68 Yenco clone

[PeteLeathersac]

This thread seems to be heading in many directions of facts mixed w/ well intended but some seemingly misinformation?.
But please carry on as a few things may result as true but previously unknown...like a '68 Gibb Copo Nova trans in a 68 Copo 9737 Camaro, stranger things have come to light before so why not?.

Back to the '68 Yenko cars specifically and nothing to do w/ the '67 or '69 cars, here's what I understand as true;
Although there may've been a few exceptions, the '68 Yenko's Camaros were built from Copo 9737 cars factory shipped w/ the largest engines in place being the unique MV Suffix 396 L78..
These were in place and operational but planned for Yenko to remove and transplant 427/425 L72 shortblocks reusing the heads etc off the MV engines..
* Real '68 9737 Camaros are identifiable by the MM Trim Tag also some of the previously mentioned options including the 140 Speedo..
** Again not all cars were converted and some were sold and/or dealer traded w/ their MV Suffix L78's still intact..
*** Some cars could've been transplanted w/ L88 or other engines..
**** 9737 cars could've been and/or were shipped from the factory to other dealers and not just Yenko..
***** If production of '68 Yenko Camaros is known, is it confirmed how many were 9737 cars and of that sold as converted or unconverted?.
Plus is production of the '68 9737 cars absolutely known...especially if other dealers recv'd 9737 cars!?

Again can anyone post the unique carb #'s shipped w/ the MV Suffix L78's?.
Also again, has the factory HP rating of the MV Suffix L78's ever really been confirmed as 375 like a 'regular' L78?.

[img]<<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/beers.gif[/img]
~ Pete

[69Tom]

Pete, you make a nice summation and some good points here.

At the end of the day, this is a clone we're talking about. He's been told the possibility of blocks &amp; heads used in '68 Yenkos several times now. As you state, only certain things we know, but there are other possibilities. The safest bet is to drop in an L72 and be done with it.

If you want the 'most correct' clone, build on what we know. Not what might or could have been.

[SS427]

Bob, per your request myself and Dana sent you something the day before yesterday and I also sent you an email and am still waiting for a reply. Was this a bait and switch?

[PeteLeathersac]

I know Chris is only cloning around but since the facts were getting lost in the haze I thought if we all laid what we knew on the table perhaps more could be confirmed or dispelled also a few new facts or possibilities may come to light?.

[img]<<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/beers.gif[/img]
~ Pete

[auschris001]

Pete, Bob Wayne and all who have helped weed out the basic facts

I am now where I want to be with this and know a pantload more than I did last week.
I found this article about the #8021 and it states from the current owner &quot;For 1968 the 9737 COPO comaro was only available to Don Yenko and in fact Yenko was considered the manufacturer for these 68 Yenko Camaro's. However this #9737 COPO package was added in 1968 as per Don Yenko's request to RPO L78 SS Camaro's that were equipped with the 396/375hp big blocks.
The COPO #9737 designation added for 1968 cooling, suspension and brake upgrades along with a 140mph speedometer, heavy duty springs, larger anti roll bar, M21 tranny and a 4.10 posi rear diff. These 9737 COPO's 1968 camaro's were delivered from Chevrolet to Cannonsburg with RPO (regular production order) L78 396/375 hp engines. Yenko's mechanics then removed the L78 396 engine and installed a L72 short block. The original L78 heads and aluminum intake and carb were then installed on the L72 short block.&quot; end quote. author unknown, but pulled from the Las Vegas Clasic cars website.

I would assume this to be correct and still leaves 6 cars not known from the 70 ordered As far as the comment about why not auto's is not a strength issue (as I have put 1200hp through a T400) its just that they all came with an M-21.

Cheers: Chris H

ps: Great site great ppl my thought for the week!!! never kick a fresh turd on a hot day!!!!

[auschris001]

Tom,
You are right, and I think this will be a tribute to the 68 Yenko moreso than a clone we wont chase part numbers but the part itself we will try make right.
ie solid L72 cam, closed chamber iron rect port heads, 427 block ect. I will keep posting the build pix as the body goes in to paint as we speak. Thanks again for your input.

Cheers: Chris H

Hey Chris!

Looking forward to seeing the build progress....A lot!

Take care bud.. [img]<<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/beers.gif[/img]

Wayne

[auschris001]

Guys,

One thing I forgot to ask was the color, was Yenko particular about the color ordered or were they a mix of all colors offered in 1968 for the Camaro. My hunch is this will go Matador red and was the stripe painted on or a decal.?????

