Hi everyone,

I'm building a sleeper '70 cutlass fitted with a pro-gas 455 (550-600 hp). The "sleeper" theme will apply to both the outside of the car, as well as within the engine bay.

The outside will retain the sedate paint job (read: faded and neglected Aspen green), complete with primer spots and rust; with either blackwalls and poverty caps, or a set of misleading whitewalls and wheelcovers. A set of cheater slicks with painted whitewalls may be summer alternates.

The engine bay will have no brightwork and all aftermarket ignition equipment will be hidden or disguised. The engine will be painted 350 gold and the factory air cleaner will be used (recessed to offset the mid-rise intake) to hide the 1000+ cfm carb.

Keeping these characteristics in mind, I would like your opinion on how to best conceal the headers I will be using. Ideally, I would like to hone the manifolds for perfect flow, but I will be relegating myself to a set of Hooker Super-Comps. The headers will be going into a 3" Flowmaster system (electric cutouts) to the rear bumber (tips will not be visible from the rear); exhaust will be painted flat black.

I'm torn inbetween painting the headers flat-black, or painting them the factory manifold gray since the rest of the engine will be sporting factory (350) colors (painted the smallest displacement color possible for those who know Olds motors - air cleaner will say "350 Rocket" too).

What do you think about the header color? Do you have another suggestion that will be a deceitful asset, instead of an announcing liability? Yes, the car's true nature will be lost once the car is started, but, that's the fun part with this build.

Pictures are attached, but also remember that the car will eventually be painted its original Aspen green.

Thanks for your input.

-Christian

 

Leave em bare and let em rust because that's what the factory ones end up like.

 

I'm not sure about that. The engine will be freshly-painted. Also, the engine bay will be freshly-painted. I don't know how the headers (not all that rusty) would compliment, or contradict, with the rest of engine compartment.

The psychology of ferreting-out all the possible interpretations when building a sleeper is quite taxing...

 

I LOVE sleepers. If you really want to perpetuate the "350" look, talk to Chris Witt about doctoring the casting numbers.

It might not be too tough to turn "B" heads into "8" heads, for example.

I plan something like this for my 64 VC. 403 block with E heads, using careful grinding to turn the "E" into a "1".

 

Joe, that is a great idea...reworking the casting numbers embroidered on the engine. Converting the "E" heads to "6" is relatively easy. However, redoing the "396021F" in the valley may be trickier.

I may have to grind off the "Edelbrock" from the intake now also.

Nonetheless, I'm still on the fence about the paint finish on the headers...

As a bonus, I'm planning to add "Good Sam Club" and "AAA" stickers to the rear bumper.

 

Why even detail the engine/compartment. Give it the complete sleeper look. The engine music is all you need when you open the cutouts.

 

Eric,

Good point. However, my reason behind detailing the engine compartment is that the car will eventually be painted and become a nice "clean" driver; able to compete in local car shows. Nonetheless, I realize that building a "sleeper" can be defined as one of two types of approaches:

1. A rough-looking heap that shouldn't even be on the road; something that a considerate bystander should set on fire and drop to the bottom of the ocean. Yet, the car has loads of power and surprises other motorists far beyond its ability to not fall apart while moving.

2. A stock-appearing, and presentable, car that appears docile and unmodified; the paint/wheel/engine/interior combination convey an unassuming tone which covertly overshadow the car's true violent nature.

I'm building number 2.

 

Just add chevy or a ford rocker cover that has been made to fit. Ect stuff like that will make there head spin.

 

I subdued the engine bay as much as I could, but the fuel regulator and front plate were hard to hide. I've since replaced the red cap and wires with black, and it's topped by a factory style air cleaner.
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Why not put a quiet exhaust system with electric cutouts on the car. That way it sounds like a sleeper until you open the cutouts. I would go with factory manifold gray for the headers.

 

Fleming442,

I like the sanitary and low-key engine bay. I will have to decide on how to conceal my fuel regulator.


70olds455,

True, I could use another set of Dynomax truck series mufflers that were on the engine before (which really quieted it down a lot) and, like you suggested, open the cutouts to make the locals do a double-take.

I guess I miss the flowmaster rap that this engine used to make through a full system whenever I'd crack the throttle. I may have to give more the exhaust more thought now. Thanks.