Black Yenko, Rockford IL
 

I know this is a shot in dark, but there was a Black '69 Yenko Camaro in Rockford, Il back in the late 70's. Going back through some old car pictures of mine, I found some shots of this car from around the 78-81 era and just wondered if any of you might own that car now?

Re: Black Yenko, Rockford IL
 

I know of a Fathom Green 69 Yenko that was from the Freeport Area (26 miles west of Rockford) and now is in Dakota about 15 Miles outside of Rockford and has been owned by the same owner since the Mid 70's. A bunch of use used to take our cars to Rockford/Beloit and Monroe WISC all the time.

Anyway you can scan the pics and post them???

Re: Black Yenko, Rockford IL
 

Wow..small world. I grew up in Rockford, my parents came from Freeport and Winnebago and my wife from Pecatonica. Obviously, I'm intimately familar with every place you mentioned.

Anyhow, as for the car..This one is definately Black. Since you know the area, the owner at that time worked at Sunstrands on Alpine and Newburg. I think one of the pics is from a cruise night in either Belvidere or S. Beloit. Unforetunately I dont have a scanner. The pics are old polariods so I'm not sure how they'd come out either.

Re: Black Yenko, Rockford IL
 

Yes, there was at least one Black Douglas*Yenko sold. It was Tom Dumas, the General Managers Demo. Equipped the same way all other Douglas*Yenkos were, with X11 trim and Endura Bumper. I would certainly like to see your pictures.

The Chevy dealer in Rockford, Lou Bachrodt was an early Yenko Network Dealer via Span Inc. and was to have sold a Corvair Stinger, a '67 Camaro and a '68 Camaro.

I have no docs on this info, but it was provided to me by a salesman who worked at the dealership and was involved with selling the cars he mentioned.

Re: Black Yenko, Rockford IL
 

Guess an Email to my lil sis is in order, She works for Sunstrands now Sunstrand-Sauer. Since the owner worked there its not the F/Green one I know of. That owner and I worked and went to school together in Freeport.

Re: Black Yenko, Rockford IL
 

A black Yenko would be sinister..BKH https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/imag...lins/beers.gif

Re: Black Yenko, Rockford IL
 

The black Yenko Camaro was originally a hugger orange 4 speed car sold out of Hult in Wis. Driven hard but retained its original drivetrain. The owner from '73-90 had the driveshaft repaired at one time and the shop owner came out to shake his hand, he had never seen one twisted 180 degrees before!
It was sold in 1990 while the market was still hot at that time. It was restored in Minn. and sold to a TV broadcaster in Calif. who also bought a hugger orange Yenko Camaro in '69. He had sold that car many years ago. It was an automatic car and to my knowledge has not been found at this time. Lots of good stories with these cars.
Mark

Re: Black Yenko, Rockford IL
 

I wonder if this is the same car I have photos of from Great Lakes Dragway from 1983. It was brought to and from the dragstrip on the end of a tow truck hook.

Re: Black Yenko, Rockford IL
 

[ QUOTE ]
Wow..small world. I grew up in Rockford, my parents came from Freeport and Winnebago and my wife from Pecatonica. Obviously, I'm intimately familar with every place you mentioned.

If he is still around, i will meet him at the Clock Tower inn and drag for pinks https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/imag...ns/naughty.gif

Re: Black Yenko, Rockford IL
 

Johnny, what car of yours are you willing to give up? LOL

Re: Black Yenko, Rockford IL
 

Ill have to figure out a way to post the pics. They are 25 year old polariods that haven't been properly stored plus they are not close ups so the pics themselves are not real impressive to say the least. One is at night and the other is at a distance. I cant tell from either one if it has an endura bumper. Seeing them reminded me of the car though. I used to work right next door to the parking lot that the car sat in so I know without a doubt it was Black..at least at that time.

As for the Clock Tower Inn. I've never raced out there but I did find some pink in the bar from time to timehttps://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/imag...lins/beers.gif

Re: Black Yenko, Rockford IL
 

I have a picture of a Black Yenko from the Car Craft Street Machine Nationals in Indy circa 1982 or so. I wonder if its the same car. I think this one had a black top...BKH

Re: Black Yenko, Rockford IL
 

[ QUOTE ]
I have a picture of a Black Yenko from the Car Craft Street Machine Nationals in Indy circa 1982 or so. I wonder if its the same car. I think this one had a black top...BKH

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I was at all the Car Craft Nationals for about the 1st 5 years. I think by '82 it had moved to Springfield. Anyway, I've got boxes of pics from those shows. I'll have to find them. I can't even tell for sure from my pics if this car has a vinyl top. Doesn't look like it though.

I had no idea there was only 1 Black Yenko. Now I'm probably gonna waste an entire weekend looking at old pics and wind up spending $200 on a scanner and then fighting with my computer for 3 days trying to hook it up. And all I wanted to know was if someone on this site owned the car I used to drool over!..LOL!

