Higher value 69 Chevelle COPO 427 or L-78/L89?

[copo9566aa]

The COPO Chevelle

[70 copo]

COPO seems to be the clear winner! The only difference seems to reside in the area of personal taste. The alum. heads add extra "car show" touch to the 396 car, but it appears that having the "COPO" is the option that pure investment grade collectors desire. Thanks again.

[Keith Tedford]

We paid $649 CDN for our COPO option on the Chevelle. When people speak of the Malibu trim, I think they are referring to the interior. The only SS piece in there was, in some cases, the steering wheel emblem. Ours had the blue bow tie. The outside was all SS less the SS396 emblems. The blue bow tie filled the holes in the grill. The COPO cars were 13637 models which translates into Malibu hardtops. The extra cost of building a COPO car over that of the L78 cars would probably have been minimal. Everything was a direct bolt in replacement and GM was already building the L72 motor for the big cars. The only special piece that I have seen on the car was the KQ rearend. The automatic cars got a special transmission. I'd think that GM made a buck on these cars as well.
I've seen Don Lightfoots L78/L89 Chevelle and the engine compartment certainly draws attention.

[Belair62]

SS 396 emblems may look fancier.....but it looks backward in the rearview mirror ! which is where an L89 would be if it pulled up to a light with a COPO !!! Meet you on Rte.83 Mr.70....bring your pink !!!

[mhassett]

I've been waiting to hear this comment. The L-78 has the same cam as the '66 427-425HP Corvette. The 375HP is Under-Rated, plus the L-89 is lighter. I think it would be a close race. Mark

[JoeC]

The reason I say Chevy lost money on the COPO cars is because of the engineering costs. Engineering costs are very high but when divided over 500,000 cars it is not that much per unit. With only about 1000 hi po COPO cars built in 1969 there was no economy of scale.

[Belair62]

There's still no substitute for cubic inches..plus I only weigh 160 lbs. so I still have the edge ! Plus Mr 70 is from the south side...they never figured out how to drive down there.

[Edited by Belair62 (01-06-2002 at 05:32 PM).]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: mhassett</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I've been waiting to hear this comment. The L-78 has the same cam as the '66 427-425HP Corvette. The 375HP is Under-Rated, plus the L-89 is lighter. I think it would be a close race. Mark </div></div>I hate to say it but you are so wrong. Having had one of each back in the day, although the L78 is a strong engine it does not measure up to the427-425. The 427 was a beast compared to the 396.