’t really need a lot of crazy equipment to build a cage, or even a car for that matter; mostly it comes down to experience and talent behind the welder and tube bender.

2018-SH-Drift-Cave-Trevor-Ryan_015

Matt’s got everything he needs here to succeed, including a handful of convenient tools for the road like this portable WunderAligner setup.

2018-SH-Drift-Cave-Trevor-Ryan_021

It’s not a huge space, but there’s plenty of room for more cars than you could reasonably work on at once. As I said, a few friends and crew members were moseying about working on a couple things when I stopped by.

2018-SH-Drift-Cave-Trevor-Ryan_030

It’s a comfortable environment where you can either kick back with friends and listen to music, or get to it and bust out some work.

2018-SH-Drift-Cave-Trevor-Ryan_022
2018-SH-Drift-Cave-Trevor-Ryan_031

There’s also a plethora of quality stickers (Cheese Cave!) and (hella) parts laying about.

2018-SH-Drift-Cave-Trevor-Ryan_025

If you know anything about the Northern California Drift scene, you know exactly where Matt’s coming from. It’s just awesome to see one of the local boys getting sideways on the big stage.

2018-SH-Drift-Cave-Trevor-Ryan_100

With a handful of round wins and podiums already, Matt is ready to continue his ascent in the sport. He’s not limiting himself just to events in the US either; right before I came to the shop Matt was busy in China, and earlier in 2017 he made it out to Japan.

2018-SH-Drift-Cave-Trevor-Ryan_026

In order to do so, he’s built a quality headquarters and assembled a good team to back him up. Matt’s been at this spot for two years, and Drift Cave itself is approaching its eighth year of operation.

2018-SH-Drift-Cave-Trevor-Ryan_027

The guys have been staying busy, too. Even in the short time I was there a good six or seven people came through, cars were swapped out, and Winter Jam prep continued.

2018-SH-Drift-Cave-Trevor-Ryan_034

Matt’s crew chief, Ty, was in a side room tearing down a motor for another project, and I was keen to ask a few questions about why they were moving to the new chassis.

Clapped Out
2018-SH-Drift-Cave-Trevor-Ryan_035

His answer, in short, was that the S14 they’ve been piloting was “just a bit clapped out.” After all, this was a car that Matt originally built years ago in his parents’ backyard.

2018-SH-Drift-Cave-Trevor-Ryan_036

While I always thought the Falken Tire S14.5 was aging quite well, the chassis has been through a lot. A few rough bumps during the 2017 season accelerated Matt’s plans to start anew.

2018-SH-Drift-Cave-Trevor-Ryan_037

After a very brief stint in a Z32, his first drift car, Matt’s been in an S-chassis ever since, moving from an S13 into the S14 and pushing it to the absolute maximum. While he’s done well to keep the S14 looking fresh, it was just time to move forward.

2018-SH-Drift-Cave-Trevor-Ryan_040

Matt’s never been one to dwell on the past, and while the old car feels like home, he’s certainly excited to shake things up and get behind the wheel of a fresh build. He’s been drifting since he was 16, and now with over a decade of experience I’m sure he’ll adapt quickly.

2018-SH-Drift-Cave-Trevor-Ryan_041

Matt’s already put a lot of work into the Corvette, and at this point it’s pretty much a blank canvas. As a builder and a driver, he is doubly excited to make the most of this.

While at first I was surprised by the move to this chassis, it actually makes a lot of sense. After all, Drift Cave and Formula Drift are both based in the United States, and the Corvette is very much an American machine. Tons of aftermarket support already exists for the car, something that greatly simplifies things for the team when you look at the long-term costs season after season.

2018-SH-Drift-Cave-Trevor-Ryan_042

On that note, the cost of a decent S-chassis is steadily rising while clean examples become harder to find. At the same time, the market here is flooded with older Corvettes that have been very well maintained.

Furthermore, the Corvette is a car that was engineered for a large displacement V8 and proper suspension in the first place; it’s also got the transmission in the back which is a nice added bonus. As these cars become more and more affordable, we will inevitably see more of them in motorsport — Matt just wants to stay ahead of the curve.

2018-SH-Drift-Cave-Trevor-Ryan_043

In proper Drift Cave fashion, an extremely high-horsepower V8 that’s made up entirely of aftermarket parts is already suspended in place.

