Ordering a new L78/L89 Camaro/Chevelle
 

I was looking through my original '69 Chevelle brochure dated sometime in Jan/Feb of '69 and there is no mention of the RPO L78/L89 motor option (only the 325/350 HP). Same thing with magazine ads that I have. I have heard of these motors referred to as "special order". What would a dude have to know/do to get one of these motors in his car from the factory. Or, did they later include them in advertisements/brochures/etc.? I realize that the solid lifter motors had been out for 4 model years (starting with the Z16) by that time, but am curious why they would not advertise this better.

Thanks,
Sam https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/imag...ouguysrock.gif

Re: Ordering a new L78/L89 Camaro/Chevelle
 

Although the L78, L89, and COPO options weren't advertised. It was common knowledge that they were available. The L78 and L89 could be checked off on the order sheet. The COPO was buried a little deeper, but still available to anyone who knew that it was there. I think that the Z16 was strictly a promotional deal and the cars were handed out to people like Dan Blocker for their use. Eventually the cars trickled down to the street people after the celebrities were done with them. GM didn't want to stir up the government and safety people any more than they already had. GM even banned official racing in '63. It looked pretty good when a little guy like Jenkins beat the factory backed Fords and Chryslers. In actual fact Grumpy and others were being looked after through the back door. It was all pretty slick.
https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/imag...ns/burnout.gif

Re: Ordering a new L78/L89 Camaro/Chevelle
 

Why Chevrolet marketed certain options and ignored others is a mystery. For example JL8 is mentioned in the Camaro showroom brochure twice but the L34/78/89, M21/22 are not. JL8 wasn't available much of the year and was exteremly expensive. But thousands of the unmentioned 396 engines were produced.

Speaking of brochures the Canadian version is strange. It is several pages shorter and nearly all of the text is slightly different. It refers to the VE3 bumper as the "Astro" bumper [US version calls it "Color-Matched" nowhere is it called "Endura"] and shows the Z/28 as having F70 x 15 tires.

Must have been some marketing reason.

Re: Ordering a new L78/L89 Camaro/Chevelle
 

[ QUOTE ]
Why Chevrolet marketed certain options and ignored others is a mystery. For example JL8 is mentioned in the Camaro showroom brochure twice but the L34/78/89, M21/22 are not.

[/ QUOTE ]

GM was afraid of alarming the insurance industry and kept quiet about the real high-perf goodies like L78s, etc. Remember that Chevrolet initially rated the '66 L72 Corvette at 450 hp and then derated it to 425. They did that to calm the insurance industry. Remember also that it was the insurance industry that had killed (or neutered) the musclecar by 1971. They were losing big money paying claims for totaled and stolen cars and kept the pressure up until the government stepped in and spoiled the party. The insurance industry lobbied Washington ($$$) and the feds applied their regulatory weight and the rest is history. As for JL8 brakes, those could be looked at as a "safety feature" and thus made it into the brochures.

Today the insurance industry simply charges up the wazoo for policies on cars like Z06s, etc.

Re: Ordering a new L78/L89 Camaro/Chevelle
 

The comment about insurance brought back memories of those days. By about '70 insurance for anything remotely close to a musclecar was tough to get and expensive. As a result they quickly depreciated. Dealers wouldn't take them in trade and they were tough to sell privately. A friend owned Yenko N615046 in the '72, took weeks to sell for a lousy $2000. I think he was paying about $400/3 months for insurance at the time. A lot of musclecars bit the dust because of it.

Re: Ordering a new L78/L89 Camaro/Chevelle
 

They were just V8 Malibus. No insurance problem there https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/imag...ns/naughty.gif

Re: Ordering a new L78/L89 Camaro/Chevelle
 

Is that why in '69 they changed the Chevelle SS to an option versus a stand alone model as in the previous year?