Re: How Many 68 Yenko Camaros are known to be found?
Joe, I have the body build sheet and info to this raffle "one and only" 68 Yenko. Nothing points to it being a "one and only" COPO that I can see. The different 1968 MV engine code in conjunction with it's COPO 9737 is how the prior owners may have erroneously drawn this "one and only" COPO conclusion. The 9737 sports Car Conversion/Yenko relates mainly to suspension modifications, but for some reason prompted a motor stamp change to "MV" instead of the 396/375HP "MQ". So was "MV" a possibly L72 427/425HP COPO? Was it possibly a L78 396/425HP as in the 65 L78 Corvette motor? Maybe Yenko was removing 396/425HP motors only to be replaced by 427's.
My 68 Yenko Camaro also has it's original documents, with original P-O-P showing an MV engine code, designated COPO 9737. But my 68 does have something different, for which it is a "one and only". This is from the original (Onion Skin Sheet as Vince Emme calls it) order invoice of my 68. He says it is the only one of the 68's ordered as a solo order. He has said to me and others on this board, that it states right on the original order sheet "Special Order Drag Car". On my door pillar is the tag stating the same. I believe my car recieved a motor different from the others, or why the separate order and designation "Drag Car". My car was shipped straight to Dick Harrell's shop and was to be raced by the son's of Branine of Branine Chevrolet. Anyway Vince says all the other orders of 68's were ordered in batches of 4 cars on the "onion skin sheets". Vince won't sell me a copy of my car's order, won't sell copies of any kind anymore, and wants it to remain as a part of his Yenko collection of paperwork, that may be sold someday when he retires from the car business. I am appreciative of his telling me of my cars history though.
On another side subject of all 68's being COPO's; I've also seen a copy of a Yenko letter to Vince Piggins by Donna Mae for purpose of tracking the numbers of 68's produced. The 68 Yenko raffle car and my 68 Yenko are on this list. At the bottom of the second page there is a separate paragraph below a different 68 Yenko of this list of 20 that says, Note: "This Camaro is from the first group which were built without our COPO's". I assume Donna Mae is referencing "the" first group produced, but not "this" entire group of 20 in the letter. This I say, because I have the documentation that the 68 raffle car and my 68 "Special Order Drag" car are documented COPO 9737 "MV" cars on this list of 20.
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