Chevy Yenko

The Ultimate Muscle Cars

Such an odd name, Yenko, possibly Hispanic origin, but in the automotive history books it ranks right up there with Shelby and Roush.

Let’s back up though, all the way to 1921 when the Durant car company was founded by William “Billy” Durant in New York after he had been fired by General Motors. Unfortunately, Durant folded in 1926 but Billy resurfaced two years later in 1928 and began building cars again. The following year, Frank Yenko who now had a one-year-old son Donald “Don” Frank, opened a Durant dealership in Pennsylvania. Unfortunately, Durant failed again in 1932 and with no option; Yenko switched allegiances to General Motors and in 1934 opened a Chevrolet dealership in Bentleyville, PA.

Yenko Chevrolet thrived but at the time, Frank’s son Don was more into planes than he was automobiles. He gained his pilot’s license at age 16 and soon joined the US Air Force. After his military service, Don pursued a degree in business admin at Penn State before joining the family business. Frank, meanwhile, was doing so well selling cars he opened up a second dealership at 575 West Pike Street, Cannonsburg, Pennsylvania. In 1957, when Don was just 30, he took over the dealership that would make Chevy Yenko a household name.

Despite what Ralph Nader had to say about the Corvair, Chevrolet’s answer to the Volkswagen Beetle, Don Yenko saw its potential and applied to the Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) for approval to race the Corsa. The Corsa was Chevy’s hot rod Corvair that was offered with an optional 180 hp boxer-six. The SCCA approved with a back seat delete and some performance mods and consequently, Yenko went on to build 100 certified examples of the “Yenko Stinger.”

“His fellow Corvette racer, Denise McCluggage, once described Don’s driving style as ‘brutish.’ ”David Steele, Executive Director, American Hot Rod Foundation

1966 Stingers were white with blue racing stripes in the style of the Ford GT40 but over the top rather than along the sides. Incidentally, this white and blue combination was recognized then as the United States’ international racing colors. In 1967, the Monza replaced the Corsa and now Stingers came in Marina Blue and Bolero Red, likewise with stripes. That year also saw a Yenko Stinger win an SCCA D Production national championship. Maybe as many as 400 were built between 1966 and 1973.

According to David Steele, Yenko fan and executive director of the American Hot Rod Foundation: “It’s true that Yenko was successful in SCCA racing with the Corvair but it was with a slightly less nimble car, an early Corvette, that he originally made his name in road racing. Considering the fact that his fellow Corvette racer, Denise McCluggage, once described Don’s driving style as ‘brutish,’ it’s no wonder that his best-known creations, his big-block Chevelles, Camaros and Novas, carried this same personality.”

Unfortunately, the Corvair was doomed, not only by Nader’s raiders but also by Chevrolet who introduced their Mustang fighting Camaro in 1967. Although Yenko continued to build Stingers through the end of Corvair production in ’69, his attention switched to the Camaro. At the time, GM forbade its dealers from installing engines larger than 400 ci in intermediate-size vehicles, nevertheless, Don ordered an L72 427 that made 425 hp and 460 lb-ft of torque and dropped it into a Camaro creating the Yenko Camaro.

Typically, a Camaro came with a 350 or 396 ci engine but again according to Steele, “Supercar dealers invariably went for the big-block 396—specifically the L78/375 hp version because it had the correct fuel lines, tach, radiator, etc., and then just install the 427/425 engine.” Chevrolet turned a blind eye but the efforts of Yenko and others such as Baldwin Motion often accomplished performance options that the factory wanted to deliver but couldn’t because of various regulations.

It’s uncertain how many Yenko Camaros were built in this way but 54 appears to be the best guesstimate for ’67 and 64 for the following year. However, in 1969 Yenko was able to exploit Chevrolet’s Central Office Production Order (COPO) #9561 to have the L72 installed at the factory.

