How A 1979 Camaro Became A War Veteran
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This story is pretty badass…
While most people in Western Europe and North America were horrified to see the human suffering during the Yugoslav wars in the 1990s, one man decided to jump in his 1979 Chevrolet Camaro and do something. Helge Meyer wasn’t just another guy, he was a veteran of Denmark’s elite Jaeger Corps, a special forces unit similar in nature to the US Army’s Delta Force, so he already knew what dealing with war-torn areas was like. Applying his unique expertise, the man was able to do what others couldn’t or wouldn’t, becoming a hero to many in Bosnia during desperate times.
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Despite foreign countries trying to help, many of their supply trucks were destroyed or commandeered before they could reach the civilian population. Food, medicine, and other necessities onboard would fall into the hands of military units, police, militia, etc. and were hoarded. People were starving to death and Meyer felt it was his calling to do something.
The plan was to use the 1979 Camaro he bought to make high-speed runs to besieged Bosnian towns, providing much-needed supplies to innocent civilians caught in the conflict. To reach them, Meyer would have to navigate through roads where land mines and IEDs were common, something which could easily rip apart a Humvee, let alone a Chevy.
Instead of just charging in guns blazing, Meyer appealed to the United States Air Force. They saw the value in the Danish military veteran’s plan, lending logistical and technical support so his efforts wouldn’t be in vain.
As you can tell from the photos, Meyer modified the muscle car with the help of Air Force technicians. A matte black paint job was applied, helping the vehicle to drive at night without detection. For good measure, that paint was infrared-defeating. Run-flat tires could take bullets and keep rolling. Ballistic windows, plus Extra steel panels and Kevlar guarded against bullets damaging the powertrain or puncturing the cabin. Keeping the 5.7-liter V8, it was tuned to churn out 220-horsepower, which was decent for the time.
What’s more, a big nitrous system was added, reportedly providing over 200-hp when necessary. The interior was stripped to the bare metal and only the essentials were added back in, freeing up space to transport supplies. A night vision system helped with driving without any lights on after dark, while body-heat sensors allowed Meyer to more easily spot hostile combatants before it was too late. The Camaro was even outfitted with a mine-clearing blade. Finally, a ground-to-air radio system was added, allowing Meyer to communicate with Air Force pilots directly. A beefy bull bar was added later.
As crazy as it might sound, Meyer didn’t roll around in the Ghost Car, as it came to be known, with any weapons on him. The man wore a donated PASGT vest and helmet, plus he always carried cigarettes and his Bible, but that was all he had in the way of protection other than the Camaro.
An American transport plane flew Meyer and his Camaro into war-torn Bosnia. He immediately made Vukovar the heart of his operations, regularly ducking around and eluding military units as well as the police, militias, and irregular fighters. Literally putting his life on the line to help innocent civilians, Meyer won the respect of US Air Force and Army personnel. The man earned the nickname God’s Rambo because of his fearless and effective methods.
The Ghost Car is still owned by Meyer and is stored in his garage, although he’s removed the infrared matte black paint, favoring orange for its civilian life.
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