Whereabouts of a 69 Yenko?

[StealthBird]

Looking for info on a 1969 Yenko Camaro, Daytona Yellow, that was for sale back in 1982 in the western suburbs of Chicago. It had an Illinois plate reading "YENKO 4".

If anyone has any knowledge of this car, please post! Thanks!

[Stefano]

MikeNoun,
My Douglass Yenko 1969 Camaro was for sale in Chicago's South Western Suburbs circa the early 1980s (Spring Grove).
It is Daytona Yellow and had Yenko Stripes and Badges at that time. Since Yenko/COPO info. was not readily available then, many believed it to be a PA Yenko.
The plate registrations which I have only go back to 1984. The plate you mention was not registered to this car at that time. I have no plate registrations prior to 1984.

[Mr70]

Just Curious...What town exactly?
I hear things.There is a Yellow Camaro here now,but I don't know if it is the real deal.It has Yenko badges with a black Vinyl top.I will try to contact the owner.

[Edited by mr70 (12-14-2001 at 08:13 AM).]

[StealthBird]

I just sent a few e-mails to people that have asked about this Yenko.

The car was in the Westmont/Clarendon Hills area from what I recall. We're just trying to determine where it went to, or if anyone recalls the "Yenko 4" Illinois plate.

[Stefano]

MikeNoun,
Did you keep any trim tag or vin number info. on this Yenko?

[Mr70]

Mike
I live in Clarendon Hills.This could be the car?

[Steven J]

At the present time, that license plate is no longer on file with Il. SOS. I worked in, and drove the streets of Lisle for over 18 years and never saw a Yenko Camaro, not to say one wasn't in someone's garage. I did know Mike N's brother Dean, though. http://www.yenko.net/ubb/smilies/images/icons/smile.gif

[StealthBird]

Just to elaborate, I never doubted the authenticity of this Yenko, we just wondered what happened to it. It was a VERY nice car. In retrospect, I believe the guy was a little defensive because he really didn't want to sell the car at that time. This was 1981/1982, and we discussed the possibility of these cars skyrocketing in value someday.

I do not recall a Yenko in Lisle, Illinois.

The people around this area probably remember the Yenko Deuce parked behind a repair shop in Westmont on Ogden Ave. as well. http://www.yenko.net/ubb/smilies/images/icons/laugh.gif

[YENKO DEUCE REGISTRY]

Deuce??

What color? Trans type?
M

[StealthBird]

Mr70, Ed Cunneen drives his Daytona Yellow car on occasion, and he's brought it to the Lombard cruise night a few times. Could this be the car you occasionally see? He usually drives his Corvair Stinger to the cruise.

Ed's Yenko Camaro looks original, but he said it's an old resto, ex-race car. I've asked him to bring out his ZL-1, but it's tucked away. http://www.yenko.net/ubb/smilies/images/icons/smile.gif

On the Nova, being as I'm a Pontiac man, coupled with the fact this was a LONG time ago (early 80's), I remember this being the first Deuce I ever saw in person. It was red with a 4-speed.

What struck me was how bold the stripes were on a Deuce, and the Dixco/Yenko hood tach. I was used to the lower profile Pontiac hood tach. The car sat with a nose high attitude, the engine was out, but the handmade "For Sale" sign said the engine was being rebuilt inside the shop. The rims had some rust on them, but the car was straight and I remember seeing what seemed like dozens of Yenko emblems all over the place.

It sat there for over a month, and everyone I knew that was into cars seemed to know about "that small block Nova with the funky stripes" parked behind this fix-it shop.

To tell you the truth, even I got the VIN and any codes off that car, I wouldn't have known where to look the info up back in the early 80's. We've come a long way since then as far as documenting cars.

Sorry I can't supply more info...

