CRG Discussion Forum
Camaro Research Group Discussion => General Discussion => Topic started by: IZRSSS on September 15, 2010, 11:48:27 AM
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Can anyone shed light on the official definition of a "COPO"?
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Central Office Production Order.
If you wanted a fleet [at least 50 I believe] of cars with non-normative options or equipment a request was placed with Chevy's Central Office in Detroit. If Engineering approved it a number was assigned and the cars got built. Mostly used for police, fire, commercial vehicles. Non-RPO paint also used this process.
Most famously used for back-door hot rods such as the ZL-1 & L-72 Camaro. Someone who would know told me GM management was quite upset when they learned the process was used to circumvent corporate policy regarding engine size limitations for certain car lines.
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Can you go into more specific information with regards to "Non-RPO" paint. Would "Special Paint" delete fall into this category?
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Non-RPO paint is any color OR stripe color not listed as regular production. Central Office had to approve all non-RPO paint but those cars are not thought of as COPOs. Technically you could order any GM color except some of the Cadillac metallics. A few Z/28s have been found with non-RPO stripe colors such as Le Mans blue/black and Cortez Silver/white. These are not always - - paint. Stripes could also be deleted.
A few weeks ago it was revealed that there was a special COPO stripe. Don't know much about it just now but it appears to be available on ducted hood cars. It may be a single Z/28 stripe on the hood and upper grille panel.
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Thank you William...with so much "stuff" out there on the web your explanation is by far the best!
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William
I am very interested, if you could post, of the copo stripe. Possibly elaborate more as to the size and placement
Thank you
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What exists is this photo from an old issue of The Camaro Enthusiast. The owner of the car was adamant that this was a factory stripe.
(http://i598.photobucket.com/albums/tt65/JJZ109/image001-3.png)
A few weeks ago someone posted a COPO window sticker. The last line reads PAINT STRIPE-HOOD. The COPO # was obliterated and we are hoping for a better copy. There is a poor photo of the car from the side [burgundy] but it does appear the top of the hood is white.
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I have seen that kind of stripe before. I just can't remember where. It's been a few years since High School.
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I have a stripe that is almost exactly that. It runs down the trunk as well, but not on the roof
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There was some discussion a long time ago on this site regarding a similar stripe. I don't recall if a photo was posted or not. Someone was looking for info regarding a single stripe centered on the hood, also not a Baldwin car.
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William...if a car comes from the factory w/o stripe's would it show up as - - on the cowl or is the only way of knowing on a build sheet? In other words what is the difference between one - and --?
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Explained here: http://www.camaros.org/numbers.shtml#ExteriorColors:S:SpecialPaint
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William
Do you have any more information on the burgundy car?
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It was a double [triple?] COPO RS out of Courtesy Chev in Ohio. Still exists but has been raced for 40 years.
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COPO was also used to get a Camaro built with a non-standard (non-RPO) option.
An example is in 1968 4:56 rear gear was a RPO G82 in 1969 you had to get 4:56 gears using COPO 9511
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COPO was also used to get a Camaro built with a non-standard (non-RPO) option.
An example is in 1968 4:56 rear gear was a RPO G82 in 1969 you had to get 4:56 gears using COPO 9511
I find this last statement about '69 very interesting. I took my rearend apart to rebuild it and found 456 gears in it. They are GM gears stamped 6/69 and my car was built first week of July. My POP says my gears should be 331. The car is a L48. Could these be COPO gears or what happened?
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If it was ordered that way, the POP should show it. Possibly someone swapped an axle. Check the axle code on the front of the passenger side tube. I know I swapped a couple of boneyard axles back in the day. Fast cheap way to get a posi, or to fix a blown rear.
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Some gears were dealer installed. I had a 1970 SS396 Nova with original dealer new car paperwork showing they installed 4:10 gears
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IIRC, Nova's had very limited gear choices. Hence the dealer install.
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It's a numbers matching car so the rear end is the correct one for the car. I guess I'll have to go with dealer install. The only original paper work I have is the POP and owner's manual.