Grey Ghost

Is it real ?



http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...&category=6168

62fuelie

Might be, but I don't see anything that would require a special order. Unless the fender flares are factory.

Z-07 freak

I like those factory original side exhaust pipes.
"transmission appears to be original"

67L36Driver

Vin plate and trim tag rivits look OK. Car was sold to a Dale Hunter in Mich. What makes it a "COPO" or maybe

jerrybramlett

I think the seller is calling it a COPO because the selling "dealer" shown in the warranty book is the Chevrolet Central Office.

It might be a neat car to restore. However, I can't really tell from the eBay description. It's kinda vague on some important points. Is that block the original 427 or not? Is the frame rusty? Is the P-O-P that is "available" with it included and for this particular car?

I'm not afraid of a mid-year that needs a front end and both quarters. Most of them do. I guess it scares me a little though when a seller gushes about how his Corvette has its original floor pans and firewall. I thought that was a given.

Vetterodder

I don't know if this applies here but GM had an employee purchase program that might have resulted in such a protecto plate. Employees could sign up to purchase corporate executive cars at a greatly reduced price. The deal allowed them to order what they wanted, an exec would use the car for 6 months, and then the car would be delivered to the employee. I don't know when that program started or ended but a neighbor of mine that worked at the Fremont plant aquired a Buick GS through it around 1970.

comp

Hmmmm hadn't heard that

Veet 66

Looks like a barn fine gone bad. Let's see. $15,000. for the car and about another $35,000. in parts throw in the labor and paint job.
The 2005 vettes are starting to look good.

67ratrag

That vacuum sound you hear is the money being sucked out of your wallet to redo this fine "COPO" car.

Ironcross

I believe the COPO cars were first introduced in the 1969 model run. Yenkos and Berger dealership built Camaros and Chevy twos were basically 1968 year cars. Merely non matching engine number cars after being converted to 427`s at dealerships who then applied there own fancy dress up kits after the engine swap. Therefore the authenticity of a 1966 anything as a COPO piece would but doubtful to me. However anything is possible at GM as there was one Z28 1968 Camaro "convertible" built.

muncieman

I seem to remember tha guy who owns Zip products had a 67 copo car, looked forever for the motor and presto, the motor with the correct numbers showed up. Proof once again that the right amount of cash can make anything possible.

If I remeber right it had some sort of special paint scheme as well.

jerrybramlett

The GM COPO program existed (and probably still does in some form) primarily to produce fleet vehicles. You know, like taxis, police cars, government service vehicles, utility company trucks, etc. High performance type COPO's were only a small part of the overall scope.

I don't know about Wayne Walker of Zip Products owning a COPO. I do know he found an original GM-built '69 ZL1 Corvette in the late seventies. It was yellow with a funky black hood surround stripe. He bought the welded-together remains of the original 427 block from a local racer in a separate deal. This car was eventually bought by Roger Judski at a government auction of drug case seizures. Wayne Walker wasn't the drug dealer; it was a subsequent owner.

TJefferson2020

I don't know much about COPO but I don't see anything on the "paperwork" that indicates that it belongs to this car. Also, I think it's too old to be part of the COPO program. In everything I've ever read about rare Vette's never heard of a COPO one. I think it's just another sad, thrashed vette and one more EBAY B.S.'er. I'd give him $1K for it...

JohnZ

Just another basket case with a Flash Gordon hand-laid front clip and a backyard re-stamp block. Chevrolet Central Office-delivered cars weren't COPO's - they were plain ordinary cars, ordered for execs that participated in the Product Evaluation Program, and were shipped to the Company Car Garage. I drove PEP cars for many years, and turned them over every 3000 miles.

Some folks think all manner of super-whizbang top-secret custom-built hot-rod specials were produced all the time for GM execs; didn't happen (except for the '68 Z/28 convertible built for Pete Estes, and although only one was built, it was no problem to build at the plant, as all the parts were already there for the coupe). Plants building 1,000 cars a day didn't have the time or expertise to build "specials" any time someone wanted one.

MosportGreen66

COPO

The Restorer that restored my 1966 L-72 Has TWO out of the THREE 1966 COPO's Full Docs on both. To my knowledge the third 66 COPO was destroyed. I can't believe for anything that this is the third COPO.

1KULC7

Here is a little history on the Central Office Production Order...

