Thursday, December 31, 2020

Difference Between the Yenko Camaro and COPO Camaro

 


Difference Between the Yenko and COPO 

Most people probably know about how badass the Yenko and the COPO Camaros are, but how many people know where the names come from and what’s the difference between the two. Of course, if you are a diehard Camaro fan with a lot of knowledge of the first generation Camaros, you probably know some or all of the facts, but just in case you don’t, here is a little bit of education.



The Yenko

In 1967, Don Yenko, owner of Don Yenko Chevrolet, contacted General Motors and ordered 54 Camaros straight from the factory with a special mission in mind. That special mission was to convert those Camaros into Yenko drag strip-ready IHRA/NHRA Stock and Super Stock Camaro competitors.


(How many Yenko Camaros were built and sold from 67 through 69 is really unknown. The same goes with COPO Camaros; ask ten different experts and you're likely to get ten different answers).


When these Camaros first showed up at the Yenko Dealership, the first order of business was to take out the existing 396-cu.-in. engines and replace them with 427 big-blocks. Although a lot of numbers swirled around about how much horsepower they produced, it was estimated around 425-450-hp (depending on who you asked). Along the way, Yenko also had all Yenko labeled Camaros beefed up with other goodies like traction-bars and 3:73-positraction rear-ends. 


There was only one problem with Team Yenko’s plan to turn the Camaros into drag strip-ready Camaros, they were not allowed to race in the IHRA/NHRA Stock or Super Stock classes. These classes were strictly for cars that had no engine changes or any other big mechanical changes after they left the factory. They were not banned from all drag racing, just the Stock and Super Stock classes that the Yenko Team was aiming for, so eventually the Yenko program was canned. 


A lot of people think that the reason Yenko stopped the program was because of the inability to race in their intended classes. That was part of the reason, but most of the reasons were because Yenko was losing money on the pulled 396 motors and rear-ends they could not seem to get rid of and the program was losing even more money since GM would no longer warranty the Camaros if they were modified after they left the factory. That either fell in the hands of the owner or Yenko himself.



 

69 COPO Camaro   

It’s true, the name strikes fear in the hearts of racers who dare to pull up next to one in the staging lanes. They dominated the Stock and Super Stock classes for a long time.


COPO stands for (Central Office Production Order) and this program was invented specifically to put competitive Camaros in those Stock and Super Stock classes. If you ordered a Camaro from the central office, the build sheet would go to the factory, and when the Camaro rolled off the factory line complete, whatever you asked to be installed would be installed and considered stock. With that being said, there was nothing IHRA or NHRA could do about excluding the cars from racing in stock classes.


Ultimately, it was Fred Gibb and Don Yenko that pushed Chevrolet into making this program happen. Chevy saw the need for competitive Camaros in these classes for the use of sponsorship and of course bragging rights. They were Camaros, they were stock, and they were Mustang and Mopar eaters for a long time at the track. The 427 big-blocks made 425-hp and 460-lb.-ft. of torque, they took home a lot of trophies.  

Last Note 

A lot of people believe the COPO division was designed for the 69 ZL1-Camaro and then squashed, and then brought back in 2013 for the Camaro again. But the General Motors COPO Division has been around since GM made fleet vehicles e.i. cop cars, taxis, tow trucks, etc. All vehicles that are ordered specially from a corporation, charity, a government, or something like that are considered specialty-made vehicles or COPO vehicles. (It wasn’t just a program made up for one of the baddest Camaros ever produced, the Camaros just stole the spotlight). 


  


 


Tuesday, December 22, 2020

Brand New Trans Am "Smokey and The Bandit" Car




Update 12/2020

"Smokey and The Bandit" Trans Am


Well, as everyone excepted, the "Smokey and The Bandit" Trans Am was going to sell out fast, and that's exactly what it did. But with the Pandemic and the holidays on the horizon, keeping your eyes open for one on sale is a good idea.  In fact, this December, I've come across a couple of them for sale. I can't say rather or not they're priced to move, but they are for sale and they're collector items.  

There are some imposters out there, so to be on the safe side, take the VIN# down and call transamdepo.com to make sure that it is an official (1-of-77 Trans Am Smokey and The Bandit Special Edition cars). There is a big difference, one that could leave you on the losing side of a car transaction.


Update 2018


 


Trans Am Worldwide is announcing that they will be producing 77 Trans Am Bandit Sports Cars signed and certified by the man himself, Burt Reynolds. The reason for the off-beat number being built of 77 represents the year the movie "Smokey and the Bandit" came out in theaters (1977), and it represents the year Trans Am that was used for the movie. 

