Vehicle Description
Is there a cooler car "origin story" than the COPO Camaro? A couple of dealers learned to game the system and get GM to build the ultimate muscle car, a machine the brass vowed would never exist. Yet here it is (well, as a tribute anyway). With a thundering 427 under the hood and a minimum of frills, the COPO was weapons-grade muscle.
Garnet Red was on the list of authentic COPO colors and it probably serves as a warning to anyone who thinks it might be a good idea to tangle with this Camaro on the street. For a brute-force machine, this one is also quite pretty, with great sheetmetal prep and paint that shines like it's never heard of a drag strip. It probably hasn't been abused, either, because the doors fit well, the quarters are straight, and everything lines up too nicely to have been truly used in anger. All the correct COPO gear (or lack thereof) is here, from the plain Camaro grille to the chin and deck lid spoilers, but very little in between. Vinyl roofs were uncommon on COPOs, but it was an available option and seeing it here, it looks great and works with the industrial look that those painted wheels lend it. A ubiquitous cowl-induction hood was part of the COPO package, but you can forget stripes or even any significant badging, so this car gets it right.
Black deluxe buckets are an upgrade over the basic vinyl Camaro stools found in most COPOs and you'll appreciate it when you're out stomping around on the street. Everything is new, from the seat covers to the carpets, and again it sticks to the recipe that anything that doesn't add performance got left off the build sheet. That means an industrial-looking Hurst 4-speed sticking right out of the transmission tunnel, no A/C, and a basic AM/FM radio in the dash. It sports a factory tach, which was an important option on the COPO and that grab handle for the passenger was a smart idea by some enterprising GM engineer. It looks quite authentic all around, and creates a car that you'll be looking forward to driving every chance you get. The trunk is neatly finished with spatter paint and carries a space-saver spare, just in case.
So all that's just fine, but the real reason this car wants to party can be found under the hood. That's a 427 cubic inch L72 with 425 horsepower, and that figure is probably an intentional under-rating by GM. Detailed the way it was when it was new, complete with Turbo-Jet 425 Horsepower decals, it looks every bit the part of Chevy's ultimate pony car. Chrome valve covers, Chevy Orange paint, and factory-style details like hoses and tower hose clamps all give it a fresh-from-the-skunkwerks vibe. The 4-speed Muncie is up to the task of channeling all that power, as is the battle-tested 12-bolt out back, all hanging on a heavy-duty suspension. Flowmasters with turn-downs are a bit of a giveaway, but they sound a lot better than the original chambered system. And there's no denying the correct look of painted wheels, although these are actually painted Rallys wearing oversized Dunlop rubber.
Hard to resist the appeal of the magic '427' number, isn't it? Enjoy all the fun and iconic status for a fraction of the price with this well-built tribute. Call today!
