Russo & Steele photos Fri/Sat. ('villions too)

[mockingbird812]

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Ed
I thought the export and Yenko tag for 68 were the same? The reason you and Sam and Carl from Chicago had such a good time Sat. night was because I lent you my private waitress, Bionca. Seriously it was a blast. I had to come home to recuperate.

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Dana - a pleasure to meet you! And thanks for allowing us to borrow your "private waitress". Now it all makes sense. I was wondering why she had all those dollar bills sticking out from her borderlines!

[JoeC]

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I believe the magic mirror tag was also export required as well, so if it was an export camaro, you would also see this. Export did not need to qualify for emissions as i understand.

Maybe the ones you parted out that had the magic mirror tag were the some of the remaining missing 4 ??


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I was helping Tom do research on this car when he bought it the 2nd time.
We thought it had something to do with Yenko because of the 140 speedo.

Some info on the 1968 Yenko Camaros and some ads were found in files that came from Don’s office. This is where I found a small end-of-year sale ad with the hi po Camaros for sale.

Two 427 Super Camaros, One Rally Green and Five Corvette Bronze 396 375hp hi po Camaros with 140 speedo, special front suspension, spoilers, wide ovals, etc.

We think that either Kenny Ross Chevrolet bought some from Yenko or did some type of dealer trade.

On the magic mirror tags.
I don’t think they are export tags.
Found some pictures of Camaro export tags but not like the magic mirror tags.

Did find some early Chevy tags that look the same as the magic mirror tag blanks.
The info is stamped different but the blank’s stampings appear similar if not the same.

On the emissions law theory.
I would say it’s not correct because Don had the 1968 427 Super Camaros emission certified.
The Yenko paperwork said it has “US Gov approved smog control” and one ad said it was the only 1968 427 Camaros to have it.

The standard 1968 Camaro trim tag blank has a statement about meeting Federal Safety laws not emissions.

I thought that maybe they did not use the standard 1968 Camaro trim tag blank because the 140 speedo may void the Federal Safety claim but not sure.
I didn’t find any Yenko info about it so it’s another theory.

top tag is 1962 bot tag is 68 Yenko

[JoeC]

the standard 1968 Camaro trim tag

[427freak]

Joe
Thanks for your input. It is amazing how much is not known about these cars. With a company the size of GM the fact that this kind of stuff slipped out shows you that a few performance minded people really worked hard to get these kind of cars made. If the export tags are different then it makes the 68's even more unique. I posted on the Camaro site a long time ago that the 68's had special trimtags and I got slammed because they came back saying that the tags were nothing more than export tags. Does anyone have a pic of an export 68 tag? Thanks again I appreciate all the info I get from this site.

[68l30]

Joe, thanks for the post. I know I'm not going crazy thinking these things myself.....On the 140 speedo, I don't believe it would make a difference. I don't think the Police specials with calibrated speedos and for that matter the 69 9737's would use a different tag for that reason. Chryslers used the 150mph in there cars....Federal law,doubtful....


Steve

[sYc]

[ QUOTE ]
..... Some info on the 1968 Yenko Camaros and some ads were found in files that came from Don’s office. This is where I found a small end-of-year sale ad with the hi po Camaros for sale.

Two 427 Super Camaros, One Rally Green and Five Corvette Bronze 396 375hp hi po Camaros with 140 speedo, special front suspension, spoilers, wide ovals, etc.

We think that either Kenny Ross Chevrolet bought some from Yenko or did some type of dealer trade.


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So, this ad is what documents Tom's car, and other '68 COPOs, as Yenkos?

[427freak]

Yenko would have been the only source for that copo option in 68, right? So if you can link the parts to the car...
I think it would be easier to validate a converted 68 though. JMO

[COPO]

NICB would show if the car went to Yenko.

[JoeC]

Some 68 Firebirds had 160mph speedo so I guess it was not a safety problem

As far as I know only Yenko's have turned up with 1968 COPO 9737 but I guess you never know.

The ad just documents that Yenko had six 396 375hp Camaros for sale late in the year, with 140 speedo and other special hi po stuff. The ad also had the color listed.

The next step was to get NICB but not sure if Tom ever got it.

He did have the original 396 with MV code that is also only known to have gone to Yenko

[sYc]

[ QUOTE ]
Yenko would have been the only source for that copo option in 68, right? So if you can link the parts to the car...

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Who knows? For a time is was thought that Fred Gibb was the only one to get ZL-1s, and according to Dale Berger, they received a '68 L-78 Auto Nova, same as the Gibb 50. When cornered, Chevrolet had to allow dealers to order the same as the others. Case in point, in 1969, Don Yenko wanted an exclusive to the COPO, but word filtered out to other dealers.