The Supercar Registry - Yenko Vegas?

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- - Yenko Vegas? (https://www.yenko.net/forum/showthread.php?t=78068)

Since the Yenko Camaros, Chevelles are way beyond a working man's price range I was thinking about the Yenko Vega. I don't know how many have been found, but last I looked it wasn't many. I once knew a guy that was racing Vega's 20 years ago and wondered what a decent price is for a a unrestored, not to rusty (ha,ha,) Yenko Vega would be? Truthfully, I don't even know this guy is alive or not, he raced Vegas when Vegas were cool... you know, the V8 Baldwin type cars, and when they were just rusty crusher scrap. I know this is just spittin in the wind, but I have been looking for Vegas in my travels around and have only seen one junker (non-Yenko) since. I wondered what a non-restored Yenok Vega might bring in? Thanks alot. https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/imag...s/confused.gif

Re: Yenko Vegas?

A very good question, I have always been curious about the Vega's and it seems that very little is known about them... if you look at the portion of this site dedicated to the Yenko Vega you will find that it is just about blank, with no production numbers, etc. There are a few threads that deal with these cars if you do a search, but very few have been found. I have many of Don's original pics of these cars, and even have a few photos of an entire trainload of completed cars, so i KNOW Yenko built a pile of em', it just seems like not many survived, which is not surprising I guess, as not many Vega's in general survived beyond about 10 years before rotting away and becoming one with the earth again. As for value, its hard to really put a value on them because so few change hands, but I agree that they are neat cars, and can't wait to see one show up at a SCR! https://www.yenko.net/attachments/94220-vegatrain.jpg

Re: Yenko Vegas?

From the website www.COPO.COM I noticed the cars had a rear spoiler and were striped and had a Yenko badge. Looks like the cars would be easily spotted from a distance. Maybe I'll try to look this guy up. He actually rebuilt Vega engines years ago and raced a 4cyl Vega for years at a local track. Who know until you try. https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/imag...lins/dunno.gif

Re: Yenko Vegas?

I remember reading an article on the 10 worst cars ever made. The vega was on the list, can't remember where it placed, i think it was third, but the only comment on it was "there has to be something wrong with this car when it's starts rusting on the showroom floor" https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/imag...emlins/eek.gif

Re: Yenko Vegas?

Say what you will... i think a Yenko Vega would be a cool car to have.

Re: Yenko Vegas?

Very interesting FACT. Fencl Tufo Chevrolet in Glendale Heights, IL received a 1971 Mon-O-War Red Yenko Vega. When the original paperwork was found there was several legal papers from when the owner was sueing the dealership because the car had had a lot of trouble! https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/imag...lins/blush.gif https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/imag...mlins/grin.gif https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/imag...mlins/cool.gif

Re: Yenko Vegas?

That's not a surprise, I wish I could have seen the 50,000 mile endurance test Yenko Vega afterwards. Somebody fill in the details, was the block junked? Something like oil seeped right through the aluminum casting?

Re: Yenko Vegas?

The early Vegas had aluminum blocks that did not have iron sleeves. Blown head gaskets and cracked blocks were common. Later Vegas had this problem fixed, but by then nobody cared. My dad had a 76 Vega that he got over 100k miles out of it.

Re: Yenko Vegas?

I've spoken with a gentleman who claims his father had a Yenko Vega that he bought second hand, with some race parts installed on it. Supposedly it was formerly owned and raced by Sterling Moss before his dad bought it, but unfortunately he can't find any old photos of it for reference. Does anyone know anything more on this Sterling Moss raced Yenko Vega?

Re: Yenko Vegas?

I remember reading in a motor trend in 71 that they ran a Yenko vega, a mustang, and another car that I can't remember. The vega was the fastest. Ran low-mid 14s, but the said the block had gotten porus from the turbo, and got tired very quickly. I had a 76 vega GT 5spd. Ran Mobil 1 in it. Had 90k on it when I sold it, and would get 32mpg. Without the Mobil 1 it did'nt like to start in the winter. Schonye

Re: Yenko Vegas?

I agree that a Yenko Vega would be a cool car to have, as would any Yenko tuned car. I never thought for a million years I'd like a Corvair till I saw the Yenko Stingers and would take one in a second.

Re: Yenko Vegas?

[ QUOTE ]
Say what you will... i think a Yenko Vega would be a cool car to have.

