Best sleeper cars

A Chevette with a 350 Chev racing motor tuned to the gills. I've seen it! They're disgustingly fast!

Here's a REALLY great sleeper, i REALLY like this one!

http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=237725

Do I really have to explain this. *sigh*
Fine.
Sleepers are cars that are not or shouldn't be fast but are, most of the time due to an OTT enigne swap.
Like I have previously stated, go look at the other posts.
Chevette's with a small block V8, Volvo 240 sedans with a V8, a VW Rabbit with a 300hp 1.8T and AWD, a Dodge Caravan with a shitload of nitrous.
THESE are things that fall under the catagory of sleeper.
A car like say a '98 Maxima is not a sleeper for plenty of reasons of which you will defiantly reject. Here is just a few for you to digest.
You have a newer, farily common car.
It is already pretty fast to begin with.
People do expect a certain amount of performance when a car like this pulls up to the light tree to race.
When you see a ratty Ford Festiva pull up to your Maxima and wants to race you, will you hesitate? Or will you laugh it off believing that you'll leave it in your rear view mirror?
Did you know it had that Taurus SHO engine?
Those are sleepers.

mazda milena has some balls to it, most peeple do not realize u cant them stock with a supercharger

My 77 chevy monte carlo is a sleeper i mean it hasent started in months it just sits there and sleeps I think its a hibernator

:rofl: Cheeky

A modded turbo minivan wins the sleeper award hands down.

Fiero with LS1 swap under the hood. You might as well be looking at a Corvette when you look at it.

90-93 Mitsubishi Galant VR-4
With a 5spd of course.
4 door, turbo, all wheel drive...
Easy to make power 4g63...
Doesn't get much better for a sleeper.

i gotta go with the modded turbo caravans... i seen one complete with brown paint and the cheesy wood grain siding slaughter a ss camaro in a video once... was a sight...

i agree with you. my bro has a saturn (click on the link in my sig and you can look at it) and before he put his banners on and aem and sps stickers on, and fog lights, nobody knew what was coming. now, everbody sees that stuff and they wanna race him, he just put cold air intake and a couple other little stuff and he beats a lot of people.


few people know the potential of the saturn s-seires. they are fast stock(for what they are) throw in a turbo and you can easily make 300HP with 2200 lb curb wieght. god bless the man who invented plastic body panels

Still say the plain jane biscayne with the FACTORY 427 and 4spd is the best sleeper. we are talking cars that came with 250inch 6's and a glide as base models. now take the same body, still with radio delete and bench seats and put one of the most powerful motors ever built in it - from the FACTORY, not someones back yard. That is a sleeper.

My wife's car.......1990 Olds calais with a 3.3 195hp
It's pretty damned quick for such a plain looking car


that year 3.3 make 160hp behind the 125c/3T40, and are you sure you dont have the 3.0? buick made 3 of em, 3, 3.3 and 3.8. however the lighter FDR to accomodate the 3 spd hurts it.

my saturn is a sleeper car
i have a 97 SL2


I win almost every race, i won against a V6 firebird

What is a sleeper? A sleeper is a car with evil intentions. It is built with two objectives in mind: Deception and speed. It's not just a quick car that people don't know abou like a stock saturn. It's not a 67 chevelle running glasspacks. Sorry, but even with small block badges on the fenders, no chevelle is a sleeper, not even a 4 door. It's not a tubbed camaro running slicks. It's hard to make any camaro or mustang or supra or viper or the like into a sleeper. The expectations are too high. Yes, a ligenfelter or a rad rides corvette & hennesy vipers put up bonefied super car times, but spending that much on a ride puts you out of "sleeper" territory. Sure you'll surprise a lot of people, but a true sleeper is crafted, not bought from an incredibly talented builder.

A true sleeper is a tool to deceive and win. You must select the right tool for a job. Don't think your big block 80s malibu is gonna fool the good ole' boys down at the drag strip, and don't think your civic ex with an integra engine is going to fool the ricers in the best buy parking lot.

A sleeper should be a car that is faster than it has any business being. Typical sleeper mods are bigger engines & power adders, especially nitrous. But not just a nitrous kit, that is not sneaky! No, you have 2 nitrous bottles, one big one for your opponent to find, that you'll close before the race. The second one is a sneaky pete bottle stashed under the seat, with the braided hose covered in black vacuum hose. You have the shift light tucked into an AC vent. Gauges hidden in the ashtray slot.

