• SUBSCRIBE
Athlon Outdoors Supersite
Tactical Life Website
Ballistic Website
Personal Defense World Website
Skillsetmag Website
  • Guns
    • Handguns
      • Semi-Automatic Handguns
      • Revolvers
    • AR Pistols
    • AR Rifles
    • Rifles
      • Semi-Automatic Rifles
      • Lever Action
      • Bolt Action
    • Shotguns
    • Airguns
    • Custom Guns
      • Handgun Build
      • Rifle Build
      • Shotgun Build
    • Specialty Guns
  • Parts
    • Handgun Parts
    • Rifle Parts
  • Accessories
    • Optics & Sights
    • Lasers & Lights
    • Suppressors
    • Holsters
    • Slings
    • Shooting Rests
    • Targets
    • Maintenance & Tools
  • Ammo
    • Handgun Ammo
      • 9mm
      • 10mm
    • Rifle Ammo
      • .223
    • Shotgun Ammo
      • 12 Gauge
    • Rimfire Ammo
    • Reloading
  • Gear
    • Apparel
    • Ears & Eyes
      • Ears
      • Eyes
        • Thermal Vision
        • Night Vision
    • Storage
    • Tactical Gear
      • Body Armor
    • Knives
      • Fixed Blade
      • Folding Knives
      • Tactical Knives
    • Less Lethal
    • Flashlights
    • Electronics
  • Lifestyle
    • Concealed Carry
    • Personal Defense
      • Self-Defense
      • Hand to Hand Combat
    • Home Defense
    • Sport Shooting
      • Hunting
      • Competition Shooting
    • Precision Shooting/Long Range Shooting
    • Training
      • Shooting 101
    • Survival
      • First Aid
    • Tactical & LE
    • Pop Culture
      • People
      • Rides
      • History
      • Military Lifestyle
  • News
    • New Products & Industry News
    • Gun Facts & Laws
    • Police News
    • Military News
    • Politics
  • VIDEOS
No Result
View All Result
Athlon Outdoors
  • Guns
    • Handguns
      • Semi-Automatic Handguns
      • Revolvers
    • AR Pistols
    • AR Rifles
    • Rifles
      • Semi-Automatic Rifles
      • Lever Action
      • Bolt Action
    • Shotguns
    • Airguns
    • Custom Guns
      • Handgun Build
      • Rifle Build
      • Shotgun Build
    • Specialty Guns
  • Parts
    • Handgun Parts
    • Rifle Parts
  • Accessories
    • Optics & Sights
    • Lasers & Lights
    • Suppressors
    • Holsters
    • Slings
    • Shooting Rests
    • Targets
    • Maintenance & Tools
  • Ammo
    • Handgun Ammo
      • 9mm
      • 10mm
    • Rifle Ammo
      • .223
    • Shotgun Ammo
      • 12 Gauge
    • Rimfire Ammo
    • Reloading
  • Gear
    • Apparel
    • Ears & Eyes
      • Ears
      • Eyes
        • Thermal Vision
        • Night Vision
    • Storage
    • Tactical Gear
      • Body Armor
    • Knives
      • Fixed Blade
      • Folding Knives
      • Tactical Knives
    • Less Lethal
    • Flashlights
    • Electronics
  • Lifestyle
    • Concealed Carry
    • Personal Defense
      • Self-Defense
      • Hand to Hand Combat
    • Home Defense
    • Sport Shooting
      • Hunting
      • Competition Shooting
    • Precision Shooting/Long Range Shooting
    • Training
      • Shooting 101
    • Survival
      • First Aid
    • Tactical & LE
    • Pop Culture
      • People
      • Rides
      • History
      • Military Lifestyle
  • News
    • New Products & Industry News
    • Gun Facts & Laws
    • Police News
    • Military News
    • Politics
  • VIDEOS
No Result
View All Result
Athlon Outdoors Super Site
No Result
View All Result
  • TL
  • PDW
  • BM
  • Skillset
 
ENTER TO WIN: FREE GUN FRIDAY ft. Browning, Caldwell & Black Hills!

1969 Yenko Nova: The Incredibly Rare 427-Powered ‘Almost Lethal’ Nova

ShareTweetPin
1969 Don Yenko Chevy Nova, muscle car, lead

This green monster is one of the 37 Yenko Novas built in 1969; less then 10 appear to have survived.

