The Secret Special Order 427 Powered Monster - The 1969 COPO L72 Chevelle

In this Rare Cars documentary, we are diving into the history of one of the least well known special order muscle cars of the 1960's, the super rare COPO Chevelle L72. This limited production street brawler packed a potent 427 that was not for the faint of heart with its 400+hp on tap.
And there is even a special Yenko version of this Chevelle that was built as well!
Learn all there is to know about the 1969 Chevrolet Chevelle L72 in episode 40 of the Rare Cars documentary series.
👉 Visit our website: rarecarsmedia....
*Note, we are not historians. If you see an error in our research then please mention it in the comments!
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[@dannydennis318]

1970 was actually the Pinnacle of high performance but they had to hide the horsepower even more.

[@robshropshire5959]

I thought about a copo chevelle but opted for an L78 375 chevelle with 3,73 posi and close ratio M 0:c 09 21 Muncie trans. With some professional ignition and carb tuning and jetting and a Shaffer diagram Clutch and Hurst comp plus shifter it ran low 13’s at 110 to 112. It would also pull 7,200 RPM in 4th gear with the 3.73 rear gear. I wish I still had that car!😮

[@Suprahampton]

A Yenko Impala with manual transmission was for sale a number of years ago, that must be a unicorn

[@gordocarbo]

Never heard of a Yenko Impala. Maybe a fake? They made 427 Biscaynes, only seen 2 a 65? and 67 both 4 speeds. Fell in love!

[@georgeseco91]

For me I got my Dads left over First 55 Chevy, second 56 Ford and lastly 60 Chevy but all Six Cylinders, at the End 67 Camaro 350 SS, but Automatic, Sold all them after installation of 8 Cylinder, Love 1/4 Cars best time in my Life.

[@Curtis1984]

Solid reporting. That metallic green is very nice.

[@flatbed825]

One of my Dad's good friends that he ran around with in the 70's had one of the original 69 Yenko Chevelles, it is one of the ones accounted for.

[@georgeseco91]

The Best Time to buy a Car was from the Sixties to the Eighties, you got what you wanted you did your search and you got great Prices, but you had to wait from 3 to dux Months.

[@carlmorgan2859]

Yes, I have one in South Beach Florida 😊

[@caribman10]

There's another part to this: most people never looked at the full options list for any car back then. How many people knew you could get any GM car painted any GM car color for $22 in 1964? So it's not that big a jump to find that there were engine, transmission, cooling package, interior or any other kinds of stuff available. Most people never asked. Most didn't want to know. A few did, and they asked.

[@rolandgard6984]

It's typical to see black automobiles in this day and age but nobody wanted one back in the sixties and early seventies. You could order black but most people opted for the colors promoted from the dealer.

[@gordocarbo]

Miss being able to order a car exactly the way you wanted. Black...without ac woulda been a tough sell unless it was a young buyer or didnt live in Ca NV AZ NM etc. Too hot in the summer.

[@bobbrinkerhoff3592]

Your wrong on the any color deal . Only Cadillacs could be ordered with the Fire mist paint . The metallic flakes were larger than the flakes used in the other paints and took different paint guns to spray . Those guns were only used in the Cadillac paint booths at the factory .

[@caribman10]

@@bobbrinkerhoff3592 Sorry, but YOU are wrong. Consult the facts. My Dad's '64 Ponriac Bonneville was painted a non-standard silver in '64, and I picked that option. Over to you. Oh, and by the way: I BUILT Chevrolets in Tarrytown and we option-painted lots of them....

[@bobbrinkerhoff3592]

@@caribman10 Sorry , but you need to read my comment over again . I said you couldn't get the Cadillac Firemist colors on any other GM car . Besides most of the other colors were available on the Buick , Chevrolet , Oldsmobile ,and Pontiac lines but under different names , even though they used the same paint codes . 1969 Camaro Hugger Orange was Monaco Orange on a Nova or Chevelle , it was Rally Red on a Cutlass , and I'd have to look to see what it was on a GTO but it did have its own name . You might know some of this stuff , if you had spent maybe half as much time around body shops as I have .