[/ QUOTE ]

Im not knocking them im just mentioning that there proablly is'nt a lot around becouse they were not built well. Ive never seen a yenko vega but i would imagine that Don built them up to handle his modifications, which in turn would give you a much better car then the factory could turn out. I built one of those v8 vegas back in the day, never did finish it as i traded the project for a better car. https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/imag...lins/beers.gif

Re: Yenko Vegas?

[ QUOTE ]
That's not a surprise, I wish I could have seen the 50,000 mile endurance test Yenko Vega afterwards. Somebody fill in the details, was the block junked? Something like oil seeped right through the aluminum casting?

[/ QUOTE ]

Most likely why Motion put 350s and 454s in 'em. https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/imag...mlins/grin.gif

Re: Yenko Vegas?

I don't mean to hijack the thread but has anyone ever seen a Motion Vega? I haven't but I remember the seeing ads in magazines for years after they quit building Vegas. There must have been a bunch of them at one time.

Re: Yenko Vegas?

Actually one of our CA members has one. A cool piece to say the least..

https://www.yenko.net/features/2000/May2000.htm

If we could just get him to bring it to a SCR.

Re: Yenko Vegas?

Its my understanding that a bunch of the BM Vegas got shipped off to the Philippines and other exported areas. Have some friends checking on the Philippine connection already!!

Re: Yenko Vegas?

i have an old video of a silver motion vega at the track.
they are cool cars https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/imag...ns/burnout.gif

Re: Yenko Vegas?

Shor, Rob mentioned seeing a Vega in the video you sent, but I thought he said Yenko Vega..

Re: Yenko Vegas?

oops.
meant yenko vega.
i had just read jeffs post and had BM on the mind

Re: Yenko Vegas?

What years was the Yenko Vega available ?

Re: Yenko Vegas?

1971-73 they were avail. Roger

Re: Yenko Vegas?

Found this Yenko Vega rough notes on my computer - may be from an old post I did......

Don (and Chevy) had big plans to make the Vega a SCCA class race car like they did with the Stinger Corvair.
Yenko built a Vega race car to run Daytona.
Warren D was crew chief.
Yenko Sports Cars Inc was responsible for building and campaigning the car.
The engines came in crates from Chevy Engineering back door support (Vince Piggins's group).
They blew all the engines trying to qualify the car but never made the race.
There was a rule where the slowest car on the track had to be within a certain percentage of the fastest car. The Vega's speed difference was not acceptable. The Yenko Vega didn't make the race.
It was a cool looking car - blue with a large Yenko crest painted on it. have some slides from Daytona
The Vega engine sucked.
Chevy engineering built prototype turbo Vega
Chevy had a turbo Vega show car called vegavette or something like that
appears that Yenko began to sell them in 1971 and maybe up to 1973. They were in car magazines in 1971 and I found an ad for Group 7 Filters that has a sweepstakes where they show a 1973 Yenko Turbo Stinger as the Grand Prize.

I don't know if Yenko sold the Vega Stinger in 1973 or if this was a car built just for Group 7 Filters.

There was a Turbo Vega road test in Super Street Cars April 1972 that states the car ran 15.2 but Yenko told them it can get into the 14's. This car came through Hory Chevrolet in Larchmont N.Y. They said you have to get the turbo installed after you purchase the car from the dealer but Yenko planed to offer a complete Turbo car.

the Yenko Vega was done as a COPO with special HD pistons and some other parts done at the factory. I think it was COPO 9011 OR 9711.

It appears that Yenko had big plans to sell the Yenko Turbo Stinger Vega in 1972 as a complete car but the plans changed.

Stinger Stuff catolog had the turbo kits and special valve covers and some ad on spoilers, scoops, and other parts available.

There was a reference in a Yenko Stinger Stuff catalog that 200 Vegas were already built at the time the catalog was published but it is not clear if they were just Vegas with stripe kits or additional modifications. or Yenko exageration

Yenko had problems with the GOV to get the Turbo Vega passed the emission and safety regulations so did not sell complete turbo vegas

Re: Yenko Vegas?

Thanks JoeC, today I saw a yellow Vega GT with a rear spoiler but no Yenko emblems so I didn't knock on the door of the house it was at. Did the Yenko Vega have any plaques or anything else that might give them away? and whats the story with the Cosworth Vega? Did Don have anything to do with this car? https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/imag...s/confused.gif

Re: Yenko Vegas?