Dealer Order Procedures

[Stefano]

Jim,
Thanks for the replies. I was not there and can only speculate as to what took place.

There are a few, to say the least, unsatisfied questions such as COPO production volume and order methods which you may be able to help clearify. We apppreciate your efforts by helping us with these questions.

Yes,I am referring to the Build Date coded on the firewall trim tag/Fisher Body number plate.

For example: My Dover White Jack Douglass Yenko, Double COPO, Vin number 124379N649011 has a build date of 05D.

This was one of his 25 direct order COPOs, and thus far all seem to have been built close to O5D.

The NICB information that I have shows that this COPO was shipped to Douglass Chevrolet on 05-28-69. There were at least two other documented Douglass Ordered COPOs built O5D which, were shipped on the same day, per NICB information.

Wouldn't the trim tag/ Fischer Body Tag be the last or latest date coded item installed anywhere on the Camaros?

Once the Trim tag was stamped wasn't the car only hours from completion?

Was the build-out dead line for the Camaros kept the same as other vehicles which would traditionally have new Model Year inventory ready for sale in October?

If GM couldn't fulfill all the demand, in the order banks, wouldn't the individual Zone offices be charged with the task of weeding the orders, by restriction or cancelation notices to their dealers, no matter the reason for the cancelation?

If the Tonowanda engine plant was geared up to fulfill, lets say, 1,200 COPO Camaro Orders, would they then scale back when Eaton Gear was not able to meet their production quotas?

Do records exist from GM which could document the number of special BE rear axle asmblys. produced?

Jim, I have always wanted to ask these questions. Thanks for getting involved with the format which allows me and others to do so.

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[Kurt S]

The trim tag was one of the first dated items installed (sheetmetal was also dated). The car was still days away from completion when it was attached. Had barely started thru Fisher Body.
Engine plants (and other component suppliers) received a weekly build schedule (along with some build projections). They wouldn't even realize the volume on a small runner like COPO's was reduced. And since it was a standard engine for them, just with a couple of Camaro-only parts, volume wasn't an issue.

[Jim Mattison]

Guys, you bring up some very valid points about the building of these cars! Unfortunately, I was at Chevrolet Central Office, in Detroit and not at the assembly plant when the cars were going down the line. I only know how we set-up the production schedules for these cars and to interface with the dealers and zone folks.

Frankly, I don't remember my phone ringing off the hook over any orders being cancelled, other than the batch of 100 cars from Yenko. Don called me personally to cancel those orders, as the insurance issue became a factor.

We need to locate someone from either the Norwood Fisher Body Plant or Chevrolet Norwood to answer some of the fine points on the "nut and bolt" questions. Assembly plants were known for doing some strange things!

Jim Mattison

[Stefano]

Hi Kurt,
Please help me to clearify this date issue. Are you saying that the sheet metal would typically be dated after the trim tag build date?

Is in not accepted that all drive train components and accessories including the rear axle housing cast and axle tube stamp dates should preceed the trim tag build date?

Was the Vehicle Vin installed prior to or after the Body Trim Tag?

The Glass also carries a mfg.date code but wouldn't that preceed the trim tag date as well?

What items would be date coded as having been built or installed after the trim tag date?

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[Kurt S]

Sheetmetal dates would be before the trim tag.
The trim tag date was just a week, and not very specific at that. Not unheard of to have drivetrains after the tag date, depending on how close they were running to their suppliers. And it wasn't a FIFO (first in, first out) system, so the last built part could be the first to be used.
VIN was attached after the body left Fisher, a couple of days after the body was started.

[JoeC]

Here is a copy of an interesting post by JohnZ who is a retired GM engineer that was involved with assembly.

"When I was working at Willow Run in 1966, we got a COPO/Fleet Order for a utility company in Oklahoma (Southwest Oklahoma Gas & Electric, or something like that) and built a fleet of 25 white Chevy II/Nova station wagons with red interiors, the factory under-the-dash hang-on A/C, with the 327/350 L-79 engines, 4-speeds, and Hurst shifters - the Oklahoma customer rep brought the Hurst shifters and linkage parts into the plant and we installed them just like the production Muncie shifters. The CEO must have been a real gearhead!"

[JoeC]

one of the above questions is about GM using the COPO process other then Chevy. I don't know if Olds called it COPO but they were sneaky like Chevy and put over 400 cu in engines in some cars also. this is from an Olds site
""The 1968 Hurst/Olds was a limited production of 515 cars. It was powered by a special 455 with W-30 components that produced 390 horsepower. It also came with under the bumper forced air induction, better known as Ram-Air. GM was not allowed to put any engine larger than a 400 cid in any A- body car, so Oldsmobile originally marketed the car as being built by Demmer Industries, but later we found out that all Demmer did was add the Hurst Dual Gate shifter and console, the walnut dash inserts, Hurst/Olds emblems and the special black markings. Oldsmobile in fact had built and installed the Monster Engines without the GM bigwigs finding out.""

[Stefano]

JoeC,
Sounds like a Cool Set up, do any exist today?

Do you think COPO Pete could get one to run a quick as his ZL1?

[T Billigen]

There are quite a few of these Hurst olds out there, I believe they built a little over 500. I don't know what the going price is but is a lot cheaper than a Chevy!!

[Stefano]

Thanks Kurt,
I had always regarded drive train components dated after the trim tag as inncorrect. Do any origial Drive train COPOs or Yenkos have an Engine trans or rear dated or cast after the trim tag date?

What is the maximum length of time a body with a trim tag installed would have stayed at Fisher Body, unVINed?