[MoparMan]

I have started a resoration on a 1969 Chevelle and recently have spoken to a previous owner. He says that this car originally came with a 427ci engine and a turbo 400 tranny - he says that he can track down the original engine but I would like to confirm this before the big hassle of tracking it down. Can anyone please tell me how I can tell if my car is an original 427 (maybe an SS 427?) I do not have the built sheet - at least I have not found it.

The VIN is 1363791324578

Could somebody please set me in the right direction, Thanks.

 

[Gene Chas]

It is my UNDERSTANDING ( not fact mind you) that a 427 was never put in a Chevelle. The gray area becomes whehter dealers put the engine in at the point of sale, ala COPO cars and Yenko, Balwdin etc. But certainly worth persuing as a matter of curiousity. I am also curious to hear was others say. Sounds like a damn nice ride though!

 

[MoparMan]

Thanks, I was wondering about that. Again this is only a story from a previous owner so I don't know if it is true - but as you say worth persuing. Actually it is not a nice ride right now - the body is off the frame and it is about to recieve a new floor pan and trunk pan - along with a lot of sanding and painting and new int. etc ---- she's a little "sick" right now.

 

[Gene Chas]

Guess you won't be driving her down to the Wednesday night cruise in Burlington. ( if they have it this year). But with a name like Moparman, you gotta have a 69 Bee 383?? I'll let you drive mine if I can drive yours!

Good luck with your research.

Chaas
Gold #62
67 SS396/L88

 

[Rick Cell]

If the Chevelle is a Canadian sold new car you can obtain the engine info from GM in Oshawa. What is the original color of the car? I had friends back in 69 that had 427 Chevelles (Copo cars). One was red/ black 4 speed the other was dk green/ black 4 speed.The latter was sold new at Belmont Chev-Olds.

 

[MoparMan]

It's original colour (thats how we spell it up here in Canada, eh) it a gold colour - right now it is white. It would be real neat if it was a copo car! I dont drive any of my cars in the winter - they put too much salt on the roads up here. Nope sorry, I don't have a 'Bee but I do have a Barracuda but I probably am forbidden to talk about it on this page! right now I have a 327 in the Chevelle (est. at over 350 hp.)

Thanks, I will look into the info at oshawa - do just phone them?

MoparMan

 

[DZAUTO]

Back in 68 or 69 (heck I can't remember, I've slept since then) I knew a guy that had an SS427 Chevelle. It had what really appeared to be genuine emblems and it was only 1 or 2yrs old. I told him there was no such thing, they were only 396. But this guy was so convincing that to this day I wonder. Back then nobody checked numbers, much less knew what they were. These kind of cars were just driven into the ground and then forgotten.

------------------
Tom Parsons

 

[IgnitionMan]

Chevrolet by the Numbers, page 51, shows engine codes for 1969 Chevelle, both COPO #9562, 427/425 horse, MP-4speed, MQ-Turbohydramatic.

So, it seems there were some COPO 427s produced in 1969.

C-b-t-N also states that some of the last 1969 production run 396s were marked with the three leter codes found on 1970 and later engines, beginning with the letter C.

No info is given on vin numbers as far as identifying the COPO vs. non-COPO is concerned.

Hope this helps.

 

[Gene Chas]

Not that it means anything, but not outfitting the venerable Chevelle with the venerable 427 was a HUGE bumblef&&k move IMO. Why not put one in the full framed sedan and not the Camaro??? Knowing GM it was probably due to politics. And the execs at Corvette division.

Moparman, I think you'll find that many bowtie gentlemen are closet Mopar freaks. I know I am! Offer still stands you can drive mine if I can drive yours. If it was a 69 Bee 383 mag 4 speed with suregrip 3.90's I'd be talking swapping titles!( A car my dead unc had).

Anyway, I certainly hope you stumbled into one. There's a fella here in Buffalo, Bob Harris, at Camaro specialties, that knows his way around COPOs well. 716-652-7086.



[This message has been edited by Gene Chas (edited 02-10-2000).]

 

[MoparMan]

Rick Cell,

How do I find out from Oshawa?

Does anyone know if there is a book on restoring COPO cars?

And How do I find out what options the car came with - apperantly you can't tell from the fendor tag.

Thanks, Mopar Man

 

[thornbe]

If this car was produced in Canada, then can't he get a copy of the original window sticker and build sheet? I thought this has been discussed on this site before. Any help on the phone number???

