How Many Where Original Yenkos??

[Jeff H]

I think it's a legitimate question since I would find it interesting to know how many original Yenko Camaros still have their original engine. We all realize these cars were built to be run hard and that there would be quite a few casualties over time. If I had a 69 Yenko with or without the original engine, I would like to know how many still exist as a base for determining value. The good thing is that there is the list of Yenko VIN's to help prove authenticity regardless of current drivetrain.

[hvychev]

Guys I am a little confused. Where is the consistancy here? Now we don't care weather a supercar has the original engine or not!? I have seen heated debates about cars that do not have smog or other original or correct parts on them!
Whats the deal? [img]/ubbthreads/images/icons/confused.gif[/img]

[copolocater]

No. 1 There is no way to count,calculate or even put together a list of all remaining original engine yenkos.You would have to pay a guy like Kurt, or someone knowledgable in deck stamping , to travel the country for the next 5 years to physically look at each individual car.So lets get serious the question is unanswerable.No. 2 If you owned a yenko with a non matching motor you'd try your hardest to explain to the guy your selling it to that it isn't worth any less than a matching No. car it's the body that counts and the paperwork.I personally don't concern myself with it ,I'm more concerned the car was saved.As was stated numerous motors were exploded after purchase.As was learned last year with a matching motored yenko that was exploded the second day of purchase reappeared with a matching motor and nobody ever suspected until the original owner showed up.Wether it has an original motor the only time some people care is if they are purchasing the car. Evidently there must be some sort of mystery because sixtiesmuscle already stated it's impossible to tell and that wasn't acceptable. I'll try to answer any question reasonably,but if it's going to create some controversy like this one I'm done.

[Jeff H]

I don't see where there would be any controversy. If actual owner's wanted to answer his question on an individual basis, then maybe there would be some sort of estimate that could be made. I'm sure somebody has a pretty good list of which of the ZL1's still have their original engine. It's the sharing of information that make boards like this so beneficial.

[Stefano]

The best answer has been provided, no one can know for certain and the guestimate which was provided by Sixties Muscle is as accurate as can be expected given the circumstances provided. That is it no more no less. The COPO Gods do not stand at the entrance to the convention centers to dertermine who should be let in or left out based on how accurate the cars broach marks appear to be.

If you think the Reunion was about trying to figure out whose numbers matched and whose didn't I would believe that you missed the spirit of what the reunion and the Super Cars is all about.

[Rat_Pack]

Bud, your question is easily understood but like the others say hard to answer. Last years reunion proved that even a real Yenko could have a restamped engine. It all started when a once respected Yenko expert showed up with a 69 Yenko that he claimed was original & unrestored. Well it was pretty much that, original & unrestored, other than the engine. If it was not for the original owner of the car in question showing up at the show with the Yenko he traded the questioned car in on, it would have probably never been questioned. [img]/ubbthreads/images/icons/shocked.gif[/img] He had the paperwork for both cars and he told the story of how he had punched a hole in the side of the block the first night he had the car in question. He then traded the "blown up" car in for another Yenko the next day or two. This was not a good situation for the guy claiming his car still had the original engine it, but he could have avoided this by saying it was a "correct" 427 but had been restamped. Like copolocator says, most people would not care anyways..........................RatPack.......... ......

[NewbieYenko]

Well people rather have a orignal motor Yenko rather than one thats not orignal and i think it does matter because of value????

While the apparent tone and maybe the wording of the inital question was not best the actual question is extremely relevant. If one figures that it doesn't matter then the pricing for a supposed "original" motored car and a non-original car would be the exact same. Any onwer of any collectible car, especially a hi-po car, will tell you there is a difference. Hell, carry it one step further and say then that since original motors don't matter then un-restored and restored cars are worth the same, since it is still a Yenko....or that a car with 100 original miles and one with 100,000 miles are worth the same...get the point. The question and resulting answers have more do to with individual owners maybe feeling "slighted," because there is a difference in the way the cars are perceived within the hobby (ie: an original motored car is always more desrirable than the same car without its original motor).