Jim....Can I see the COPO 66 paperwork ?

Great story, Mike! Can't til your car is finally done! :thumbsup:

For me it was my first drive of a V8. Next door neighbours 69 427 Vette (I was 17 and had never driven a V8 before that)....mmmmm :drool: Love the sound of a big block through 4 inch side pipes !!!

With never enough resources and no family at all into cars best I could do was read lots of magazines and start building a few cheap rides (63 pillarless parisienne, 39 Chev 4 door). But I always dreamed of Chevy iron, just so much better looking than the aussie cars of the era.

I've worked my butt off for the last 15 years to be able to fund my dream car, in 12 months time it will be on the road and I will be finally living the dream (that is if these things are ever considered finsihed. ;)

My Uncle is in Canada right now, but, he has kept all the paperwork
on all the cars he bought. He walked this particular car down the line when it was built. I traced the car from when he sold it to the next three owners and the trail went dry. I'll ask him to dig it up (It is probably in a warehouse storage that I will volenteer to go through). I have seen the COPO orderform where my Uncle Noah(My COPO cage Uncle) ordered the 427(not a tall deck mind you) 'for a bus' (they built bus chassis' there also). The motor arrived, they just switched the 427 for the 396 like it was no big deal- and for them it wasn't. It's been ten years ago that I eyeballed the stuff, but, I will just about guarentee you that he's still got it. I even have a picture that he gave me with him sitting in the car.(I'll see if I can locate it and post the picture) Beautiful Silver, knee knocker tach, no console, no back seat. no heater, no radio, no console, rubber floor mats, even the bucket seats did not have head rests. He eliminated every thing that added weight. no dum-dum, drum brakes (the one thing he debated on-disc brakes, decided not to due to the weight- said he regretted that move numerous times with manual drum brakes and a wickedly fast car),manual steering, M-22 and a 4:56, two prong steering wheel like the original I just sold on Chevelles.com. It was a single 4 barrel Holley but I do recall the aluminum Intake, because I commented about the 'snowflake" on the intake when they were tuning it up at one of or family gatherings.

I'm telling you, I have never been so scared in a car in all of my life. It was loud and mean and fast as hell. Every time I see him now I tell him he had about as rare of a Chevelle that has ever been built. Plus the COPO connection with my Uncle running the COPO cage, and him walking the car down the line himself. Too Cool.

Here is the funny/sad part. My Uncle met his wife and SHE hated the car because it "so loud and did not even have a heater or a radio". he sold it to his then brother in law, he sold it his best friend, he sold it to his brother and he sez he traded it on a used car lot for a station wagon. The lot is closed way back in the day. I had the VIN and ran it through North Carolina DOT. Nothing came up. That where the trail went dry for me. I just basically gave up.

Maybe he still has the paperwork, if he does, I'll contact you.

Shame of it all is, My Uncle that owned the car is in his 60's now and my COPO Uncle is in the early stages of Alzheimer's. They are both just about too old to care anymore. I need to sit down with them and get the full run down on 'all they saw' before its too late.

The first musclecar I can remember was a 1970 Mustang Mach 1. After hauling hay all day long we went to put up some tools up in my neighbors shed when I saw it. His sons car was in a state of engine rebuild. When I asked him about it, I got the general overview about cleveland engines vs windsors and why fastbacks were better than coupes and a lot of stuff I didnt understand and didn't remember at age 10. That was the first though.

Mine was my best friends older brother.His weekend street brawler was a straight axled flamed 57 chevy, and his daily driver was a hugger orange 69 z/28 this was early 70's What a pair.

For me it was my dad.....he always was building something. When I was a little kid all the high school guys would come around and talk to my dad about his cars. They would ask me as well but I did not know anything at the time. I remember on weekends I would be sleeping and then be woke up to the sound of a rowdy high compression sbc. I would jump out of bed to make sure I did not miss I ride with him....cause I always knew he would get on at least 1 time.....

That car was a 63 Austin Healy with a 11.5 to 1 comp 355 sbc. It had Centerline auto drags ...big n littles and was jet black. Tranny was a Doug Nash 5 speed.......good times

I must give credit to my dad for my addiction to cars! He is a total car guy and always had classic Chevy cars around that I helped wrench on. I spent many hours in the garage with him learning the basics and going to lots of drag races over the years. Good times! He kept all his Hot Rod magazines over the years, it made for good reading/dreaming for a young kid.

Oh, and our neighbor had a red w/ white stripe and white interior '70 RS Camaro that totally loved....I still need one!! :unibrow:

I was very lucky to have a father, his friends/family, and a cool neighbor to hang out with all those years!

And wouldn't you know it, my son loves cars and hanging out in the garage with me...I am very blessed!! :D

"That car" was a 63 split window my uncle had. It was red with a big block 600 HP tubbed with the stock looking wheels and spinners. It was more of a pro street looking car. I was about 11-12. Corvettes in general have always got my attention, but that car was the one.

Dad always had "project" cars in the shed, but never had anything he could drive. My brother and I would "drag-race" (cars were parked next to each other... imagine 2 young boys making engine sounds and slamming gears on 3spd sticks pretending we were Bob Falfa and John Milner) between the 55 Chevy, and the '50 Chevy... 55 always won, because 2-door cars are faster than 4-door cars. :lol:

I never got to ride in anything cool until we went to watch a car-cruise and saw my neighbor there with his '71 'cuda 340 Red, black interior, black billboards, and red wheels with dog-dishes. He stopped to talk to Dad, and Dad asked if he could take me and my brothers for a ride. That was my first burnout. I was probably about 8 years old at the time.