COPO FIRST 427 CARS

[ZL1]

THE FIRST 427 COPO (Central Office Production Order) CAR IN THE WORLD WAS BUILT IN HAWAII IN 1965


Yenko started production of the COPO 396 and 427 Camaro in 1967.


At this time, I worked for a Toyota/Chevrolet dealer in Hawaii. Through the support of the owner, I built a 1955 Chevy Bel-Air, 2 Door Sedan, with bucket seats, console, and button puff interior.


In September 1965, the first shipment of new 1966 cars arrived. I chose the Chevrolet Caprice and installed the complete Turbo-Jet 427/425 HP engine, M22 Transmission, Drive Shaft, HD Radiator, Starter, Alternator, Clutching Fan, Transistorized Ignition and a Chevelle 12 bolt 4:88 Rear End. Additionally, I installed Headers and the Corvette off-road exhaust side-pipes, under the car, exiting in front of the rear tires.


In 1967 (before the 20 COPO L-88 Corvettes came out, I replaced my engine with one of the very first L-88 427/430 HP engines that GM sent to me in the crate. This was a complete engine, including manifold with distributor to the oil pan. This engine included aluminum heads and several months later I received another L-88 engine with the open chamber cylinder heads.


We sold one 1968 L-88 427/430 HP Corvette silver/black and just before l969 GM sent me the first very rare ZL1 427 all aluminum engine because our dealer sold a lot of high performance cars. The last engine I received was the 510 and 576 all aluminum which was installed in my in my 1955 Chevy, 1967 Corvette and 1969 Camaro SS/RS with the first available year with the Cowl Induction Hood.


My car was built for show and go and driven everyday to work. Back in the 1960's the A/Gas Champion, Johnny Loper's Anglia, "Lil Hoss" ran 10.21 et. My car ran 9.60 and could have done better, but I did not want to alter my fenders for the larger tires needed.


I ordered over two dozen 427/425HP, L-88/427's,ZL1/427's,510's and even some 576's to install in Nova's Camaro's Chevelle's, GTO's, an A'Gas Anglia, Willy's and a Mustang.


Motion, Baldwin Chevrolet stated 10.5 et or return the car! Read about the New Dodge Challenger Hellcat Hemi 707HP..11.2et..C/Gas back in 1960. The Chrysler and Ford Hemi were called Ground Shakers. My car sounded like an Earthquake. I got 133 traffic tickets in one year for "loud noise". Today, I have one of my special 576 aluminum engines in a 1978 Chevy Half Ton Pick Up that runs 8.50 seconds!! Mahalo and Aloha!!!

[Charley Lillard]

Welcome to the site. I'm not sure you installing parts that you got at the dealership qualifies it as a COPO but maybe I'm not reading it right. Sounds like you built a bunch of cool stuff none the less.

[SuperNovaSS]

How was the name ZL1 not taken before now? Welcome to the site. Hawaii was definitely a "hot spot" for high performance in the 60s ad 70s and still is today.

It sounds like you have had and worked on some cool cars and engines.

Jason

[fsc66]

Which dealership did you work at?

Paul

[ZL1]

Paul,

Service Motors & Waipahu Auto Chevrolet Dealer Started in 1927 to present!!!

Stephen

[ZL1]

Jason,

ZL1: I am surprised myself it was not used! Thanks for the compliments, it felt great to drive all of the first new Chevy HP engines as it became available.

In 1965 I was 19 years old when I built my 1955 Chevy, that car went though every High Performance engine Chevy ever produced. The best thing of all is I drove my cars the 1955 Chevy, 1967 Corvette and 1969 Camaro SS/RS everyday and got the full enjoyment of my life. I am the luckiest man in the world. Who can say they built the Best and Fastest Chevy's In The World. Thanks & Aloha, Stephen

[1967Z28]

Stephen, those cars sound awesome. You are a lucky individual. Can you post some pictures of your cars for us? Do you still own any of them or do you know what happened to them? I was also curious if your dealership sold any '67 Z-28 Camaros. If so, I would love to hear about them.

Thanks,
-Jon

[William]

COPO is the well-worn acronym for Central Office Production Order. It was an internal Chevrolet business process for building a fleet of vehicles with non-production equipment. I believe the minimum order was 50 units; the customer proposal had to be reviewed by Chevrolet Engineering for approval and pricing. Probably 99% of the vehicles built under the COPO program were police cars, taxis, municipal and governmental units including trucks. Special paint and striping were also done under COPO orders.

Only Chevrolet built cars under a COPO order. Dealer modified cars are not COPOs.

Applying 'COPO' to virtually every car Chevrolet built with a 427 engine is inaccurate. The L-72 427 engine was an RPO for all 1966, 1968 and 1969 B-body cars. The L-88 was also an option for the 1967-69 Corvette as was the ZL-1 engine for 1969.

At this time the only '427' COPOs known are the 1969 L-72 Chevelles & Camaros and the 1969 ZL-1 Camaros.

http://www.camaros.org/copo.shtml

[Tarrytown SS427s]

Cool story. But wouldn't it have been easier to order an L72 Caprice with all that stuff installed at the factory? Also, how did you get a Chevelle axle to bolt into a Caprice frame?

[ZL1]

Jon, We sold all of the High Performance Chevys, the 302 Z28s sold like hell. Some had single carb and the crossfire dual carbs. Most people don't know it came with no mufflers - it had primped pipes under the car like the Corvette off-road side exhaust.

My family and car album and videos burned in my in-laws house I have no pictures. I sold the 1955 Chevy with a 427 L-88, the 1967 Corvette and the 1969 Camaro SS/RS ZL1 576 all aluminum engine. I heard the '55 Chevy got totaled and the other I have lost track of... it's 45 years ago.

All three of my cars had every big block GM built in it though 1965 to 1971. Barrett Jackson sold the red 1967 L-88 Corvette for $3.6 million, my 1967 Corvette silver/black had only 6,000 mile with the ZL1 576. That red car needed lots of body and other repairs to do it was a mess when they founded it.

Thanks & Aloha, Stephen