sleepers....how fast and how plain before it is one?

I'm gonna disagree with you on this. Back in the day we didn't have data-loggers, or sensor input/output readings. We didn't have info from the wheel speed sensors to tell us if our tires were spinning or if it was slipping in the clutch. Heck, we didn't even have A/F ratio readings from our wideband O2 sensors to tell us if we were lean or fat on the jets or air bleeds.
Back in "the day" we couldn't send our spark plugs to a tuner in the midwest with a SASE and have him send us back a tune we could plug into our carb.

and my first turbo build i didnt have any of that either. still read the plugs as well. boost controller was a spring valve and a knob on it.
but i get what your sayin about the availability of help today is far superior. the fact people trust in paid help goes a ling ways. back in the day everybody was sneeky or untrustworthy to allow them to touch your stuff.