1969 'YENKO' Chevelle: And the Myth that Surrounds it - Part Two

We continue go back over
40 years to further investi-
gate the Yenko Chevelle.
Therefore, its 427 cubic
inch engine has a solid
lifter camshaft giving the
V8 a choppy idle that
throbs out its dual exhaust.

With its 11:1 compression
ratio and using fuel as an
afterthought, a hit of the
throttle and the engine is
ready to do what it was
designed for and does best.

So, if the car was equipped
with the engine as described
in part one, what did Yenko
specifically do? To start off,
Yenko was one of only a few

dealers that was aware of the COPO Central Office Production Order program which
thus provided the L -72 427 engine. Yenko then added special tuning which included
more aggressive ignition timing, new carbonator jetting, more accurate rocker-arm lash,
etc. And the result of Yenko's magic? More horsepower and crisper throttle response
onlookers would be made aware of the Yenko work as the cars were equipped with a
red and white 'Yenko/SC 427' sticker affixed to the radiator shroud, and a 'Yenko
Tuned'sticker on the valve cover. Yenko even did special orders which included
Aftermarket tubular exhaust headers reported to be worth an additional 20-30
horsepower.

On the interior, most Yenko Chevelles gained unique interior appointments including
seat headrests with white 'sYc' lettering, a Stewart Warner 970-series 500-8000 rpm
tachometer, an underdash four-pod Stewart Warner oil pressure, amps, vacuum, and
water temperature gauge cluster, and a Hurst shifter combined with a Muncie M-21
four-speed transmission. The long Hurst chrome shift lever stamped with Muncie
had the classic black ball inscribed with the H shift pattern. Just over 20 Yenko
automatics were made. Most of them were fitted with a Hurst Dual Gate shifter
that operated a M-40 Turbo-Hydro 400 transmission.

Yenko further added flair to the cars as they were equipped with the now famous
decals placed on the exterior front and sides. The hood includes twin white strips
that join a large triangle that includes the trademark sYc lettering. Also, running
from the front side marker lights to the rear tail lights were white strips that include '
YENKO/SC wording. It is reported that the strips were installed by Yenko's
daughters who had somewhat limited attention to detail. It is not uncommon
for the strips to overlap with a resultant strip bump. Restorers of the cars work
hard to actually recreate the strip bump. Custom red white and blue Yenko
emblems were added in addition to chrome 427 badges.

Additionally, part of the Yenko package included American Racing Torq
Thrust D 14/x7.0 or 15x7.0 inch cast aluminum wheels or same size Atlas
magnesium wheels. COPO 9562's were fitted with an oversize front anti-roll
bar from the factory, but otherwise the shocks, springs, and bushings were not
modified by Yenko. The only drivetrain offered by Yenko included a choice
of more aggressive 4.56:1 or 4.88:1 rear end gears rather than the COPO's
special 4.10:1 with a 12-bolt differential.

In the beginning, customers could only order a Yenko Chevelle from the Yenko
dealership. However, as time went on and the popularity of the car grew, sYc's
could be bought from other dealerships. The Yenko Chevelle color choices
included: Butternut Yellow, Daytona Yellow, Dover White, Garnet Red, Hugger
Orange, LeMans Blue, Olympic Gold, and Fathom Green. And the Yenko strips
came in all colors.

As we have come to know the car, who was the man behind it? Don Yenko's
father started Yenko Central Garage in Bentley, Pennsylvania, which in 1934
become a franchised Chevrolet dealership (Yenko Chevrolet). Thirteen years
later, the dealership was moved to Canonsburg, Pennsylvania. And say the
saying goes: The rest is motoring history!

Have an auto question or comment? You can email it to me at
Kbusch3@verizon.net. Kyle Busch is the author of "Drive the Best
for the Price..." www.DriveTheBestBook.com.