[Mr70]

MikeNoun
The Camaro I am talking about is not Eds.I grew up Villa Park/Lombard,so I know what you are referring to.
My parents still live their,so I drive through to see them weekly.
I moved to Clarendon Hills,so can you give me an exact store place this Duece used to be.I drive down Ogden daily.
Rick

[Stefano]

Ed's Yenko has a black vinyl top doesn't it?
Did the Daytona Yellow COPO you are refering to have a vinyl top?

[StealthBird]

Mr70, I do not believe the shop is there any longer, but it was on the south side of Ogden, east of Fairview Ave. It was a general auto repair shop. There was a place across the street that always seemed to have a few Buick Opel GT's for sale (go figure), and a few old Porsches. I clearly recall this shop wanted $2200 for the Deuce. At that time, low mileage, original paint 442's, GS's, and big block Chevelles were around $4000, so a Nova with a little rust and no engine for $2200 seemed high to us. http://www.yenko.net/ubb/smilies/images/icons/crazy.gif Days gone by...

One of the guys at D&M Corvette, back around 1985, took me to a storage facility a couple miles from D&M, off Main St. Inside were about 30 Musclecars, all under car covers. Being this was before the 1987 market crash, I was amazed at how many low mileage original Musclecars were tucked away here. The oddest thing I saw was a car cover on a Superbird. Inside the building was a very low mileage 67 L-88 Vette, a pristine, all NOS parts, full resto 65 GTO ragtop, a very low mileage, black LS6 Chevelle convertible (with no stripes), and a number of other rare cars.

If you were around this area back in the early/mid 80's, you may have seen my dark blue 65 GTO coupe. Looked all stock, used it for street racing. http://www.yenko.net/ubb/smilies/images/icons/laugh.gif

[Stefano]

Mike,
I did speak to a Neighbor/Friend and fellow Super Car enthusiast regarding your question.

He does remember a Daytona Yellow Yenko for sale in Lisle, IL (????).

BTW,his Hugger Orange Yenko's plates read: 427 HP ,at that time.

[Mr70]

Mike
I knew it had to be around there!
Is ths the Radiator shop (Alen) now as well as the Autobody shop next to it.When you mentioned Ogden,that is the first area I figured on.
I know of this Garage you speak of from D&M.I was told of that black LS-6 Convertible as well.I was tempted to buy,but the price was out of reach.
I was cruising the Lombard/Downers Grove areas back then in my Chevelle SS.But I don't recall your car.
Days gone by my friend. http://www.yenko.net/ubb/smilies/images/icons/wink.gif

[William]

Is the Camaro in question an automatic with black vinyl roof?

[YENKO DEUCE REGISTRY]

Thanks for the info on the red deuce, I think I remember Ed telling me about it as well. The owner lived down the street from his parents at one time, but that could have been another red one. Keep searching!!

Here's some more for you Chi-Town natives. Huggar Orange Deuce, black stripes, 4 speed, from Fencl-Tufo, orig. owner lived in Carpentersville, but used to street race regulary down by Fencl. Ever seen this one back in the day? The car survived, (not Belk's), and is now in Dayton, OH.

How about a Gobi Beige Deuce, stripes removed the day he brought it home in order to give it the sleeper look. It's also a 4speed, and used to street race regularly back in the day. Only the hood tach and YENKO emblems signify that it's a deuce. It's also still around, original paint!

M

[StealthBird]

Mr70, the I have photos of the black LS6 ragtop from around 1983. If we're talking about the same car, this one had "450 h/p" engraved on the rear bumper pad, opposite the "SS", and in the same font. Car was incredibly straight, absolutely beautiful paint, no stripes, and had 9,000 original miles. Still had the original tires and exhaust.

Isn't it funny how Musclecar folks can give directions based on cars we used to see? http://www.yenko.net/ubb/smilies/images/icons/smile.gif We always seem to remember where a certain Musclecar was, and we still glance over at the house or business 20 years later, like that rare car is going to magically appear again.