Using the same platform as they previously ran, the team is able to not waste legwork they’ve already done to find reliable parts. An RHS aluminum 427 LS block is the base for the build, and I’m told the only GM parts that remain are the sensors.

2018-SH-Drift-Cave-Trevor-Ryan_044

I noticed that Matt opted for the base model with a steel frame rather than the C6 Z06 which was built on an aluminum frame. This was a deliberate choice as the chassis will be stronger in the long run and repairs will be more simple.

Matt also pointed out to me that with the body panels he has shipping from HGK Motorsport in Latvia, the heavier chassis will keep all the weight in the right place while helping to meet the 3,000lb minimum weight requirement that goes with the 295-series Falken Tires he runs.

2018-SH-Drift-Cave-Trevor-Ryan_045

It will definitely be an exciting build and I’ll be back at Drift Cave soon to see what’s in store for the Corvette. In the meantime, Matt and the crew will be hard at work; you can follow along on YouTube as they move forward.

I don’t see any signs of these guys letting up any time soon, and their competition won’t be either. 2018 will surely be a good one.

Trevor Yale Ryan
Instagram: tyrphoto
TYRphoto.com

Cutting Room Floor
2018-SH-Drift-Cave-Trevor-Ryan_047
2018-SH-Drift-Cave-Trevor-Ryan_046
2018-SH-Drift-Cave-Trevor-Ryan_048
2018-SH-Drift-Cave-Trevor-Ryan_049
2018-SH-Drift-Cave-Trevor-Ryan_050
2018-SH-Drift-Cave-Trevor-Ryan_051
2018-SH-Drift-Cave-Trevor-Ryan_052
2018-SH-Drift-Cave-Trevor-Ryan_053
2018-SH-Drift-Cave-Trevor-Ryan_054
2018-SH-Drift-Cave-Trevor-Ryan_055
2018-SH-Drift-Cave-Trevor-Ryan_056
2018-SH-Drift-Cave-Trevor-Ryan_057
2018-SH-Drift-Cave-Trevor-Ryan_058
2018-SH-Drift-Cave-Trevor-Ryan_059
2018-SH-Drift-Cave-Trevor-Ryan_060
2018-SH-Drift-Cave-Trevor-Ryan_061
ADVERTISEMENT

Comments



Comments are closed.

30 comments

by Oldest
by Best by Newest by Oldest
1

I used to find drifting interesting, now I just skim all the articles..... It's just so bland. It used to be new and exciting (almost 20 years ago), but it just hasn't seemed to change. It's still just people in cars driving sideways.

I guess it's just hard to stay interested when really there's no defining factor to drifting. In circuit racing/time attack you have lap times. In drifting you have...... what,less spin outs? I've never understood that lasting attraction people have to tyre smoke and going sideways.

I guess driftings target audience is still 15 - 25yo.

2

I agree, Formula D like competitions is boring, but there another kind of drifting competition like Gatebil Super3 or Shifters its more relaxed and fun, and in my opinion its what drifting is all about, having fun.

3

I'm highly excited about drifting. I'm not in practically (like the most of people in the comments). But let me describe possibly why people attracted with drifting. I'm deeply not competitive person I like process more than result especially appreciation of others. Drifting is still underground very creative at engineering point of view. Also it is pretty affordable - you don't need sponsors, plenty of money, special licensing... Just invest a few time in your m20 powered e30 and here are you go polishing corners in the end of a block. Drifting is interesting from inside of a car. It is fun in the same way is it competition or just night driving around neighborhood. So drifting is closer to skateboarding rather than F1 or DTM. It is more about personal joy. But it's just me...

4

Best comment I have ever seen in my entire life!

5

Exactly!

6

I liked drifting more when my buddy was traveling to japan and bringing home VHS tapes of Option videos. Back when there were huge teams of guys in Japan all running mega camber on Hachi's. That was probably around 2001 or so if I remember correctly.
I liked it way more when the huge companies weren't involved, and it seemed as though most cars were between 80hp-350hp or so. I can't remember the drivers as well, but I loved seeing the yellow FC RX7 (said OX on the side), the dark brown hachi, and NOB.
Also loved the sounds of the mega revving Hachirokus out there.

