Nickey -Yenkos

[JoeC]

Both Jim M. and Don Y. remember the number of COPOs as 500. This 500 may be a real number that Chevy declared as a minimum needed to cover the added engineering and warrantee costs of the COPOs. Don may have intended to order the 500 but as the year transpired he realized the difficulties of moving the full 500 order. As it turned out Burger ordered 50 and other dealers (USA and Canada) began to ordered them as word leaked out so Chevy did not have to hold Don to ordering the 500. Chevy wanted to build at least 50 to make them legal for NHRA anyway. They did this with the TH400 L78 Nova and the ZL1 that Fred Gibb requested but was probably not too worried about warrantee problems on Fred's cars since most would be race cars and the volume was kept low. They knew Don was going to sell his as street cars so Chevy required the 500 minimum to help cover warrantee costs. They did have some problems with warrantees as some of the original owners have said. This is my opinion.

[Stefano]

Since Don Yenko was responsible for getting GM to proceed with the L-72 COPO program he inturn actually did accomplish his ultimate goal, of at least 500 1969 L-72 COPO Camaros sold.

They just all were not sYcs, as well!

[sYc]

To get Chevrolet to build the COPO, and to be elgible for NHRA Stock classes, Don and Frank had to agree to buy 500. Of course, ordering/delivery would be spread out over the entire model year. But, accoring to Jim Mattison, once Yenko was unable to move the cars, they was able to convince Chevy to cancel a portion of the order. Jim said that this was the only time he knew of that this was ever allowed.

But, Don had to stick to his story of 500 built, or other wise NHRA would have moved the cars up a classification to Super Stock, which only required 50 produced (Gibb's ZL-1s). Don did this number thing with the SCCA on the Stinger and also on the Yenko Deuce (for it to run in the stock NHRA classes).

I have read the article in question many times. And, until I acquired much of the Yenko paperwork, assumed that most of the numbers being thrown out there were correct. But, after spending many hours going over the paperwork, I can honestly say that Don was off on several counts in the article. Including numbers built for the '67, '68 and '69 Camaros. Was it on purpose? I think in some cases yes, othesr no. You have to remember that it had been 16 years and Don had been involved in many other projects. Tom

[Stefano]

Tom,
Thanks for sharing some of the unique Yenko information you have compiled.
Have you decided the format to disseminate some of the Yenko Estate documents, as well as other information which you have aquired?


(I meant Payton Cramer in my prior posted reference to Dana Chevrolet.)

[tom406]

In my collection of Hi Performance CARS magazines, there's a feature on installing a Hone-O-Drive overdrive in a '69 427 Camaro. It's described as a Phase III car, but is devoid of graphics or any sort of SS trim cues - I'd bet money its a Motion Prepped Baldwin COPO. The article said the owner was picking it up and driving across country to take it home. Definately a buyer tuned into the Motion Mystique and likely unaware of the shadowy COPO cars....I know this is a Nickey thread, but I thought I better respond to the Baldwin-Motion references.

[Stefano]

Cool find,which magazine is that article in? What is the date of the article to help place production of the COPO?

Silver or black grill?

[COPO]

Stefano, it's in the November 1969 issue of CARS. Certainly looks like a silver grill to me w/a blue bowtie and no SS emblems anywhere on the car. Could easily be a COPO. Great question to ask Joel Rosen.

[JoeC]

Tom, Did NHRA officially recognize any of the Yenko cars? I don't see them listed on the NHRA web site. (The Shelby cars are there.) NHRA would only accept production numbers from the factory so I don't think they accepted the 500 1969 Yenko Camaros as manufactured by Yenko. Chevy would have to supply the production numbers to NHRA like they did with the ZL1. The 69 Yenkos did not have the YS ID tags to show Yenko as manufacturer. I believe Yenko tried to get the 1968 Yenko Camaros approved by NHRA and that may be why he put the YS ID tags on them but I don't think NHRA accepted them for the Super Stock 50 car minimum. AHRA accepted dealer built cars with a 50 minimum and Yenko and Nickey both advertised their Camaros as AHRA legal. I think that many of the 67 Yenko and Nickey Camaros were sold with headers and scatter shields and other drag racing parts to run in AHRA classes. The Corvair Stinger was a completely different story where SCCA considered the car as a two seat "Stinger" manufactured by "Yenko Sports Cars" and they had to have the YS ID number to be certified. This is how the Stinger is listed in the SCCA rule book. This is my opinion.

[YENKO DEUCE REGISTRY]

JoeC;
Didn't NHRA recognize the '69 Yenko Camaros for Super Stock since Ed Hedrick won the title in '69? I think he ran in SS/E class?

[JoeC]

Marlin, Yes - the 427 425 hp Camaro ran in Super Stock but not as a Yenko manufactured Camaro. The motor is listed under "Chevrolet" so I assume that Chevy supplied NHRA with the production information on the COPOs. The Shelby has its own listing separate from Ford. I know NHRA checked up on the factory production numbers because when Grumpy brought his ZL1 Camaro (built from his L78 car) to the track the first time, NHRA would not let it pass Tech because Chevy had not yet supplied the production info on the 50 car minimum. Grumpy told me this himself and I also have a magazine article stating the same. This may be one reason why the ZL1 vins were kept on record. This is why I think Yenko put the YS ID tags on the 68 Yenkos - to try and get NHRA to recognize him as the manufacturer and make the 427 Camaro legal for NHRA Super Stock 1968. He was not successful. Just my opinion.