1 of 67 Yenko Stinger (Vega)

[stokester]

Hello all Yenko fans.

I'm Nick Stokes the previous owner of the Vega Yenko Stinger that my friend Mike, AKA MrBeef gave to a good home.

I was the second owner of this car and purchased it sometime around 1975. I paid the previous owner $1800 and drove it through high school until I graduated in 1976 and joined the Air Force. After basic training I returned home and brought the car to Wichita Falls TX, then to Luke AFB in Phoenix AZ (KDKB bumper sticker) and then finally to Shaw AFB in South Carolina. When my orders to Germany arrived in 1980, Mike and another friend came to trailer it back to WI. It has set there for the last 20 years. My military life, now in its 27th year, did not allow me to keep a stable of cars, although I've tried. My hobby now is classic Volkswagens and I repair classic auto radios for these and other cars.

I know this was one of three Yenko Vegas around Monroe Wisconsin in the mid-seventies. A green, yellow and my red one. To my knowledge it was purchased from Thorstead Chevrolet in Madison WI in 1971.

I'm now stationed at Langley AFB in Virginia. I'll try to find some pictures and post if anyone is interested. Feel free to email me or ask questions here and I'll try to answer.

Cheers,

Nick

[Belair62]

Welcome Nick....I'm sure everyone would like to see any pics you have....could you ever imagine an old car you used to drag around the country would cause so much conversation 20+ years later ??!!

[sYc]

Nick, Welcome aboard. Neat car. Right now I am busy trying to get the 'possum smell out of the car. Whew [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/eek.gif[/img]. Am looking forward to going over the car and documenting the way the car was originally equipped/modified by Yenko.

[hvychev]

That would be a cool to display a section at the reunion of "super car beaters"! [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img] I would rather look at an unrestored car in it's raw form than restored sometimes.

[copo9566aa]

Cool find [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/burnout.gif[/img]

The part of this hobbie which I like best... [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/worship.gif[/img]

Vega Yenko = Sport Compact Supercars. [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/biggthumpup.gif[/img]

[COPO PETE]

Congrats Tom! A new member in your family..... get the cigars out. Ya, bring it to the reunion in its present form. That would be cool. [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/beers.gif[/img]
Peter

[Jim Mattison]

Tom,

I noticed that the Yenko Vega in the photos is missing the front and rear spoilers. They were made here in the Detroit area by a company called B.O.R.T. (Balls Out Racing Team), who also did a lot of work for Hurst. I introduced Yenko to them, back in the late 60's.

B.O.R.T. has been out of business for many years, but the owners of that company are still friends of mine and they might have some of the Yenko Vega pieces still left.

Jim Mattison

[Chevy454]

Jim:

The original spoilers were inside the car. It looks like all that is missing is the engine/trans(!), part of the interior, and the back glass (it's somewhere along the interstate!).

As for B.O.R.T., I'm pretty sure dad has a LOT of decals and such from them, as well an original folder or 2 with some info about them. What a cool name...!

[sYc]

Jim; As with Rob, I think BORT is a cool name. I had to laugh a few days ago, as I was researching Vega stuff, I ran across a site that mentioned BORT, and said it stood for something like British Overseas Racing Team. [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/haha.gif[/img]

Even though I have quite a bit of stuff related to BORT, I would welcome anything, paperwork, parts, etc. anything they might have. As you know, with each piece from the past comes a story, a piece to the puzzle. Tom

[mahoy78spyder]

Mr. Mattison,

I am familiar with Jack Purcell and Jack Juratovic's work with BORT. (I've also heard both names used for BORT, but the GM executives I know laughingly knew the real name was Balls Out Racing Team) I am curious if either of them would be interested in answering some questions I have concerning the Monza Mirage and Pontiac Lil'Wide Track Astre they designed many years ago. I am an historian of sorts for the GM Hbody cars and would love a quick exchange with them if they have time. They can answer 20+ years of questions I've had, to include their relationship with Michigan Automotive Techniques (MAT, Inc.) Is there any way either of them would have time to answer a few questions since you know them both? I can be reached offline at [email protected]. Thanks in advance. [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/biggthumpup.gif[/img]

As for this Yenko Vega goes, I'm glad to see you got it Tom/Rob. Had I been back in the states and not here in Kuwait I'd have been all over that car since it's just 4 hours North of me. **grin** Maybe I'll have to come down to visit your stable of cars again to see this one. [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/naughty.gif[/img]

Ken Mahoy