SEMA 2019: Licensed Yenko Camaro Spec Build Debuts in Las Vegas

Camaro from Heartland Customs features the classic Yenko look with modern performance.

During the first generation of the Camaro, some of the nastiest of the original Chevy muscle cars came from Yenko Chevrolet in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania. Owner Don Yenko was ordering specially equipped 427-cubic inch big blocks that were intended for the Corvette, but he installed them in his own line of high performance muscle cars. Thanks to other upgrades to the brakes, suspension, interior and body, the monstrous Yenko Camaros were feared when they were near and today, they are among the most collectable of the classic Chevy muscle cars.

Unfortunately, while an original Yenko Camaro was one of the quickest cars on the street in the 1960s, they don’t feel fast compared to modern day performance cars. They are also hard to find for a reasonable price, but Heartland Customs has the solution, with their Yenko Spec Camaro program. With approval from the current holder of the Yenko trademark, Heartland Customs recreates the classic Yenko Camaro with modern upgrades that preserve the look while offering similar performance to today’s muscle cars.

The first Heartland Customs Yenko Spec Camaro was unveiled at the 2019 SEMA Show, where the lucky owner and his wife waited to meet their newly-built muscle car and we were on hand for the big reveal.

Yenko Spec Camaro

As you can see in the pictures here, the results of the Heartland Customs Spec Camaro program is a classic muscle car that looks just like an original Yenko model. In the case of this particular car, it is painted black with the familiar Yenko/SC stripe and badging, along with a set of modern wheels that have been customized to look like the magnesium wheels that came with the original Yenko package.

On the inside, the seats sport the same “sYc” logos on the headrests as the original and aside from the modern gauges, the cockpit of this car has a proper classic look and feel to it.

Really, if you only looked at this classic Chevy at a local car cruise, you might believe it to be an original Yenko Camaro, until you started looking closer at the mechanical bits.

Modern Performance

The original Yenko Camaro was powered by a 427-cubic inch big block, but this car is powered by a modified LS7, which also measures 427 cubic inches, but this mill delivers a whopping 600 horsepower. The engine is painted and trimmed to look like an old school engine, but in reality, it is a modern GM powerplant with classic duds.

Next, the build team added modern high performance brakes in the front and rear along with a suspension setup that balances cornering grip and launch traction. The culmination of these mechanical components is a classic muscle car that rides and drives like a new model, all while maintaining that stunning classic Yenko design.

Again, this isn’t a clone; this is a licensed, modern-day Yenko build performed to a first generation Camaro, so if you have always wanted your own Yenko car and you have an early Camaro sitting around, Heartland Customs can transform it into a 600 horsepower Yenko with modern performance.

Photos for LS1 Tech by Patrick Rall

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Patrick Rall

"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.

"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.

"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.

"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.

"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.

"Being based on Detroit," says Rall, "I never miss the North American International Auto Show, the Woodward Dream Cruise and Roadkill Nights, along with spending plenty of time raising hell on Detroit's Woodward Avenue with the best muscle car crowd in the world.

Rall can be contacted at QuickMirada@Yahoo.com