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I was browsing old posts and it got me thinking about a car I've had on the back burner for a while, still collecting parts to restore it. Everytime I decide to sell it I end up talking myself out of it. It is a 70 Z28 with the COPO spoiler. I have no POP, window sticker, or build sheet. I have never looked for the build sheet, so where shoud I start? I do have the original title and license plate from 1970. I met with the original owner several years back. His health was failing so I never pushed the issue of original documents. He did verify the 40k on the clock were correct. I have no doubts of the cars pedigree because everything is there from the LT1 to the 12 bolt, all matching numbers. So, without the build sheet or some other documentation, is this car any more "special" than any other Z28?
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I think so. The first thing you have to do is confirm the car is real. The best way to do this is to do the research and confirm the ownership history of the car.
The significance of the 70 COPO 9697 cars were historically diminished by the use of this equipment in 71 as RPO D-80 with the RPO continuing to sell strong right through '81 where the street use of these parts was pretty much just for looks, unless you planned to run from the law and most road tests of the day let you know that.
From a racing prospective however this was an example of racing technology that did work and worked well.
With the demise of Chevrolet's Factory T/A racing effort in '71, the small team T/A racers continued to race with the big spoilers because they worked well. Later with the Camaro's use in the mid 70's in the IROC series (on TV) Chevrolet again got very serious about the use of the spoiler technology for racing. As speeds increased way beyond the old T/A speeds IROC drivers (then drafting at over 180mph) soon found that even the size of the old COPO spoiler from 70 had limitations- and then Chevrolet and IROC approved a modification in 1979 to add an additional larger center section to keep the rear of these racers planted. From a chevrolet perspective with sales of Camaros very strong through the 70's the contribution of the later IROC cars cannot be ignored as just like the old T/A days the Camaro's exposure in racing transulated into sales, as in '79 alone over 54,000 Z28's were sold.
The '70 COPO 9697 cars managed to get limited numbers of this start up racing technology to the street and in doing so started over a decade of racing achievement for Chevrolet, so I would have to say if you have a real '70 COPO car it is very special.
Phil