What's up everyone!? This is Tanner Munson, I'm a drifter/car builder dude from the east coast. I just had 7 teeth removed (5 wisdom and two canines that were still baby teeth somehow) and have been wicked bored the past few days (bed rest style stuff) so I'm gonna post up a lengthy, picture heavy build thread kinda thing. I'll also use it to post up updates and announcements that are on my website too, kinda like another blog/social media outlet if you will.
I've got a website and fan page and it would really help me out if y'all could take a minute and check out the site and/or "Like" my fan page!
Tanner Munson Drifting
Tanner Munson Drifting | Facebook
Anyways, on to the build/pics and stuff, I'll start from the beginning of my drifting days (some of the videos are really bad and I sucked back then, but everyone starts somewhere, check out my more recent stuff for cool driving) and follow up until now. These first two pics are where things sit right now, attention grabbers to keep you interested until the end if you will haha.
Start of everything!
Picked up this thing back in highschool...looked like this when i got it
fixed it up a bit, painted it 2002 Subaru blue black mica, painted stock wheels, blah blah
V8 swapped it for my senior project back before V8 S13's were all over (around spring of 2008)...i wanted a clean fun street car...it was kinda cool then, and the only one in Vermont, which isn't saying much because Vermont is tiny and behind the times but I felt cool. Started off as a 5.3l, ls1 intake manifold, jeep grand cherokee power steering pump because i'm not an idiot, 4l60e automatic because i ran out of money and was 17, etc etc. Did a ton of research on the swap before doing it, made the mounts and exhaust and everything at our shop. Being that it was a big 4l60e and our first potato potato LSx S13 swap our mounts were pretty far forward and the stock hood wouldn't clear the DBW truck throttle body...so we cut a big rectangle out of the hood and put a cowl on it and it's stayed ever since. Lets heat out, lets me not run hood spacers, and it's different.
Looked like this...
Fall of 2008 I picked up a T56 and a LS6 clutch. Put the car away for the winter. Got rear ended spring of 2009, found Russ (Carbomb) on some New England 240/drifting forum, got some parts from Russ, fixed the car in a day...and he talked me into trying drifting. Bought some stance GR+'s, sentra wheels, and some tires.
Did my first "event" before the coilovers, skidpad thinger in canada, made this video and thought i was cool....i wasn't...dont watch the whole vid, it's just embarrasing...
sentra wheels and coilovers on
oh yeah, i put some recaro DC2's and nitrous in it too hahah
Went down to NH and did 2 events on sentra wheels and crap tires at this place called Star Speedway. it was wicked cool, 50 bucks, drive all night, do whatever you want, it was fun.
Decided to go 5 lug, bought 6 mb battles, z32 brake setup, several maxxis ma-z1's, ichiba hubs and some other stuff. car looked cooler. Oh, I fried the LS6 clutch fast and picked up a Monster stg 3 jobby too.
Drifted at Star one more time, found out about Clubloose and built my car up over the winter of 2009/2010 in prep for A-group. I dabbled in used cars a bit, made some money, found a killer deal on a 2002 LS1, bought some #243 heads, Texas Speed MS3 cam, PRC Platinum spring kit, pushrods, had the car caged and had the exhaust & drivers side header redone by a badass local rally car guy (
Kales Custom - Rally - Auto Customization - Metal Fabrication), got a seat & harnesses, all that jazz. Braced all my factory arms, my fabricator buddy made a sweet "powerbrace" knockoff, subframe bushings, drift stuff. Cleaned up all the wiring, re-routed stuff, changed around fan setups, fuel line stuff, just went over everything.
Cage came out awesome
the exhaust was awesome too
Went back to the skidpad thing in canada real early in 2010 to shakedown the new motor and cage and stuff and to just drive more.
Got on board with Clubloose and drove the 6.5hrs to e-town for spring moves...was one of a few people to pass tech lol...i remember Petty saying something like, "finally, a car that's actually built right", it made me happy. Drove in C group for the first session of the day, then got bumped to B group, made one run on the B course and broke a tie rod. It was the first event of the year and everyone was not prepared and didn't have any spares so I was done for the day early.
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I then went to the first D-UP! drifting event and was progressing really fast and getting the hang of things, everyone kept telling me cool stuff so I kept driving. A buddy with a local motorcycle shop/partout business/wrecked vehicle place kinda sponsored me and helped me with entry fees. Since we have a full auto shop at home and that's what dad and i do for work we used our connections with wholesale tire places to get a good deal on maxxis ma-z1's for the year.
I did a ton of driving in 2010, every clubloose roadcourse event, the Ryan Tuerck/Tony Angelo clinic, XDC NJ, a few NH/driftspot events and some skidpad stuff. Highlights are going to my second clubloose event, east coast bash, and Petty putting me in A group right away and finding me a fire suit for the weekend, shit was wicked rad. Qualified 17th at xdc nj (my first comp scenario), drove a lot, had a ton of fun, and learned how badass drifting is and how awesome [s]everyone[/s] the majority of people involved in it are.
Picked up PBM arms for the hatch, got an alignment, more wheels and that was about it...just drove all year and got used to the car and learned how to drive. Everyone made fun of me for my stock steering wheel though
NH event
East coast bash
Miro and I hit a couple times at freedom moves so i bought chaser aero, painted it stupid white and other dumb things. I did trade my father a S13 coupe for a LS2 though...more on that later.
Badass tire guy hahha
made some knuckles (gotten some more angle out of it since then)
Blew up the LS1 at the second D-UP! event, I railed that thing off the limiter all the time and it was fucking awesome (see vids below). I had a few events left, put my old original 5.3l back in and it sucked real bad. put the LS2 back together stock and threw it in to finish up the season, i wanted to build it up but oh well.
Vids from 2010, kinda chronological order
Monticello D-Up shakedown
2010 East Coast Bash
2010 XDC NJ qualifying
Clubloose Hotmoves
My first wall tap
Exterior view of said wall tap
Jersey Streets 2010 recap vid