Throughout the 1960's, Chevrolet Central Office approved orders providing for a special combination of options that were requested by customers. These orders could have been placed for a single vehicle or a fleet of vehicles to be built. A majority of COPOS included 6 cylinder engines equipped with a variety of transmissions for taxis and delivery vehicles. The only restrictions placed on the orders were that RPO (regular production option) parts be available, and Chevrolet Engineering Department review and sign off on the order.

Yenko incorporated this process with the 1966 Stinger Corvair. He ordered 3.89 axle ratios and dual master cylinders using COPO'S in his fleet order.

Again in 1967, Yenko used a COPO to order the 140 HP engine that had been discontinued at the end of the 1966 model year. He was able to continue his Stinger program because of this COPO.


During 1965, Don Yenko was having his share of problems. His Corvette was being outclassed by the lighter, Ford powered Shelby products. He needed Chevrolet to build a more competitive car. But after many discussions with the Corporate office, nothing was forthcoming. Don then decided, if Carol Shelby could produce his own race car, so could he!

Don chose to build his race car using the rear-engine Corvair, which had undergone a suspension upgrade in 1965. He approached the SCCA with the idea, but they said sorry, the Corvair is a sedan, not a sports car. Undaunted, Don suggested that by removing the back seat, and making improvements in the engine, brakes and suspension, he would "re-manufacture" the Corvairs into Sports Cars and call them Stingers.

SCCA tentatively agreed to Don's request, but indicated in manufacturing this sports car, there needed to be 100 cars produced. One hundred was SCCA's minimum production requirement. And further, if Yenko was to compete in the 1966 season, these cars had to be completed before the 1966 race season started!

It was toward the end of November, 1965 when Don got the approval from SCCA. He had only one month to purchase and modify 100 cars. However, he was so determined to have a winning season, 100 Ermine White Chevy Corvair Corsa's ended up in his back lot in mid December with Yenko Serial Numbers on them!

Don sold a few Stinger kits in 1966 to owners, before placing another order for COPO 1967 cars late in 1966. This new batch, built in February, 1967, had an added feature: they came in Marina Blue or Bolero Red! It appears that SCCA eliminated the mandatory white color for US cars starting in 1967

Since the Corsa had been discontinued at the end of the 1966 model year, these new cars were ordered as Monzas.

There was also an additional problem. Chevrolet had discontinued the 140 HP option for 1967. Yenko was extremely upset, as he needed this optional engine to be competitive. Well, by the time these Stingers were built, they did have factory 140 engines built using a COPO.

The COPO process again took on a new meaning by being used to order race cars that otherwise would not have been produced. Fred Gibb, a Chevrolet dealer and race car sponsor, felt that he could be competitive with a 1968 Nova equipped with an L-78 engine and Turbo 400 transmission. The problem, however, was that Chevrolet offered only an L-78 engine (396-375) with a manual transmission. Fred and Vince Piggins at Chevrolet solved the dilemma by using COPO 9738.

A total of 50 RPO L78 Super Sport Novas were ordered under this COPO by Gibb, which included an experimental Turbo 400 transmission. This COPO marks the first time that Chevrolet had ever equipped an automatic transmission behind a solid lifter engine in production.

By 1968 it was clear that Yenko couldn't keep up with the demand for 427 Camaros, so he approached Chevrolet about the possibility of getting factory equipped 427 Camaros. This led to the birth of two special options, COPO 9561 and COPO 9737.

The Central Office Production Order (COPO) was a back door around Chevrolet's performance limits. COPO 9561 was the factory 427 cid 425 hp Camaro, and COPO 9737 was the Sport Car Conversion Kit, consisting of E70X15 tires on Rally Wheels, a 140 mph speedometer, and a 1 inch front stabilizer bar. The first COPO 9561 cars were delivered to Yenko Chevrolet in January, 1969.

As the cars were received, Yenko sent them to various shops to receive emblems, decals, and options ordered. Window stickers, and other factory documentation were removed from the cars and a Yenko window sticker was applied.

It is thought that Yenko wanted to keep the COPO order a secret from other dealers as well as the customers. The secret didn't last long, as the Berger ties to Chevrolet quickly resulted in an order for 50 cars. Other dealers soon followed suit, including several of the original Super Car distributors. Internal Chevrolet memos as of June, 1969 indicate that there were at least 500 L-72 Camaros scheduled to be built in 1969. The actual production number is still not known. Yenko and Berger Camaros also contained a separate COPO (9737) for 15 inch tires, a 140 M.P.H. speedometer, and a 13/16" front stabilizer shaft. Few other dealers ordered this other COPO.

