Yenko Camaro

Last updated
Yenko Camaro
68 Yenko Camaro.jpg
1968 Yenko Super Camaro YS8011
Overview
Manufacturer Chevrolet (General Motors)
Production1967–1969
Assembly Norwood, Ohio
Body and chassis
Class pony car
muscle car
sports car
Body style 2-door coupe
Layout FR layout
Platform F-body
Powertrain
Engine 427cid (7.0L) Chevrolet V8
Transmission 4-speed manual
3-speed automatic

The Yenko Super Camaro was a modified Chevrolet Camaro prepared by Yenko Chevrolet, developed by the dealership owner and racer, Don Yenko, and subsequently aided by special parts ordering directly through Chevrolet.

Contents

The Yenko dealership did not merely install performance parts, it also made modifications and provided race track ready tuning.

Background

When the Camaro debuted, a General Motors corporate edict prevented it from carrying an engine larger than 400 in³ (6.6 L) V8. This put the Camaro at a disadvantage with pony car rival Plymouth Barracuda since Plymouth had no such limit. Although Ford did not, its largest offering in the Mustang, the 390 V8, was six cubic inches smaller than the largest Chevrolet engine available in a Camaro (396). Don Yenko and others knew there was a market for a more powerful Camaro and found ways around the GM limit.

1967

Yenko ordered L78 equipped SS Camaros and swapped in the Chevrolet Corvette's L72 427 in³ (7.0 L) V8. The cars came with a 4.10 rear end and heavy-duty suspension. The approximate number of cars produced is 54. Yenko also installed a fiberglass replacement hood similar to the "Stinger" hood featured on 1967 big-block Corvettes. The Camaros were equipped with a M21 transmission. The horsepower was rated at 450 hp (336 kW).

1968

Encouraged by the success of the 1967 model, Yenko continued to produce his Yenko Super Camaros for 1968. The 1968 Yenko Super Camaros started life as Super Sports with L78 396 in³ 375 hp (280 kW) hp engine and close ratio 4-speed Muncie transmission. Yenko also ordered the cars with COPO 9737 which included a 140 mph (230 km/h) speedometer, a larger 1 1/8th inch front anti-sway bar, and a special trim tag. Yenko swapped out the factory 396 in³ short-block for the L72 427 in³ 450 hp (336 kW) short-block reusing the rest of the 396 in³ engine's components including the heads, carburetor, intake manifold, etc. He swapped the stock hood for a twin-snorkel fiberglass hood, added Pontiac's 14"x6" steel wheels with special Yenko caps, and placed Yenko emblems on the front grill, front fenders and tail panel. 427 emblems were added to the tail panel and front fenders as well. The cars had a Yenko Super Camaro serial-numbered tag in the driver's side door jamb and Stewart Warner pedestal-mounted tachometer and gauges were installed in the interior. Early cars got a rear spoiler made for Yenko, and later cars all got factory spoilers front and rear. The recognized production number for these cars is approximately 64 cars converted, with well less than half of that number known to exist today.

1969

1969 Chevrolet Camaro Yenko/SC 427 1969 Chevrolet Camaro 427 Yenko (22500181843) (cropped).jpg
1969 Chevrolet Camaro Yenko/SC 427

For 1969, the dealership worked with Chevrolet to have the L72 engines installed on the factory assembly line using a Central Office Production Order, or COPO. The orders included power disc brakes, spoilers, cowl-induction hood, a 4.10 Positraction rear end with gears that were heat treated for strength, a bigger front sway bar, and a heavy-duty 4-core radiator. Buyers of the car had the option of either the M-21 four speed or the Turbo Hydramatic 400 automatic transmission. A total of 201 cars were sold in 1969, 171 with four speed transmissions and 30 with automatic transmissions. Yenko rounded out the visual package with special "Yenko 427" badges, stripes down the sides and hood, and the sYc (Yenko Super Car) on the headrests. According to the Camaro Research Group, standard black interior (code 711) was the only interior ordered by Yenko in 69.

1981

The 1981 Yenko Turbo Z was based on a 1981 Camaro. Don Yenko's comments on the car are:

From a performance standpoint, cars have shown a slow but steady decline in the last 10 years. Low compression engines to accommodate low octane fuel, are now the norm. Ever-increasing numbers of emissions controls have sapped their share of horsepower from once potent engines. To recover these accumulated horsepower losses without increasing pollution presents a real challenge. After months of testing and development we have done it. Working closely with some competent people at Turbo International a system emerged that does everything we hoped for. This system, like all others, captures the energy to improve the induction of fuel/air mixture. The similarity to the other systems stops right here. Our system uses no priority valve so there's no turbo-lag. We don't have a waste gate to malfunction either. And since all of the fuel entering the engine is "processed" through the turbo, you get better fuel economy and improved response even without being in boost. Every nut, bolt and fitting used in this system is the best available. This has all been developed with each and every emission control connected and functional. [1]

1969 Continuation Series

In 2007, a company in North Carolina called Classic Automotive Restoration Specialists restarted production of the 1969 Yenko Camaro. [2] [3] Don Yenko sold 201 of his famous COPO-program Camaros out of his Canonsburg, PA dealership. As reported in the March '08 issue of Muscle Car Review, the vehicle is a fully licensed and certified Yenko starting at #202. The 427 in³ engine under the hood was built by GM who has brought back the big block engines from the muscle car era. The rest of the components took 2½ years to track down the original tooling. Options offered on the vehicle are the same as was available in 1969 including paint colors. The car costs around 60% less than some of the current 43-year-old Yenko Camaro survivors but drives like the old car would have when it was new from the dealership. Two known people own Yenko's Camaros.

