This $5K 350Z taught Ireland how to drift and now it’s getting the rebuild it truly deserves

This $5k 350Z from Pro Drift Academy is a legendary car that helped shape Irish drifting.

It served for years as a training car at Pro Drift Academy, where countless students first learnt how to slide.

The $5k 350Z wasn’t glamorous, but it was reliable, simple, and iconic in the world of Irish drifting.

Now, the time has come to give the car the rebuild it deserves.

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The $5k 350Z first entered service at Pro Drift Academy in the mid-2010s and remained in use for over a decade.

It was part of a small fleet of drift cars that cycled through the wet tarmac of Mondello Park, helping build Ireland’s grassroots motorsport scene.

Despite its age and miles, this drift car started instantly after years in storage, a testament to its sturdy VQ35DE engine and basic mechanical setup.

The car’s significance in Irish drifting circles comes not from fame, but from how many future drivers it helped nurture.

Many Irish drifting fans will recognize the weathered shell of this $5k 350Z.

Its body is worn, its stickers are faded, and some of its panels are held together by expanding foam.

But underneath the surface is a remarkably solid drift car.

The Pro Drift Academy livery is finally being removed, giving the car a clean slate while still honoring its past.

It’s a relic of a time when learning to drift meant showing up with heart, not horsepower.

While the market price of a clean Nissan 350Z has risen sharply in Ireland, this $5k 350Z remains an affordable cornerstone of Irish drifting culture.

Big-engine cars like this have always been rare in Ireland due to sky-high taxes and low new sales.

That makes this particular Pro Drift Academy drift car even more special, as few like it were ever registered locally.

Originally an English import, it now stands as a symbol of how accessible motorsport used to be.

Plans for the rebuild include suspension refreshes, new bumpers, proper wheels, and functional upgrades that make it safer and sharper on track.

The idea isn’t to turn the $5k 350Z into a show car, but to make it a usable, clean drift car that represents its legacy in Irish drifting.

The owners are already sourcing rare Japanese parts to bring it back to life, keeping it true to its origin as a Pro Drift Academy workhorse.

In a scene often obsessed with power and polish, this $5k 350Z reminds people why they fell in love with drifting in the first place.

It’s a drift car built on simplicity, used to teach, and remembered for the doors it opened for young Irish drifting hopefuls.

After years on the sidelines, it’s finally getting a richly deserved second wind.

See the full video here:

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