Cheers:Chris H

[original owner]

Respectfully to Tom, as to your last post, all my info, is from chev, or the car's themselves. I take the info I gave on R.E. 68 yenko clone, with my first hand info, having owned and raced a new 68 yenko for 2 years, and I don't joke about it. What 67 69 chev 427 hydro lifter engine had 410H.P and 425H.P. what was the L numbers? yenko rated them at that. yenko also over rated all his engines. A 68 69 l72 at 425H.P. became 450H.P.most pro. racers ,quater mile, used 4 speeds, as I did because they were faster.Never came close to losing to one, refer to original feature car, dec 2004, and first place winner stickers on rear window. NEVER lost in 2 years, my camaro was 8016# And I stand by my statement that all 68 yenko's should have been 4 speeds, auto cars had hydro lifter motors and were much harder to modify, and had less factory H.P. I worked for chev, on the dealer level from 72 to78, and also got a lot of my info from the factory people, As I was at manger level. chev, still stands on they facts about the zlx 427, that they never sold parts or motors, right or wrong, as they were not allowed to.(no medium sized cars with over 400 C.I) but they did, thats what yenko was all about.To Jason and Wayne Iam sure there are sharp cookies on this site, but how old are they, did they own one of these cars in the day, when new, and did they modify them and race them as thats what they were for? Or do they just read second hand accounts, and books? I did it in 68 69, for real. How many on this site have done that? Sharp cookies are good , not alway's right, as no one is, but they are hard to swallow. Thanks for listening, my yenko was my 6th muscle car. and the fastest by over 3/4 second. Bob Krueger.

[sYc]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: original owner</div><div class="ubbcode-body">
Respectfully to Tom, as to your last post, all my info, is from chev, or the car's themselves. I take the info I gave on R.E. 68 yenko clone, with my first hand info, having owned and raced a new 68 yenko for 2 years, and I don't joke about it. What 67 69 chev 427 hydro lifter engine had 410H.P and 425H.P. what was the L numbers? yenko rated them at that. yenko also over rated all his engines. A 68 69 l72 at 425H.P. became 450H.

<span style="color: #FF6666"> Actually Don Yenko did not overrate his engines, rather, being the wise business man he was, he simply went with what NHRA factored them in at, which was a higher figure.</span>



P.most pro. racers ,quater mile, used 4 speeds, as I did because they were faster.Never came close to losing to one, refer to original feature car, dec 2004, and first place winner stickers on rear window. NEVER lost in 2 years, my camaro was 8016# And I stand by my statement that all 68 yenko's should have been 4 speeds, auto cars had hydro lifter motors and were much harder to modify, and had less factory H.P.


<span style="color: #FF6666">
My point was not to say a auto would our run a stick car, too many factors to consider there, but simply to state that in ’68 GM had a very solid auto, which in ’69, coupled with the same L-72 solid lifter engine as the 4 speed car got, was a very good combo. Even today, with better street tires, on the street, the auto will run with the stick car, due to traction issues. I say this not from reading books, but from first hand knowledge of racing a 1969 Yenko (auto) for 13 years in factory stock trim. On the strip, with slicks, then the stick has an advantage. Even then the stick car better be darn consistent, as our car is, or ???
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I worked for chev, on the dealer level from 72 to78, and also got a lot of my info from the factory people, As I was at manger level. chev, still stands on they facts about the zlx 427, that they never sold parts or motors, right or wrong, as they were not allowed to.(no medium sized cars with over 400 C.I) but they did, thats what yenko was all about.To Jason and Wayne Iam sure there are sharp cookies on this site, but how old are they, did they own one of these cars in the day, when new, and did they modify them and race them as thats what they were for? Or do they just read second hand accounts, and books? I did it in 68 69, for real. How many on this site have done that? Sharp cookies are good , not alway's right, as no one is, but they are hard to swallow. Thanks for listening, my yenko was my 6th muscle car. and the fastest by over 3/4 second. Bob Krueger.

<span style="color: #FF6666">
As per my expertise, and where I got my information, here goes. A. from a large stash of original Yenko paperwork, B. as founder and president of the Yenko Sportscar Club and Supercar Registry, I have been fortunate enough to get to have numerous conversations with original owners, former employees of Yenko and former employees of Chevrolet (including Jim Mattison), C. as host of the Annual Supercar Reunion, I have been up close and personal with many, many Yenko built cars, many on the drag strip D. for the past 13+ years myself and son Rob have actively been racing a 1969 Yenko Camaro, auto, in the Purestock drags as well as numerous nostalgia events. In addition, I have played with several other interesting cars (in the early '70s a '69 Z-28, last few years Red Alert LS-6 Chevelle, survivor L-78 '69 Camaro 4-speed, dealer installed 427 '69 auto Chevelle, etc, ) and a few other Yenkos, ranging from a Stinger Corvair to a SCCA Roadrace Camaro to a 1969 427 Yenko Nova, am presently redoing a ’69 Yenko Chevelle, a ’71 Vega and a ???

By no means do I claim to be an expert on Yenko, or drag racing, far from it, but I do think I do have a basic understanding of both. As I do all orignal owners, I respect and welcome your input, but that does not mean I will not question any info that I feel is incorrect.

In closing, Labor Day weekend is the annual Super Car reunion, where on Friday we rent Gateway International Raceway for a day of drag racing, where anyone with a “supercar” is welcome to attend. You have my personal invitation to attend and show us “sharp cookies” how it is done. [img]<<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/[/img]
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