Yenko Camaro
| Yenko | |
|---|---|
 Yenko Camaro (1969) at Cruise Night 2009
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| Camaro | |
| Production period: | 1967-1969 |
| Class : | Sports car |
| Body versions : | Coupé , convertible |
| Engines: |
Petrol engines : 6.6–7.0 liters (311–331 kW) |
| Length: | 4691 mm |
| Width: | 1880 mm |
| Height: | 1300 mm |
| Wheelbase : | 2743 mm |
| Empty weight : | approx. 1600 kg |
The Yenko Super Camaro was a tuned 1st generation Chevrolet Camaro built by Yenko Sportscars under the direction of Donald Yenko . The Camaro is also known as Yenko SC , an abbreviation for "Super Camaro". The vehicles tuned or built by Yenko Chevrolet are given the sYc insignia for “Super Yenko Cars”, with the “Y” in larger letters in the logo.
When the Chevrolet Camaro came out, its V8 engine was not allowed to have a displacement of more than 6,555 cm³ (400 cu.in.) according to GM's instructions, in order to avoid additional competition for the company's own high-performance models such as the Chevrolet Corvette or the Pontiac GTO close. This in turn put the model at a disadvantage over the Ford Mustang , Plymouth Barracuda and Dodge Dart , as neither Ford nor Chrysler put such restrictions on. But Don Yenko saw that there would be a market for a particularly powerful Camaro and found a way to circumvent GM regulations.
1967
Yenko ordered a Camaro SS with L-78 engine and built the L-72 engine the Corvette with 6,997 cm³ displacement a. The exact number of cars equipped in this way is not known, but it is assumed that around 50 were made. Yenko also installed a different fiberglass hood , similar to the one on the Stinger with the big-block Corvette engine from the same year.
Don Yenko's Camaros with the L-72 engine were equipped with M21 or M22 gearboxes. The power of these cars is given as 423 bhp (315 kW). The Yenko Camaro was not allowed to compete as a Chevrolet at racing events because it was not manufactured directly by Chevrolet. Chevrolet's answer to this was the COPO-Camaro (Central Office Production Order) in 1969. This car was equipped with the same 7.0 liter V8 engine as the Yenko Camaro, but was allowed to compete for Chevrolet.
1968
Encouraged by the 1967 success, Yenko continued to build Camaros. All these vehicles were equipped with the closely stepped, manually shiftable four-speed gearbox M21 from Muncie or the M40 four-speed automatic. A large GRP bonnet with two air scoops replaced the Stinger version from the previous year and Yenko emblems were seen on the sides of the vehicle and on the rear license plate. The COPO model had an improved chassis with a larger front axle stabilizer from the Z / 28 and other changes, such as a 140 mph speedometer and reached a maximum of 225 km / h, but was not equipped with the 7.0 L V8 engine. Yenko provided the vehicles with engines with 6,489 cm³ displacement until Chevrolet decided to install the 7.0 l V8 in the 1969 model year. A single Camaro is said to have been delivered with the large engine as COPO 8008 in 1968, which made it a coveted collector's item.
On January 17, 2009, a new body, four-speed silver Yenko was auctioned at the Barret Jackson Auto Auction for $ 121,000.
1969
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From 1969, the Chevrolet dealership worked with the plant to install the L-72 engine with 425 bhp (317 kW) on the plant assembly line by setting up a Central Office Production Order (COPO). The order consisted of powerful disc brakes, a 4.10 Positraction - drive axle (semi-blocked), a stronger front stabilizer and a heavy quad-core aluminum radiator. Customers could choose between the manually shifted M21 or M22 four-speed gearbox and the M40 automatic gearbox Hydramatic 400 . In 1969 exactly 201 of these cars were sold, 171 with manual transmission and 30 with automatic transmission. Yenko rounded off the appearance with front and rear spoilers, a bonnet with air intakes, special Yenko 427 emblems, double stripes on the vehicle flanks and the bonnet and a sYc emblem (Yenko Super Cars). The vehicles also received 15 inch rims and Goodyear Wide Tread GT tires. According to the Camaro Research Group , black (color code 711) was the only trim color Yenko ordered. Today, however, many Yenko cars have white interiors. Hugger Orange, LeMans Blue, Fathom Green, Daytona Yellow, Rally Green and Olympic Gold were available as exterior colors.
More than 40 years later, these Camaros were valued at more than $ 2.2 million and were also sold for that price at Barrett-Johnson auctions. In September 2008 there were two 1969 Yenko Camaros with automatic transmissions at the ESPN Auction Show .
On January 17, 2009, a real ZL-1-COPO, dark green and with a new body, was auctioned for $ 290,000. A yellow one with the original body, new cylinder heads, and automatic transmission fetched $ 270,000.
1981
In 1981 Don Yenko tried for the last time to make the ultimate high-performance automobile. The Yenko Turbo Z was based on the 1981 Chevrolet Camaro .
Don Yenko's comment on the car was:
“In terms of performance, cars have shown a slow but steady decline over the past decade. Low-compression engines that can handle low-octane gasoline are the norm today. Constantly new emissions controls have taken their toll on the horsepower of the once powerful engines. It is a real challenge to compensate for the accumulated loss of power without additional pollution. But after many months of testing and development, we made it. Working closely with the people at Turbo International resulted in a system that met all of our expectations. Like all others, this system supplies the energy to improve the inflow of the fuel-air mixture. But that's where the similarities end. Our system does not have a pilot valve, so there is no turbo lag either. We also don't have a wastegate that can't work. And since all of the fuel that enters the engine is first swirled around in the turbocharger, you get better fuel economy and better responsiveness even without the increase in performance. All screws, nuts or other components that are used in this system are the best possible. It was checked with every imaginable emission control and works. "
1969 replica
The company Classic Automotive Restoration Specialists Inc. of North Carolina has started again with the production of the Yenko Camaro, 1969. Don Yenko sold 201 pieces of his famous COPO Camaro through his auto dealership in Canonsburg , Pennsylvania . As reported in the March 2008 Muscle Car Review , the new car is a fully licensed Yenko, the first of which is number 202. The 7.0 liter V8 under the hood was built by GM, who are delivering the big block engines of the muscle car era. For the other components it took 2½ years to find the old machines. The options available are the same as in 1969, as are the paint colors. The cars cost about 60 percent less than some of the famous 39-year-old surviving Yenko Camaros, but drive like one of the old cars when it was driven out of the dealer's yard.
2009
A new Yenko Camaro based on the Camaro chassis from 2009 was presented at SEMA 2009. The new engine is a supercharged version of the GM LS3; the 6.2 liter V8 engine is standard on the Camaro SS . Since this vehicle is called phase I , one also expects Yenkos of phase II and phase III with LS7 engines with a displacement of 7.0 l and maybe even LS9 engines.
Web links
Individual evidence
- ^ A b c John Gunnell: Standard Catalog of American Cars 1946-1975 . Krause Publications, Inc. Iola, Wisconsin (2002). ISBN 0-87349-461-X
- ↑ a b c d John Gunnell: Standard guide to American muscle cars: a supercar source book, 1960-2005 . 4th edition. KP Books, Iola 2005, ISBN 0-87349-988-3 .
- ↑ 2007 SEMA - A Few of our Favorite Things . Consumer Reports blog. December 25, 2007 ( Memento from May 12, 2009 in the Internet Archive )
- ↑ Classic Automotive Restoration Specialists, Inc ( Memento from August 27, 2013 in the Internet Archive )