The Belaro is an aftermarket fiberglass kit that you can install on any fourth generation Camaro (1993 to 2002). With 50 hours of work, you could modify said Camaro to look like a 1957 Chevrolet, though you can immediately tell that it’s not the real thing. This 1999 Chevy Camaro convertible was given the treatment, and it still looks good with just 34,000 miles. Available through a dealer in Palmetto, Florida, this oddity can be found here on eBay for $15,995 (the current bid is only $1,050, well below the seller’s reserve). This tip was brought to us by “Driven By Faith Restorations.”
Belaro kits are/were sold by Easy Rods out of Forked River, New Jersey for $5,595. While they have an active Google listing, their website was last updated in 2012, so we may be speaking in the past tense. The kit would fit any Camaro from the era of the seller’s car and would work on coupes or convertibles. So, the donor would end up with visual cues from 1957, yet it retained all the modern characteristics of a 1999 automobile.
These kits came in 15 pieces, including the front clip, hood, door covers, and rear quarter panels (the latter are glued over the stock pieces). If you worked at it eight hours a day, you should be ready to send the car off for painting after a week. We don’t know when this Camaro was converted, but the work isn’t necessarily fresh.
This Chevy has a 3.8-liter V6 with 4-Speed automatic, so it’s not going to be a badass like a 1968 Camaro SS. This example is one of about 4,100 convertibles produced by Chevrolet in 1999 (we don’t know how many of these were eventually turned into ’57 Bel Airs). This is one of those cars you’re going to immediately love or hate.
I built the Ravel model kit of the Bolero.
Hahahaha!
Music to my ears!
It’s kinda growing on me but not enough to pony up almost $16,000 for it
My eyes couldn’t accept it at first, but it’s pretty cool.
The nose looks great, I want to like it..
That thing is Nasty with a capital n.
It’s an abomination.
ahhhh____nope!!
Add this to the list of things I don’t understand.
Why would you destroy a Camaro and turn it into this monstrosity. It hurts my eyes to look at it.
Because it’s a 3.8? IDK . . .
Nice Belaro Dixon. Was hoping it was the 350ci, 6 speed stick powertrain. Alas this is a much more mild site seeing version.
That is the most messed up rear wheel opening known to man.
The rear wheel opening is weird; overall proportions are discordant to my eye. Some how, I don’t think that a person who grew up with a ’57 would go for this, and vice versa for the Camaro generation. GLWTA!! :-)
What an ugly thing! Why??????
You can get a real shoebox for $16K
Yeah, sorry…add me to the “er, No” side of the discussion.
I guess, it’s a free country so you can do what you want with your own car, and presumably Easy Rods had successful business selling these kits to people? but to me it’s just a mess. admittedly, a 1999 era V6 Camaro is not a priceless irreplaceable classic that they are cutting up to make this, but still…I’d rather just enjoy the stock Camaro. But hey, each to their own. I can think of a lot of other classic cars I’d buy ahead of this, for $16,000
Nothing says ’57 Chevy like an airbag steering wheel.
Oddly enough, I like these. They do quite a bit to pull off the appearance without a ton of work. I suspect with some additional crafting they could improve the look even more. The rear wheel wells and lack of chrome are to immediate fixes.
White was never a good look n a ’57, a more period Tropical Turquoise or Matador red would help. As would a better set of wheels ans these clash with the exterior.
For the right price, this could be a fun driver!
Looks more like a kids bubble bath container!
I like the idea, but the white bumpers don’t work, the rear wheel arch is over styled, and the panel gaps are eye watering not to mention the rear bumper to rear quarter match. You would be taking on a huge amount of work just to avoid being laughed at.
As bad as the 57″ Chevy golf carts I see around my retirement community.
Not bad for a Frankenmobile! It will be the king of double takes. A real head-turner.
No Thanks! I’ll keep my Stock 57 BA!
