CRG Discussion Forum

Camaro Research Group Discussion => General Discussion => Topic started by: KERR on May 04, 2009, 08:15:14 PM

Title: 68 copo with hideaway head lights?
Post by: KERR on May 04, 2009, 08:15:14 PM

First post! and very nice web page.

I was at the local cruise in and them man was telling everyone his car was an original copo 427ci car.  It was beautiful,  Black with the black dog dish wheels,  interior looked correct from what ive seen in the past. I’m not car expert.. anyway his car had hide away head lights like my 68 RS/SS car.   I’ve just never seen a copo with this grill in it, actually now that i think about im not sure I’ve seen a copo 68 model but im assuming they made them.   ever car ive seen has the two round head lights. 

So those of you in the know did they ever make that?

Title: Re: 68 copo with hideaway head lights?
Post by: firstgenaddict on May 04, 2009, 11:55:17 PM

The only 68 Performance COPO was the Sports car conversion package 9737. Yenko was the only dealership to have the program and if not mistaken there is a 68 RS/Yenko or two out there...

Title: Re: 68 copo with hideaway head lights?
Post by: JoeC on May 05, 2009, 12:25:01 PM

Yes some of the 1968 Yenko 427 Super Camaros were SS RS with COPO 9737

The was also a 1968 SS L78 TH400 Nova with COPO 9738

Title: Re: 68 copo with hideaway head lights?
Post by: KERR on May 05, 2009, 01:17:28 PM

Thanks for the information.   

You guys know your stuff lol..

Title: Re: 68 copo with hideaway head lights?
Post by: william on May 05, 2009, 01:41:48 PM

There were no 427 '68 Camaros from the factory. Yenko installed the engines.

Title: Re: 68 copo with hideaway head lights?
Post by: Tinkerr on May 05, 2009, 08:27:45 PM

Quote

The was also a 1968 SS L78 TH400 Nova with COPO 9738

This might seem like a dumb question, but when you don't know !!! I was of the belief that you couldn't get a L 78 with a auto until 69. Am I wrong or were Nova's different?

Title: Re: 68 copo with hideaway head lights?
Post by: william on May 05, 2009, 11:07:53 PM

I would not go so far as to say the L78 engine was available with an auto trans in 1968. Fred Gibb had well-placed contacts at Chevrolet and got 50 L78/automatic Novas built via the COPO process. The COPO process required a minimum number of units, probably 50, so the average guy couldn't order one.

Title: Re: 68 copo with hideaway head lights?
Post by: JoeC on May 06, 2009, 12:17:41 AM

Dick Harrell and Fred Gibb were drag racing together in 1968 and wanted a car to compete in the auto trans class. NHRA rules called for 50 car minimum factory built so they ordered 50 COPO 9738 SS L78 Novas.

Some of them were converted to SS 427 Novas by Harrell.

The 1967 and 68 Yenko 427 Super Camaros were AHRA certified legal drag cars but NHRA would not accept the 427 Yenkos as factory built until the 1969 COPO 9561 were used.

Yenko was a certified manufacturer by FIA and SCCA for the Yenko Stinger project so AHRA acceped them with a 50 car minimum but NHRA didn't.