Yutivo Camaro Finds New Home

[technophobia]

Hello, everyone. This is Technophobia sending you warm greetings from a very "warm" country, the Philippines! Thanks to my colleague Mike De Leon of the Everyday Holiday Musclecar Club here in Manila, I learned about this really great website dedicated to the First Generation Camaro. As the new owner of an original '68 RS Camaro with Yutivo Philippines VIN 123378Y-120046P, I feel privileged to join Camaro enthusiasts the world over, in celebrating the virtues of the Greatest Pony Car Ever Built!

It's only the second night that my '68 Camaro shares space in my "Old Chevy" garage with my '66 Corvette Coupe and '72 Chevelle Super Sport, and already I'm overcome with the historical significance and desireability of my new ride.

Forgive my excitement, but technophobic as I am, I plan to spend more time online learning about my Camaro and sharing the info with my gearhead friends. Thank you in advance for such a comprehensive website, replete with important information that makes First Generation Camaro ownership a really fulfilling experience. If anyone is courageous enough to visit the Philippines, please let me know. Our country has become a haven for world-class concours-winning restorations, and the First Generation Camaro is one of the most revered cars of the Filipino motoring community. That's why our locally-assembled Yutivo Camaros have become so special in our part of the woods. I'll do my best to keep you posted on local events featuring our favorite classic cars.

Happy Motoring! Mabuhay at Maraming Salamat Po.

[Jonesy]

Welcome aboard. Post pictures of your new ride when you get a chance.

[KurtS]

Congratulations! The 68 Yutivos seem to be the hardest to find. What color is it?
When you get a chance, could you send me a picture of the VIN tag? It also has the color and interior codes on it.
We'd also be interested in any of the drivetrain (engine, trans, axle) codes. http://www.camaros.org/drivetrain.shtml

And I assume you've seen: http://www.camaros.org/yutivo.shtml

Thanks!!

[technophobia]

Thanks, KurtS and Jonesy, for the warm online welcome . I have seen the article on the Yutivo Camaros. My newly-acquired Yutivo Camaro is blue (a poor excuse for a repaint); a previous owner said the original color was a greenish-blue, so I presume this is the Teal Blue shade which was quite popular here in Manila when the car came out. My partner and I who operate a private hobby shop that restores mostly classic German and American cars, will get to work on this car very soon, and by that time I'll be able to post some photos, including the very famous Yutivo data plate.

Truth be told, the Yutivo Camaros with their original powertrains are more "show" than "go", simply because even in the '60s our country's onerous tax laws discouraged engines with more than six cylinders. This, of course, did not stop the more performance-minded gearheads from dropping in potent V8s in many of the loacally-available cars, including of course the Yutivo Camaro.

My Yutivo Camaro has its original L90 low-compression 250 inline six, hooked up to the three-speed manual gearbox. With manual drum brakes, slow manual steering, monoleafs and no airconditioning, the car is about as exciting as studying comparative sanskrit literature, but it is rare especially now, as only a handful of Yutivo Camaros survive here in the home country.  I wonder if any Yutivo Camaros have been exported? Hmmmm...

While the Yutivo Camaro is the only truly "Asian-born-and-bred" Camaro, the Yutivo Camaro article makes reference to Camaros being marketed (and possibly built) in Europe, more particularly Antwerp, Belgium which was the center of GM operations at the time. I was also informed by some Filipino Camarophiles that Camaros were also reportedly assembled in Australia, right-hand-drive and all. On the first generation models, RHD would have been an easy conversion, owing to the symmetrical layout of the dashboard. Be that as it may, I'm positive that if Camaros were assembled in Europe and Australia, they probably sported much more exciting powertrains than the Yutivo lumps.

Rest assured that even if I decide to upgrade to a decent small block V8, a four-speed manual and multileafs, I will of course keep the original pieces that came with my car. With all certainty, we plan to faithfully restore this Camaro as original as possible. While some may cringe at my "restification" plans by possibly upgrading to a 350, I will definitely keep the vehicle unaltered so as to make it easy to re-install the original powertrain, should I ever desire to do so.

Thanks again for your interest in this Oriental Camaro. I'll keep you posted on the developments. Cheers!

[Claus]

hi There

Welcome, nice to hear from a fellow Yutivo owner

I own a 67 Yutivo with the 250 coupled to a 3 speed manual and 3.55 gears. Its presently undergoing frame off restoration in Angeles http://www.69pace.com/1967_Yutivo.htm
I have gathered some information on Yutivos, which you can see on my site http://www.69pace.com/1967_yutivo_other.htm

I would gladly display your Yutivo along with some information on my site.
If you are interested then just email me pictures and info on the car - great to see another original Yutivo, and a 68 that seems to be the hardest to find.

I know of a couple of Yutivos that have been exported recently, and more are following.

[technophobia]

Finally, the Blue Brutus '68 Yutivo Camaro has been completed! In fact, the car has already taken home a trophy from the TransSportShow, a major Manila-based "salon"-type car show featuring everything from modern-day "bling" to collectible classics. Entered under the banner of our private hobby shop Route 66, the Camaro shared floor space with a '65 Mustang Convertible and a '68 Mercedes-Benz 280SL Pagoda coupe/roadster that we restored for our friends.

