'68 Yenko, Transplant vs. COPO

[JoeC]

Jim - Welcome and its great to see you adding to the discussion here.
I know it was many years ago but do you remember this name "Excalibur”? It seems like Engineering used it as some sort of code name like in a James Bond movie. I have been following the story on the 68 Yenko Camaro engine for many years and there appears to be evidence for a 427 MV and a 396 MV. One thing I notice is the date on that emission test document is 6-21-68 which is very late in the 1968 model year since change overs began in late July 68 for the 1969 model year. That "GSD-578" form dated 2-13-68 requesting the 9737HD build for Yenko is also half into the 68-model year. If Yenko wanted to sell COPO 1968 Camaros I would think the paperwork would have to be started in late 1967. This leads me to believe that early 68 Yenkos were transplants. Just my observation. On the other hand, the paperwork Kevin has especially the GSD-578 seems to indicate a COPO 427. Also the article on the blue 68 Yenko Camaro in Super Chevy claims that car has the original motor and it is a MV code 427. They claim to have the POP and a broadcast sheet and the original owners name which they state in the article bought the car in December of 1968. I also heard of a 3rd 68 Yenko owner claiming to have a 427 MV code block with a Dec 67 date. (I have his name and have been trying to contact him) I am curious if the build dates of the MV 396 cars are all early and the build dates of the cars claiming 427 MV motors are later build dates. I guess it would be very odd for Chevy to build a MV code 396 and a MV code 427 but that sure would hide it from management if that were their intention.

[Chevy454]

Jim:

Thanks for stopping by! It will be good to see what you have to say, and maybe you can help shed some light on the COPO paperwork, and explain what moves were made to make a thing like a COPO car happen.

JoeC:

Could "Excalibur” possibly have been a name that Yenko came up with? Kind of like "Stormer" & "Stinger"? Maybe he was considering this name, and GM used it just to kind of keep track of the combo? Who knows...just thinking out loud...although it might not be very loud!

[Rowdy Rat]

I've been trying to purchase the engine that Brian mentioned for about five years now. It is definitely a standard bore 396, casting number 3916323. The casting date is B 15 8 and the assembly date/broadcast code is T0223MV. The VIN derivative is 18N412### which appears to be for a mid-April 1968 car. The NICB records as well as information given to the current owner of the block indicate that the car it was installed in was originally delivered to Yenko Chevrolet. It is the real deal; there is nothing about this block that makes me believe it was restamped or altered in any way. I hadn't realized that there were other "MV" 396s out there until Kurt spoke up about the ones he he has found as well as Brian's recent finds. This leads me to believe that "MV" code 396s were being installed in Camaros as late as April 1968. Whatever theory you may have for 427 engines in 1968 has to account for these 396s.

Jim, good to see you here. A couple of questions that I have that perhaps you can comment on as you were involved in the project and with the people. First, federal emissions compliance went into effect for all 50 states for the 1968 model year (hence the emissions testing data that Kevin was kind enough to provide and Marlin to post). Would Cole or Estes jeopardize their professional careers (and pensions/retirement plans - they were both getting close to retirement, right?) by selling cars in the U.S. without emissions compliance. Doing so would certainly risk a run in with the federal government. If not, then the earliest possible date for production would have been 6/21/68 according to Kevin's documents. That's assuming that the tests were satisfactory and GM was ready to immediately start building cars at that point (I doubt that GM moved that quickly). Second, if the purpose of the "MV" code was to identify the engines for warranty issues, then you've created a real problem by using "MV" for both 396s and 427s in the same platform. Which is which?

Joe, I appreciate you digging out that 1967 L-88 carburetor. It adds some support to what I had discovered so far.

Regards,

Stan

[SuperCars]

This is getting interesting. Thanks for your posts Jim M. It is great to hear from someone like you who was involved with these processes. I was especially keen to hear about your personal contact with Don Yenko and the part about Don Yenko, Ed Cole, and Pete Estes agreeing together for production of the 427 Camaro in 1968. It sounds as if this took place in the middle of the 68 Production year. I always wondered how Yenko could afford to do the 427 transplant conversions and warantee them on his own.

I have heard of this MV 396 block also, and is evidence for 68's having been transplants. But, we also see here as Jim states; that later in 1968 Chevrolet committed to 68 427 Camaro production under COPO 9737. I believe at least one 427 Camaro was built, such as my 68 Yenko with Chevy tag: "special order drag car".

I am repeating again from GM documents under COPO 9737/Yenko/, April 68 is the first appearance of the RPO V78 "Less Certificate of Compliance/Export/". This is what would cover Chevrolet (Cole and Estes) from the Emissions regulations and thus put the matter on Yenko's shoulders to resolve. Now that Yenko was successful in getting Chevrolet to commit to build 427 Camaros, his next challenge was to keep Federal Emissions guys from contacting him, if he were selling non-compliance cars. Technically at this point a factory production 68 427 Camaro could only be sold as a race car or exported. This most likely resulted in Yenko's request for the Chevrolet Engineering Test Order for the L72 Camaro smog test (with the code name "Excaliber) which as dated May 20, 1968, with 6-21-68 as completion date. I believe this Smog Test request is the fall-out after a 427 Camaro with V78 non-compliance was built and Yenko realizing he had to deal with Federal Emissions as well.

I have a last side note here. Just for the heck of it, as I didn't think the answer would be yes; two days ago I asked Vince the question: were any 68 Yenkos exported? He said no they weren't, and actually most of them went to one state. He told me the state, and was a complete surprise to me; what state that was.

[YENKO DEUCE REGISTRY]

Kevin;
I will take a stab at your question! Florida??
M

[SuperCars]

Marlin,
You got me grinning here. Is that just a stab, or is there some basis for that guess?

[YENKO DEUCE REGISTRY]

Kevin;
With all honesty, that is a guess. Although, it is based on the fact there has seemed to be a strange amount of '68 Yenko Camaros being sold out of Florida within the last few years. I'm assuming that they all weren't brought there after being sold new.

I know that one of the Island Teal cars was sold by the Camaro Club, which is/was in Florida. I believe one of the red, RS cars was sold in Hemmings a couple of years ago - from Florida (?). I know that a member of this board has YS-8030 - in Florida. The car on the screensaver has a Florida license plate. BeaumontBill just purchased the Corvette Bronze '68 Yenko that I know was sold new in Florida. I believe there are others. I checked my dealer listing that I have been assembling over the years, and found that Florida had at least 4 dealers in the Yenko network.

So, that is my guess!! Is it correct??????
M

[Edited by YENKO DEUCE REGISTRY (05-03-2001 at 02:10 PM).]