Dealer Order Procedures

[Jim Mattison]

Steve,

In all honesty, I don't remember any COPO 427 Camaro or Chevelle dealer orders being cancelled, other than a batch of about 100 Yenko orders. I remember that my group was scrambling to get every order that we had built. Many dealers were crying for these cars! If orders were being cancelled, it had to be being done by the zones or regions.

My recollection is that the insurance companies had caught on to the Yenko cars (mainly from the magazine coverage that they had gotten), making it difficult for Yenko customers to get insurance. However, for the rest of the dealers, unless an insurance company was suspicious, there was nothing in the vin number that would suggest that the engine was anything other than a standard V-8.

Jim Mattison

[T Billigen]

I know speaking for myself, insurance was a big problem in the 60s. My insurance company would not insure GTOs from 1965 on and they also monitored your driving record. When you bought a new car you had to state cubic inch and also horsepower. When I bought my camaro, my insurance jumped from 260.00 a year to 860.00 because I had gotten a speeding ticket earlier in the year. I tried to get the GM insurance they were offering at the time to offset the insurance companies that would not cover "muscle cars" they turned me down also! On the problems of getting the rear ends, On my Yenko camaro the rear is a march date and the body is a february date. This is the only number on the car that post dates the body.

[Stefano]

Jim,
The Dealership which I was referring to, is Jack Douglass Chevrolet, of Hinsdale,Illinois. His direct order of COPO Camaros all seem to have been built in late May of 1969.

I do not think that any Douglass COPOs have been found with a date later than the fourth week in May. His 25 Camaro orders should have provided approx. 60 to 120 day sales supply.

This would place his earliest next batch at late July, but even more likely, August or September. This is the batch which Jack and Tom Dumass,the General manager recall as having been canceled.

Do you have any specific recollections regarding the Douglass ordered COPO Cars?

[Unreal]

With the extended Camaro model year, and the elimination of the 427 in favor of the 454, how late could you order a COPO, and still get the L-72?

[William]

I have a window sticker copy for COPO N693864 built 09E. I have two later VINs but no verification.

[Stefano]

There was a COPO Camaro at the Lombard Cruise this past Saturday. It was originally from Randy Millers Collection and was also a very late car. I only remember that the axle housing tube date was mid September.

Very sharp COPO, but it was wearing Black Z28 stripes to throw off the competition [img]/ubbthreads/images/icons/wink.gif[/img]

[Stefano]

William,
Who was the selling dealer for this late COPO?

[Jim Mattison]

My recollection is that we stopped accepting new orders about the second week in May, for build-out. GM still handles build-out the same way today.

I assume that you are basing these cars being built in the fourth week of May, based on the body build date on the Fisher Body tag. Fisher Body would build bodys for our "specials" weeks ahead of time, so although the body is dated May, the car may have actually been built in June or early July. I am 100% sure that we were still building COPO's in June and early July, 1969. The biggest problem we had building the 1969 COPO's was the availability of rear axle assemblies.

Jim Mattison

[Mr70]

Jim M.
I am glad to see you are the Moderator here.
I enjoy reading your repilies whatever they are.
I like this new format already!

[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.

[img]/ubbthreads/images/icons/confused.gif[/img]