yenko motors

[gregdoerfler]

was just wondering if anybody knows who used to build don yenko motors for his cars?

 

[Jeff Clark]

In 67 and 68 Yenko was swapping 427's in for the 396. I don't know where those came from. Probably from GM since they were already using 427's in the Corvette and they just weren't available from GM in the Camaro. In 69 you could order a 427 (COPO) in a Camaro, so he wasn't swapping those.



If you looking for a Yenko Camaro I have a nice, very original, very well documented Hugger Orange 69 with black interior for sale. It belonged to a friend of my dad who passed away last year. His wife has moved and we still have the car here in our shop.

 

[crobertson1]

Jeff,



What's the price on that bad boy?

 

[Jeff Clark]

I think she's wanting around $140,000. It has most of the original paint. It has been touched up in spots but you can't tell, but much of the original lacquer has cracked. I don't know how many miles off the top of my head. He has paperwork from the dealer from the original owner and a magazine from 1969 with an article on Don Yenko with a picture of him standing in front of that particular car. It has also been verified by many of the autorities on Chevy Super Cars from the late 60's. It has the Stewart Warner gauge package that was installed in some of the cars and has the Buick Grand Sport steering wheel that Yenko put in even fewer cars. The car hasn't been on the road since Oct. of 2003, but I have cranked it and moved it around the shop since then. The brakes are weak, but other than that, it runs good. It just needs freshening-up. If your serious, I can send you pictures.

 

[Extreme1]

Can you please post a couple pics? I'd love a Yenko or even one of the Sunoco T/A Camaros but until I win the lottery, I can't quite swing the price.

 

[Hammer]

The nasty Yenko Camaro's utilized the factory COPO fat blocks after late 68. Before that they were installed at the dealership by them and the cars were beefed up suspension wise. here are a couple of links on them and a shot of one of those Orange cars... ... ... Andy



http://www.camaro1stgeneration.com/cam1stgen/yenko.html



http://www.yenko.net/dealers/yenko.htm

 

[ToolManTimTaylor]

The Yenko Birthplace

Yenko Chevrolet

575 West Pike St.

Canonsburg, PA



Back when what won on sunday sold on Monday



Great short Yenko Website





Don't Forget :



Yenko also produced the 427 Nova in 1969 only. There were around thirty built with only seven or eight that are accounted for today. This is the very first one produced.



This 1969 Yenko Nova was a car described by Don Yenko in one of his last interviews as ?a beast, almost lethal, a car that they should not have produced; as they were skirting the edge of product liability when they built this car?. The Nova was not a COPO high performance 427 motor from the factory. It was built with a transplanted 427 motor as Yenko did with the 1967 and 1968 Camaros.



Although GM put factory 427s in Camaro?s and Chevelles, it is known that the GM factory apparently would not put a COPO 427 motor in a Nova. Why not? The most obvious reason would be just as Don Yenko describes himself; using the word ?lethal?, and a matter of liability. The body weight of the Nova was less than that of a Corvette. Stuffing a high performance L72 427 Corvette motor in a car of less body weight certainly had to result in tire-smoking performance. The Yenko Nova featured here has turned elapsed times of 10. 90?s in the quarter mile. Of course it was with racing slicks, but few other modifications were necessary.



This Nova left the factory with a 396/375 HP, Muncie 4-speed, 4. 11 12-bolt positraction, and power front disc brakes. It is Garnet Red with standard black vinyl trim. It was destined to be raced so it was ordered very basic, radio-delete, etc, having no comfort options which would have been just added weight to slow the car down. Yenko did their magic with transplanting the L72 427, Stewart Warner column mounted tach, SYC graphics and other high performance modifications. It would be safe to bet that since this was the first 427 Nova, it was built with an extra level of performance in mind.

 

[gregdoerfler]

my grandfather used to build dons race motors, and i was not sure if he also worked over the motors don put in the cars he sold or if they were factory motors. was just wondering if anybody here heard of bill hartley(my grandfather). he went to alot of races with don. a guy who bought dons #8 sunray race car came to town a few years back and brought paintings of the car for my grandma to give to her grandchildren. i would actually like to have an older corvette stingray someday when i get rich.

 

[crobertson1]

Dream Car Garage had an episode on a few weeks ago with Yenko cars. The host drove a maroon Nova (hard). They lined up a '69 Yenko Camaro and the

Yenko Nova and the Nova smoked the Camaro. He said he estimated the Nova to worth around $300,000! It looked like it had just come out of the factory. He's got a tough job.



Jeff, I'd love to have that car but it'll have to wait til I win the lottery also. I think if I had that kind of money for a car, I'd have Rad Rides By Troy build me a car. That's the shop that built Joe Rogan's "Sick Fish" 'Cuda.



Craig

 

[gregdoerfler]

my grandfather put a 427 motor in a 1965 ford pickup for his brother inlaw. when he died his sister got the truck and sold it cheap,wish i would have known i think it would be nice restored.

 

[HEMI®Dart]

Call me crazy...

But I'd take a '68-'71 Hemi Car over a Yenko in a heartbeat.

