In the latest Amos Auto Enthusiast there was a few pages on the third and fourth gen COPO Camaros. While reading this the description for the Third gen COPOs started to sound more and more like mine. I guess my question to everyone is there a better way to see if my 90 Camaro is in fact a COPO?

 

post your spid and vin, whatmakes yours special.

 

What makes you thik your might be a COPO car? First, do you have full documentation and RPO codes? Hav eyou check the Player's thread? From what I have read over the last 30 years - yes, I am at least that old - the Central Office (COPO) was originally there for speical model or order trucks. In the 60's the dealers started using the Central Office for cars in the 60's. I doubt your car would be a COPO car unless you can show some strange ordering sequence or VIN w/RPO caodes to back it up. If it is a 5.7/5 speed or something usually those are chnged cars and will not match VIN nor RPO codes from the factory.

 

From the description in the article they were base RS models with a 350, all 4 disk brakes, no a/c, or cruse. I do have the original build sheet and the dealer window sticker but nothing on them looks weird.

 

Your profile says 350 tbi. No ThirdGen came from the factory with a 350 TBI. The 350s in our cars were all TPI.

 

This is why I'm asking because I have no idea if that was stock or if the guy i got it from wanted to try and get more money(even though I paid $600). He could have just put a tbi on it or something like that. I was not sure if there was a way to tell by a hidden vin or something like that. My vin says that it came with a 305 but the article said that GM didn't bother changing the vins.

 

Most likely it is a 305 that he was passing of as a 350.

 

Its a 350 on the back flange it says 5.7L and the vin says its a Tonawonda 350 from 1988

 

replacement motor? These cars are so old, what else makes it special? Documentation? Have any pics?

 

There is no such thing as a COPO thirdgen.

I've heard people argue that B4C is like a COPO car, but I disagree with that argument. I contacted the dealership that ordered my car back in the 90s, and the guy who filed the order still worked there. They ordered the fleet-only B4C as showroom stock through a loophole; the dealers wanted a Z28 in RS guise, which is what a B4C basically is. GM didn't find out the car was going to private sale until it was too late; the dealer felt like it was a COPO situation, but I disagree.

COPO refers to a firstgen Camaro that could be ordered with a big block 427 (either iron or aluminum ZL1) as a Central Office Production Order (COPO). COPO orders were basically fleet orders through which a loophole allowed larger motors in firstgens. As far as I know, nothing like this exists for thirdgens. Again, I've heard people argue B4C, but this falls short as it's similar to a Z28 G92 J65 (4-wheel disc car) in RS guise. The motors are no bigger or better than Z28s. 1LEs can be argued, but they're just Z28 G92s with bigger brakes and no AC. Firehawks or R7Us don't really apply, either.

So unless somebody knows something I don't, there's no such thing as a COPO thirdgen...

 

 

Ok thanks everyone that's what I thought because I had only heard of 1st gen copos also. I bet that it is a replacement motor also. I just read an article on them and got a little excited thinking i might have something really rare. Oh well it doesn't change how about I feel about my baby. As soon as i find my phone sd card adapter Ill put some pics of her on here.

 

I wonder if some of the 1985 G92 IROCS were COPO'S. Check out this thread. https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/hist...iroc-copo.html

 

My car was ordered by its original owner who was also a gm plant employee.
I have spoken to him several times, the only thing he said to me was that it didn't show black interior on the order form and gm had to call it in.