Missing COPO in Hot Rod magazine?

[Keith Tedford]

While the old pictures aren't great quality, the ones of our COPO engine and that of a friends show no obvious orange paint on the intake. Anything as bad as this one would have been obvious in our pictures. Has anyone ever seen a factory engine with that much overspray or anything remotely like it. From back in the day, I certainly don't recall anything like this.

[John Brown]

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I do not believe any of the claims made about this car. Not registered until 2006? Chevy just handed someone this car with no MSO as they stated it does not come up on an NICB search. Somehow it was owned for 37 years, driven and wrecked but never registered. Sure.

[/ QUOTE ]

As far as the claims and the restoration (if you might even call it that) I can't believe this car either. However years ago, before used car dealers had to pay sales tax and get titles when they bought a new car from their local dealer or auction, I had several new cars still on a MSO. Would just slap a dealer plate on it and drive it just like any other used car. When it came time (maybe even 10 years later) to sell it the buyer would pay sales tax and we would get them a state issued title. Finally the states realized they were losing out on the sales tax and even more likely the insurance companys realized that we were running dealer insurance on a new car and they weren't getting their "fair share". All good things finally came to an end when they closed that loop hole, but it lasted for many, many years.

[MultiMopars]

[ QUOTE ]
When a SHP BB with chrome rocker covers was painted the entire top of the engine was covered. There should be very little orange on either end and none along the sides.

Like so:



The exception to this is 65-67 BB Corvettes which did not have chrome rocker covers. Only the intake was covered and there was some orange overspray along the sides of the intake as they had to paint the rocker covers.

I do not believe any of the claims made about this car. Not registered until 2006? Chevy just handed someone this car with no MSO as they stated it does not come up on an NICB search. Somehow it was owned for 37 years, driven and wrecked but never registered. Sure.

[/ QUOTE ]

Dealers receive ALL new vehicles on and MCO or MSO. It is up to the dealer and buyer as to what they receive. If it was financed and there was a lien on the car then it would HAVE to be titled. If not, and was going to be raced only and the buyer did not want to title it, the dealer would pass the MCO to the buyer. Chevrolet would have absolutely nothing to do with it.

I own a 1966 Hemi Coronet that was bought new to race and it was never titled or license until I did so when I bought it after it was 40 years old. It happened more than most people are aware of.

[olredalert]

-------What,,,No cowl-induction??? This could be a one of car,,,,,,,NOT!!! Oh, I agree, the overspray on the intake is probably the worst I have ever seen........Bill S

[1969l78]

Seems alot of cars that are restored today are all going over board with the over spray. Alot of survivor cars I see have very little.

[ANDY M]

This may be a dumb question, but why is the overspray an issue on a CE motor? If the factory didn't paint the motor, what's the fuss all about?
About the flat hood, wasn't that replaced by the ZL 2 because of the intake needing extra room for enough clearance to close the hood?
I was told that was the reason it was called "ZL2", after the ZL1.

[olredalert]

------Andy,,,Aside from the lack of correct hood, the fuss in this case would be in doing a restoration correctly, as a car appeared when new. Overspray done in this way on an aluminum intake, chrome valve-cover engine just didnt ever happen. Overspray on the front and rear of the intake to some degree would be OK up to a point, but between the intake and valve-covers never. If you are going to do it, do it right!!! ......Bill S

[SS427]

The subject of overspray has been discussed as many times as rebodies and the jury is still out on both. These engines were massed produced on an assembly line and a template was placed over the intake and sometimes the valve covers. There are hundreds of photos documenting overspray on both the intake, valve covers, exhaust and by-pass hose. Some are barely noticeable while others are crude. I have had numerous survivor big blocks in my shop over the last 25 years and currently have Joe D's here and you can see orange overspray on several areas of the intake. When I restored Dennis L's LS6 he had just purchased it from the original owner. That owner bought the car specifically to race and removed all the OEM parts such as exhaust, smog, intake, carb, valve covers, etc from the car shortly after purchasing the car and had all the parts stored in boxes. You could clearly see orange overspray on many of those parts as well as the intake and valve covers. The were several areas on the length of the intake showing signs of orange paint. I also frequently see where the mating surface of the cylinder head and intake is orange. This would be hard to do unless some small amount got on the intake. In a lengthly conversation I had with Fran Preeve a little over a year ago he confirmed this. I guess it boils down to personal preference. I like a little overspray because I feel this was the way they were originally done and also I am not restoring a museum piece but rather a replication of what Chevrolet built. Just my opinion, let the flaming begin........

[Kurt S]

There's no mystery on the engine overspray. As William states, the engine plant put a mask over the intake and valve covers. The only overspray on the intake would be on the ends.

[Verne_Frantz]

To continue with the overspray slant to this thread, here's a photo taken in late '62. The same molded mask was employed back then at Tonawanda as well.


Paint can be seen on the intake side of the one head as well. Also note that the one valve cover never received its decals which is another example that they all weren't done the same way.

Here's another unmolested '62 intake which shows a "little" paint on the sides.


If the same technique was used in later years, I see no reason to doubt Rick's observations. If these motors were painted in a minute or less by various workers I would expect lots of variation in the results.
Verne