A good way to sucker the muscle car guy with a fast import is the "wolf in dork's clothing" stratagy. Stack two rear wings on your front wheel drive car. Put Vtec stickers on your toyota or nissan or volkswagon for that matter, and weapon R stickers on everything. Little chrome fire extinguishers are good too. They'll think you're a poser, then all you have to do is make sure you really are fast.

Trickey is the order of the day, and the true key to trickery is an engine swap. Supra engines in celicas & toyota trucks. Vtecs in old civics, Big blocks in Malibus, 5.0s in LTDs, a turbo buick v6 in any gm car or truck, or a ford pinto with a t-bird turbo coupe motor. Throw in a shot of nitrous (or two or three) and you've got something now. Another good trick is getting a factory hot rod like a syclone/typhoon, buick turbo regal or a ford SHO taurus and stripping it of all the special cladding, decals, emblems, grill treatment, etc. etc. until it just looks like any old car.

^^Excellent post if i may say so myself. I would say that is definately an excellent detailed description of the definition of a sleeper.

yeah great post guy...very informative

90-93 Mitsubishi Galant VR-4
With a 5spd of course.
4 door, turbo, all wheel drive...
Easy to make power 4g63...
Doesn't get much better for a sleeper.

Yes...and the ~87~90 models also...these early galants are very quick and unassuming...

great post... but i gotta give a staurn credit were its due in the sleeper trade. My first car was a 95 sl 4 door. I remember getting laughed at in it. what people didnt figure was that although its a 4 door unsporty looking sedan and although only packing 100 stock horses under the hood it was sporting a 5 speed with a weight in at like 2450. no cmon.. that kinda weight and a few bolt ons/possible turbo and retain the factor steelies with hubs.. and you got a sleeper hands down... however i still cant get the image of a ss camaro launching next to a old school dodge tubo mini van complete with cheesy wood grain siding and watching the van blow by it to a 11 or so second quarter... i mean dammm lmao.. someone find that video... peace

i finally found a link to the video of that mini van taking to camaro iv been ragging about...
http://www.steakandcheese.com/downloads/minivan_vs_camaro.wmv

i think thise qualifies as a sleeper lmao

guys... new kid on the street here..wonderin if i could get some tips on a car that gets a quick 0-60... lemme know if ya could help me out

if your looking for just a quick car theres all sorts of options. camaros and mustangs are classic options. Then you got everything from DSM's (eclipse/talon/laser/3000gt) to honda's (prelude vtechs are quick, same with gsr integras).

But if your looking for a quick sleeper your going to want something a lil more... subtle.. like a saturn sl2 4 door with a small turbo added (youd be surprized) Just find a car youd think of is slow.. and make it fast. If your strickly looking ofr slow looking fast going factory cars I know the Mazda Millinea is quick, same with the newer v6 altimas and maximas. Theres a whole world of options

thank you..yes..im lookin more towards a sleeper..i was originally looking towards the 84 audi 200 but it s impossible to find one for sale...i wanna stay away from camaros, civics, mustangs..bc everyone and their mother has one..i have my own thread posted.. suggestions on sleepers... if anyone can gimme some word on whats quick lemme know thanks!

I have a 1st gen Crx Si but it look's like the dx or Hf,and I have a performens header, a custom made Ice Man Cold air Intake, 89 integra fule injectors, and the computer. I beat my friends 99 civic Si by like 2 cars. but you know with that computer I can rev up to 7500 rpm's. so that like 50 mph in frist gear. and on top of all that I have a kill switch on one of my sparck plugs to make the car sound like shit. And I'm geting a 7 lbs flywheel for it. and a atc stage 2 clutch. so what do you all think sleeper or not. and if any one wants to know where to get a 7 lbs flywheel for a frist gen Crx E-mail me At MALKAVIAN_0105@yahoo.com

I have a 93 dodge shadow and i it has no acceleration until it hits about 50 mph then it pushes u into your seat and its a 2.2L 4 banger. Its sucks when everyone passes you off the line like your standing still.

