Mecum Auction Pics

[lzdick]

The ZL-1 lot included three (3) engines. Two were complete, carb to pan, and the third was a bare block. As i recall, one complete block was one out of a car (can't remember car number) and the other described as a Yenko ZL-1 engine. The third was the current production block (bare). Bid to $50,000...reserve near $100,000.

What is the story on Yenko ZL-1 engines? I remember seeing a red '69 Camaro on eBay (and discussed here) with what they described as a Yenko ZL-1. Are these the blocks with "YENKO" cast into the front of the block? Would love to learn more about these engines.

Rich

[sYc]

[ QUOTE ]
What is the story on Yenko ZL-1 engines? I remember seeing a red '69 Camaro on eBay (and discussed here) with what they described as a Yenko ZL-1. Are these the blocks with "YENKO" cast into the front of the block? Would love to learn more about these engines.

Rich

[/ QUOTE ]


Rich,

Yenko took up where Chevy left off with the ZL-1 engine program, sometime in the mid-70s. The Yenko ZL-1 program was ran out of the old building at Canonsburg, (Yenko Chevrolet had moved to Mc Murray) with Bill “Smithy” Smith in charge.

I have seen two types of Yenko imprints on their engines, the word Yenko or the Yenko crest. The blocks came two ways, either with or without water passages. From what I was told most, were installed in stock cars or boats, with a few NOS old ones still floating around. Ken Barnhart just recently installed one in his ZL-1 Camaro.

I have never seen documentation of a Yenko ZL-1 block being installed in an automobile by Yenko.