Though the RIGHT CAR may not always be loved in Muscle car lore, sometimes one may have to dive into the peripheral to score a light ride like a Dodge Colt or an Arrow nestling a small block.
I think the real underlying trickery here is to have something that looks moderately heavy or a ton of fun and make it lighter than its shadow. A Dodge Colt or an Arrow though light to start with, does give away its cards by its shear size. Dead giveaway.
While i will still and always argue that NO old car can pass for sleeper anymore (by the way the word is usually used anyways), some are still more likely to draw suspicion than others. Personally... i have seen sooooo many poorly done Pinto/Vega/Colts to give them no more respect than any Duster/Nova/Falcon (read: Starting with a 2500lb car means i can just add THAT much more weight... and fab EVERYTHING with 1/4" stock)... to the average car guy, tiny + V8 still means give it EVERYTHING at the light and dont take chances.
Besides... there is just nothing classic about a Colt. Maybe if you're an import guy. Then again, i LOVE 71-2 Pintos... so there goes my credibility...
To ME... the ultimate sleeper (that is still a classic car that someone might want to look at) would be a C-body, or a B-body wagon. Something BIG. No one suspects the boats... not even the car guys. Hell, i've heard 500+HP rattling windows from under a C-body before and people still laughed.
My optioned-out (two tag) big block 71 Fury III was down to 3900lbs curb, all steel, even the 28lb cop rims and 30lb tires. Not a single piece ov aftermarket aluminum either. With just the typical lowish-buck aluminum pieces, FG hood, better rims and more creative basic work that car could have been 3600lbs. Now, give me a 69 Fury I and even half the money you guys have spent and i'll show you a 3300-3400lb daily driving C-body...
If we still had street racing here i'd have snapped up that no-option 69 Fury I 3-speed (stick) car i saw years ago. THAT... would have made a GLORIOUS sleeper.