You guys serisouly dont know what a TRUE sleeper is....come on..galants, mercedes, CHEVELLES? come on people... Now a turbo caravan, thats a sleeper. But my sleeper IS THE BIGGEST sleeper of them all. It takes 1 ford Festiva....and 1 1988 mazda 323 GTX 1.6 turbo B6T engine. Swap it into the festiva and you are good to go!!! seriously, eat up 5.0's and saleens all day long.

well im not going through all six pages to find out if this was said or not, im beting not! a 93' suzuki swift Gti. this is the ultimate sleeper car, why? well for starters it will hold its own against a 300zx twin turbo, now it wont win, but there aint nothing better than they look you get from the driver keeping up! my 90' gti runs low 14's high 13's, when somday i buy the turbo itll run low 12 n/p. NO ONE WILL SE IT COMING I PROMISE, ASSUMING ANY OF YOU KNOW WHAT IS A METRO ON STERIODS!

btw a stock metro early 90's will bet an civic and caviler out there 3cyl's BIOTCH DONT DISS IT TILL YA TRY IT!

The Chrysler K based cars. Particularly the P and A bodies with the 3.o V6 and 5 speed are awesome. My shadow ES project is a "full metal rocket". Also our LeBaron. Simple mods, rigid bobble strut, strut tower braces, metal brakes, shifter mods, intake mods, and throttle body replacement.

www.dodgeshadow.info
See my project pics during rebuild.

That minivan video is one of the funniest things I've seen in a long time. I'd love to have seen the Camaro driver's face atthe end of that run.

I personally love the Buick GNX as a sleeper, if you can consider it that. To most kids these days it probably looks like nothing more than your every day family car, and it wouldn't take much to make it look even moreso (alter the hood to make it less 'curious' looking, get rid of all the badges and striping, etc). But get it in a race . . .
I had a magazine that had a showdown between a GNX and a Corvette, and I'm telling you I was stunned by the results. At the time I thought the 'vette was almighty, but this kind of opened my eyes a bit . . .

my audi is plenty quick, however my maserait biturbo(once finished being restored) will deffinitly be a great sleeper!

I would have to say my former car could probably( again i said probably im not guranteeing) all of your sleepers. It was a 1948( or so we think because the previous owner was too old to remember and it wasn't matching numbers) Chevrolet 2 door sedan ( a milkman van of sorts). it's body was completely covered in rust it even had some holes on the fenders, but under the hood we had a 502 big block with a weiland supercharger (we cut the engine crossmember and welded a new one lower into the body to fit it) and a 5 speed to back it up. it was giving around 800+ horsepower. It beat many stangs, camaros, and imports while in ohio. Before the rollover though

OK, I can’t handle the stupidity anymore. I am going to clarify this for some people who are obviously retarded. Camaros, FireHawks, Cobras, Supras, 300ZX’s, BMWs, Chargers, Vipers, Porsches, Ferraris, and any other car known to be a sports car with a V-8 or V-6 that was marketed as a sports car is not a god damned sleeper. I just wanted to clarify that with the people saying their Turbocharged Eclipses, AWD Mitsu 3000s, and other idiots who think your car is a sleeper. It's not a sleeper and you’re retarded.



Sleepers also do not have huge body kits whale tale spoilers and etc. The idea is it is supposed to look Plain Jane and stock. No bling, no big chromed out wheels, no neon kits, no huge attention grabbing “Hey look at this car!” features. A sleeper is supposed to be like a wolf in sheep’s clothing. The only time it is supposed to draw attention is when you slam on the gas. It should otherwise be looked upon as normal from the outside at best. If it looks puny and like a girly car with no acceleration it’s even better.

The idea is you take your sleeper and race the guy who has the sports car and thinks he is all of that and a bag of chips. If he is a real sucker you race him for pink slips and take his car away. So you are not going to convince this same guy to race you for pink slips and fool him rolling up in your 911 Porsche Carrera, a macked out Camaro, Skyline or a car that screams hey look I am modified so heavily on the outside take a look at my engine bay because it’s modified too. I had to clarify that again for the retards.

Here is my dream sleeper listed below.
This would also be classified as a perfect definition of a sleeper.
Take the ultimate girly car that has no balls, AKA the Miata. In stock form can't accelerate for shit. I would be surprised if your grandma with her walker could probably beat it in a quarter mile. The only thing the car has going for it stock is its curb weight and handling. As noted on http://www.miata.net/faq/Miata90-97A3.pdf or if you feel more comfy look it up on the manufacturer's website.

