1970 Yenko Deuce

[Bill Pritchard]

[ QUOTE ]
If you can stand one more story ....

[/ QUOTE ]

I think we can 'stand' as many stories as you are able to relate to us Keep 'em coming!

[Roof]

Earl says he bought the traction bars at Auto Parts store on Gompers Avenue. I think this was Sam's Papa's store. Earl's uncle Jack Rising used to work for this store. Earl says there were brackets on the bars for the shocks to bolt to but he cut them off so he didn't have to take the sway bar off. Then he built a set for the neighbor's Nova. He says he put the traction bars on because he was tired of hearing the springs rap when he power shifted. One night we took the car to the Cadet down at Kittanning. After we had everyone's attention by driving through a few times, I got behind the wheel and took it through the parking lot. At the end of the lot where it was dark we did a quick driver swap and Earl burned it out of the lot and slapped it through the gears out on 422. Then we switched back and I drove it back through the parking lot so everyone thought I was the one horsing it. We had a lot of fun that night.

[Z28DZ]

[ QUOTE ]
One night we took the car to the Cadet down at Kittanning. After we had everyone's attention by driving through a few times, I got behind the wheel and took it through the parking lot. At the end of the lot where it was dark we did a quick driver swap and Earl burned it out of the lot and slapped it through the gears out on 422. Then we switched back and I drove it back through the parking lot so everyone thought I was the one horsing it. We had a lot of fun that night.

[/ QUOTE ]

That's absolutely priceless!!

[hvychev]

Man, I would love to own this Deuce just because of the storys!

Linda, do you and Earl have any old pictures of the car?

[NOCOPO]

Linda, Earl,
Speaking of more stories ....would you please tell us the story of the missing stripes?

[YENKO DEUCE REGISTRY]

Bill, I don't think this version of the traction bars has the J-Hooks, just a mount below the spring plate. These bars are very unique, especially in the snubber area. They are not something you would find on a track car, but probably handled the wheel hop problem Linda was describing. We've all had the wheel hop issue at one time or another, sounds like the rear is going to flop out of the car

[redeuce]

As a Classic Car appraiser, my advice to you would be to thoroughly clean the vehicle and consign it to a high line auction within the next 6-9 months. The rare investment, numbers matching classic market operates on somewhat of a pyramid method. It begins at a broad base, with vehicles priced low and everyone buying, and (like a pyramid) as the prices rise, the buying pool shrinks. There have been two other “equalizations” in classic car history, and I believe the third one is inevitable. The first were the pre and post war cars, that were skyrocketing in the late seventies and early eighties. With the introduction of the muscle cars, that market dropped and never did recover.

The second was in the late eighties, when muscle car prices went through the roof. The equalization that occurred decimated the market, and it took several years to recover. I still remember the gentleman that bought the Fathom Blue LS6 convertible from a classic dealer for $150,000 in the late eighties. A few years later, he had no takers at $90,000. It took several years for him to finally recoup his money. A rule of thumb- when the investment vehicle market prices the product out of the hands of Joe Public and into the hands of only a small group of collectors, the equalization occurs. This is due to the fact that after the small group is done swapping and acquiring vehicles, there is no one left with the financial means to buy them. I believe we are approaching another equalization. The problem is, you have no advance warning- it just happens. The collectors that purchased at the lower end of the pyramid and sold at the high end are winners. Those who purchased at the top of the pyramid are going to suffer some, the degree of suffering being unknown. Those financially secure enough to sit on their cars can always weather the market fluctuation.

When you hear comments that some cars sold for “stupid money”, that is a clue. The two partners that formed B/J were honorable and reputable men- you could always view these auction results as an indicator of the market-no more. The circus atmosphere and grandstanding has nullified B/J as an indicator of anything. If you want top dollar for your vehicle, I’d sell it in the near future.