Unlikely...The art of a good sleeper.

[Dueced Up!]

Do you remember the Happy Days episode (first or second season) when Rich's Mom wrecked his car, the one he was supposed to street race that night. So the Fonz and friends took Howard's Desoto and built a killer drag car. What do you think, REAL LIFE, best photos or sleeper stories...

[Squablow]

I think two door sedans from the 60's with dog dish hubcaps doesn't fool anyone anymore. Dog dishes bring more money than rally wheels in some cases, and everyone knows the stripped down Biscaynes are often the ones packing the most power.

If you really want to build a sleeper, it needs to have 4 doors, full wheel covers, and quiet exhaust.

[Pir8Darryl]

About 20 years ago, I built a '70 buick Skylark 2 door with a wicked ass 550 cid [stroked] cadillac V8 that made somewhere between 750-800 hp. The car was tubbed, skinnies up front, fiberglass buckets.... NOT a sleeper.

Drove it daily [ ] for a few years, then kids and adulthood came along, so I parked it in my Grandparents barn. I'd go start it up and drive it a few miles about twice a year.

One fine spring morning, I fired it up and went for a little spin [not too far with expired plates and no insurance]. Down to the car wash to blast the dust off it, and a new[er] [for the time] Ford Mustang comes along looking for a little action. At this point, the car had been sitting for the better part of 4 years, and the carb was acting like there was a dead cat inside it.

Mr. Mustang was not about to take "no" for an answer, but I was feeling a little friskey, so I agreed to run him down the local deserted 2 lane for $20 "heads up".

It was about a 4 mile drive, and as I recall, it was a quiet sunday morning, so no traffic. Were driving along, and I got beside him and goosed it. It made a lot of noise, then sputtered out. Mr. Mustang got on it as well. When my Buick sputtered, he instantly got about 6 car-lengths on me. I kept my foot in it, and suddenly all 800 ponies came to life. It hooked, and it booked! I SCREAMED past Mr. Mustang, and about 2 lengths in front of him, pushed it into second It broke traction, and laid a pair of 13 inch wide black marks over 100 feet long. I stayed in it to well over 100 mph, and just watched him get smaller and smaller in my rear-view, tho I could see the mustang's front end bouncing up and down as he was shifting gears trying to catch me...

I hit the brakes, and backed it down to about 45 mph [speed limit], and waited for him to catch me. At the next light, I leaned out the window and said "I dont know man, the carb's just not right... I'll probably only be able to run in the low 9's like this"............ The look on his face was PRICELESS!

The light turns green, I pull ahead, and look behind to see him turning on to a side street, running away with his tail between his legs.

For the record, I was talking pure smack... The best that car ever ran was 10.27 @ 128 mph.

No, not a sleeper story, but definately my personal favorite expirence in that car... Wish I still had it.

[GREASEMONKEY72]

i love sleepers

[Evilfalcon1961]

any pics of sleeper cars ?!?!?

[56Sedan]

A rusty POS works as a good sleeper...
my first '55 Ford was in primer, no interior except for seats, the door glass was cracked, different color hood, you get the picture.
However I had concentrated on the drivetrain first and it was jam up.

I built a '56 Merc 312 for it and had no intentions of making anything earth shattering, but the guy helping me build the motor raced them back in the 50s and insisted "to make it a full house mill"....

Aside from the normal fart can crowd, I'd get a Camaro or Mustang that would want to nut up and run me. I never really looked for a race as I only had the original 3 speed tranny and knew it wouldn't hold up to pounding the cogs alot.

That car surprised alot of people including me the first time I got on it hard.

I'd get them off the line thanks to the torque of the Y-block and as long as I kept my foot in it I'd stay there.

The funny thing is the SBC boys only wanted to run stop light to stop light. The Mustang & Honda crowd would always wanna go for a mile or so.
That was alright I had Overdrive.

[37Nash]

please check this out first before scrolling down



Holly sh...

what the...

How on earth?

Somebody get me another beer

I think i dropped mine

Hope that was it and not... F@CK!

Sometimes it's easy to get caught up in all the CAD-inspired, CNC-machined wonderment of contemporary automotive technology and lose track of what hot rodding is really about: having fun with cars, exercising your own skills and creativity, and leaving long black marks all over everything. Cars like Rob Freyvogel's '63 Tempest bring it back home for us again. Using parts he scrounged from eBay and swap meets, Rob made huge power from a big-block Chevy running E98 ethanol fuel. The key pieces are a pair of remote-mounted turbos borrowed from a Cummins diesel application and a trunk-mounted charge cooler. But while the approach is low-buck, it is by no means low-tech-Rob also cooked up a home-brewed EFI system. The best result at the track so far is 9.86 at 149 mph. Just to have a little fun, Rob cloaked all this homebuilt tricknology in an oxidized red paint job and a set of ashtray hubcaps-and to complete the scam, the engine is painted Pontiac blue and wears a 326 air cleaner. So as far as you know, this is just another derelict '63 Tempest shambling down the street . . . that is, until Rob stands on the throttle and lays down some big, black stripes. -Bill McGuire

[Jeff Norwell]

S-l-e-e-p-e-r==========

[Ruiner]

I LOVE sleepers...I took down an '84 Camaro with my '71 Chevy C-20 farm truck in high school, it was hilarious seeing the look on the kid's face as I did my burnout before we raced...everyone made fun of my "grampa truck" until then...good times...

[LabRat]

Now thats what i call a sleeper !

[stude_trucks]

Am I dumb or how is the pressurized air getting back up to and into the intake on the engine? I can make out the exhaust, but no the pressurized feed going back up to the engine. Sleeper for sure, and very ingenious, but seems like could have (and should have) just put the turbos up near the engine. Definitely a cool car though.

[draggin'GTO]

My 455-powered '64 Pontiac Tempest.

Column-shifted, bench seat, no tach, plenty of suspension and brake mods so it corners and stops very well. Wheels are 17X8" all around.

She'll go 140 MPH with the TH400 trans and 2.56 gears, and still run in the high-13s with the near-stock regular-gas 455.

[49ratfink]

my old 49 chevy 4 door wasn't what you'd call a sleeper.. but it looked like grampas car with visor, spotlight, bumper guards, whitewalls and full hubcaps.

had a 350 with headers and big pipes. maybe a high 14 second ride if the track went downhill.

so this nice 56 chevy pulls up along side at a light. he takes off in a big hurry with a little chirp of the tires and it is obviously a V8 with glasspacks. hes speed shifting through the gears with a 3 speed column shift.

sitting at the next light he is all proud of himself. light turns green and I hit the go pedal and light the tire pretty good for an old bomb that people would bet the rent had a 216 or 235. the turbo 350 had a shift kit and it always got a good second gear scratch and this time was no exception. he missed the next light so I never got to see his reaction. I bet I suprised the heck out of him.

thats no 9 second tempest story, but I thought it was pretty funny.

[Jeff Norwell]

Draggon GTO...... that IS a Tempest in a Teapot!

wicked ride.

[VAPHEAD]

Jeff,I know that black Ford.It must be the same one built at West Coast Restorations in WA. My buddy Dale did the wetsand and buff on it.
He had a killer baby blue 66 Fairlane.BBF.4 spd too.

I'll look for more pic's.
And that 64 Tempest? Oh yeah !

[Fishtail8]

I've been waiting for the snow to leave to drag this out for the first time.... It's a tad ugly but should make up for it with some speed. 400hp/3100lbs should get mid to low 12's... It looks like a sleeper as long as it's shut off, but after it's running game's over.

A friend of mine has an O/T 69 Pontiac Beaumont (Chevelle) that looks stock with the exception of the wheels, but constantly runs mid 11's being driven daily... I love sleepers... !

[Jeff Norwell]

Originally Posted by VAPHEAD

Jeff,I know that black Ford.It must be the same one built at West Coast Restorations in WA. My buddy Dale did the wetsand and buff on it.
He had a killer baby blue 66 Fairlane.BBF.4 spd too.

I'll look for more pic's.
And that 64 Tempest? Oh yeah !

MMmmm....Vappy......66 Fairlane my "other secret" desire... very yummy.

[BOHICA]

Originally Posted by stude_trucks

Am I dumb or how is the pressurized air getting back up to and into the intake on the engine? I can make out the exhaust, but no the pressurized feed going back up to the engine. Sleeper for sure, and very ingenious, but seems like could have (and should have) just put the turbos up near the engine. Definitely a cool car though.

See that black hose running from the firewall to underneath the air cleaner? That's where the air comes in at. There was an article on it in PHR or Car Craft a few months ago.

[37Nash]

Originally Posted by stude_trucks

Am I dumb or how is the pressurized air getting back up to and into the intake on the engine? I can make out the exhaust, but no the pressurized feed going back up to the engine. Sleeper for sure, and very ingenious, but seems like could have (and should have) just put the turbos up near the engine. Definitely a cool car though.

that's the beauty of it! even if he pops the hood, 60+% of all that performance is kept unseen...



see how high it is here \/ compared to how deep there /\



my guess is the feed comes in from above the drive shaft, on the inside but it's covered, goes up under the console and voila

[Richard D]

Hard to make a traditionally styled sleeper, because hot rods alway look fast.

[rubberrodder]

I got SEVERELY dusted by a li'l ol' 81 Ford Fairmont 2dr post grocery getter! FINALLY,caught up to the guy and asked wtf he had under the hood. He explains how he got hit by a drunk in his same year mustang GT and swapped all the guts into his GRAMMA's old fairmont. One fox bodied platform to another! Engine, trans,suspension,swaybars, all of it.Then he opens the trunk and shows me the blue bottle to boot! Still wearing the factory brown paint. It was a cool little ride.

[29bowtie]

This "Sleeper Ford Pick-up" used to blow people minds,twin turbo 390,complete with "farm plates". Then his wife's old Valiant convertible.Threw in a later shop pic of some later race efforts.

[Nailhead]

This one belongs to a friend of mine. Real genuine factory sleeper if you ask me. Factory 409 4 speed wagon.



I wouldn't mind something along these lines :

[LabRat]

this wagon was running 12 's at the nostalgia drags .

[LabRat]

and this was running 12 's too.