Yenko ordered 198 Camaros, 99 Chevelles and 38 Novas but by now other dealers had cottoned onto the wheeze and ordered their own 427-powered cars. For example, Dick Harrell used COPO 9560 to order an all-aluminum, hand-assembled ZL-1 427 rated at 430 hp with 450 lb-ft of torque.

In 1970, Yenko continued to apply his magic to the Nova and ordered a further 175 equipped with the high-performance LT1 350 ci small-block V-8 from a Corvette. He called that model the “Deuce,” as in Chevy II.

Unfortunately, a number of events conspired to nail the lid on the muscle car coffin. Insurance rates were rising on these fast cars, Federal regulations required cars use unleaded fuel and to make matters worse, the oil crises began in October ’73. It wasn’t over yet though and in 1971 and ’72, again using the COPO system, Yenko ordered a couple of hundred Vegas, Chevy’s small-car, to which he intended to fit factory turbochargers.

Yenkos, especially the Camaros and despite numerous clones, are highly respected, sought after and expensive automobiles.

Unfortunately, the EPA required a 50,000-mile durability test and consequently, Yenko sold the Vega along with an optional performance package that could include the turbo. The story goes, Yenko ordered a little more than 125 Vegas but less than a dozen appear on the COPO.com registry site.

In 1981, Yenko tried once more with the Camaro Turbo Z, a turbocharged 350, but apparently, only 19 were sold and the following year he sold the dealership. Sadly, despite being an experienced pilot, he crashed his Cessna 210 on March 5, 1987, while trying to land near Charleston, West Virginia. He was only 59 years old, however, he left a lasting legacy: Yenkos, especially the Camaros and despite numerous clones, are highly respected, sought after and expensive automobiles.

For those interested, check out a new CarTech book titled Lost Muscle Car Dealerships by Duncan Brown. It covers the history of Yenko as well as others such as Nickey, Grand Spaulding Dodge, Yeakel, Reynolds, and others. It’s well worth a read.

Chevy Nova

The Little Chevy That Could.

The story of the Chevy II Nova can be traced back to Germany and the Volkswagen Beetle, believe it or not. VW’s Bug made such an impact on the automotive world that it jump-started GM to develop its own air-cooled competitor, the Corvair. Despite the “Nader-sayers,” the Corvair did well and forced Ford to develop the Falcon that debuted late in 1959. The Falcon took off and sold a staggering 417,000 units in the first year.

GM was caught off guard, meanwhile, Ralph Nader was killing the Corvair, saying it was dangerous; GM had to do something, and quickly. According to Chevrolet designer Clare MacKichan, “There was no time for experimentation or doodling around with new ideas from either the engineers or from us in design, and it had to be a basic-type car. I think that was the quickest program we ever did at any time,” he continued. “We worked night and day on that car, and it didn’t take very long to run it through our shop because we had a deadline.”

Indeed, the development of the Chevy II, as it was called, took a scant 18 months until the first production car came off the Willow Run assembly line in August 1961—almost two years behind the Ford Falcon. Conventional like its rival and definitely not experimental like the Corvair, the Chevy II, code name H-35, was described by Chevrolet General Manager Ed Cole as offering, “Maximum functionalism with thrift.”

“There was no time for experimentation or doodling around with new ideas from either the engineers or from us in design.”Clare MacKichan, Chevrolet Designer

While the Falcon was a “clean sheet” design with uni-body construction, the Chevy had a front sub frame that bolted under the body. Power options were either a 2.5L 153 ci four-cylinder or a 3.2L 194 ci in-line six. Both were brand new, but the four was the first four from Chevy since 1928. There was no V8—yet. As did the Falcon, the Chevy II came in two- and four-door versions plus a two-door hardtop Sport Coupe as well as a convertible and a station wagon. The Nova was the top of the line and Chevy II sales were brisk at 326,607 units, but not as brisk as Ford’s rival.

Sales improved in 1963 when Chevy II had its best year ever with sales of 372,626 units, of which 42,432 were the new Super Sport featuring bucket seats, a floor shifter and special gauges on the inside and exterior emblems, hub caps and side moldings on the outside. Mind you, the package only cost $160.40. There was still no V8.

