Question. I just picked up a 69 2 door impala 427/390, 3rd owner. It is all numbers matching, down to the rims, although unrestored. It has always lived in that area. It was not sold as anything special, but the owner stated that when he bought the car from the 2nd owner, that owner claimed that he bought it from a local government auction and that it was originally ordered for a local police offical, along with a batch of 4 door cars. As Florida does not keep any paperwork past 12 years, it is hard to prove and thus only a story at this point. The claim is that the rear end, a 12 bolt with 3:31 posi from the factory (along with the 427) could only be ordered via the CoPo system. Does anyone know if this is true or not, and if there are any other ways to tell?
Thanks,
Rich

There is one way to tell-check the 1969 Chevrolet Passenger Car Price Book. The drivetrain consists of regular production options: 390 hp 427 [L36] $237, positraction axle [G80] $42.15, special axle ratio [several] $2.15.

The car could have been ordered via the COPO system for other reasons but the drivetrain is all RPO, albeit rare.

Yep. Looks that way. Someone mentioned checking the speedometer. It was not sold to me as a copo or police car, and the police story was only mentioned after I agreed to buy the car. Either way, as original as it is, in good restorable condition, makes it collectable anyway. I originally bought it to harvest the 427, but after getting better pics, and seeing how original it is, I think this car is worth saving.

I saw a 68 police car trim tag that had "MEMO" stamped on trim tag. Post a picture of the trim tag if you can. A COPO usally has somthing odd on the trim tag.

I should have the car thursday night. I will post a pic then. It does only have the 120 speedo in it, but heavy duty suspension and he also mentioned that it has the "heavy duty interior" option that came in police cars, whatever that means.

OK.
Passed on the impala. Guy could not come up with the supposed engine rebuild docs. A "bit of rust" wound up being a rocker, trunk pan, both quarters and drivers floor pan. Guy wants 2,500.00 and is going to list it on ebay. Passenger side of the car was pretty trashed. Motor may or may not be worth 2k as it is a 69 dated 427.
Rich

Sounds like a perfect candidate for an eBay auction.......... :rolleyes:

And, He's listed it. At least there are pics of the exterior rust.

69 427 Ebay (http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=39405&item=4525264689&rd=1)

The battery holddown has to be a special COPO code. I think its the only one I've seen as OE.

I personally believe the abbreviation COPO is being over-hyped and over used. Central office production order vehicles for the most part weren't all 'supercars', but manly fleet and special use vehicles requiring groups of options not ordinarily offered together. The COPO Camaro's simply used the system as a loop-hole to get the larger motors not normally available in the mid-size line-ups. Just because a Chevrolet vehicle was ordered through the COPO system, doesn't mean it automatically has more value or collectability, it all depends on the options ordered. The Impala/Biscayne's were available with high-po 427's right from the dealer. I believe most law enforcement fleet vehicles had to be ordered thru COPO.

Police cars were normally ordered on a "Fleet & Special Order" through the COPO Group in the Sales Department, as they were specially-priced based on bids and contracts and required special equipment (heavy-duty seat construction and vinyl trim, bucket seats in sedans, special wiring for the roof lights, heavy-duty reinforced frames, etc.). 99.99% of the vehicles whose F&SO's went through the COPO process were trucks for fleet customers.

Nothing special (or COPO) about a 427 Impala or Caprice; I bought a '69 Caprice 427/390 2-door hardtop for my wife back in '69 - just checked off the boxes on the order blank.

graemlins/beers.gif

I think the musclecar TV shows really over hype the "COPO".
I wrote this rant awhile back about Coooooe Poooooes (meant to be funny).
I have been interested in the COPO stuff since I bought one in 1986 and have heard some strange things about them over the years. Sometimes I have to laugh at what I see and hear on the car TV shows. The funniest thing to me is when people use COPO as an acronym. I heard someone on TV call a 427 Camaro a “coe poe” where they rolled the Os like Coe OHHHH Poe OOOHHHH Camaro.
There were probably thousands of “COPO” cars and trucks built over the years. They didn’t all have 425 HP engines. Some had 6 cyls engines with 3 on the tree transmissions. It is like saying I have a RPO Camaro. Well that doesn’t mean anything. What is the RPO code? Same thing for a COPO car. What is the COPO code? If it is 9560 or 9561 you have something interesting.
C.O.P.O. is just an Abbreviation for Central Office Production Order. It is not an acronym for a car with a 425 hp engine! If you wanted to buy a car and could not find the options you wanted on the RPO code list then you did a special order and they gave you a COPO option code for it. If you did it correctly then your window sticker may have a bunch of options like a M21 close ratio transmission for $195.00 and J52 Power Disk Brakes for $64.00 and a 9561 high performance unit for $489.00. When you popped the hood it had a 427 425 hp engine in it. If you were lucky enough to find a dealer with one in stock he may have it advertised as a “factory 427 Camaro” or a “Hot 425 Hp Camaro” They didn’t call them COOOHHH POOOOHH Camaros back then. You could have ordered the same engine in a Biscayne just using the RPO list. They didn’t call a 427 Impala an
R Pee Ooohhhhhhhh.

