10 Sleeper Cars You’ll Never See Coming on HOT ROD Power Tour 2017

HOT ROD Power Tour 2017 Is Presented By Chevrolet Performance And Driven By Continental Tire

There is a not-so-subtle art to speed. It is a violent and temperamental animal that rears on its powerful haunches through sound, sensation, and brute force. What is a skillful feat of ingenuity, is hiding that speed. It is an aesthetic and mechanical finessing that leaves the automotive opponent unsure of what’s under-hood. The artistry is in deception, and it is practiced from the stop lights of main street USA, to the prepped lanes of every home track. They call them sleepers, and at HOT ROD Power Tour 2017, we spotted more than a few tricky-rides, beguiling their horsepower prowess under patina-streaked camouflage.

Pontiac Bonneville Wagon

Under the hood of this Pontiac Bonneville wagon, owned by Ben Brown, is an Oldsmobile 455ci engine with a W30 cam. The car has fat meats in the back, a 2004-R transmission, and a host of junkyard-sourced weight-saving options, such as a fiberglass crash beam and aluminum g-body hood. The car runs 12s and is a consistent and unwelcome surprise to challengers.

Ford F100

There is some genuine home-brewed speed under the hood of this F100. What appears to be a supercharger sourced from a Gen-II SVT lightning pickup is cleverly grafted onto a Windsor small block thanks to fabricated aluminum adapter plates––frugal, meet fast.

Dart Swinger 340

The 340 nestled under the well-worn hood of this swinger Dart would pack an unexpected kick from the slant-six or 318 its crusty exterior would suggest. Even in stock form the 340ci 4-barrel was a force to be reckoned with.

LS-Swapped Colorado

For a few years, the Chevy Colorado pickup was available with a 5.3L Vortec engine, making it a pretty peppy little truck off the showroom floor. This example began life as an inline-5 Atlas engine but has since been converted to LS1 power.

AMC Hornet

Jacob Davis’ AMC Hornet packs the original straight 6 but with a well executed direct-port nitrous hit––although, if you’re a fan of Finnegan’s garage on YouTube, the cat may be out of the bag on this one.

V8-swapped S10

You just can’t trust an early S10, anymore. With the availability of aftermarket V8-swap kits, these chassis have become prime candidates for horsepower’d heart transplants.  They’re readily available, easily affordable, and their relative lightness makes them a threat on the street and the track.

Roadster Shoehornin’

Since the days of Carroll Shelby, hot rodders have been tickled at the idea of V8 power in cars the size of––well––a V8. From the legacy of the AC Cobras of yore, this Mazda Miata pays tribute with a Ford small-block between the fenders. We also spotted a few MG’s of the same 8-cylinder mindset.

Buick Grand National Turbo

The Buick Grand National was born the epitome of the sleeper. With a turbocharged 3.8L V6 in a time of smog-era powerectomy’d V8s, it was the black blur you never saw coming. As the car gets up in years, its reputation remains solid, but oblivious to those not in the know. As new generations, geeked on techno-fluffed imports, will find out. The Buick still packs enough punch for a very bloody nose.

Pinto Track Attack

This pinto won’t set any quarter-mile records, but the bevy of circle-track parts under the hood, the racing seats in the cockpit, and the sticky Ventus RS-3 rubber leads us to believe it would be a hoot around any autocross course. There’s more than one type of fast and more than one way to have fun.

1967 Pontiac LeMans

If it weren’t for the wee bit of intercooler peeking out form under the hood, this wrecking yard–sourced Le Mans would be the sleepiest car on the lot. The truck-bred LS under the hood has a single turbocharger feeding it compressed air and, rumor has it, it’s funneling 600 horsepower down to the tires. We love the homemade serpentine bracketry and the purposeful nature of the build. If you come across this rusty Indian on Power Tour, back away––slowly.

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