Geoff StunkardbyGeoff Stunkard
January 18, 2021
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

It was 1969. Moonwalks. Woodstock. Manson. For the guys just back from a vacation in Vietnam with Uncle Sam, things were popping on the street, as 1969 was an open-carry year for performance cars as well. This was the year Dodge unleashed the NASCAR-inspired Charger Daytona. Ford had big, bad Boss 429 Mustangs. Meanwhile, Oldsmobile was working with Hurst Industries to stuff 455-CI engines into special Cutlasses. Chevrolet offered the code ZL1 427-CI all-aluminum motor (only available for Corvette, and an engine which cost more than $4,000 alone to install). Many street racers also wanted a 427 in, say, a Camaro or Chevelle. At the time, corporate execs at GM mandated nothing more than 400-CI be allowed in anything, but full-size cars or Corvettes. This is why Olds was having Hurst do 455 engine installs for them, and how the 1969 Yenko Nova you see here came to be.

Don Yenko and His 1969 Nova

Don Yenko was a winning road racer from Pennsylvania. His family had a small Chevy dealership in Canonsburg, not far from Pittsburgh. He proved very skilled at throwing Corvettes into corners in places like Sebring and Nassau at high speed, even after GM pulled the plug on all formal racing involvement in 1963, which got him some high-level attention.

With the company out, in 1965 Yenko decided to go ahead and create his own sports car for SCCA racing; it was a Chevy Corvair-based model he called the Stinger. Using his Detroit connections, he used a unique COPO (Central Office Production Order) — normally reserved for taxi and fleet orders — process to get some special not-available stuff put on his Corvairs right on the assembly line. A group of young guys hired by the delearship converted the cars from Corvairs to SCCA-legal Stingers. Yenko also formed a national network to sell them using already established associated Chevrolet dealerships.

The Don Yenko Camaro

Now comes 1967, and the new Camaro is HOT. Except you can’t get a 427 in the Camaro from Chevrolet. Since Yenko has a dealer network that already sold his modified cars, why not a 427 Yenko Camaro? The 427 engines shipped to Canonsburg straight from the Tonawanda Chevy engine plant. The factory 396 comes out, the 427 pops in, and the Yenko Super Camaro, complete with warranty, is born.

In 1968, the process gets more streamlined. Yenko then used a COPO code to get non-SS Camaros built with special speedometers, suspension gear and the 427 carburetor pre-installed on the standard 396 engine. Once the Camaros got delivered to Pennsylvania, Yenko’s guys pulled the engine out and swapped the 396 hardware over to a new 427 “short block” (delivered without accessories or cylinder heads). It’s still a lot of work. Also, the cars then got special emblems and wheels as well so you know it’s from Yenko.

The Late ’60s

Come late ’68 for the 1969 Chevy model releases. Maybe Yenko made some phone calls. Or maybe he went out to Detroit and had a three-martini lunch with the powers-that-be. We’ll never know. But Yenko got the factory to agree to quietly install 427s in both Camaros and Chevelles on the assembly line. Nobody advertised this, however, other dealers could also use this COPO code to do likewise. Now, remember, these are not pretty, dressed-up SS models. These are bone-basic beasts whose only job is to either run a quarter-mile faster than the other guy, or make easy money by street racing after the sun goes down.

1969 Don Yenko Chevy Nova, muscle car, L72 427-CI engine
Under the hood, an L72 427-CI engine that made scads of power. These were installed by the dealership using a factory replacement-type motor and came with a warranty through Yenko Super Cars.

Yenko had a special stripe package and interior trim his crew added on, as well as some dress-up tags and little 427 emblems as fair warning, but that’s about it. Another guy — drag racer Dick Harrell — actually got that all-aluminum 427 installed in a handful of similar Camaros.

The Arrival of the 1969 Yenko Nova

However, as for the Nova here, the factory would not touch it. Instead, Yenko offered them for sale by converting them from 396-powered factory built models like he had in the past. He swapped the engine with the same standard high-compression code L72 427 used in the big car line (Impala, Caprice) that is already being COPO-ordered in the more sporty models noted above.

Chevrolet sold hundreds of thousands of Novas ever year, mainly as cheap, get-around transportation for people on a budget. By the end of the year, Yenko sold just 37 of his 427 conversions. It’s presently believed less than 10 of them survived youthful stupidity and the ensuing decades.

The Nova pictured in this article sold via Yenko’s franchise dealer V.V. Cooke Chevrolet in Louisville, Ky. Painted in Rallye Green (code 79) with a black vinyl top and Yenko white graphics, the car screamed for attention. In addition to the L72 engine, the car got the standard equipment M-21 close-ratio four-speed manual transmission and a 4.10 PosiTraction gear in the 12-bolt differential.

The 1969 Yenko Nova also has a bench seat (keeps that girlfriend close), Hurst floor shift, Atlas wheels, quite scary narrow tires, and small brakes. Someone found it behind a body shop in the early 1990s and has been in the car collector world since then. As seen, it had just been restored by Rick Smith Restorations of Virginia and is reputed to have last changed hands for someplace above $500,000.

