Another 1969 Chevelle COPO Inquiry
 

Hi everyone.

My name is Mike and I live in the Akron,OH area.

I am just getting back into the muscle car arena. I began looking for a 1969 Chevelle about 6 months ago--boy did I have sticker shock initially! I finally found a 69 Chevelle here in Ohio--very nice. Just under 32,000 miles on it!

I have talked with buddies and relatives of the original owner (the original owner's mom bought the car for him in 1969 when he was 18 and he passed away at age 35). I have also talked with the all subsequent owners.

This red Chevelle sat on the showroom at Earl Evan's Chevrolet dealership in Painesville OH (no longer in business) and everyone I have spoken with has told me, with no uncertainty, that the car had a factory 427. (The orignal owner it seems had a "problem" with 3rd gear and sucked a valve). The second owner purchased the car with the blown 427. He sold the 427 and put in a small block.

The car originally had the bench seat, 4 speed with no console, rear antenna, marker lights with no ci indication, and all Mailbu emblems in the interior (except maybe the steering wheel) bowtie in the grill, 3/8 gas line, front disc brakes but no power steering--it is a high ratio manual and very easy to handle. The car came from the Baltimore plant. The sequence number seems to be in the range when COPO's were being produced: VIN 136379B394237.

The Trim Tag in the cowl area had the following (it has been painted so there may be some inaccuracy)
ST69 13637 BAL 233684
755 52 52
6DBI360 B (M or H)192793

The rearend has the vin number stamped on the passenger side tube as well as 08(or 6)21K. As I understand it, the designation should have another letter after the "K" such as KK or KQ. It may be that paint has filled in the stamping of the second letter--I have to work on this.

Of course, no build sheet has been found yet. The bench seat is long gone. No build sheet was found in the rear seat. I have not checked under the headliner or behind the kick plates.

My question to all the muscle car enthusiasts is this: how many people have found, or know people who have found, build sheets in the roof under the headliner or behind the kick plates? Does anyone have a COPO with similar numbers?Short of the dealer installing the big block, it seems from all accounts that this is a COPO.

I certainly would appreciate any and all feedback (and any hints for determining the COPO status).

Thanks.
Mike

Re: Another 1969 Chevelle COPO Inquiry
 

Where you "Earl Evans" guys at...Mark Hassett, or Bill S's buddy, or maybe they were in your neck of the woods, Steve F?

Have you had a chance to re-check the rear stamping? Sometimes you have to get aggressive with the nastiness to get it clean...

Re: Another 1969 Chevelle COPO Inquiry
 

Thanks Rob.

Re: Another 1969 Chevelle COPO Inquiry
 

wire brush or scotch brite pad and carb cleaner works pretty good, NO sandpaper!

Re: Another 1969 Chevelle COPO Inquiry
 

The old copo.com site showed a Dusk Blue COPO Chevelle at the same dealership, with the VIN only 11 off from yours:

VIN: 394248
Dealer: Earl Evans Chevy
Location: Painesville OH
Color: Dusk Blue
Trans: M22

Maybe you can find the original owner of the blue car and he'll remember a red one too?

Re: Another 1969 Chevelle COPO Inquiry
 

Thanks Denis.
According to the second owner, who was working at a dealership just down the street from Earl Evans in 1969, there was another COPO on the show room floor at the same time as mine--and it was blue!!

Re: Another 1969 Chevelle COPO Inquiry
 

Very nice find!!! https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/imag...lins/beers.gif

Any photos you could share??

Your trim tag info looks right according to another thread on this site which compares several copo Chevelle trim tags... can't find it right now.

Congrats.

Re: Another 1969 Chevelle COPO Inquiry
 

Definatley look inside the kick panels..one of my buildsheets was there..no build sheet in the headliner..only the water test sheet.. trim tag is very similar to mine..loking good!!

ALbert

ALbert

Re: Another 1969 Chevelle COPO Inquiry
 

Sounds pretty cool...Grady B. has the blue one from Evans.... Where did you find it? https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/imag...ns/naughty.gif


Steve

Re: Another 1969 Chevelle COPO Inquiry
 

Cool find, another NE OH COPO. Check under the front seat also on a Bench car. MY L-89 had 2 build sheets under it there.

