With that hella cool L79 Nova eBay find we showed you earlier in the day came some thoughts about sleepers versus stuff like gasser look cars and pro street machines. While we like all three of those genres of cars (and a whole bunch more), we’re not sure if it is cooler to have some junk that looks like it is ten minutes from death’s door or some screaming loud piece of iron that every guy for three blocks knows is fast and scary as hell. While the street racing scene is where the whole sleeper thing took off and still lives in its hardest core existence today, there are lots of cars over the last 50 years that have qualified for sleepy status right out of the box. That L79 is one of them along with the tri-power topped 406ci powered Galaxie in the lead photo. That thing looks like a mortician’s car and it would whip the ass off of lots of stuff in its day.
On the other hand, there is certainly some value in having a balls out, ass-kicking car that is loud and proud about it. So many modern pro street cars are weak suck poser mobiles, that actually having one capable of sweeping the streets would be cool. The extra dash of verbose nature would serve as pretty good salt into the wounds of all the big tire, small weiner cars that can’t back up their tough persona.
What’s your call? Sleepers or in your face, blunt force trauma, high horsepower hot rods?
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Sleepers are what I like best and would own. “In your face” cars are cool too, but someone else can have them.
I’ve always loved sleepers. Cars that look like beaters but are super fast are cool but I like ones that look like a nut and bolt restoration or a nice survivor that just scream.
As much as I like looking at really trick cars, for street driving you can’t beat a sleeper. You’re a lot less likely to attract the wrong kind of attention and the look on people’s faces when you actually do jump on it is priceless.
Subtle sleepers really do it for me.
Sleepers …… by a country mile . The first car I ever built being a 65 Olds 442 4dr ( back when you could get any package with any door arrangement ….. was the old mans car originally ) that my uncles and I dropped a 69 Olds 455 balanced and blueprinted – Holly dominator – hooker headers – Tarantula manifold etc . Did the 1/4 in 11.43 . Looks wise ? Steel wheels ( albeit with wider ones on the rear ) hubcaps bolted to the wheels … midnight blue – single burgundy pinstripe on either side … shaved hood ( along with a bit of other trim as well as the 442 badges ) and ever so slightly raked . Looked an awful like your best friends moms car …… only suspiciously ……. a little better …… then I’d hit the gas …………………………
Agreement with my esteemed Bang Shifters, subtle, understated, and clean.
I like all the high impact colors, hood scoops, stripes and spoilers. To me they scream Muscle Car.
But at the same time I think street sleepers are very cool. Totally understated. Great for street racing.
Sleepers >Without a Doubt. Being from the Muscle Car Era there is NOTHING more sinister than a Plain Jane BAD ASS auto. The plainer the LOOK the better.
Jim
Sleepy looking cars, whether beaters or no frills Q ships, really do it for me. Whether a plain jane 427 Biscayne or Ford Custom 300, L79 Chevy II 100 sedan, 455 HO T37 to a Turbo Regal Limited.
Sleepers, also don’t mess with any primered cars, I’ve seen a big ego taken down by a primered P.O.S. looking car.
That would be a sleeper for sure!
A 401 Gremlin with 4.11’s did it for me back in the day.
That car had a completely stock appearance.
Pure fun,fun,fun.
Q ship all the way. used to have a grandma dart with hubcaps stock lookin everyting and built 340. made alot of money offa disco lookers in the late 70s
Being a Mopar guy, sleepers, of course. GM used to corner the youth market by hanging all the decals and spoilers on everything, while the big block Mopars would kick their asses three ways till sunday with plain jane sedans. That’s the way I still like it.
Although I appreciate any well executed car, the sleeper always wins out with me. Just a “small hubcap, bench seat” kind of guy I guess and there’s something about the sleeper always getting notice from the more hard core car people.
Nothing turns my head like loud, lumpy exhaust, or blower whine. But if I’m behind the wheel, I hope they never saw it coming.
I like sleepers, but for my own car, it would be narrowed rear end, big rubber, and big cube hemi….but I have an e body dodge, so sleeper is out the window from the start.
My first new car was a ’63 Dodge Coronet 330 (two door post) 383 four speed with dog bowl hubcaps and black wall tires. Lost very few races with it. Used to really love the look on the faces of the GTO and ‘Vette drivers when they got beat. Nuff said.
Sleepers rule.
‘Specially when they’re four doors
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