I don’t hate it as much as I thought I would. I concur with other comments that the bumpers need to be chrome, the rear wheel arch needs reshaping, and it needs more period correct wheels to make it a more credible “tribute.” Agree that another color would be better as well. And of course, a sewing machine engine is not going to win over any nay-sayers. I get the concept of modern reliability with classic looks (I own a resto-mod myself), but when you leave performance out, and go half-a$$ on the presentation, you are going to have a car that appeals to very few.
Hands down, one of the ugliest, poorly designed “cars” that I have had the misfortune of seeing in quite some time. I honestly would not pay $500 for it.
That must sound sweet with the V6 and a flowmaster…not.
It is hard to not liken this marriage to an “abomination” God knows I have tried .Truth stated as one see it, may be deemed as being unkind by someone else but that is not my intention. Being in my advanced 70s I owned a few 1950s all iron wenches from Detroit `s big 3, as soon as I was legal to drive them. I remember what made them special and the little which did not. What wasn`t special about them could easily be made special for would seem like pittances in this balance of time . A gen 4 Camaro is the ugliest abomination ever to be called a Camaro irrespective of what package of mechanicals are hidden under its repulsive skin . Marrying a 4th gen Camaro to a 57 Be fiberglass whatever it can be called is the same as taking the Mona Lisa and painting a handle bar moustache and a Shenandoah, or whaler, beard on her face .With a few brush strokes the 57 beauty is defiled for all time .Beauty is rare …ugliness is pervasive,
That quarter w-o has a weird shape,,needs to be rounded out more,,other wise its interesting
How did I know that this car was from Florida before clicking on the story,lol? You have to wear a ram’s horn necklace to drive this thing.
Well if you have nothing else to do with a 99 Camaro let’s do this. I love resto mods done right but I’ve never cared for kit cars. I think this was a waste of a Camaro.
I remember the first time I saw one of these kit cars in the early 2000’s.
Someone had made a 90’s car look like a 49 Ford and the first time I saw it I almost fell for it until I took a closer look and realized the size was off.
But it actually didn’t look to bad.
I guess beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
I had the ‘misfortune” of laying eyes on one of these years ago. The fit and finish of the kit is horrible. I couldn’t believe anyone would actually go to the expense and trouble to put this together. Not a bad idea mind you but whoever did the sculpting for the kit really missed the mark. It could have been made so much better.
I clicked on the Easy Rods link in the write up. The pictures show the rear wheel opening more in keeping with a true ’57 Chevy. The builder of this must have messed up somehow.
I also confirmed my sketchy memory: it is the same company that makes the kit to convert an ’89-97 T- Bird to a ’49-’50 Ford.
I must say the Belaro looks better proportioned than the Shoebox Ford, they are both a hard pass in my opinion.
I have seen two of these over the years both had very bad body lines and gaps, either molds or instillation problems. looked ok at 100 to 150 feet. Does not want me to give up my old school 57 that I still drive for comfort. Buyer beware
In my opinion this thing is wart hog ugly and I hadn’t even noticed the rear wheel wells. They make it even more atrocious. I can’t for the life of me see how anyone could find this thing even remotely attractive. If you want to see how a well done “tribute car” should look like, check out Trans Am World’s ’70 Chevelle SS.
Might be a nice car….if you work at the circus !
Your comment makes perfect sense to me.
If finished better it could grow on me. Spend a lot more time finishing the body work, ends of bumpers, rear wheel openings etc. I really thought some one would have said it by now, LS it for more fun.
You would be well served to perhaps read the guidelines for posting on Barn Finds.
My father told me that the truth never had to stand up in a fight.
I’m sitting down.
It’s a bit early for April 1st jokes, but this would win 1st place.
I agree with Moparman. That rear wheel opening is just odd. Where they drinking a 40 oz. when they designed the rear quarter’s mold?
“why”
$5595 in 2012 is about $7900 today.
That’s not too bad for a kit like this, so at least they weren’t killing anyone that wanted to do something like this.
One thing’s for damn sure: You’d be the only one in your neighborhood who had one!
No… just N O.
No… just N O.
I just threw-up!
Ended at $7,800.
Reserve Not Met.
Imagine that.