COPO FIRST 427 CARS

[ZL1]

THE FIRST 427 COPO (Central Office Production Order) CAR IN THE WORLD WAS BUILT IN HAWAII IN 1965


Yenko started production of the COPO 396 and 427 Camaro in 1967.


At this time, I worked for a Toyota/Chevrolet dealer in Hawaii. Through the support of the owner, I built a 1955 Chevy Bel-Air, 2 Door Sedan, with bucket seats, console, and button puff interior.


In September 1965, the first shipment of new 1966 cars arrived. I chose the Chevrolet Caprice and installed the complete Turbo-Jet 427/425 HP engine, M22 Transmission, Drive Shaft, HD Radiator, Starter, Alternator, Clutching Fan, Transistorized Ignition and a Chevelle 12 bolt 4:88 Rear End. Additionally, I installed Headers and the Corvette off-road exhaust side-pipes, under the car, exiting in front of the rear tires.


In 1967 (before the 20 COPO L-88 Corvettes came out, I replaced my engine with one of the very first L-88 427/430 HP engines that GM sent to me in the crate. This was a complete engine, including manifold with distributor to the oil pan. This engine included aluminum heads and several months later I received another L-88 engine with the open chamber cylinder heads.


We sold one 1968 L-88 427/430 HP Corvette silver/black and just before l969 GM sent me the first very rare ZL1 427 all aluminum engine because our dealer sold a lot of high performance cars. The last engine I received was the 510 and 576 all aluminum which was installed in my in my 1955 Chevy, 1967 Corvette and 1969 Camaro SS/RS with the first available year with the Cowl Induction Hood.


My car was built for show and go and driven everyday to work. Back in the 1960's the A/Gas Champion, Johnny Loper's Anglia, "Lil Hoss" ran 10.21 et. My car ran 9.60 and could have done better, but I did not want to alter my fenders for the larger tires needed.


I ordered over two dozen 427/425HP, L-88/427's,ZL1/427's,510's and even some 576's to install in Nova's Camaro's Chevelle's, GTO's, an A'Gas Anglia, Willy's and a Mustang.


Motion, Baldwin Chevrolet stated 10.5 et or return the car! Read about the New Dodge Challenger Hellcat Hemi 707HP..11.2et..C/Gas back in 1960. The Chrysler and Ford Hemi were called Ground Shakers. My car sounded like an Earthquake. I got 133 traffic tickets in one year for "loud noise". Today, I have one of my special 576 aluminum engines in a 1978 Chevy Half Ton Pick Up that runs 8.50 seconds!! Mahalo and Aloha!!!

[Charley Lillard]

Welcome to the site. I'm not sure you installing parts that you got at the dealership qualifies it as a COPO but maybe I'm not reading it right. Sounds like you built a bunch of cool stuff none the less.

[SuperNovaSS]

How was the name ZL1 not taken before now? Welcome to the site. Hawaii was definitely a "hot spot" for high performance in the 60s ad 70s and still is today.

It sounds like you have had and worked on some cool cars and engines.

Jason

[fsc66]

Which dealership did you work at?

Paul

[ZL1]

Paul,

Service Motors & Waipahu Auto Chevrolet Dealer Started in 1927 to present!!!

Stephen

[ZL1]

Jason,

ZL1: I am surprised myself it was not used! Thanks for the compliments, it felt great to drive all of the first new Chevy HP engines as it became available.

In 1965 I was 19 years old when I built my 1955 Chevy, that car went though every High Performance engine Chevy ever produced. The best thing of all is I drove my cars the 1955 Chevy, 1967 Corvette and 1969 Camaro SS/RS everyday and got the full enjoyment of my life. I am the luckiest man in the world. Who can say they built the Best and Fastest Chevy's In The World. Thanks & Aloha, Stephen

[1967Z28]

Stephen, those cars sound awesome. You are a lucky individual. Can you post some pictures of your cars for us? Do you still own any of them or do you know what happened to them? I was also curious if your dealership sold any '67 Z-28 Camaros. If so, I would love to hear about them.

Thanks,
-Jon

[William]

COPO is the well-worn acronym for Central Office Production Order. It was an internal Chevrolet business process for building a fleet of vehicles with non-production equipment. I believe the minimum order was 50 units; the customer proposal had to be reviewed by Chevrolet Engineering for approval and pricing. Probably 99% of the vehicles built under the COPO program were police cars, taxis, municipal and governmental units including trucks. Special paint and striping were also done under COPO orders.

Only Chevrolet built cars under a COPO order. Dealer modified cars are not COPOs.

Applying 'COPO' to virtually every car Chevrolet built with a 427 engine is inaccurate. The L-72 427 engine was an RPO for all 1966, 1968 and 1969 B-body cars. The L-88 was also an option for the 1967-69 Corvette as was the ZL-1 engine for 1969.

At this time the only '427' COPOs known are the 1969 L-72 Chevelles & Camaros and the 1969 ZL-1 Camaros.

http://www.camaros.org/copo.shtml

[Tarrytown SS427s]

Cool story. But wouldn't it have been easier to order an L72 Caprice with all that stuff installed at the factory? Also, how did you get a Chevelle axle to bolt into a Caprice frame?

