Yenko Deuce in Wheeling W.VA?????

[whitetop]

I was taking some classes at West Liberty State College back in '83-'84. I passed a little store called Mull Grocery by Ogelbay Park who had an employee that drove a Nova that was gold in color. The Nova had SS 5 spoke wheels with no trim rings, no SS badges or hood vents. The car had Yenko crest on the tail pan, and on both front fenders beneath the Nova emblems. I'm pretty sure they were the white crest. Black bench seat interior and 3 or 4 speed shifter on the floor. I never did see the engine compartment. The women who drove the car was probably in her late '50's or early '60's. I asked if the car was for sale and she said no and that many people had tried to buy the car. I remember her specifically saying the car was going to a son or grandson. There were no stripes and I'm 99% sure the car was repainted because of the quality of the paint job. Anybody have any information on this car?? Not sure what year Nova but it was the '69-'72 body style.
whitetop

[YENKO DEUCE REGISTRY]

Whitetop;
I have not heard of any Yenko Deuce Novas in West Virginia. I have visited Wheeling, WV in search of Yenko cars in general, but have had no success. I have done title searches for all of the PA and Yenko Chev. '70 Novas that I know about, and have found none that went to WV. Can you remember anything else?
M

[whitetop]

My curiosity about this car has been driving me crazy over the last 10 years or so. I stopped at Mull Grocery today to talk with the owner. He said the womans name who had the car was Gerda Williams. He gave me her phone # and I called her. She said her husband bought the car from a younger man and had 4500 miles on it. The car was bronze/burnt orange (so much for my remembering it being gold) and had a black vinyl top(which I also do not remember). I asked her about the Yenko emblems and she remembers the guy who sold her husband the car said it had a "Yenko Package" (her words). She said the car had a 6 cylinder when they bought it. She was a little apprehensive to talk to me on the phone. I will stop and see her next week to get the year of the car and other info. The car was sold quite a few years ago to a guy who buys and sells cars of that type. He resold it very shortly after she sold it to him. What is a "Yenko Package"?? Could it be a cosmetic package? I did not ask her about any stripes etc.
whitetop

[YENKO DEUCE REGISTRY]

W:

I am not sure about this one, I believe there was only one car that might have been a six cylinder 'Yenko Deuce'. This car is the one picured on the 'Mini Muscle Car' Yenko brochure. I believe the brochure car to be a non-COPO car, and probably not a 350 because it does not have the 350 emblems on the fenders, and the interior appears to be blue instead of black. This car was probably pulled off the lot and dressed up with the Yenko 'goods' just for the brochure. This is unfortunate because this is the only car known to have the optional hood scoop. The problem with this car being the same as the one you are researching is that the brochure car is blue, and has not been found. Maybe you can inquire as to it having a hood scoop at one time and sport mirrors.

The other possibility is that it was just a regular car that someone stuck YENKO emblems on. They were readily available from other cars sold at the dealership, and came in various forms.

The last possibility is that the LT1 was pulled and the 6 cyl. installed.

As for the color, I show no Huggar Orange Yenko Novas sold from Yenko Chevrolet.

Let me know what she remembers, and I can see if we can trace it.

Marlin

[sYc]

I do not know the color, but the prototype Yenko Deuce was a 6 cyl. car. A salesman by the name of Dick Callendar( recently deceased) told me about the car. The reason that he remembered it so well was for this story. He and another employee of Yenko were driving this prototype and stopped to get gas. As they were there, several people inquired about the car, even wanting the see under the hood. They did not want to do this, as it would spoil the whole effect, since the car was a 6 banger. I will try and find out more about this prototype. This was most likely the car shown on the brochure. Tom

[bkhpah]

Over the last few years of looking at the "prototype" pictures and talking with Marlin I was curious about the missing 350 emblems and the hint of a shift lever peaking out over the dash pad. We always thought that the car was a mock-up and it seems we were on the right track on this car after all.
BKH

[YENKO DEUCE REGISTRY]

Whitetop;
Any news on this car? Did it have a hood scoop, or holes from one? Was it originally blue, and did they repaint it?
M

[whitetop]

My recollection of this car was not as great as I thought. I just got of the phone with Mr. Williams, the second owner of the car.
Here is what he said and he was very specific on the car, no memory problems:
He bought the car('71 model) from the original owner in 1973 with 4500 original miles. When they sold it in the late '80's it had 34,000 miles (sold for $3000), original paint (bronze copper-orange color color with a black vinly top. Never been repainted. Car was never out in the winter except once. Car had no stripes except pinstripes. Car had a 6 cylinder with column shift. Original owner was a regional manager for STP (lived in same sub division but moved away many years ago to become an insurance adjuster)) and car was brought from Yenko. Mr Willimas said at one time he remebered seeing the original Yenko bill of sale because he bought the car for $2850 and remembers the car originally sold for $3850. The car did have SS louvers and tail pan with SS emblem. Car DID have Yenko emblems on tail pan and both front fenders. Mr Williams said the original owner told him the car had a Yenko Package and was modified by Yenko. He remembers this specifically. Car had black bench seat interior. No accesory gauges. Car had SS wheels but no trim rings. Mr Williams said the 6 cylinder was modified (bored out)by Yenko (the original owner told him this. The only thing he was questionable about was he thought the original owner told him Yenko added the SS emblems etc, but not sure)
Apparently this car was probably a cosmetic package only based upon the original price and the year '71.
Did SS models come with column shift??? What about the modified 6? I will try to get pictures and post them. He gave me the persons name he sold it to and the subsequent owner and I will try to contact them.
Whitetop

[YENKO DEUCE REGISTRY]

This certainly sounds interesting!! I believe that Yenko would put just about anything on a car to get it off the lot, so I believe that there would be Yenko emblems on a 6 cyl. car.

The Novas could be an SS with a column shift, but an SS could not be a 6 cyl. or 396 in '71, only 350's. I know that the brochure 'mockup' Yenko Nova was blue, had white stripes, no pin stripes, sport mirrors, blue interior, column shift, and a hood scoop. This car has not been found either. It would be neat to find either of them!!

Marlin