Joe Barr and I are on the same page. May not be the earliest VIN or Body #, but because of the uniqueness of emblem locations and bolt on items.

The cars were most likely sitting in a holding lot and they grabbed one to do start. Highly unlikely they were worried about VIN sequence as a determining factor.

Hard to say what happened but the rear bow tie 427 emblem is a bit odd.

The 1968 Yenko used a Yenko 427 emblem and Yenko crest so seems logical to do the same on the 1969s as shown in many original photos

What is interesting is the DY Ed Hedrick Yenko had the rear bow tie 427 emblem same as the OG drag special.

Ed's car was built with the standard 1969 emblems as shown in early photos of Ed's car.
Ed changed it after the car was hit in the back

Same thing may have happened to the OG drag special
The OG drag special was a demo on the road a few months and thousands of miles before the drag test.

Again , hard to say what happened especially with a demo car.

A LB Yenko Camaro is said to be the earliest vin

here is a page from American Muscle Car Museum in Melbourne

They posted the info from Mecum where it was was said to be the "development mule and test car "

The OG drag special is about 17th 1969 Yenko Camaro by vin number?

Would Yenko Chev have recieved 17 COPO 427 Camaros on the same day?

Who knows for sure. Who knows how many were delivered over how many days. How long did they sit before they started to dealer prep and convert? I know my vinyl guy isnt always on schedule. It makes logical sense that Cliffs gold car was the first one simply because of the uniqueness of the bolt on items.

I couldn't imagine these new dealer installed L72 copo cars getting delivered and a few didn't get driven as test mules, especially being a brand new idea AND how simple it is to "keep the miles off." Haha.

for context ... i think this is right?

The discussion/debate is not over which '69 Camaro received a "full" motor swap conversion, because by 1969 Yenko was using the COPO channel for factory-installed L72s (unlike '67 and '68).

So the debate is over which '69 car was the "first" to receive Yenko emblems and decals? (and bolt-on headers)

If that's accurate, seems to me that the Yenko dealership could have added emblems and decals to several cars on the very same day, no matter the actual delivery order. Maybe using some emblems left-over from '68, on one of the cars but not necessarily the "first". Several mechanics adding several emblems on the same day ... who knows the "order"?


fwiw

I doubt it will ever be settled which car was the first converted from a copo to a Yenko but in my book this car warrants the top spot just because of it being the test car for the Super Stock article. All the gold cars were ordered in that first batch produced January 2nd week. Also along with that order was the other groups of 10 produced in the other colors as was one of my orange cars. Not that it matters but I personally never placed any higher value on any car being the first or the last.

In the 1987 MCR interview with Don Yenko, they have some nice original photos.

The caption says the early cars had different Yenko crest emblem locations.

The caption also says some cars had embossed head rests.

It is a great interview but here are inaccuracies in that article

Definitely a special one given the magazine coverage and I'm sure some extra tuning and whatnot.

Tenney's GTO for example, test car, it was amazing to see it in person at MCACN.

Amen...and we have a young ambassador carrying the torch forward (so to speak ) :beers:

The gold car in question has the Yenko emblems above the Camaro scripts on the fenders, the 427 emblems bolted to the fenders behind the marker lights, with no emblems on the hood at all, and the unique rear emblem placement with the Corvette 427 numbers placed over the stock bowtie and a Yenko emblem placed far to the right of the factory bowtie. There were no other cars with any of these details present including the Ed Hedrick car, which was not done this way originally nor were any others. I don't really see how it's so hard to believe that this was likely (almost certainly) the only car ever done this way because it was the first one they ever did. No they didn't have to get 17 cars delivered at the same time or on the same day, they likely all sat in the holding lot for a week or so while they decided how to go about getting them prepared, and watched the transporters drop more and more off. When it came time to start the conversions they picked this one out of the row and tried the new 69 stripe and emblem layout on it. They likely made corrections and changes to this layout after that first trial, and pretty much stuck with that template for all the remaining cars.

Absolutely zero reason the emblem layout on this car would have randomly been done completely unlike 200 other ones, unless it was the first one they ever did.

Let the haters hate. You stepped up and wrote the check, they didn't. Congratulations.

Well said Joe…

Joe, my thoughts exactly when I made my initial post. This car just happened to be the lucky car chosen for the initial 1969 conversions.

