By using the 350 cubic-inch LT1, the Yenko Deuce managed to dodge the performance-car insurance premium. The car would be called the Yenko Deuce, and would be advertised as “mini muscle cars” (in 1970, the Chevy Nova was considered a small car, and the Chevelle was a mid-size). Yenko still wanted to give Chevy Nova fans a car worthy of his name, and so decided to use the 360-horsepower Small Block LT1.

Insurance companies were shying away from covering big power muscle cars by charging far higher premiums, and federal regulations were coming in the form of pollution control systems and fuel economy standards. In retrospect, Yenko thought he probably shouldn’t have built the SC (Super Car) 427, saying “it was the wildest thing we ever did,” that “it was barely legal at best” and was likely “skirting the edge of product liability.” Yenko didn’t stop modifying Novas, but would tone it down for the following year.ġ970 was to be the high watermark for GM muscle cars. In 1969, the Chevy Nova Yenko SC 427 was rated at 450 horsepower. In 1967, Yenko began modifying the new Chevy Camaro, soon followed by the Chevy Chevelle and Chevy Nova fitted with L72 427 Big Block.

The top-of-the-line Yenko Stinger produced a staggering 240 horsepower from the 164 cubic-inch flat-six-cylinder. The first Yenko special was the 1965 Chevy Corvair Yenko Stinger, ordered through the Central Office Production Order, or COPO. The shop sold performance parts to customers, or the customers could have the work done there by Yenko Chevrolet technicians. In 1957, he set up a performance shop at the dealership for adding a bit more punch to Chevy cars. Don Yenko grew up in his family’s Chevrolet dealership.

1970 yenko nova