[@andrewbecker3700]

I wouldn't mind stumbling upon a barn find '69 Yenko Nova with the 427cid. engine option. Thats my ultimate muscle car.

[@tomkzinti2760]

Now you've got to do the 73-77 Chevelle Laguna Type S-3. The 75-76 front end was the best of the series and Chevy only made 9200 of the '76 Laguna Type S-3's in the US AND Canada combined. They were raced in NASCAR and I even heard the smooth Laguna body was such a racing advantage that officials levied restrictor plates on them(or something) because the Lagunas were so damn fast on a circle track. Pleeeeease? I used to drive one. Thanks!

[@gordocarbo]

Had a TCR slot car set with a Lagune and Dodge Magnum 500 .Great looking cars.

[@b.s.adventures9421]

Gm wouldn’t allow anything bigger than 400ci in a mid size. The 455 bop (Buick, olds, Pontiac) engines were not available in a mid size till 1970. That’s also why you could only get a 396 in the 69 Chevelle, except for the copo, or rare dealer swapped 427.

[@stereolababy]

all that video and not one sound clip cmon man

[@kevingrant2326]

I agree , ya gotta hear the music . This is like watching your favorite rock band with the tv on mute.

[@terrencesimpson9113]

Please do a video on the 1973 and 1974 Hurst-Olds Cutlass Supreme. They were beautiful cars that still had some guts.

[@dannydennis318]

There were no really fast cars after the 74 SD455 Trans Am. We did get some what quick cars 1978-1979 TA 6.6 4 speeds. They were a low 15 car which is pretty fun and punching out the scoop put somebody in the high for teens. 78-79 TA 6.6 got their carburetors blueprinted in a better bump stick. And it didn't matter what Trans Am there was after the SD it could out run every one of them even the 455 4-speed from 1976.

[@RonaldLewis-py6yt]

Nice to see Maple Motors in your presentation!! I watch them a lot,nice share history of the 69 Chevelle as I'm working on one now!!😊😊

[@DarkhorseMuscle]

This is one slick machine!

[@steverugerguy9606]

Chevelle:Americas Muscle car.

[@mr.blonde1709]

Dope video, homie..! Subbed.

[@rarecars3336]

Thanks for watching and subbing!

[@1980bwc]

The Malibu package Chevelles werent the only Chevelles you could get through the COPO program. There were some Chevelle 300 COPOS also. Or so I thought?

[@TheSamplebridge]

about 9 monthes ago i got a 427 (454 block with 396 crank) from a guy who was selling it for buddy who passed away. just doing a quick rebuild and using all the same parts the previous guy used. after watching this video, this guy pretty much setup the engine exactly like a L-72 427, just using more common parts.

[@gordocarbo]

Nice! Add some compression AFR 265 head and an Isky SFT it will make crazy power and be reliable. Love the bore/stroke of those cant hurt em

[@tcjohnson3437]

I know where a 1969 Copo Chevelle is. Went to elementary school with the boys dad who bought it. New. Dad left it to his son. He has passed it on to his daughter. Had the ZL1 427, four speed, 4:10 posi. No other frills. Yellow over black.

[@amoruzz]

Love it! 👍👍

[@toddstermer]

My family had a 69 4dr Malibu with a 350 in LeMans blue. Still our fam’s favorite car and color. But why didn’t dad order the COPO 427?

[@TJRatfink]

good stuff!

[@redcorn666]

Hell yea ill take a 1969 chevelle 472 any day You could have the corvette

[@blackice7408]

Can you do a vid on the impala ss with the z11 package?

[@rarecars3336]

We have a z11 impala video!

[@gordocarbo]

108 is cokin for a stock car. 90 ZR-1 I had ran 108-110 stock same times as the above Ahead of its time for sure. 427 is a 383 on steroids, better head and bigger bore Cant hurt those things. Grab a 454 4 bolt and build one to spin to the moon .

