"New Yenkos", what is your opinion

[bullitt]

A Lightning? I think I'm going to throw up. How's the saying go, "No matter how much you polish it, a turd is still a turd." I saw one a few days ago, but it stayed in my rearview mirror, where it belongs. I think the October Road&Track has a pic of the Corvette Tiger Shark with a supercharged 427 with 742bhp! It would make a great 50th anniversary car. Some guys at GM still know how to make them, but the bean counters are probably not going to allow it. Remember, these dudes killed the Camaro and Firebird. I had an old magazine of that Donovan blocked Camaro that came out in '94, I think. That Boss Mustang was pretty bada**, too. It's going to be hard to find a newer Chevy dealership with a staff who'll stand behind their cars like a John Lingenfelter. BTW, didn't he just help Holley develope some BBC aluminum heads?--Bullitt

[Charley Lillard]

You don't like the Lightning ? 380hp Eaton Supercharged, Intercooled , high 13's right out of the box. 13.50's with about 650.00 of bolt on parts. And you can haul stuff with it. Now guys are running mid 12's with them and are shooting for the 11's... This is Muscle car stuff. I don't know what you have that is a daily driver that keeps you in front of a lightning but it must be fast.

[Dan 68 Chevy II]

Sometimes it's not the fastest but what's the coolest" Old Muscle".

[Belair62]

All the new stuff is cool but I'd rather set the timing than burn a chip....Charley...hear anything more on the new ZL1 deal ???

[TXYenko]

I think a proper representation of the "Yenko" name should consider some thought. As an example. I am a bird hunter and collector of Parker shotguns made in the U.S. in the 1900's era. Most of my guns are damascus steel barrels and will not handle most of the modern ammuntion loads on the market, and specialty ammo is very expensive. Winchester bought the rights and is now make "Parker Reproduction" shotguns. They have all the beauty and feel of my real ones, shoot modern ammo, and cost about half of my real ones, and best of all are replaceable if lost by an airline or outfitter. As a teen ager, I never heard the yenko name, and my father was a huge Chevy fan and Corvette restorer. It wasn't until I was almost 30 that I was bitten with the Yenko/COPO bug. So, to keep the memory alive, and that light burning in a younsters eye...maybe reviving some things in life that are fun and bring families together might not be such a bad idea.

[Jeff H]

These newer cars are being built under the same premise as the older ones. Guys take these newer muscle cars out and race them. Isn't that why the 427 cars were built in the first place? I personally know a guy here in NJ that still runs the original block in his 97 SS 30th anniversary convertible and he just pulled a 9.11 at 154 in the quarter mile last week. And the car is still driven on the street and passes most emissions tests. The new Berger and the Earnhardt SS cars certainly live up to the name of "supercars". They cost a lot, but so did the ZL1's. I've got a 69 Z28 JL8 car (Charlie knows this car) that I'm restoring with a crossram and a 93 Z28 Indy Pace Car that I run a supercharger on and drive to work every day. I love em both.