X2 on this

Jealousy is the word I would use but same end result.

Congrats and enjoy.

If at the first one bull shouldn’t the casting dates be seas of others ? If not the cowl tag date.
I don’t really know much about cmarosimrelaky a firebird guy (thought I like the Camaros ) I’m also more of a drag racer and all about dealer / factory race cars specifically.

It could be they knew it would see press when being raced that time, it seems like a lot of big names were on board with the set up maybe they just wanted to be sure the name and the 427 showed in any pictures. Either way doesn’t really matter it is unique among the others- well documented in the magazine and that’s really cool nothing wrong w the price paid.
it’s a unique piece and the price is what someone is willing to spend to own it. The car has also now had a lot of talk about it which adds to mystique and lore of the car which always IMO adds value

I own one of the first 3000. Dodge Durango hellcats. They’ve gone down in value more than some other last and they built more than sad they would there was a lawsuit about it, originally they said 2000 then it went to 3000 then they made them for years
I “think” �� someday that story about the first ones and the lawsuit etc will make them have a higher value then the later cars built only time will tell
We certainly paid more to be on the short list in the beginning.

I have not found evidence of a “prototype” or what car was first to get the stripes and emblems.
It is an interesting discussion but not the big story.

IMO The big great story is the Yenko 427 Drag Special and the Ron Welsh story and now the big auction story.
Overall, one of the best Yenko car stories I know of.

There are other cars with emblems not installed in the normal locations.

Some 1968 Yenko Camaros had the Yenko crest above the Camaro emblem some had it below .
Some Yenko Chevelles had the 1968 427 emblems installed , some had the 1969 427 emblems .

There was more then one 1969 Yenko that was not done the normal way.

Bobby Goss story and photos about his cousin's OG Yenko Chevelle

When he went to pick up his gold Yenko Chevelle it had not been striped yet.
He wanted black stripes but was told they had no black stripe kits in stock.
He told Yenko Chev to put on the white stripes.

Yenko Chev put on the white stripe kit with no 427 emblems and no Yenko crest emblems and sent him on his way.

(This car was restored with black stripes and 427 emblems and the Yenko crest emblems in the normal way. )

As I said previously the Yenko 427 Drag Special 11.94 time and coverage made this car significant for me and most others. The first ordered Lemans Blue car, first striped decaled Olympic Gold car. The most famous is the Yenko 427 Drag Special! We can thank Don and all those involved in installing go fast goodies, tuners and driver. Btw every Yenko Supercar is significant!!

The Yenko 427 Drag Special makes it very unique

The Ron Welsh history adds more to the story.

Ron was not running with the big dogs like Ed Hedrick but Ron did a lot of drag racing for many years.

From what I was told, he at one time was running a 2x4bb tunnel ram and Dana rear.

has a lot of win stickers on it

Several years ago just outside of Pittsburgh, I looked at buying a blue 69 Hemi Roadrunner from the original owner. He raced the car heavily since brand new. He told me stories of drag racing a gold Yenko Camaro on I79 (Pitt to Erie) while it was being built; the highway was closed. He said he lost to that Yenko at least 50 times in 1969-70 until he built the 426 out and got it running 10s. It was awesome stories how the Yenko in its new form stomped that Hemi.

All I can say is had I known it would sell this cheap, I would have taken it past the $2,000,000.00 mark.

‘

F’Book clip w/ Original Owner story/interview about the car…
https://www.facebook.com/reel/1796507421047935
:beers:
~ Pete

.

I have an explanation i'd like to offer, and i think it's been staring us in the face all along.
VIN 124379N579281

This car is NOT the first "prototype" Yenko "conversion" prepared by Yenko for 1969 (bear with me). Other cars were prepped by Yenko for 1969, including emblems and decals, before this one.
EVIDENCE:
- The VIN is too deep, 16~17 cars from the first known Yenkos for 1969
- The term "prototype" doesn't even make sense, for emblem and decal placement only. Emblem placement is pretty trivial, in the scheme of things, and doesn't need to be "prototyped" after already doing it for 2 years.
- The term "conversion" doesn't even make sense, for emblem and decal placement only. The '67 and '68 cars needed full engine swaps for 427s (prior to COPO L72s) ... now that's a dealer "conversion"!
- Mecum descriptions in general, and this one in particular, are known to be false (there were four gold Yenkos with white stripes in 1969, not two). Pure works of fiction, with zero legal liability.
- Emblem placement, alone, is not compelling or convincing to determine "order", given other known variations in emblem placement.
REFERENCES:
Post #4: https://www.yenko.net/forum/showthread.php?t=184313
Post #43, #58: https://www.yenko.net/forum/showthread.php?t=184409


