COPO Pacer

[William]

Since the #2 pace car (N608347) still has its original engine stamped with a work order number (T1218JM 98708-B) it doesn't look like they were built as COPOs. It appears that the cars were built & processed exactly as the article states. COPOs did not have SS badging.

Both cars went to the Tech Center where just about anything was possible.

[Stefano]

William,
Just for clearification, if a car, any car went to the Tech Center there would have to be a special work order from the cental office requesting any special work?
If there was additional non RPO work performed wouldn't this by definition be considred a COPO vehicle?

[William]

The entire reason for the COPO process was to accomodate non-RPO equipment on the assembly line.

Other than '68 tailpipes, I see no reason to believe those cars had any non-RPO equipment on them as built. Since they were going to the Tech Center why bother? They weren't even special paint as the 67s were. The COPO process required the involvement of engineering which would spec a package of components to be included under the COPO # it then assigned. That's why COPO Camaro window stickers do not show the ducted hood or HD cooling - just the COPO number. Since someone had to order the cars to be used for the race and a dealer was not involved, Central Office probably did it. Thus, Jim Mattison may have seen the paperwork. The body numbers of 267543 & 267544 are very close to the few known body numbers of true festival Z11s; they may have been part of a fleet order. Someone had to decide how the on-track cars should be equipped, Engineering probably met with the Central Office to work out the details. These two cars would have had special shipping instructions to get them delivered to the Tech Center for the tear-down & virtual race-prep they were given, procedures very difficult to coordinate in production. They may have been built with JL8; the Tech Center may have put 427s in them. Who knows? Central Office ordered cars for its own fleet, shows, etc. Every car they ordered isn't necessarily a COPO.