Don Yenko & His Legacy

Yenko died in a private plane crash in 1987. He was interviewed only a month or so earlier about his foray into performance car marketing. Street packages like the 427 proved to be so “prone to accidents” that you couldn’t reasonably insure a Yenko or similar muscle car by 1970.

1969 Don Yenko Chevy Nova, muscle car, rear
Most people identified it this way, as it was all they ever saw once the street light battle got underway.

Yenko built only a small-block Nova for 1970, before turning to smaller Chevy Vegas and eventually imports. Asked about the Nova, he recalled it with some chagrin. He said it was a car “we probably should not have done. Almost lethal.”

For the 37 owners in 1969, the build resulted in cheap thrills, followed in some cases by mechanical mayhem. The gas crisis of the mid-1970s took some off the road. Meanwhile, people who didn’t know when to shift (or lift off the gas) certainly blew some of those 427s into shrapnel. The handful that survived for the past half-century earned their reputation. Anybody still willing to have a go with that four-speed, OEM brakes, and little tires, well, let’s just say Walmart has underwear if you need it.

Didn't find what you were looking for?

MOST POPULAR

Taurus Home Defender revolver in .410.

KA-BOOM: Here Comes the Taurus Judge Home Defender!

300 Blackout vs 308, rifles, ammunition

300 Blackout vs 308 Win: Which Round Reigns Supreme in AR-15s?

Police Sidearms, police duty pistols, Handguns, America's Largest Police Departments 2018

Police Sidearms: Handguns of America’s 10 Largest Departments

All the best new handguns seen at SHOT Show 2023.

21 Best New Handguns [2023]

TRENDING

houston carjacker shooting

Houston Carjacker Loses Gunfight With Armed Truck Owner

jurassic world, jurassic world crimson trace, crimson trace, crimson trace rail master

Jurassic World Utilizes Crimson Trace Laser Sights

Preview – ATI Yugo Underfolder 7.62x39mm

quick-draw, quick-draw concealed carry, massad ayoob concealed carry, massad ayoob quick-draw, quick-draw tips Puerto Rico

SAF: Puerto Rico Registration Decision a ‘Surprising Victory’

BROWSE BY BRAND

Skillset-Logo_yellow-153x47png
Ballistic_LOGO-217x47
CH-Logo_blue-153x47
T-L-SS-stack life-47x140
PDW_CCH_LOGO-300x101
PDW-2022-Sidebyside-logo 160x30-blk
GOW LOGO x101
AF_LOGO-184x47

SPOTLIGHT

Southern District Court Strikes Down California Magazine Ban

California Magazine Ban Struck Down by Southern District Court

While making repeated pleas for more gun control, President Joe Biden loves to crack jokes about law-abiding gun owners. Specifically regarding their...

RELATED POSTS

As everyone knows, Chornobyl, Ukraine, is home to the worst nuclear disaster the world has ever seen. In 1986 the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant experienced a reactor meltdown, creating a radioactive fallout zone over Chernobyl and the surrounding areas.

Chernobyl Tours? Yes, You Can Visit the Radioactive Wasteland

...

Mike Glover, Military, PTSD

How Veteran Mike Glover Took Control of His PTSD

...

Beau Theige explains the method to his unique guitar building style.

Skillset Spotlight: Beau Theige, Guitar Building Greatness

...

Load More

TRENDING

Defund Police Movement, riots

Best Backup Guns for Law Enforcement

A Pentagon Force Protection Officer, George Gonzalez, was standing outside the Pentagon Metro station when a criminal got off one...

Bradley Cooper as Chris Kyle in American Sniper.

Reel Shooters: The Best Movie Snipers & a Few of the Worst

Fans of action and war movies would be forgiven for thinking that trained snipers carry their rifles disassembled in an...

The Taurus GX4 Carry.

Taurus GX4 Carry Finds the Balance Between Capacity and Carry

Taurus USA has really created quite a stir in the industry over the past few years with all the new...

Big Horn Armory AR500 review, .500 Auto Max Semi-Auto AR

Big Horn Armory AR500: Testing the Absurdly Powerful AR in .500 Auto Max

The start of a new century seemed to wake up designers in their quest to expand AR roles via caliber...

MOST POPULAR

The Mossberg MC2sc semi-auto pistol.

12 Best Micro-Compact Handguns for Concealed Carry [2022]

A thick veil of fog stood forever in front of me as I cruised down the highway at 6:30 in...

Police Sidearms, police duty pistols, Handguns, America's Largest Police Departments 2018

Police Sidearms: Handguns of America’s 10 Largest Departments

Law enforcement in the United States is in constant evolution and that includes various police sidearms. These days, law enforcement...

