Frame Up Built 1969 Chevrolet Camaro COPO 427 4 Speed

Did you blink your eyes and miss the stunning Daytona Yellow 1969 Camaro COPO tribute we sold for $75K a while back? Well, if you did miss that car, or maybe yellow just isn't your color, have we got the car for you! How about a lights out Garnet Red on Medium Red 1969 COPO tribute that's ready for cruising and showing?

There were several COPO codes used for Camaros, 9560 and 9561, with some cars being “double COPO” cars that also included the 9737 ”Sports Car Conversion Package”.

COPO 9560 was a special run of 1969 Camaros based on the SS package. It used a 427 cubic-inch aluminum block ZL-1 engine conservatively rated at 430 horsepower. Only 69 of these were built.

COPO 9561 was another special run of 1969 Camaros equipped with the cast iron 427 cubic-inch, 425-horsepower L72 engine from the Corvette, many of which ended up as Yenko Camaros (as a matter of fact, all Yenkos were ”Double COPO” 9561/9737 cars). COPO 9737 added a 140 MPH speedometer, a 13/16-inch diameter stabilizer shaft (increased from the 11/16-inch diameter standard bar), and E70x15 Goodyear Wide Tread GT tires on 15-inch rallye wheels. COPO 9737 cars built after May, 1969 also got a center gas gauge and a factory tachometer.

This COPO tribute is a legitimate Norwood-built X11 code car that was assembled in June of 1969. It has been refinished in its original Garnet Red over a Medium Red standard interior with bucket seats. It has been equipped with the “Double COPO” codes 9561 and 9757, and is powered by an iron 427 backed by a 4-speed manual feeding a 12-bolt rear, just like the real COPO cars were.

But before we get into numbers and castings and dates and all that good stuff, let's talk about how great this car looks in the flesh. I'm a big fan of 'not red' cars, and I really have a soft spot for yellow cars, so that killer COPO Camaro tribute I mentioned we sold recently was a personal favorite. Looking at this car, however, I have to say that I think I like the red on red combination even more. First, it's unusual, which I always like. From doing some quick research, it looks like there was only a handful of Garnet Red on Medium Red cars built in '69, so it's pretty rare. Beyond that, however, it simply looks awesome. The Garnet Red isn't an eyeball-searing bright tomato red, it's more sophisticated and elegant, and the medium red interior compliments it perfectly. This isn't an in-your-face car, but it has presence, and you're naturally drawn to it when you see it sitting on those plain-Jane steel wheels. Simple is good.

If you're going to build a high-end tribute like this, the workmanship has to be first-rate, and the body on this car is impressive. I mean, it's really straight and tight. The body line that runs the length of the side of the car is crisp and sharp; you'd be amazed how many early Camaros come out of the body shop with this edge kind of rounded and sloppy from too much sanding. Not on this car. Panel fit is very good all around, especially the tough-to-match doors and front fenders. When it was all straight, that beautiful Garnet Red paint was laid down, wet-sanded, then buffed to perfection, then subtle black pinstripes were added along the fender creases, emphasizing their crisp contours. Externally, all the detail pieces are new, too, including the taillights, bumpers, grille, marker lamps, fender moldings and door handles. All the glass has been replaced with accurate reproduction items.

The horsepower factory under this cars hood was recently rebuilt by Beach Performance. Yes, it is a correct T0607MN 512 427 4-bolt main block, cast F5-69 with a build date of 06-07-69. It carries the serial number 653712, which is correct for a 4-speed COPO Camaro. The heads are correct 3964291 with an F469 casting date, and the intake is a correct 427 COPO number 3933163. Up top, there's an Edelbrock Pro Flow electronic fuel injection system under a correct cowl-induction air cleaner with authentic reproduction 427 Turbo-Jet 425 HP decals. The ignition is handled by a hidden MSD 6AL system that preserves the stock appearance but delivers much more reliable performance than the old points and condenser setup. A set of Hooker Super Comp long-tube headers handles exhaust chores, feeding a stainless 2.5-inch X-pipe and Magnaflow mufflers. You'd better believe this sucker sounds badass.

Of course, the rest of the engine compartment is dressed appropriately, from authentic reproduction hoses with all the correct markings and tower hose clamps, to a new radiator, steering box, and chrome valve covers with the correct decals. The power brake booster and lines are all new, feeding a completely rebuilt brake system with front discs.

The rest of the power-train is equally robust, starting with a new McLeod dual disk clutch and a new pressure plate and flywheel. The transmission is a Muncie M22 wide-ratio box with a super case built by Auto Gear. It features a 2.52 first gear and a 27-spline output shaft, and was designed to run with a 3.55 or 3.73 gearset out back. Everything inside the transmission is 100% new, from the gear clusters to the roller bearings to the synchros. It feeds a new driveshaft from Inland driving a stout BE-coded 12-bolt rear stuffed full of Mosier axles and a 3.55 rear gear (yes, experts, we know that a COPO car should have 4.10s, but with that much motor and that wide-ratio box, the 3.55s make a very streetable package that can be driven on the highway).

Underneath, the car is clean, but not detailed to show standards, so you won't be afraid to drive this beast. There's the aforementioned stainless Magnaflow exhaust system, fresh brake and fuel lines, fully rebuilt brakes at all four corners, and clean floors that show no signs of damage. The suspension features new 5-leaf springs out back with KYB shock absorbers all around. It rolls on color-matched steel wheels and fresh 235/60/15 Firestone Firehawk Indy 500 radials.

Climb inside and you're greeted with an all-new interior, and its flat-out gorgeous. As I said earlier, the red is an awesome switch from the all-too-common black interiors on these cars and it is hard to resist sitting down and just taking it all in before you turn the key. In fact, everything but the seat belts is new. The gauges, tach and speedometer have all been rebuilt and refaced to look as they did when it rolled off the assembly line. The steering wheel is a reproduction piece, along with a new dash pad. Heck, even the ashtray is new. The seats feature new springs and foam, and have been topped with accurate reproduction vinyl covers for all-day comfort (because you're going to want to drive this piece). And personally, I also like the no-nonsense, no-console look of these COPO cars, and with fresh carpet plus a new chrome bezel and shift boot, the shifter is all business.

This car also comes with a huge stack of receipts on the build so you can see all the parts that went into it. I didn't add it all up, but the final tab is surely many tens of thousands of dollars. If it's in the car, there's a piece of paper detailing it in the folder. Very few cars come to us this thoroughly supported, and with a tribute car like this it is especially important. You can buy with confidence here. Also present is a complete Jerry MacNeish report on the car, along with an appraisal from Jerry, which shows that the asking price on the COPO tribute is well within reason.

The COPO Camaro is the Holy Grail of muscle cars, and the price of real ones has pretty much relegated them to a limp-wristed life of air-conditioned garages and enclosed trailers. That's really a shame, because these monsters are some of the most ferocious street cars General Motors ever built. A tribute car like this is just about the best way to actually enjoy that incredible performance without worries, and this red-on-red beauty will be the hit of any show you attend. Just imagine running through all four gears, that 427 wailing under the hood, your ears pinned back against your skull. All you have to do is call.