Our 69 Yenko Chevelle restoration

[Kurt S]

I figured you had good reasons to do it that way.
It also could be a difference between Tonawanda and Flint.

[SS427]

Charley, you are correct on your engine and I used the same techniques when restoring Marks Z28. However, that is a small block from Flint so I cannot say they used the same process. I have honestly never seen brush marks on a Tonawanda engine that I can remember. When I get time I will go through all my photos to see if I can post other examples.

[novadude]

I've not been following this thread all along, so I am getting caught up. The level of craftsmanship going into this build is simply amazing. I am in awe of the skill level and attention to detail.

[SS427]

Thanks to Chris White for the belated birthday gift. MUCH appreciated.

Thanks to Dwight for your continued V.V. Cooke support. This key chain is a reproduction but Dwight has come up with some amazing original V.V. Cooke memorabilia and NOS Yenko crests for the car so your efforts and kindness are greatly appreciated.

[SS427]

I thought I posted these already but did not find the mounted photo. Dwight supplied me with the plate surround (NOS real one) and knew of a gentleman who took the USA-1 plate off his car the day he bought his 69 El Camino SS and then put it in his sock drawer. 50 years later he took it out of that very same drawer and sent it to me to put on the car. Notice the unique Chevrolet decal. I have not talked to anyone who has seen this before.

[450hp]

Hi Rick, my intake on my LS6 is unrestored and also has a little orange paint on the edges, as the valve covers too, matches yours to the T. Your Yenko is a work of art. You and Annie are the best caretakers a Chevelle could have.

[Slob44]

Rick, while studying your pictures today I noticed the white square grill mounting nuts. Are these what came on your car originally? My 69 Baltimore convertible had round grill mounting nuts( I have parted numerous 69 Baltimore cars and have found round ones on all of them as well. the originals I have are very brittle and I have been trying to find "correct" round ones. See the pictures attached. As you can see these are all a yellowish color, do you know if they where white and just turned yellow with age? thanks so much for posting all of these amazing pictures and assisting me with my restoration,
Rob

[Slob44]

Rick it also appears your Headlight retaining buckets are a natural metal color - I was only able to see a small portion on your grill mounting bracket pictures. my originals are black(see pictures attached) I have not touched these and they are in the exact state that I took them off the car. I was just about to begin restoring them.

[SS427]

There was no front clip with the car other than the fenders so I cannot say for sure on the grille mounting nuts. What is currently in place are aftermarket ones.

Regarding the headlight buckets I did find the originals in the garage and they were galvanized steel. I have found this on other Chevrolets and believe it to possibly be a supplier thing. A good friend of mine who also has a Baltimore car has the black buckets in his. As I have said many times in the past, I restore our cars how we find them if we are reasonably sure the parts are original. In the case of our headlight buckets I have no reason to believe they were not original to the car as they all had slight damage from the accident.

The other difference is the galvanized buckets take a closed stainless trim ring spring hook hole and the tension spring attaches to it (also found in the garage) whereas the painted buckets have an open spring hole and the tension spring attaches to the bucket. I can post pictures of each tomorrow.

[SS427]

I thought I had taken several photos of my buckets as found and during cleanup but could not find them this morning. At any rate, the uninstalled buckets and light show how they looked in their natural state prior to installation. The second two photos show the difference between the trim ring on the galvanized bucket vs the trim ring on the painted bucket with regards to how the headlight adjuster spring attaches. The galvanized bucket has an open slot where the spring would normally attach so without the trim ring there is nothing for the spring to hold onto.