Just a thought.

when you see a good looking iroc or a z28 you would normally think they are fast compared to an RS right? (i know is not necesarily true)

but if the rs smokes both of them, would it be consider a sleeper then?

 

Any car that has more hp under the hood without it being readily evident by the "look" of the car is considered a sleeper. I own a 1992 RS, completely stock exterior - but I'm running a 350 carb, built 700R4, and 3.42 gears - not that I'm any 400hp monster machine, but I'm well above the 170hp stock RS performance wise.

 

i agree, also if the car sounds stockish would help it be classified as a sleeper.

 

i agree on half of your deffinition, what if you see a corvette paint and clear cheaping off you expect it to be fast.

Just the fact that is a corvette i dnt think it will be considered a sleeper

another example, z28 stock on the outside but producess 450 rwhp, i still don't think is a sleeper.

correct me if im wrong on my idea of a sleeper.

 

another one, i see a camaro from far away, whell looks like it could be fast, get closer and i se rs badges. my mind just changed to that thing is slow for sure. again correct me if im wrong.

 

i think if we all showed our definitions of 'Sleeper' it would look like a venn diagram.

in short, if a vehicle looks 100% stock, but drives like a bat out of hell it can be a sleeper.

some cars may seem like more of a sleeper than others.

like if i took my 2000 SS, and left the looks of it completely stock, and it sounds stock, people that know vehicles/people that want to race will see it and think, okay its stock, runs low 13s i can take it. but what if i swapped an LS9 in there, and kept the look and sound. it would run remarkably better than it would stock, and people would not expect it.

 

Delete.

JamesC

 

so all of the cars out there that have been modified but look stock are sleepers?

 

Depends on the Vette I guess. If you have a Stingray that factory had a 327-300hp motor, but you swapped in a 600hp LS7 - that would be a sleeper still.

What if you AND your neighbor both have same year/model red Z06 cars - but you have added 150 shot of giggle gas - the neighbor expects an even race - that would still be a sleeper (at least in the eyes of the neighbor).

It just all depends on what you have, and what they have, and what everyone perceives any of it to be.

On the flip side - I could have a ZR1 Vette that has major blowby, rod knock, slipping tranny - you perceive it to be something special, when in fact it's junk under a fancy badge.

But yeah, in general we're saying the same thing. I don't consider my RS to be necessarily a "sleeper". But if you pulled up beside me in an obvious stock looking sport coupe that is badged like a 2.8l, and beat my 350 off the line, I'd definitely consider you a sleeper.

Now here's one for ya - 1995 Nissan Quest minivan with five 10 year old boys all picking their noses in the windows, me in pass seat, my wife in driver seat at a redlight. 198? Mustang 5.0 GT pulls up beside with only teen driver and teen pass, and revs engine - it is clearly the unmistakeable rumble of the 5.0 litre 302 Ford. Light turns green, my wife stomps the gas, and blows the Mustang away - there was nothing wrong with the Mustang at all but Nissan minivan had a 300+hp V6, but all factory inside and out (except for the bugars under the seats courtesy of children). Is the Nissan minivan a "sleeper"? I wouldn't call it one, but it did have a kick-a$$ get-up-and-go to it!

 

All depends on how your interpretation of "common" is.

If I drive my camaro through Germany most of the uninitiated (that would be roughly 99.7% of the folks around here) expect it eats Ferraris for breakfast.

FYI, itดs a bone stock RS.

For me sleepers are your everyday grocery getters with enough customization and modification to beat the crap out of your everyday BMW M6.

Since they look so unseemly one of the best examples to me is a Mazda RX2 with a high power ported nasty 13B engine.

That also keeps building a sleeper a real challenge and the real sleepers works of automotive art. Try and have a stock wheelbase and stock thread car handle like a sportscar without obvious slamming it and have a wide threading suspension setup.

 

^^^^^^^^^^ i've always leaned towards this definition, thats why i started the thread, to see whats the most common idea is and to help me deside if i keep the rs and build it or sell it.

 

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sleep...edirected=true

 

Yes, IMO. That's the definition of 'sleeper' from my boyhood at least--but there'll no doubt be more opinions on the subject than there are stars in the sky. Good luck.

Oh, you might be interested in the following:

https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/tech...eper-dead.html

JamesC

 

i'm at work so i cant get the page or link but

on lsxtv they had a late 70s or 80s malibu, completely stock, interior, exterior, all the guages were the same as were the wheels (and maybe tires)

had an ls1 swap.

i even think the tail pipes were stockish

 

I think it's all about the look. MANY years ago I had a new 88 mustang GT. I pulled up next to a black VW bug at an intersection. It had 4 Big guys in it (Big enough that it made it look like a clown car!) It was a beautiful bug, lowered beautiful paint etc... We raced and... He was clear across the intersection before I was even completely across the crosswalk! He pulled the frontend about 8 inches off the road on the 1-2 shift! Needless to say I was shocked! I found out later that it was a 1969 bug with a grey-market twin-turbo porsche motor! He was making around 900hp, or so they said... ...and thats a sleeper!