When the 195 or 220 hp V8 did come in 1964, sales tanked to a mere 191,691 units of which only 25,083 had the new 4.6L 283-ci V8 power. The cause of the slump was similar to that of the Falcon when Ford introduced the Mustang because Chevy intro’d the Chevelle and put a nail in the Nova. However, in April 1964, Chevrolet unveiled the “Super Nova” concept car at the New York Auto Show. A little fat through the middle, and resembling the ’63 Buick Riviera, Super Nova never made it to production.

The second generation Nova came in 1966 and it’s knife-edge styling may have been influenced by the Super Nova. Regardless, it was a sharper, better-looking car. Sales increased over ’65 but only to 172,485 cars, of which 43,265 were V8s. Maybe customers were confused by the sales brochure that proclaimed “Chevrolet Chevy II Nova Super Sport.” What really grabbed buyer’s attention was the new 5.3L Turbo-Fire 327 ci V8 producing 350 hp. With a close-ratio four-speed the Nova was finally a performance car—10,589 were sold. Nicknamed the “Chevy Deuce,” the ’66 327 car was a hot rodder’s dream.

One such hot rodder was GM designer Larry Shinoda, designer of several Corvettes. Folklore has it that Larry drove a tricked-out Chevy II, and driving into the GM Tech Center one day he was stopped by the security guard for what the guard perceived as overzealous driving. The guard apparently said, “Why don’t you try that again.” Not to be told twice, Larry backed up, gave it some revs, side stepped the clutch and smoked the tires right through the security zone. He never looked back and the guard didn’t move.

One of the first drag racers to see the light was Bill “Grumpy” Jenkins from Malvern, Pennsylvania, who without factory backing began racing “Grumpy’s Toy,” an L79 Chevy II in A/Stock class. Bill killed it but soon switched to the new Camaro. Much like Ford killing the Falcon with the Mustang, Chevy was about to do the same to the Nova with the Camaro. However, it was not dead yet. Meanwhile, “Jungle Jim” Liberman began driving Funny Cars in 1965 using a Nova body before building a new, steel-bodied Chevy II “Jungle Jim” Funny Car in 1966. Jim became a fan favorite with his 100-mph back-ups and quarter-mile wheel stands. Jungle’s touring success in ’67 prompted him to build a sister car for Clare Sanders for the ’68 season. Meanwhile, west coast fans cheered for header manufacturer Doug Thorley’s “Chevy 2 Much.”

Not to be told twice, Larry backed up, gave it some revs, side stepped the clutch and smoked the tires right through the security zone.

Gen III came in 1968 when the car was completely redesigned; unfortunately, the station wagon and the hardtop sport coupe were axed. Technically this was still a Chevy II available as a two-door coupe; a four-door sedan and bowing to European influence a three-door hatchback. The semi-fastback styling, the rakish grille and a slightly longer wheelbase put the car in a different bracket; it was still a compact but in reality in name only.

The big news for ’68 was that the Super Sport was now a real performance package that included a 295 hp version of the 5.7L 350 ci V8. Base engine was a 307. You could also get a big-block 375 hp 6.5L 396 with 415 lb-ft of torque at 3,600 rpm. There was also a choice of four-speeds or a three-speed Turbo 400.

The performance dealers were quick to see the sales potential and began ordering the L78 396s. Meanwhile, drag racer Dick Harrell, who had built cars for Nickey Chevrolet in Chicago, and Yenko in Pennsylvania, moved to Kansas City where he swapped 500 hp 427 Rat motors into Novas for Fred Gibb Chevrolet.

