A 1987 GNX vs. a legit ’69 COPO Chevelle 427? Yes, yes, yes! Going out with style, Davin and Matt from Hagerty compare these two in the (rumored) final installment of Generation Gap.
For the last two weeks, we’ve seen these two guys compare a ’69 GTO Judge against an ’06 GTO with a twin-turbocharged, 402 ci. LS2 stroker motor. Then, a ’68 Firebird 400 went up against the 2010 Lingenfelter LTA Trans Am following closely behind that. Now, the boys are back at the Lingenfelter Collection, one last time, to see a ’69 COPO Chevelle and an ’87 GNX, square off against each other for ultra-rare musclecar supremacy.
As we know, the GNX packs the “276 hp” 3.8L Buick Turbo V6 with 355 lb-ft. of twist to the tires – or at least enough to put the 3500-lb. ’80s G-body solidly in the low-to-mid 13s in the quarter-mile. The COPO Chevelle, on the other hand, sports the body-side stripes, wheels, and blackout rear panel of a Super Sport 396, but lacks the badging. On the surface, it looks to be a mid-level Malibu sport coupe that somebody has given a mild SS treatment, but in reality, it’s a whole heck-of-a-lot more than that!
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- See that chrome round thing on top of the engine? That’s the air cleaner. Below it, is a giant fuel leak called a carburetor. Despite this, the all-American badass was powerful enough to run low-13s, and go toe-to-toe with some of the big hitters from the ’60s, including the Chrysler 426 Hemi!
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- Don’t be fooled by it’s subtle demeanor, this Chevelle is ready to throw down at a moment’s notice!
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- On the other hand, this is one Buick that would look right at home in Darth Vader’s garage!
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- Setting the standard of EFI performance to come, the turbocharged Buick V6 was good for low-13s – back in the ’80s!
Ken Lingenfelter himself popped by in this installment, to share his thoughts on these two dynamos!
Being one of only 323 produced, it’s essentially a Yenko Chevelle, minus the “sYc” decal treatment and badging. Stuffed with 427-cubic inches of L72, solid-lifter, American big-block Chevrolet power it was good for low 13-second timeslips back in 1969.
Those numbers are on par with today’s pony cars! Advertised as a 425 hp 460 lb-ft. mill, old-school musclecar fans know that, like today, GM had a knack for underrating their power outputs.
Now before you automatically assume we’re biased towards the GNX, because we’re GM EFI, we have to come out and say that classic big-block GM musclecars will always hold a special place in our heart. So in our opinion, there are no losers here and both are just as desirable and impressive.
Having said that, follow along as the boys end the Generation Gap series with a bang, with these two examples of GM musclecar milestone history battling it out for the number-one spot!
Rick Seitz is the owner and founder of GMEFI Magazine, and has a true love and passion for all vehicles. When he isn’t tuning, testing, or competing with the brand’s current crop of project vehicles, he’s busy tinkering and planning the next modifications for his own cars.