 

Sleepers aren't just faster than average, they're fast enough to stop you in your tracks and say, "Whoa, wtf was that?"

 

did i just get passed by a...?

 

Eh I dont neccesarily think that an RS is a sleeper. It is a camaro nonetheless. I really think a sleeper is a car that genuinely people know isnt fast. Like a 1980 caprice or something. Vw beetle. Something like that. I dunno. But I do get a lot people go oh its an RS its garbage.

 

Thatดs a proud claim.

I had a bug with a bi-turbo 3.6 liter flat 6 and it made somewhere around 450 hp.

One of the main issues was fitment. I had to relocate the rear seats towards the front about 4". That left about 5" of leg room for passengers on the rear seats because of the extra space needed for the engine and transmission compared to the original.

I also had to widen the frame around the engine slightly to fit the exhaust tubing for the turbo setup.

Even with only 450 hp the bug made some nice wheelies. Only way to really fix that was by putting something heavy in the front luggage compartment. An old heater or some cement bags generally kept the car stable at higher speeds (anything above 90 mph) and kept the wheels closer to the ground when accelerating.

One of the main strengths in this car was the low weight. With full interior it weighed about 600 lbs less then my camaro.

Sold it because the floorpans were gone. Looking at the road while driving wasnดt my idea of a good time and I didnดt know how long the seats would still hold. Couldnดt afford the bodywork to keep it going at the time.

As for parts, about 10 years ago a good bug cost about $4000 and I got the engine from a salvage yard (with a full but totalled 911 still attached) for another $4000. Had a lot of help in building the car from a european autocross enthousiast and it took almost 2 years to build during evening hours and weekends, while working and studying during the day.

If the car werenดt so loud it could have been considered a sleeper. Exhaust note carried over a mile far however.

 

The only stock from factory RS camaro that is a sleeper IMO is the 91-92 B4C camaros.

As the Chevy add once said: "A Wolf in sheeps clothing".

Z28 drivetrain with the plain hood, no fog lights, no high wing and RS badges everywhere and even with AC!!!

The same thing could be said for the COPO camaros in 1969. No badges, plain wheels, etc. but the drivetrain is what made that camaro a sleeper.

 

yeah, i was just wondering what the public opinion would be about a suited up rs, if it would be called sleeper.

im guessing by the looks of this thread that this subject still divided and undefined, so we'll just call it PLAUSIBLE lol

 

My cowl hood kills any chance of me being a sleeper. well that and the fact im running mid 14's haha.

 

just stay still when the light turns green and you will be called a "sleeper" lol

 

very true

 

Considering today's car's standards and the minds of ricers and lil kids. Any 3rd Gen just looks fast. They were sleepers back then... Most people just consider them fast nowadays from looking at them

 

LOL, I like this thread! My RS IS my fastest car... (When it's not in pieces!) Still carries the RS Badges and flat hood. Only givaway is the wheels, stance and rumble of the exhaust.

 

A sleeper is one thing, (which is why I anticipate I'll enjoy driving my Sport Coupe this season), but what about false advertising?

 

thas not false advertisment, gm did made some v6 engines with a multi port fuel injection setup

 

True, as that's what my car had....
But I'm not about to remove the original badging.
Sleeper or liar?

 

yeah a 2.8 litre badge would be considered a sleeper. you need an ultra quiet exhaust to pull it off. because if I heard a v8. I would be like...whats this car up too? haha.

 

i missunderstood your first post.... hmmm! both i guess sleeper and lier lol

 

id say this is a sleeeep...i didnt see it coming.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CWHGc...eature=related

 

My RS is NOT a sleeper and I agree with your thoughts. My 87 Thunderbird is, though (I'm building a 351W for it).

 

reminds me of the one with the van.



and as for the badges def keep them, when i'm looking at cars the first thing i look for are the GT badges on Mustangs and Z28/SS badges on Camaros

and for keeping it quiet i have a Random Tech muffler on my 2000 SS, sounds quiet at stock and easy driving, but screams when you stomp on it

 

yup that is deffinately a sleeper!

 

i didnt expect the lifting of the nose hahaahaha

 

lol. so you made the video or that was you in the 4th gen next to it?

 

Sleeper

http://s3.photobucket.com/albums/y96...gasritevan.mp4

 

ohh not meee haha.. i just posted it.

 

My friend's lt1 powered Buick Roadmaster hahaha