Some first hand Yenko Chevrolet history I recall

[1fantasticcar]

First new car was a Corvair. Being born in Canonsburg Yenko Chevy was no stranger. They moved the dealership from Pike St in Canonsburg to Rt 19 near Donaldson Crossroads in Peters Twp & became known overnight for Don's "special" cars...the white ones with that big blue stripe. Was excited to see them sitting about and never thought they would be so sought after over the years. What's Don up to next? The town was abuzz about his project cars. I remember like yesterday the breaking news coming over KDKA radio about the airplane crash that took his life. Everything faded soon and Yenko Chevy franchise got bought by Sun Chevrolet, a new much larger dealership was built located further north on Rte 19 across the road from Charapp Ford.. The original Pike St building is still standing. The dealership could have but never became more than a hometown auto sales & service business and never flourished like Don's special cars did. Many famous things & people came out of Canonsburg...Perry Como cut my uncles hair & I even worked with his brother at the transformer plant, the great Bobby Vinton, McGuffy reader...the nations first primer reader, Pole Star and many others that went on to make a name. They could have but Canonsburg never promoted and established a Don Yenko Museum is beyond me. Many of us locals will never forget Don Yenko and his legacy as it lives on today.

[bbodie52]

BACKGROUND

Don Yenko
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Donald "Don" Frank Yenko
Born May 27, 1927
Bentleyville, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Died March 5, 1987 (aged 59)
Charleston, West Virginia, U.S.
Nationality: American
Occupation: Car dealer, race car driver
Known for Building high performance cars
Spouse(s): Hope
Children: 2
Donald "Don" Frank Yenko (May 27, 1927 – March 5, 1987) was an American car dealer and race car driver best known for creating the Yenko Camaro, a high-performance version of the Chevrolet Camaro.

Biography
Early life
Yenko grew up in Bentleyville, Pennsylvania. He learned to fly an airplane at age 16 and went on to serve in the United States Air Force, before attending the Pennsylvania State University. While a student at Penn State, Yenko started the school's first flying club, was president of the debating club, and a member of the Kappa Delta Rho fraternity.

Career
In the 1950s and 1960s, Yenko gained international acclaim for racing Corvettes in regional races as well as prestigious endurance contests including 24 Hours of Le Mans. He was a four-time Sports Car Club of America national driving champion.

In 1957, Yenko set up a performance shop for Chevrolet vehicles at the family's Chevrolet dealership in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania. The customers could either order high performance parts or have their car modified by Yenko's mechanics. The first popular aftermarket car made by Yenko came in 1965, in the form of a modified version of the Chevrolet Corvair. Named "The Stinger", these Corvairs were modified with a variety of different body accessories, engine upgrades that produced outputs of up to 240 hp, as well as upgrades in steering, transmissions, suspension, and positraction differentials. A total of 185 Stingers are believed to have been built between 1965 and 1967. In 1967, when Chevrolet began selling the Camaro, Yenko began to modify SS Camaros by replacing the original L-78 396 in³ (6.5 L) engine with a Chevrolet Corvette's L-72 427 in³ (7.0 L) and upgrade the rear axle and suspensions. He also modified other Chevrolet vehicles like Chevelle and Nova by fitting them with L-72 engines. This limited series of cars sometimes began to take the name "sYc" (standing for Yenko Super Car), after the graphics found on the hoods and seat rests.

The 1970s saw the decline in muscle cars due to higher insurance premiums and tighter emission rules. Yenko shrewdly countered by placing his unique touch on the 1970 Nova. Instead of placing a big block 427 c.i. in his special Nova he convinced GM to put a very potent small block 350 c.i. (360 h.p.) that the new Z-28 Camaro and LT1 Corvette shared. Additionally, the new "Yenko Deuce", as it was known, had extensive suspension, transmission, and rear axle upgrades along with some very lively stripes, badges, and interior decals. A bit later in the decade, Yenko began to modify the Chevrolet Vega with spoilers, turbochargers, and design graphics, dubbing it the "Yenko Stinger II". Due to difficulties with United States Environmental Protection Agency certification, he only sold the modified Vega without a turbocharger. Instead, the turbocharger sold separately at the Yenko dealership.

