Heartland Customs is recreating the classic Yenko Camaro with modern technology.
A classic YenkoCamaro is one of the most sought after old school muscle cars, but with these dealership-prepared models being limited, they are hard to find. Fortunately, the owner of the Yenko trademark has licensed Heartland Customs to make modern-day examples of the high performance muscle car. One of those freshly-made Yenko Camaros made its grand debut at the 2019 SEMA Show. Heartland Customs presented this classic custom to its new owners in front of a huge crowd.
The Original Yenko Camaro
Back in the 1960s, Don Yenko Chevrolet in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania put some fame on his name when he created the quickest of the classic Chevy muscle cars.
By installing the Corvette’s 427-cubic inch big block and a handful of other high performance upgrades, the Yenko Camaro was one of the best-performing street cars of the era. However, due to the unique nature of acquiring them from a small dealership in Western Pennsylvania and the high price, they were rare back then. Some 50 years later, finding a Yenko car for sale can be tough, but that is changing with the new Yenko licensing program.
To be clear, this is not technically a reproduction of an original Yenko Camaro. It is a fully-refinished car that is converted to a Yenko, similarly to the dealership program in the 1960s. The key difference here is that this new Yenko Camaro has the classic look with modern performance.
Yenko Spec Camaro
The current owner of the Yenko brand licensed this new Yenko Spec Camaro to Heartland Customs. The exterior features the look of the classic, with the same striping and badges, as is shown here. There are also classic-looking seats with the Yenko headrests, with the only modern touch being the gauges.
Just like the classic, a 427-cubic inch V8 powers this modern Yenko Spec Camaro. The difference is that this car packs an LS7 that has been worked to 600 horsepower. The engine looks like a classic Yenko V8 while offering the power and convenience of an LS engine.
Next, this Yenko Camaro features a late market suspension system and high performance brakes. This Chevy muscle car will handle like a modern performance car. It will also launch and brake like a modern performance car, all while maintaining the look of a classic Yenko. The sleeper look is part of what makes this car so cool.
There are lots of cool restomods on the road today that have a unique look and modern performance. This Camaro looks like a classic, but it performs like a modern supercar.
"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.
