'68 Yenko, Transplant vs. COPO

[Jim Mattison]

I'll agree that some of the early '68 Camaros were converted at Yenko's dealership and those cars could have started out as most anything. You wouldn't believe what some of the early Yenko conversions "really" started out as!

As for the 1968 "MV" 427 engine issue, I can still remember quite clearly the conversations that I had, not only with Yenko, but also with our engineering release engineers on this subject. I think that part of the confussion exists because Chevrolet didn't "officially" recognize the 427 engine in the Camaro until 1969....... Remember, Yenko couldn't tell anyone that these cars were factory built 427's.

Jim Mattison

[bkhpah]

If I can show you a engine with a Yenko Camaro 1968 VIN that is an MV code standard bore four bolt main 396 what would your opinion be? Stan, your opinion on this engine, you have seen it. The newly discovered non-converted Yenko Camaro that I just talked to the owner of knows what he has an it was never a 427. It has all the tell tail signs of a 427 Yenko without the 427. This car still has glovebox paperwork. I get to meet with this owner in just a few weeks. Yenko took out ads in the local paper selling unused 396 engines to help get rid of the extras. If you would like I will bring this block to the Super Car Reunion as part of our Yenko display we set up every year. Jim,I respect your work and opinion and have talked to you before. This is just what I have learned on my own...BKH

[JoeC]

Jim - Welcome and its great to see you adding to the discussion here.
I know it was many years ago but do you remember this name "Excalibur”? It seems like Engineering used it as some sort of code name like in a James Bond movie. I have been following the story on the 68 Yenko Camaro engine for many years and there appears to be evidence for a 427 MV and a 396 MV. One thing I notice is the date on that emission test document is 6-21-68 which is very late in the 1968 model year since change overs began in late July 68 for the 1969 model year. That "GSD-578" form dated 2-13-68 requesting the 9737HD build for Yenko is also half into the 68-model year. If Yenko wanted to sell COPO 1968 Camaros I would think the paperwork would have to be started in late 1967. This leads me to believe that early 68 Yenkos were transplants. Just my observation. On the other hand, the paperwork Kevin has especially the GSD-578 seems to indicate a COPO 427. Also the article on the blue 68 Yenko Camaro in Super Chevy claims that car has the original motor and it is a MV code 427. They claim to have the POP and a broadcast sheet and the original owners name which they state in the article bought the car in December of 1968. I also heard of a 3rd 68 Yenko owner claiming to have a 427 MV code block with a Dec 67 date. (I have his name and have been trying to contact him) I am curious if the build dates of the MV 396 cars are all early and the build dates of the cars claiming 427 MV motors are later build dates. I guess it would be very odd for Chevy to build a MV code 396 and a MV code 427 but that sure would hide it from management if that were their intention.

[Chevy454]

Jim:

Thanks for stopping by! It will be good to see what you have to say, and maybe you can help shed some light on the COPO paperwork, and explain what moves were made to make a thing like a COPO car happen.

JoeC:

Could "Excalibur” possibly have been a name that Yenko came up with? Kind of like "Stormer" & "Stinger"? Maybe he was considering this name, and GM used it just to kind of keep track of the combo? Who knows...just thinking out loud...although it might not be very loud!

[Rowdy Rat]

I've been trying to purchase the engine that Brian mentioned for about five years now. It is definitely a standard bore 396, casting number 3916323. The casting date is B 15 8 and the assembly date/broadcast code is T0223MV. The VIN derivative is 18N412### which appears to be for a mid-April 1968 car. The NICB records as well as information given to the current owner of the block indicate that the car it was installed in was originally delivered to Yenko Chevrolet. It is the real deal; there is nothing about this block that makes me believe it was restamped or altered in any way. I hadn't realized that there were other "MV" 396s out there until Kurt spoke up about the ones he he has found as well as Brian's recent finds. This leads me to believe that "MV" code 396s were being installed in Camaros as late as April 1968. Whatever theory you may have for 427 engines in 1968 has to account for these 396s.

Jim, good to see you here. A couple of questions that I have that perhaps you can comment on as you were involved in the project and with the people. First, federal emissions compliance went into effect for all 50 states for the 1968 model year (hence the emissions testing data that Kevin was kind enough to provide and Marlin to post). Would Cole or Estes jeopardize their professional careers (and pensions/retirement plans - they were both getting close to retirement, right?) by selling cars in the U.S. without emissions compliance. Doing so would certainly risk a run in with the federal government. If not, then the earliest possible date for production would have been 6/21/68 according to Kevin's documents. That's assuming that the tests were satisfactory and GM was ready to immediately start building cars at that point (I doubt that GM moved that quickly). Second, if the purpose of the "MV" code was to identify the engines for warranty issues, then you've created a real problem by using "MV" for both 396s and 427s in the same platform. Which is which?

Joe, I appreciate you digging out that 1967 L-88 carburetor. It adds some support to what I had discovered so far.

Regards,

Stan

[YENKO DEUCE REGISTRY]

Kevin;
I will take a stab at your question! Florida??
M

[SuperCars]

Marlin,
You got me grinning here. Is that just a stab, or is there some basis for that guess?

[YENKO DEUCE REGISTRY]

Kevin;
With all honesty, that is a guess. Although, it is based on the fact there has seemed to be a strange amount of '68 Yenko Camaros being sold out of Florida within the last few years. I'm assuming that they all weren't brought there after being sold new.

I know that one of the Island Teal cars was sold by the Camaro Club, which is/was in Florida. I believe one of the red, RS cars was sold in Hemmings a couple of years ago - from Florida (?). I know that a member of this board has YS-8030 - in Florida. The car on the screensaver has a Florida license plate. BeaumontBill just purchased the Corvette Bronze '68 Yenko that I know was sold new in Florida. I believe there are others. I checked my dealer listing that I have been assembling over the years, and found that Florida had at least 4 dealers in the Yenko network.

So, that is my guess!! Is it correct??????
M

[Edited by YENKO DEUCE REGISTRY (05-03-2001 at 02:10 PM).]

[SuperCars]

Marlin,
You are correct. What I couldn't understand is what prompted this region of the country to get these? It must have been all in the marketing and sales. Which ever Dealership promoted them best, got the sales and sold cars.



[Edited by SuperCars (05-03-2001 at 02:46 PM).]

[Chevy454]

Whoa, Marlin! You are like Sherlock Holmes...or Kreskin...or lucky...something! Did you peak at the answer or something ?

Interesting post, Kevin. You are probably right about the marketing thing in Florida. You'd think, though, that he could have sold them around PA easier, but who knows. Wouldn't it be cool to somehow get Vince on here and pick his brain a little, and see what info we are leaving out? Then, maybe, we could be put a BUNCH of pieces of the puzzle together!