[@rarecars3336]

The 90 ZR1s are definitely lighter as well which makes you think!

[@gordocarbo]

@@rarecars3336 it is..later ones got a little porkey even though it had a bit more power 90s were 12.9 cars right conditions

[@user-kj2iy1]

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[@BrandonLeeBrown]

The Turbo 400 automatic transmission became a standard option for the solid lifter 396 and 427 in 1969, but the really rare COPO was the 1968 solid 396 with a Turbo 400 automatic transmission. Almost nobody knew about it and only a few were ordered as a COPO. Finding the specs and parts for the high performance 1968 Turbo 400 transmission is difficult.

[@bobbrinkerhoff3592]

The only '68 L-78 /TH 400 combo was a run of fifty SS 396 Novas , special ordered by Fred Gibb Chevrolet in LaHarpe , Illinois . Most were super tuned by Dickie Harrell . Some were converted to L-72 power by Harrell .

[@BrandonLeeBrown]

@@bobbrinkerhoff3592 Those "special orders" were COPO. I still wonder what transmission code those 68 L78 THM 400's had. Were they just the same THM 400's that were used with 350 hp 396's, or were they special THM 400's?

[@bobbrinkerhoff3592]

@@BrandonLeeBrown somewhere around here I have an article on those cars . Supposedly they used heavier duty bands and clutches and higher pressure. Most of which was done for motor home use , and later incorporated into shift kits . Until those Novas were built , you could not get an automatic transmission behind a Chevrolet engine with solid lifters .

[@henrybourdon6712]

As impressive and rare as one of these are , finding a good body and putting all the parts needed to make one or better with a tighter suspension better brakes transmission drive line as well as a simple 454 or bigger but looks like a 69 L72 or ZL1 COPO combo is cool and most likely cheaper if you are not bucks up or find one of the missing ones if they are still out there? station wagon, truck and aftermarket parts will make a fun toy and feel just like some sleep or drunk Monday shift line worker can put together. Still i wish i could have just had a job and bought one and wait for it's delivery but i was 10 years old.

[@michaelmahoney8887]

😍

[@marcandrade4156]

Georgious 69

[@jimmieroan9881]

well you could get the same thing with a few less cu in by simply ordering the L89 option, an aluminum head 396 solid lifter monster, same exact heads as the l88 engine, rated at 385 hp but was exactly the same except for cu in as the 425 hp. this was an easy order and didn't require you having to bribe anyone.

[@rolandgard6984]

L 72 Chevelles were not" livable" on the street.The high compression 427 would burn you alive,in stopped traffic, in the summer.White Allen Chevrolet was an exclusive Yenko Dealer. A salesman that worked there in the sixties said The Yenko cars sold Corvettes. Corvettes were more reliable and affordable. COPO's were all but non existent,and only a few were sold.

[@theinsaneshecklador6598]

Was the Chevelle cooling system worse than the Corvettes? My father still owns his 69 L71 Corvette he bought new. He daily drove it until 73 when he bought a Vega to commute in. He's never talked about overheating and even today it rarely has a problem. Perhaps in Phoenix or somewhere like that it could be. AFAIK the L71 and L72 are identical except for the intake and carbs, and probably exhaust manifolds when installed in a Chevelle. Are there other differences I'm not aware of?

[@rolandgard6984]

@@theinsaneshecklador6598 Factory cooling systems,even heavy duty were still very primitive at the time. I have possession of a 66 396 with the factory heavy duty cooling that has been in my family since 1972.I remember crawling out of the rear window and sitting on the roof of the car in stopped traffic. You can see the dents in the roof today.Summer time was a miserable time in the old days if Dad was a car enthusiasts. 🤣

[@theinsaneshecklador6598]

@@rolandgard6984 Pretty cool to hear of another long time family owned car. There's getting to be less and less of that.