This car IS the Yenko DRAG CAR prototype for 1969.
EVIDENCE:

- Yenko decided to jump into drag racing, with both feet, in 1969.
From McClurg's book (page 137):
"Someone once asked Don Yenko why he preferred road racing over drag racing? His matter-of-fact reply was, 'I can't get off in 10 seconds. I need at least 45 minutes behind the wheel!'
However, Yenko's preference for 'corner carving' over straight-line racing certainly didn't impede his keen sense of marketing. When it came to Yenko Sportscars 1969 product lineup, he instinctively knew that drag racing was where the real money was at! Early in the year, Yenko entered into an agreement with NHRA Division One racer Ed Hedrick to campaign a Yenko/SC 427 Camaro in NHRA's Super Stock E class. It would prove to be one of the best marketing decisions Don Yenko ever made."

- For the Super Stock & Drag Illustrated test/article, this car obviously DID have an uncommon "conversion" of sorts: headers, leaf spring clips, scattershield over the bell housing, and ignition timing adjusted for best 1/4 mile times. We also know these items to be "prototypical", because Yenko never sent his 1969 cars to dealers with headers (for example), according to McNeish book (page 130).


** All of which allows this car to be considered a "prototype", even though other cars may have been prepped with emblems and decals, and sent to other dealers FIRST.


IN SHORT: It wasn't the emblem placement that makes this car a "prototype" ... it was the DRAG PREP!! In this context ... the emblem placement is incidental, or maybe even "uniquely chosen" to identify this car as Yenko's DRAG CAR PROTOTYPE.

Obviously, even if the car is not the FIRST Yenko to be prepped for the '69 model year, it still has HUGE historical significance as the first/pilot "prototype drag car" for 1969 (and the SS & DI article).


that's my story and i'm stickn to it :)

Found this today
I love it when people show me pics of my car so try and help others find theirs as well

So this car would have been the yellow car that was totaled? The gold car was in more street trim? Forgive me I don’t know the yenko lore every well.

I would bet those items were added after the fact by grump and the rest working on the car.
My car had all those items added by the dealer & my car was ordered sound deadened seam seal delete through the Pontiac performance division liaison Tom Nell as were all Stephen’s cars. Some other dealer owned race Pontiacs were ordered “ lightweight “ this way. Idk that I’d consider them prototypes maybe just special ordered .

However the trans am prototype that engineering built to be the test Mule for the trans am I would call a prototype.
Just my 2 cents.

But either way this gold car was built “special” to race, hopefully win, and garner press. I’d suggest the additional badging would be for promotional purposes so it’s in all the pictures easily recognized as an yenko 427 and it’s bold and easy to see.

Either way it’s super special and a really cool car.

My point of this is that a prototype is usually something built to be the basis for a line of cars and is built up front of that
run to be the test case.

Ok so I’m kind of seeing now that even though it was 17th vin it could have been converted by yenko first ? Damn this yenko stuff is confusing ��

Yes, confusing ... but we're up for the challenge :)

Well, the car was definitely "prepped" with the items mentioned (headers, spring clips, scattershield) in Canonsburg.
From the SS&DI article:

"Before we get to the test, we'll fill you in on some of the particulars that made the whole deal possible. One of the Yenko organization's associates, Dick Williams, was responsible for the project. He saw to it that the car was prepared (just the things that we've so far mentioned) and then drove it from its Canonsburg, PA home to York US30 Dragway, SS&DI's newest acquisition."

The more I learn, the more it makes sense to consider this car to be the Yenko Drag Car prototype for 1969, rather than the Yenko emblem car prototype for 1969. As such, it doesn't have to be the first '69 car that Yenko added emblems and decals to ... it just needs to be the first '69 car that Yenko prepped especially for drag racing.

