I looked at a 72 big block coupe yesterday that was for sale and advertized as an original COPO car. As it turned out the COPO was for an unusual color combination of Steel Cities Grey and Red vinyl interior. I've seen others with this combo. Was a COPO required to get this combo? The guy was advertizing it like it was the holy grail of C3s. As for the rest of the car, the original paint way beyond tired. It was equipped with P02 wheel covers, M21, and 454/365. The interior was replacement and the engine had been detailed. Glass and chrome was in OK condition.Everything looked like it was still there and the frame was VERY solid. He had the tank sticker and some original order documentation. Asking price was $18,000. Is this guy all wet?
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Re: COPO for Paint & Trim? *TL*
Ken,
There is actually a code for this in 1972 - per the NCRS Specifications guide:
ZP2 color and trim override.........490 coupes......164 convertibles
I suspect there was a similar method in other C3 years. We simply do not have the wide range of codes available to us for other model years.
A good friend ordered a 1969 with yellow exterior and saddle interior. Before the car was scheduled the zone office checked back with the dealer to ensure the combination checked on the order form was what the customer wanted (he worked at the dealership at the time). His surname was printed on the tank sticker.
Terry -
Re: COPO for Paint & Trim?
before GM went to computer ordering i placed orders for chevys both cars,trucks and corvettes with non std chevy exterior colors. as long as the color was in the GM paint color catalog even fleet colors could be ordered with no constrains as to what color the interior was. even now with the computer orders you can still order a "non recommended" color interior for your choice of exterior color. IMHO it is not rare to order something different than the recommended color combo.Comment
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Re: COPO for Paint & Trim?
Ken -
"Non-Recommended" color/trim combinations didn't require a COPO - it just required that the dealer indicate on the order form that he was requesting such a "non-recommended" combination (as long as the desired exterior paint color and the interior trim color were available at the plant as part of one of the "recommended" combinations), but were not normally available in the combination the customer wanted. Styling chose the "recommended" combinations to avoid having "ugly" cars built (unless someone really wanted it that way), and this capability to override their recommended combinations was eliminated in later years.
Generally, a COPO was only required if a deviation from released Engineering specifications was requested that required Engineering approval, testing, validation, non-production parts or assembly procedures, etc., and those were VERY few and far between. When a COPO was approved and issued, it carried its own individual number which was shown on the "Corvette Order Copy" (tank sticker) and on the Broadcast Copy, but the details of that COPO's configuration/adds/deletes/substitutions were only shown on the COPO letter issued by the Fleet & Special Order section of the Sales Department for that specific COPO, and those inter-organization letters are virtually non-existent.Comment
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Re: COPO for Paint & Trim?
Thanks Terry, Clem, & John.
The guy had a personalized Michigan plate on the car that read "ZP2". You guys have confirmed what I suspected. This car is a solid framed, somewhat rough, big block 4 speed car in an ugly color combo with documentation to prove why it's ugly. Thanks again.
KenComment
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Re: COPO for Paint & Trim?
What do you mean "ugly" ? A Corvette club member ordered that combination in 1971 prior to the combination becoming "recommended" in 1972. His intent was to have his Corvette match his Caddy ! Hence, he had two vehicles in that combination. "Beauty is in the eye of the .........!"Comment
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Re: COPO for Paint & Trim?
What are some typical (to use the term loosely) examples of COPO Corvettes?Comment
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Re: COPO for Paint & Trim?
No offense meant Jack. Black with that red gut would look sooo fine though!!!Comment
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Re: COPO for Paint & Trim?
i would guess that my 1962 vette that was painted chevy anniversary gold that was not a std corvette color would be one example.Comment
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Re: COPO for Paint & Trim?
Bob Radke's '67 that was originally built for Bob Wingate is a good example of a documented COPO Corvette (see the last couple of issues of the "Restorer" for a 2-part article on Bob's car); it received an "American Heritage Award" at Monterey last August. Contrary to popular opinion, COPO's were VERY, VERY rare, and almost none are documented. 99.9% of COPO's were for trucks, taxicabs, police cars, and commercial fleet vehicles.Comment
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Re: COPO for Paint & Trim?
john a lot of camaros chevelles and novas with 427 for the hi po dealers like yenko would be COPO would they not?Comment
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Re: COPO for Paint & Trim?
Clem -
Yup, they had COPO's too, but very few (9560/61 Camaros, Yenko stuff, etc.); number-wise, there were VERY few of those COPO's issued (but many cars were built under those numbers, and they're all famous and get a lot of ink -especially the eBay clones) compared to the literally hundreds of COPO's that were issued every year for trucks and fleet vehicles. Some guy paid $538.00 yesterday for a brake hose bracket for a JL8 4-wheel-disc brake Camaro (200 built, never was a COPO, and all the parts to convert to JL8 were available over-the-counter for years), 'cuz it was listed as a "COPO part". P.T. Barnum had it all figured out, and he lives today on eBayComment
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Tain't PT Barnum....
the only way nosebleed prices happen on eBay is for there to be one (and typically two or more) buyer who's in a 'sweat' to have/hold this/that part. Sharp angling the mechandise description is only part of the game (like taking the horse to the water)....Comment
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He's Dripping all over Your Carpet. *NM*
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