Re: Another 1969 Chevelle COPO Inquiry
 

door panels also.
PJ

Re: Another 1969 Chevelle COPO Inquiry
 

Thanks Helmut and everyone for the comments and information.

I have posted a few photos--not real great as I have the car in storage--in the COPO photo gallery section with the title Meresq-Earl Evans COPO.

Helmut if you run across the site comparing COPO Chevelle trim tags--please send it!

Steve, I bought the car from a guy in Madison OH ( near Painesville) who did the restoration--new paint and a BB 454 with 427 heads. He had been working on the prior owner for some time to get her to sell it. I talked with her--she says the car was originally a BB--she removed the interior Mailbu emblems and the bowtie in the grill and and put in SS emblems--and she also took out the bench seat and trashed it.
Thanks again.
Mike

Re: Another 1969 Chevelle COPO Inquiry
 

Mike, my Black '69 L-89 Chevelle came from Earl Evans. Earl's son Dale was into drag racing and maybe that is why they had so many High Performance Cars. I know of (2) COPO CAMARO'S that were Sold there: a Blue One and a Black One. Don't know the car from Madison, we are only 15 minutes from there. If she put the SS Emblems on it, it lost it's identity, did she do that right away?? Most people didn't know what a COPO was back then, but even our little dealership (Calender Chevrolet) sold a White COPO Chevelle.
Mark

Re: Another 1969 Chevelle COPO Inquiry
 

Hi Mark.
I believe she purchased the car in the early 70's from Sig of Sig's automotive (Have you heard of Sig's?) . Like you said, people at that time had no idea of the significance of COPO and "SS" was cool. It seems this COPO sat on Earl Evan's showroomm along with a blue Chevelle COPO.

Re: Another 1969 Chevelle COPO Inquiry
 

[ QUOTE ]
Mike, my Black '69 L-89 Chevelle came from Earl Evans. Earl's son Dale was into drag racing and maybe that is why they had so many High Performance Cars. I know of (2) COPO CAMARO'S that were Sold there: a Blue One and a Black One. Don't know the car from Madison, we are only 15 minutes from there. If she put the SS Emblems on it, it lost it's identity, did she do that right away?? Most people didn't know what a COPO was back then, but even our little dealership (Calender Chevrolet) sold a White COPO Chevelle.
Mark

[/ QUOTE ]

Mark, did that white COPO Chevelle happen to have a black vinyl top and a red bench interior with a T400? https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/imag...emlins/eek.gif

I've been trying to track down some history and the origin of my COPO Chevelle - it spent quite a bit of its life in Ohio. Does the car's description ring a bell? I haven't heard of any other white COPO Chevelles yet.

Thanks!

Re: Another 1969 Chevelle COPO Inquiry
 

[ QUOTE ]
Thanks Helmut and everyone for the comments and information.

I have posted a few photos--not real great as I have the car in storage--in the COPO photo gallery section with the title Meresq-Earl Evans COPO.

Helmut if you run across the site comparing COPO Chevelle trim tags--please send it!

Steve, I bought the car from a guy in Madison OH ( near Painesville) who did the restoration--new paint and a BB 454 with 427 heads. He had been working on the prior owner for some time to get her to sell it. I talked with her--she says the car was originally a BB--she removed the interior Mailbu emblems and the bowtie in the grill and and put in SS emblems--and she also took out the bench seat and trashed it.
Thanks again.
Mike

[/ QUOTE ]

The thread was called "COPO Chevelle trim tag data" and it was active back in 2002... here's the link:

https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/show...0/fpart/9/vc/1

Re: Another 1969 Chevelle COPO Inquiry
 

[ QUOTE ]
I haven't heard of any other white COPO Chevelles yet.


