How Would You Build A Street Sleeper?

[[[d a n n y]]]

why not hondas??

EG civic (92-95) civic with hubcaps

running K serise engine (later model euro and integra type R engine)

these run 12's easy with virtually no mods

[Basti]

that granada with the koenigsegg engine is a fair example

[PIG747]

Times have changed in the modified car community - even in Tasmania which has to have the most lax laws regarding modification and P plater restrictions in Australia. Generally (in other states anyway) if what you own hasn't been engineer approved its defect bait and even if you keep it stock the local constabulary lean hard on the skyline owner.

Not to mention driving a Skyline is bogan bait - like trying to get to work when every HSV/FPV Falcodore owner with two brain cells tries to race you between the lights (not that I have anything against Ford or Holden, merely I have something against some of their owners).

So I have been giving some serious thought to building a sleeper - a car that looks totally inconspicuous on the outside, but the engine, drivetrain and suspension are the main focus.

I have two cars that I fancy as a base:

A 1991 Toyota Cressida.

Yes its not pretty, but those seats are comfy and its fairly well equiped inside for a car of this age. The exterior is more bland than a similar year Camry - if thats possible. Bonus points go to this car because all the badges on them aare badly chromed from factory, leaving nice dull plastic badging on the exterior. 

An engine swap to a VVTi 1JZ-GTE is relatively simple all things considered and while its being done a high flow, low decibel exhaust would be made up along with high flow panel filter (to keep things quiet). Whether its mated to an auto or manual would be totally dependant on cost - autos are much cheaper and as all Cressidas are auto an automatic would probably be easiest. 

My mate just bought one last week. Exact same colour with a 1j in it and just simple 5 spoke rims. We have started calling him grandpa lol

[KezR33]

Lancer Coupe with a 4G63 and Evo running gear.

Or just buy an Evo 7-8-9 and remove all the flashy bits.

[VB-]

XR6Turbo with boost, ECU, sunroof, leather, exhaust and DEFINATLY big brakes.

yeah coz noone will expect an XR6T to be quick.....

Haysey, i remember seeing pics of that yellow wagon at a drift event, frikkin awesome looking thing it was

Basti, have you seen the chassis mods done to that granada? hardly a sleeper with the cage through it

[N1GTR]

yeah coz noone will expect an XR6T to be quick.....

Keep the stock rims, i know APRacing make a kit to go behind stock rims.

Loose the turbo badges

There's HEAPS of them out there, its not like they're hard to find, so who exactly sees an XR6 and goes "wow i bet thats got 400+rwkw?"

[evil_weevil]

Id love a VK commodore with LS2 in it

[VB-]

There's HEAPS of them out there

i think thats the point, just like skylines. sure theres alot of stock ones out there, but theres also a shitload of modifyed ones.

to me, a sleeper is something that will genuinely 'surprise' you when you see how quick it is. when i see quick XR6T's, its like 'oh... cool'. impressive but not something that makes u go 'woah... wtf just happened?'

[GTR-32U]

Id love a VK commodore with LS2 in it

A good fast conversion too

Apparently Castlemain rod shop have fabricated a relocating bracket for the starter motor moving it so it doesnt foul on the steering arms.

[GTR-32U]

Howabout something totally different like an AW11 MR2 with a Turbo 20 valve? Mid engine could be fun

Lots of traction should be available and it shouldnt be a difficult bolt in

[R33_Dude]

I have always wanted to take an ED (1990) Civic - kerb weight of 900 kilos. Preferably in white.

Take out the twin cam twin carb and replace it with a H22A (formerly from a Prelude) and spank it up to about 250 odd horsepower (by all rights reasonably easy). I actually have the H22A sitting in the shed... Its actually hard to find a good ED or any Ed at all in Tasmania

[700HP-GTR33]

Infinity Q45......Supercharged or Turbo attached with nitrous......

NO ONE WILL EXPECT THAT

By memory it had a 0 to 100k's in 5.5 seconds stock......that kills all the XR6 Turbo's and SS's.

How to get more power down to the ground may be an issue though....

maybe lots of sand bags in the boot above the rear tyres...

[Medium Dave]

I would stay away from the volvo personally, a mate of mine recently picked up an early 90's wagon - cant remember exactly which model, but the old square shaped sluggish pos, and we just put a couple of grand worth of beilstiens, springs, bushes etc... and it still handles like a bucket of mashed crabs...

If it were me I would simply grab a reasonable WRX, drop n a front mount painted black and swap the bonnet over for a na one, job done. or just buy a Mitsubishi RVR Hypergear, not sure about where you are, but there is only two I know of where I live and very few people would know what they are looking at.

[Kinks]

I would start by buying "SLEEPR" numberplates to remain inconspicuous.

[KezR33]

Get a Mitsubishi Ralliart Colt!

I remember one night I was in my mate's Evo and we pulled up at the light next to a P plater Commodore. The guys in the Commodore are eyeing us off and we know they're going to floor it. As we're waiting, a little Colt pulls up in between us and gives us a rev. We laugh thinking he's just egging the Commodore and us on, but when the lights went green this little Colt shot off like a bullet. It seriously could've given the Evo a run for it's money!

Did a bit of research after that and found out what it was (turbo AWD) but prior to that I though it was just another hatchback.

[RBwhatever]

Do an EB Falconio, and leave it looking like you dragged it out of the creek. Fallen headliner and all

[TheProDaniel]

How about something old like an E30 BMW running a 13BT or SR? Saw one pull out a few months next to me then belt passed me which really gave me quite a shock!

Had a mate a while back who had a E21 BMW with a stock 304i which was a blast.

Both looked completely stock on the outside.

[Hank Scorpio]

What about an early 90's Cima? Hardly anyone will know what it is, doesn't look fast, but I'm sure those 8 cylinders have some potential.

+1 for an old school Corolla Trueno. Very cool.

[N1GTR]

i think thats the point, just like skylines. sure theres alot of stock ones out there, but theres also a shitload of modifyed ones.

to me, a sleeper is something that will genuinely 'surprise' you when you see how quick it is. when i see quick XR6T's, its like 'oh... cool'. impressive but not something that makes u go 'woah... wtf just happened?'

Yeah i know where you're coming from, i guess the thing is i hate crappy cars so IMO a sleeper still has to be nice on the inside, and not look like a rustbucket on the outside - regardless of how quick it is

[Kinks]

How about something old like an E30 BMW running a 13BT or SR?

Except it's very hard to keep a rotary quiet enough not to give the game away. You could mild port it and fit a restrictive exhaust but you'd be better off with an SR. An old 318i with an SR20DET in it would be good fun.