How Would You Build A Street Sleeper?

[Chris Rogers]

its a 1988 model subaru Leone GT II wagon. it's a JDM one with all the electrics. the front yellow IPF fog lights are factory fitted and still work.engine wise it HAD a 1.8L turbo engine and 4 wheel discs. local cars of that age were carby fed and disc/drum setup. I bought it in 2006 from a fellow that was sick of rebuilding the engine.

ENGINE : EJ20HD 2L twin turbo intercooled (300hp)

TRANS: 4 SPD Auto AWD with 4.44 final drive and LSD wtih a lockable centre diff. ( it was a 5 sp manual with the fulltime 4wd box with 3.70 gearing in it front and rear.)

BRAKES - Legacy GT with the ABS and traction control system carried over. rotors are slotted DBA items.

Wheels: 99 JDM Impreza 16" wheels in 5 stud (these cars were originally 4 stud with 13" steel wheels)

the hood scoop is functional and taken from a turbo XT. centre section is XT and the frame of it is the wagon one.

I built it and I OWN IT!

a few of the brissy people have seen it, nothing special unitl you plant your right foot.

Edited April 23, 2009 by Chris Rogers

[VB-]

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

yeah i get you. best true sleeps i've seen are ones that look crap, genuine rust wins big brownie points lol

[Johnny]

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.

very nice cars the e21, i just sold mine; bought it for an sr20 conversion....big thing in old sleepers is a solid chassi and the beema's got that typical german build quality

even an old merc is a good buy

[andylaurel]

Realistically, I'd drive a stock Evo 7, 8, 9, or 10... That's a street sleeper. Undefectable, comfortable, rocketship.

Unrealistically, I'd like to build a silly twin turbo 1UZ powered MX5, slightly lowered with 14 x 8 SSR Mk III's.

[N1GTR]

look crap, genuine rust wins big brownie points lol

Makes losing to them so much more suprising (and embarassed lol)

[JMW]

I know a few worskshops were doing one or two, but an old Merc with either an Rb30dett or 2jz. Still retaining Hubcaps on wider steel rims, rear window venetian and RACV badges on the grill.

Or completely left field. Honda City in lemon yellow and brown interior, std wheels running semi's...........and a full Spoon/Mugen B16a with a sprintex supercharger. Can anyone say torque steer!

[TheProDaniel]

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.

Mild port turbo can be fairly quiet with enough exhaust but I also agree the SR is a good choice.

[TheProDaniel]

very nice cars the e21, i just sold mine; bought it for an sr20 conversion....big thing in old sleepers is a solid chassi and the beema's got that typical german build quality

even an old merc is a good buy

Agreed. Mate had an ex rally thrashed out one but it never missed a beat and was still a blast to drive. I miss it

Old Merc with something large under the bonnet? Now you're talking!

[PIG747]

About a year ago i saw this old school merc gate it past me and was like WTF. It had a carsales sticker on it so i looked it up and it had a 2j with a 3540 in it. Would never have guessed it

I checked on car sales and its not on there anymore

[Count Grantleyish]

I'd build Nissan Patrol with RB30ET - I used to have one, very unassuming and pretty quick for 2 ton proper 4x4 no problems with cops and you can run without cataylic converter without being fined (early GQ's don't come with one as it is 'Light Truck' instead of passenger cars).

My old one made 121.7 rwkw with slipping clutch (was told it made 185rwkw with decent clutch by the fellow who bought it off me) mated with 4.3 final drive LSD, it really flies, tow heavy cars with ease.

Will dig up some photo when I can find it on my other computer and share it all.

If i were to build a sleeper I would go for 4x4 route.

[Tangles]

1977 Toyota Celica 'mustang' fastback with SR20 or RB20

or

1967 VW Type-3 wagon, porsche spec

[Sparkys]

1977 Toyota Celica 'mustang' fastback with SR20 or RB20

That's similar to my next project, a 73 TA22 with an SR20

RE the whole sleeper idea, my last project was an 87 Daihatsu Charade GTti which weighed 840 kg and had (when I had finished it) a 993 cc, 3 cyl, twin cam, turbo motor that had over 110hp. It didn't get any police attention and was quite a blast to drive, pulled 200km/h and suprised a lot of people

[Johnny]

I'd build Nissan Patrol with RB30ET - I used to have one, very unassuming and pretty quick for 2 ton proper 4x4 no problems with cops and you can run without cataylic converter without being fined (early GQ's don't come with one as it is 'Light Truck' instead of passenger cars).

My old one made 121.7 rwkw with slipping clutch (was told it made 185rwkw with decent clutch by the fellow who bought it off me) mated with 4.3 final drive LSD, it really flies, tow heavy cars with ease.

Will dig up some photo when I can find it on my other computer and share it all.

If i were to build a sleeper I would go for 4x4 route.

Does rb30 come in the car standard?? ive heard of a nissan 4wd that comes with a similar block, is that right?

i must say that i love the TRD hilux, although expensive would be a great sleeper; would punish alot of cars

[iamhe77]

Dunno how you feel about Rotors but a Mazda 626 or Mazda 929 with a 13B or 20B might be worth considering

Oooh close.

20B in a 1993 "Jellybean" Mazda 121

[sneakey pete]

For straight line performance, I'd get an early 60's Nissan Cedric station wagon. They've got a gigantic engine bay, you could probably fit a jaguar V12 in one if you wanted. Or pretty much anything else (provided you could engineer new engine mounts). I'd probably even restore it (sure, it might be shiny, but its still a early 60's station wagon...), and perhaps a low key set of wider wheels.

[TheProDaniel]

Oooh close.

20B in a 1993 "Jellybean" Mazda 121

Thought they were FWD?

[Count Grantleyish]

Does rb30 come in the car standard?? ive heard of a nissan 4wd that comes with a similar block, is that right?

i must say that i love the TRD hilux, although expensive would be a great sleeper; would punish alot of cars

Yep Nissan put RB30 in these from 1990 to 1997 (carby model thou but with series 2 block) standard, just whack vlt setup (turbo, ecu, efi stuff) and you're off to traffic light grand prix upsetting bogans.

TRD hilux is awesome piece of kit but overpriced for what it is espically it doesn't even have disc brakes on rear axle!

More people are putting LS1/2 In GU patrol with ecu flash - easy 250kw @ wheels, at least $12k drive in/drive out with engineering etc, I would love to have one of these.

[Ronin 09]

Merc 300e with any RB/LS/JZ motor. Keep it auto. Rip fat skids.

and being a merc, the chassis, gearbox, diff will take 11ty billion kW and not break!

[ydawak]

It doesnt matter what type of car, as long as its brown. Like datsun brown or peugot brown All brown cars look slow

[typevu]

I had a brown 1981 Toyota Corona - it not only looked slow but it WAS slow. Have read people dropping SR20s into it... uber sleeper