 

[Extreme1]

Hemi (hemi?), you're crazy! It would be interesting to see a Hemi 'Cuda run against the Yenko Nova but I think the Nova would take the win.



Those dang Mopars are lighter than they look, a few years ago I was autocrossing against a 'Cuda (or Challenger), Charger and a early second gen Camaro. I did good in my bone stock WS-6 T/A. Until they all bought Goodrich autocross tires. My next try was with my 454 powered '69 Camaro. Traction was a problem!

 

[Jeff Clark]

Dream Car Garage had an episode on a few weeks ago with Yenko cars. The host drove a maroon Nova (hard). They lined up a '69 Yenko Camaro and the

Yenko Nova and the Nova smoked the Camaro. He said he estimated the Nova to worth around $300,000! It looked like it had just come out of the factory. He's got a tough job.

Did you see the episode of "My Classic Car" from last year where they did the story on the Yenko Camaro? They filmed that in my dad's garage. They did a quick piece on his ZL-1 and then the rest of the part with the driving scenes in his green Yenko.

 

[crobertson1]

No, I missed that one. Maybe I'll get to catch the re-run. Dennis Gage is another guy with a real tough job! Since we're on the topic of " My Classic Car", did anyone see the one with Jay Leno's '55 Buick Roadmaster? That thing is awesome. It looks like a totally stock, mint, restoration, but it has a 572 Chevy big block with 620 horspower and Corvette front and rear suspension! It's incredible. Jay Leno is a great car guy. Not to mention that thing he's got with the Greyhound bus engine! Must be rough.

 

[Jeff Clark]

Here's a pic of the Orange Yenko that is for sale. The Green Yenko and the Silver ZL-1 belong to my dad.

 

[crobertson1]

Jeff,



The ZL-1 does look familiar. Was it also on Dream Car Garage? I seem to remember it being behind the host on one of the shows. Very nice. All I can say is "must be rough!"



Craig

 

[Jeff Clark]

Jeff,



The ZL-1 does look familiar. Was it also on Dream Car Garage? I seem to remember it being behind the host on one of the shows. Very nice. All I can say is "must be rough!"



Craig

It has been on TV 2 or 3 times before my dad purchased it from Floyd Garrett's museum. It was on Dream Car Garage when they did a feature on the ZL-1 Camaros and it was on My Classic Car twice. Once when they filmed a feature at the museum and once when they shot a feature at my folks house on the Yenko.



The ZL-1 might be for sale as well (anything's for sale, right?). It just sits. Too expensive to take a chance on driving it and doesn't run worth a darn. It's meant for trips a 1/4 mile at a time. He was going to run it through Barrett Jackson in 05 but missed the deadline. He's a little nervous to do that because they pick which cars get a reserve and they don't put a reserve on many. They like to keep their sales number high. If that car went through on a slow day with no reserve, it might only get 1/3 of what it's worth.

 

[ToolManTimTaylor]

Did anyone catch American Muscle Car the other nite? AWESOME show on the Yenko Duce and of cource the Nova , The chevy II and all the Copo's that Don Yenko had made into his supercars. Nothing but the Nova , Debut of the Camaro and the inner workings of COPO. Man some of those pieces were absolutly drop dead jaw droppers.



Be Sure to Catch



Dodge Viper Thu, Dec 30 10:00AM

Ford Fairlane GT and Torino Talladega Thu, Dec 30 7:00PM

Chevrolet Camaro Z/28 Fri, Dec 31 7:00PM

Dodge Viper Sun, Jan 2 9:00PM

Plymouth Superbird/Dodge Daytona Mon, Jan 3 7:00PM

'63 -'67 Corvette Sting Ray Tue, Jan 4 7:00PM

Pontiac Super Duty Cars Wed, Jan 5 7:00PM

The Boss Thu, Jan 6 10:00AM

Mopar Super Stockers Thu, Jan 6 7:00PM

Buick Regal Grand National/GNX Fri, Jan 7 7:00PM

The Boss Sat, Jan 8 9:00AM

Plymouth AAR 'Cuda/Dodge Challenger T/A Mon, Jan 10 7:00PM

Race-Bred Thu, Jan 13 10:00AM

'55 - '57 Chevrolet Bel Air Fri, Jan 14 7:00PM

Race-Bred Sat, Jan 15 9:00AM

Shelby 427 Cobra Mon, Jan 17 7:00PM

Go-Fast Pickups Thu, Jan 20 10:00AM :-laf

American Motors AMX Fri, Jan 21 7:00PM

Go-Fast Pickups Sat, Jan 22 9:00AM

The Greatest Musclecars Of All Time Tue, Jan 25 7:00PM

America's "Other" Sports Car Wed, Jan 26 7:00PM

The Ramchargers Thu, Jan 27 10:00AM

The Ramchargers Sat, Jan 29 9:00AM

 

[crobertson1]

TMTT,

Thanks for the schedule. Now if I could only figure out how to print it



Jeff,

I would think Barrett-Jackson would be the perfect way to sell that car. Maybe I'll win the lottery in time to buy it .

 

[KBennett]

Craig,

Cut and Paste it into MS Word and then print it.