[@bobbrinkerhoff3592]

The L -72 had the same 11.25 compression ratio as the L -78 396/375 . Those cars all came from the factory with the heavy duty four core radiators . If your car was running that hot something was wrong with it .

[@tamikat4745]

Amazing. Seriously. After all these years, that there are still people (like you) who insist on only using published "factory" specs rather than the actual factual specs. Like ... The L78. Was a factory-offered powerplant for: 1) Corvette (first) 2) Impala 3) Chevelle 4) Nova 5) Camaro *Where the "factory-listed" hp/tq variation comes in has everything to do with ... government/insurance/sales -in that order. Still ...every L-78 (from '65 thru early '70) were all around 425 hp and 415 torque. AND individually one could (was) more powerful than its kin ... pushing upwards of 450 hp/450+torque. (One "build" did vary slightly from another) What I'm saying is ... Just say what the L78 REALLY was. By the way, i was raised on Chevrolet. And, first car i owned (paid cash) ... 1969 super sport Chevelle. With ...the 396.

[@jeffsiegel4879]

Your comment that you'd take a 427 Chevelle over a 350 Corvette was not true. First, please realize that your teacher and the old lady down the street had Chevelles. A standard mid-size coupe/sedan. A Corvette was not only "America's Sports Car", but it was the only TRUE mass produced, US- built sports car (the Cobra had a body and chassis sourced from the UK) of its time, and a definite good thing to have around if you were trying to impress. Two different audiences, but, if you were truly weighing the two without considering the Camaro (a logical option), then no, I don't think you would have chosen the 427 Chevelle over a 350 Vette- you would've plunked down the cash to get a big block Vette and be the true hero that you were striving to be.

[@alexandertroy9621]

If performance is negligible, always choose rarity.

[@rolandgard6984]

My friend sold cars for a Chevy dealer in the sixties. The rare performance automobile was a great way to pitch Vettes.The SS l have would have been swapped for an orange Vette with some extra cash if the guy hadn't wrecked the Vette.

[@chrisgobeil4751]

Not everyone wants a Vette...

[@RonaldLewis-py6yt]

​@chrisgobeil4751 I've owned a lot of highly opictioned Camaros never wanted a Vett,brother had a 63 Split Window 327 fuel injection 😊😊

[@Ecoblu1972]

When my dads 68 SS396 Chevelle got stolen he was going to replace it with a 66 L-72 Vetter but the insurance was as much as the car payment instead he paid 1900 for a Copo Camaro not a bad deal 😂😂

[@cobracharmer6178]

These back door “special” orders. The 1969 COPO and Yenko Camaros, Chevelles cost nearly $3,000 more than a Mustang BOSS 429, A12 package 440 6 barrel, 6 pack. 426 HEMI in any MOPAR.🙄

[@rolandgard6984]

A friend of mine was a car salesman in the sixties when White Allen Chevrolet was the exclusive dealer for the Miami Valley. White Allen sold two Yenko Chevelles and one Yenko Camaro,as far as he new.He sold a lot of everything else.

[@cobracharmer6178]

@@rolandgard6984 ; I watch Cars and Zebras. That’s where I got my info about the price. There were 69 back door Camaro COPO’s built in 1969. Don’t know the #’s of Yenko/COPO Chevelle, Camaros. 🤔 Thank you for sharing your story.

[@bobbrinkerhoff3592]

@@cobracharmer6178 there were 69 ZL-1 COPO Camaros built in 1969 and those were $7000.00 cars . The L -72 COPOs were around $ 4000.00 .

[@The_sinner_Jim_Whitney]

The hot 427 Chevies and 426 MoPar Hemis were the baddest motors of the musclecar period, and I've always wondered why the bigger displacement '70 models (still unrestricted) weren't as gnarly. Maybe racing rules changed or something, but it's always kinda baffled me. Also, didn't the Yenko cars have some handling stuff, too? Man, that blue one at the end with the hubcaps was SO cool...