[rustynewyorker]

I drove my '60 Pontiac as a daily for years. 2bbl 389, dual-coupling Hydramatic, 3.08 rear. One night this prick in a little Eagle Talon (or one of the clones of it) whips out to pass me right after a light, on a double yellow line. I said WTF, I'm going to make this asshole work for that, and hit the go pedal.

I finally let him go because my turnoff was coming, but I got it up to 90 on this curvy, hilly 2-lane road, no handling issues at all, and the guy couldn't pass me in his little sports car. I still had room to press the issue if I'd wanted to. Sometimes I think I should have, just to be a dick, and turned around and come back to go on home.

But I always surprised people in that car, the usual trick around here when you have two lanes to turn at a corner, is to switch lanes in the middle of the intersection and cut off the other guy. Damn near got hit a few times, but never got cut off.

[jayharrison92]

you missed this one labrat

oh and I dno if you would consider the 34 p/u a sleeper, but its rusty and has no paint and has a hemi poking through the hole. Anyone who knows nothing about engines would just assume its slow.

[leadsled01]

[QUOTE=Nailhead;2686691]This one belongs to a friend of mine. Real genuine factory sleeper if you ask me. Factory 409 4 speed wagon.


I would trade my balls for this wagon and boat! Absolutely love it...

[hillbillyhellcat]

That Lemans is a serious car, I have seen it run several times at the flashlight drags... I recently saw it on eBay for something like $38,000!

My best idea of a sleeper is Jay Leno's Buick Roadmaster with all C5 vette underpinnings...

[Gigantor]

I went to high school with a dude who had a 74 Nova 4-door, stock rims, plastic on the plaid seats: one ugly ass "Grandma" car.
You had to look real close to notice the roll bar and ladder bars etc. It had a very mellow exhaust hooked up to his 383.
I watched that kid blow the doors off a LOT of ricers over the years. He was building a 69 Chevelle toput that motor in, but I never got to see the finished product. I always thought he wouldn't have nearly as much fun rolling in that shiny red muscle car as he did in that ugly ass sleeper.

[leadsled01]

This thread makes me want to build a sleeper out of my 1965 wildcat that has a 455 in it.Great post!

[49Dodgeboy]

Back in my early days the sleeper build was the V8 Vega..small. light, SMC and a turbo350 with 4:11.s

[DRuss32]

Originally Posted by draggin'GTO

I love this wheel/tire treatment. What a great idea! (I'm talking about the red stripe on the rim.)

[metalman]

2 local sleepers back in the early 70s. One friend had a 67 GT390 Fairlane with a seriously "built" 390. While most of us had loud exhaust and jack- up rears he put lowering blocks on with 14" slicks on stock rims, quite exhaust. He even pulled off the GT hood and emblems and replaced them with a flat hood and 289 flags. Never opened the hood in public, took home lots of money street racing it. Another buddy had a bone stock looking 66 Rambler American with a warmed over 345, 4 speed and 4.11s. Pissed a lot of guys off being beat by a "stock" Rambler.

[skajaquada]

still, people aren't as surprised by most of those cars anymore since people have been building sleepers outta them forever. my 4 door 84 delta is my sleeper. it's got a 10.7:1 461 olds that does 450hp and 520tq, makes 400tq at 1800 rpm...had some serious fun with that thing, then the trans went. gotta get it back on the road

[storm king]

The Tempest is cool, and I can't stand anything GM. But the guy who built it is sharp. Mr. Lingenfelter did his Corvettes the same way, hiding the turbos way underneath the cars to keep them as stock appearing as possible. They were the best running sleepers ever; and I have seen some of his other work on Caddy's and the like as well. All very stock appearing and run like a scalded dog.
No '60's two door anything with dog dish hubcaps will pass as a sleeper to anyone with half a brain. Maybe some ricer punks wouold get fooled; but that's not saying much. There was a guy in Oklahoma with a '72 four door Comet, real Granny car, with chrome door gaurds, full hub caps, vinyl top, the works. You had to be directly behind it to see the huge tires and duals on it. Not to be messed with! It was a very quiet car too, but if you listened you could tell it had a monster motor and some serious mufflers.

[ALindustrial]

i think that any of the 4-door tri-five chebbies seem sleeperish...

[C9]

Originally Posted by Richard D

Hard to make a traditionally styled sleeper, because hot rods alway look fast.

True, ceptin' so many guys build hot rods and just chuck a motor that runs into them and they're happy.
Until they run up against a hot rod with a bit of motor within.


Cool post, that Tempest has to be, hands-down, the greatest sleeper ever.
A small masterpiece of engineering.


I like sleepers, had a couple and the best story I have is my 50 Ford coupe with 335" built Rocket motor, 4.27 diff etc.
A fun car, stock height, little stock hubcaps, 6.70 x 15 WWs all the way around, one tailpipe showing, tach way under the dash and out of sight.
Only thing that gave it away was the Hurst shifter and you could hide that with your knee when in low gear.

So here I am, running around the San Fernando Valley one bright and sunny day, a 50 or so Chevy coupe pulls alongside at a stop.
I ran stock T-Bird muffs, but the collectors were noisy so I didn't really hear the Chevy.

We went from a roll and the Chevy pulled me in every gear.

Talked to him later and found he was running an SBC.
Rumor was, it ran a 364" stroker.

Kinda interesting it was, me in my sleeper and getting killed by another sleeper.

'Cest la vie or however it goes....

[hillbillyhellcat]

Actually, the whole 2 door sedan with dog dish hubcap thing is so played out, that at the last flashlight drags nobody wanted to race my brothers '65 Falcon sedan. It was a 2 door with steel wheels and skinny whitewalls, chrome lugnuts and triple black..... Everyone thought it was some stealthy sleeper when in reality it just had a tired 302 with some bolt on goodies and airplane gears....very far from fast.

[tommy]

I'm knee deep in the sleeper camp. I'm presently putting an FE in a 56 2dr post. It's the middle level customline but I'm down grading it to the elcheapo category. I found a radio delete and a cherry mainline steering wheel with no horn ring, just a center button. (anybody want to sell the bottom of the barrel heater for a 56?)

There will be obvious clues like the large SW gauges under the dash, a Dixco tach, large cut outs and Traction Masters.(It's part of the look) These clues made you leery but not scared. Most of the alsorans had the same stuff but just for show.

I just picked up the cam that will betray my intentions with a healthy sound that would make Helen Keller turn around and ask "what is that". It's a 352 which was the biggest thing available at the start of the 60s. 3 spd w/O.D. on the tree, the Ford 4spd. wasn't out yet. there are a lot of 57 Ford sleepers but very few 56s.

Sleepers were a real genre in the early 60s. A lot of street racing took place on Friday and Saturday night. You tried very hard not to look too racy. As the decade wore on the gasser look, that is hot now, started to show up on the street but they had a hard time getting any competition even if they were turds. If you showed up in an all out race car you were expected to kick ass. The guys with the cheap, light 2drs that didn't stand out but still kicked ass really wowed us/me. There has always been a soft spot in my heart for the sleepers. I'm trying to be as authentic to the era as many are to the late 40s-early 50s hot rods. (besides...roll up windows and a heater!)

[Cajun Kenny]

my T-boned 68 roadrunner used to do a pretty good job with bailing wire holding the passinger door on , i got a lot of "you really gonna race that??"
followed by some laughter .. more than one person wasnt laughin later..

[Flipper]

I am a fan of the wide awake sleepers. .....stuff that is obviously hot rodded, but is WAY quicker than what it looks. Cars that run low 9's or quicker on small tires and have flat hoods.

[bigjohnson]

After I wrecked my first car, 72 torino 351cj, it looked like your typical white trash beat-up, wannabe muscle car (think joe dirt supperbird) But under the hood was a 351c, bored .30 over, holman and moody tunned 4v heads, ect. (I don't remember the exact specs) and it was topped off by a holley 800 dp, hid under the stock breather. The street dommy intake was painted ford blue, and I had stock BOSS351 valve covers. Backed by a c6, with a manual reverse valve body, and a 3,500 stall and 4:11 gears in the 9" out back.

All of the ricer guy's really diddint understand running 50mph in the slow lane on the intersate, They just figured it was slow but when I meet one at the stoplight, it was all over She was good for 400 RWHP.

This picture was taken after I started fixing her back up, and added the not so sleeper bug catcher checkout the air shocked-jacked up rear end with the 10"s sticking out

[rainh8r]

One of my dad's employees ran a FED in the early 60's that used an injected 331 hemi. After they quit racing it, the engine sat in a garage for about 15 years until his wife's 54 Plymouth 4 door blew up it's flathead 6. Since they were really down on cash, the hemi and trans went into the Plymouth after the injection was removed. They ran it for a few months like that, scaring everyone around including the driver. Someone finally gave them cash for the engine and they bought a better car, but it was fun while it lasted. I had a really nice 49 Dodge coupe that looked completely stock and original, right down to the hubcaps, but had a killer RB 440 and Torqueflite in it. That was entertaining too.

[blacufo]

I think the 100mph tape holding the windshield in may have blown your cover...

Originally Posted by bigjohnson

After I wrecked my first car, 72 torino 351cj, it looked like your typical white trash beat-up, wannabe muscle car (think joe dirt supperbird) But under the hood was a 351c, bored .30 over, holman and moody tunned 4v heads, ect. (I don't remember the exact specs) and it was topped off by a holley 800 dp, hid under the stock breather. The street dommy intake was painted ford blue, and I had stock BOSS351 valve covers. Backed by a c6, with a manual reverse valve body, and a 3,500 stall and 4:11 gears in the 9" out back.



All of the ricer guy's really diddint understand running 50mph in the slow lane on the intersate, They just figured it was slow but when I meet one at the stoplight, it was all over She was good for 400 RWHP.



This picture was taken after I started fixing her back up, and added the not so sleeper bug catcher checkout the air shocked-jacked up rear end with the 10"s sticking out

[G V Gordon]

Closest thing to a sleeper I ever owned was an old '69 Dodge long wheelbase typewritter delivery van. Used it to haul my motocross bikes in. Had doors on both sides. 16" comercial tires, 360, 3 on the tree. Smoked a kid in his new Charger stoplight to stoplight one night. Moved pretty good for a big ol' truck.

[nexxussian]

hillbillyhellcat

"Airplane Gears" as in really tall, high speed go faster (top end, low numerical)?

First time I've come across that phrase.

