Inspired by the Yenko Chevelle in the Hemming post Robin made a while ago lets have a nice lot of pictures and some Bio about all those Independentish tuners or Dealers who's names are now eternally linked with a particualar model or brand, men with girls names, didi fwd rally and giant slaying circuit cars and pretty sports cars with fiat engines. That sort of thing.
So to start with some Don Yenko, always to be linked with Chevy Muscle from the '60s and '70s.
In 1957, Yenko set up a performance shop for Chevrolet vehicles. The customers could either order high performance parts or have their car modified by Yenko's mechanics. In 1967, when Chevrolet began selling the Camaro, Yenko began to modify SS Camaros by replacing the original L-78 396 in³ (6.4 L)engine with a Chevrolet Corvette's L-72 427 in³ (7.0 L) and upgrade the rear axle and suspensions. He also modified other Chevrolet vehicles like Chevelle and Nova by fitting them with L-72 engines.
The 1970s saw the decline in muscle cars due to higher insurance premium and tighter emission rules, Yenko began to modify Chevrolet Vega with spoiler, turbocharger and design graphics. Due to difficulties with United States Environmental Protection Agencyý certification, he only sold the modified Vega without a turbocharger. Instead, the turbocharger sold separately at the Yenko dealership. In 1972, Yenko stopped selling modified cars and began publishing a performance parts catalog from cosmetic modification to engine modification. One of his notable product was the ZL-1 engine and he produced them under permission from Chevrolet. In 1981, Yenko made his last modification, the Turbo Z Camaro. He added a turbocharger to 350 in³ (5.7 L) engine. He sold the Yenko Chevrolet dealership in 1982, which had been family owned since 1934.
Yenko Chevrolet, located in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania, was one of largest custom muscle car shops of the late 1960s and early 1970s.
Don Yenko, son of the dealership founder, first sold specially ordered and equipped Corvairs in 1965 through 1967 called the Yenko Stinger.
When the Camaro entered the pony car fray in 1966, Yenko transplanted Chevrolet's 427 cubic inch (7 L), 425 horsepower (317 kW) L-72 engine (along with other high-performance parts) and created the Yenko Camaro. The cars were so popular that, in 1968-69, Yenko used Chevrolet's Central Office Production Order (COPO) system to have L-72 engines installed into Chevrolet Camaros, Chevelles, and Novas on the factory assembly lines.
In 1971, the Chevrolet Vega Yenko Stinger II was sold with Vega's aluminum-block 2.3 inline 4 with a Turbocharger and 155 hp. The Stinger II was offered through 1973. Chevy didn't take the hint on this one, as no Vega factory turbo was ever built. The high performance and limited production of all Yenko-modified cars makes them valuable and prized to collectors.
Yenko, along with his three passengers, died in March 1987 while piloting his Cessna 210M into land near Charleston, West Virginia. The landing was hard, causing the aircraft to bounce and Yenko to lose control. It then hit a dirt bank, fell into a ravine and crashed
So to start with some Don Yenko, always to be linked with Chevy Muscle from the '60s and '70s.
In 1957, Yenko set up a performance shop for Chevrolet vehicles. The customers could either order high performance parts or have their car modified by Yenko's mechanics. In 1967, when Chevrolet began selling the Camaro, Yenko began to modify SS Camaros by replacing the original L-78 396 in³ (6.4 L)engine with a Chevrolet Corvette's L-72 427 in³ (7.0 L) and upgrade the rear axle and suspensions. He also modified other Chevrolet vehicles like Chevelle and Nova by fitting them with L-72 engines.
The 1970s saw the decline in muscle cars due to higher insurance premium and tighter emission rules, Yenko began to modify Chevrolet Vega with spoiler, turbocharger and design graphics. Due to difficulties with United States Environmental Protection Agencyý certification, he only sold the modified Vega without a turbocharger. Instead, the turbocharger sold separately at the Yenko dealership. In 1972, Yenko stopped selling modified cars and began publishing a performance parts catalog from cosmetic modification to engine modification. One of his notable product was the ZL-1 engine and he produced them under permission from Chevrolet. In 1981, Yenko made his last modification, the Turbo Z Camaro. He added a turbocharger to 350 in³ (5.7 L) engine. He sold the Yenko Chevrolet dealership in 1982, which had been family owned since 1934.
Yenko Chevrolet, located in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania, was one of largest custom muscle car shops of the late 1960s and early 1970s.
Don Yenko, son of the dealership founder, first sold specially ordered and equipped Corvairs in 1965 through 1967 called the Yenko Stinger.
When the Camaro entered the pony car fray in 1966, Yenko transplanted Chevrolet's 427 cubic inch (7 L), 425 horsepower (317 kW) L-72 engine (along with other high-performance parts) and created the Yenko Camaro. The cars were so popular that, in 1968-69, Yenko used Chevrolet's Central Office Production Order (COPO) system to have L-72 engines installed into Chevrolet Camaros, Chevelles, and Novas on the factory assembly lines.
In 1971, the Chevrolet Vega Yenko Stinger II was sold with Vega's aluminum-block 2.3 inline 4 with a Turbocharger and 155 hp. The Stinger II was offered through 1973. Chevy didn't take the hint on this one, as no Vega factory turbo was ever built. The high performance and limited production of all Yenko-modified cars makes them valuable and prized to collectors.
Yenko, along with his three passengers, died in March 1987 while piloting his Cessna 210M into land near Charleston, West Virginia. The landing was hard, causing the aircraft to bounce and Yenko to lose control. It then hit a dirt bank, fell into a ravine and crashed