In the english language, words change meanings with use. The mouse you use with your computer is not a rodent, but 35 years ago, it didn't mean a computer pointing device.

Accept it that to the muscle car enthusiast, COPO means "factory hot rod." It doesn't matter that 35 years ago it meant "factory telephone truck."

Accept it that to the muscle car enthusiast, COPO means "factory hot rod." It doesn't matter that 35 years ago it meant "factory telephone truck." ...the 'novice' enthusiast that is!

Originally posted by sicsD8:
</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Accept it that to the muscle car enthusiast, COPO means "factory hot rod." It doesn't matter that 35 years ago it meant "factory telephone truck." ...the 'novice' enthusiast that is! </font>[/QUOTE]Just curious what you think COPO means to the "expert" enthusiast?

Funny to see this..I have a 68 ..can't tell if it is an impala or caprice.Have no idea what it is..it has a 427 motor with SS 427 emblems on the fenders but no other named trim anywhere...Has a raised hood with vents at the back toward the wiendshield and louvered vents behind the front wheels.. has a chopped back window that goes pretty much striaght down .Also has a tach. I used to tow my 24 Hallet race boat with it back in 84-86..it has pretty much been sitting ever since...I think I will go take some pictures and get some info on it so I can find out what the heck this thing is..I forgot about it until this thread:)Any ideas ?

You just may have a real oddball there....the hood and fender gills sound like SS427...the roofline may be the Custom Coupe roofline which SS427 was available in ! http://www.impalass427.com/68ss427.htm

I will take pictures and post them...like I said..no markings anywere in the car or outside the car other than SS 427 emblems on the fender.

Pretty sure an SS 427 only had SS 427 on them in 68....

Originally posted by ChevyThunder:
I think I will go take some pictures and get some info on it so I can find out what the heck this thing isIf your car looks like this, then you have a '68 SS427 Custom Coupe which was the rarest body style on the SS427 for '68. The Z-24 option was for the SS427 package and nowhere on the car does it say Impala SS or Super Sport, only SS427 emblems. It does however have SS door panels. I would like to hear more about your car.
Rick

my '68 SS427 Custom Coupe (http://www.impalass427.com/72res/RICKS68_2.jpg)

Hi Rick from up north smile.gif

Rick ,
I hope to go take pictures this weekend..the car is in a wharehouse a few of my friends and I share. Would really like to know what it is..I will follow up here and directly

Sorry did not look at the picture ..it looks exactly like the black car..only not nearly as pretty..

Rick- That car just screams "I'm gonna kick your a$$!" Very, Very nice! :cool:

I knew Rick would chime in...I remember seeing that pic of your black car....figure this was a pretty rare bird...

ChevyThunder. Please do as I look forward to seeing/hearing about your car.

Thanks sicsD8. In it's day, this car did just that as it is no slouch (450 hp/4:11) and I made sure a few people found out the hard way (Sun Drive Inn on Central Ave). Unfortunately due to my restoration business, I rarely even see the car and it never gets driven. I bought it in '81 with 10m miles and it now only has 13m miles. Time to let her go.....

Bob, actually it was just dumb luck as I rarely venture over here due to my lack of knowledge on the Camaro stuff. However the "69 Impala 427" Post caught my eye.

There is a 68 SS427 hood on E-bay right now that looks a bit on the weak side and it's over a grand already..

Most all of the Taxi cabs, and Police cars were ordered as COPO cars.
I have quite a few trim tags with "COPO" stamped on them.
Way back then -- it was nothing special.
Just a way to add options on a special request.

This one was a police car:
http://216.77.188.54/coDataImages/p/Groups/111/111196/folders/67366/1313339tag.jpg
The rusty hulk is still sitting there - This car is nothing special unless you are Barney Fieff.

[ 02-16-2005, 07:33 AM: Message edited by: DjD ]

Jeff, that sure is an interesting COPO trim tag.

My experience with the COPO cars is that they usually have something odd about the trim tag. Some look normal until compared with other trim tags of similar cars with approximately the same build dates. Some have the COPO code number or order number stamped on the tag.

Looking on my computer I found a form that was found with a 1968 Yenko Camaro COPO 9737 car. A photo of it was shown in a magazine article about the car so it is not very clear.

I emailed a copy of it to Jim Mattison, who worked in the Chevy Fleet and Special order Dept. where the COPO paperwork was processed. He replied that he hadn’t seen one for many years but remembered it as the “GSD-578” form that was used to process a COPO. This GSD-578 form shows a COPO 9737 which was a special COPO for a Yenko Sports car conversion Camaro in 1968. In 1969 other dealers were able to use the COPO 9737 but from what I can find so far Yenko was the only one to use it in 1968. It is too bad that Chevy didn't have better records of all the special cars built using the COPO process.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v58/MotionSS1/copo68.jpg