I call it the "Musclecar Gene". My wife calls it psychotic. Actually, I think it's what defines a true "car guy". http://www.yenko.net/ubb/smilies/images/icons/smile.gif

[Mr70]

Mike
I never saw that Chevelle,but I was trying to.
This is interesting now.
There is only one 1970 Chevelle that fits that description.
Bob Fuller from Iowa had an Original paint 1970 Chevelle SS LS-6 Black Convertible,stripe delete car.He said HE was the original owner and it had 9K miles on it.He had a guy paint that 450/HP on the drivers side rear bumper pad.
He has been written up in many Muscle car mags over the years.
He took it to many shows in the lat 80's as well.
He recently sold it to Gary Esse in Madison Wisconsin (Madison Classics shows) for 100K.
Gary is claiming to be owner #2.
This was the same Chevelle that was here in my back yard in 1983?
Someone has some explaining to do Bob Fuller.

[Stefano]

MikeNoun,
I was just talking Super Cars this past weekend with a life time Elgin ,Illinois Resident. He distinctly remembers a Daytona Yellow 1969 Yenko Camaro belonging to an Elgin resident.

He lost track of the car in the late 1970s or early 1980s. He seems to remember the owner having a link to Biggers Chevrolet, in Elgin.

Does anyone remember the Yenko or the owner? Could this be the Yenko you were refering to?

[StealthBird]

Stefano, unless it was sold to another owner, probably wasn't the same one. The town of Elgin is quite a way from where I live, and where Westmont/Downers Grove/Hinsdale are.

There was a stripe-less (stripeless?) 69 Daytona Yellow Yenko Camaro at the National Musclecar Brokers (WAY north of me) that we saw a while ago. Had a letter from Jack Douglas Chevy verifying its' authenticity. Didn't seem like a Yenko though without the stripes and the headrests. http://www.yenko.net/ubb/smilies/images/icons/frown.gif

[Stefano]

MikeNoun,
The Stripeless Douglass Yenko Copo you saw at NIAB is the car I now own. It always had the sYc headrests and Yenko Badges on it, but no stripes, even at NIAB.
Dana Sublet owned the car for approx. 15 years. The COPO wore Yenko Stripes when he bought it.
An incident involving a gravel truck on route 12, just outside of Richmond Illinois in the summer of 1988, on his way to work necessitated some paint work.
The body shop saught out replacement stripes but was informed that the Camaro was not on the Yenko list, only the COPO list, so it should not have the stripes replaced. The body of knowledge for Douglass Yenkos was extremely limited back in 1988.
Sublet,thus did not have the car restriped.
The black Yenko stripes are now on the Camaro, just like it was sold when new from Douglass Chevrolet.

[ssl78]

Stefano I am almost positive the car you own I once lookd at. The car was parked in front of a auto repair shop on route 12 in spring grove in the early 90s. I had just bought my Yenko so couldnt afford to buy another one. It was very interesting because it had an original drive train, endura bumper and chamber exhaust, it was recently gone through and was a real nice car. It had Yenko stripes and emblems on it at the time but I was told it was a double copo. The Douglas story wasnt known yet so who knows.

[StealthBird]

Stefano, my apologies, the car did have the headrests. Very cool car, and I loved the documentation. I videotaped that (your) car as I usually do when I go to these museums and/or Musclecar showrooms.

Last year, the Volo Museum down the street had a gorgeous Lemans Blue 69 Yenko, fully detailed underneath. Unfortunately, it was a clone, but it looked great.

[Stefano]

ssl78,
The Douglass Yenko was for sale in Spring Grove at the Gas/Service station which you mention. This was early 1980s however, not 1990s.
The Station was torn down and a mini-strip mall is now in its place. The owner of the station, described a bigger than average guy 6'2" and about 275 lbs was purported to be the original owner of the Camaro(still seeking this individual).
He also may have been a mechanic at Biggers Chevrolet prior to opening his own Gas/Service Station.
The Camaro only shows evidence of one repaint. Sublet and others who looked at it back then believed it to be mostly original paint.
It did have a full factory chambered exhaust system and all original components at that time including a factory Blue dot Multiplex Stereo ,as well as the options you mention.
Some remember it with a Rosewood wheel which was not on the Camaro when Sublet purchased it?
The subsequent minor modifications were made by Dana Sublet (headers,Mallory electronic ignition, replacement carb. and Cherry-bomb style mufflers in place of the Chambered mufflers).
Dana Sublet reluctantly put the Camaro for sale in 1999-2000. He needed $$$ for some family medical expenses.

