By John Machaqueiro – Images by the Author
In the automotive world, some words that are uttered transcend brand loyalty and command respect without a single objection. At the top of that list is arguably the name Yenko. Mention it and it will automatically be associated with legendary Bowtie performance—bring it into today’s realm and it also means a blue-chip investment. The Yenko Camaro legacy started in 1967 shortly after GM started rolling them out of the Norwood, Ohio, plant. It didn’t take long for Don Yenko to start doing engine swaps on L78-equipped SS Camaros out of his Canonsburg, Pennsylvania, dealership. He was ordering them equipped with the 396ci big-block, M21 Muncie four-speed gearbox, 4.10:1 rearend, and heavy-duty suspension, and then dropping in the L72 427ci big-block that was available in the Corvette. That was the formula for his Yenko Super Camaro (SYC). With 54 cars sold that year, he ramped up production with 64 cars assembled in 1968.
These conversions were time-consuming and expensive to perform, so by the time 1969 rolled in, Yenko successfully used his connections within GM to have them do all the heavy lifting by employing the Central Office Production Order, or COPO program, to circumvent a lot of their internal bureaucracy in producing an assembly line L72-equipped Camaro. This deal gave birth to COPO 9561, which also included the ZL2 cowl induction hood, power disc brakes, a 4.10 posi rearend, front and rear spoilers, and a four-core radiator. Shifting options were few with the M21 four-speed or the Turbo Hydramatic 400 as the only choices. COPO 9737 was also part of the Yenko recipe, which included a 140-mph speedometer, 1-inch front sway bar, and 15-inch rally wheels.
With the bulk of the pieces that made Yenko’s cars unique installed at the factory, all that was left to do was add the remaining elements, which included a Stewart-Warner column-mounted tach, body side, and hood stripes; “Yenko” and “427” badges; and a pair of SYC headrests. The only add-ons available at the dealership were the optional Atlas five-spoke wheels, or a set of Doug Thorley headers. In 1969 Yenko produced 201 Camaros, which has made them quite desirable—and highly duplicated.
It was that desirability factor and the Yenko story on how these cars came into existence that fueled Walt Schmidt to go on a quest to find one, however, his automotive journey started a few decades prior in the foreign realm. “My love of cars actually started in the foreign car space,” he explains. “When I was 25 I had a Ferrari 308. After I was done with that space, I wanted to take the plunge over to the other side with the American muscle.” His domestic experience started with a ’69 RS/SS Camaro pace car, and with that purchase, he notes, “After acquiring it I started learning more about Camaros in general, and Yenkos specifically,” It wasn’t until some point in 2018 that he made the commitment to park one in his garage. He had a finder that he trusted to locate one that fit his criteria. He points out, “I wanted a Yenko that was all original, well-documented, with the original engine and drivetrain in either LeMans Blue or Hugger Orange.”
Double Dose of 1969 COPO: Camaros With Different Personalities
Because of their limited numbers, finding the right car didn’t happen overnight; it took about a year until this Hugger Orange one showed up. It was numbers-matching and fully restored with extensive documentation. All it took was a 20-minute drive to seal the deal.
Prior to Walt’s purchase of the Yenko, the previous owner had it sent to Mike Mancini’s American Muscle Car Restorations (AMCR) in North Kingstown, Rhode Island, for a refresh of an older restoration. As with all cars that come into the shop, an initial evaluation of what needs to be done is always performed. With the Yenko, Mike explains, “I determined that the major exterior cosmetics were for the most part salvable, but the rest of the car needed to be thoroughly gone through to correct any detailing and condition issues.” He further adds, “Mechanically, the car ran and drove well, and the driveline didn’t warrant a major rebuild.” Over the years his shop has cultivated a reputation for attention to detail, and that is what the focus was on the Yenko. The level of undercarriage restoration that was done 20-plus years ago reflected the mindset of what was acceptable back then, however, his approach was to replicate the look of how the car rolled off the assembly line. That required the complete removal of every component from under the car. From there the underneath was completely sanded then followed by an application of black satin primer, gray primer overspray, Hugger Orange overspray, and carefully applied undercoating. The 427 was also separated from the subframe. It was mechanically sound, so it was stripped down and a fresh coat of Chevy engine orange applied while the subframe was media blasted.
