The Boy and I are thinking about building a sleeper (possibly with the Challenge in mind). Nothing super fast, just wild enough to shock the local ricers. Candidate that's being discussed is a 2nd gen Escort/Tracer with a head swap and low boost turbo, maybe even a wagon. He wants to paint it flat black, I think we should find one that's beige, silver, light blue or green, or that magenta/pink color they came in. My thought is that flat black says, "Pretty Fly for a White Guy", while beige says, "These aren't the droids you're looking for." What say you?
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June 25, 2009 7:50 p.m. RealMiniDriver Dork
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June 25, 2009 7:51 p.m. Salanis UltraDork
Beige pattina.
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June 25, 2009 7:55 p.m. Wowak Dork
Metallic Brown.
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June 25, 2009 7:57 p.m. RealMiniDriver Dork
Also, it'd be funny as hell to donn a gray wig and jiffy roll-up hat and black-framed glasses. Think Johnny Knoxville's Irving Zissman character.
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June 25, 2009 8:00 p.m. ManofFewWords Reader
gotta be purple with walmart hubcaps
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June 25, 2009 8:02 p.m. benzbaron Reader
Either a primer gray or metallic brown top my list. My pickup is earl sheib oxidized grey and has never attracted any attention even when it deserves it. I even rolled a stopsign in front of a cop and he didn't notice.
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June 25, 2009 8:05 p.m. Woody SuperDork
My first thought was Gold,but the idea of Brown is compelling.
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June 25, 2009 8:08 p.m. MadScientistMatt HalfDork
Depends on what sort of impression you want to give the opponents. "These aren't the droids you're looking for" is a pretty good way to sum up the message from any boring stock color. I especially like pink for that one. Who'd expect that to be fast?
Flat black says that the owner either thinks the car is badass or wants everyone to think it is. Could be used effectively if you want to pretend to be an inept racer.
An even better color if you're going for the inept racer look is some tasteless neon color, definitely not stock, with stickers from companies that don't even make parts for an Escort. Going for a total wannabe look can be funny when the car is more really-is than wanna-be.
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June 25, 2009 8:08 p.m. wherethefmi Dork
I think pink, they will be underestimating you from the get go, then you smoke them and they'll tell the story of the girly pink car that smoked them for the rest of their life.
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June 25, 2009 8:10 p.m. Keith UberDork
Sun-baked paint. Or beige. Or both.
Actually, my classic Mini was built as a sleeper by the guy who did most of the modifications. The color? Sandy Beige.
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June 25, 2009 8:12 p.m. RealMiniDriver Dork
MadScientistMatt wrote:
Flat black says that the owner either thinks the car is badass or wants everyone to think it is.
My thoughts, exactly. Flat black would look suspicious. Mundane factory color would be unassuming.
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June 25, 2009 8:14 p.m. suprf1y Reader
I like white for sleepers.
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June 25, 2009 8:21 p.m. Nashco SuperDork
The best sleepers have the paint that the car came with, IMO. The more it looks like a beater (which wouldn't get a paint job), the better.
Bryce
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June 25, 2009 8:26 p.m. dyintorace Dork
The famous Ford Fairmont Turbo LS1 was a nice dull beige.
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June 25, 2009 8:33 p.m. Grizz New Reader
I recall a brown Diplomat with a 360 out of a bracket car and dog dish steelies that lurked in my area when I was in high school.
It knocked quite a few people down some pegs.
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June 25, 2009 8:36 p.m. DirtyBird222 Dork
BONDO
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June 25, 2009 8:43 p.m. captain_napalm New Reader
Nashco wrote:
The best sleepers have the paint that the car came with, IMO. The more it looks like a beater (which wouldn't get a paint job), the better.
Bryce
Depends on the paint job... Rustoleum and some rollers shouldn't attract much attention
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June 25, 2009 9:02 p.m. GregTivo Reader
beige with primer spots.
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June 25, 2009 9:08 p.m. EastCoastMojo Dork
Nothin' says sleeper like a car that's all one color except for one door.
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June 25, 2009 9:10 p.m. dyintorace Dork
Like the BMW I just bought?? Not only does it have different color doors, check out the different wheels. Now there's a sleeper!
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June 25, 2009 9:14 p.m. David S. Wallens Editorial Director
Something bland and O.E. Non-factory colors always seem to attract some attention, even if it's beige or something.
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June 25, 2009 9:14 p.m. David S. Wallens Editorial Director
dyintorace wrote:
Like the BMW I just bought?? Not only does it have different color doors, check out the different wheels. Now there's a sleeper!
Is that an ex-police car?
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June 25, 2009 9:23 p.m. RexSeven HalfDork
Gold or beige. My S13 was old-man-car gold and damn near invisible. Same with my ex's beige/beige Corolla. I couldn't get the cops to notice me hooning it if I tried (which is harder that you'd think, since the '98 Corolla is the automotive equivalent of Ambien).
White. On most cars, it screams "appliance," especially on a grocery-getter like an Escort. Try to make it faded or dirty, though.
Stock color, but neglected. Make it look like you don't care about your car.
Besides those, try to do other things to make it look non-threatening or like you are an automotive illiterate. For example, leave the gas cap cover open. Use your interior as a trash can. Add stuffed animals to the rear window, a baby seat in the back, or bumper stickers making fun of your car/driving ability. Add hi-performance tires to rusty steelies.
I had a copy of SCC that listed 25 ways to turn your car into a sleeper. If I can find it, I'll post their tips.
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June 25, 2009 9:23 p.m. dyintorace Dork
LOL. Not as far as I know.
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June 25, 2009 9:32 p.m. RealMiniDriver Dork
"Use your interior as a trash can." The Boy does.
"Add hi-performance tires to rusty steelies." I've got some 27x8-15 Hoosier Economy slicks that I brought home from the local race track.
