Did Dealers remove SMOG?

[Mr70]

But my question is when restoring a Yenko prepared 427 1969 Super car today,do you include the Smog equipment on the engine?
Do we have survivor Yenko's out there who still have it on?

[bkhpah]

I have interviewed 4 original owners a 67, 68, and two 69's. All cars sold at Yenko and all had headers on at the time of purchase. This is most likley NOT the case on cars that were shipped via SPAN to other dealerships in the network. I am also fairly certain that not every car sold at Yenko would have had headers. The gentleman that owns the 67 had the headers removed by Yenko for the first PA inspection {at that time twice a year} when the car would not pass with headers. Yenko offered headers, you can bet some were sold with them. The cars that were sold as competition cars were. The race engine Yenko installed in my car were part of the deal...BKH

[Chevy454]

In one of our Camaro reference books (I can't remember if it was Hooper's or McNeish's) it states that all '69 cars came with smog, but that it had been rumored that possibly the low HP 396 Chevelles may have not had the smog...or something to that effect. I know our Camaro has the untapped manifolds, which I see occasionally, which makes me wonder if there was possibly more than 1 car that came without the smog. But, who knows?!

This is a very interesting topic. Did anyone have a chance to speak much with the gentleman that was the original owner of 2 Yenko Camaros? Maybe we need to pick his brain!!!!!

[Keith Tedford]

In '69 I don't think the L34 and L35 powered cars got the AIR pump. California may have been the exception. Back as far as '66 California L79 cars got the AIR pump.

[Belair62]

On a Claifornia side note....there were special emission requirements as early as 1961...no road draft tubes on Cali. cars ...Charlie or ??? how early did Cal. require emissions ?

[bbdon]

In 69, V8 Camaros and Novas had a air pump if they had a manual transmission, but they did not if they have an automatic. The reference books used at the smog check stations here in California erroneously state that the big block automatic cars have a thermal air cleaner. I used to have to put one on, along with a nox kit, to pass the smog test. My understanding is that the air pumps were on all of the cars sold in the US, not just California.

[JoeC]

Poking around in the books I see the carbs were different for w/o A.I.R. If you look through the Holley carb listings they show 1967 396 with or without A.I.R. Then in 1968 - 69 they do not specify with or without A.I.R. for the L78, L72 Holley. It looks like there was only one carb listed for the L72 which I believe is for A.I.R. On the 1969 Q-Jet listing the third digit of part number designates a w/o A.I.R. carb. My listing shows 396 325hp and 350hp Qjets had no A.I.R. in 69 but then in 1970 they list CA and non-CA for 49 state emission carbs. (The people in Cali just have to be different). I think the 49 state emission rule started in 69 and was also an option in 69 but my carb listing does not show it. I will post this question on some sites to see what they say. Also a fan belt listing should show a different part number for w/o A.I.R.