1962 COPO Impala 409? First COPO?

[PeteLeathersac]

Cool revived thread!
Nothing to do w/ Z11 Imp's or any alloy nose 62/63 cars but as for THE 1'st Copos, it was 1958...or maybe earlier?
Not sure where I got this picture from originally, could've been here and/or Verne...but check the below TT pic from I believe a '58 Copo Police car?
[img]<<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/beers.gif[/img]
~ Pete

[Verne_Frantz]

Neat tag Pete. The 1259 was the Delray 4 door sedan, the lowest of the food chain. Black with gray interior. The extra numbers after the interior code are a good indication it &quot;might&quot; have had the police car body option which would include items like the extra sun visor (both padded), a foam rubber seat cushion, thicker rubber floor mats and the extra power lead through the firewall for high amp 12V service. But then, it also could have been a fleet car with other specially ordered body features. It's too bad the car isn't available for a close inspection. It could have been anything: FBI, civil service, taxi, etc. I've seen some Forestry and park service cars but they were always green or gray.
Thanks for posting that. I have a few other '58 COPO tags on file.

Verne [img]<<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/biggthumpup.gif[/img]

[John Brown]

58 sedan delivery wagon with windows instead of steel panels in the rear. Feds special ordered a lot of odd combination cars back then, and probably still do. I love it whenever I spot one of them. The oddest I ever saw was a Valiant two door sedan delivery built for the Air Force. Valiant never made a two door wagon so the whole car was very oddball.

[John Brown]

A picture of a 60 Valiant sedan delivery someone over on Moparts was kind enough to post to show that I wasn't completely out of my mind and imagining things.

[PeteLeathersac]

Love to see more early Copo tags Verne, was the one I posted one of yours also are there any known earlier than '58?
Isn't the pictured '58 Fed Wagon actually a standard order Yeoman 2-Dr. Wagon, not a delivery w/ windows added?
Cool Valiant Delivery, looks like it has a faded Gulf decal also isn't that an Opel Kadett on the track?
And not the '64 Pontiac but the other car, is it a '62 Poncho w/ modified wheelwell opening?

[img]<<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/beers.gif[/img]
~ Pete

[Verne_Frantz]

Pete,
In '58 Chevy offered both a 2dr and 4dr version of the Yoeman wagon (the Delray version in a wagon). Sedan Deliveries had a one piece tailgate and the Yoeman's had a lift up rear window and a drop down gate. If my eyes aren't playing tricks on me, I think the wagon in John's photo shows an inside latch for the gate so I think that particular wagon might have been the 2-door Yoeman.
I don't have &quot;that&quot; tag in file, but other ones from park service COPOs found in junk yards.

Verne [img]<<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/biggthumpup.gif[/img]

[PeteLeathersac]

Thanks for the clarification Verne and I thought it was a standard Yeoman 2-Dr. Wagon too.
If you're sharing, I expect many here would love to see pics of any old Copo tags?

Happy New Year!
[img]<<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/beers.gif[/img]
~ Pete

[Verne_Frantz]

Pete,
I went and looked through the photos I have saved and the one I found is actually the '58 tag pictured earlier. As far as other photos, they are in the files of a friend who accompanied me on most of my &quot;expeditions&quot; and was there to take photos while I carried my field research forms, flashlight and pen. I always asked him to photograph the odd ball or special tags. I hardly ever brought a camera with me &quot;in the bush&quot;. I know I Doc'd several COPO and F&amp;SO cars, either government service, police, taxi or private fleet (like a salesman's car).
I'm glad I started doing that over 30 years ago because all those real samples are long gone today.

Verne [img]<<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/biggthumpup.gif[/img]

[Carleen]

First COPOn I have seen was a 59 Corvette dual fuel tanks. Then, I read about 10 COPO 61 Impala 409hp 409. And in 62 20 Z11.

[Carleen]

Indy, IN. 9/2/61 S/SS Don Nicholson '61 409 2x4 13.38 @ 109
Long Beach, CA 11/7/61 U/S P. Petre '61 409 2x4 13.30 @ 108



Fontana, CA. 7/14/62 U/S Jack Bayer '62 Z11 12.80 @114
Fontana, CA. 7/21/62 S/P H. Proffitt '62 Z11 13.05 @115
San Gabriel, CA. 7/28/62 A/FX H. Proffitt '62 Z11 12.40 @113
B/FX Cone Chev. 409 13.19 @110
Pomona, CA. 8/11/62 S/SS Butch Leal '62 409 12.57 @111
Long Beach, CA. 8/18/62 F/X H. Proffitt '62 Z11 12.22 @117
Indianapolis, IN. 9/2/62 S/SS H. Proffitt '62 Z11 12.83 @ 113
Emporia, VA. 10/6/62 S/SS D. Strickler '62 Z11 12.05 @ 120
Tampa, FL. 11/25/62 F/X Hubert Platt '62 Z11 11.69 @ 117
Long Beach, CA. 12/1/62 F/X H. Proffitt '62 Z11 11.75 @ 117
Long Beach, CA. 12/8/62 S/SS Butch Leal '62 Z11 12.26 @ 115
Long Beach, CA. 4/27/63 F/X F. Sanders '63 Z11 11.93 @ 120
Long Beach, CA. 4/21/63 A/S T. Lacobson '62 409 13.11 @ 109
F/X J. Bayer '63 Z11 11.92 @ 121
Henderson, NV. 4/21/63 U/S Vans Autos '62 Z11 12.88 @ 114