Records indicate that there were 201 Camaros and 99 Chevelles ordered by Yenko under these COPO's.

Chevrolet ordering guidelines specified that all COPOs built were to be made available to any Chevrolet dealer. This held true for COPOs 9560 ,9561, 9562, and 9737. There is one early built L-72 COPO Camaro that had an X22 code for Style Trim. The remaining L-72's had X-11 or X44 codes indicating no Style Trim.

Word got out fast about the L-72's, especially with the high performance Chevrolet dealers. The same did not hold for COPO 9737, as apparently few dealers knew about it. Only Yenko Chevrolet, Berger Chevrolet, Emmert Chevrolet, and a few Ohio based Chevrolet dealers are on record as receiving this option.

As of July, 1969 only 700 COPOs were in process for the model year, according to Chevrolet. We know more orders were placed after this memo came out, because production of the L-72 cars went on until mid-November, 1969. If we subtract out all L-72 Chevelle and ZL-1 production, there is a range of between 500 and 1000 (Tonawanda Engine production) L-72 Camaros built in 1969.

There were two mandatory options required by COPO 9561, power front disc brakes and either a 4-speed manual or special turbo 400 automatic transmission.

In 1970, Don Yenko continued support for his Super Car dealer network by providing a high performance vehicle intended to side-step the insurance industry high-performance categories. The insurance companies virtually ruined sales of 1969 Camaros and Chevelles by the end of 1969 by making insurance premiums prohibitively expensive or not available at all.

Enter the DEUCE, a small block Nova without the Super Sport name plate, but including all the high performance features of the Super Sport plus much more. Using COPO 9010 for an engine conversion, and COPO 9737 for the Sports Car Conversion Package. In addition to Yenko's Deuce, there is also at least one documented Nova that had COPO 9010/9737. This car was delivered to new to Canada.

A 1981 Camaro was the last attempt by Don Yenko to build the ultimate performance car, with the added feature of comfort. The cars were fully optioned and came in Stage I and Stage II.

Now lets look at the COPO for CORVETTES...Corvette Fever rode along with Larry Gerig in his ´67 COPO Corvette. The car was a special order for the plant manager of the St. Louis Assembly Plant, Louis J. Biskach. Following Mr. Biskach’s ownership, the car then went to a Chevrolet dealership where it was sold. NOTE the difference between the COPO Corvette and the COPO Corvair, Chevelles and Camaros...Chevrolet put special engines in the others, but the Corvette was just a purchase by an employee....

Most of the COPO Corvette that are well know were in 1969 models, however, in 1967, Don Yenko was an SCCA national champion and both he and his father Frank counted among their close personal friends such influential people as the aforementioned Zora Duntov, Corvette Chief Engineer, and Ed Cole, president of General Motors. Those connections to the powers that be at GM were crucial because the L88 would not be released for production until after Sebring. Managers at DX understandably wanted to compete at this important race and would therefore need their L88 immediately. Don Yenko was probably the only Chevrolet dealer in the world who could pick up his telephone and call the president of GM at home to ask for a personal favor. He made the call and Ed Cole issued the necessary edict. As was standard procedure when a car that did not conform to regular production parameters was approved, a Chevrolet Central Office Production Order (COPO for short) was issued. The progeny of that COPO, the L88 Corvette offered here, would go on to lead a storied and glorious life.

So if this car is a 1966, don't think it's a COPO....I find NO record of a 1966 COPO car that would be a race prepared or special engineered Corvette. However many records do indicate EMPLOYEES from the factory ordered cars, considered them COPO and were picked up at a dealer...technically, its COPO, but personally I don't consider them COPOs like the Camaro etc. that were specially built cars making them rare....


Sorry for being long, but I used to own a 1969 Yenko Camaro, and know a little about this subject, so I thought I would share....

Paul Borowski

Were'nt the "1966 L-88" cars that have been found(may have been only one?)a COPO???

Tim Gilmore

A COPO car could be something as simple as a paint job. There are 1967 Corvettes that are silver with red interior, this is a non-recomended color combination and is ordered as a COPO due to the paint. The silver/red big block that is usually in the Corvette Coral at the Road America vintage races is a documented COPO car that was ordered by the King of Belgum.
I agree with JohnZ, this car was delivered to the Central Office, it was not a COPO car. The ZL1 and L88 cars were RPO's not COPO's. Anyone could order a ZL1 or L88 through any dealerwith no special paperwork needed.