[bbbentley]

Announcing:
Been gathering up the Day II goodies for some time. After a year of planning and parts scrounging, I am introducing hopefully by summer "Project Ratty Rat". Why Ratty Rat? This will be a little different departure than most builds on here. It is done on a budget. Huh? Yes, I am going to build the worlds(possibly)cheapest COPO clone 69 Camaro. The car I am using is my Daytona Yellow sport coupe. built the last week of March of 69 at Norwood, This car is the perfect candidate. I am purposely going to make the antithesis of Grady's beautiful real COPO. This car will look as if it was just pried out of it's tomb after 48 years of slumber. So don't look for a detailed rotisserie type build, but rather a COPO (clone) that you may need a tetanus shot to get close to. One unique feature of this car is that it retains much of its original paint and was ordered with D90 stripe.

At the heart of this build is a real 69 512 block 427 + .030. It will be a basic stock L72 with a real GM ZL1 cam. Plans call for my TR2X tunnel ram with my unique copper velocity stacks. There will be those that cringe and others, hopefully, intrigued? I am working hard to keep that early 70's vibe, wish me luck. I am thinking I can do the complete metamorphis for under 5 grand. one additional feature will be that this will not only be a clone of a COPO, but a Dick Harrell COPO. I will attempt to make things authentic, but reserve the right to add my own spin like "Motion" valve covers. Tonight's teaser pic is the engine on the stand. I have the short block complete now. I am slow, so don't look for daily or even weekly progress. Amazingly, ALL of the genuine COPO BB specific parts needed to do this authentic build, with exception of the radiator, are assembly line correct GM pieces I, literally, lucked into. No, I do not have a BE rear, but it will be 4.10. Hard to find BB stuff like heater core, fan shroud, booster, z bar, X member, 4 speed shifter mount, etc...all original 69 Camaro pieces found for next to nothing. It has been fun..so far. But now the work begins to put all this together.