427 Chevelle Question

[HawkX66]

Originally Posted by novadude

You can never really "win" these arguments, because there is always the guy out there that insists that the factory would build anything you wanted back in the day.

As if a production line cranking out millions of cars is going to stop and do special requests (not to mention the Engineering, supply chain logistics, etc involved with something as significant as a different engine).

Not to be argumentative, but isn't that what COPO essentially did?

[Tracker1]

Originally Posted by HawkX66

Not to be argumentative, but isn't that what COPO essentially did?

COPO worked with significant numbers of cars/trucks - large orders with dozens or hundreds of vehicles. And/Or with a high-volume dealership that had clout because they themselves sold THOUSANDS of vehicles, e.g., Yenko or Gibb. Hardly one-offs.

If Don Yenko had harnessed the COPO process a little more aggressively in 1966, yeah, I believe he could have made 427 Chevelles happen. But he didn't.

Which is a shame because it would have made for a fantastic car.

[HawkX66]

Originally Posted by Tracker1

COPO worked with significant numbers of cars/trucks - large orders with dozens or hundreds of vehicles. And/Or with a high-volume dealership that had clout because they themselves sold THOUSANDS of vehicles, e.g., Yenko or Gibb. Hardly one-offs.

If Don Yenko had harnessed the COPO process a little more aggressively in 1966, yeah, I believe he could have made 427 Chevelles happen. But he didn't.

Which is a shame because it would have made for a fantastic car.

You're talking about relatively significant COPO orders, although 50 cars isn't really a lot. COPO was also for more simple requests wasn't it?

edit: I guess it really wasn't. Even still, the 69 COPOs Gibb ordered wasn't really a lot of cars it seems. Definitely not one offs though.
"Instead of placing an order for Camaros using the “Regular Production Option” sheet, used by dealerships for performance and styling upgrades, a dealership began ordering Camaros using the Central Office Purchase Order (hence the name COPO), which was generally reserved for adding alterations to municipal fleets."

https://www.gmpartscenter.net/blog/b...of-copo-camaro

[novadude]

Originally Posted by HawkX66

Not to be argumentative, but isn't that what COPO essentially did?

Those cars were built in larger numbers, and the COPO was approved to further an agenda within Chevrolet. The COPO 427s were to support backdoor racing activities. A work-around to corporate policy. It was all about promoting brand image at a time in history when drag racing was "hot" in popular culture.

I've never seen any evidence of such a program in 66-67. It would have required substantial effort and cost, and they wouldn't have authorized it just because a person wanted to buy one that way. I would imagine you would have needed solid upper management connections and a 50 car minimum before they'd even consider it.

It's also worth noting that lots of stuff appeared in PR photos that never made it to production.

[61 vert]

I believe the 66 yenko stinger corvairs were copos because of the dual reservoir master cylinder. Please feel free to correct me if I am wrong.

[BigD69]

Thanks for all the replies, I did win the argument as he said 66 and 67 Chevelles had 427s which I said they didn't from the factory. 1969 would have been the only time that happened with very few built at the factory as a COPO Chevelle.