Great posts Joe! You know your COPOs graemlins/beers.gif

I knew I had this buried somewhere, just found it in my rollaway; I removed it from the fender reinforcement flange of a 1967 Impala SS 427/425hp 4-speed ("ID" suffix) I bought out of the Chevrolet Engineering fleet (3,000-mile car) when I worked at the Chevrolet Pilot Line in Flint; it was built at Flint Assembly. Fun car - BB with solid lifters in a full-size Chevy, redlines and disc brakes. Shoulda kept it graemlins/thumbsup.gif

http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2002-2/13522/67SS427.JPG

graemlins/beers.gif

Neat pic and story John! I had a couple 67 427 SS Impalas. (one conv.) I heard there were 5 HIPO Impalas made but I thought it was BS. Looks like you have some proof ;)

Originally posted by a TC member:
I personally believe the abbreviation COPO is being over-hyped and over used. Central office production order vehicles for the most part weren't all 'supercars', but manly fleet and special use vehicles requiring groups of options not ordinarily offered together. The COPO Camaro's simply used the system as a loop-hole to get the larger motors not normally available in the mid-size line-ups. Just because a Chevrolet vehicle was ordered through the COPO system, doesn't mean it automatically has more value or collectability, it all depends on the options ordered. The Impala/Biscayne's were available with high-po 427's right from the dealer. I believe most law enforcement fleet vehicles had to be ordered thru COPO. Don't mean to light this one up again because I am not nearly qualified to post in the COOO POOOE forum, but...

What would you rather say? Yeah, I got a base Camaro with special order 427 engine that you can't normally get in a Camaro and Turbo 400 automatic transmission or M22 "rockcrusher" manual transmission with special 4.10 positraction differential and special ducted hood and standard hubcaps, painted one color with no special exterior emblems..... or simply "COPO Camaro"?

Sure it has taken on a life of it's own, but so what? By the way, "COPO truck" (factory telephone truck). Now that's funny!

ALso, good pics and stories. That's what this place is about sometimes!

[ 02-15-2005, 08:42 PM: Message edited by: Gary L ]

Originally posted by JohnZ:
Fun car - BB with solid lifters in a full-size Chevy, redlines and disc brakes. Shoulda kept it Yes John, you SHOULD have kept it. If in fact you had a real documented L72 '67 SS427 you might have yourself a very nice retirement going! That car would bring some SERIOUS money today as there has yet to be any surface though as stated earlier, some were proported to have been built.
Rick

What would you rather say? Yeah, I got a base Camaro with special order 427 engine that you can't normally get in a Camaro and Turbo 400 automatic transmission or M22 "rockcrusher" manual transmission with special 4.10 positraction differential and special ducted hood and standard hubcaps, painted one color with no special exterior emblems..... or simply "COPO Camaro"?
I'll say COPO Camaro...most know where the origins of the abbreviations come from...or some form of it anyway ! I'm sure the hi-po orders coming thru the system probably made someones day in the COPO department...

Sure made my day graemlins/beers.gif

JohnZ- that is a very interesting tag never saw one like that before thanks for posting it. The blank looks a lot like the plate used under the dash on the cars with the dashboard vin numbers.

Gary-I don't have a problem with car magazines saying "COPO Camaro" I just wish they could be a little less lazy and say "427 COPO Camaro" or COPO9561 Camaro" because there were other "COPO Camaros" beside the 1969 427 cars.

Kevin Suydam's web site has an interesting letter posted that gives a little insight on how Don ordered his special Corvairs with COPO options. It is a letter from Yenko Chevrolet to Dana Chevrolet telling how to order the base car for the Yenko Stinger project. People from Dana were racing buddies with Don Yenko. I like the last COPO listed -
C.O.P.O. 9981A - wheel cover deletion

click on the blue Corvair to see the letter
http://corvettes-musclecars.com/cgi-bin/emAlbum.cgi

Originally posted by JOE58:

Gary-I don't have a problem with car magazines saying "COPO Camaro" I just wish they could be a little less lazy and say "427 COPO Camaro" or COPO9561 Camaro" because there were other "COPO Camaros" beside the 1969 427 cars.graemlins/thumbsup.gif graemlins/waving.gif

Originally posted by Belair62:
I'll say COPO Camaro...most know where the origins of the abbreviations come from...or some form of it anyway ! I'm sure the hi-po orders coming thru the system probably made someones day in the COPO department... graemlins/thumbsup.gif graemlins/waving.gif

Haven't forgot about posting those pictures..the rain in N.Cal is so bad I haven't wanted to make the hour drive to where the car is stored . I am thinking about doing it this Monday rain or shine. If I do I will post all the pics and info

Speed TV has a new American Muscle car program on March 10 about the Impala SS427 in case anyone is interested.

I know I'm interested graemlins/thumbsup.gif

I talked with the owner(retired guy) of a 69 Chevorlet Caprice 4dr Hardtop today and asked if his 427 badges matched what was under the hood. He showed me a factory 335hp 427CID engine and 4 core radiator in the engine bay. He said he bought it from a lady who towed her Airstream travel trailer with. She told him she ordered the car that way from the factory(COPO towing pkg.?). BTW, the factory chalk & grease pen marks were still visible on the firewall! :cool:

I still have not gotten up to take pictures but here is an old one I found..it is actually of my 63 split but you can see the SS 427 to the right

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v600/ChevyThunder/63split.jpg