[/ QUOTE ]

About 25 years ago, there was a well known '69 White COPO Chevelle that was owned by the owner of local transmission shop here in Minneapolis. I remember him showing me the car before I had any idea what a COPO Chevelle even was. I am pretty sure Earl (mnyenko) knew of this car as well. I have not seen the car for many years but last I heard he still owned it and was fully aware of it's value based on a conversation I had with one of his employees.
Rick

Re: Another 1969 Chevelle COPO Inquiry
 

I have a title for a White COPO Chevelle also that was made into a drag car from WV. Motor and parts I picked up from original owner. I also think Reggie Jackson owns one or did at one time. There are a few out there.

Re: Another 1969 Chevelle COPO Inquiry
 

Thanks Rick and Micky for your replies! Hopefully someone will recognize the description of my white COPO with red guts. Has anyone started a registry of what COPO Chevelles have been found or were known to exist? I also think that COPO Chevelle trim tag data thread could be updated from five years ago with all the cars that have been found... I'd take a stab at it if others are interested in seeing it done?

Re: Another 1969 Chevelle COPO Inquiry
 

Helmut,
The White COPO CHEVELLE (from my hometown-Ashtabula, Ohio) was a TURBO 400 with Black Interior. The Original Owner put a 350 Engine in it, because he was driving it everyday. He then Sold it that way and I think that whoever bought it probably didn't even know it was a COPO. He sold it in the late 70's.
Mark

Re: Another 1969 Chevelle COPO Inquiry
 

[ QUOTE ]
I have a title for a White COPO Chevelle also that was made into a drag car from WV. Motor and parts I picked up from original owner. I also think Reggie Jackson owns one or did at one time. There are a few out there.

[/ QUOTE ]

Reggie's is a white Yenko Chevelle.

Re: Another 1969 Chevelle COPO Inquiry
 

Helmut: I'd *gladly* add any info to the COPO Chevlle info I have in that thread...I think we have some stuff in the database that I haven't updated online, if I can get a break from swinging a hammer I'll take a look!

Re: Another 1969 Chevelle COPO Inquiry
 

Was this car on E Bay ?????? Also...you were questioning whether it actually was a COPO in the first post but then you have actually christened it a real COPO a couple posts later without knowing what the rear says. Without having any paperwork. Going on what some people told you and a lady who took all the Malibu emblems off and added SS stuff. I would look for some paperwork and immediately look at that rear stamping and maybe post pics of it just to make sure you are on the right track.

Re: Another 1969 Chevelle COPO Inquiry
 

Mark, I heard that Casper was sold and made into a stock car that ran out at raceway 7 for a while, you know anything on that?

[ QUOTE ]
Helmut,
The White COPO CHEVELLE (from my hometown-Ashtabula, Ohio) was a TURBO 400 with Black Interior. The Original Owner put a 350 Engine in it, because he was driving it everyday. He then Sold it that way and I think that whoever bought it probably didn't even know it was a COPO. He sold it in the late 70's.
Mark

[/ QUOTE ]

Re: Another 1969 Chevelle COPO Inquiry
 

Still a COPO though, even though it has decals.

Reggie's is a white Yenko Chevelle.

[/ QUOTE ]

Re: Another 1969 Chevelle COPO Inquiry
 

[ QUOTE ]
Helmut: I'd *gladly* add any info to the COPO Chevlle info I have in that thread...I think we have some stuff in the database that I haven't updated online, if I can get a break from swinging a hammer I'll take a look!

[/ QUOTE ]

Great! Let me know what info you need or if I can help out.

I'd like to help build a list of COPO Chevelles showing what info people have on them... might help preserve a good car or two, and help people like me find some history on their cars. Publishing the ZL1 VINs sure has helped reunite those cars with original components, etc.

Re: Another 1969 Chevelle COPO Inquiry
 

Micky, Yes I heard that too about it being made into a stock car--but Popso told me NO. John gave me some pictures of the car when it was new. I will always remember "CASPER"!!
Take care,
Mark

Re: Another 1969 Chevelle COPO Inquiry
 

You are right Belair62--I guess I got a little too enthused!--with all the positive comments on this site and the people in the chain of ownership telling me this car came with a 427 and a good friend of the original owner also telling me the same and that he viewed this car along with a blue Chevelle at Earl Evans at the same time and both had 427's. However, my next task will be to use Scotchbrite on the rearend tube! Have a great weekend!