 

[RatPowr]

A car buddy of mine used to work for Baldwin-Motion during the mid-late 60's. He actually HAD a 64 Biscayne with a "mystery motor" that was banned from nascar. He said they only made 57 of those motors, and he got one. You should see the pictures of it. The car had open fenderwell headers, 11-inch slicks and looked MEAN. Under the hood...well how many street cars you see with a MAGNETO and DUAL ELECTRIC FUEL PUMPS in 1965? One mean sucker...I would love to post pictures of it here sometime if I only knew how..

------------------
66 SS Chevelle Houston, TX ACES#3321 "There is no Replacement for Displacement"

 

[73Malibu]

Mopar Man, contact these guys
http://www.cdnclassics.chevelles.net
They can track down your info based on the VIN and cowl tag numbers if the car was either produced in Canada, or exported to Canada for sale as a new car.

BTW the 68 and 69 COPO cars were produced from the factory with the 427. This was not a RPO as you all know. Most of the cars were ordered by Yenko or Baldwin, but not all, seem to remember seeing a 427 velle that was a regular COPO car in a car mag few months ago.
Don't know what documentaion you would need to prove as a COPO 427, but if it is true, that car would be worth TONS of money

, so consider painting it the original colour

------------------
Frank W
Arlington MA
74 Laguna S3 !! ( No motor yet)
73 Malibu Coupe Mighty 305 Power
hometown.aol.com/folingo/

 

[Chevy454]

Chevelles did in fact come from the factory with 427's in them (in '69, at least)! And they will FLY!

Check out this web page: www.yenko.net

This is a page by the Yenko Sprotscar Club, called the Supercar Registry. They can help you look for signs if it is a COPO (factory 427 Chevelle). They have a registry of COPO and other dealer prep cars (Baldwin-Motion, Yenko, Berger, Harrell, etc.) and also host the annual Supercar Reunion. There are plenty of pictures of other COPO cars to look at also. It sounds like the car is worth checking in to. For some more good pictures of COPO and dealer cars, check out some back issues of Muscle Car Review, as they have ran several articles on these types of cars. They even took 3 COPO cars ('69 COPO Chevelle, '69 COPO Camaro, '70 COPO Nova) to a drag strip to test the new BFG Drag Radials!


------------------
Rob Clary
'70 LS-6 Chevelle
Team Chevelle Gold Member #85
Interested in COPOs, Yenkos or other dealer built muscle cars then go here: www.yenko.net

 

[DT69SS]

Folks,

My info indicates that the COPO cars had certain "SS" items but were not SS cars per se'. Wide variety of "extra" combinations i.e. SS hood and steering wheel but Malibu badgers on interior trim. Plain turns signal bezels etc. This is VERy difficult without numbers or build sheet to tell. Shoot, it's tough to prove SS package after '69 since it was not a separate model but a package that could be ordered on any model from 300 post to station wagon.

My two cents,

Dan

------------------
Central Illinois
69 Cortez silver SS 427
69 azure turquois Malibu 250
ACES #02351
Team Chevelle Gold #35

 

[von]

Slight correction, Dan. In '69 The SS package could be ordered on any 2 door V8 Chevelle, but not the station wagon.

------------------
von '69 300 Dlx SS Murphy's Law is always in effect

 

[MoparMan]

Thanks guys for all your ideas - they are much appreciated. I am contacting people according to you suggestions. Some of the little signs are there - like plain trim - malibu emblems on the inside and no emblem on the front marker light (eg. 307 or 350). apparently it used to have an ss hood on it as well. Is a big block car's frame different from a small block car's frame - how do I tell?

Thanks again

MoparMan

 

[joe58]

Moparman -The vin number you posted does not look right. It should have a letter in the middle. If you post the vin and the complete trim tag info, we can tell you more info about your car.
Some people say there were about 350 COPO Chevelle engines made going by the engine code production numbers. It is not known how many 69 COPO Chevelles were produced but 69 is the only year for the COPO 427 Chevelle.
Yenko recieved 99 of the 427 COPO Chevelles.

 

[69SSGA]

I was under the impression that all the COPO and other 427 equipped cars were setup as a 375hp chevelle. If this is the case it would have a single 3/8 fuel line. If it has a vapor return line it would probably not be a 427 car. Someone correct me if I am wrong. You are also correct that they did not come with any SS markings for the COPO's. This is just something else to look at to help verify the hopes of it being a 427 car.



------------------
Jeff
Georgia
69SS and 67 Elky

 

[d1_bradley]

I also believe that the 427 Chevelle had a Big Blue Bowtie on the grille instead of the SS emblem.