BUDGET BRAWLERS: [10] Stealthiest Sleeper Muscle Cars of All time

Discover the 10 ultimate Sleeper Muscle cars from the 1960s and early 1970s that represent the best value for your money back then when performance mattered most. We're talking about plain, Chevy's, Ford, Dodges that no one would ever suspect pack a lethal punch when it came time to throw down.

Sleeper muscle cars are some of our favorites. Not just because they’re stealthy and quick, but also because of their rarity and the uniqueness of putting big power into stripped down, all business packages. The look and potential of these cars say to unsuspecting challengers, “I don’t need to broadcast my what I’m packing, but if you want to go.. just try me."

We also introduce a Price vs. Quick factor for our ranking that gives us a best performance for your dollar value if you were to buy these way back then. We calculate it like this: its ¼ mile time divides by its original price converted to today’s dollars. The higher the resulting number, the better its Price vs. Quick ranking.

Chapters

00:00 Intro
00:55 10
02:13 9
03:27 8
04:49 7
05:59 6
07:14 5
08:37 4
09:53 3
11:11 2
12:37 1
14:09 Outro

[ronaldbrouhard]

I had a '63 Rambler with the Rebel Drive Train; 327, 3-spd Stick, 410 Posi. 1st time I took it to "Grudge Races" @ bygone Puyallup, WA Drag Strip, I won 12 races in a row. It took a mighty tough car to beat it in a street race. A LOT of fun!

[portaltwo]

In the pretty Canadian autumn of 1966, I was 15 years old and was given a thrilling ride in my cousin's boyfriend's '66 Chevy II with the 350 horse 327. The only options were the engine and the posi rear end (and the latter may have been included with the engine, I'm not sure). Not even a radio and with, believe it or not, THREE ON THE TREE (later converted to 3 on the floor). He maintained it was quicker than a 4-speed because he needed one less shift. Must have worked, because to the best of my knowledge he never lost a single street race and a few years later, after he had married my cousin and had sold the car, I saw a very impressive trophy collection in his rec room. Oh, and the following summer of '67, by which time I had a nice fresh driver's licence, he let me take it for a very short drive. Just a circuit through town, and I hardly hammered it, but it still left another vivid and lasting impression on me. Great car. Great memories.

[skivvywaver]

Dad had a 1964 Mercury that was fast as hell. 427 V-8. Over 400 horsepower factory. That car kicked down when he stomped on it. It was fun as a kid. The old man like to "blow the carbon" out as he called it. I knew he just had a lead foot.

[mr.hanger]

I'm a Nova guy. Been building and driving them since before I was old enough to drive. Glad they included the " poor man's Camaro". 🤠

[mikeskidmore]

I knew a Farmer that had a Brand new L-79 327 Chevy motor in a crate back in about 1985.. I still have the 327 350 HP cam in my 350 Camaro
I still have a 327 365 Intake on a 350 chevy too .

[samwiggins]

In the spring of 1967 I got off work at the chemical plant at 11 p.m. and went car shopping.
Back then nobody thought anything about someone looking at used cars at midnight. At the Plymouth dealer's lot I found a beautiful 1966 GTO body color Candlelight Cream with black vinyl top and black interior. I pulled in for a closer look. Next to it was the plainest brown Plymouth Savoy you ever saw. As I walked up I looked inside the Plymouth and saw a Hurst 4-speed shifter. Curious I opened the hood and there was a Hemi with the staggered duel 4-barrel carbs. I drove it the next day, what a beast. I bought the GTO for $2400. The Plymouth was the same price.

[bruceallen]

Thanks for showing me even more cars I could have bought back then. I was an Oldsmobile and Pontiac guy back then, and all of them could scoot real well.

[stingray]

Great video. Not suprised at all by the L-79 66 Nova being #1. Bill Jenkins knew this as soon as it became available. He called it a rocket powered roller skate. R.I.P. "Grumpy"

[paulne]

My father in law bought new a 1966 Caprice with PS, PB, AC, 4SP and a 427, 4:56 rear. He told me that he could do mid 13’s or if he put on slicks, high 12’s. Sometimes they would put him up against corvette. When I asked why he sold it, he said it only got 4-5 mpg, and it was the only (family) car they had.
My Grandparents bought new a 1964 olds cutlass F85, with a 394 4bbl, 2 speed automatic. They said it was the demo car and they liked it so much, they bought it.

[chrismoody]

When I was in high school in the early 70’s the fastest car in the lot was a 67’ Chevy ll with a 327 ci. He had American Racing Magnesium wheels with beefy meats in back. It was the best looking car in the school.

[Aquarium-Downunder]

Australia did have Coupes as Muscle car, but we had far more Muscle cars made as 4 door sedans, from 1966 to 2017, Holden even made SS Stationwagons with the L6 out of the corvette in them.
Think about seeing a white family wagon at the shops powered by a corvette motor.
or ever seening a Ford Taxi with a 4L Turbo thats able to out run a V8 crown vic cop car.
Sleepers in Australia were off the charts when it came to not been seen with 4 doors

[JohnSample-hn]

I had a 73 340 Duster. It was totally a rust bucket with a coat hanger hookup one side of the bumper. Even that looked bad it was incredibly fast. I called the 340 the little engine that could.

[sgtyork]

My sleeper is a 66 Chevelle 300 sporting a 427 425hp and Muncie M-20 four speed. The rumble of the exhaust gives away the fact it's quicker than the exterior looks.

[commandertopgun]

Wow, my loves. I love this video, it's amazing, & I love all these stunning 'sleepers'. thank you for sharing.

[MrBuckeye]

I owned a 67 Mercury Comet Capri 289 CI Ex- police car … all black … un-marked … bought it in 1978 … ran great … I won money with it almost every weekend

[BobGeogeo]

Thanks, fun video. I feel the pain of those skinny bias ply tires.

[JohnShields-xxyk]

15 in 1975 my parents had a 1971 midnight blue 327 Chevelle and was going to get on my 16th birthday, my older brother took it out one night drunk driving and wrecked it. Whah, whah, whahhhh.

[Aquarium-Downunder]

For the people who don't know, the last Ford Fairlane was made in 2007, producing 230 kilowatts (310 hp) at 5, 350 rpm and 500 newton-metres (370 lb⋅ft) of torque at 3, 500 rpm, 1, 703 were sold in 2007, the last 13 cars were sold in 2009, plated 2007.

[jimlyons]

I had a 68 Nova 327/325, a close ratio 4 speed, positraction a real sleeper. My father in law didn’t believe I got it from the dealer with the way it idled. Great car. Only problem is I was hit by other drivers. The 1st was a drunk driver who put it in the body shop and the worst one was a girl with her mother ran a stop light spinning around damaging about every fender with an estimate more than I paid for the car when it was new. I sold it for parts and bought a Dodge Super Bee 383/335 I think with a 4 speed. It was a good running car.

[tedecker]

In 68 I bought a 66 Malibu 2door hardtop, 327/4 speed. It was in like new condition and cost $1, 600. Car payment was $33/month.