[68TopStock]

Stefano,

Is your friend the lifelong Elgin resident, my friend "Big" Ken who has the "big" orange Camaro? He is called this in LaHarpe, because when we stand next to each other, it is obvious I am "little" Ken. The name seems to go along with "Lil Hoss". If it is, he probably has forgotten more about old SuperCars, musclecars and drag cars than I have learned.

[Stefano]

68TopStock,
His name is Tom and he is a recent aquaintance. He is into MOPARs and has a 1964
Plymouth Belvidere Max Wedge Cross Ram car.

MikeNoun
I too looked at the Blue Yenko clone at volo. Do you remember the asking price?

[Belair62]

Low to mid 30's I think was the asking price.

[Stefano]

I was recently informed that the surname of the possible orginal owner of my Douglass Yenko Camaro is 'Brunner'.

He is a resident of Elgin, Illinois.

Can anyone povide any additional assistance or info. regarding this individual?

[YENKO DEUCE REGISTRY]

Stefano;
did you sell your douglas yenko?
M

[Stefano]

Marlin,
Yes, The Douglass Yenko COPO has left its familiar surroundings. I don't believe it has ever been more than 100 miles from Jack Douglass Chevrolet.
"Shor" is the new owner and the DYC will be residing on the East Coast. I am very confident that the DYC has gone to a good home. Let's see if we can get him to bring it to the 2002 Reunion.

[bkhpah]

Is this Douglass car on the inventory sheets from Yenko?...BKH

[Stefano]

bkh,
This is one of the 22 Douglass COPOs mentioned in Don Yenko's estate papers which was sold new as a Yenko. This DYC was never invoiced to Cannonsburg, but directly to Douglass Chevrolet.

[Stefano]

Mr. Brunner has been located.He is an Original Daytona Yellow Yenko Owner and previously lived in Elgin, Illinois.

[shor]

I found Jim Brunner and spoke to him. He was the second owner of a Jack Douglass Yenko. He was not the owner Stefano and I have been looking for though. He owned car #577804 and sold it back in 92 to a fellow named Greg Wendt. If anyone owns this vin car I hope this info helps you. Yes Marlin, I bought Stefano's car. I am expecting it Friday.
oops;578804
Jim Brunner actually said; "804...57804 i think."
He was sure of the 804 and thought it was 57804. After I checked the list I think he meant 578804 the fifth one down.

[Edited by shor (02-14-2002 at 06:31 AM).]

[shor]

Keep me posted!

[Stefano]

One of my new neighbors stopped by and introduced himself recently.

He still has the 1966 Chevelle SS396 which he purchased while in highschool back in 1969.

We soon started swapping stories and he told me of an Original owner Daytona Yellow Yenko in the Bloomingdale-Roselle area during the same time period.

He couldn't remember the owners name but was certain that his wife /then girlfreind would remember.


[Edited by Stefano (04-19-2002 at 10:37 PM).]

[Stefano]

shor,
I still don't have his name, but he drove the Daytona Yenko to High School during 1969-1970. It was Lake Park High School in Roselle, Illinois.

He lived on Maple near the corner of Turner and Roselle Road.

Jim, my neighbor is going to dig up his old year books and find his name, so keep your fingers crossed.

[Stefano]

It has taken Jim a while to dig up the old info from highschool, but he has found the Yenko owners name. It was Scott Haverland and the Yenko was not Daytona but Fathom Green with white stripes and of course a black interior with a 4 speed.

He lived between 38th and Walnut in Roselle.

Does anyone know the whereabouts of such a Yenko, which was sold out of the Chicago Land area ?