Mini Camaro Kit Car3 Comment

Camaro | Sat, 07 Mar 2009 Posted by : Shannon Larratt

Another one of the mini Camaro kit cars just sold on eBay (#290298804456) in Cambridge, MD for the low price of $1,950 — for such a rare car, they sure do seem to show up for sale quite often. This one has a Corvair engine and the very short chassis, and will need a fair amount of work to get running. By the way, unlike the Corvette replica that I spoke of rather negatively, I like the mini Camaro because it’s sort of a cartoon version and really screams “fun”. I’ve mentioned before that these were at one made by KAR, but I’ll add here that they were also manufactured in the late seventies by a company called Glass Vac, who also made dune buggies and a few other replicas.

Kar Z-28 Camaro VW Mini Funny Car3 Comment

Camaro | Wed, 21 Jan 2009 Posted by : Shannon Larratt

Jeremy found some old paperwork from KAR Manufacturing, who made the VW-based Mini-Camaro that I’ve posted a couple times in the past. From their ads, it looks like the company’s background included making Shriner cars for parades, as well as miniature funny cars for the street, which is where the “Funtastik” Mini-Camaro came from. The car was made in two version, the first of which was a tiny car, designed to fit on a VW chassis shortened by a full 24″ (to 70″).

The overall length of the short version was 145″ with a 70″ width, and 44″ to the height of the Landau frame. The car had a curb weight of only 1065 pounds, giving it good performance even with a stock driveline.

The second version was a 94″ wheelbase (stock VW) version fitting a long version of their Z-28 replica. The total length came up to 170 inches, and the weight climbed to 1210 pounds. You can easily identify it from the front as it’s the one with the spoiler.

Mini-Camaro For Sale4 Comment

Camaro, eBay, For Sale | Sun, 10 Aug 2008 Posted by : Shannon Larratt

Thanks to an eBay auction in Asheboro, North Carolina (#220267546925), I finally have an ID on those hilarious miniature Camaro kits that I’ve posted a couple of. The seller writes,

The kit was built by KAR Manufacturing Company, of Monson, Massachusetts, owned by Dick & Leroy Shorette, who — back in the day — were as big as Bruce Meyers and George Barris in the dune buggy industry, from the 60′s until 1975, when they were forced by oppressive Federal and Commonwealth regulations to shut down. They built thousands of well-known kit car models, including the “Wildcat”, the “Cheetah” and the “Touring T”.

They also claim that this is one of only five ever made, which I think is probably a little low. Sitting on a shortened ’63 VW pan, this example is powered by a 1965 140HP Corvair engine with a Corvair powerglide transmission (it’s not mated to the VW transmission). It’s the nicest example of this rare kit that I’ve ever seen with a gorgeous paintjob and a solid interior (dash is out of a Corsa model Corvair, and the windshield is from a ’66 to ’69 Corvette). Everything except the gas tank sender works. The t-tops are removable and can be stored behind the rear seats. Inner door panels (not that it has doors) come with the car but are not currently installed.

On one hand this car is sort of cartoonish and silly — with a few changes you’d expect it to be a kiddie car… But on the other hand, I think that’s part of its charm. The asking price is a very fair $3,995 — if you like the look of this toy, now is the time to get it, because you probably won’t see one in this shape for sale again.

VW-Based Camaro Replica/Buggy5 Comment

Camaro, For Sale, VW Beetle | Fri, 20 Jun 2008 Posted by : Shannon Larratt

Although I’ve seen a couple of these for sale over the years, this heavily “buggified” second-gen Camaro-style body mounted on a shortened VW Beetle chassis (with a secondary tube frame on the rear) is still very rare so I’ve been able to find out very little about it — if anyone knows anything about the history of the manufacturer, please do mention it in the comments. The body is a single piece with no doors (although this example does have removable t-tops) and is finished in a metalflake green. I’m not sure if this one has been modified to fit a new windshield and top, because most of the ones I’ve seen (one, two) are running a flat windshield with no top.

Anyway, Wayne, the current owner, is asking $5,000 — amusing because of course an actual Camaro is dime-a-dozen — or is willing to trade for a beach buggy or motorcycle. He’s located in Manchester, KY, and can be reached at felicia@newwavecomm.net.