Yenko take out motors

**bkhpah** · #1 08-26-2002, 11:20 AM

The take out engines were advertised for sale in the Pittsburgh Press. One story I heard is a trucking company bought many of the left over engines. As for original 68 MV 396 code engines in Camaros, my friend has one with the VIN...BKH

Chevy454 · #2 08-26-2002, 12:05 PM

Jeff:

The story on Ray and his '68 COPO Nova is truly awesome, and we are fortunate enough to live within about 40 miles of Ray, and get to see him and his car fairly often. As neat as his car is, it may be overshadowed by the fact that Ray is so unbelievably nice! He is truly a class act, and would talk cars until the cows come home!

Interesting info about the take out engines and the trucking company. It just so happens there is a late '60s 2-ton wrecker here in town that sports an L-78, and has for a LONG TIME, and it's supposed to even be out of a '68 Camaro! That thing sure sounds good when he's in a hurry...maybe I should do a little investigating!

**YENKO DEUCE REGISTRY** · #3 08-26-2002, 01:12 PM

I understand that Don would have done anything to get rid of the orig. L78's, whether they be complete engines or just the short's from the '68's.

Any '69 427 Nova that is claimed to be a COPO would have to have serious paperwork in order to be believable, not impossible but highly unlikely. Not all of the '69 Yenko Novas were 427's, supposedly, approx. 7 were left as 396's with possibly a supertune. That is similar to the '68 Harrell Novas, you could get them plain Gibb style, Harrell L78 supertuned, or Harrell L?? converted.

69rsss350 · #4 08-26-2002, 01:20 PM

Still wondering if the 427s were stamped or otherwise identifiable as being the one Yenko put in?

**COPO** · #5 08-26-2002, 01:29 PM

My thoughts is they were not identifiable on the conversion cars. I have not heard of any of the converters of the day actually stamping engines, ie. Nickey, Motion, Thomas, Harrell, etc.

**YENKO DEUCE REGISTRY** · #6 08-26-2002, 01:38 PM

I believe Motion did stamp his engines, something like: MP####. I thought it was tied into the work order, for verification purposes.

To my knowledge, Yenko did not stamp anything onto the YSC installed engines.

**sixtiesmuscle** · #7 08-26-2002, 01:39 PM

The only thing I have heard on this is that Motion kept the number of the CE block in the car's paperwork. If we assume that Yenko did the same, then an original paperwork file might contain that "serial" number.

**YENKO DEUCE REGISTRY** · #8 08-26-2002, 02:11 PM

Mike;
Didn't Timken's Motion Camaro have an MP### stamping on the block of his dark green car? I thought I remember seeing a pic of it in the MCR article.

JoeC · #9 08-26-2002, 02:15 PM

On the removed L78. I know Don said in his interview that he had trouble selling them but I would think that they would sell easily if advertised in the correct place. There were many people doing low cost home built big block conversions. Bill Thomas and others sold kits to convert a 55-57 Chevy and early Corvette to big block. People were dropping BBs into GTOs, 442s, early Chevelles, Novas etc.. You would think that a new L78 short block with TRW 11:1 pistons, forged crank, 4 bolt mains, big solid lifter cam, etc., would sell if the price was less then a new short block. This is another Yenko mystery.
On stamped engines, Some engine builders, head porters, crank grinders, used to stamp the parts they did in secret places so they would recognize them if they were returned. A Motion Phase III motor that had a lot of work done to it by customer request may have some special ID stamps on them.
On a side note, I have a 1969 CE block that is stamped "JIM" next to the CExxxx stamp. I like to find "JIM" and slap him in the head. just kidding.

Dedicated to the Promotion and Preservation of American Muscle Cars, Dealer built Supercars and COPO cars.