U.S. Secret Service adopts Glock G47

FIRST LOOK: Glock Just Very Quietly Unveiled the New Glock 47 Pistol

Tuesday afternoon we broke news that the U.S. Customs and Border Protection selected three Glock 9mm pistols as its new standard...

All the best new handguns seen at SHOT Show 2023.

21 Best New Handguns [2023]

The NSSF SHOT Show is the premier event to get your hands on new gear. It gives us a first...

VIDEO SERIES: AT THE READY | SEASON 2

MORE VIDEOS

The Taurus GX4 Carry.

Taurus GX4 Carry Finds the Balance Between Capacity and Carry

The 21st Tec TEC47 Rifle.

The 21st Tec TEC47 AR-10 in 7.62x39mm Accepts AK Mags

HANDGUNS

The Taurus GX4 Carry.

Taurus GX4 Carry Finds the Balance Between Capacity and Carry

The Sig Sauer P320 FCU and Custom Shop circumvent restrictive state regulations.

Sig P320 FCU and Custom Shop Overcome Restrictive State Laws

New Graphene finish.

The Taurus GX4 Micro-Compact is Now Available in Graphene

The Pedersoli Howdah.

The Pedersoli Howdah: Recreating the Howdah’s Legacy

The SK Customs Morelos.

SK Customs Morelos 1911 Heralds Generalissimo Jose Morelos

The Tisas Model 1911A1 Aviator

Tisas 1911A1 Aviator: Bringing Back the ‘Feel’ of the Original

RIFLES - click to see all

The 21st Tec TEC47 Rifle.

The 21st Tec TEC47 AR-10 in 7.62x39mm Accepts AK Mags

The Watchtower Type 15M.

Watchtower Type 15M is Premium Forged and “All American Made”

The Heritage Tactical Rancher Carbine.

Heritage Tactical Rancher Carbine Brings the .22 LR and Mag Fun

The limited edition RISE Armament Topo Watchman rifle.

UPDATED: New RISE Armament Topo Watchman Limited-Edition

AMMO - click to see all

HEVI-Shot HEVI-Bismuth Upland loads.

HEVI-Shot HEVI-Bismuth Upland Expands Hunting Lineup

Ammo Storage, Survival Ammo, long term ammo storage, Prepper

Best Methods for Long-Term Ammo Storage

6 .410 Ammo Options for Home and Personal Defense.

.410 Ammo for Home Defense [2023]

.44 Magnum dirty harry

Your Guide to the .44 Magnum Cartridge

The Escort PS Youth 20-gauge shotgun.

The Escort PS Youth Shotgun is Now Available in .410 Bore

The 2022 Athlon Outdoors Rendezvous event.

Rendezvous Roundup: Guns & Gear at Athlon’s Signature Event

Magazines Available Now! Subscribe today for Home Delivery!
FREE NEWSLETTERS! Subscribe!
  • PRIVACY POLICY
  • TERMS OF USE
  • CORPORATE
  • ADVERTISE
  • EDIT DESK
No Result
View All Result
  • Guns
    • Handguns
      • Semi-Automatic Handguns
      • Revolvers
    • AR Pistols
    • AR Rifles
    • Rifles
      • Semi-Automatic Rifles
      • Lever Action
      • Bolt Action
    • Shotguns
    • Airguns
    • Custom Guns
      • Handgun Build
      • Rifle Build
      • Shotgun Build
    • Specialty Guns
  • Parts
    • Handgun Parts
    • Rifle Parts
  • Accessories
    • Optics & Sights
    • Lasers & Lights
    • Suppressors
    • Holsters
    • Slings
    • Shooting Rests
    • Targets
    • Maintenance & Tools
  • Ammo
    • Handgun Ammo
      • 9mm
      • 10mm
    • Rifle Ammo
      • .223
    • Shotgun Ammo
      • 12 Gauge
    • Rimfire Ammo
    • Reloading
  • Gear
    • Apparel
    • Ears & Eyes
      • Ears
      • Eyes
    • Storage
    • Tactical Gear
      • Body Armor
    • Knives
      • Fixed Blade
      • Folding Knives
      • Tactical Knives
    • Less Lethal
    • Flashlights
    • Electronics
  • Lifestyle
    • Concealed Carry
    • Personal Defense
      • Self-Defense
      • Hand to Hand Combat
    • Home Defense
    • Sport Shooting
      • Hunting
      • Competition Shooting
    • Precision Shooting/Long Range Shooting
    • Training
      • Shooting 101
    • Survival
      • First Aid
    • Tactical & LE
    • Pop Culture
      • People
      • Rides
      • History
      • Military Lifestyle
  • News
    • New Products & Industry News
    • Gun Facts & Laws
    • Police News
    • Military News
    • Politics
  • VIDEOS

© 2023 Athlon Outdoors - Premium Firearm product and industry news, reviews and magazines" .