2010

A new Yenko Camaro based on the new 2010 Camaro platform was introduced at SEMA 2009. The new engine is a supercharged version of GM's LS3, the 6.2-liter V8 that comes standard with the Camaro SS. Since it is only the Phase I Yenko, it is expected that Phase II and Phase III Yenkos are coming which will have a Z06-sourced LS7 427 in³ engine and possibly even an LS9.

2016-2020

In 2016 Specialty Vehicle Engineering, Inc. announced that they'll be making custom SYC Yenko Camaros based on the new sixth generation Chevrolet Camaro these cars featured a custom Supercharged LT1 V8 rating from 750Hp-1000hp. [4]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Muscle car</span> High-performance car

Muscle car is a description according to Merriam-Webster Dictionary that came to use in 1966 for "a group of American-made two-door sports coupes with powerful engines designed for high-performance driving." The Britannica Dictionary describes these as "an American-made two-door sports car with a powerful engine."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chevrolet Impala</span> American full-size car

The Chevrolet Impala is a full-size car that was built by Chevrolet for model years 1958 to 1985, 1994 to 1996, and 2000 to 2020. The Impala was Chevrolet's popular flagship passenger car and was among the better-selling American-made automobiles in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chevrolet Chevelle</span> Mid-sized automobile

The Chevrolet Chevelle is a mid-sized automobile that was produced by Chevrolet in three generations for the 1964 through 1977 model years. Part of the General Motors (GM) A-body platform, the Chevelle was one of Chevrolet's most successful nameplates. Body styles included coupes, sedans, convertibles, and station wagons. The "Super Sport" versions were produced through the 1973 model year and Lagunas from 1973 through to 1976.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pontiac Firebird</span> Car model

The Pontiac Firebird is an American automobile built and produced by Pontiac from the 1967 to 2002 model years. Designed as a pony car to compete with the Ford Mustang, it was introduced on February 23, 1967, five months after GM's Chevrolet division's platform-sharing Camaro. This also coincided with the release of the 1967 Mercury Cougar, Ford's upscale, platform-sharing version of the Mustang. The name "Firebird" was also previously used by GM for the General Motors Firebird in the 1950s and early 1960s concept cars.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chevrolet Caprice</span> Motor vehicle

The Chevrolet Caprice is a full-size car produced by Chevrolet in North America for the 1965 to 1996 model years. Full-size Chevrolet sales peaked in 1965 with over a million sold. It was the most popular car in the U.S. in the 1960s and early 1970s, which, during its lifetime, included the Biscayne, Bel Air, and Impala.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chevrolet El Camino</span> Motor vehicle

The Chevrolet El Camino is a coupé utility vehicle that was produced by Chevrolet between 1959–60 and 1964–1987. Unlike a standard pickup truck, the El Camino was adapted from the standard two-door Chevrolet station wagon platform and integrated the cab and cargo bed into the body.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chevrolet big-block engine</span> American V-8 car engine

The Chevrolet Mark Engines colloquially referred to as the big block is a family of large-displacement, naturally-aspirated, 90°, overhead valve, gasoline-powered, V8 engines; that were developed and produced by the Chevrolet Division of General Motors, from the 1950s until present.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chevrolet Chevy II / Nova</span> Motor vehicle

The Chevrolet Chevy II/Nova is a small automobile manufactured by Chevrolet, and produced in five generations for the 1962 through 1979, and 1985 through 1988 model years. Built on the X-body platform, the Nova was the top selling model in the Chevy II lineup through 1968. The Chevy II nameplate was dropped after 1968, with Nova becoming the nameplate for all of the 1969 through 1979 models. It was replaced by the 1980 Chevrolet Citation introduced in the spring of 1979. The Nova nameplate returned in 1985, produced through 1988 as a S-car based, NUMMI manufactured, subcompact based on the front wheel drive, Japan home-based Toyota Sprinter.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yenko Chevrolet</span>

Yenko Chevrolet was a Chevrolet dealership located at 575 West Pike Street in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania. Operating from 1949 to 1982, the dealership is best known for selling customized sports cars during the late 1960s. Referred to presently as "Yenkos," they are among the most collectible 1960s vehicles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chevrolet Monte Carlo</span> Two-door coupe manufactured by General Motors

The Chevrolet Monte Carlo is a two-door coupe that was manufactured and marketed by the Chevrolet division of General Motors. Deriving its name from the city in Monaco, the Monte Carlo was marketed as the first personal luxury car of the Chevrolet brand. Introduced for the 1970 model year, the model line was produced across six generations through the 2008 model year, with a hiatus from 1989 to 1994. The Monte Carlo was a closely aligned variant of the Pontiac Grand Prix through its entire production.

