1960 Corvette COPO with Power Brakes

[Edward M.]

Anyone ever heard of this car. Know anything about it?

http://vintagecorvettes.com/auto/1960-corvette-black-copo-blackred-power-brakes-283-230hp-just-in/

There is a note associated with the Power Brakes entry on the sales order that says (I think) "Put on here if necessary".

That leads me to believe that this may have been a dealer installed item.

Anyone ever seen another C1 with a setup like this?

[Joe L.]

Re: 1960 Corvette COPO with Power Brakes

Anyone ever heard of this car. Know anything about it?

http://vintagecorvettes.com/auto/1960-corvette-black-copo-blackred-power-brakes-283-230hp-just-in/

There is a note associated with the Power Brakes entry on the sales order that says (I think) "Put on here if necessary".

That leads me to believe that this may have been a dealer installed item.

Anyone ever seen another C1 with a setup like this?

Ed-------


The dealer invoice says it all-------(*) Put on here. There's no way in the world that this car was delivered from the factory with this power brake set-up. It looks like some sort of aftermarket conversion to me. The oval-shaped red label on it, if it could be deciphered, would reveal the aftermarket source.

I also highly doubt this is a COPO vehicle. In fact, since the power brakes seems to be what makes the seller think it's COPO and since those power brakes are highly unlikely to have been factory-installed, that claim amounts to nothing but "puffery" on the part of the seller. Just someone trying to build up the "rarity" and "cachet" of the car beyond reality. Happens all the time with Corvettes.

[Loren L.]

Re: 1960 Corvette COPO with Power Brakes

A Boston Dr doesn't have enough juice with a dealer in Boston (or where?), so he goes to Georgia and 45 years later the car comes to light. Sounds good t me - as a 230 HP car, it's worth an extra $35.

[Frank D.]

Re: 1960 Corvette COPO with Power Brakes

Ed-------


The dealer invoice says it all-------(*) Put on here. There's no way in the world that this car was delivered from the factory with this power brake set-up. It looks like some sort of aftermarket conversion to me. The oval-shaped red label on it, if it could be deciphered, would reveal the aftermarket source.

I also highly doubt this is a COPO vehicle. In fact, since the power brakes seems to be what makes the seller think it's COPO and since those power brakes are highly unlikely to have been factory-installed, that claim amounts to nothing but "puffery" on the part of the seller. Just someone trying to build up the "rarity" and "cachet" of the car beyond reality. Happens all the time with Corvettes.

Occurs far too often, sometimes maliciously, sometimes out of naivete...
Many times defended with, "...nobody knows what people did on the assembly line back in those days...anything could have happened..." response.

My personal favorite

[Richard M.]

Re: 1960 Corvette COPO with Power Brakes

I think if the ad spoke of a "Rare Dealer Installed Power Brake System", it would add some uniqueness value. Claiming St Louis installed it when the paperwork left a disclaimer is reaching a bit.

Oh, and for the non-believers, my '59 came from St Louis with the FA-GPS option. And I have paperwork to prove it. As soon as I can find it

[Tom P.]

Re: 1960 Corvette COPO with Power Brakes

I'll not ever believe that PB was an (FACTORY) option prior to 1963. BUT, a former member (I'll not mention his name, but he owns a copper 55 with a plexiglass bubble top) does have a unique PB setup on his 55. I've never driven his car, so I can't speak to how well the PB system works. It was an aftermarket add on system which was available MANY, MANY years ago (and possibly still available, who knows???) and could be installed on several cars back in the day. (MOST of you know the person I'm referring to).

[Jim D.]

Re: 1960 Corvette COPO with Power Brakes

I'll not ever believing that PB was an (FACTORY) option prior to 1963. BUT, a former member (I'll not mention his name, but he owns a copper 55 with a plexiglass bubble top) does have a unique PB setup on his 55. I've never driven his car, so I can't speak to how well the PB system works. It was an aftermarket add on system which was available MANY, MANY years ago (and possibly still available, who knows???) and could be installed on several cars back in the day. (MOST of you know the person I'm referring to).

Back in the old days, many used the power brake booster for 55-57 Thunderbirds as it is a stand alone unit and very simple to install. The booster pictured in the original post looks to be very similar to the T-Bird booster. The aftermarket may have copied the Ford design and sold it in kit form.

[Dan D.]

Re: 1960 Corvette COPO with Power Brakes

My 57 had power brakes installed in it. According to the second owner, whom I spoke with several times, the car was originally bought new by an elderly lady in her sixties. That explains why the car was originally a base engine 230 with full power options - power top, power windows, and powerglide. She traded it in 4 years later for a 1962 Corvette.

According to the second owner the lady had power brakes installed on the car soon after she bought it - probably by the selling dealer (in Rochester, NY). The second owner removed the power brakes (and the power top because it did not work), along with the powerglide and the engine. Needless to say he installed a 327 fuelie and 4-speed - typical of the early 1960s. He kept none of the original equipment, including the power brake setup. So all was lost.

So several owners later, I have the car, but all original equipment is long gone.

-Dan-

[Edward B.]

Re: 1960 Corvette COPO with Power Brakes

Starting in 1955 and carrying over to 1956, the Treadle-vac power brake system was available as an option (RPO 412) on the full size cars. Then, in 1957, the Treadle-vac system was again available, but only on automatic transmission cars. The manual transmission cars received the Hydro-vac system, which is what you see in the pictures in the link above. The Hydro-vac system was also available as a dealer installed accessory, and carried over into the early 1960's. I don't believe the Hydro-vac system was a dealer installed accessory available to the C1 Corvette (I cant find my 1957 option brochure), but I HAVE seen two or three C1's over the years with them installed in that same location.

First picture is the Treadle-vac system and the second picture is the Hyrdo-vac system.

Ed

[David B.]

Re: 1960 Corvette COPO with Power Brakes

I'll not ever believe that PB was an (FACTORY) option prior to 1963. BUT, a former member (I'll not mention his name, but he owns a copper 55 with a plexiglass bubble top) does have a unique PB setup on his 55. I've never driven his car, so I can't speak to how well the PB system works. It was an aftermarket add on system which was available MANY, MANY years ago (and possibly still available, who knows???) and could be installed on several cars back in the day. (MOST of you know the person I'm referring to).

If this is the car I think you are referring to, the system on it it MAY have some valid experimental ties.
No further comment is appropriate.