Street Sleepers: The Art of the Deceptively Fast Car - Softcover

Byrd, Tommy Lee

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1613252005 ISBN 13: 9781613252000

Publisher: Cartech, 2011

Synopsis

Street racing is now regarded as a highly illicit and dangerous activity, but this was not always the case. For as long as there have been cars, there's been racing, and a lot of acceleration contests took place on public roads. The car owner/drivers were not only competing for pride, but typically there was some kind of cash wager involved. For this reason, it became popular in the 1950s for some enterprising street racers to disguise or hide the true potential hidden within their cars. Taken to its extreme, a very fast car could appear completely unmodified. Such cars were called 'Sleepers,' since their appearance would lull you to sleep until they passed you at full speed.

The art of building a successful sleeper has varied over the decades as styles and times have changed. One fact that remains constant is that the car's appearance belies its performance potential. In Street Sleepers, the secrets are exposed and the owners and builders of some of America's quickest street machines share their deceptive art. Outstanding photography and in-depth owner interviews tell the tale, and even engine specifications and quarter-mile track times are shared. There was a time when such things were well-guarded secrets, but this book truly exposes all the tricks!

For anyone who's ever dreamt of building a great sleeper, or has been relieved of some cash by betting against one, this book is a must-have. Countless tales have been told about some secret speed trick or hidden power in an otherwise sedate-looking vehicle, but Street Sleepers is lined with true stories of real cars that live up to the grand hot rodder's tradition of deceptively fast cars. The photos in this edition are black and white.

About this title

From the Back Cover:

Is it fast? In the underground world of street racing, deception becomes a high art form. Masking how fast your car can accelerate can be the difference between making and losing large amounts of money. It might not be possible to hide every little trick, but the slower your car looks, the better. Street Sleepers pulls back the curtain on how these tricks are accomplished, and goes deep inside some of the best camouflage treatments ever. For the first time, owners of many of the country’s greatest sleepers reveal what makes their cars so cool, and so fast!

About the Author:

Tommy Lee Byrd is a nationally known contributor to many automotive enthusiast magazines including Street Rod Builder and Hot Rod. He has many years of experience writing automotive articles (from features to technical how-to) and shooting pro-level photographs. Tommy grew up the son of an expert custom auto body and paint man, and calls Dayton, Tennessee, his home.

About this edition

• Publisher: Cartech
• Publication date: 2011
• ISBN 10: 1613252005
• ISBN 13: 9781613252000
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 146