Fish story or not???

[hotrod68]

Today a mechanic at our dealership told me of a red '69 Yenko Camaro on eBay. That's not so unusual, but he said the seller is claming the block is a ZL-1 casting. Now it gets better; the seller claims that GM cast FIVE special ZL-1 blocks with "Yenko" clearly visible on the block, and they were sold through Canonsburg. Being that were only 69 documented ZL-1 Camaros and 2 ZL-1 Corvettes offered for public sale, and that the COPO Yenkos were iron 427s, I find it hard to believe that GM cast 5 rare ZL-1 blocks just for Don Yenko when the REAL ZL-1s barely got through the central offfice. Am I all wet here or is this a legit claim? I went to eBay tonight and couldn't find the car the mechanic was talking about, and I call b-s. I know it's possible--I've seen the picture of the phantom black-and-gold ZL-1 that was optioned to death and built for a GM executive--but that was a GM bigwig and not a dealer. Is this a fish story, a hoax by the seller, or a legit engine?

[RamAirDave]

There has been a red 69 on ebay (and several times in scam ads) with a Yenko block.

Dont know the story on the Yenko blocks, but if I remember right it is just the block transplanted into a random 69.

[KurtS]

Yenko bought the casting rights to the ZL1 block in the mid-70's and cast those blocks for several years.
Someone just installed one in a 69, didn't leave the factory that way.....

[hotrod68]

Thanks, Kurt--mystery solved.

[Steve Shauger]

Never made a red 69 Yenko Camaro as well.

[KurtS]

So Steve had to open that can of worms.
Yenko only made the 5 colors (DY, HO, FG, LB, & OG) in 69. But Douglas Chev in Chicago had the rights from Yenko to buy the cars from Chevrolet directly and stripe them as Yenkos. Douglas Yenkos were ordered in other colors; a white one is for sale right now.

[RamAirDave]

Wasnt Rally Green available on Yenkos also?

[KurtS]

Oops. That's what you get from going from memory. RG too.

[cib12]

well back in the day I had a friend that was a wrench for Gordon Johncock when he got started racing and have been around 1960s circle tracks.  This friend had two GM ZL1's in his garage and I had another friend that had bought the engine (crate) from a chev dealer and used it for drag racing. I really wonder how many could be out there(the engine that is)

[bigblknmbrs]

Your friend had TWO ZL-1 Camaro's in his garage that cost $45,000 dollars each (in today's dollars), or $90,000 dollars. Sitting in his garage. Ordering a ZL-1 engine in 1969 was no problem. They cost about $22,500 in todays dollars. The ZL-1 was identical to the L-88 except for the block in 1969.
I'll leave it at that...............................

[sbaustin]

I bought that red 69 Camaro with the Yenko engine on ebay.  I have the documentation from Don Yenko -- it is real, manufactured by Yenko.  I have been restoring it for the past 4 years, have gotten to the point of installing the alternator.  Here's my challenge:

Alternator for 69 Camaros was on the passenger side.  This includes a (real) ZL1 and Yenko Copo 427.  However, the Yenko manufactured ZL1 included a short shaft aluminum water pump (available only 67-68).  If I stay with the short shaft aluminum water pump, I have to put the alternator on the driver's side which would technically be incorrect for a 69 Camaro.  To put the alternator on the passenger side, I would have to install a long shaft (non-aluminum) water pump. 

I realize Yenko did quite a bit of his own fabrication, had no standard rules, just looking to keep the car as correct as possible.  Any inputs would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you.

   

[JoeC]

I don't know where that number 5 comes from for engines made.

Don Yenko probably blew up more then 5 alu BB blocks as he raced them in Corvettes, Camaros, and Monzas.
Don ran a ZL1 engine in a 69 Camaro in 1969 and 1970 Sebring 12hr race.

He and others ran Yenko alu BBs in Corvettes and Monzas in SCCA and IMSA road racing and they were also used in other forms of racing such as drag, sprint, boats, etc

[rsr]

A YENKO ZL-1 was just on ebay last week with paper work from 1982.Somebody in Greensboro,NC bought it in 1982.

[elcamino72]

Kurt is correct, Don Yenko bought the rights and cast his own ZL1 engines with YENKNO embossed on them.  I remember a few running around the Canonsburg area as late as the late 1990s.