Where COPO's Go To Die

[GM_427_Racer]

Originally Posted by Unreal

All 69 Yenkos are COPOs, but not all COPOs are Yenkos! All 69 Yenkos were Double COPOs. We all know that, but more to the point, Very few Non-Yenko COPOs are Double COPOs, so 120 Speedo would be the norm for COPOs.

!2 Bolt, B/B heater Core, X44D80 on the tag, Bowtie emblem, someone who knows the car says it was a 427, etc, etc........I'm betting COPO.

Maybe the $30K offer was from someone who knew the 12 bolt was a BE, or knew where the motor is, or both! Still probably cost more that it's worth to restore, even if the car was purchased for $1.

I am no expert, I do know what my car looked like and this is not my car and more importantly, actually based on the VIN, this is not my car. Is it a 427 car? Maybe it could have been, but I was not going to get a jack to see if it is a BE 12 bolt. Looking at the car objectively, maybe the rear end is the only thing that is worth anything and that might be a crapshoot. If the engine is down the street, then I guess the car would be worth more, if the engine could be purchased but this project would take a whole pile of cash, I mean piles and piles of dead presidents (Ben Franklins).

The VIN as I read it on the dash is 124379N664592. So, if there are some experts (and I know there are quite a lot on this site), maybe they have some lists that are better than mine and they can verify something based on this VIN. I was going to pull the cowl panel, to look at the hidden VIN, but once I confirmed it was not my car, did not see the point of it.

GM

[Tracker1]

Originally Posted by GM_427_Racer

I am no expert, I do know what my car looked like and this is not my car and more importantly, actually based on the VIN, this is not my car. Is it a 427 car? Maybe it could have been, but I was not going to get a jack to see if it is a BE 12 bolt. Looking at the car objectively, maybe the rear end is the only thing that is worth anything and that might be a crapshoot. If the engine is down the street, then I guess the car would be worth more, if the engine could be purchased but this project would take a whole pile of cash, I mean piles and piles of dead presidents (Ben Franklins).

The VIN as I read it on the dash is 124379N664592. So, if there are some experts (and I know there are quite a lot on this site), maybe they have some lists that are better than mine and they can verify something based on this VIN. I was going to pull the cowl panel, to look at the hidden VIN, but once I confirmed it was not my car, did not see the point of it.

GM

There is no COPO VIN list. There is a Yenko Camaro VIN list.

[GotGrunt]

Originally Posted by GM_427_Racer

I am no expert, I do know what my car looked like and this is not my car and more importantly, actually based on the VIN, this is not my car. Is it a 427 car? Maybe it could have been, but I was not going to get a jack to see if it is a BE 12 bolt. Looking at the car objectively, maybe the rear end is the only thing that is worth anything and that might be a crapshoot. If the engine is down the street, then I guess the car would be worth more, if the engine could be purchased but this project would take a whole pile of cash, I mean piles and piles of dead presidents (Ben Franklins).

The VIN as I read it on the dash is 124379N664592. So, if there are some experts (and I know there are quite a lot on this site), maybe they have some lists that are better than mine and they can verify something based on this VIN. I was going to pull the cowl panel, to look at the hidden VIN, but once I confirmed it was not my car, did not see the point of it.

GM

Just curious, how is the owner of the car? Most guys I’ve met with cars like this on their property don’t want to be bothered with anyone.

[GotGrunt]

Originally Posted by Tracker1

There is no COPO VIN list. There is a Yenko Camaro VIN list.

Exactly, the only complete COPO VIN list that exists is for the 9560 ZL1.

[x33rs]

This thread caught my interest. Being from Cincinnati originally I was (still am) friends with several that own COPO's in the area. Mike being one of them, we were very familiar with a car just like this, sitting exactly in this condition for many years in the Williamsburg area off 132 in the guys front yard.

As the story goes, Mike was friends with this fella back in the 70's. Mike bought his COPO in the early 70's (still has it) and used to cruise around town with his friend that had a COPO. At some point the engine was pulled, sold to a guy a few doors down for a boat (matches Whitetops story), and a small block was put in place. Shortly after, the car was parked in the yard where it sat throughout the 80's and 90's and sunk into the ground. I tried to buy the car numerous times in the late 80's and early 90's but the owner wouldn't sell. Last time I looked at the car in the early 90's, it was so far gone I got disinterested, had small trees growing up through the floor boards, trunk was gone, even the heater box was rusted through. The car however at that time was largely intact albeit with a SBC under the ZL2 hood last time I saw it.

