i recently purchased my 1999 tl and already have some mods done and several more already on the way. my question is, can some folks post photos of their cars which are sleepers(fast and improved handling/performance) without looking or sounding fast.

i like to drive aggressively in the city but cannot afford any tickets, therefore i dont want a loud noise where cops will look to see who its coming from. IE i want to drive fast withouth sounding it. actually im 34 and use my car for driving clients 20% of the time, so i cannot have a car that sounds heavily modded.

all mods were selected for best performance gains for the $$$$, but i wanted to maintain the stock look while adding some style yet remain as quiet as possible.

the things i have done so far or will have by next week include

tint 35%
TSX 17x7 rims 215-50-17's
K&N filter (soon to be sold with Cleaning kit - 10 days old $45.00 shipped)
02 cup holder

next week
H&R OE Springs
Icebox
UR Pulley

currently considering CT rear sway bar. any other suggestions would be appreciated. also, my budget is now officially busted. please dont recommend nitrous or CT supercharger cause i cannot even consider these $$$$. headers a possiblity but probably not due to price.. exhaust definitely out of the question.

please provide suggestions. thanks

 

Damn your cutting a huge chunk of potential performance gains. Without the exhaust or headers I believe your done, besides getting a spoiler, oem body kit, the external stuff. Adding the sways will give you better handling, but w/ your current and upcoming mods, I would spend it on the Apex or HKS axle backs. Somebody please correct me if I am wrong. One of those exhaust is suppose to be as close to stock. Where you getting the pulley and who's doing the install? I'm thinking about getting one myself.

 

If I wanted to build an affordable all-motor 100% bolt-on sleeper I'd first pick a debadged TLS. Then get the parts listed below.

-The lightest 17x7.5 wheels with 245/45-17 tires
-H&R sport springs
-Eibach sways
-Comptech icebox
-Non-Comptech SS headers
-UR Crank pulley

Anything else will either cost more $$$, or is mainly for show.

 

hey guys.

i do agree, that if i owned a tl's, i would have a better platform to mod from while keeping the sleeper look. problem is that i have a 1999 model.

i will post after the mods have been added to report on the gains and some photos too.

finally
b

 

HEADERS! HEADERS! HEADERS! BEST go-fast bang-for-buck hands down. find some of the cheaper brands and GO GO GO

 

dont forget type-s throttle body

 

I agree...you can get headers for not that much and they add the most HP w/o costing an arm or a leg and you wont have any extra sound - keep your sleeper wants. Plus you WILL notice a good improvement, even with the '99

 

im building a sleeper .. only problem is not many cars try to push me to race since i look 100% stock other than the drop and tints.. so im always hunting cars down to play with.....

 

Exhaust provide only a few HP, as our stock exhausts are already quite good already. The only time exhaust is required is if the car is heavily modified.

 

I don't think that will work with the Icebox, something about the diameter of throttle body.

 

Stone header, alphawerks, obx, around $350.

 

sleeper handling mods
(1) suspension (whether it be springs/shocks or coilovers) - $$ to $$$
(2) high performance tires - $$$
(3) sways - $$

sleeper performance mods
(1) headers (very good $-to-hp gain ratio) used CT or alphawerks... good reviews so far - $$ to $$$$
(2) ct icebox (near-stock sounding but power gain) - $$
(3) UR pulley (great power increase across entire band) - $

^ for the UR pulley there is currently a special going on for just 175 bucks shipped. The original price is like ~235 (?) so if you don't want to miss this opportunity get it before the 30th

Hope this helps ya.

 

i got the wider/larger rims, upgraded tires, icebox, lowering springs, tint, and pulley covered.

looks like the main things to contemplate at this time or in the future are ct headers, and ct rear sway bar. i guess if i find either of these on the blackmarket, i might bite.

i hope they dont become available cause im getting broke like it aint no joke!!!!
also, im sorta attracted to the subtle look of the m5 spoiler.

audi
b

 

i forgot to add a great yet not too costly upgrade... brakes!
rotora rotors + ebc greenstuff brake pads sounds good.

nice! car feels a lot better than stock already eh?

haha man I feel ya. actually this entire board feels ya

yeah, the m5 lip spoiler is a very nice touch... one of the future mods I plan to do for my baby

 

To be absolutely honest, almost all the mods are sleeper mods. There aren't many ricer mods that would really make the TL stand out except for maybe the Sarona body kit and some of the louder exhausts, and the generic underbody neons and accessories. Otherwise, the drop, OEM/WW kit, etc are all subtle mods that retain that sleeper look.

 

yeah i agree. but i do agree that some have taken this beautiful car and taken it down an alternate path, turning it into something quite different.

another reason i want the sleeper look is because i love to whip them 4 bangers with their coffee can mufflers and with their drivers looking all surprised like WTF?!. also the more stock the look, the less likely it is that someone will mess with your car or even worse, try to steal it.

is it difficult for someone to hotwire one of our cars, or am i correct that the key has some type of chip which makes it more difficult.

thanks

 

What is the smallest drop you can do for our cars. I have a '01 tl-p. Some one said that h&r sport springs sag in the back?

