Vehicle Description
At RK Motors Charlotte we pride ourselves in offering high caliber,
one-of-a-kind collector cars that have amazing stories and
unmatched pedigree. This authentic Yenko Deuce is a fully
documented rarity that's 1 of only 175 1970 Yenko Novas produced, 1
of only 53 1970 Yenko Novas fitted with a Turbo-Hydramatic 400, and
1 of only 35 1970 Yenko Novas painted Cranberry Red. Presently,
it's a numbers-matching, magazine-featured show car that recently
earned Concours Gold honors at the 2015 Muscle Car and Corvette
Nationals. And, whether you're a hardcore Chevy connoisseur, or
just a savvy enthusiast who's searching for a killer classic, it's
an excellent opportunity for future investment!
HISTORY/APPEARANCE
The car's story begins at Ammon R. Smith Chevrolet of York,
Pennsylvania, the firm made famous by Dave Strickler and his
legendary Old Reliable drag cars. According to area muscle car
historians, Ammon R. Smith received shipment of three 1970 Yenko
Deuces and, as of the late 2000s, one of the cars was still
unaccounted for. It made perfect sense for this particular dealer
to have a nice portfolio of the super rare Novas, since it was only
225 miles from Yenko's garage. What didn't make sense was the fact
that one of the cars had essentially vanished sometime in the
previous two decades. After talking with local gearheads, a guy by
the name of Skip Lecates made it his personal mission to track the
mysterious third Deuce and, after following many leads, met a
mechanic who recalled working on the Nova. According to the
mechanic, the car was purchased by a couple who lived out in the
sticks and, over decades of ownership, had never changed hands.
With a combination of gut instinct and verbal directions, Skip
located the family and asked the whereabouts of their storied
Chevy.
That family, York residents Brenda Baldwin and her dearly departed
husband, had purchased the car new in June of 1971. The Nova
stickered for over $5,000 and, because that price put it firmly in
Cadillac territory, had racked up 500 miles languishing in Smith's
showroom. Brenda wanted the coupe, but she didn't really care for
its automatic transmission. However, since the Baldwins were
dyed-in-the-wool muscle car fans, and her husband was exhausted
from shifting gears all day at his job, they offered the dealer
$4,600 and eventually drove off in one of the coolest Chevrolets
ever produced. For the next 17 years and 123K miles, the completely
unmodified Deuce would serve as Brenda's fun daily driver. And in
1988, the car was retired to a semi-trailer on the Baldwins'
property, not seeing the light of day since. Even though Skip made
several offers, Brenda wasn't willing to part with her 1-owner gem.
That is... Until May of 2012
http://www.hotrod.com/cars/featured/mscp-1209-1970-chevy-yenko-deuce/
when the car was rolled out of the trailer, snakes and all, in
solid, original condition sporting faded Yenko paint, one-of-a-kind
Yenko accessories and a numbers-matching, Yenko-spec
drivetrain.
Fixing the Chevy's light rust and perfecting its unique Yenko
aesthetics was a pretty easy challenge for Overhaulin' stars MASCAR
Auto Body. And the Costa Mesa crew executed a professional,
nut-and-bolt restoration that primed a smooth canvas for correct
Cranberry Red 2-stage. Once that wet-looking pigment was buffed to
an excellent shine, a full array of war paint tapped an aggressive
demeanor that's both classic and fitting. And today, this Nova
rolls as a revered collection of well-aligned panels and ridged
character lines that recently earned 994 out of 1,000 points in
MCACN Concours Gold judging.
Chevrolet did a particularly good job designing tasteful
ornamentation for this generation of Nova, and the Yenko treatment
invokes extreme excitement without resorting to extreme kitsch. At
the front of the car, a standard Nova grille centers a small
Chevrolet crest between a bright chrome bumper, clear parking lamps
and familiar T3 headlights. Above that grille, a standard Nova hood
anchors an 8,000 RPM, Yenko-spec tachometer in front of satin
windshield wipers and fresh glass that's framed in painted and
polished trim. At the sides of that hood, traditional door handles
and black, bullet-style racing mirrors flank classy "Nova" scripts,
bold "350 emblems and patriotic Yenko badging. And at the back of
the car, a standard Nova valance founds simple tail lamps between a
second chrome bumper and clean Yenko decklid ornamentation.
ENGINE
A lot of car buffs rave about big block Yenkos and Chevrolet's
legendary 427. But in reality, this Nova's 350 cubic inch small
block is a more competent and well-rounded performer. Installed in
all 1970 Yenko Novas as a shrewd way to skirt fresh EPA
regulations, Chevrolet's impressive LT-1 created a spry 360
horsepower straight from the factory. At the top of the hot mill, a
polished, painted and decaled air cleaner caps a big Holley
4-barrel, which rides on a familiar Winters intake. That intake
feeds factory Chevrolet heads, which float finned valve covers
above spotless exhaust manifolds and correct smog equipment. At the
back of those heads, a traditional points distributor sequences
spark through correct Packard TV R Suppression cables. At the front
of those cables, factory power steering joins a stamped alternator
to round out a roster of high quality ancillaries. In front of
those ancillaries, a shrouded and decaled radiator frames requisite
GM hoses and a reproduction Delco battery. And naturally, the
numbers-matching powerplant wears a correct 3970010 casting number
behind an LT-1/3-speed-specific (CTC) suffix stamp and matching
partial VIN.
DRIVETRAIN/SUSPENSION
As previously mentioned, this Deuce came factory-equipped with a
tough Turbo-Hydramatic 400 3-speed. Predictably, that original
gearbox hangs a correct "70 - CW" assembly plate opposite a
matching partial VIN. There's a correct 12-bolt axle that's
equipped with a correct posi-traction differential that is
currently spinning highway-friendly 3.50 gears. However, the
original and rare 4.10 gear set is included with the sale. That
driveline hangs in a correct F41 Sports Suspension, which combines
correct power steering with correct power front disc and rear drum
brakes. That suspension is dissected by wrinkle-bent pipes, which
employ throaty turbo mufflers and a factory-spec resonator. That
exhaust is framed by solid floors that, to the best of our
knowledge, are original equipment. And those floors roll on 14-inch
Super Sport Wheels, which spin E70-14 Goodyear Polyglas Custom Wide
Treads around simple Yenko center caps.
INTERIOR
Open the car's light doors and you'll find a crisp Black interior
that's been restored to a pristine state. There's a duo of vinyl
benches that are as tight as the day they left the upholstery shop.
In front of those seats, a silver-trimmed dash hangs a correct
Delco radio under correct, sweeping telemetry. At the bottom of
that dash, textured matting floats a Yenko-installed Hurst Slap
Stick behind stainless-trimmed foot pedals. At the edges of that
flooring, rare Yenko door panels frame traditional chrome handles.
The driver keeps control through a bowtie-branded steering wheel.
And passengers haul cargo next to a full-size spare tire in a fully
restored trunk.
PROVENANCE
Since this Nova stayed with the same family for over 42 years, the
car is impeccably documented. Here's a breakdown of the original
Protect-O-Plate that's included with our sale.
114270W353566 - The car's VIN
- 1: Chevrolet Motor Division
- 14: V8-powered Nova
- 27: ...for more information please contact the seller.