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

[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.