When I saw the pictures in this thread I was floored. By the 1990's this COPO was sunk into the ground just like this and rotting away and I thought for a minute it might be the same car. But since these pics are recent and the car is still there, I figure it must be a different one because the one I'm familiar with was finally sold and pulled out of the yard sometime in the late 90's. Friend of mine rumored to have bought the car, and attempted to buy the original engine down the street. Not sure if the engine purchase came through or not. Last I knew he was going to attempt a restoration. Lost touch with that friend and the car, don't know what happened to it.

Surreal how this COPO sounds so similar and appears to be in nearly identical condition, and in Ohio to boot. I was talking to Mike the other day about this car, and he said the one we were familiar with that I referred to never resurfaced again, wasn't sure what happened to it. I have no contact for our mutual friend that was rumored to buy it so I can't confirm. Would be a small world if this was in fact the same car, and it just so happens it didn't sell. But I see the SBC is no longer under the hood.

[whitetop]

This car was definitely a COPO and was purchased new at Bob's Chevrolet Barnesville ohio. Local guys are sending me the history. The guy who owns it blew up the 427 years ago but it is sitting in a garage 3 houses down. Owner later replaced it with a small block.

The guy who owns it now is the original owner. Another guy tried to buy it from Bob's Chevrolet but could not come up with the money and the current owner then bought it.

The grandson of the owner has reached out to several restoration shops recently to inquire about restoring the car.

It is not for sale.

[x33rs]

I'd bet it's the same car then. Too much of the story is the same.

If you want history I can try to put you in touch with Mike. He ran with the car back when it had the 427 in it, and the small block. Was friends with one of the previous owners right up until it was parked. I heard all the stories about it back in the 80's when I wanted to purchase it.

After talking with Mike and seeing these pics, I've become fairly certain our mutual friend never did buy the car. Which makes sense because it never resurfaced. About that same time it was moved from the front yard in plain view. I'm guessing the owner was tired of people knocking on the door since 132 is a highly traveled road. Everyone in Hamilton, Clermont, and Brown county knew of the car, lol. By the 90's it was already a pile, even by Ohio's standards, and we were used to pretty rusty cars. People were talking about buying it and rebodying the car even back then, that's how bad off it was then. I can imagine it's only gotten worse.

If it is the same car (and I now believe it is) It's a real COPO, BE rear was in it when I first looked at it....before it was sunk into the ground. But now with the hood missing the motor/trans pulled, decades have passed, hard to say what may be left. I agree with GM Racer, the rear may be the only thing of value, and I was already thinking that by the mid 1990's. Sad to see the car still sits this way.

[whitetop]

Originally Posted by x33rs

I'd bet it's the same car then. Too much of the story is the same.

If you want history I can try to put you in touch with Mike. He ran with the car back when it had the 427 in it, and the small block. Was friends with one of the previous owners right up until it was parked. I heard all the stories about it back in the 80's when I wanted to purchase it.

After talking with Mike and seeing these pics, I've become fairly certain our mutual friend never did buy the car. Which makes sense because it never resurfaced. About that same time it was moved from the front yard in plain view. I'm guessing the owner was tired of people knocking on the door since 132 is a highly traveled road. Everyone in Hamilton, Clermont, and Brown county knew of the car, lol. By the 90's it was already a pile. People were talking about buying it and rebodying the car even back then, that's how bad off it was then. I can imagine it's only gotten worse.

If it is the same car (and I now believe it is) It's a real COPO, BE rear was in it when I first looked at it....before it was sunk into the ground. But now with the hood missing the motor/trans pulled, decades have passed, hard to say what may be left.

Not the same car. This car has been in eastern Ohio it's entire life and is still owned by the original owner.

[x33rs]

What are the chances? Wow, with the original engine just houses down from the car? Used to have a small block in it? Parallel universe??

Same scenario is going on in South Western Ohio then.

I asked Mike if he could confirm the colors for me. That was the only part of the car that I just can't remember.

[ZiggyL78]

No offence to anyone but how many times have you heard of a BB Camaro and the guy blows it up and puts a SB in it and it ends up in his yard back yard rotting away?Just saying.