[BOHICA]

Originally Posted by blacufo

I think the 100mph tape holding the windshield in may have blown your cover...

That's masking tape.

[tjm73]

Originally Posted by Pir8Darryl

About 20 years ago, I built a '70 buick Skylark 2 door with a wicked ass 550 cid [stroked] cadillac V8 that made somewhere between 750-800 hp. The car was tubbed, skinnies up front, fiberglass buckets.... NOT a sleeper.

Drove it daily [ ] for a few years, then kids and adulthood came along, so I parked it in my Grandparents barn. I'd go start it up and drive it a few miles about twice a year.

One fine spring morning, I fired it up and went for a little spin [not too far with expired plates and no insurance]. Down to the car wash to blast the dust off it, and a new[er] [for the time] Ford Mustang comes along looking for a little action. At this point, the car had been sitting for the better part of 4 years, and the carb was acting like there was a dead cat inside it.

Mr. Mustang was not about to take "no" for an answer, but I was feeling a little friskey, so I agreed to run him down the local deserted 2 lane for $20 "heads up".

It was about a 4 mile drive, and as I recall, it was a quiet sunday morning, so no traffic. Were driving along, and I got beside him and goosed it. It made a lot of noise, then sputtered out. Mr. Mustang got on it as well. When my Buick sputtered, he instantly got about 6 car-lengths on me. I kept my foot in it, and suddenly all 800 ponies came to life. It hooked, and it booked! I SCREAMED past Mr. Mustang, and about 2 lengths in front of him, pushed it into second It broke traction, and laid a pair of 13 inch wide black marks over 100 feet long. I stayed in it to well over 100 mph, and just watched him get smaller and smaller in my rear-view, tho I could see the mustang's front end bouncing up and down as he was shifting gears trying to catch me...

I hit the brakes, and backed it down to about 45 mph [speed limit], and waited for him to catch me. At the next light, I leaned out the window and said "I dont know man, the carb's just not right... I'll probably only be able to run in the low 9's like this"............ The look on his face was PRICELESS!

The light turns green, I pull ahead, and look behind to see him turning on to a side street, running away with his tail between his legs.

For the record, I was talking pure smack... The best that car ever ran was 10.27 @ 128 mph.

No, not a sleeper story, but definately my personal favorite expirence in that car... Wish I still had it.

Similar story. Also Cad powered (526 stroked). Leaving a car show my brother was driving his friends truck (S10 - Not a HAMB car). Anywho a guy in a chevelle was running up on his ass over and over. The S10 is tubbed, caged, slammed, etc...

Well my borther's friend (in pasenger seat) says F this guy. Let's play his game. At the next light the guy took off hard. My brother pulle dup to the stop sign, waited his turn, then my brother punched it and started running him down like he was sitting still. He came up behind this guy so fast the guy pulled over to give my brother both lanes to pass and my brother was in the other lane. I raced along behind in my 5.0 as best I could to see what happened. Was quite funny. Even I passed him after that and he should have wiped the road with me. When we all got to the next town the guy drove through with his head down.

[damnfingers]

Originally Posted by 37Nash

please check this out first before scrolling down

I would have given anything to see the look on that Cuda drivers face as that Tempest went by him like he was standing still. He had to look down at his gauges to make sure his engine was still running.

[DRuss32]

Originally Posted by damnfingers

I would have given anything to see the look on that Mustang drivers face as that Tempest went by him like he was standing still. He had to look down at his gauges to make sure his engine was still running.

What Mustang? I saw a 'Cuda and a Dart. The third one looks like a Satellite or something similar.

[bigjohnson]

Originally Posted by BOHICA

That's masking tape.

yep, I pulled the vinyl top to fix the rust, And then primered the roof, The car was in full primer when I sold it.

[GassersGarage]

One night, back in the late 70's, a guy comes out to Van Nuys with a white 66' Nova 2 dr sedan. Walks upto a group of kids standing next to a bbc 69' Chevelle. Asks if they wanna race. He takes them over to his Nova and pops the hood. 283", 2 barrel and stock exhaust. Looks like the original engine, all greasy and grimey. The kids ask, "How many cars you want?". He saids, "Heads up!".

Now the kids are swarming around the Nova trying to figure out why he only wants heads up. In the end, the kids back down.

When everyone leaves, I look at the Nova's engine and tell the guy it's beautiful. What is it? He saids it's an LT-1 shortblock, ported fuelie heads, ported 400 intake and a 500 cfm 2 barrel.

[fordf1trucknut]

I built this to be a bit of a sleeper.

It still isn't painted (I plan on painting it maroon once I finish the bodywork....probally this fall)

It has a 393W with Windsor SR heads and a soilid lifter cam. It is faster than most cars on the road in my area and I built it to look totally stock inside and out, the only thing that gives it away is the sound....I need to put quieter mufflers on it.

[bigdreamsnobux]

Didn't have much money in high school, so it was either a car that looked cool and went slow, or looked boring but went fast... so I picked go fast.

85 Buick Regal 2 door, wire hub caps and white walls, faded paint, column shift, you know, a beater. It was my Mom's car I inherited at 17 when she passed away.

The 305 was pulled for an LT1 350, camel hump 202's, intake, headers, TH400 and a 12 bolt with 4:10's (all were bought used, so I took what I could afford). I always thought big meats and wheels looked like a guy was trying too hard on these cars, so I kept the wire hubcaps and widest whitewalls I could find/fit (cousin owned a tire store, so I could afford new ones). It was hell on gas, and roared at highway speeds, but I drove slow so commutting around town it appeared relatively quiet.

In my small town, the car ended up a thing of legend because it hooked like a rocket even with the relatively skinny tires. The trick was that when we'd line up I would always be the first to 'suggest' the finish line marker since I would start to lose ground quick as we got faster. The body mounts started to seperated from the frame after about 150 launches or so. Won pretty much every race except for a couple with a certain 69 Mustang that was aptly named 'Hell's Creation'. But hey, my car cost less than his paint job. I even dusted a friends Grand National graduation present a few times, man was he pissed.

Cops never gave me a second look, and I didn't give a shit about paint, chrome, etc. It was just a set up that happened to work really well, dumb luck I guess. I wonder if Mom would have liked me doing that to 'her car'

Funny, in the end it is the 'crappy' cars like that I miss the most...

[CADILLAC AL]

Not sure if you consider my old beater a sleeper or not but it sure scares the H out of the ricers & 5.0 boys
Al

[Aaron51chevy]

I want this car....

[Nailhead]

Originally Posted by leadsled01

I would trade my balls for this wagon and boat! Absolutely love it...

I'm sure he would appreciate the compliment but, I don't think he would go for that trade.

[Cajun Kenny]

here is a pretty good sleeper , a VW puttin it on a stangs ass so hard the dude just leaves ,, haha
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FW22bVuof_U

[RacerRick]

How about a twin turbo'd, intercooled, 474ci aluminum headed mopar, in a plain jane rusty, beat up, 69' Dart...

Pretty good sleeper?

[DocWatson]

I had an off topic daily driver XD Falcon. They only came in 4 door and this one was an ex=police chaser from back when they did something to make them go a little better.
Re-built the 351 Clevo, droped on 4V heads and a boot (trunk) load of fun bits and ended up with 496.2 RWP. I later managed to eek out just under 100 more ponies for an eventual 590 RWP (Ok, 587 but 590 sounds better!)
Didnt look like much, sounded like an average V8 with extractors untill you hit it on full noise.
Still have the motor, rust claimed the car.


Or if you want some impressive numbers watch this, street registered here in Oz!

[blackjack]

Try this V8 powered Citroen 2CV - watch the red one blow the doors off of a 442 Olds on the 1/4 mile. Runs a low 14.

I have seen this car and the original builder went to great lengths to make it look stock. It has a big inch Buick motor and a 9 inch rear end - and of course, it weighs absolutely f**k all. Result was a huge surprise for any hot hatch driver.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fP6D4NYWEU8

[hillbillyhellcat]

Yeah, airplane gears aka highway gearing like 2.73.....


I am actually putting together a '72 F-100 with a Lincoln 460/C6.... It has all the good bolt on stuff KB pistons, roller rockers, custom Lunati cam, Edge converter, dk horse headers.... It looks bone stock, is painted fact ginger and wimbleton white.... Has Future Farmer of America license plate and West Virginia - Almost Heaven plate on the front.... It is a farm truck... I can't wait to have fun with it this summer!

[hemi]

Originally Posted by Aaron51chevy

I want this car....

Ding-ding... winner.... that is rad.

As previously stated, the dog-dished '60's cars are not sleepers any more.

60's and 70's hoopties that came with wimpy 120hp mills from the factory that can pull the front wheels are today's sleepers, as are the Fox-bodied Fairlanes and late 70's Malibus that hook and book when properly tuned.

They just scream grandma, slow, and unmodified. A '62 Chevy in any form looks fast sitting still even to those not familiar with cars. Now something with woodgrain....

[Motorbreath]

Back in highschool I dropped a 350 horse small block into a 4 door 62 nova. It had the seafoam green seat covers. Kept the 6cyl badges on the fenders. Swapped in a newer rearend to run 5 lug and newer spindles up front for better brakes and 5 lug. It was a sleeper until you fired it up. I miss the sound of that car.

[RileyRacing]

I never saw it, but I guess at one time, a friend of my ex gf's Dad had a 4 door 67ish Biscayne, factory ordered with a 427/4 speed and bench seat! It was quite an awakening for many, from what I'm told.

He had another friend that had a sweet original 69 Chevelle with a 427 "crate" motor- it was a warranty job when the 396 blew up!

Jay

[mknz]

My first car was a 77 Malibu that suprised the shit outta folks.

[MercMan1951]

Here is the build up of one such sleeper:

http://www.w2wpowertrain.com/t-novabuild-2.aspx

I saw the car in person last year an I was impressed.

[SinisterCustom]

Sleepers were to fool the guy next to ya at a stoplight in a hot car and blow his doors off......that type of racing doesn't happen much anymore.....

Serious racers (street) will always go over the competition's car before runnin'.....so a sleeper isn't gonna fool anyone....esp after one pass....word gets around.