The Yutivo Camaro's original engine and transmission are now on an engine stand, where they will stay for posterity. The car has been "restified" with period-correct pieces, such as Ansen Automotive 5-spoke alloys donated by my compadre Edward Lim; an "outlaw" Cowl Induction Hood, Trans-Am regulation rear ducktail spoiler and front airdam locally fabricated by Joe "Fiberglass Man" Ignacio; a locally-reskinned black Custom Interior by Skid Row Interiors featuring leather seats with the original-pattern design; "aluminized" custom dual exhaust by Mufflerland, and the following motivation components: Small block 350 V8 professionally rebuilt by renowned engine builder Ben Lim, featuring a Lunati Voodoo cam, a Holley Avenger 670cfm carb, a "Winters-style" Weiand dual plane aluminum intake manifold, high-flow 202 heads, Hooker Super Competition ceramic-coated headers, GM High Energy Ignition; Muncie M20 4speed manual hooked up to a Hurst Competition Plus Shifter; 3.90 Limited Slip 10-bolt Rearend. Our Tech Director Ferdinand Monsod took care of getting all the mechanicals just right. My Route 66 partner Alex Claudio and I directed all aspects of the restoration. Modesty aside, I think our project has turned out to be one really nice piece of Philippine Motoring History

The car was painted in correct Code "UU" Le Mans Blue, using K92 Urethane Paint. It has a white Bumblebee Stripe to keep things exciting.

Unfortunately, Technophobia cannot post pictures at this time. However, I invite everyone reading this thread to log in to our local website http://musclecarsph.1.forumer.com for the latest on the Philippine Musclecar Scene. At the MusclecarsPH site can be found many photos of our Yutivo Camaro in the latest threads about TransSportShow, along with many other musclecars and collectible classics. Musclecars are enjoying great popularity in the Philippines at this time, and things can only get hotter! As fellow MusclecarsPH member Claus (who also regularly contributes to this Forum) will attest, the Philippines has become a hub for the restoration and preservation of many classic vehicles of all types, including, of course, our beloved First Generation Camaros.

I will try to post more details and photos of our Yutivo Camaro bearing Philippines-specific VIN# 123378Y120046P as soon as I can. Thanks for providing the inspiration and information needed to make our Yutivo Camaro a really neat ride!

[KurtS]

Whenever you get a chance, I would appreciate the #'s from the drivetrain. No hurry.
Very few Yutivo Camaros have their original drivetrains and the codes can tell us what the factory installed and when. Should be easier since the engine and trans are out of the car.    http://www.camaros.org/drivetrain.shtml 

Congrats on finishing the car and the trophy! Looks good! Do I see a US style trim tag in that one picture?

Pics are here: http://musclecarsph.1.forumer.com/index.php?showtopic=706&st=15

[technophobia]

Yes, KurtS, that's a U.S.-style '69 Norwood trim tag that we installed for the show. Code UU Le Mans Blue with a Code 749 Black Houndstooth Bucket Seat Interior. It was given to me by my engine rebuilder Ben Lim for use during the show. I was actually waiting for the sixty-four-dollar question from any of the judges, "Is that a restified Yutivo Camaro?" To my amazement, not one of them proffered the question. Maybe that was because I was competing in the modified class anyway. I personally cleaned up and detailed the original Yutivo tag, and it is proudly going back to its permanent home on the passengers side of the firewall in the next day or so.

For your additional info, the exposed VIN# location on '68 and later cars as mandated by U.S. law to be visible thru the windshield is also used in the American-origin Yutivo cars from '68 on, containing the same Yutivo-exclusive VIN# found on the Yutivo plate, stamped at the Yutivo production facility.

Further Yutivo-exclusive "badges of honor" I am searching for are the chrome dealer scripts that say "Northern Motors, Inc." (For Manila and the main island of Luzon) and "Southern Motors, Inc". (For the Southern islands of Visayas and Mindanao). These scripts were affixed to the rear facia or trunklids of the cars sold by said dealer concerns, which were also owned by the Yutivo family. I recall that these scripts were intended to be installed during the delivery of the new vehicle, when the proud owner was given the option to take the scripts home as a souvenir, or have the scripts affixed permanently to the vehicle (which meant drilling three holes and installing emblem locks on the car, something many owners did not want done to their brand-spanking-new rides). Not only did these scripts look bad, especially when fitted diagonally on the rear fascia between the fuel filler and passenger side tail light on the first generation Camaro, they actually caused premature rust on the fascia panel. Nevertheless, these dealer scripts complete the "Yutivo-look" package. Finally, a less-offensive 1.5"x1.5" bumper sticker that said "Power Tuned by Northern Motors, Inc. was an often-seen item, usually located near the passenger-side end corner of the rear bumper. My good friend and auto historian Eduardo "Nonoy" Chanco Jr. is now feverishly searching for a "Northern Motors, Inc." dealer script which he says he kept somewhere in his parts bin. He is planning to give that script to me as an advance birthday present, once he unearths it. He is also searching for photos or a copy of that "Power Tuned" bumper sticker, and he plans to digitally reproduce it for more "historical" impact on the Yutivo cars. Rest assured that if I ever get the Northern Motors Inc. dealer script from my good buddy Nonoy, it will never be affixed on the vehicle, but rather will share closet space with the radio block-off plate and the heater-delete plate.

I will check on the drivetrain numbers and make a report on this thread as soon as I have the chance to go on my "numbers fishing expedition".

Thanks again for your interest in the Yutivo Camaro!

[Claus]

Hi Frank

Your Yutivo looks great, good job.

The lemans blue looks good on it.

Claus