When did you first discover C.O.P.O. cars

[MXZ]

I first found out about these cars back in 1980. Heard the story's a few times from my relatives, but didn't give it too much thought.

Wish I had paid attention more back then.

When did you discover? Seems there was not too much advertisement back then on these cars. How did most know? Word of mouth?

[bigchevydaddy]

Summer of 1980. Just moved to Florida with my family and the son of our next door neighbor had what I thought was a '69 Z/28. Looked like a Z, with hugger orange paint, cowl-induction hood and Z stripes, but it had a 427. I didn't really pay attention to the bb heater core and curved-neck radiator, but it all makes sense now. He traded it for a super beetle about a month after we moved there; gas was killing him. I was a poor student, and couldn't raise the cash to buy it. Considering what they cost now, I still can't!

BCD.

[tom406]

In '82 or so I was about 13 and my Dad took me to the drags (at my request, he's not a car guy) in Brainerd, MN. Racing there was a silver '69 Chevelle with Cragar S/S's and a big block, but no SS396 equipment. On a placard in his pits was a hand scrawled sign saying something about being an original 427 car, very rare. I'm sure he caught a lot grief from the "experts". Magazine articles in the mid '80's identified the COPO story for me.

Only other cars I remember from that weekend was a ratty '69 GTO Judge with a BBC, and in a case of turnabout being fair play, there was a white '67 Chevelle running a 389 Pontiac.

That was also the weekend my Dad attempted to have "the talk" with me during the long drive. Poor guy, I kept shutting him down with an embarrassed "I know, I know" since we'd had a pretty comprehensive educational program in my school (Thank You school district 621. Sorry Dad.)

Happy Father's Day to all you fellow Dads out there. Keep fighting the good fight.

TOM BRESKE

[firstgenaddict]

Mid 80's a story or two of a Yenko in a barn... then the late 80's SUPER CHEVY with many many ZL-1's and 9561's

[Keith Tedford]

I found out about the COPO car availability in early calander year 1969. A friend worked in the Oshawa main office, and he told us about these cars. His brother went to Beare Motors and they had no clue as to what he was talking about. Given the COPO code, they checked with GM and, Yes, you could order one. John ordered his right away but didn't get it until about July. The dealer got one in from another dealer and Ken got his later in July. Mine was dealer ordered and I bought off of Beare Motors' lot in the middle of August. Several dealers like Belmont, and Central Chev in London knew about these cars as well. How they got the information is anyone's guess. Perhaps GM informed the more performance oriented dealers. Nurse Chev-Olds in Whitby, Ontario sold a red COPO Camaro in '69 but was destroyed in an accident within about a year. I believe it was the UOP Shadow CanAm cars that used the Nurse shop on the CanAm weekends at Mosport.

[MXZ]

Very cool story Keith.I truely enjoy stories like this from the guys who lived it in the days when I was such a youngin'.

[nuch_ss396]

High school!

1976 - A friend told me about a neighbor who had a hugger
orange 1969 Yenko Camaro. He even told me about the SYC
decals on the headrests. I told him he was full of it....

Then I got the opportunity to see this car for myself. http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/eek.gif

I apologized to my friend and immediately became a COPO
fanatic. http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/worship.gif http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/worship.gif http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/worship.gif

Steve

[Bob Adamsky]

New guy here, first post. Not big on writing just enjoy the reading. But this post i had to respond to.

Back in Brunswick Ohio in the early 80s there was a car show every year at the high school that i would find someone or someway to get there (early teens)to check out all the 69 Chevelles.

There was a very dark blue 69 there that looked like a SS (hood and rims) but didnt have any emblems on it. Remember standing there while the owner was in a heated debate with someone else that he didnt take the emblems off the car, he bought the car this way and it was special order. Real or not, dont know, just know i was hooked.


Bob Adamsky

[COPO_Anders]

I´m not sure if I had read about COPO´s before I bought this Car Review in August 1985, but this magazine really got me hooked !
I first laid eyes on the COPO 9561 that I now own, two years later. Claes the owner, stopped behind my Chevy II at a meeting. He told me he had traded a hardtop like mine to get the 427 Camaro I was looking at. When I responded with the question: is it a real COPO Camaro ?, he just couldn´t believe what he just heard. Very few people knew about COPO´s here in Sweden in 1987.
May I say, it was love at first sight. http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/Can-I-Have-It.gif

[427TJ]

1982, when I was 20. I picked up a Hot Rod Magazine special edition on Camaros and these two articles were inside. The "ZL-1" article explained the "COPO" term and that the car was a special-order. The ZL-1 article also mentioned Fred Gibb Chevrolet and Yenko Chevrolet. The "427/425" article on the next page explained the availability of the L72 in the '69 Camaro.

http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a234/BE427TJ/COPOZL-1Article1982HRMSpecial.jpg

http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a234/BE427TJ/COPOArticle1982HRSpecial.jpg

[jayme]

Growing up in suburban Pittsburgh, I became aware of the COPO's because of Yenko Chevrolet in the early 80's. Having been born in 1970, I learned about the "good days" from my uncle. He was always a Corvette fanatic and his first Vette was a 65 396 that needed a new block in about 1967 or 1968. He bought one of the 396 blocks from Yenko that came from a transplant car. I always thought that was cool. That made me want to learn more about what the Yenko cars were and the COPO's as well.