I want you to notice the following:
· 1.6L DOHC 16v engine (116 hp, 100 ft-lb MT) (105 hp, 100 ft-lb auto)
· 1.8L DOHC 16v engine (128 hp, 110 ft-lb)
· 1.8L DOHC 16v engine (133 hp, 114 ft-lb)

If it was any worse you would think they put a lawn mower engine in it as a stock engine.

In order to fix this problem you need to tear the Engine and the Tranny out. You might also want to scrap the brakes and add a few subtle features but don’t make them visible from outside the car. If they are seen from the outside they need to be down played and hidden if possible.


Now stuff a supercharged Ford V-8 5.0, a 5 speed tranny, and a limited slip in it courtesy of Monster Miata www.monstermiata.com (http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbulletin/www.monstermiata.com) “One of the “Mega Monsters” reported in at 175 mph during the Silver State race in Nevada. The car was supercharged and had around 400 hp. The final drive ratio was 3.27:1. The 5th speed overdrive ratio was .80.” They even have more options like putting Edelbrock racing engines in it.

Take a look at this video you can see it for yourself. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hsh4cEhEWlg (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hsh4cEhEWlg)

If it was my dream car I would have it all painted black and tinted limo black with out any chrome on it what so ever. Yes, I mean the rims too I would want them powder coated flat black. If I get a racing exhaust with a flat black finish and put a silencer on it I would do it. All of the money that would have been dumped into bling and superficial eye candy would be dumped back into the engine, suspension, brakes, transmission and performance of the car.

This is what a sleeper is. The other perks of having a sleeper is less attention from would be thieves and vandals because the car looks so plain and boring why not pick a car with something worth breaking into? Cops will pay less attention to you also during normal traveling because your car is not screaming “Hey look at me I desperately want a ticket. Please pull me over even if I am going 1 mph over the speed limit.” This all means lower insurance payments too.

1989 Ford Taurus SHO 220hp Yamaha DOHC High reving 3300lb 145 mph. Great handling & balance. not a drag racer. Easy to drive fast.

since the only threads getting any attention are those being brought back from the dead I guess I'll contribute.

I remember reading an article in motortrend a few years ago (okay, probably like ten years ago) where a company had modded a new VW beetle. They installed an Audi awd system and did an engine swap. i don't remember the specifics, but when all was said and done it could do 0-60 in 4 seconds flat and it looked totally stock from the outside.

That's about the girliest car there is and it could own just about any modern musclecar

Not sure this qualifies, but I owned a 1979 3/4ton Chevy Cargo Van that was an absolute beast. Despite being all metal, there was nothing in it but Engine, Transmission, and two front seats so it was actually pretty light. Combine that with a 6.6L Big Block V8 and it beat pretty much anything (at least up to 80mph, then it was like driving a wall) short of a bon-a-fide sports/race car. Most notable race was against a newer Mustang GT (07ish). There's nothing like pulling up to a guy with a 30 day tag on his brand spanking new Mustang GT sports car in a big ol' rusted '79 cargo van and blowing their doors off :P Kinda felt sorry for the guy.

As far as actual cars go I have to actually say a Civic or Accord. They've earned such a strong rep as being a joke of a car because so many people "rice" them out instead of properly tuning them. They're actually pretty decent tuners if you do it right and invest the time and money.

Also, Pontiac Grand Prix GTP. People look at them and think its just a big sedan, dont realize just how powerful those things are stock, much less the potential they have. It takes surprisingly little money to get some serious power out of one those.

Wow, this is a long (old) thread! I didn't have time to read thru the whole thing, but if the HHR SS has not been mentioned it should be! I can't believe how fast this thing is and I don' think hardly anyone out there is aware of it.

I have seen the jaws drop on almost everyone I clue in that little boxy Chevy has 290HP in this little 2.0 Ecotec turbo! I have the stage-1 upgrade kit installed and it will run high 13s in the quarter at near 100mph. Top speed is about 150mph! :)

http://www.chevyhhr.net/gallery/files/6/3/2/4/PICT0354.JPG

Ultimate sleeper ! Go to http://chattanooga.craigslist.org/cto/1807814745.html

MazdaSpeed6 can hold its own with the best of them

it can't even hold its own against the 2010 basic Mazda 6 (V6)

I'm not entirely sure if this counts but...I saw a VW Cabriolet, pretty girly looking car if you ask me, but the guy did some tuning with it and it was pretty funny to see him smoke that Torino