[Janne]

Finnish sleepers:
http://www.pjp.fi/index.php?sivu=2&a...tyyppi=Omat#13

http://www.pjp.fi/index.php?sivu=2&a...yyppi=Omat#120

[mtkawboy]

In 63 I had a 57 ford custom 300 with a new 427/425 FE motor, 3 speed OD on the column from a 61 390 police car, Ballenger Bros headers with Chrysler mufflers, no tach, no gauges, blackwalls & dogdish hub caps, Atlas Bucron tires[the hot setup, 4 inches wide} & 4.56 gears. Had a ton of fun with 55-57 Chevys that were expecting a 312 at best. Wish I still had with original light blue & white paint. Looking for a replacement. I could live with the black one pictureD for sure

[The Hank]

Ohhh the shame of being waxed by a sleeper . I have been on the wrong side of that deal. One night my buddie and i were tooling around in my 99 porsche 911 convert and a white dinged up chevy astro van pulls up next to me. The driver of the van looks over to me and starts bouncing up and down in his seat [ a clear sign he wants a go] I don't know if any of you have ever owned a porsche but when you ride around in one it seems everyone and thier mother wants to race you. Probably like that with vettes and a few other makes. Anyway light turns green and i give it some [ not all ] and that friggen van is right there with me and pulling ahead. So i give her all she's got , that car really comes on above 4000 and i was in the wrong gear. No matter i got in the power and could NOT catch that fucking van! In fact it was pulling away. My buddie looks at me laughing at me , all I could say was " thats one fast fucking mini van" Mini van has to be the " ultimate " sleeper.............

Ohhh the shame!

[pan-dragger]

Originally Posted by blacufo

I think the 100mph tape holding the windshield in may have blown your cover...

If that didn't do it. the mullet haircut may have.

[pastlane]

Mt O/T sleeper was a 1980 chevy pickup with a 60 over 427 and 4 speed. Otherwise stock right down to the hubcaps. Was fun putting down the iroc & trans am guys.

[GassersGarage]

1965 Chevy Biscayne
Motor: 454, balanced and blueprinted, Merlin heads, dual quads and extreme energy cam.
Trans: Richmond 6 speed
Suspension: Hotckis front and rear

[injectedA]

I have built and street raced ’62, ’66 and ’69 Chevy swb fleetside pick ups. I dig those 60’s trucks and so easy to build to race. Most people think they are heavy pigs…think that? and I own you. First get you a drive shaft. Nice stroker, a bottle and 3:73’s. Light ass rear? no, once the truck is set down on the ground and set up right they hook like a mf’r. NASCAR used the geometry for years, yeah stock car blah blah but you still have to keep the rear loaded. Those I-beam suspensions and rears will take all the abuse you can give them with no wheel hop. Of course some preloaded airbags in the coils help.

Memory moment!!! My stepson’s father has worked for Ford for a lot of years, so he digs Ford, even got a tattoo…here is where you can bitch at me use to take him out on the 2 am runs and he would be pissed when we would take the Mustangs out on hwy. 370. He’d get over it later when we would go get sideways in parking lots.

Maybe it’s why I am falling in love with this wagon. With a wheel change this should pull someone in.

[Steel Coupes]

Originally Posted by Nailhead

This one belongs to a friend of mine. Real genuine factory sleeper if you ask me. Factory 409 4 speed wagon.



I wouldn't mind something along these lines :

Just about all the 60/61 cars are cool as heck. Any Black Widow looking deal is awesome too.

[Dueced Up!]

I was at MoKan about 12 years ago. Drunk guy in the stands goes nuts when his buddy's 69 primer only Camaro comes to the line. They were just running time trials and opposite the Camaro was a Super Comp Dragster. Drunk dude says to me, watch my buddy blow away this rail job. I'm thinking...right. Lights flash, Camaro pulls the left front about two feet off the ground and holds it past half track. Super Comp runs his 8.90 ish but did not turn on the win light by nearly three car lengths. Drunk guy celebrated...I still can't believe it over decade later. Awesome car. Checked it out, just mountain motor bowtie he replied, said he drove to work most days...I swear that is what he said!

[30dodgeboy]

Best sleeper reply I have ever heard yet was "I thought we were racing, but then you stepped on it..."

Second best was at a cruise-in night. My brother overhears one guy telling his buddy, "Don't laugh, I've seen this one go at the track."

[Belchfire8]

In the late 90's there was a retired Chrysler engineer that was at a lot of the local carshows. He looked to be about 62 yrs old. He was driving a Chrysler LHS that appeared to be stone stock. There was usually crowd standing around his car so finally curiousity got the best of me and I had to see why. I walked all the way around the car looking at the outside and all I saw was a STOCK Chrysler LHS; an old mans car. Then i looked inside.....there was no back seat, just a large carpeted box where the seat should be. This "old" man had installed a second engine in the rear. Each engine was a 215 H.P. V-6, so he had 430 H.P. all wheel drive! I had a long talk with him about the install and I asked him if he liked to mess with 'Vettes and the like at stoplights...the old guy grinned and said "every chance i get"

[scotty t]

I'm in the process of installing a blown ( under the hood)383 stroker and 4spd in this turd. that should make for a good sleeper

[beetlejuice55]

my friend has an 80 malibu wagon that he put together about 5 years ago. the interior is 100% stock, column shift, no visible gauges, and a statue of mary on the dash. the back seat has a baby seat strapped in it. the car is shit brown, with a tan interior. under the hood is a 572 big block chevy, with a 300 h.p. fogger, turbo 400, with a 3500 stall.
the exhaust consists of long tube headers with an h-pipe, that splits to 4 pipes,
with 4 mufflers. there are no visible tail pipes, but he left the original single exhaust tail pipe in the stock location (cut off about 4 feet under the car).the car has stock steel wheels on it, with el-cheapo wire wheel hubcaps from pep boys. all the way in the rear of the car, you will see a laundry basket full of dirty clothes. the nitrous bottle is hidden in the laundry basket, under the
dirty clothes. the only real giveaway, is the rear tires...which are 10" drag radials.
the car has the stock flat hood on it, but there isn't much clearance for the carb..it has a dominator on it. a bumper sticker on the rear bumper that reads "i brake for bingo". sure even with 4 mufflers it still has a pretty loud exhaust note, and the lumpy idle usually gives it away as well. but, normally, he'll go somewhere and park the car. round up a few suckers to race him in his moms wagon. he never stands close to the car, he just sets up the race, and points to the wagon acting like a total moron. 50% of the people just say "ok" without looking the car over.
the car runs 9.80's on the 10" drag radials, with the full exhaust hooked up.
getting it too hook is something that he's been working on tho. everyone knows about the car now, so he doesn't get many suckers willing to race moms wagon anymore.

[37Nash]

ok maybe not but it's rather dificult to imagine anything @ 6 am while waiting for coffee

[KernCountyKid]

Originally Posted by MercMan1951

Here is the build up of one such sleeper:

http://www.w2wpowertrain.com/t-novabuild-2.aspx

I saw the car in person last year an I was impressed.

isn't this guys name kurt urban, or something like that? anyways, it was on the auction site after it was in the mags and didn't sell at 47k. i think he wanted 50k. that car kicks several kinds of ass.

*yeah, it's kurt urban. i really do love that car.

[buckeye_01]

Originally Posted by scotty t

I'm in the process of installing a blown ( under the hood)383 stroker and 4spd in this turd. that should make for a good sleeper

Yup, that's a total piece of shit. Just give me your address and I will properly dispose of it for you.

Sleepers are awesome, but after your first pass the gig is up.

[canadianzed]

Picked this up from the original owner , factory 427, 400 auto, posi.
Bench seat, column shift, no guages (had hubcaps), innocent looking family car. -- It surprised more than a few who assumed small block under the hood. I miss that car.

[Thirdyfivepickup]

correct me if I'm wrong... but in that Happy Days episode didnt they yank out the engine and set the race up on a hill... and the Desoto coasted to victory?

My favorite sleeper is a NSFH (not safe for HAMB) LT1 Camaro that is a twin turbo setup. One of the shops I sell to put it together. It made over 1200 hp at the rear wheels. It has full interior... air conditioning... leather seats... stereo. A real street car. He drove it from Chicago to the Maxton Mile... and got 22 mpg.

In the standing mile he went 198mph. Then he drove home.

There is an incar video of it (that I cant find right now) that shows the front end of the car drop hard when he gets out of it.

And a friends 65 Malibu... its has a 555 BBC under the hood that looks stock other than headers. (I wish I had a pic) The rear tires are M/T Et Street with redline Port-o-walls on them. Looks like grannys car when you walk by. Its too loud to be a sleeper but its really cool.

[Eagletucky]

Here in Indy, Tom Culbertson is currently working on a 67 Rambler with a Ford 460 in it. Its got a c6, and a 9". With the hood open, it looks like it was factory installed. The car isnt running yet, but should be a wild ride!!!

I will try to get a few pics soon.

[Gasserfreak]

Originally Posted by Jeff Norwell

S-l-e-e-p-e-r==========

God I love that car my friend Jim just bought it out of Hemmings last month. Lucky Mofo.

Drew

[Buckle]

My sleeper is a 77 Bavarian Cream Nova, these cars came from the factory with a choice from several lame powerplant combinations, with the simple check of a box on the option sheet one could even slower if desired. I have had a blast with this car and dropped some jaws in the process. Last Fall my 16 year old neighbor kid wanted me to do a burnout for him. He has seen me idle in and out of my subdivison but never really anything else. He has a v-6 pick-up truck that he loves doing one-legger brake torques with on a road near my home. So I said, let's see if I can do a burnout like you. He shot this video with a cell phone camera so it is quite shaky. If you listen you can hear that I didn't hook up until the end of second gear or about 70 mph, he was pretty surprised.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XzMEH2ocxWU

Buckle

[nitrobrother]

Originally Posted by The Hank

Ohhh the shame of being waxed by a sleeper .

That's my story exactly. In '79 I built a 302-powered '74 Pinto wagon. Ugly as sin (brown, 14" Fairmont steel wheels, no caps, lots of rust), wasn't fast, but it was entertaining (I was running 14.1's on those skinny tires with a C4 that would slip badly going into 3rd right before the traps). Had it at KCIR one Wednesday Grudge Night and lined up against a gold '66 Tempest with similar ugliness. I waxed him off the line and held it to half track when he came past me like I had parked it. He ended up running a 12-something and I found out later he had a nitrous system that he'd activate at about 300ft. Over the summer I saw him trounce a lot of pure strip cars with that one.

