There aren’t many classic cars that are more sought after than an all-original, first-generation Chevrolet Camaro Yenko 427. Fully restored examples of these high-powered tuner creations can sell for hundreds of thousands of dollars, so when Camaro enthusiast Doug Perry received word that a local enthusiast had a Camaro Yenko collecting dust in his garage, he knew he had to have it.
The car in question wasn’t just any 1967 Chevrolet Camaro Yenko, either. This particular car was the last 427-swapped Camaro to leave Yenko Chevrolet in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania in 1967 and had been owned by the same man, John Weaver, since it rolled off the lot all those years ago. As Hot Rod Magazine reports, Perry initially approached Weaver about acquiring the car in 2009, but he didn’t want to sell it. In fact, Weaver didn’t even want to show it to Perry, as he was embarrassed that he had left it in a state of disrepair since the late 1970s.
Eventually, in the summer of 2018, Weaver gave in and finally agreed to sell Perry the car. There were two conditions, though. The first was that Weaver wanted the car restored within two years and the second was that he brought it back to him to have one last drive. The first stipulation was no problem, but Perry had to say no to the second. The reason? There was no way that he was only going to let Weaver enjoy just one more drive in his Camaro. There would be several.
Weaver with the Camaro
“Because you’re going to have a lot more than one ride,” Perry told him, as quoted by Hot Rod. “When you come to Ohio, you get your own set of keys. We nicknamed the car Superman. You are Superman. It will always be your car. I’m just a caretaker.”
Hear the entire saga behind Perry’s recent acquisition of this 1967 Chevrolet Camaro Yenko in the video embedded below, which comes courtesy of YouTube’s Jerry Heasley.
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Comments
The hardware manager of the department store where I worked forty-eight years ago had one of these; I’m recounting this with, maybe, 90% accuracy. I was too young, just starting to become mechanically savvy to appreciate this fellow’s hot Camaro. Listening in on coffee machine chatter once I heard the owner state that under hard acceleration he could “feel the frame torquing over”. That captured my attention because at least I could understand the forces exerted on the chassis. I never saw the guy abuse his Camaro. It was that same (or very similar) shade of aquamarine that my father’s ’66 Chevrolet Impala showed so well.
When the engineers designed the Camaro they made the chassis to be able to handle 375 horses. When the tuners got the 427’s installed they went over that limit. Some cars actually popped the windshield over repeated hard takeoffs
It doesn’t not surprise me. A coworker from later in life had a Buick Grand National that he’d modified and he later reported small stress-cracks at the framing of quarter-windows from his enthusiastic launches. I did witness several of those.
Too bad, Don Yenko is not alive to see what has happened to his “creations”. What a man he truly was. Just a few like him had the foresight to do what they did for the muscle car boom. I lived through this first run. I still have my 1969 Chevelle SS396. I purchased it a mere three weeks before being shipped off to Fort Campbell Kentucky. My dad was very glad to be the care taker while I was away. I can’t help but smile each time I look at it. Yes now is a great time for the “new” muscle. But, to have lived during that amazing time, was wonderful.
It’s a beautiful car & I’m so glad it got restored. I’m especially happy that it’s back to the original color, and is a truly restored to original. Great story!!
Now that’s a Camaro! Right down to the beautiful color.
Way back in 1970, I had just gotten out of the Navy, my wife and I were at a drive in theater in my 1970 Nova SS L78 402 cubic in, m22 4Spd 3.73 rear gears purchased at Colonial Chevrolet in Norfolk Va. When we’re leaving the first stop light we looked over and there was a Yenko Camaro, I was scared lol but my wife said try it, Wow we did, I stayed side by side until 4th gear when he barely pulled by me, it was a Great race!! I eventually Turned my Nova SS onto a legal Nhra A/S my best time was 11.19 @ 119mph , Goodyear clicked me @ 2.9 SEC 0-60 AND 9.9 SEC 0-100MPH
Damn! That is a good looking muscle car!
Wonderful stories!!! Thank you all for being loyal to my dad. I am looking for Yenko stories to document interactions with my dad and the dealership. Please share them with me, if you don’t mind. I was only 11, when started stuffing envelopes at the dealership to dealers everywhere in the world start with the ones in the US to announce upcoming things happy with Yenko and giving out appeals to join him in sales and events. It definitely was a family owned and run business with my grandparents Martha and Frank in the background staying to run the dealership, while my dad ran the racing circuit.
Please again share with me on messenger stories that involve my dad, Don Yenko, first or the Yenko dealership. I miss him and my grandparents very much.
Great hearing from Don’s kin. Yes your Dad was an amazing man. Well ahead of his time. We only had a few Original Yenko’s here in Upstate New York. But the one’s we did have, held “court” on a regular basis. We always heard stories, of just how these guys came to own one. It would be amazing, if somehow, if all the survivors were to get together in one location and celebrate your Dad and his Dealership. Keep this group notified if anything like that may come to pass. Gods Speed to you.
Lynn, I wish I had an original Yenko from 1967, but at 20 years old then, making $65/week, I (and a bank loan) purchased a 1967 Camaro RS and tuned it to win 14 drag trophies before it was traded in to marry my sweetheart. My passion survived the decades, and in 2007 I acquired a 1967 Yenko 427-450 HP “Clone” (a worthy tribute car in honor of your dad’s real car) that is a treasure beyond words. It won ‘Best in Class’ at a local festival in 2018 (near home in Ontario, Canada) and is truly the ‘real deal’ muscle car envisioned by your dad. I would be happy to email to you a picture of its winning day at the festival if you request. But I wanted you to know, I have been captivated for a lifetime, by the unique Camaro your dad created with this car.
I remember the first night the night porter came into work! Driving a brand new 1969 Chevelle SS Black ond Orange stripes with 396 -375 hp with a four speed!! With Cragar wheels!