I'm bored, so I thought I'd ask a question to all those pseudo-intellectuals out there who might shed some light on the following question: what is the etymology of the word "sleeper"? I suspect that it has something to do w/ being so clean and so stock that it isn't noticed by anyone...and um...the car just sneaks by like in a sleep state?...i have no clue. Maybe it has no logical reason for being called what it is. Well...throw out your ideas.

 

its when your car looks slow, but is actually fast... or thats what i think it means.

It comes from the old story, The Turtle and the Hair. The turtle fell asleep but still won that fast rabbit. heh i just made that up but it sounds about right.



[Modified by Rexecutioner89Si, 6:56 AM 4/23/2002]

 

I always had a mental image (more like a video) of some whack-*** stunna with his visor to the side pulling up next to the stock version of his car asking for a race. The stunna is blown away when the stock, sleeper looking car comes alive with great ***** and tears ***. I need to get out of the house.

 

i dont think stock lookin cars are sleepers anymore.....put some type R stickers, alteeza lights, neon wiper nozzles......now you have a sleeper

 

hahahahahahahahahahahahaha

 

sad but true. to many people out on the streets with stocking looking cars running circles around everyone

 

yeah it means a stock looking car or a car that no one expects someone might have done something to it, like my wagon or something. theres an old black man in town that hauls scrap metal wtih an old beatup dodge truck, and he ordered it from the factory with a hemi motor. that is a sleeper.

 

not a sleeper:
4 inch LED's exhaust tip

sleeper:
no boodykits

not a sleeper:
Accord Type R emblems

sleeper:
no stickers or decals

not a sleeper:
110 db muffler on an auto car

sleeper:
quiet, but maybe a blowoff valve sneeze

 

Sleeper = my bestfriend's 97 Civic, lowered 1.5", stock exauhst, stock rims and hubcaps, no window tint, stock stereo, but has a Greddy Turbo kit.

 

I think big pete may be correct. The tables have turned now and there are many more stock looking cars that are fast. I think that some of the former sleepers out there decided to put rice stickers on their cars and kick the **** out of the stock looking cars. Think of which would be more embarrassing, getting beat by a stock looking car, or one that has more advertising and neon lights than Las Vegas. Still I will never put a sticker or neon on any car I own, no matter how fast or slow it is.

 

sleeper: stock looking car with power, but can also mean keeping it closer to stock. Generally speaking it is a modified car with no aesthetics to the outside. As to confuse your opponents or fellow racers into thinking you are slower than you really are, can also be used to decieve thieves or icy hot stunnas from 1. stealing your car or 2. avoid all those revs dumbasses throw at you at every stoplight.

 

I like everyone's ideas and all and i enjoy people's explanations of what the word means, but i was actually shooting for how the word came into being. Or as it were, what is the derivation of the word "sleeper". In other words, what is the history of the word and its development since its earliest recorded occurrence?

 

it all started in the forbidden zone.

 

sleeper = my car. stock ride hight, some times i put on 3 or the 4 hubcaps, primer stripes and rust. OEM looking exhaust (hehe little do they know ) h-t.com sticker and my friends band sticker. no tint nadda. i'll post pics some time... thats how you get the from 89 supra turbos


[Modified by TorteX, 4:25 PM 4/23/2002]

 

can't wait to see some guy on the street with the new sticker
"SLEEP-R"
then he'll of course have the altezzas (10 gen or higher). body kit and bling bling galore.
but wait
a carbon fiber hood???!!!
oh wait, it's just painted black
a "CABRON fiber hood!"

 

rust is better than ice

 

slow looking stock car (ie std hb) with b16a...

 

To my knowledge the term "sleeper" is associated with spy or agents of foreign governments sent to inner act and establish themselves in another countries society.Until the time they are called upon to perform certain duties for their country.Like any thing from assasinations, to housing another agent, storing stolen documents or something in the nature of espinoage.
Example:
Nobody would expect their family gardner of assasinating a political leader,hince the dawn of the word "sleeper"
As far as cars are concerned, it's as said before when you see a stock looking vehicle siting next to you at a light you'd never expect it to blow you away when the light turned green! (Hince the family gardner being a trained assasin.)
That's about the best explaination I can give you with out acually researching the internet or something.
If your interested in a movie about the same subject watch "Little Nikita" is a prime example of what you looking for.

 

take the ugliest russe out car you can think off and imagin that beating out a viper or something of the such thats a sleeper

 

sleeper...my old car



nice engine


Yummy Yummy LS/VTEC...


[Modified by crxgator, 9:58 PM 4/23/2002]

 

that looks like my car with painted bumpers and silver wheels instead of blwck wow

 

It all depends on the car. Maybe not a stock looking Honda. Especially a newer one. Rather, a true sleeper is a stock looking car THAT NOBODY EXPECTS TO BE FAST. This would include something hard to modify like a 1987 Dodge Colt.

 

yeh theres something like that up here a chrysler mini van with a daytona turbo motor in it runs 11s

 

i agree, because if your riced out, nobody will think your fast... which is the purpose of the sleeper, to not look fast.. just have as many power adding products as youve got rice

 

oh wait that my car