Nostalgia race collectors put a high value on documented muscle car era drag race cars. So this 1969 COPO Camaro Super Stock campaigned in Division 5 NHRA competition is going to raise a lot of eyebrows. With Cornhuskers Raceway in Nebraska as its home track it was successfully campaigned with Division 5 west central division NHRA Championship wins in 1969, 1971 and 1973.
The “Legendary” NHRA Division 5 driver, Charlie Jacobs campaigned as a driver and part-owner of the COPO with great success winning his division’s “points” class in Super Stock and his division “Chevrolet Manufacturers” class in 1969 (note the cover of National Dragster above.)
One of the original part-owners of this car was Al McNamara, owner of a Nebraska Chevrolet dealership, Mac’s Chevrolet / Oldsmobile in Crete, Nebraska. The current owner of the Camaro does not have paperwork documentation to prove that this was a COPO. If it was a COPO it was ordered through Fred Gibb Chevrolet in LaHarpe, Illinois. The only COPO car that went to Mac’s Chevrolet was COPO #22, with a 5M21 4-speed close ratio transmission and originally came in Cortez Silver. From the show-room floor the Camaro was shipped to Del Star where he laid on a “one of a kind” paint scheme in his Mason City, Iowa “Start” Auto Body Center.
The next stop for this Camaro was over to Dick Harrell’s St Louis, Missouri Performance Center where he prepared all of the Camaro’s 427 power plants (including an all Aluminum ZL-1 427), the Camaro’s chassis, and the Camaro’s multiple transmissions. “MR CHEVROLET’S” shop converted the Camaro from it’s original Muncie four speed to a Harrell Performance Center prepared Turbo 400 transmission. Dick’s shop also supplied a specially prepared “Clutch Driven” Turbo 400 transmission for use later in the 1969 season.
The third owner raced it on and off but mostly drove it on the street. He grenaded the engine as the flywheel pushed up off the crank and sliced threw the block. The 4-speed bell housing was blow-proof and was saved. An iron short block L-88 was installed next. Some time in the ’80’s the original owner bought the car back stipped off all the stickers and cared for the paint. This paint cost around $1500 in 1969. He also removed the L-88 and installed a LS-6 short block with the orginal iron 840 heads and aluminum intake and one of the orginal B&M Turbo 400’s with a brake.
You’ll have to take a look at the video below to see how much damage there is on the passenger side of the car. Click the video window to view a detailed look at the Super Stock Camaro, along with some historical info included:
You can see in the video that there is damage to the right side of the car and it will take a craftsman to make this car right. Because of its historical significance it should be restored right and put back to its racing trim.
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