It never ceases to amaze me just how many kit cars were available throughout the 70s and 80s, especially hose that were based on the Volkswagen Beetle chassis. It seems like there was no limit to the kits that someone handy with fiberglass could come up with, and as we can see with this rare “Macho” Z-28 kit car found here on Facebook Marketplace, you convert your humble Bug into a mean street machine with a few hours on a Saturday afternoon and a little help from your friend Miller Light.
This is one of those eras of the automotive hobby that I’m more than a little surprised has completely disappeared from the landscape. I don’t mean that there aren’t still folks out there keeping these oddballs alive, but more that the industry responsible for creating such vehicles has all but dried up. I suppose the fact that cars are no longer seen as the blank canvas for artistic expression that they once were has a lot to do with it. The seller’s Camaro kit appears to be in reasonably good condition, and the listing notes it is believed to be one of only about six ever made.
The period marketing materials that accompany the listing seem to suggest that the original builder, a company based out of Pennsylvania, had big plans to market these Bug-based mini Camaros. I mean, you have a fully kitted-out model along with a sweet vintage airplane in the brochure photos – surely, you had big plans for this fledgling fiberglass manufacturer. The listing further notes that the kit is heavy, requiring 3 to 4 able-bodied men to move it. The finished product looks very cool in photos.
This wasn’t the only vendor to put forth a miniature Camaro based on the Beetle chassis, as other websites have noted the existence of a kit called the “Funtastik” made by a company called KAR. The fact that there were actual competitors in this space shows you just how wild this era of automotive customization was, and this kit car would look sweet parked next to a van with similar colors and body decals. The possibilities are endless, but we hope to see this compact kit car come back to life in practically any form that’s viable.
Wow. I have no words.
🗣 Mucho Macho Ed.
With a little help from Miller Light? I’d be going straight to Jim Beam.
I’ll stick with the Vega as my favorite lil’ Camaro.
Just because you can form something in fiberglass doesn’t mean that you should form something in fiberglass.
I’m kind of surprised there weren’t lawsuits from GM for use of the “Z28” name and the likeness to the front end.
Probably why there were only 6 made.
Sometimes the rush into production predates (or bypasses) review by the Legal Department. Or the three guys in a garage decide they don’t need no stinking lawyers.
It can get expensive, to even shutting your business down. Both Hummer and Roxor went afoul of the corporate owners of Jeep trademarks, and were forced to redesign – or engage in an expensive defense, which Hummer did win.
The case of a guy with a shop and fiberglass molds, against GM? No contest. Bailiff, call the next case…
There were a couple similar in my town as a kid, except that they had ‘70- ‘73 grills and taillights
Is no one going to mention the Macho Trans Am? Built from 76-79 out of Phoenix, AZ? They were the real deal for the time. Couple of them were even turbo charged. This was a year before Pontiac did the same with the weaker ,301.
There have been several Macho T/As featured here on Barn Finds. Use the Search feature to find them.
I was on a trip to Iowa with a friend and somewhere between upstate New York and Iowa we pulled off to get gas and there were a few of these bodies not far off the exit. I had never seen them before or since and have wondered if I imagined them.
What a blast from the past. It’s not hard to imagine that this exists what with all the kits and dune buggy bodies for VWs back then. So finally we have the ultimate do what you want car. LS swap? Sure. Go EV? Why not. Of course this could become a real live Odd Rod! I mean, wouldn’t that be cool?
Make a nice planter.
The only car suitable for “yard art”.
It looks like somebody accidentally washed a Camaro in hot water! I think it’s pretty cool, but I love Chevrolet and anything that looks like a GM gets me going.. Wouldn’t this be cool to drive to a C&C? Promise you’d be surrounded and answering a thousand questions….😂
When the laughing died down? You could answer their questions.
Now that’s a barn find! But ok you found it now put it back Only 6 made jeez can’t imagine why LOL
Not enough miller lite or more likely Busch or moonshine
Great find!!
The Buyers Remorse has got to be off the chart on this one.
Those bolt right on to a VW PAN by pre drilling lights it’s a 1day assembly after paint
Their super easy to slap on.
Your build on your vw engine or whatever is all you anything from LS swaps to 911twin turbos – personally the look & sound of a velocity stacked big American V-8 does it for me.
Mad MAX style & with Twin Vulcan Cannon mini guns in front, canister fed & center console joystick 🕹 control to take care of pests.😎
These ugly things wouldn’t look “sweet” parked next to a chocolate factory.
Yikes!!! Without DOORS, I’d “take it light” on the MILLER LITE!
I have no words…
This “thing” and the word Camaro do not belong together.
Word to self, a VW sure makes one ugly Camaro!
That’s not “… a sweet vintage airplane in the brochure photos…”, it’s a glider.
Say…that looks like a Schweizer 2-33 in the background of the promo material? I got my sailplane rating in a 2-22 waaay back in ’74. What great fun those old gliders were.
I guess it would be called a ZW.