I would only think about dropping maybe 1.25 inch or so, nothing over 1.75 at the most. And I heard that most people have alignment problems with springs and that you need coilovers? What exactly are coilovers?

Thanks

 

red... there are other choices besides Comptech headers which are cheaper. there are OBX, Alphawerks and Megan.. off the top of my head. Alphawerks and Megan are relatively new so there's pretty much no long term reviews on them but so far they both seem promising for a lot less than comptech headers. Also, why are you only considering the rear comptech sway bar? there is a front as well. Besides comptech sway bars, there are also Eibach sway bars.

 

If you want performance/speed, don't get tires wider than 215. On a budget, should get rear sways next. Then save up for your headers and rotors/brake pads. Thats what I would do!

 

H&R OE springs - 1"/0.75"
Tein Luxury Master - 1.3"/1"

something like that... here check out this thread about these two springs!
https://acurazine.com/forums/showthread.php?t=96643

 

subtledreamer! Send you pics tonight!

 

i've been waiting!! :P

 

If you really don't want people to mess with your car, avoid gaudy rims if any rims at all and the sarona body kit. I think that's the best way to keep the sleeper look.

 

i agree, i will stay away from the sarona kit. if i do add to the exterior at this point (beyond the black chrome license frames, window tint, drop, and 17 inch TSX rims, it will be the M5 spoiler for subtle effect. i also sorta like that stubby 2" antennae the some put on the center rear of their roof. also fogs would be nice too.

the factory kit (less rear spoiler) would be my choice for kits, but i highly doubt i will get one and instead will just going to enjoy the car as it is. i really dont want some highschoolers(no offense to the younger posters on this site) trying to scope out my car.
i feel that if i add the kit, it will attract unwanted attention and detract from the sleeper look that im going for.

i do subscribe to the theory of less can be more.
my previous car was a black on tan gs300 riding on wide gs400 rims. the only exterior upgrades i had were chrome license frames, dark tint, and polished exhaust tips.

car was aggressive and styling at the same time.
keeping the look professional and drivable at the same time.
thats my goal with the tl as well.

peace
b

 

redbaronace can you post some put of your TL with TSX wheels. I have been thinking about doing that to my TL.

 

that my friend is the XM radio antenna

 

I know I have tried to reach the limit of the TL-S in "city" driving... Have not succeeded yet, however; and I live in South Florida, where the "city" is rather open... Granted, I do have one of the fastest TL-Ses produced, but it is stock... If you are "broke", the stubby antenae will be a waste of money (nothing says sleeper like a totally stock exterior). I would invest in an excellent radar detector, some positive suspention components as well as tires and brakes... Then again, your clients might appreciate the "near-luxury" experience they get right now while being driven in your TL. (cost: 2 cents)

 

yeah i agree about keeping it completely stock on the exterior, but personally i feel that the car is boring in its stock configuration. it needs at the very least some larger rims and lowering.

however, to go overboard would have a negative effect and detract from the professional image i desire from my vehicles. my colleagues are driving Luxury SUV's, Benzes, Lexus, and the like. Last thing i want to portray is a car thats looking like a riced out civic.

looks like im 90% done with modding my TL. thanks to all who responded.

 

To me a sleeper is a stock looking car that has some big time mods on it. Something that blends in with surrounding cars in looks, but definitely stands out in acceleration, and performance.

Without any major engine work (3.5 upgrade) FI, or even at least headers, I wouldnt call what you are building a sleeper. Each of those mods has only mild gains, and wouldnt put you that far above the rest of the pack. To me it would just be a mildly modded TL, but thats just my opinion. Take it for what its worth.

 

 

 

i always thought mine was a sleeper.

 

i plan on headers and a pulley.
i have a magnaflow catback to be installed next week.
just got the parts.

 

 

no comments about the kids...
or i'll tell the moderator!.

 

cute kids

anyways, i wouldnt call that a sleeper.

 

yeh definitely not a sleeper

 

You want a real sleeper? Get a CTS-V debadge it, put the regular CTS front, rear bumpers, and side skirts. And make the dual exhaust exit one side. 400 HP LS6 With stock looks.

 

My car is a sleeper. I have a stock muffler and no b-pipe, so the car is pretty quiet.
Check out my sig for my mods.

Sigs not working, anyway.
Mugen: thermostat, radiator cap, fan switch.
Transmission cooler.
Wilwood 6-piston calipers, 13"Coleman racing rotors.
Comptech: supercharger, headers.
Hope systems Intercooler, Greddy E-Manage, Pulleys at 10 psi.

 

now THAT is a sleeper.