Tarheel posted a couple days ago he bought the green one and was reuniting it with its original engine, very cool. Was the engine known about for a while?

Yes. As I understand it it was offered to the family before the cars were consigned to the auction but they declined.

In 1967, Don Yenko was well aware of the potential of the 427 Camaro for drag racing.

Don teamed up with Dick Harrell and the AHRA to make a minimum of 50 427 Camaros to make the cars legal for AHRA Super Stock drag racing.
Not legal in NHRA but legal in AHRA.

Some of the 1967 Yenko 427 Super Camaros were built with a drag racing package including headers, scatter shield, traction bars , hood pins, tach and gauges, and high temp plug wires.
This is well documented on the original Yenko work orders.

Yenko and Harrell sponsored a 4 car drag racing team for 1967 only.

In 1969 the COPO 427 Camaro was legal for NHRA Super Stock and Yenko sponsored two Daytona Yellow Yenko 427 Camaros.

Don and Dick Williams knew they had to make a good showing in that Super Stock magazine drag test.
They took the Gold demo car to York set up with headers, scatter shield, 4:56 gears and Atlas mag wheels.

I don't think it was a coincidence that Ed Hedrick Bill Jenkins , Dave Strickler, and Jere Stahl were at York for the testing that day.
Jere installed a set of his spring clamps and a set of header collector extensions.
Ed bolted on a set of his slicks.

This PA. crew was "loaded for bear" and they pulled off an amazing 11.94 ET at 115mph

"Mission Accomplished"

Long story short, I have know about this engine for over 25 years, it was advertised for sale as a COPO engine at the time. The owner of the engine was from Phillipsburg, PA & bought a 70 Corvette & this engine was in it. When I went to look at it, several people had contacted him wanting to buy it only if he could provide the VIN. In his attempt to clean the rough area, he used a wire wheel & he told me he ruined it & could not read the whole VIN. I passed on the COPO engine & the CE L88 short block he also had for sale. Fast forward to early 2024, I was fortunate enough to buy a real 69 X44 D80 10-10 COPO minus its original engine. After all these years, I tracked down the owner of the COPO engine & I was able to buy it. After getting it home, I cleaned the rough area not expecting to find a VIN, but I was able to see enough of the VIN to verify that it was listed in the registry & was a RG Yenko sold out of PA. After some help from my friend Bryan Shook from Vintage Car Law, I was able to find that the car was registered & in a trust & was part of the Cliff Ernst collection. With some help from Jerry M, I was able to talk with J.R. Ernst & the family already had the cars consigned to Mecum & they were not interested in the engine.

Warren D. has original paperwork on the Gold Drag Special , the 427 Nova, and the Fathom Green 69 Yenko Camaro.

Warren offered it to Cliff but Warren still has it

It would be nice if the original paperwork can be kept with the cars.

SS&DI article claims the car had 4.10 gears ... ?
If Yenko really did install 4.56 gears in Canonsburg, it would even be more compelling evidence of the uncommon "conversion" that Yenko performed for this "drag car prototype" :) :)

work with me guys, i'm tryin to make sense of it all

Great info in your post #71 Joe. Do we know if the race equipment installed for the York Dragway run was removed prior to the sale to the first owner? Would be very insightful to see if any of those goodies were on the shop order.

The 11-19 BE rear axle was used in several 01B Yenkos and some ZL-1’s. It is considered the earliest known date for these cars.

Rear axle
 

Heres a photo of mine

SS&DI article claims the car had 4.10 gears but the sales ad says 4:56 gears

Ron said it had 4:56 gears and he changed it to 4:88

I don't know when the modifications were done , they may have been done just for the magazine test

Parker on his 'Backyard Barn Finds' youtube channel does some nice videos.

When he was at the Mecum auction, he calls up Ed Hedrick to ask about the drag test.

Ed comes on the phone at about the 31 minute mark .
This is amazing

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KPamPl3NIp8

Dick William has confirmed there was both "engine modification" along with 456 gears.

I was told early on ….by a well connected person that was at the drag strip ….saying that the motor was an L-88 ….that had replaced the L-72 . Only for the magazine test session.

Surely someone would have noticed aluminum heads? The magazine article emphasized that the only aluminum under the hood was the intake manifold ... hmmmmm