Original Selling Dealer

[James Berry]

I'm looking for information on Jack Douglas Chevrolet in Hinsdale Illinois. Does anyone know if they are still open, or have an address or phone number?
I'm also looking for phone number for Gary Dryer, a former owner of my Yenko Chevelle.
Thanks!

[Steven J]

Jack Douglas Chevrolet became Team Chevrolet and moved to Westmont, Illinois, about four miles further west. If you are referring to Gary Dyer, a Chicago area racer, 411 gave me this number - 708-496-8100. Don't know if it's the same Gary or not, give it a try.

[Mr70]

Team Chevrolet is just up the street from me.As Steven J said Jack Douglas is gone.No records exist for cars sold from Jack Douglas or at Team.They couldn't care less about cars from 30 years ago.

[Belair62]

James,if it is Gary Dyer that would be very cool. He still runs a machine shop in Summit Illinois. If it is him,call him.He's a pretty cool guy. He is a legend in drag racing. He was involved heavily with Mr. Norms Grand Spaulding Dodge and was in the A/FX and Funny Cars from the beginning. He was also partners with Austin Coil- John Forces crew chief way back when.

[sixtiesmuscle]

Jack Douglas sold a lot of COPO cars, and, was the authorized Yenko distributor for Chicagoland. Ed Cuneen has records on some of the cars sold there, contact the COPO Connection. Jack is still around and remembers the high performance cars well. Back in '69 there would be a line of COPO cars and Yenko Camaros, Chevelles, and maybe a spare Nova on the lot just waiting to be driven away. You could take your pick of a double COPO Camaro with "hockey stick stripe" for about $3900 & change or a Yenko for $400 more if my memory serves me well. They also converted some COPOs to Yenkos,with the approval of Don Yenko and the purchase of the Yenko stripes from Yenko for $400. Mr. Douglas recalls doing 25 to 28 of these stripe additions. I'm curious about whether these car should be considered as Yenko cars since they were approved by Yenko, and, Douglas was the authorized Yenko dealer. Any opinions?

[James Berry]

Thanks for the help!

[James Berry]

Good question, are Dealer approved Yenkos real Yenkos, My question would be do they have a sequence number? Sounds like we need ED.
I am getting alot of E-mail, asking what car I have. My car is sequence #54 Lemans Blue Chevelle. If anyone has any information on this car please contact me.

[YENKO DEUCE REGISTRY]

I would think that a Douglas Chev. car with a set of Yenko stripes installed on it would not be a real Yenko car. A hi-po Camaro taken to Motion Performance for the stripe treatment doesn't make it a Baldwin/Motion car, does it??

Yenko cars were ordered by Yenko Sportscars, were double COPO's, had specific items installed - like emblems & stripes, were recorded on the New Car Inventory sheets for NHRA qualification, and then were distributed to other hi-po dealers in the Yenko Sportscars Network.

The Douglas Chev. cars do not follow any of this procedure, therefore they cannot be considered 'Yenko' cars just because they have stripes.

Consequently, I was not aware that this Douglas Chev. making Yenko SportsCars wannabe's was a real agreement. I had thought that after Yenko found out why they were buying stripes, he would not sell them any more!! Any info to the contrary??

Marlin

[sixtiesmuscle]

Well Marlin, without the ability to ask Don if Jack is being truthful, we'll never know if there was an official agreement. It seems that the number that were purchased [25-28] and the price paid , $400. per set, would lead one to believe that there wasn't any confusion over why they were being bought. I don't know what the stripes cost in '69, but, you have to figure that $400. was a pretty profitable sale. I happen to agree with you, and, when I finished my Douglas COPO I did it the way most of his were appointed. This, even though a previous title, and a previous owner claimed it had been a "Yenko". What if, however, one showed up with original owner documentation, original paint & stripes, etc. Hypothetical, I know, but an interesting possibility nonetheless.

[Belair62]

Interesting discussion. Under what circumstance would Don Yenko sell a set of stripes much less 25-28 of them? Could anyone walk into Y Chevrolet and buy a set of stripes to put on their Camaro or Chevelle ? Darn I'm hooked on that burnout now !