With 800+ horsepower, these Trans Ams are sure to be a little bit more fun to drive than the ones that were raced around in the movies. Probably more expensive and harder to get your hands on as well, but if you do, this would definitely be a collector car.


6/7/13



Brand New Trans Am

 




Trans Am-Firebird

There is a lot of talk about if GM will ever come back with a Trans Am or a Firebird, but that is just what it is, talk. If GM does decide to bring it back, there would be a lot of car enthusiasts very happy with their decision. If they are planning on making this type of move, they are defiantly keeping a very tight lip on what they're going to do and when.



There is one fact that has been made very clear by GM. If they do bring back the Trans Am and Firebird, they will not be bringing back the Pontiac brand. All production would be under the authority of GM and the Pontiac name would not even be used for the Trans Am campaign. One last thing that is pretty well-known about the situation is that they would probably be produced in the same factories as the Camaros and would be sold at Chevrolet dealerships where Camaros are sold. 



Build Your Own Trans Am/Firebird


If you're someone who does not want to wait for GM's decision and you must have one no matter what, there are alternatives. Companies like Trans Am Worldwide build authentic-awesome-looking prototypes of Trans Ams, Firebirds, Hurst, and Firehawks that can be customized personally and purchased by private owners.



The process is really cool! Brand new Camaros are purchased, then ground effects, bumpers, spoilers, customer interiors, and whatever else that needs to be replaced are replaced with prototype parts for the unique styling that replicates what a new Trans Am would probably look like if GM was to start making them again. The nice thing about these projects is that they're made from new Camaros, which should be enough to ensure that these Trans Ams are built American Motor tough.

Sunday, December 13, 2020

Rarest of Rarest Corvettes: Own One Without Paying A Million Dollars

 1960s Corvette Grand Sport


Rare Corvettes for Less


Some of the rarest sports cars of all time are a group of five early '60s Corvette Grand Sports built with the sole purpose of running in the GT classes at the Sebring 12 Hours and the 24-hour LaMans races. The Godfather of Corvettes, Zora Arkus-Duntov, led the crusade of light-weight race-ready roadsters that were designed to compete with the dominant Ford GTs and the rest of the field's competitors.


Duntov had planned on building 1,000 of these Corvettes, but only five Corvette Grand Sports were originally built at this time in the ‘60s. Two of the Corvettes [#001 and #002] were put to the side and three others were sent to John Mecom of Houston, TX, who eventually sent them off to three other prominent individuals in the racing industry.


Purchasing One Of These Rare Beauties

So let's say you were not lucky enough to be one of those people who received one of those five Corvettes, but now you would like to see if you can purchase one today. Well, although these Corvettes are not relevant in the 24-hour LaMans and other races anymore, fat chance of getting your hands on one for under five million dollars. A few years back, the #002 Corvette Grand Sport found its way to an auction block, and although the high-bid was $4.9 million, it was still not enough to take the blue beautiful race car home.


If you're like most car guys, you probably don't have $4.9 million sitting around for a sports car that you wouldn't even want to drive that much anyway. But getting something similar and in many cases, much more modern and driveable with an affordable price tag is definitely feasible. 


Superformance, a car-building company in Southern California pushed to get granted the licensing to build replicas of Zora Duntov’s famed Corvette Grand Sport making it possible to own one, well at least a replica of one.


Superformance was even granted original build sheets for the #002 Grand Sport Corvette. They claim that if you wanted a replica almost identical to the original, they could build you one that only experts could tell it’s not an original #002 Grand Sport. But if you are like a lot of people, you may be just looking for the look of the legendary Corvette and the performance and comforts of a newer vehicle, and that's fine too, Superformance can build something like that as well. 


1960s Corvette Grand Sport RoadsterCustomize Your Own Corvette Grand Sport

Superformance will work you up a vintage Corvette Grand Sport of your liking. Features like power steering, four-wheel disc brakes, power windows, A/C, and fully independent front and rear suspension with Bilstein suspension components can be optioned up for your Vette. There are roadster versions available, but they will look and drive more like the race Corvettes of the past, and many features and options of the coupe will be limited. But as far as power plants go, Superformance offers a variety of engines including an LS9 supercharged monster that can really make the coupe and the roadsters fun to drive.


There are actually seven engines in all to choose from. All engines come with a 2/year 50,000-mile warranty that can be serviced at your local authorized dealer. The greatest thing about the Superformance Corvette Grand Sport replica is the price tag. Depending on your options and how customized you want it, your price tag will still be just a fraction of the price you would have to pay for the real thing.