66/67 Chevelle COPO?

[3X24SPD]

Originally Posted by Keith Seymore

Finally, an example: My friend Dimitrie Toth has worked 50 years as an hourly employee at the Pontiac plant (he's still working there). Back in the day he decided he would build up a factory blueprinted and hot rodded 421 in the experimental engine build room with the idea he was going to sneak it into his personal car as it was getting built.

When the day came he and his accomplice wheeled it over to the motor subassembly line and introduced it into the assembly process, clapping their hands together with giddy anticipation.

Imagine his horror about two hours later when he saw it going into the plain jane station wagon six vehicles in front of his. He had mis-counted where to place it back on the motor line.



(I always picture some little old lady going to get groceries and thinking "Man! This old wagon really runs!!)

My point here being that - even if he had successfully installed his hot rodded 421 into his car from the factory - all of the build documentation would still show a 389 cu in engine installed.

K

Great story Keith, something I've often wondered about.

Related, I was at Norwalk for the Pontiac Nationals a couple weeks ago, engaged in a conversation with David Butler.
Suddenly some guy a couple feet away from us started gushing over this other guy- and just about dropped to the ground to kiss his feet.
He had recognized Dimitrie "OMG Dimitrie Toth!..."- and wanted to know if they could get a pic of them taken together.
I had absolutely no idea who Dimitrie was- and we just laughed at the spectacle this guy was making of himself.
Thanks for providing that info!

[Keith Seymore]

He's a legend here locally, but he also writes a column for the "Smoke Signals" mag (the Pontiac Oakland Club news) so his sphere is expanding.

K

[JoeC]

In 1969 there was a 396 listed for Police cars

Looks like a COPO 4 door order

not sure if any were built

[Kurt S]

Thanks, I hadn't seen that one before.
Interesting. No 4-speeds available on the police cars, and the L48 and L35 come with rear stabilizer bars.

[pvkj454]

Originally Posted by jeffschevelle

Every 66 Chevelle SS with an alleged "factory" 427 that I ever saw before Trim Parts starting making SS427 emblems for 66's, had a rear panel emblem made by cutting the 396 off the two S's, and installing the 427 part of a 67 Impala SS427 fender flag beneath it. (There were at least three of those in the early 70's roaming around the town in NC where I grew up.) But it would have been pretty darn hard for the factory to install an emblem during the 1966 model year that did not even exist yet! Plus the issue of getting Fisher Body to put the holes in the right place.

That is exactly what I did in the early 80s to a 68 SS396 Chevelle after I swapped in a 390 horsepower 427 from a 69 Caprice. I never tried to pass it off as a factory build though.

[Formula455SD]

Originally Posted by JoeC

In 1969 there was a 396 listed for Police cars

Looks like a COPO 4 door order

not sure if any were built

Seems like I remember seeing a white 396 4 door advertised about 15 years ago..

[Kurt S]

Originally Posted by JoeC

In 1969 there was a 396 listed for Police cars,
Looks like a COPO 4 door order
not sure if any were built

I've seen 396 4-door Chevelles - I recall one Fire dept car and some police cars. Pretty sure they were 69's.