Yenko Camaros Coming Up for Auction

[TarheelRyan]

A lot of you are going to get a good laugh out of this one, but I know there are some folks in these forums that have a wealth of Yenko knowledge that are willing to share.

Quick backstory...at 16 years old, my first Camaro was a 1994 V6 salvage title car that I had re-painted at Maaco. I slapped some Z28 badges on it, added flowmaster exhaust, and thought it was the greatest thing since sliced bread. I made a promise to myself then that if I was ever in a position to do so, I was going to acquire the baddest Camaros on the planet. Fast forward 25 years, I've started buying those Camaros.

I've recently acquired some concours level 69 Z28's and now I'm looking to acquire a 1967, 1968, and 1969 Yenko Camaro. Disclaimer - I cannot turn wrenches as I don't have the skillset or the patience. Moreover, I'm located in Florida and quality auto restoration shops are few and far between. In other words, I'm looking for great cars in as close to original condition as possible (not clones or re-creations). I made a run at the 68 Yenko offered at Barrett Jackson in Palm Beach a couple of weeks back and just missed out on that one. I was fortunate enough to spend 20 mins with the Shop Manager from the American Muscle Car Museum discussing that car. He was a wealth of knowledge and very forthcoming about the few deficiencies that existed. In speaking with him, I quickly realized there is more to the Yenko's (besides the obvious Yenko is known for) than your average Camaro.

There are a few Yenko Camaros coming up for auction at Mecum in May that I intend to make a run at. Those cars are:

1. 1967 Yenko Camaro - YS707
2. 1968 Yenko Camaro - YS8051
3. 1969 Yenko Camaro - YS9879

As the Yenko community is small and tight knit, I'm going to throw it out there...are any of you aware of any back stories on these cars that a prospective buyer should know about (that hasn't been disclosed)? I realize this is a broad question to ask, but I'm looking for some guidance from the older Yenko guys to chime in for the younger buyer. I'm 42 and sad to say, a car seller's dream. With that said, I want to acquire some quality Yenko Camaros simply for the love of the brand that I can hold and enjoy for the next 20-30 years. Thanks in advance for any feedback anyone has.

[Xplantdad]

Hi Ryan, welcome to the site. You are definitely in the right place

[Krateness]

Best of luck. I plan on attending Indy in May but just as an observer. We’re getting ready to start putting back together our Yenko, which is also an auto car, so going to use this as an opportunity to get some references off of the orange one.

[TarheelRyan]

Krateness - I will definitely see you there and please make sure to post pictures of you putting yours back together. It is amazing to see the before and after on some of these cars. Based on the pictures, the 69 at Mecum Indy is a good looking car.

[Andy]

Since you're in Florida, if you can, try to attend one of the charity events Mark has at the American muscle car museum. I went in 2018 with a friend of mine and the amount of Yenkos in the collection is amazing. You could look over the cars in detail there and familiarize yourself even more with them. I know he has several 68s and even more 69s. There is a 67 there as well but I do not believe it is a conversion car. There are also several Yenko Novas and Chevelles.

Regardless, Mark and his staff are great people that you can learn a lot from! I like to refer to the first pic as Yenko row since every car in it is a Yenko, haha!

[olredalert]

----Ryan,,,I'd like to welcome you to the sight as well. One thing to remember is that there are Yenko's out there that can be bought that aren't in an auction. Auctions are great, but frenetic as you have seen. Put it out there as you have and familiarize yourself some more. Then there are qualified people on this sight that can take a peek and give you a thumbs up on your purchase. Buying privately is a little less crazy than the auction scene, and possibly a bit cheaper. Good luck!.....Bill S

[TarheelRyan]

Thanks Andy and that is great advice. I will certainly keep an eye out for upcoming events. His shop manager, Ed Dedick, spent at least 20 minutes with me going over the 68 Yenko. He had me upside down, under the car, using flash lights, etc. pointing out some of the smallest details that I would never think to look at. I didn't realize he had that many Yenkos in his collection.

The auctions are a double edge sword. Barrett Jackson and Mecum are in the business to move cars and want to highlight the positive. On the flip side of that, I've found, especially with the older muscle cars, the bidding (most of the time) is a good barometer of the condition of the car. HOWEVER, the bidder pool on these Yenkos is a lot smaller which makes it more difficult. That is where these forums come into play. For those of you that do post, please know there are folks like myself that read and appreciate what you write.

Great pictures...thanks for sharing.

[TarheelRyan]

Ed - I agree 100%. I hate to admit this, but I currently hold the world record for price paid on a 1969 Camaro Z28 (non JL8, non dual quad, non race car) that crossed the block at Barrett Jackson back in January. I knowingly paid more because of the color of the car, but I've certainly asked myself multiple times post auction what the hell was I thinking...

[enio45]

ralley green one looks familiar :-)

[Stefano]

There are many familiar cars and Yenkos in that collection.