68 yenko camaro

[BEAUMONTBILL]

I JUST PURCHASED A CAMARO THAT I BELIEVE TO BE A 68 YENKO. IT HAS BEEN SITTING FOR OVER 15 YEARS AND IS IN NEED OF TOTAL RESTORATION. HOW CAN I VARIFY THAT IT IS A YENKO CAR. I OBVIOUSLY HAVE THE VIN NUMBER
AND THERE IS A YENKO NUMBER ON THE TAG BUT I DON'T KNOW WHO TO TALK TO. CAN SOMEONE HELP ME DOCUMENT THIS CAR? THANKS

[elcamino]

I can't help but if you post the VIN and cowl tag data I am sure someone will be able to look at it and render an opinion.

mike

[JoeC]

There is not much info available on the 68's. From what I have read, the 1968 Yenko Camaro should have a 140 mph speedometer, larger front sway bar, and some other upgrades although they may not all have it. There have been some articles on the 68 Yenko Camaro that state the original engine is a 427 with a MV code. Other people claim that all 68 Yenkos had the 427 engine transplant done by Yenko. There should be a Yenko ID tag with a YS-80xx number. I don't know if anyone other then Vince E. has all the 1968 Yenko Camaro vin. numbers. Does this car have the original engine and/or rear end? There appears to be some evidence that some of the 68 Yenko's were done as COPO 427/425 cars and maybe some were COPO 396/375 but I would guess that they at least used the COPO system to receive the 140 speedo and other HI Performance parts.

[Kurt S]

I should be able to tell you if you post the VIN, trim tag and YS #'s.

BTW, there's nothing that anyone can do with a VIN #. Anyone could walk up to the car in a parking lot and get it. Then what?

Kurt

[Rowdy Rat]

Joe,

I guess you can count me in with the group that believes that all of the 1968 427 cars were transplants; at least with the data available at this time.

I know that there have been several articles written about an "MV" code 427 in 1968. I have personally seen one of these "MV" blocks (and am still trying to purchase it ); it is most definitely a standard bore 396, casting number 3916323. The information stamped on the pad is for a 1968 Camaro with casting and assembly dates in early 1968. The owner of the block was told that the car was delivered to Yenko Chevrolet and subsequent data I have received from NCIB records confirm this. The final piece of evidence would be to find the car that this engine belongs to, but so far, I haven't been successful in locating it.

Regardless, I believe that what has been discovered to this point rules out the possibility of an "MV" code 427 (I don't see GM using the same broadcast codes for both a 396 and a 427 during the same model year). The more likely scenario is a special code assigned to the L-78s installed in COPO 9737 Camaros in 1968.

Regards,

Stan Falenski

[Edited by Rowdy Rat (02-20-2001 at 08:52 AM).]

[YENKO DEUCE REGISTRY]

Tom/Rob;
When you guys acquired your collection of Yenko paperwork ect, did you happen to get old purchase orders? Specifically, from 1967-1970? If not, do you know if John Connelly has them?
Marlin

[JoeC]

Stan, I have more questions then answers on the 1968 Yenko Camaros but there have been a few articles that make the claim of a COPO 427 1968 Camaro. If the factory used a standard L78 why would they put the special MV code on it? Maybe it was a special COPO L78. I do not know. Jim Mattison did recall in his interview with MCR that the 68 Yenko had a factory installed 427. The article in CHEVY ACTION Magazine Oct. 1992 written by Mike Mueller appears to prove that at least one 1968 Yenko Camaro is a COPO 427 car. The Camaro is the white 68 Yenko now in Kevin's collection. The magazine has a picture of an original COPO order form dated 2-13-68 requested by Yenko Chevrolet and Span inc. for a 9737HD sports car conversion. One line of the document listed the RPO L78 that appears to have been deleted and replaced by other components. The article on the blue 1968 Yenko Camaro raffle car also claimed it was a COPO 427. I do not know if Kevin received all the documentation when he purchased the cars but a close look at the paperwork may answer some questions.

[Kurt S]

From the Tonawanda build records, MV was a 396 with a L88 carb on it. No idea why it was done (maybe so Yenko could reuse the carb??), but that's what it was.
Lot of BS out there about the MV being a 427, but GM documentation proves otherwise.

Kurt

[bowtie3168]

I would ask Brian Henderson, and Ed Cuneen.

[YENKO DEUCE REGISTRY]

Not so fast on the 'GM documentation'!!

GM doc's say that the 'CTB' and 'CTC' engine codes are for '70 Z28 Camaros, 4speed and a/t respectively. However, GM doc's don't say that these codes were also used in COPO 9010/9737 for NOVAS!!!!! It appears that GM did not always recode the engines when they were used in COPO applications.

The 'MV' coded engines could very well fall into the same situation. It might be a 396 under normal circumstances, but when used in conjunction with a COPO application it could be something totally different. I have seen some of the paperwork on the '68 Camaro, and it does reference an L72 engine being tested in conjunction with COPO 9737 for Yenko.

I have learned; never say 'never' or 'always' where GM is concerned!!
Marlin