[ZL1]

Jon, We sold all of the High Performance Chevys, the 302 Z28s sold like hell. Some had single carb and the crossfire dual carbs. Most people don't know it came with no mufflers - it had primped pipes under the car like the Corvette off-road side exhaust.

My family and car album and videos burned in my in-laws house I have no pictures. I sold the 1955 Chevy with a 427 L-88, the 1967 Corvette and the 1969 Camaro SS/RS ZL1 576 all aluminum engine. I heard the '55 Chevy got totaled and the other I have lost track of... it's 45 years ago.

All three of my cars had every big block GM built in it though 1965 to 1971. Barrett Jackson sold the red 1967 L-88 Corvette for $3.6 million, my 1967 Corvette silver/black had only 6,000 mile with the ZL1 576. That red car needed lots of body and other repairs to do it was a mess when they founded it.

Thanks & Aloha, Stephen

[ZL1]

I took everything out of the new 1966 Caprice and installed it in my 1955 Chevy!

[rts]

All I can say is WOW!!!

[ZL1]

I am so lucky to have worked for a Chevy Dealership that sold a lot of super high performance cars. I was 19 years old and in September 1965 built a 1955 Chevy with the 427/425hp engine, I got everything I needed right out of a brand new 1966 Caprice.

The complete Turbo-Jet 427/425 engine, M22 trans, HD starter, alternator, radiator, transistorize ignition, battery, clutching fan, drive shaft and trans cross member. Why I decided to do it this way was because everything was completely assembled, running and ready to be installed. Additionally, I installed the headers and mounted four Corvette off-road side exhaust under the car and exit it in front of the rear tires.

On the first start up it was so loud we thought something was broken, rechecked everything found nothing realizing this is it. The first road test was another scare the trans first three gears made so much noise I thought it was broken because in 4th gear it was perfect. But the worst panic came when the car went through all four gears at floor board and I found out immediately we definitely needed disc brakes.

That is why today I realize I may have built the first 1955 Chevy in 1965 with the 427/425hp and continued to build a lot of other show, race and street cars. All of the owners of these cars wanted the Best Big Rat Motors and came to see me at our Dealer to purchase or have us do the installation.

Some customer that purchased the new high performance cars also wanted more power so we always kept them happy by installing a bigger engine or help to increase the horse power. Thanks & Aloha

[miket1]

Great story and history, I didn't know Hawaii was that much in the hi-performance stuff.

[SS427]

Jeff C. uncovered a LOT of high performance cars while he was living there including a 67 RS/Z28,
http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php/topics/355547/1

A Gold 1970 LS6 Chevelle and a 68 Ralley Green 427 Dana Camaro just to name a very few.
http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php/topics/238136/1

[Paul_S]

Wow! Was the '66 L72 Caprice totaled/damaged at the time to use as a parts car? If not, what happened to it after (the remaining)? If that was a real M22 car, that's super-scarce. Sounds like you had a lot of fun.

Paul

[mssl72]

In his first post it sounds like he bought the car new, then added the L72 and transmission.

[TAR6569]

ZL1, any idea if any paperwork from that dealer survived?

[ZL1]

SERVCO PACIFIC, INC.
ADMINISTRATIONS OFFICES
TOYOTA, LEXUS, SCION, SUBARU & CHEVROLET DEALERSHIPS
2850 PUKOLOA ST. SUITE 300,
HONOLULU, HI 96819
PHONE: 808-546-1000

Thanks & Aloha, Stephen

[ZL1]

SERVCO PACIFIC, INC.
ADMINISTRATIONS OFFICES
TOYOTA, LEXUS, SCION, SUBARU & CHEVROLET DEALERSHIPS
2850 PUKOLOA ST. SUITE 300,
HONOLULU, HI 96819
PHONE: 808-546-1000

I worked for the Chevrolet & Toyota company from 1964-84 and retired. Because we were one of the very few dealers knowing the special-order codes we ordered and sold one 1968 L-88 Corvette. They should have records of that sale if any.

We sold many new 427 Corvettes, Caprices, 396 & 427 Chevelles, 302/Z28, 396, 427 Camaros, 327, 396 & 427 Chevy IIs & Novas. Two of our Chevy sales managers drag raced with the 1966 Caprice and were the Super Stock Champions.

We was the first in the nation to be sponsored by Chevrolet and Toyota in Drag Racing, our cars were the Champions in Top Fuel Dragster, Funny Car, A/Gas, C/Gas and the Super Stock classes. I addition, we built and help build a lot of Show Cars & Street Rods for people.

Chevrolet and Toyota management on business and vacationing in Hawaii loved and approved of the advertising and promotion we did for their companies sales. They all were happy and amazed when we took them Drag Racing, some rode in my 1955 Chevy, 1967 Corvette and 1969 SS/RS Camaro and they all drove one of my cars.
Thank & Aloha, Stephen

[ZL1]

Roland Leong's Funny Car "Hawaiian Punch" once was the fastest in the world!!!

[novadude]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Tarrytown SS427s</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Cool story. But wouldn't it have been easier to order an L72 Caprice with all that stuff installed at the factory? Also, how did you get a Chevelle axle to bolt into a Caprice frame? </div></div>

I was wondering the same (why not factory order the engine, and just install gears in a Caprice 12-bolt since the Chevelle rear won't fit a Caprice). I guess I misunderstood and the Caprice engine was pulled and installed in the '55 with a Chevelle rear?