[Oilcan Harry]

Used to be a 69 Americam Motors Ambassator SST wagon running around here, in the early 70s. It was brown and had the fake wood on it and a 401 emblem on the fender, full hubcaps and thin whitewalls. Some old man in a suit was driving. I stupidly got caught up in a stoplight tussle late one night with it. It didn't wheelie but that thing squated the back and the front reared up like the old 90/10 uplock shocks, and it was GONE! Didn't know what was in it but I'd never seen a barge run like that. Wanted to find out more about it but there was no catching that thing. He must have been doing over 90 by the next light. Told my machinist buddy about that and he knew the guy. He said he was a fellow auto machinist and was an AMC freak. It was a huge stroker of unknown cubes but he knew it had a set of reworked AMC NASCAR heads that he got when Penske quit running AMC s. No proof but rumors were it was supercharged. Sssllleeepppeeerr!

[five-duece-chevy]

Here's two pics of my first sleeper, OT, but still a sleeper.




That car ran 13.30's at 104 Mph with a hidden nitrous kit.

Here's my current sleeper project. I'm looking for low 12's with this and I want to keep the 230 badges on the fenders.

[MotorCityThreads.com]

Originally Posted by BOHICA

See that black hose running from the firewall to underneath the air cleaner? That's where the air comes in at. There was an article on it in PHR or Car Craft a few months ago.

This car is freakin cool.

[RacerRick]

I am building a 406 with forged pistons, ported heads, custom ground cam, and a few other tricks in it to look like a stock 275hp 327.

Stock intake/carb/exhaust manifolds. Should make an easy 400hp and I will hit a NOS top shot in the stock air cleaner.

[Six Ball]

My mom couldn't, or wouldn't, drive an automatic. In '59 my dad found her a '57 Dodge Royal 4 door, red and white, with a Super Red Ram Hemi,( 325 ci, 4 bb )3 speed. It was a sleeper and did well on Concord Blvd. and Newell Ave. Later she had a yellow '60 Ford convertible ( Skyliner? )289/3 speed. The Ford was geared too high for the 1/4 mile but it crused 80-85 and made the top look like a hot air balloon! Her little sister drove a '56 Chevy 4 door with the Power Pack option (4 bbl, duel exhaust) and a dealer installed cam. My uncle was tired of her complaining about the '55 6cyl/auto 4 door wagon he got the year before. His new problem was that my older brother and another nephew borrowed it almost every Sunday for "dates". It was campaigned heavily at Freemont, Half Moon Bay, Kingdon, and Vacaville. When it came my turn in '62 it was old and smoking and still hauled ass! Truly a sleeper. It literally smoked a '58 Vette that was supposed to be 'Bad"!
When Mom was looking for a new car she tested a '63, I think, Fairlane, 289/ 4 speed, but she missed 3rd gear twice and bought a VW Bug. End of the Sleeper Sisters!

[Horsepower67]

Originally Posted by stude_trucks

Am I dumb or how is the pressurized air getting back up to and into the intake on the engine? I can make out the exhaust, but no the pressurized feed going back up to the engine.

Look closely at the backside of the aircleaner housing and you'll see a pipe running in the firewall. If I remember correctly from the feature the stock housing has been welding up to hold pressure, kinda like a giant carb hat.

Originally Posted by stude_trucks

Sleeper for sure, and very ingenious, but seems like could have (and should have) just put the turbos up near the engine. Definitely a cool car though.

Well then it wouldn't be nearly as much of a sleeper!

[quasimoto]

A buddy of mine when we were 16 had a 63 chevy short bed that we out a Pontiac 455 in with a th400 and a mild exhaust. Lowered it by heating up the springs and put moon disc on it. It would lay 100 plus feet of rubber just by stopping on the pedal. We would blow away all the GIs from the local army base and their loud jacked up cars with fat tires. The greatest sound was puttin the pedal to the metal and the secondaries opening up.

[mtkawboy]

Speaking of sleeper turbo cars my 427 powered 57 Ford got out sleepered once by an Austin Healey Sprite with an aluminum 215 turbo Olds with a 4 speed. I had the power but he had no weight and it was an ass whipping for me

[injectedA]

Buckle. Seriously impressive!!! That car is like just gone. Sit and spin don’t win. Drag Radials? nice weight transfer? SSM bars? or? I miss my stroker…

[Dave Downs]

Back in late '64 - early '65 a friend had a stone-stock looking '55 Olds 2 door HT, white over red. It was always dirty, had greasy hand-prints all over it. There was a cheesy-looking little scoop on the hood.

Underneath the hood was a full-bore 394 Olds hooked to a modified Hydro, with a 4-71 blower to help things work.

His favorite trick was to tell the opposing driver to take off when ever they were ready and he would catch up with them - and he always did. As far as I know the car was never beat (could have been just a careful choice of opponents) but I was in the car one day when he absolutely destroyed a '64 fuelie 'Vette.

I was also behind him the last time the car ran; I watched the bottom end scatter all over the road about 20 feet off the staring line.........

[ozark]

Did someone say Biscayne. This is my toy. It's just a 350 bored .030 over. Not super fast but keeps up with traffic.

[brandon]

must be something to the beige and biscayne thing... brandon

[Doc Squat]

In 1961 my older brother had a plain jane 1958 Chevy post. I think it was a Delray 1141. He changed out the motor for a 1961 348 V/8 with 3 2's. Ran it at Kahoka Drag Strip at Kahoka, Mo. Loved riding with him. Fooled LOTS of hot dogs. Car ran like a stripped ass ape. No chrome, little dog dish hubcaps and the two bubble tail lights. Was very cool.
__________________________________________________ __
Like I told the kid, "Your music not too loud, it just sucks!"

[lowlife_slim]

i used to drive a bone stock 72 Monte Carlo with a factory 350. it was not an SS though, and ran so quiet i dont know how many times i grinded the starter because i forgot it was idling.

then i went out and put a full dual exhaust with 40 series flowmasters on it, and i could no longer sneak out of the house. it was amazing how the exhaust opened that car up and showed the potential of that 350.

[55 dude]

i remember a buds car green 70' vega with a v8, fooled many people with the 9" drilled "4-lug" they used to change the windshield weekly as the torque would crack it when it twisted.

[plan9]

Originally Posted by stude_trucks

Am I dumb or how is the pressurized air getting back up to and into the intake on the engine? I can make out the exhaust, but no the pressurized feed going back up to the engine. Sleeper for sure, and very ingenious, but seems like could have (and should have) just put the turbos up near the engine. Definitely a cool car though.

ever street raced? thats the one of the first things people look at, the engine. why should he have put the turbos closer to the engine it makes 1200 rwhp.... besides, with turbos in the engine bay it wouldn't be a true sleeper.

that pontiac is bitchin...

[Marty McFly]

Did somebody say beige Biscayne....
Someone once asked me "Why did ya' get a Biscayne? Those are what people would part out to fix up Impalas. Those Biscaynes always seemed too bare bones and stripped down almost like a race car".....exactly .

Marty McF.

[GassersGarage]

One night, my neighbor wanted to go to the street races. They would meet at midnight on Old San Fernando Rd in the valley. We went there and saw a few races. There was an old MG with a sbc that had its hood open. My neighbor asked the owner if he wanted to race a Vette (mine). I pull my neighbor aside and clue him in on the fact that the MG has nitrous and weight a lot less than my Vette. He doesn't care, he wants to see my Vette race.

He sets up the race and I go home to get my Vette. Its heads up and we take off. By the time I'm in third gear, the MG is a distant memory.....I thought the MG would be a lot faster. My neighbor split the $100 with me.

[Rossco]

Originally Posted by Squablow

I think two door sedans from the 60's with dog dish hubcaps doesn't fool anyone anymore. Dog dishes bring more money than rally wheels in some cases, and everyone knows the stripped down Biscaynes are often the ones packing the most power.

If you really want to build a sleeper, it needs to have 4 doors, full wheel covers, and quiet exhaust.

Haha a Nash Ambassador Sleepr...

[Django]

Originally Posted by Thirdyfivepickup

And a friends 65 Malibu... its has a 555 BBC under the hood that looks stock other than headers. (I wish I had a pic) The rear tires are M/T Et Street with redline Port-o-walls on them. Looks like grannys car when you walk by. Its too loud to be a sleeper but its really cool.

I haven't seen that '65 in years. It definitely bad ass.

Scoob found this one. I guess it was ordered from the factory with a 402/4speed and the owner went "hunting" quite often.

[26Tudor]

www.vintageperformance.net


Go to the "videos" section
scroll all the way down to

"our own Kurt Mezger running a grudge match against a big block Chevy Race Car"

Yes, the VW is a true steet car, his wife used to drive it on a daily basis.
Yes, he came from behind and beat the BBC Camaro, which had N20, as well.
Yes, the timing clocks say "10.06@142" for the VW.
Then he drove it home. (He said he stopped for a Philly Cheese Streak about halfway, and after 100 miles, yeah, he said the engine was a little warm..)

[Goztrider]

That Tempest it stoopid funny!

I was watching that video and wondering about that lag just before it goes into warp speed, but the turbos explain it. Talk about a fun critter to drive and play with!

[delirium9o]

Originally Posted by Horsepower67

Look closely at the backside of the aircleaner housing and you'll see a pipe running in the firewall. If I remember correctly from the feature the stock housing has been welding up to hold pressure, kinda like a giant carb hat.



Well then it wouldn't be nearly as much of a sleeper!

Holy hell my pop and i built this car!!!!

[Turbo442]

Originally Posted by Django

I haven't seen that '65 in years. It definitely bad ass.

Scoob found this one. I guess it was ordered from the factory with a 402/4speed and the owner went "hunting" quite often.

That Chevelle is cool and I really don't like the styling of the 4 drs from this era. Must be like Ryan said; Speed is beautiful.
Is your buddy going to restore it? There couldn't have been many 4 spd or BB 4 drs let alone both 4 sp and BB.

[pompadour]

no pictures but i was at a car show/swap meet in nj 5 years ago and there was a guy with a 80's suburban with a trailer selling vw vanagon parts and his hood was up...me and my friends being curious why the hood was open and we see to our suprise twin turbo merlin engine....we just look at eachother with awe totally confused

[synthsis]

what about that twin turbo car they built up in one of the muscle car mags and did a feature on it on Spike's Horsepower TV show? I can't remember if it was a 64 bel air sedan or something like that, but I know it was 1 serious car that was the most boring grocery getter you'd ever see.

