Celebrating the 40th anniversary of the 1969 Yenko 427 with matching Camaros

Don Yenko is the legendary owner of a Chevy dealership in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania who produced his own high performance versions of Chevy's finest. In the late 60's he realized that Camaros could be ordered with L-72 427CI V8 through GM's Central Office Production Order program, originally intended as fleet vehicles for police cars and taxi cabs.

He took the cars and outfitted them with power disc brakes, a 4.10 rear end, upgraded suspension, a heavy duty radiator, front and rear spoilers, a cowl-induction hood, and plenty of Yenko badges and graphics. Just over 200 of the '69 Yenko Camaros were built, and they are still one of the most sought after muscle cars of today.

Chop, Cut, Rebuild teamed up with Original Equipment Reproduction (OER) and D&P Classic Chevy to build a tribute car that would honor the Yenko's legacy and celebrate it's anniversary. The overall goal was to produce a car that would look like something Don Yenko would produce today.

Starting with a brand new repo '69 body shell, the builders dropped in an LS7 crate motor and six speed transmission. They then decided to paint a new Camaro to match, creating a duo of sweet looking cars.

Source: Autoblog, Original Equipment Reproduction
Photos copyright ©2009 Drew Phillips / Weblogs, Inc.

PRESS RELEASE:

As Camaro fans worldwide celebrate the 40th anniversary of the legendary 1969 Yenko Camaro this year, the guys over at "Chop, Cut, Rebuild" decided to get in on the fun and partner with D&P Classic Chevy, Original Equipment Reproduction (OER) and Classic Industries to build a unique, never-before-seen vehicle: the 1969 Yenko Tribute Car.

The Tribute Car is actually a "new", modernized 1969 Camaro built using the best products available in the automotive aftermarket today. The build was a complete ground-up re-creation, beginning with a brand new body and using an extensive list of products and parts from OER, a leading manufacturer and distributor of classic restoration parts and the project's principal sponsor, based in Westminster, California.

The goal was to maintain the classic design and appearance of the '69 Camaro, but integrate a high level of modern components into the construction; a concept based on what D&P feels that Don Yenko himself would have done.

To complete the "What If" project, OER, a long time sponsor of "Chop, Cut Rebuild", provided an extensive list of parts including body, trim, interior, chrome, and many other reproduction components.

The completed Tribute Car is a driver-friendly, comfortable street machine that is also able to competitively handle a drag strip or road course. The vehicle's exterior looks relatively stock, but the modern drivetrain components and cutting-edge technology inside are what allows it to be very fast and far exceeding what was available in 1969.

Originally, the '60s era Yenko Camaro was a special order vehicle, available only through Don Yenko Chevrole tin Canonsburg, Pennsylvania. Don Yenko used the Central Office Production Order (COPO) program, a program GM used for fleet vehicles like police cars, taxi cabs, etc. to special order the most powerful Camaros available.

Today, an original Yenko is one of the most sought after Camaros in the world, garnering five to 10 times the resale value of a regular Camaro.

Currently, Darryl and Peggy Nance, owners of D&P Classic Chevy, a full service restoration and street rod shop based in Huntington Beach, Calfifornia, own this car.

Engine:
- LS7, 427 Cubic Inch – fuel injected by GM Performance Parts (rated at 505 horsepower)
- Front Engine Accessory Drive system for the motor, computer, computer harness and engine accessories by GM Performance Parts
- Headers by Lemons Headers
- Exhaust system by Flowmaster
- Radiator and electric fans by Be Cool
- LS7 oil tank and components by Petersen Fluid Systems
- High performance battery by Knetik

Transmission:
- Tremec T56 Magnu 6 speed transmission – this was the first T56 Magnum rated at 700 foot pounds of torque
- Transmission conversion products and technical/installation support provided by Keisler Engineering

Suspension:
- Front and rear suspension by Detroit Speed & Engineering
- Powder coated 1st Generation Hydro-formed subframe, including rack and pinion steering, tubular control arms, front suspension and spindles by Detroit Speed & Engineering

Brakes:
- Complete front and rear 6-piston brake calipers with drilled and slotted rotors by Baer Brakes
- Brake master cylinder and special accumulator assembly by ABS Power Brake

Tires and Wheels:
- 18" BF Goodrich KDW tires
- D&P custom 18" wheels built by US Wheel

Exterior:
- Paint materials were provided by PPG

Interior:
- Air conditioning by Vintage Air
- Kicker stereo system
- Clarion stereo head unit
- Interior installation by Stitchcraft