1970 rs z28

[70zee]

i have a june camaro and i read that there was a copo change from the small spoiler to the high spoiler copo order #9796 in april of 70 so my question is does this make my car a copo car?

[COPO]

You'll need paperwork to prove it. I could take the small spoiler off my car and add a 3 piece spoiler along with a front spoiler and say it's a COPO.
If you don't have the doc then you may have to assume that one of the previous owners did the swap.

[70zee]

It would go by the assembly date of the car the change was made april 20 of 70and all z28 got the copo change after that date.1971 cars the change became standard.

[70 RS/Z28]

At the risk of starting the never ending argument over the 9796

The problem is that no one knows how many were built. From what the current information indicates the productions of "low spoiler cars was at around 8200" in april. 8733 z28 cars were built so give or take 533 cars left +/-. Not all of these cars were Copo cars, If you talk to some here on the site you will here numbers under 250 which seems to make sense given the information out there. To get to much more than the 250 figure one would have to assume that Piggins and company was able to convince the GM brass to finish the 70 run with a majority of copo cars and scrap the remaining stock of low spoilers??? My guess is much less than 250 were produced.

The problem is...

Unless you have some hard documentation, build sheet, invoice etc. there is no way to know. Given that any Norwood cars would not have build sheets it would be very hard to determine if the car was factory produced.

I have a friend who worked as a body man for a chevy dealer in the early 70's who has told me that they had converted quite a few small spoiler cars over to big spoilers. Back then, most likely because of racing exposure (just a guess) the small spoiler was less desireable than the big one. If you search the site you can find most of the available information to be found regarding the 9796.

70zee if you have further information please share it as we are always looking for more info on this issue!!

[tom3]

My April built 70 has the tall rear spoiler. Didn't have the front one when I got it. When I got it I was considering putting the one piece rear spoiler on it because it looked better but couldn't find one locally back then.

[paul30024]

124870N531881 VIN with a body # of 260992 came with a 9796 spoiler. Took Delivery early May. Hope this might help in your investigation. The quality of mine was ???? It had air bubble holes in both end caps. Wish I still had the car but that is another story.

[70zee]

according to what iam reading it says all z28 produced after april 20 1970 got the high spoiler (copo # 9796) and the low spoiler was done away with. your freind could of change them but it would still fall back on the assembly date of the 70 car correct?

[cci]

My 04D Z has the tall rear spoiler. It also had a front spoiler at one point, but it was missing when I bought the car.

I was under the impression that '70s didn't have come with a front spoiler. Is it possible (I know, no way to prove) that my car came with the front spoiler?

[70 RS/Z28]

Originally Posted by 70zee

according to what iam reading it says all z28 produced after april 20 1970 got the high spoiler (copo # 9796) and the low spoiler was done away with. your freind could of change them but it would still fall back on the assembly date of the 70 car correct?

What are you reading?????

[al8apex]

Originally Posted by 70zee

according to what iam reading it says all z28 produced after april 20 1970 got the high spoiler (copo # 9796) and the low spoiler was done away with. your freind could of change them but it would still fall back on the assembly date of the 70 car correct?

incorrect

the tall spoiler was an OPTION, never standard in 70 OR 71

[70 RS/Z28]

Quote from a conversation @ Yenko net 7/2006

Rick Hoffmeister
I believe that all 1970 Z/28's came standard with the one piece spoiler and after late April, early May of 1970 the three piece COPO spoiler became available but only as a special dealer order, not standard equipment. Phil??

Phill Boris
Yes the dealers that knew about it could order it. How that all came together was through the zone reps as they were trying to spread them out to show the SCCA they were in production. Dealers within 300 miles of an SCCA race event were a priority for delivery.........................................

Chuck Sharin
Hello to ALL my 2nd Gen friends, This COPO spoiler end piece issue is obviously a very obscure, rare subject. Phil B. in my thinking is the most known 70 COPO authority in the world.

Post 4/2006

Dax Foster
I have a 70 RS/Z28 in original condition with the 3 piece spoiler, the caps do not have the revised part # and was built 04C, is that a little too early? Looked for the build sheet but it's gone forever. I was going to do some title searching if the date is not too early, maybe get lucky and find original owner.

Phill Boris
You are right. A little too early for production. The April 26 date is the order date.

NOR Production actually ramped up in mid May. There is an exception to the April 26th date, however it is dependent on where your car originally came from. Is it by chance a Texas car??

As the 1969 ZL-1 option was pushed through as a COPO to get around the approval laden RPO system, in order to dominate Drag racing, the Special Race spoiler package for the 1970 Camaro was designed to allow Chevrolet to continue to dominate the SCCA Trans-AM race series.

Vince Piggins was involved from the start.

After testing of the 1970 Camaro SCCA race cars with the standard issue “short” RPO D-80 spoiler tests showed significant Lift at the rear of the Camaro at speeds in excess of 120MPH.

Piggins got permission to "Borrow" the Firebird center section and had AO-Smith Corp tool up the individualized end caps. The result was significant.

With the short spoiler there was 112 pounds of lift. With the new COPO 9796 High spoiler at the rear there was 168 pounds of down force-a critical 280 pound difference in a Camaro equipped for Trans-AM- A significant improvement for the Camaro in the areas of stability and cornering traction at speed.

In order to comply with SCCA Race rules a limited number of these cars were built in late April 1970, and starting in June - also included the front spoiler as part of this package.


9/2005

Phill Boris
COPO 9796 became avalible on April 26, 1970. but due to quality problems production did not get going until late May.

At the end of the 1970 SCCA season, Chrvrolet got out of SCCA Trans-Am Racing but liked the appearance of the old COPO Spoiler Package, so it then then became RPO D-80 and optional on any 1971 Camaro.

In 70 the Short 1 pc spoiler was RPO D-80.

The short 1 pc spoiler was standard with Z-28 in 1971.

For '71 RPO D-80 was an improved version of the last varient of old COPO 9697 package and consisted of both the front and real spoilers and was vastly improved in fit and appearance.

By 72 the short 1 pc spoiler was disco, and RPO D-80 was the only spoiler you could get.




Chuck S 07E build


The cars were available in late April but were still a special order.

[flowjoe]

My 06C LA built Z has 1 piece low spoiler.

My understanding is as al8apex stated....and in '70 that option did start at the beginning of the model year nor did it include a front spoiler.

I always make allowances for my understanding to be in error

[70zee]

iam reading muscle car review march of 2005

[paul30024]

My April production 70 Z did NOT come with a front air dam. I did later in 70 purchase one from the dealer and install it. It did arrive with the tall rear spoiler. I do remember AO Smith embossed on the inside of one of the end caps.

Paul

[COPO]

Originally Posted by paul30024

My April production 70 Z did NOT come with a front air dam. I did later in 70 purchase one from the dealer and install it. It did arrive with the tall rear spoiler. I do remember AO Smith embossed on the inside of one of the end caps.

Paul

You must have had to drill more holes to mount the spoiler. My May car only has 2 total drilled out holes where the front spolier would go.