Check it out: Brian Raymond’s Drag Radial ’69 Camaro
Part of the refresh on it involved the repair of several dents, and a fresh coat of semigloss black. The same procedure was performed on the 12-bolt rearend and the rest of the components. Upping the level of authenticity involved the installation of a set of N.O.S. date-coded rear shocks, while at the front all the suspension components were also replaced with factory-correct N.O.S. hardware and finished in their correct coatings. New brake and fuel lines, along with a gas tank, were also installed and all production line markings added. The interior also received the same level of attention. As with the rest of the car, it was in remarkably good original condition. An assessment of what was needed was also done, and they ended up adding a new factory-correct carpet, and a re-dye of the original door panels. The dash and instruments were also given a complete restoration by sister company Instrument Specialties.
While much of the car was well sorted, when it left AMCR, it was at another level, and for Walt, he points out that “When I found out that Mike was involved with the car, that sold me right there. I knew that I was going to get a solid original and authentic car that was done right.”
TECH CHECK
OWNER: Walt Schmidt, Tiburon, California
VEHICLE: ’69 Yenko Camaro
Engine
TYPE: Chevrolet big-block, cast iron with four-bolt mains (L72)
DISPLACEMENT: 427 ci
COMPRESSION RATIO: 11.0:1
BORE: 4.251 inches
STROKE: 3.760 inches
CYLINDER HEADS: GM cast-iron 3929839
ROTATING ASSEMBLY: Stock forged steel crank, stock forged rods, stock forged aluminum pistons
VALVETRAIN: Stock GM stainless steel valves, GM dual valvesprings 3970627, H-stamped L72 rocker arms 3959182
CAMSHAFT: Stock GM solid roller
INDUCTION: Aluminum L-72 3933163 Winters Casting manifold, Holley 780-cfm 4346 carburetor
IGNITION: Single-point aluminum distributor, stock coil
EXHAUST: Stock cast-iron manifolds, Gardner Exhaust Systems reproduction big-block exhaust
ANCILLARIES: Heavy-duty four-core radiator (RPO V48), Stock GM alternator
OUTPUT: 425 hp and 460 lb-ft of torque
Drivetrain
GEARBOX: Muncie M21 four-speed
REAR AXLE: 12-bolt rearend housing, heavy-duty axle shafts, 4.10:1 gears
Chassis
FRONT SUSPENSION: Stock GM upper and lower control arms, heavy-duty springs, 1-inch sway bar, heavy-duty shocks
REAR SUSPENSION: Four-leaf rear springs, heavy-duty shocks
BRAKES: J52 power disc brakes (front), drum brakes (rear)
Wheels & Tires
WHEELS: Stock YH Code 15×7 Rally
TIRES: Goodyear Polyglas F70-15 (front), Goodyear Polyglas F70-15 (rear)
Interior
UPHOLSTERY: Madrid Grain Vinyl
CARPET: Auto Custom Carpets (Oxford, AL)
SEATS: Stock GM bucket
DOOR PANELS: Stock GM original
STEERING: Stock GM steering wheel, stock column
SHIFTER: Hurst Dual Gate shifter
DASH: Stock GM restored by Instrument Specialties (North Kingstown, RI)
INSTRUMENTATION: Factory 140-mph speedometer, Yenko-installed Stewart-Warner transistorized tach
AUDIO: Stock AM push-button radio
Exterior
BODY: Stock GM original sheetmetal
PAINT: PPG basecoat/clearcoat Hugger Orange
HOOD: Factory ZL2 cowl induction
Click on this issue’s cover to see the enhanced digital version of 1969 Yenko Camaro Restored to Perfection.
