The photos in this edition are black and white.
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.
Founded in 1993 CarTech, Inc has become one of the leading publishers of how-to automotive titles for the hardcore enthusiast. In 1995 CarTech purchased the S-A Design line of book from Larry Schreib and Larry Atherton who had published their first book in 1976 titled, The Chevrolet Racing Engine, by Bill Grumpy Jenkins. This single title gained wide recognition as “the bible” of high performance engine design and assembly.
CarTech has continued to expand on this tradition and now has over 300 titles available for the enthusiast, in a wide variety of formats – from print to digital to video. Today, our publishing efforts include our traditional performance “S-A Design” titles along with race histories, biographies of industry icons; in addition to a number series that further assist readers with their projects.
| Format | Paperback / softback |
| Illustrations | 321 b/w |
| ISBN | 9781613252000 |
| Pages | 144 |
| Publisher | CarTech |
| Size | 8.5 X 11 (inches) |