Re: Black Yenko, Rockford IL
 

A couple years ago, one of the guys who played for the Detroit Lions told my husband he had a Black Yenko. Not sure if it is the one you are referring to here or not https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/imag...lins/dunno.gif Maybe we can find out. I remember being really embarrased when he called our store because I did not know who he was. https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/imag...s/confused.gif After he said his name, he asked me if I was a "Lions fan" (probably because I did not recognize his name https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/imag...mlins/hmmm.gif) . I said, "no, but my husband is...he was just at the game yesterday!"

I had NO IDEA who he was because I do not watch Football https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/no.gif (Anything to do with cars, YES! https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/imag...iggthumpup.gif Football...NO! https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/imag...lins/laugh.gif )

Re: Black Yenko, Rockford IL
 

You definitely have your priorities right Rita !! https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/imag...iggthumpup.gif

Re: Black Yenko, Rockford IL
 

[ QUOTE ]
A couple years ago, one of the guys who played for the Detroit Lions told my husband he had a Black Yenko. Not sure if it is the one you are referring to here or not https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/imag...lins/dunno.gif Maybe we can find out. I remember being really embarrased when he called our store because I did not know who he was. https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/imag...s/confused.gif After he said his name, he asked me if I was a "Lions fan" (probably because I did not recognize his name https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/imag...mlins/hmmm.gif) . I said, "no, but my husband is...he was just at the game yesterday!"

I had NO IDEA who he was because I do not watch Football https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/no.gif (Anything to do with cars, YES! https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/imag...iggthumpup.gif Football...NO! https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/imag...lins/laugh.gif )

[/ QUOTE ]
Hey Rita, dont feel bad, not too many people watched the Lions 2 years ago either https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/imag...mlins/grin.gif

Re: Black Yenko, Rockford IL
 

CC Nats were in Springfield in '82, and have a pic of a black Yenko Camaro in attendance. Although, until 2005 calls, I'm scanner-less. Can confirm black vinyl top, though.

Re: Black Yenko, Rockford IL
 

Can you tell if it had a endura bumper and also the placement of the Yenko emblem on the tail panel.

Re: Black Yenko, Rockford IL
 

Photo's a rear 3/4 and so can't tell re:endura (no hint of chrome from this angle, though). Yenko emblem is somewhat high and to the left between the tail lights.

btw, plate's a bit blown out, but looks to be IL. "YSC".

Re: Black Yenko, Rockford IL
 

The "black" originally hugger orange Yenko that was sold in '90 from the Rockford area had YENKO Illinois plates for years.
Mark

Re: Black Yenko, Rockford IL
 

i remember seeing a black 69 yenko camaro at the street machine nationals in springfield ill. back in the early 80's. i can remember it had goodyear "wingfoot" radial tires. kind of unusal for that kind of car. doc

Re: Black Yenko, Rockford IL
 

There are no black yenko camaro's

Re: Black Yenko, Rockford IL
 

[ QUOTE ]
The black Yenko Camaro was originally a hugger orange 4 speed car sold out of Hult in Wis. Driven hard but retained its original drivetrain. The owner from '73-90 had the driveshaft repaired at one time and the shop owner came out to shake his hand, he had never seen one twisted 180 degrees before!
It was sold in 1990 while the market was still hot at that time. It was restored in Minn. and sold to a TV broadcaster in Calif. who also bought a hugger orange Yenko Camaro in '69. He had sold that car many years ago. It was an automatic car and to my knowledge has not been found at this time. Lots of good stories with these cars.
Mark

[/ QUOTE ]

back in 90-91 I bought a Boss 302 from a guy out of San Jose, Ca., he got the Boss and a bunch of cash for a Yenko he pulled out of a midwest storage facility...the only thing I remember him telling me about the Yenko was the tranny had been chrome plated at some time during it's life.

Re: Black Yenko, Rockford IL
 

I was at CC Nats in Springfield in '82 and took a ton of pictures. I will look for them when I get home from work and see if the black Yenko car is in any of them.

Re: Black Yenko, Rockford IL
 

Yep,I was at Springfield in 82 as well.I think I am looking at a pic of this car right in front of me.It is indeed black w/endura bumper,no front plate either.It has a black vinyl top and chrome rad support braces.I don't have a scanner or I would post the pic............BILL

Re: Black Yenko, Rockford IL
 

All this talk about a Black Yenko makes me wonder what happened (if anything) to that one in Wisconsin . . . ya know the one that the snobby old owner won't sell, and is sitting outside rotting away . . . https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/no.gif

Re: Black Yenko, Rockford IL
 

Mark my RG Yenko was also painted black when I bought it in 1985 from the Isenberg's . It was a vinyl top car and it had an L88 hood at the time. I don't know when it became black. It was sold new at Jack Douglass Chev but was a Yenko not a Douglass conversion. It had an LT-1 in it because Chapman Automotive had told him the motor was "shot" and kept it in the swap. It did not have stripes on it after it was black and had chrome bumpers. Black was popular for repaints back then, I must have painted 10 Chevelles and Camaros black myself!