In 1969, Chevrolet dropped the Chevy II moniker and just called it the Nova—like everybody else. Power for the Chevy Nova SS model was increased to 300 hp and for the first time the SS came with front disc brakes. It was, after all, 1969. Unfortunately, the 396 option that was actually a 402 ci, was dropped the following year. In 1969, Yenko had ordered 38 Novas with the 396 option, but in 1970, Yenko ordered a further 175 equipped with the high-performance LT1 350 ci small-block V-8 used in the Camaro Z-28 and the Corvette. With an upgraded drive train, he called that model the “Yenko Deuce,” as in Chevy II. Unfortunately, however, new regulations were gradually eating away at the muscle and by ’73 the SS option was little more than a decal package. Nevertheless, the ’69 remains the quintessential Nova as evidenced by comedian Joe Rogan’s hot rod with ’69 Camaro fenders built by Steve Strope’s Pure Vision Design.

New, mandated energy-absorbing bumpers added to the length but not the aesthetics and sales of V8s declined. The last hurrah came in 1974 with the introduction of the “Spirit of America” to celebrate the upcoming 1976 bicentennial. The cars were painted a patriotic white with blue and red stripes and interiors. Meanwhile, the body was cloned for the Olds and Buick divisions, heck, even Pontiac got in on the game with its Nova-like GTO, albeit with a Pontiac signature split grille. It was badge engineering at its best.

Party Time:
Joe Rogan’s Chevy “Novaro”

As the trend for hot rodding muscle cars of all shapes and sizes continues to grow the desire and sometimes need to be different grows with it. However, as hot rod guru Pete Chapouris once said, “It’s not about being different. It’s about doing the right stuff in a different way. More is not always better, less is usually more.”

The exception that proves the ‘less is more’ rule is this new ’69 “Novaro” from the talented teams at Steve Strope’s Pure Vision Design, Mick’s Paint and Joey Angelo. In typical fashion, Strope had the vision to combine the aesthetics of a ’69 Chevy Nova and the four fenders of a ’69 Camaro—the ones with the speed flashes coming off the top of the fender lips. It’s a unique idea that nobody else conceived.

To execute the work Strope turned to Mick Jenkins at Mick’s Paint, Pomona, CA, and ace metal shaper Joey Angelo. Joey’s work was well known as he worked his magic on Bob Florine’s ’57 Ford Del Rio Ranch Wagon that was another Pure Vision/Mick’s Paint collaboration. Incidentally, the wagon was voted Street Rod of the Year by Street Rodder magazine.

In the case of the Novaro being built for comedian Joe Rogan, Strope’s vision was to adapt the distinctive ’69 Camaro fenders onto the iconic shape of the same year Nova. Easy peasy, right? Not so fast. The Nova is kinda slab-sided whereas the Camaro is actually quite bulbous through the sides. Sure, the Camaro fenders lay onto of the Nova but the side profiles of each car are very different and making ends meet was not simple. Likewise not simple was reshaping the doorjambs front and rear.

Being able to see and understand how metal is formed and how it can be massaged and shaped is an art and Joey nailed in less than three months saying, “It was not easy. The Nova needed some restoration before we could even begin the modifications and its sheet metal is original, old and somewhat thicker at 19 gauge compared to the new 21 gauge Dynacorn fenders. Trickiest part was the front of the fenders where I had to blend the curved Camaro panels into the flatter Nova fenders. Also, the front jambs were very complicated to shape. All told, there was almost 200 feet of welding, hammering, picking and filing.”

The result of Joey’s labors and those of his sometime assistant Paul Carroll were unveiled in a private ‘reveal’ in an exclusive garage in Van Nuys, California. The event coincided with the debut of Strope’s new TV show called Hand Built Hot Rods showing on the MotorTrend Channel. Luckily, stateofspeed.com was on the VIP list and we got to see Rogan literally speechless when the cover was pulled back and the car that he had never seen before was revealed. It was like handing over a baby to a first-time father.

Obviously, there’s still a lot of work to do to finish the build. It will go back to Pure Vision Design in Simi Valley for mechanical working including the installation of a blown-Corvette LT4 engine. Then it will go to Mick’s Paint for final body and paintwork. Expect to see it finished sometime this year.