In 1972, Yenko stopped selling modified cars and began publishing a performance parts catalog from cosmetic modification to engine modification. One of his notable products was the ZL-1 engine, which he produced under permission from Chevrolet. In 1981, Yenko made his last modification, the Turbo Z Camaro. He added a turbocharger to 350 in³ (5.7 L) engine.

In addition to Chevrolet, Yenko dealerships included Porsche, Audi, Fiat, Honda, Subaru and Saab.

Death
Yenko, along with his three passengers, died in March 1987 while bringing his Cessna 210 in for a landing near Charleston, West Virginia. The landing was hard, causing the aircraft to bounce and Yenko to lose control. It then hit a dirt bank, fell into a ravine and crashed. He was 59 years old.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Don_Yenko

As much as I admired this 1961 Chevrolet Corvair Project From Norway, I never realized what "sYc" meant on its doors until I read the Wikipedia article!

...This limited series of cars sometimes began to take the name "sYc" (standing for Yenko Super Car), after the graphics found on the hoods and seat rests...

[1fantasticcar]

Thank you so very very much. Reading this brought back so many memories of local places and local people. I spent 30 years (Ford) in the auto business here and knew so many fine people. We are very proud of Don our home town boy that has given us so many great memories. I still recall the many "Yenko" conversations while waiting for a hair cut in my uncles barber shop.
Trivia...Didn't know of his connection with Jack Lord. Years ago I stood in a small macadamia nut factory in Hawaii & in the corner sat a saddle on display with a picture above stating it was Jack Lord's saddle from his TV show Rusty Burke. He was friends with the owners.
With sadness there is no tribute of any kind I know of in Bentleyville, Canonsburg or Peters Township for Don. Perhaps this will change as he most certainly deserves it.

[1fantasticcar]

Brad Bodie. Just new on this site. I would like to send you a email but unable to find address. My email is STRONGLAND1@GMAIL.COM if you wish to reply. Hopefully this won't break any rules of this forum. Thank You.

[bbodie52]

...in the corner sat a saddle on display with a picture above stating it was Jack Lord's saddle from his TV show Rusty Burke. He was friends with the owners.

A small correction...
I remembered Jack Lord's old TV series — but not as "Rusty Burke". The name of the show as I remembered it was "Stoney Burke" I also remember seeing him appear during that time period as Felix Leiter, an American CIA agent in the first James Bond movie that my parents took me to see (at San Jose's the Garden Theater) around that time: "Dr. No" (1962).


Jack Lord as Stoney Burke

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stoney_Burke_(TV_series)

Reception

The same year that Stoney Burke premiered, NBC aired its own drama about rodeo performers, The Wide Country, starring Earl Holliman and Andrew Prine. It ended after twenty-eight episodes. Both series were Westerns that debuted at the end of the time when Western programs—a fixture of 1950s and early 1960s television—had been a number one draw on the medium. By the mid-1960s, market saturation had begun to take its toll; while established series such as Bonanza and Gunsmoke continued to thrive, new shows with less than robust ratings struggled to survive. Both rodeo series were canceled after one season.

According to Wikipedia, the show's original release dates were October 1, 1962 – May 20, 1963. I only turned 10 years old in December 1962, yet I remember watching that TV show during its brief run. Even now, at age 67, I remembered the title. It is funny how some memories just stick with you! During that time period my parents were driving a new 1961 white Corvair Monza with a red interior at our home in San Jose, California.

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bbodie52
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[1fantasticcar]

"Bookem Bodie"! and I watch old cowboy shows to boot. If you want something real interesting is the history of where McGarrets old Mercury was found & where it is now. I remember back then Yenko Chevy located just leaving Bentleyville on the main street. Always busy with showroom on the right & car lot across the road. Always clean as a pin, organized with those pennants flying overhead & busy. Many small towns around here & each had several brands of dealers to select from that supported the communities. Very few exist now as most are mega franchise dealers on 4 lane roads with fields of cars.
Thanks again Bodie for this wonderful history