Re: Black Yenko, Rockford IL
 

what was a douglss conversion ?

Re: Black Yenko, Rockford IL
 

A conversion was a COPO ordered by Douglass and "converted" to a Yenko by Douglass using a Yenko stripe kit (obtained from Yenko). Douglass paid yenko a commission for the conversion. Much debate on whether a Douglass conversion is really a Yenko.

Re: Black Yenko, Rockford IL
 

so would the vin from the douglass conversion show up on the yenko vin list ?

Re: Black Yenko, Rockford IL
 

No the vin numbers are not on Yenkos vin list since that list is the list of cars he actually ordered. Jeff ask your dad about them when he bought his Chevelle his buddy bought a Yenko Camaro from Douglass that car is now found and it is a Douglass Yenko.

Re: Black Yenko, Rockford IL
 

i just never heard of that before. yeah i believe my dads friends name is tim perry that bought the camaro when my dad bought the chevelle. where and when was the car found ?

Re: Black Yenko, Rockford IL
 

Are you sure about that plate? There's a blue clone in the Jerseyville area that has had 'YENKO' on it for years.

Re: Black Yenko, Rockford IL
 

If I remember the story right Tim and your dad were nieghbors and worked at United. They were given a bonus so they both went to Douglass and bought Yenko Camaros when your dad went back to pick up his Camaro he ended taking the Chevelle instead. The Yenko Camaro Tim bought was found abought 3 years ago and now the guy who owns Coast to Coast restoration owns it. Search Coast to Coast Restorations and look for 1969 Yenko Camaro thats the car.

Re: Black Yenko, Rockford IL
 

Here it is... * Camaro

Re: Black Yenko, Rockford IL
 

john, your memory is correct. i think the chevelle was actually parked in back under some sort of half roof looking thing. like a carport .not sure,i was only a year old. not sure how he saw it though.
and rick, thanks for the link and also thanks for taking that issue of FRIENDS off your signature. you were killing me with that. i want that issue !!!

Re: Black Yenko, Rockford IL
 

Steve,
Of course I remember your "black" Yenko. I saw the car in '86 or so with the "Yenko 350 for sale" sign in the side window on the streets of Chicago near Montrose harbor. All I knew at the time was they had 427 engines, the car didn't have stripes, headrest emblems, etc. It only had the tail panel emblem. It must have been a fake! Oops, missed that one! That started me on my search for one. Later when I did some title searching I had all the titles on that car from new, selling dealer Jack Douglas. I gave the copies to the current owner, John O.
Mark

Re: Black Yenko, Rockford IL
 

Mark wow! cool story. I had gotten a call from a friend and he dragged me out to see the (RG Yenko ) car, it was on Lake Shore Drive somewhere on the near north side, just like you remember. Funny thing was, he had a faded sign that said FOR SALE YENKO CAMARO $7500 in the back window the first time I saw it. He had lost his garage storage, and was suddenly parking it on the street. He lived in Skokie or something up north, but his Dad lived on LSD and must have figured it was safer. I had the DY Camaro that I bought from Ed and knew about the SW sender holes, and the tach holes on the dash housing, and the 140. That was all I needed to see, but I didn't have the money. We couldn't get the car, but a week later he ran an ad in the Sun Times for it for only $5500 as a 350 4spd perhaps that was where you got on to it. He never stated Yenko in the ad, so I high tailed it back out there, and brought everything I could scrape up and bought the car before it disappeared. I think that was when he changed the sign to the side window and to 350-4speed. It was painted all black , no stripes, with a glass L88 hood. The interior was still mint, and under the black paint job we honestly did not find Yenko stripes either. Maybe someone peeled them before the paint job, or it never had them. There was no evidence of sYc on either headrest either. It did have the BE and the big sway bar. Very cool, though, that you saw it too. Anyone that wants to see the car as it is now can go to the Mecum website, its being offered at the May auction. It is hands down the prettiest car I ever owned, tied with my 70 Deep Burnt Orange Metallic 440-6 Cuda with the rubber front and rear bumpers. I gotta get with you and look at the copies of the title, Steve

Re: Black Yenko, Rockford IL
 

[ QUOTE ]
but his Dad lived on LSD and must have figured it was safer. Steve

[/ QUOTE ]

Took me a bit to figure out that you meant <u>L</u>ake <u>S</u>hore <u> D</u>rive! https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/imag...mlins/grin.gif

Re: Black Yenko, Rockford IL
 

Thats not what he meant !!! https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/imag...ns/naughty.gif