Why so many COPO's from Ohio area?

[69z28302]

Is it just me or are there alot of COPO cars come from the Ohio area. What's evryone's thoughts on this? Is because

1. The Norwood plant was their?
2. Regional Manager at the time spread info about these cars.

Lets here what you think

Thanks

[William]

I think it is an impression gained from what is known. There is a lot we do not know about COPO Camaros. If there were truly 900-1,000 built about half are unknown. MI was a big customer also between Berger, Emmert and Funston.

There were a lot of Chevy dealers in those days.

[69z28302]

Great answer William.

[m22mike]

That very subject has been booted around here before. We may never know who was the top state in COPO sales.
Ohio would be way up there for sure.
12 double COPO Camaros were ordered by Bob Schafer in 69 @ Ewing Chevy in Canton alone. I know most of the other dealers sold a few too. Also there were 3 ZL1's from this general area of NEO.
However Columbus, I think, was way out there in COPO sales. Lots down there.
Maybe someone can find the old threads, I looked with no luck. Will search again later.
Gotta go help Mamma now.....Gobble Gobble.... [img]<<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/biggthumpup.gif[/img]

Mike

[69z28302]

Thats what it seems to me also. I think alot were sold in the Columbus, South Central Ohio, Cincinatti,area. I think West Virgina area had a few also.
thanks

Happy Thanksgiving to All.

[olredalert]

-----While in college in 69 I used to pass right by Bob McDormans all the time. His lot (at the then new dealership) was always stuffed full of high-perf Chevys. Does anyone know if any COPOs were delivered there???......Bill S

[Salvatore]

One of the main reasons IMO was that NHRA DIV-3 is part of Ohio and that midwest area. Many stock and superstock drag racers lived out that way, and still do. A haven for fast cars. Most of those guys were buying short blocks over the counter and installing them to run A or B/Stock or even SS. I bet when the COPO came out with the 427's already installed the smart racers just gobbled them up like we do on Thanksgiving! Remember they were for drag racing, not the lawn ornaments they are today!

[69z28302]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: olredalert</div><div class="ubbcode-body">
-----While in college in 69 I used to pass right by Bob McDormans all the time. His lot (at the then new dealership) was always stuffed full of high-perf Chevys. Does anyone know if any COPOs were delivered there???......Bill S </div></div>


Here's a COPO Chevelle Bought New at McDormans

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LNJhx...eature=related

[old5.0]

Well, I don't know about the farmers not buying hot rods. In Marshall County Kansas, I know of more than a dozen Hemi cars that exist currently or did exist at one time. I know of 3 Judges that came out of Bergren Chevrolet/Pontiac/Cadillac in Marysville, the county seat. The Ford dealer, Boss Motors, sold numerous Boss Mustangs, including 5 or 6 Boss 351s. I've seen pics of two LS6 Chevelles and a 69 L78 Camaro that came out of Whiteway Chevrolet in Frankfort, KS, a town of about 1,000 people just down the road from Marysville. I know of at least half a dozen 428 Mach 1s, 69 and 70 models, from restored cars to junk shells that have been in the area their whole lives. I've also heard realiable stories about 3 different Shelbys and a 67 or 8 Nickey Camaro that existed around there years ago.

I don't think the problem was nobody was buying them, I just don't think many of them survived. I don't know what the salvage yard situation in Ohio is like, but eastern Kansas and Southeast Nebraska were overrun with little mom n' pop yards at one time. I can think of 15 or 20 within 40 miles of Marysville just off the top of my head, and I'm sure there were more that I've never heard of.

Many of those went out of business within the last 20 years or so and crushed out. I'm sure that didn't help the local musclecar population any. Again, I don't know about Ohio, but that stuff just didn't sit around in fields for decades back here. Add in the fact that despite the amount of hot rod iron sold around there, few people in that particular area care much about old cars, and there's damn little of that stuff left. Just pictures and stories.

As far as COPOs, a friend's dad worked for Bergren as a mechanic for 30 years, and he's mentioned a couple of Camaros with 427s running around town. Whether they were COPOs, and where they may have come from new, I couldn't say. I can say that Mac's in Crete and Van-T in Topeka were both a fairly short drive from Marysville.

[Mr. Chevy]

I know a retired mechanic from Ed Stinn's dealership in Fairview Park, Ohio (Cleveland Suburb) who told me that he remembered approximately 5-6 brand new 69 COPO Camaros lined up on the dealership lot.

He said part of his job was to check the cars over after they were delivered. He said test driving these cars was a real treat... He said they were fast as hell right from the factory...

Unfortunately he has no pictures and wishes now that he had taken some...

Rich