[Turbo442]

I just remebered at Billetproof there was a 55-57 Tbird with a big Cadillac motor. Funny as it looked lie a resto and nobody seemed to notice the engine as they walked around it. It didn't look out of place at all.

[GassersGarage]

The year was '84, my Dad Had this '74 Chevy Luv that he wanted to put a sbc in. I did the swap using a 350/350 with a 9". I had the 9" drilled for the Luv wheels so it looked stock. It even had a camper shell. My Dad used it to drive to work.

One day, I was driving down Hollywood Blvd and some guy in a '78 Vette kept lighting em up at stop lights. Eventually, we ended up side by side. The light turned green and the Vette lit em up. I passed him before he crossed the intersection. At the next light, he's laughing and asks, "What's in it?". I tell him it's stock. He laughs and makes a left turn.

[Bad Bob]

I remember taking my buddies to Whittier in my 11sec VW,before the paint job,Centerlines,roll cage,lowering,wing,and we would blow guys away all the time! They just couldn't believe they just got beat by a VW! I think that was more fun then when I made it a full time racecar...

[1931S/X]

i grew up hanging around with older guys 7-10 years older than me. they were into the street race scene before i was driving so i was into it, but i couldnt race. when the time came to build a car, of coarse it had to be a sleeper. heres my 69 dart slant 6 i bought from the original family and converted it into a bigblock 727 with dana, steel wheels, full exhuast, bench seat, column shifted sleeper. 11.80-112mph in full street trim.

[L. Eckart]

I don't have any pics but wish I did.

When attending a small midwest college in the early 60s my roommate worked at a service station and the owner had a green 53 Pontiac 4dr sedan, a real family looking car. However, he had put a J2 Olds engine (3/2's) and tranny in it and it ran real good. He let my roommate have it one Friday night (can you believe that?) and we drove it to Kansas City and cruised all the drive-in food places. I remember pulling up at a stop light next to a young fellow with his date in his dad's new Chrysler convertible. He looked over at the Pontiac in disdain but was quite surprised when he left the light and we stayed right beside him until my buddy decided to leave him behind. At the next light he never even looked our way. Lots of fun and lucky we didn't meet a patrolman.

[56sedandelivery]

I've told this before. In high school, a friend used drive his dads 53 Ford half ton with a camper shell. Three of us are in it one night and a BRAND NEW 1968 PLYMOUTH ROADRUNNER with temporary paper plates is trying to "show off". Friend races him off at a light and tromps him BAD! Old truck had a full on 394 Olds and B & M Hydro Stick trans. I can't imagine how the Roadrunner owner felt after that. The friends dad used to drag race HUDSONS' and the truck was his tow rig.

[Jim Rockford]

Working on mine right now...4 door 89 caprice 9C1 police car/lt1 4l60e swap.

[Frosty21]

A friend of mine has had the same early 90's something Civic since he was 16 (Close to 10 years ago)

The car is white with patches of black primer, rust, etc. Covered in stickers, looks like a Welfare car.

Once he starts teaching his goal is to build the motor and suspension and leave the body the same, if not worse than it already is. JC Whitney spoiler, 3 Spinner Hub-Caps, fart can, vanity plates, underglow, and all the other "Stick-On" go-fast accesories he can find.

Sometimes stock just looks too suspicious, and we all know the slowwwwest cars are usually the ones covered in crap to make them look fast.

[T-Time]

Here's a hint for a sleeper Ford...I'm always amazed that even many Ford guys cannot tell a 429/460 from a 351C. Heck, some can't even tell a 351C from a 289/302! Many Chevy guys are lucky if they can even identify a Ford engine as being a Ford...if its not painted blue, most can't.

And here's one I learned from my Pontiac street racer friends from the old days...most folks can't tell a 326 from a 455. They're the same outside dimensions.

One more...an Olds 455 responds very well to a small shot of nitrous. Its even more impressive when it has an Olds Rocket 350 air cleaner on it!

Those hints could (and have) lead to some great sleepers.

[OoltewahSpeedShop]

My little '66 Ford shop truck has made more than a few punks in their Mustang's and Camaro's think twice about jumping on an old truck. Boss 351 Cleveland under the hood gets it done just fine. Just looks like an old truck, especially from behind.... It has been 7.60's in the 1/8th spinning the whole way.

Kevin
Ooltewah Speed Shop

[alteredimage]

Just an old farm truck

Rusty exhaust tips and all

[Omega]

I want this..


So I could put a 427 windsor in it

[Alden960]

The volvette. Late 80s volvo wagon. Sure it looks nicely cleaned up
Here it is out running a bike doing over 190 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XBu6STlhh8Q
Car Domain link http://www.cardomain.com/ride/2196921 (actually there are a bunch of sleeper volvos out there )

And who could forget dave of dave's farm and his aries wagon http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w525ZiSiRTY

(Yes i know these are a little new but hey sleepers are always awesome)

[Hemizach]

I really like that car for some reason, oh yeah, I like mopars and I like sleepers :P

[electrodude]

My dad bought a '69 Chevy c20 when I was 12. The original owner had ordered it with a L88. He told my dad it was a 396. The first time I went driving on the highway with my pops (I was 13) I tried to negotiate a corner and he yelled "slow down!". My foot shot down and pushed the go petal right down onto the floor. We did my first ever power slide right across that intersection and buried the truck in the gravel of the shoulder.

My dad had to go to court because of the ticket. When he told the Judge what happened, the judge looked down and said, "I think I'd keep that boy off the highway 'til he's at least 15!"

Dirty red colored 3/4 ton truck with a white cab top, no special fender badges either. Good god that thing hauled ass!

[cactus zach]

i know you guys will laugh at me for this but this lil 4 cyl packs a wallop 415 hp 367 tq 1988 daytona shelby (k-car division)
we got mini vans that'll blow vipers away lol

www.therealpictures.com/zach

sorry the files are quite large and the forum server will not let me upload because of the size

[oj]

This is back 'in the day', Abes' 57 burned up so he bought a '58 Anglia sedan as a driver. One day he showed up with a 283 out of a corvette so Mike (Abes' brother), Abe and i started cuttin the anglia and managed to put the 283 with a 4speed in that little sedan. It had a drivers' seat and rear bench seat, no passenger seat, and the engine was mostly wide open. The windshield split the 2 4bbl carburators. The first time we got it fired the battery was dead and Mike and i pushed it to get it started and the timing was off when Abe let out the clutch and the car erupted into a ball of fire as Abe tumbeled out the door. The was a scortch mark on the cowl in front of the windshield and that the only thing that would give the car away.
We jacked the distributor a bit and got it running, pulled out on the main highway in front of the high school (Portland, Maine) and made it to the traffic light where a 57 Ford with a glass pack wanted some. When the light turned green Abe stalled it (he was the only one old enough to have a drivers' license), Mike and i piled out to push start it again and we caught up to the Ford at the next light. Abe was on the inside and saw the light turn yellow and went to the mat and side stepped the clutch. From the rear bench seat all Mike and i could see were the tops of telephone poles and pigeons on the wires. The car came down as quick as it went up and stalled where it sat. All three of us piled out the car and started walking around it and laughing and pointed at shit when we realized the Ford was still sitting where it was back at the light. I don't even know for sure they were called 'wheelstands' back then, but we sure did one that day.
That little car when on to become a terror, the dockyards were great places to race at night and people used to race that damn little car and we'd just wear them out and seems like they'd forget all about it the next night. We used to just tear up the same Mustang GT350H that guys would rent from hertz, most every friday and sat night until Abe graduated from high school and went into the Army.
That little thing really was a sleeper. When Abe left the engine was about toasted, the rear was fried and the car just sat and i bet it just went to the junkyard. But i'll never forget it.

[Fatstang]

Thee quintessential sleeper. My desire to possess it is etched deep into my DNA.

Originally Posted by Jeff Norwell

S-l-e-e-p-e-r==========

[porknbeaner]

Originally Posted by Dueced Up!

Do you remember the Happy Days episode (first or second season) when Rich's Mom wrecked his car, the one he was supposed to street race that night. So the Fonz and friends took Howard's Desoto and built a killer drag car. What do you think, REAL LIFE, best photos or sleeper stories...

The Pusher is a sleeper. I've had a ton of sleepers over the years but the most current is the Pusher.

A couple of years back I was on my way to Mann's Speed shop with some parts that needed attention.

A kid in a '70s style Firebird rolled up next to me. You know what I'm talking about right? Fat tires sticking out in the back, skinnys in the front, big block Poncho, hot dawg stand paint? he wanted to hook up, the car was a stone kept falling on its face when he stabbed it.
So we were running about 30 or so and I dropped it into first and nailed it. Winged it to about 7K, no race. He followed me into the speed shop and got out wanted to know what i had in the truck. So I looked over the tail gate and said, oh I dunno, a 283 block a crank some pistons and a pair of heads. Grinned and walked inside. Don walked over to me and said, hey B..., ya screwin' with the local muscle car guys again? I just grinned " Who me?"

[classicfins]

Here's a nice one...

[Dr.Kerry]

That Pontiac is killer!!!!

[don-vee]

Here was mine. '78 Volare wagon, built 318, Fairbanks race auto, posi rear, totally ugly, ran like a mofo. Showed a Viper its taillights real quick at the track. Sold to a HAMBer, I think he's using the guts in something kool.

[KreaturesCCaustin]

Originally Posted by draggin'GTO

My 455-powered '64 Pontiac Tempest.

Column-shifted, bench seat, no tach, plenty of suspension and brake mods so it corners and stops very well. Wheels are 17X8" all around.

She'll go 140 MPH with the TH400 trans and 2.56 gears, and still run in the high-13s with the near-stock regular-gas 455.

Painting the redlines on the wheels is a great idea for that size. I had to look twice to tell they weren't standard 15" redline tires! Brilliant.

[draggin'GTO]

Originally Posted by KreaturesCCaustin

Painting the redlines on the wheels is a great idea for that size. I had to look twice to tell they weren't standard 15" redline tires! Brilliant.

Thanks for the compliment.

