COPOs

[MyIBMssRS]

I wish we could order cars outfitted the way we want them instead of only have 1SS and 2SS to choose from. It would be great if Chevy brought back the idea of the COPO. Especially if we could choose colors from the whole Chevrolet pallet. I would absolutely love to order a Supersonic Blue ZL1 with black SSX wheels. I think that would look killer!

[CamaroSS1969]

I personally wish you could order a car like back in the day. Bare bones with a big engine.

[shank0668]

It would be sweet.
Sadly there is no way it would ever happen.
Duramax Camaro.....

[Bonanza7]

Nope....The bean counters are running everything. Why can't you get a tan convertible top with a yellow body?
They would lose a sale before they would sell you what YOU want.

[TOMS1SS]

Not like those original COPOs were cheap. They had to be ordered in bulk for a fleet purpose. Just so happened back in the 60s things like "racing" were considered an legitimate reason for a fleet order.

[derklug]

Consider this (numbers for example only) in the 60's, GM sold 40% of the US market and was flush with cash. Knocking out a thousand COPO's was worth the expense to get customer intrest from seeing them on the track. Today, with profits thin, knocking out COPO's cuts into sales and drives up prices of total vehicle production. Sadly, we may be getting back to the day of the Model A.....any color you want as long as it is black. I have faith, though, that modern production techniques will make customizing your purchase cost effective for the automakers.

[1BADZL1]

Before we go there, just a little history for the youngsters.
Source: CRG.

Q: What is a COPO Camaro?

A: For details on the COPO Camaros, see the COPO 427 Research Report, but here is some basic information.

COPO stands for Central Office Production Order. This is the process used by Chevrolet (and other divisions of GM) for internal orders for limited production of non-standard cars. The COPO process was used most often for mundane special fleet orders such as taxis and special wheelbase trucks and doesn't necessarily indicate a high-performance vehicle. But in 68 and 69, the process was used to order high-performance Camaros that were otherwise not available from the factory.

The most famous first-generation COPO Camaros were 1969 COPOs 9560 and 9561. COPO 9560 was a special run of 1969 Camaros based off of the SS package (minus the SS badges) and with a 427ci aluminum block engine (ZL-1) making at least 430 HP (a conservative factory number). Only 69 of these were built. COPO 9561 was another special run of 1969 Camaros equipped with the cast iron version of the 427ci engine (L72). Both of these COPOs started, on paper, with a RPO L78 SS396 Camaro baseline but were modified as guided by a document called the Exception Control List for that COPO; components were added and substituted until the required result was achieved. There were few options that could not theoretically have been added to either COPO, but one of them was air conditioning (RPO C60); GM would not install factory air in a vehicle with a solid lifter engine like either of the ZL1 and L72 options (the production L78 and Z28 engines were also solid lifter engines). JL8 disc brakes (not available in the COPO axle) and C05 convertible are also believed to have been unacceptable options. COPO Camaros in original condition are extremely valuable.

Easily accessible printed resources for basic COPO information include the 1969 Camaro books by Hooper and MacNeish. Another source of information is the COPO Connection Handbook, which was published by Ed Cunneen of the COPO Connection. The COPO Connection is no longer active.

COPO 9560 Camaros came from the factory with the ZL-1 aluminum 427ci engine, a HD 4.10 ratio 12-bolt rear-end, HD radiator, cowl induction, special springs, and transistorized ignition. It could be had as either an automatic or a manual. Additional options could be combined with the COPO option, but every COPO order had to be specially approved by Chevrolet management. Originally, the plan was to have 50 cars built and shipped to Fred Gibb (dealer/racer). Other dealers got wind of the order and the total build ended up being 69 cars. The original order of 50 was built identically except for exterior paint and transmission. In the supplemental 19 units there were 2 RallySport cars and 2 double COPO 9737 cars.

The COPO 9560 option added $4160 to the price of the car and made them nearly unsellable, with a list price in excess of $7300. Some of the original engines were pulled and a stock 396 installed, with the pulled ZL-1s being sold as crate engines for use in racecars. There were ~90 ZL-1 engines produced in '68/'69. 69 of the 90 went into Camaros, 2 went into Corvettes, 2 went into COPO 9567 prototypes, and the rest (~17) were sold as crate engines.

COPO 9561 was basically the same as the 9560 except it got an all-iron 427 without transistorized ignition. Records were not kept on these as they were for the ZL-1s, but it is believed that anywhere from 700-1015 iron 427 cars were built at the factory. 1015 is the upper limit as that marks the production of this engine for the year. The lower limit of 700 is speculative.

