57 Camaro
1957 Belair - Camaro Project
Welcome to the revised web site about my 1957 Camaro project. With all the interest my project has attracted it was necessary to dedicate a site just to it. If interested you can visit my other page to see some of my other projects.
When I started the original web pages for the project I was calling the car a “Belaro” just as the manufacturer named the kit. Since getting the car on the road and to many car shows I started to call it a 1957 Camaro and you will notice the name change as I update the pages but for now here is the story of how the project started.
While attending the 2009 Kit Car Nationals in Carlisle, Pennsylvania I saw what is called a 57 Belaro. It is a re-body kit for a 4th generation Chevy Camaro (1993 - 2002) that resembles a 1957 Chevy Belair and is sold by www.easyrods.com
I spoke to Bob Hess from Easy Rods about the car he had on display, he explained the whole conversion process and showed various details on the car. I thought about the kit during the 4 hour drive home, stopping once to read the flyer I had picked up. Once home I spent a couple days researching 1993 - 2002 Camaros and visited www.easyrods.com several times. I decided that if I was going to build a Belaro it had to be a convertible with a 5.7l V8 and six speed manual. This perfectly describes a Z28 convertible.
Finding the Camaro
I searched various used car web sites, eBay, craigslist and the local want ads. I found a couple cars pretty quickly but discovered the car I wanted was one of the most desirable models and was priced to match. I found several 90‘s Z28 convertibles with asking prices of $8,000 or more. I found a bunch under $5,000 but they had been torn apart by previous owners looking to race them. (They pull the interior out and remove various other parts to lighten the car, making it faster.) I didn’t need a perfect car since nearly every body panel would be either removed or covered but the frame had to be straight and the interior complete. Strangely I found a 2000 and a 2001 3.8l V6 convertibles available for around $4,500 and did consider both. The 3.8l V6 is a strong engine and would be a pleasure to drive.
I located a 1995 Chevy Camaro Z28 Convertible 5.7l V8, 6 Speed, power windows and locks on eBay. It had some problems, the top leaked and didn’t operate properly, the rear window leaked, the driver’s window was sluggish and didn’t seal right, the radio was missing, the paint on the hood and trunk lid was peeling and both the front and rear bumpers had crazed paint from being hit. Prior to bidding on any of the cars I looked at I ran a report from www.carfax.com I found the car I was interested in was originally from California, then Washington state. It then went to Kansas and finally to Pennsylvania. Based on that I knew it was not exposed to the horrendous amounts of salt used in the Northeast for snow removal for much of its life.
I bid. I won. Surprisingly, the price didn’t run up as high as I expected, I guess the various problems with the car had scared away the buyers. I made arrangements with the seller to meet at a PA Title transfer agency to complete the sale and allow me to get temporary plates to drive it home. Total cost with fees, taxes, registration, title and payment to the seller came to just over $3,000.
The photos below make the car look better than it actually was but it was is very good condition other than the earlier noted problems. The drive home was a blast, this was my daughter’s first ride in a convertible and she loved it.
Checking over the Camaro
Once home the car was checked over and the various problems repaired. The power convertible top was an easy fix, since 1995 the fluid had seeped out, likely caused by the fact it was removed from its mounting bracket by a previous owner to install a power amplifier. Remounting it, filling the tank and bleeding the air out solved the problem. Cost $1.88 for mineral oil and 20 minutes work. The driver’s window was sluggish and rattled when down. Pulling the interior door panel off allowed inspection. The top guides were loose and someone replaced the power window motor but didn’t tighten it down properly. The motor mounting bolts were loose which allowed the motor to shift and elongate the mounting holes. This put the motor out of position causing it to bind and lift the window at an angle. A couple new bolts and star washers to prevent slipping in the holes solved the problem. Cost $0.50 and 1 hours work. The rear window had been duct taped in such a way that the water was directed in to the car. The top and window needs to be replaced but for now cleaning up everything and applying tape in the proper place solved the leak for now. Installing a radio was very easily done by using a GM wiring adapter purchased along with the radio. The new radio was in and operating in less than 30 minutes but revealed problems with the speakers. Four new matching 6 3/4” speakers took just over an hour to install.
A quick run to the deli for lunch goes wrong...