[@roberthevern6169]

A friend of mine had a stock cast iron 70 LS6 454 450hp as rated by the factory. It had a 3.31 posi rear with the F41 handling package(bigger front sway bar, a rear sway bar and stiffer springs). He ran it at our 2800' altitude drag strip, and pulled high 13s with the header cutouts opened up. It had 3.31posi rear gears, so 4.10s would have been faster in the 1/4. LS7s had aluminum heads, while the ZL1 was all aluminum but available only in the Corvette. IMHO that's pretty gnarly!

[@The_sinner_Jim_Whitney]

@@roberthevern6169 A handful of ZL1 Camaros were built, but I mean a handful, maybe 10? The LS7 454 was hotter than like L88s, but to my knowledge were never actually installed at a factory or dealer (I could be wrong). I think the LS6 454s were absolute mountain movers, but I don't think they could quite stack up to the hot 427s at the strip since the 427s revved so much higher. My cousin (like my uncle, he's almost 60 and I'm 38) had a 383 Dart in the late 70s, early 80s. It was a serious all forged circle track deal that would rev to the moon, dumped in a Dart. He said LS5 454s were non-starters, LS6s meant he couldn't make any mistakes, and L72s meant they HAD to make a mistake.

[@The_sinner_Jim_Whitney]

@@roberthevern6169 My dad had an LS5 4-speed Chevelle with 3.73s back in those days, and said any 383 Barracuda or Dart would just slowly walk away from him after second gear. I know it's apples-to-oranges, but that's just an anecdote. 454s (not LS7s, but as I understand it either one or zero of them were ever factory installed) have pretty limited rev ranges. Even for big-blocks, they had long-ish stroke and couldn't turn6,000- 7,000 where the power is for very long. The 427s raced for YEARS in every possible drag, roadrace, and street scenario. The hot solid lifter 427s, I maintain, are the hottest factory equipped Chevies til what, the C7 Z06? Maybe the CTS-V, but either way, a smaller forced-induction motor. Hemi's king and we all know it, not- straight into the chamber simply isn't going to flow better than straight into the chamber. Not my faves, but credit where it's due. Top fuel doesn't run billet Chevy motors whether I like it or not, haha!

[@bobbrinkerhoff3592]

The reason they went to the bigger engines in 1970 was simple , the cars were getting heavier and needed the longer stroke , higher torque engines to be competitive . The problem lies in the fact that the longer stroke crankshaft will not spin up to high rpm as quickly as the shorter cranks . That's why a 427/425 will whip a 454/450 any day of the week .

[@The_sinner_Jim_Whitney]

@@bobbrinkerhoff3592 Yeah, that's what I'm saying. I suppose heavier cars makes sense as a reason they did it. I just wish they could've kept the cars light and improved the absolute GOLD smaller big-blocks. For the record, I'm a small big-block guy (GM 396, Mopar 383) guy, and really a small-block guy more than that (in something like a Camaro, Barracuda, or especially a Nova, a well-built small-block is FAST). I love hearing them sing above 4500 rpm, which for a long stroke hydraulic cam big-block is approaching the limit enough to not see much time over that rpm.

[@clintxxxracerx9435]

Bro, do your research better. First, you call a Firebird a Tempest and say that an F-Body is same as a. A Body! F Body is a Camaro / Firebird style & A Body is Chevelle, MC, Elco, Cutlas, GTO etc. Then, you mix Yenko in with/ Factory COPO’s. Yenko’s bare a totally different & self identifying package than the Factory COPO All & all, not too bad but did to the bottom and work your way up. That way you won’t have some Nancy Know it All come on here and correct you!

[@bobbrinkerhoff3592]

Yenko cars were either standard COPO or SS cars with a set of ugly stripes , some emblems , and a set of gauges and mag wheels added . That was the extent of the Specialness that you got for your money . If you wanted special , you went to Baldwin Chevrolet and ordered a Motion Performance supercar . They built any Chevy you wanted up to 454 powered Vegas , Yenko was scared to death of his 427 powered Novas .

[@WAYUPDUDE1382]