Lets say if you could go back in time to 1969/70 and buy a car from either Yenko,Baldwin/Motion,Nickey,Fred Gibb,Dana,or Berger who would you pick to do business with and what would you buy?Of course a Chevelle!Right?Forget about what car might be worth more today.Pick one for style or speed or both!Just like you were living back then and had no clue what these cars might be worth.I would like to see who is the King of Dealer built Supercars!Lets take a vote!

Assuming money was not an object, I would have to say Baldwin\Motion. The car of choice would be a 1970 Phase III Camaro (sorry, but the body style was new and very nice) The cars were guaranteed to go low 11 somethings. GUARANTEED!, I say!

Nickey, They would pay your one way ticket to pick your car up!
Tied with Baldwin.

baldwin motion. without a doubt.

They were all great cars but I vote for the 69 Yenkos. It was a factory engineered and built (COPO) car. The TH400s and the rear ends were special high performance units.The stripes looked good where the motion cars were a little bit over done in the stripes department (IMO). The Yenkos also came with a factory warranty.
SUPER STOCK magazine tested a Yenko Camaro on April 19 1969 at York US30 Dragway. With headers and 8 in slicks, the 4-speed Camaro ran 11.94 at 114.50 mph. The driver (Ed Hedrick) said it would go alot faster with some minor modifications.
In Aug. 1969 SUPER STOCK magazine tested a 69 Yenko Chevelle. It had stock exh manifolds and tires (F70x15 Goodyear Polyglas Wide Tread GT)and smog pump. The 4-speed Chevelle ran 13.31 at 106.89 mph. They said it was a heavy 3635lb "Grand Touring" class car. The title of the article is " Chevvies Forever" (spelled with 2 v's).

Can I have one of each? Pleeeeaaaase?!

Boy, what a tough dicision! Let's review my choices.

For performance, you have to give the edge to the Baldwin/Motion Vega. Big block in a Vega? Oh yeah! Heck, Joel Rosen even guaranteed 9 second 1/4 miles with this thing, or he'd buy it back! And those wild graphics! It would be hard to miss!

Style? Well, its kind of a toss up here, but I would probably pick the Yenko Chevelle. Those classic '69 Chevelle lines! And those stripes! Easy 13 second 1/4 miles, and room to move around in! It looks classy just sitting there. Besides, I could haul the family around in it.

A sleeper? Now wait a minute. If I get all those graphics on my car, then I'll never get a race! What about a car straight from GM? Dog dish hubcaps, no emblems, with basic trim and interior. You could even call it cheap looking. How about an aluminum 427? Yeah, ZL-1! A set of headers is all I need to be pushing 550+ horses with this thing!

Now, hold on a second! I haven't made a choice! Well, if I had to make one choice, it would have to be.............the Yenko Chevelle. Got to love the look. Have 'em add a set of Torque Thrust wheels and an AM/FM 8-track, and I'm ready to roll.

Now, for my weekend car..........

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Rob Clary
'70 LS-6 Chevelle
Team Chevelle Gold Member #85
Interested in COPOs, Yenkos or other dealer built muscle cars then go here:
ortrackm.missouri.org/~yenko (http://ortrackm.missouri.org/~yenko)

Now me being an Island boy, I would have to go with a 69 Baldwin Motion Corvette with the ZL-1 Aluminum 427 and the dealer avaible headers and street slicks. Paint it that bottemless metalic blue and give me the T-tops!

Of course a BB Vega would be nice from time to time.

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Francis Taracido
Sniper0666@aol.com
Proud Patron of Quadzilla

Well since I started this thread I should tell you I would go for Motion.Either a 69 RS/SS Phase 3 Camaro or a 70 SS Phase 3 Chevelle.If I could eat my cake too the Camaro would have a ZL1 and the Chevelle a LS7.Both M22 4 speeds of course....Now please pinch me!!!!!!

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Dean Ciampi
Autumn Gold 1970 LS6 Chevelle
Team Chevelle Gold #52 Aces #3094

I think I read somewhere that Baldwin/Motion would "guarentee" mid 11 sec. timeslips. That's all I need to know to make my decision.

Holy Crap, Joe58!! Bringing up York US30 brings back many special memories, though I was a mere tot at the time! (SATURDAY, SATURDAY!!!....) My first drag race, back in 69(spectating!). Saw Bruce Larson and his USA1 Camaro. They stopped the races so a plane could land...those were the days. That day cemented my love for cars forever. But back on topic...I'd have to pick the Baldwin, followed by the Yenko. Any Chevelle that ran low 13s with stock skinnies must have been flyin'.

How about a motion phase 3 vega with a ZL-1 and all the goodies. How fast would that thing go?

I bought my COPO Chevelle new in '69. M20 4 speed, tach and gauge dash, speed warning buzzer, optional D96 stripe, and the standard COPO pieces. It was as reliable as a rock and I put over 160,000 miles on the car before retiring it. It could be back on the road next year. I'd go back and buy the same thing again with the addition of bucket seats, console, power steering and a few other creature comforts. It was pretty good bang for your $4500 and it had the full 5 year 50,000 mile warranty. It was pretty much a Cortez Silver sleeper whick I prefer. No other manufacturer gave any meaningful warranty on their hi-po cars at all. Obviously a ZL1 Camaro would be faster but they wouldn't make a very good every day driver as mine was. The L72 motor is docile in traffic and the opposite when need be. I'll take a plain COPO from Fred Gibb.

Personally, I'd have to go with a green '69 Yenko Camaro, with the 427. It may not be the fastest, but I think it's one of the neatest looking cars I've ever seen. Those Yenko body decals and crests are just too cool!

...cast my vote for the little guy... Dickie Harrell a.k.a. "MR.CHEVROLET".

...still trying to locate that '68 Dick Harrell 427 SS Chevelle. I know it's VIN from tracking down the documents on it's "sister" a '68 427 Dick Harrell Camaro. Both shipped to the little dealer near Wichita, KS from Fred Gibb Chevrolet La Harpe, IL on the same truck....

...lost track of it (Chevelle) around Kansas City, MO.

This is a Dark (Fathom) blue car with white bucket interior 4 spd car.

It spent it's life in Kansas, had 6 owners. So, it's not THAT one owner car from MO I've heard about... mutter.. mutter..