I wanted something that looked stock that was different than anyone else's stuff. The placement of the bright red pinstripe on the rim lip of the 17" wheel is almost exactly where the red stripe would be on a 14" redline tire.

Worked out pretty well as the wheels do draw a lot of nice words from those who look close enough at the car.

[DocWatson]

My daily was an old Aussy police car, a 1980 XD Falcon. It was lowerd and had shitty alloy wheels but packed a 496Rwhp 351 Clevland. On the odd times I got grip it would launch pretty well for what it was

[mikevango]

Originally Posted by Hemizach

I really like that car for some reason, oh yeah, I like mopars and I like sleepers :P

i like this one too. sleepers don't have fat rear tires, roll cages or hood scoops.

here's my o/t sleeper. white lines, no outta place big block, no race car parts all junkyard. i brake for bingo bumper sticker, baby seat (our 8 y/o daughter has been down the 1/4 when she was 5), umbrella and kleenex box on rear package tray. even faster this season. let's go racin'

[Kentuckian]

Wanna have fun against a kid in a ricer? You know the type, fart can exhaust and 180 MPH rear wing. Roll away from a stoplight next to him and wait till he shifts to second gear, then nail your anything V8. With RPM's down, a ricer in second gear is dead. If they do not launch with their super low gearing in first, they have no torque to recover but they'll still try to catch you. I lmao everytime I do this in my old work van.

[Artie B]

vehicle is ot but a way kool sleeper nevertheless....A 1979 Chevy Chevette sand piper...stuffed with a 383 stroker. Car looks bone stock! closed up..right down to the factory tailpipe..runs low 11's nursing it off the line because of the 13 in tires:

[Frosty21]

Perfect example of a sleeper. Course I do have a profound love for Chevettes though.

[Stevie G]

Beige, it is amazing what effect that color has on people.
In the nineties, I drove a beige 86 S-10 with a 350/350, headman shorties into 2 1/4" head pipes into a merged collector through a 3" flowmaster. 3" mandrel bends all the way back over the axle, then stopped just short of being visible. I left the 2.8 badges on it and ran a set of 225 50/15's on Bart racing rims. I was amazed at how many people thought it was a V6 with a leaky exhaust. I should really put that chassis under a fifties car / truck and go have some more fun.

[Frosty21]

My '88 S-10 is Yellow/Beige/Butternut lowered with black steelies, Little 2.5 and a 5 speed.

Had a guy in a riced out Saturn (Wings, body kit, fart can, etc.) swing out to pass me and the SUV behind me, I was already cruising along at 70, and he made it around the SUV and he was still trying to get close enough to pass me. I just dropped it in fourth scooted away with the 85 mph speedometer pegged while he tried to hang on behind me, it was hilarious.

[vertible59]

Several yrs. ago, I spotted a '63 Ford Galaxie 4-door, at the AUTOFAIR swap meet in Charlotte, with the gold emblems on the front fenders. Walked over for a look, and found a faded, medium blue metallic mom'n'pop sedan, with a 385 hp 406 and 4-speed. The car was clean and original. My pals were trying to tell me the car was an old ATF car, but I could find no evidence that it had ever been in service, and I had never seen a cop car with a 4-speed. The car was for sale, but nobody was around it with any information, so I don't know what happened with it, but I do know that beast would make a SUPER SLEEPER!

[conceptfab]

As an 18 year old and the first time at the track with my new aluminum headed 400, I lined up against a brand new at the time 99 WS6 trans am. I had bench seat with plaid fabric and column shifter, otherwise the same as the picture. So we line up and the lights come down. We launch even and I start to pull. Second gear is where all mildly hopped up pontiacs shine and this is where I made some ground. I kept pulling all the way to the end to beat his 13.4 with my 13.2! He came up cussing at me and yelling. "I just spent 30 grand on this thing and you just walked away from me!" I responded, "It's my first time to the track." Then he laughed because he was at a complete loss for words. My dad walks up and the guy starts explaining he hadn't been to the track for a while and he summed me up to so he could make himself feel better about the race that was coming up. "Bench seat, column shifter. That kid aint getting out of the 15's." We all had a good laugh and made new friends that night.

[Double Caddy]

I saw that tempest run over 200mph at maxton last year. He designed his own ignition system.

[GassersGarage]

I build my Dad a '74 Chevy Luv with a camper shell. It had a 350/350 with a 9" drilled for the stock Luv bolt pattern. After the truck was finished, I drove it to work. After work, I was behind a new vette that was getting on the freeway. The vette floored it and at the bottom of the ramp, the guy looks in his rear view mirror and does a double take. I'm right behind him and change lanes to pass him. Boy was he dumbfounded.........

[havi]

OT perhaps...

1980 4dr. Mercury Zephyr, rusty fenders a flappin', brown with woodgrain trim, and a 460 c6 combo....sleeper. My Tbird not so much a sleeper, but it'll have a Ford "boat anchor" for power. And should fool just about anyone. I hope.

friend's dad had a 1947 Ford pickup with a 9" and 430 MEL, and lost a few tri-fives at the stop lights, so he says.

[58Fridge100]

Originally Posted by fordf1trucknut

I built this to be a bit of a sleeper.

It still isn't painted (I plan on painting it maroon once I finish the bodywork....probally this fall)

It has a 393W with Windsor SR heads and a soilid lifter cam. It is faster than most cars on the road in my area and I built it to look totally stock inside and out, the only thing that gives it away is the sound....I need to put quieter mufflers on it.

That's cool!!

[TOM KITCHEN]

Two of my "Sleepers" I sold this year. 1st is a '63 Custom 300, orig paint with a 428/4sp. Put the name"SERTA"..The Perfect Sleeper across the windshield. 2nd is a '63 Country Squire FACTORY 4 speed with a (now)428/3x2s/shortys/4:11 rear. Only pix I could find, has stock 15" wheels now with wsw & 15"/427 hubcaps .
I agree with the guy that said sleepers are only sleepers once on the street and I love seeing "true-sleepers" like the Pintos & Chevettes. Back in my days, NO ONE would be caught dead in a Rambler and no one caught the Nerd that put a 375HP.Vette motor in one either!! He first got it for the fold down front seat to go to "the finger bowl" (Drive-in). Tom

[TOM KITCHEN]

Oh yes, before I put the pin-striping and name on the '63, I put 289 flags and it has those great electric exhaust cut-outs. Most guys just can't stand it having a 409 or 427 under the hood and not letting someone know it!! Not me....let the ET speak volumes and keep the hood & mouth shut. Tom

[Lobucrod]

In the 70's I had a 62 Impala 2 dr with a bench seat and 283 badges. Put a 425hp 409 in it. THen in the 80's I had a faded out 70 el camino with 307 badges. Stuffed a 455HO Pontiac and TH400 in it. both of em were a whole lotta fun.

[KsFlatlander]

My only hotrod at the moment is my jeep grand cherokee. 4 liter import eater. funny watchin the fart canner's scratch their heads after I let 'em catch up then i punch it and pull away again. No after market parts here, old school hot rodding. Know how it works and build it yourself. Bored the throttle body, built my own cold air intake, junk yard ford mustang injectors, factory 3.73 gears, cut 2.5" out of the coils to lower it, made my own throttle body spacer. A few resisters to fool the computer. Near 200k on the motor and still running strong. A bit O.T. but it's all I have for now. I'll take donations, if anyone wants to donate a pre '64 car or truck I'll hot rod it, and post pics.

[BigBlockMopar]

I think my '60 NewYorker can qualify as a sleeper.
The doorcount seems enough, paint is a brush-applied 'Boring Green', 2inch whitewalls on 14" wheels on the front, 15's on the rear. Only the reartires are 275/60, which could blow my cover

Engine is a 500ci with a period original long ram intake-system. 84cc Edelbrock heads. H-Beam rods and 10.2:1cr Diamond pistons on a balanced crank assembly. Hydraulic cam is 2 steps larger than stock with 1.6 rockers. The cam will be replaced soon by a higher lift roller cam.
Stock pushbutton '64 transmission, 3.91 gears in the rear.

Car has done a best of 8.6 ET on the 1/8mile with a 1.88 @ 60/ft.
Couldn't stay on it for the full 1/4mile. Had to lift at the 1/8mile marker because of a driveshaft imbalance, but mid/high 13s look easy, for a 4300 lbs car...

[novadude]

That New Yorker is COOL!

[doc's]

Sweet New Yorker!!

[t-rod]

The engine and trans in my roadster was in my '82 S15 before this. Before the blower it all fit under the hood and suprised more than a few vettes and mustangs. After the hole in the hood for the blower the game was up. Even better was my stone stock '76 Suburban 2wd with a factory 454. The lanes were merging due to construction and the Porche Boxter next to me at the stoplight needed to be in my lane in a hurry. The way he was gunning the engine I knew he thought he'd get ahead of me. After the light changed and he had to pull in behind me I let him around the next block and he gave me a thumbs up as he went by.

[TexasDart]

So is this one going up for sale any time soon? What a nice hot rod that would make..love the weird and unusual.

Scoob found this one. I guess it was ordered from the factory with a 402/4speed and the owner went "hunting" quite often.




__________________

[seesko]

Back in '76 I was cruising in my Yellow 70 Boss 302. Mostly stock except for headers. Ran pretty good. I was at a light and a big old white Chrysler 4 door full of teen age boys pulls along side of me. It had Keystone wheels but other than that it looked stock. The light changed I wasn't going to race them but the drive put his foot in it. I thought what the hell. I had a hell of a time catching up. I finally got around him but just barely. It took a lot of road to do it. He must have had a 440 in it. That was one of the toughest races I ever had in that car.
At one point in time I had the car repainted after it was in an accident. I had the body shop leave off the Boss stripes and semi gloss black paint. Just yellow. Still had the black slats, spoiler and shaker hood scoop. I had a set of old skinny bias belt tires on rusty steelies on another car. Took off the wide Goodrich TAs and put those on the car and took off the wing and slats. The only thing that would give the car away was the shaker hood scoop that said BOSS 302 on it in mylar letters. Other wise it looked kind of boring and tatty. Went for a little drive.
I was in Hopkins, a small town-suburb of the Twin Cities. I come to a light and there's another Boss 302 sitting there. He had all the stripes and trim. He says "Is that really a Boss 302?" I said "yep. Just like yours." Light changes and away we go.
I thought it would be close but I dusted him pretty good. Suprised me and him too I imagine. My engine had been rebuild, Bored and blueprinted so that must have been enough.
True sleepers are awesome

[kustomkat]

Originally Posted by tommy

I'm knee deep in the sleeper camp. I'm presently putting an FE in a 56 2dr post. It's the middle level customline but I'm down grading it to the elcheapo category. I found a radio delete and a cherry mainline steering wheel with no horn ring, just a center button. (anybody want to sell the bottom of the barrel heater for a 56?)