7

The yellow FC you are talking about I think its Mitsuru Haraguchi's car(used to compete in PRO drifting in Japan). That thing looked dope going sideways. Check out the Twerkstallion. Its basically the same car but cooler and red.

8

That's right Codrin! It was Haraguchi! Thanks for reminding me. I loved watching his car. That was the first car I ever saw that was so low and had stretched tires on it. Basically a 'stanced' drift car. I love how he drifted in Converse too.
I'll have to check out that Twerkstallion.

9
Not_A_Racing_Driver

To me as i got older. The only thing that keeps me watching drifting is really the competitions. The bland sliding is fun to do but boring to watch. I watch all the competitions from the major drifting serieses, but thats about it. Mostly my interests have changed to touring, rally, time attack, F1 etc.

10
Jason R. Bondhus

Aw man....drifting is awesome.

I don't really like Corvettes but I get why Field is going with one. Hope the livery is cool.

11

Since there is a lot of potent american cars (Mustang and Viper already in formula drift, camaro, charger, challenger,...), does the corvette of Saito affected the choice?
Just asking out of curiosity, i would love to know the criteria they checked for this decision or is it maybe the silhouette since "everything" will be changed and adjusted, not here to question the talent of Matt and the team building the car.

12

I dont really think Saito influenced him at all. Corvette are pretty cool sports cars and they are made with the LS engine in them, Matt already beeing used to LS motors in his S14. Maybe Matt just had to pick between a Camaro or a Vette and he went for a Vette since its way cooler.

13

Yeh even if i mentioned the camaro up there in my comment, but for pro series i think the corvette is more agile so sure choosing in between these 2 the vette will be the winner.

14

I think, we need say "Thanks" to HGK and Sergey Kabargin.
As far as I can remember, Saito bought his Corvettes after the appearance of the Kabargin's HGK-built Corvette in FD Pro2.
Now Saito uses a mix of HGK's solutions and his own and shows that Corvette can work.

15

Always happy to learn something new, thanks for sharing your knowledge Vadim.

16

I've always maintained that a sure bet for top bids at Barrett-Jackson 2039 will be the 240. You can't swing a dead cat at a drifting event without hitting one, and they're getting cut-up and slaughtered en masse. I've got a similar feeling about Fox-bodies and eighth/quarter-mile fields... a stock version of either is unobtainium.

Another great piece Mr. Ryan, consistently solid.

17

Yep, there will be a few barn finds or guys who just refused to mod their 240s and I'm sure they'll be worth an unimaginable amount in a few decades. They're already becoming so expensive that they're no longer a "cheap" drift car, and what you get for the money just isn't making sense in a lot of cases.

And I agree, the Foxbody is the American version of the car that's ALWAYS modded. They're cheap horsepower for sure, I pulled one of those 5.0s for another project in a pinch more than once.

18

one question, is the Corvette the same in the drift car build progress video in Donut Media YouTube channel? it look pretty much similar from what I see.

19

Yeah, I posted one link up and I know there are some other videos floating around.

20

Just realized this was the same car and guy from this video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xrY-baTrBDE Quite cool to see this kinda stuff, it just seems so fascinating.

21

Been looking at a pretty good condition s13 for sale. Trying really hard not to buy it and unRice it, articles like this doesnt help

22

not a single comment about the shop itself...
A picture of a...stereo speaker?
Are Bay Area folks proud of this article?
I love Sideshowtone...will SH do a feature on him?

23

I think the car was the main goal for the pictures not the garage but Trevor said he will come back so stay tunned for that.

24

When I scrolled down and I saw Sideshowtone's face on the wall I immediately recognized it, I think that would definitely be an interesting article for sure

25

Is that dog wearing a seatbelt for a collar?

26

Safety first!

27

Cool little shop., but is this really what people are into? A bunch of broke kids sliding cars around and wasting tires.
Give me real race cars and real racing any day of the week.

28

Yes this is what the majority of car people are into. People making cool fun shit.

29

So Drift Cave does not build real race cars? Gotta be pretty broke to own a 1000hp s14 and c6 race car. Super broke kids wasting all those Falken tires. Need more people like you, Jerry.. keeps the community nice and segregated.

30

Speedhunter needs to do more yt documentories. Lets begin with this one plz <3

OFFICIAL SPEEDHUNTERS SUPPLIERS