As soon as the dealers realized the price assigned to COPO 9560 they began complaining. A rebate was reportedly created to assist the dealers, but GM realized it would have a problem selling more 9560s, which were plain-jane race cars with a healthy price tag. The COPO 9567 proposal was dreamed up as a response. Vince Piggins and his GM design staff hand-built 2 of these prototypes. COPO 9567 was not an attempt to build a cheaper ZL-1 car, as the proposed price of this model was well beyond the price of a 9560, at $8581.60 for an M21 4-speed car and $8676.60 for a HD M40 equipped car. The 9567 was intended to be a more streetable car, running 11:1 CR as opposed to 12:1. Both 9567 prototypes were Tuxedo Black Rally Sports with special gold striping, and were very similar, but with distinct differences. While most of the 9560s were plain-jane cars, the 9567s were all jazzed up, pretty as a picture. The location of the prototypes is not known. Unfortunately for posterity, this COPO never made it to production.

The COPO 9560/9561 cars started with a SS396 big-block chassis that included:

Rear Brake Proportioning Valve
Big Block Heater Core
Big Block Fuel Line

The price of the COPO 9560/9561 High Performance Units included the following:

Either ZL1 (9560) or L72 (9561) engine
Dual exhaust (both standard N10 and NC8 chambered have been noted)
ZL2 cowl induction hood
Transistorized ignition (9560 only)
HD (curved-neck) 4-row core 23" radiator (most)
F62 HD front springs
G32 HD rear five-leaf springs
HD version of the 4.10 or 4.56 ratio 8.875-inch 12-bolt rear axle
G80 positraction

To this was added the following mandatory equipment:

J52 Power Front Disc Brakes
Either Muncie M21 or M22 4-speeds, or THM400 automatic
PL5 F70x14 white letter tires on 14x7 wheels (or equivalent substitute option)

The proposed 9567 COPO would have included:

Rally Sport
tachometer
front and rear spoiler
61 amp generator
racing mirrors
exhaust resonators
tail pipe extensions
special steering wheel
gold-lettered tires
special hub caps & lug nuts
wheel trim rings
fender splash guards
special emblems

Despite lower factory quoted numbers, the ZL-1 factory dyno shows it produces ~575hp at ~6400rpm and ~515 ft-lbs torque at ~5000rpm, in stock form with manifolds. Click here for a complete list of the options ordered with each of the sixty-nine COPO 9560 vehicles.


Q: What is a double COPO Camaro?

A: A "double-COPO" is COPO 9560 or 9561 (aluminum or cast iron 427ci engine) combined (in 1969) with COPO 9737.

COPO 9737 was the "sports car conversion" that added a 140 MPH speedometer, a 13/16-inch diameter stabilizer shaft (increased from the 11/16-inch diameter standard bar), and E70x15 Goodyear Wide Tread GT tires on 15-inch rally wheels. COPO 9737 cars built after May, 1969 also got a center gas gauge and a factory tachometer. This COPO was pioneered by Don Yenko for his use in 1968, but for 1969 model year was also ordered (in fewer numbers) by other dealers. In 1968 COPO 9737 is believed to be exclusive to Yenko. The 1968 version of 9737 included a L78 396 (with a unique MV engine code and different carburetor) and the 140 MHP speedo. This COPO was not ordered in combination with any other COPO in 1968.

[Kahdir]

What Chevy would need is an aftermarket tuner that can handle small niche production runs (kinda Shelby for Ford). Shelby stepped up for Ford with the Shelby GT after demand skyrocketed for the Hertz Edition Mustang GT...
Ford shipped standard GTs to Las Vegas, Shelby fitted them with scoops, bumpers, intakes, etc...

Possibly SLP could handle something like that... but they kinda do that already with their ZL cars

[Nightfall]

Originally Posted by MY68RS

Before we go there, just a little history for the youngsters.
Source: CRG.

Q: What is a COPO Camaro?

A: For details on the COPO Camaros, see the COPO 427 Research Report, but here is some basic information.

COPO stands for Central Office Production Order. This is the process used by Chevrolet (and other divisions of GM) for internal orders for limited production of non-standard cars. The COPO process was used most often for mundane special fleet orders such as taxis and special wheelbase trucks and doesn't necessarily indicate a high-performance vehicle. But in 68 and 69, the process was used to order high-performance Camaros that were otherwise not available from the factory.

