COPO

[IZRSSS]

Can anyone shed light on the official definition of a "COPO"?

[william]

Central Office Production Order.

If you wanted a fleet [at least 50 I believe] of cars with non-normative options or equipment a request was placed with Chevy's Central Office in Detroit. If Engineering approved it a number was assigned and the cars got built. Mostly used for police, fire, commercial vehicles. Non-RPO paint also used this process.

Most famously used for back-door hot rods such as the ZL-1 & L-72 Camaro. Someone who would know told me GM management was quite upset when they learned the process was used to circumvent corporate policy regarding engine size limitations for certain car lines.

[IZRSSS]

Can you go into more specific information with regards to "Non-RPO" paint.  Would "Special Paint" delete fall into this category?

[william]

Non-RPO paint is any color OR stripe color not listed as regular production. Central Office had to approve all non-RPO paint but those cars are not thought of as COPOs. Technically you could order any GM color except some of the Cadillac metallics. A few Z/28s have been found with non-RPO stripe colors such as Le Mans blue/black and Cortez Silver/white. These are not always - - paint. Stripes could also be deleted.

A few weeks ago it was revealed that there was a special COPO stripe. Don't know much about it just now but it appears to be available on ducted hood cars. It may be a single Z/28 stripe on the hood and upper grille panel.

[IZRSSS]

Thank you William...with so much "stuff" out there on the web your explanation is by far the best!

[crobjones2]

William
I am very interested, if you could post, of the copo stripe. Possibly elaborate more as to the size and placement
Thank you

[william]

What exists is this photo from an old issue of The Camaro Enthusiast. The owner of the car was adamant that this was a factory stripe.




A few weeks ago someone posted a COPO window sticker. The last line reads PAINT STRIPE-HOOD. The COPO # was obliterated and we are hoping for a better copy. There is a poor photo of the car from the side [burgundy] but it does appear the top of the hood is white.

[68Zproject]

 I have seen that kind of stripe before.  I just can't remember where.  It's been a few years since High School.

[crobjones2]

I have a stripe that is almost exactly that. It runs down the trunk as well, but not on the roof

[tom]

There was some discussion a long time ago on this site regarding a similar stripe. I don't recall if a photo was posted or not. Someone was looking for info regarding a single stripe centered on the hood, also not a Baldwin car.

[IZRSSS]

William...if a car comes from the factory w/o stripe's would it show up as - - on the cowl or is the only way of knowing on a build sheet?  In other words what is the difference between one - and --?

[KurtS]

Explained here: http://www.camaros.org/numbers.shtml#ExteriorColors:S:SpecialPaint

[crobjones2]

William
Do you have any more information on the burgundy car?

[william]

It was a double [triple?] COPO RS out of Courtesy Chev in Ohio. Still exists but has been raced for 40 years.

[JoeC]

COPO was also used to get a Camaro built with a non-standard (non-RPO) option.
An example is in 1968 4:56 rear gear was a RPO G82 in 1969 you had to get 4:56 gears using COPO 9511