Chevrolet Performance, formerly GM Performance Parts, is an automotive performance parts brand that sells everything from camshafts and cylinder heads to high-performance crate engines and upgrades for late-model vehicles. It was founded in 1967 to support the Trans-Am Camaro race teams. Chevrolet Performance was formed as a way to support all the various Trans Am teams across the United States, but the brand saw enough demand to start selling high-performance parts to the general public. Today, Chevrolet Performance not only sells performance parts, but also helps develop Chevrolet's high-performance vehicles and supports teams in nearly every form of automotive racing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chevrolet Camaro (fifth generation)</span> Motor vehicle

The fifth-generation Chevrolet Camaro is a pony car that was manufactured by American automobile manufacturer Chevrolet from 2010 to 2015 model years. It is the fifth distinct generation of the muscle/pony car to be produced since its original introduction in 1967. Production of the fifth generation model began on March 16, 2009 after several years on hiatus since the previous generation's production ended in 2002 and went on sale to the public in April 2009 for the 2010 model year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chevrolet Camaro (second generation)</span> Motor vehicle

The second-generation Chevrolet Camaro is an American pony car that was produced by Chevrolet from 1970 through the 1981 model years. It was introduced in the spring of 1970. Build information for model 123-12487 was released to the assembly plants in February of that same year. It was longer, lower, and wider than the first generation Camaro. A convertible, which was available for the first generation, was unavailable for the second. GM engineers have said the second generation is much more of "A Driver's Car" than its predecessor.

Donald "Don" Frank Yenko was an American car dealer and racecar driver best known for creating the Yenko Camaro, a high-performance version of the Chevrolet Camaro.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chevrolet Camaro (first generation)</span> Motor vehicle

The first-generation Chevrolet Camaro is an American muscle car introduced by Chevrolet in the fall of 1966 for the 1967 model year. It used a brand-new rear-wheel-drive GM F-body platform and was available as a 2-door, 2+2 seat, hardtop, and convertible. The F-body was shared with the Pontiac Firebird for all generations. A 230 cu in Chevrolet straight-6 was standard, with several Chevy V8s available as options. The first-generation Camaro was built through the 1969 model year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chevrolet Impala (fourth generation)</span> Motor vehicle

The Chevrolet Impala (fourth generation) are full-size automobiles produced by Chevrolet for the 1965 through 1970 model years. The 1965 Impala was all new, while the 1967 and 1969 models featured new bodies on the same redesigned perimeter frame introduced on the 1965 models. All Impalas of this generation received annual facelifts as well, distinguishing each model year. Throughout the early 1960s, Chevrolet's basic body designs became increasingly subtle, while the bright trim that was part of the Impala package added more than a touch of luxury to the look. The same pattern was followed in the interiors, where the best materials and equipment Chevrolet had to offer were displayed. In short, the Impala was on its way to becoming a kind of junior-grade Cadillac, which, for both the company and its customers, was just fine.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pontiac Firebird (second generation)</span> Motor vehicle

The second generation Pontiac Firebird was introduced in early 1970 by Pontiac for the 1970 model year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chevrolet L78</span> Reciprocating internal combustion engine

The L78 was a Big-Block engine produced by Chevrolet between 1965 and 1970. Rated at 425 hp (317 kW) for its first year, the rating dropped to 375 hp (280 kW) in subsequent years. Between 1966 and 1969 it was the most powerful Regular Production Option engine available in Chevrolet's intermediate line, making it a highly-collectible muscle car engine today.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chevrolet L72</span> Reciprocating internal combustion engine

The L72 was a 427 cu in (7.0 L) 90° overhead valve V8 big-block engine produced by Chevrolet between 1966 and 1969. Initially rated at 450 horsepower, the rating dropped to 425 hp (317 kW) shortly after its release. In 1966 it was the most powerful engine available in the Corvette, and between 1966 and 1969 was the most powerful engine available in full-sized models. In 1969 the L72 was available via a Central Office Production Order (COPO) in Chevrolet's intermediate (Chevelle) and pony car (Camaro). Today these vehicles - referred to as COPOs - are among the most collectible 1960s performance cars.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chevrolet LT-1</span> Reciprocating internal combustion engine

The LT-1 is a Chevrolet small-block engine produced by the Chevrolet Division of General Motors between 1970 and 1972. It was available exclusively in the Corvette and Camaro and was produced in relatively small quantities. It is regarded today as one of the greatest of the Chevy small-blocks, an engine that has been in production since 1955.

References

  1. http://www.copo.com/LM1-Yenko-Turbo-Z-History.htm [ dead link ]
  2. 2007 SEMA - A few of our favorite things, Consumer Reports blog, December 25, 2007, archived from the original on May 12, 2009, retrieved 2010-04-15
  3. 1969 Yenko, Classic Automotive Restoration Specialists, retrieved 2010-04-15
  4. "2020 1000HP Stage II Yenko/SC® Camaro". Specialty Vehicle Engineering. Retrieved September 23, 2020.