[PeteLeathersac]

[ QUOTE ]
Growing up in suburban Pittsburgh, I became aware of the COPO's because of Yenko Chevrolet in the early 80's. Having been born in 1970, I learned about the "good days" from my uncle. He was always a Corvette fanatic and his first Vette was a 65 396 that needed a new block in about 1967 or 1968. He bought one of the 396 blocks from Yenko that came from a transplant car. I always thought that was cool. That made me want to learn more about what the Yenko cars were and the COPO's as well.

[/ QUOTE ]

Is Uncle's Vette still around....the Vin on the block could be interesting? .

I've known of Copo Camaros since the 70's too....it's the Chevelles & Novas that were the unknown 'til the 80's for me. . I heard tales of a Chevelle for years....when the mystery came to light it's Keith Tedford's car! .

http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

~ Pete

[68l30]

[ QUOTE ]
New guy here, first post. Not big on writing just enjoy the reading. But this post i had to respond to.

Back in Brunswick Ohio in the early 80s there was a car show every year at the high school that i would find someone or someway to get there (early teens)to check out all the 69 Chevelles.

There was a very dark blue 69 there that looked like a SS (hood and rims) but didnt have any emblems on it. Remember standing there while the owner was in a heated debate with someone else that he didnt take the emblems off the car, he bought the car this way and it was special order. Real or not, dont know, just know i was hooked.


Bob Adamsky

[/ QUOTE ]


Wow....Brings back some memories..Sounds like the Grady B. COPO Chevelle...I used to go there every year..Ever hit Carney's or Ames plaza back then?

Steve http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/beers.gif

[olredalert]

------Yup,,,Ill bet that blue COPO was Gradys car. It still looks the same today.
------My first encounter with COPOs was at the Chevy dealer in Wellesley Ma. in about May of 1969. I was looking for a new Chevelle or Camaro and as I was standing beside the salesman a car-hauler pulled in thier lot with a full load of COPO Chevelles. I dont know how many were destined to stay at that dealer, maybe only one. To this day I cant understand why I didnt buy that one, but maybe it was an ordered car. I ended up with a garnet red 396/350 4-spd Camaro that I only kept for about 6 months. The lure of a 67 427/435 Vette got me to part with it.........Bill S

[jayme]

Pete,

My Uncle sold it in 1969 because he had just bought a new 1969 Vette. He is still around, thank goodness. I have never asked if he kept any info on that car. I need to do that. I know he has lots of photos and it would be an easy car to trace to him. I've always wondered if it is still around. It was a Nassau blue coupe, originally from the Pittsburgh area.

[SS427]

You definitely need to check on any paperwork and post any early pictures here! The current owner (if the car still exists)I am sure would love to have both and it would also be cool to reunite the possible current owner with your uncle assuming they have not already tried. http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/3gears.gif
Rick

[Bob Adamsky]

Steve, yes Carney`s was the place on Saturday nights!!! I would take my 69 SS there every Saturday night and my Dad would take his blown pink Vega (yes, candy pink with 350 w/6-71 in full pro street trim)We were there right up to the last night before it was shut down.

I went home last summer for a visit and I see they are back there again. Not as big, but still there.

Do you remember when it got so big people were starting to bring old funny cars up there on trailers?

Bob Adamsky

[Tim Penton]

olredalert, Tell us about your '67 435 hp 'Vette. Was it a roadster or coupe? What color? What kind of times did it run? Thanks, Tim

[68l30]

I remember the vega....Yeah,it was never really the same after Carney's...I was there the last night,parked right up on the block for take out....I just got my horns working that day for the final blow at the end of the night...Wish I could go back. http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/beers.gif

Steve

[olredalert]

Tim,

-----Thanks for the interest but I didnt end up doing much with that car besides just driving it. It was a red roadster with sidepipes and Americans. I moved to Ft. Lauderdale towing a 16ft. Banshee with a 125 Merc shortly after buying it and about two months later it was stolen. Had a hard time with the insurance co. as I recall. Also had a green 1966 Griffith at the same time. Dual quad 289cu/350hp Cobra power. 1850lbs dripping wet,,,,now that thing was fast!!!!........Bill S

[Tim Penton]

Bill, I'd love to see some pictures of the Griffith if you have any,

[olredalert]

-----I do have a couple of polaroids, but that would mean that I have to learn how to post them. Let me work on that. It may take a couple of months,,,LOL!!!.......Bill S

-----I just looked and have pics of both the 67 Vette and Griffith together.

[Xplantdad]

Bill, you could always send them to me. I'll post them for you.

[ANDY M]

Bill, go to Kinkos and have them scan the pics, so you can burn a cd with a jpeg file of the scan.
Bruce will translate this into English if needed.

[olredalert]

--------Thanks for the offer, Bruce, Ill take you up on that. E-mail me your addy and Ill send you a few pics people might enjoy. Ill send something along for you as well that you may enjoy......Bill S