The most famous first-generation COPO Camaros were 1969 COPOs 9560 and 9561. COPO 9560 was a special run of 1969 Camaros based off of the SS package (minus the SS badges) and with a 427ci aluminum block engine (ZL-1) making at least 430 HP (a conservative factory number). Only 69 of these were built. COPO 9561 was another special run of 1969 Camaros equipped with the cast iron version of the 427ci engine (L72). Both of these COPOs started, on paper, with a RPO L78 SS396 Camaro baseline but were modified as guided by a document called the Exception Control List for that COPO; components were added and substituted until the required result was achieved. There were few options that could not theoretically have been added to either COPO, but one of them was air conditioning (RPO C60); GM would not install factory air in a vehicle with a solid lifter engine like either of the ZL1 and L72 options (the production L78 and Z28 engines were also solid lifter engines). JL8 disc brakes (not available in the COPO axle) and C05 convertible are also believed to have been unacceptable options. COPO Camaros in original condition are extremely valuable.

Easily accessible printed resources for basic COPO information include the 1969 Camaro books by Hooper and MacNeish. Another source of information is the COPO Connection Handbook, which was published by Ed Cunneen of the COPO Connection. The COPO Connection is no longer active.

COPO 9560 Camaros came from the factory with the ZL-1 aluminum 427ci engine, a HD 4.10 ratio 12-bolt rear-end, HD radiator, cowl induction, special springs, and transistorized ignition. It could be had as either an automatic or a manual. Additional options could be combined with the COPO option, but every COPO order had to be specially approved by Chevrolet management. Originally, the plan was to have 50 cars built and shipped to Fred Gibb (dealer/racer). Other dealers got wind of the order and the total build ended up being 69 cars. The original order of 50 was built identically except for exterior paint and transmission. In the supplemental 19 units there were 2 RallySport cars and 2 double COPO 9737 cars.

The COPO 9560 option added $4160 to the price of the car and made them nearly unsellable, with a list price in excess of $7300. Some of the original engines were pulled and a stock 396 installed, with the pulled ZL-1s being sold as crate engines for use in racecars. There were ~90 ZL-1 engines produced in '68/'69. 69 of the 90 went into Camaros, 2 went into Corvettes, 2 went into COPO 9567 prototypes, and the rest (~17) were sold as crate engines.

COPO 9561 was basically the same as the 9560 except it got an all-iron 427 without transistorized ignition. Records were not kept on these as they were for the ZL-1s, but it is believed that anywhere from 700-1015 iron 427 cars were built at the factory. 1015 is the upper limit as that marks the production of this engine for the year. The lower limit of 700 is speculative.

As soon as the dealers realized the price assigned to COPO 9560 they began complaining. A rebate was reportedly created to assist the dealers, but GM realized it would have a problem selling more 9560s, which were plain-jane race cars with a healthy price tag. The COPO 9567 proposal was dreamed up as a response. Vince Piggins and his GM design staff hand-built 2 of these prototypes. COPO 9567 was not an attempt to build a cheaper ZL-1 car, as the proposed price of this model was well beyond the price of a 9560, at $8581.60 for an M21 4-speed car and $8676.60 for a HD M40 equipped car. The 9567 was intended to be a more streetable car, running 11:1 CR as opposed to 12:1. Both 9567 prototypes were Tuxedo Black Rally Sports with special gold striping, and were very similar, but with distinct differences. While most of the 9560s were plain-jane cars, the 9567s were all jazzed up, pretty as a picture. The location of the prototypes is not known. Unfortunately for posterity, this COPO never made it to production.

The COPO 9560/9561 cars started with a SS396 big-block chassis that included:

Rear Brake Proportioning Valve
Big Block Heater Core
Big Block Fuel Line

The price of the COPO 9560/9561 High Performance Units included the following:

Either ZL1 (9560) or L72 (9561) engine
Dual exhaust (both standard N10 and NC8 chambered have been noted)
ZL2 cowl induction hood
Transistorized ignition (9560 only)
HD (curved-neck) 4-row core 23" radiator (most)
F62 HD front springs
G32 HD rear five-leaf springs
HD version of the 4.10 or 4.56 ratio 8.875-inch 12-bolt rear axle
G80 positraction

To this was added the following mandatory equipment:

J52 Power Front Disc Brakes
Either Muncie M21 or M22 4-speeds, or THM400 automatic
PL5 F70x14 white letter tires on 14x7 wheels (or equivalent substitute option)

The proposed 9567 COPO would have included:

Rally Sport
tachometer
front and rear spoiler
61 amp generator
racing mirrors
exhaust resonators
tail pipe extensions
special steering wheel
gold-lettered tires
special hub caps & lug nuts
wheel trim rings
fender splash guards
special emblems

Despite lower factory quoted numbers, the ZL-1 factory dyno shows it produces ~575hp at ~6400rpm and ~515 ft-lbs torque at ~5000rpm, in stock form with manifolds. Click here for a complete list of the options ordered with each of the sixty-nine COPO 9560 vehicles.