There will be obvious clues like the large SW gauges under the dash, a Dixco tach, large cut outs and Traction Masters.(It's part of the look) These clues made you leery but not scared. Most of the alsorans had the same stuff but just for show.

I just picked up the cam that will betray my intentions with a healthy sound that would make Helen Keller turn around and ask "what is that". It's a 352 which was the biggest thing available at the start of the 60s. 3 spd w/O.D. on the tree, the Ford 4spd. wasn't out yet. there are a lot of 57 Ford sleepers but very few 56s.

Sleepers were a real genre in the early 60s. A lot of street racing took place on Friday and Saturday night. You tried very hard not to look too racy. As the decade wore on the gasser look, that is hot now, started to show up on the street but they had a hard time getting any competition even if they were turds. If you showed up in an all out race car you were expected to kick ass. The guys with the cheap, light 2drs that didn't stand out but still kicked ass really wowed us/me. There has always been a soft spot in my heart for the sleepers. I'm trying to be as authentic to the era as many are to the late 40s-early 50s hot rods. (besides...roll up windows and a heater!)

Your idea for your 56 sounds kool. My 53 is not what I would call a sleeper, but it runs pretty good for what it is. Be careful with those 3 spd overdrives. I have scattered 3 of them since I pulled the 6 and put a mild 312 in it. They don't like to be beat on. I would at the very least try and find a later overdrive, they are a little harder to break...

[mrpowderkeg]

It's not a hamb worthy car but was a sleeper none the less.

The II was my first car, and progressed from a stock 302 ghia car, to a mid 10s street/strip car.

In the picture it would run mid 11s, and would hook on the track or the street. Only until the track required me to have a roll bar did it finally loose it's sleeper look... Now it has draglite rims, and no hood due to different taller engine.

I still miss the sleeper days.

[joedoh]

Originally Posted by 37Nash

haha I grew up in pittsburgh and have almost lost my accent. but I still recognized it even before the announcer said Kennywood. GO STILLERS!

That Tempest is amazing, I saw a Super Duty 421 at a recent show and had to snap a picture, because you are right, who would race it?

[cinemafx]

Factory 4 speed Sleeper

[exwestracer]

In 1996 I built a 61 Rambler for a customer from the Merced area. We installed a complete 280ZX front suspension to help open up the little Rambler's engine bay. Then, in went an AMC 390 and automatic out of a Javelin. The customer had never heard the engine run, but he thought it had some "go-fast" parts in it.

When the swap was done and he fired the engine, it sounded like all hell coming to breakfast...go fast parts, indeed! I never found out what was done to the engine, but that little car hauled ASS.

We tried to make all the modifications fit the car, and the nicest compliment we got was when someone would look under the hood and say something like "WOW, I never knew Rambler built these with a V8!".

[Chopped50Ford]

Originally Posted by damnfingers

I would have given anything to see the look on that Cuda drivers face as that Tempest went by him like he was standing still. He had to look down at his gauges to make sure his engine was still running.

LOL, that's great

[Bigcheese327]

This thread is making me want to build a 347 for my Falcon!

Not really a sleeper, per se, but unexpected nonetheless - I always wanted to build a ‘77-‘81 Pontiac Catalina with a hot 389 and a 4-speed. It would be faster and more appropriate with an LS-series, but I think it would be cool just to get to drive the equivalent of a ‘60s Super Stocker every day and feel no guilt about salt and parking lot rash.



Oh and a ‘60s 2-door with poverty caps and six-cylinder badges may not fool anybody anymore, but they’re still damn cool.

-Dave

[plym_46]

The AV guys Geek Sleeper. Had a friend in highschool that was into electronic stuff, HAM radio, reel to reel sound recording, Hi Fi, and other stuff. He also had a love of drag racing and the sounds associated with the strip. He would go on Sundays set up his recording devices and record different classes of cars. This was in the mid 60 so his equipment was large ad cumbersome. He hauled it around in a 62 Rambler station wagon. One day he was rigging an amp and speakers into it so he could listen to his drag racing taps at real volume. This was also during the days when Friday and Saturday night street drags were very common and stop light challanges were standard operating procedure for any one with a car except for the geek in the rambler wagon.

This is when the idea hit, did some editing of taps and recorded them onto an 8track, routed the 8 track through his guitar amp now powered by the Ramblers cigarette lighter, then out through the under fender mounted speakers.

Instant street cred. Slide up next to the mustang or chevelle, select he right track, and blow the guy away with recorded blown altered header sounds, guy in the other back down or roars away, either way Rudy would drive the Rambler up to the next light with a big grin on his face, and his quiet littel rambler ready for another amplified show down. Great fun and thing of all the gas we saved.....

[Saxxon]

Back in the 80's I was into v8 vegas. Normally not sleeper material. I built a 72 Vega GT with a 327 / powerglide to look like a factory build. It had factory decals and air cleaner as well as stock exhaust manifolds that were cleaned up and opened up as much as I could on the inside. The dual exhaust was tucked up as far I could get it. I put a 10 bolt / 3.55 in the back with boxed control arms. I had the drums redrilled to 4 lug. From the outside the car looked looked like a factory Vega GT. Even running it wasn't that obvious, especially to the uninitiated.

This little beast was a blast to drive. With the frame connectors, sway bars and decent shocks it rode and handled really well. Without the headers there was no need for the usual ground clearance so I cut a bit off of the Monza front coils and brought it down to a factory like stance. The 327 was built up a little with double hump heads, a bit of a cam and a decent intake / carb. With slicks I would guess it would be good for a mid 12. On the street it surprised many a camaro and firebird owner.

I sold the car to a local kid in 1985. Where it went from there I don't know. But I would love to get it back. On the other hand it would be a lot of fun to do it all over again. Even have a decent body shell available.

[55 dude]

used to be a guy that ran around in a black vega and he actually has 2 one was regular 4cyl. and other one was a cosworth and they were identical as he had purchased them new, his and hers. you would check out stock one and he always had to make a warmup drive around the block and had the cosworth waiting to switch then. took us some time to figure out he was switching cars. he had beat the local cops kid brother and a few minutes after racing stoped him and the plates and vin didn't jive. pretty slick deal until car got impounded and he almost lost his car.

[Algon]

Originally Posted by delirium9o

Holy hell my pop and i built this car!!!!

I was surprised to find out it was the same one as it is a bit different now since this post of it by 37Nash.

So what your saying is Rob just likes to take credit for it as it helps his career as a "professional land speed car builder" while trying to mask the fact he has no experience in building anything .... This sound familiar ???? Just do yourself a favor get paid up front if you deal with him, and say a little something for anyone that rides in anything this guy ever does try to build himself.

[53olds]

well here in oregon, at a eugene car show a couple years back there was an all stock 56 ford convert. yellow and black 2-tone, with lake pipes and smithys.....well anyway I was looking at it, and the guy opened the hood and there it was, a 427 OHC cammer motor with dual 4's!!! I didn't here it run though! man that changed me!

[rodknocker]

Originally Posted by Algon

I was surprised to find out it was the same one as it is a bit different now since this post of it by 37Nash.

So what your saying is Rob just likes to take credit for it as it helps his career as a "professional land speed car builder" while trying to mask the fact he has no experience in building anything .... This sound familiar ???? Just do yourself a favor get paid up front if you deal with him, and say a little something for anyone that rides in anything this guy ever does try to build himself.

Here's video of the tempest,love that thing
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NVKt1...eature=related

[mtkawboy]

How about a sleeper bike riders? As I was waiting at the starting line at Bonneville this year for a friends turbo straight 8 Buick powered 85 Jaguar to make a backup pass I noticed an elderly lady & gentleman in leathers walking around, she was 71, he was 82. He proceeded to run 226 on a turbo Hayabusa and she ran 209 in a normally aspirated Hayabusa. Shocked doesnt quite cover what I felt after watching them, I wanted to cheer out loud for them. No offence to them but they looked like they had escaped from a rest home, more power to them, both kinds of it.

[Algon]

Originally Posted by rodknocker

Here's video of the tempest,love that thing
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NVKt1...eature=related

I think the car is cool too, matter of fact that's how I found out he owned it while talking about his Lemans, I mentioned this video after seeing the Maxton Mile pictures of the same car which is now caged , and the the grilles are capped. Ironically it was his car, which the engine didn't last long by the way.

Now on the other hand taking credit for work you didn't do and promoting yourself as a professional builder in a dangerous sport such as land speed racing is not cool. A 300mph lakester is not something to learn on. I met this guy when he drug a bent salt flat car into a friend's shop and it went down hill from there.




http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I3IuTIDnaV0

[rustynewyorker]

Originally Posted by Bigcheese327

This thread is making me want to build a 347 for my Falcon!

Not really a sleeper, per se, but unexpected nonetheless - I always wanted to build a ‘77-‘81 Pontiac Catalina with a hot 389 and a 4-speed. It would be faster and more appropriate with an LS-series, but I think it would be cool just to get to drive the equivalent of a ‘60s Super Stocker every day and feel no guilt about salt and parking lot rash.



Oh and a ‘60s 2-door with poverty caps and six-cylinder badges may not fool anybody anymore, but they’re still damn cool.

-Dave

Last year High Performance Pontiac featured a car along these lines - a guy's 77 Catalina drag car. Had a 455 in it - bolts in in place of the 301 most came with. I thought about doing the same thing when I had a '77 Buick LeSabre, which is the same car. They actually weigh a couple hundred pounds less than a Camaro, according to the title.

I thought about it again when I had an '87 Pontiac wagon for a driver - junk the 307 and swap in an Olds 425. Ended up parking it for a real 455 '72 Pontiac instead.

[Scotch]

My current fave:

http://gonedragracing.com/gallery/di...um=272&pos=162

[Retrorod]

My daily driver...