Q: What is a double COPO Camaro?

A: A "double-COPO" is COPO 9560 or 9561 (aluminum or cast iron 427ci engine) combined (in 1969) with COPO 9737.

COPO 9737 was the "sports car conversion" that added a 140 MPH speedometer, a 13/16-inch diameter stabilizer shaft (increased from the 11/16-inch diameter standard bar), and E70x15 Goodyear Wide Tread GT tires on 15-inch rally wheels. COPO 9737 cars built after May, 1969 also got a center gas gauge and a factory tachometer. This COPO was pioneered by Don Yenko for his use in 1968, but for 1969 model year was also ordered (in fewer numbers) by other dealers. In 1968 COPO 9737 is believed to be exclusive to Yenko. The 1968 version of 9737 included a L78 396 (with a unique MV engine code and different carburetor) and the 140 MHP speedo. This COPO was not ordered in combination with any other COPO in 1968.

NICE thank you very good read i learned something new

[REEFBLUE93]

Are there any dealerships out there that have stepped up huge like Yenko did back in the late 60's with the Camaro and a few other models? I believe those Yenko Camaros came equipped with the 427. Did many of those racing crate motors find their way into the Yenko edition vehicles?

[Nightfall]

Originally Posted by REEFBLUE93

Are there any dealerships out there that have stepped up huge like Yenko did back in the late 60's with the Camaro and a few other models? I believe those Yenko Camaros came equipped with the 427. Did many of those racing crate motors find their way into the Yenko edition vehicles?

YES it was a feature i was on the main web sight about hold on ill get you the thread

P.S it was called "the copo of the 21est centery" and i stumbled apon it

[Nightfall]

Spotted: HTR-SS 454 LSX Camaro by DeNooyer-Redline
Posted by: admin In: Main ()
A Camaro5 member spotted this DeNooyer-Redline HTR-SS 454 LSX Camaro yesterday. For those who aren’t familiar with the HTR-SS454, it’s a monster of a Camaro, powered by the GMPP LSX 454 crate engine long block. The power output for the HTR-SS454 is 575 BHP and for the HTR-SS454R is 635 BHP.
See INSIDE for full details, photos, and videos.
The HTR-SS454 Package Includes:
• GMPP LSX 454 crate engine from General Motors Performance Parts Division
• FAST 102mm High Flow Intake Manifold
• 1 7/8” LT Headers with high flow cats and 3? mid section
• ATI/Redline Crank Balancer
• Powder Coated Valve Covers with Coil Relocation
• MBRP Stainless Steel Mufflers
• Solid Subframe and Differential Bushings
• Trailing Arms
• 160 degree high flow stat
• Embroidered Headrests
• MGW Short Throw Shifter
• Engine Management Calibration
• Custom HTR stripping package
• Authentification vin plate
• Certificate of authenticity with build serial number
• Warranty Coverage of 2 year from delivery or 24K miles
There’s even an “R” Package (HTR-SS454R) which includes:
• CNC Ported Cylinder Heads
• LSXr 102mm intake manifold
• Custom “T-R” camshaft by Redline Motorsports
• 3.73 rear gears
• 1000 HP axles
• 2” primary headers

http://www.camaro5.com/forums/showthread.php?t=158805

[greenrail]

Berger Chevrolet and Tom Henry Chevrolet do some special edition Camaros.

[TOMS1SS]

Originally Posted by REEFBLUE93

Are there any dealerships out there that have stepped up huge like Yenko did back in the late 60's with the Camaro and a few other models? I believe those Yenko Camaros came equipped with the 427. Did many of those racing crate motors find their way into the Yenko edition vehicles?

If I recall correctly 67 Yenko Camaros were engine swaps, 68s had COPO suspension but an engine swap at the dealer, and the 69s were COPOs with suspension and the 427 already equipped.