Author Topic: Rick & His Yenko at Americarna LIVE Car Show (Read 31645 times)

lakeholme · « **on:** December 01, 2013, 01:23:54 AM »

I met Rick at the show today and saw his beautiful Yenko.
Steve, Rick does have his CRG shirt on, but it was still about 35 degrees with a stiff wind at 10 am this morning, so it is about his third layer at that point.
Anyway, I promised I'd post some pics...

And I saw something I'd never seen before... The bikes are his Huffy Camaros. You can't read it in the pics, but it does say "Camaro" on them...
Rick says they are low mileage, unrestored survivors!

69Z28-RS · « **Reply #1 on:** December 01, 2013, 01:36:13 AM »

I'm wondering if those bikes fit in his Yenko trunk??

Steve68 · « **Reply #2 on:** December 01, 2013, 01:36:47 AM »

Quote

Steve, Rick does have his CRG shirt on, but it was still about 35 degrees with a stiff wind at 10 am this morning, so it is about his third layer at that point.

Ahh, so he was CRG incognito.

lakeholme · « **Reply #3 on:** December 01, 2013, 01:38:34 AM »

Quote from: 69Z28-RS on December 01, 2013, 01:36:13 AM

I'm wondering if those bikes fit in his Yenko trunk??

Funny you ask, Gary! We told him he needed a chrome bike rack...

Steve, LOL!!!

How about matching CRG toboggans and mittens?

rsr · « **Reply #4 on:** December 01, 2013, 02:58:29 AM »

Those Huffy bikes do get lots of attention ! It was a very good show with great people and lots of cool cars from both sides of the street. Really enjoyed meeting Mr Cole and his wife..real car guys! I look foward to our next chance to visit! BTW Phillip I saw some things at the show I'd never seen before too! Thanks......Rick

BULLITT65 · « **Reply #5 on:** December 03, 2013, 12:16:37 AM »

Good looking car Rick. Must be tough washing your car when its 35 or colder out.

rsr · « **Reply #6 on:** December 03, 2013, 12:53:26 AM »

Yeah it's not something I look foward to doing!Thanks...

lakeholme · « **Reply #7 on:** December 03, 2013, 01:59:41 AM »

Rick,
Are there any current pictures of (?)Dan's Motion Camaro?

rsr · « **Reply #8 on:** December 03, 2013, 12:47:38 PM »

Phillip, I don't know Dan and I have no pics that will show very much on the 2 BM camaros I'm restoring.I will post some in the coming months. I'm close to putting paint on the Fathom green yenko camaro.

lakeholme · « **Reply #9 on:** December 04, 2013, 05:18:07 PM »

Quote from: rsr on December 03, 2013, 12:47:38 PM

Phillip, I don't know Dan and I have no pics that will show very much on the 2 BM camaros I'm restoring.I will post some in the coming months. I'm close to putting paint on the Fathom green yenko camaro.

Great! If you have trouble posting pictures, send them to me and I'll do it.
I'm sending you a PM.

firstgenaddict · « **Reply #10 on:** December 04, 2013, 09:24:38 PM »

Is that Kevin Hand's old Gold Car?

67L78 · « **Reply #11 on:** December 05, 2013, 03:03:57 AM »

Cool sunglasses !

firstgenaddict · « **Reply #12 on:** December 05, 2013, 05:05:11 AM »

I love Olympic Gold and white on the Yenkos, if it (gold white) were available without having to get the white Vtop it would look great on a Z or L78 as well!

rsr · « **Reply #13 on:** December 08, 2013, 03:40:32 PM »

No this is not Kevin's old gold car....it was sold in Jan 2011 at Russo & Steele. This car was running in F A S T class when I traded for it in '09. It's a black plate car with all original sheetmetal.Only 4 of the gold Yenkos exist far as I know..2 with white stripes 2 with black.Kevin had one of each. I love the olympic gold and it's the original color too! Thanks

rsr · « **Reply #14 on:** December 08, 2013, 11:02:34 PM »

If you look closer you'll see the rad support has the ac cond mounting rubbers still there plus holes in the top were the seal goes.It started out with a sb auto on column and ac. Terry Pennigton who's involved with FAST class racing cloned the car back in 90s.It was sold to Don Werner who had Terry build to spec a racecar with a ZL1 engine,special 400 turbo and several other racing goodies! Don went racing 5 times and quit. I traded him a 1972 Vega for it. Then I sold the engine,trans,rear ect parts and put back the 69 512 with a 69 M22 and Moser rear.It has no heater or radio but with the comp ZL-1 cam I've got the best music ever! Get's around 10 mpg unless you open up the 800 holley.....The best thing is most people think it's a real Yenko but I tell them it's more fun to own and I saved 250k.....

68camaroz28 · « **Reply #15 on:** December 08, 2013, 11:28:18 PM »

That really is a refreshing color combo to what we see so much of the time. Cool car and story Rick......

BULLITT65 · « **Reply #16 on:** December 08, 2013, 11:41:59 PM »

72 vega for that Camaro sounds like an awesome trade. Man if thats all it takes to own a nice 69 count me in!

rsr · « **Reply #17 on:** December 09, 2013, 01:26:12 PM »

It's was a Gold Spinner winner in 06...so not your average 72 Vega! BTW in 05 I was offered a 69 x 33 and 72 BB Cheyenne short bed loaded with 45k actual miles...both restored for my 1 of a kind Vega! Guess you could say I really did and still do like the Vega. Thanks guys for the kind words!

BULLITT65 · « **Reply #18 on:** December 09, 2013, 05:21:18 PM »

post a pic of the vega for us.(please)

69Z28-RS · « **Reply #19 on:** December 09, 2013, 07:12:16 PM »

uhoh.. Bullitt is gonna switch his allegiance from Camaros to Vegas?

J/K... actually I'd like to see a pix of a 'not your average' vega as well..

BULLITT65 · « **Reply #20 on:** December 09, 2013, 09:42:46 PM »

Funny,
I have no allegiance to any one car or brand for that matter. I am more of a classic vehicle whore: Ford, Chevy, (Mopar in the works), Volkswagen, Harley Davidson, Triumph, BSA....and those have just been whats affordable. There are a few british makes, and italian cars on my (bucket list) to own still.

rsr · « **Reply #21 on:** December 10, 2013, 02:25:14 AM »

All original 14 k mile car except exterior paint and experimental 4 banger...

69Z28-RS · « **Reply #22 on:** December 10, 2013, 02:27:10 AM »

i always was under the impression that Chevy was doing 'temperature' experiments with all vega engines??

rsr · « **Reply #23 on:** December 10, 2013, 02:33:57 AM »

Smokey Yunick built this experimental turbo engine for chevrolet just for a research project..I had the work sheet he used...

rsr · « **Reply #24 on:** December 10, 2013, 02:43:49 AM »

Here's another ultra rare Vega hardly ever seen!

lakeholme · « **Reply #25 on:** December 10, 2013, 01:47:54 PM »

Having seen it up close, his Camaro shows well.

lakeholme · « **Reply #26 on:** December 19, 2013, 04:41:46 PM »

Rick,
I've sent you a PM with a link to The Roaring Season about the Vega Vert-A-Pac.
Thought you might find it interesting.
Phillip

RUNUTZ · « **Reply #27 on:** December 23, 2013, 05:07:59 AM »

Love that wagon my friend would have been perfect for haulin them bikes .

rsr · « **Reply #28 on:** December 23, 2013, 01:22:18 PM »

Thanks but the wagon is to small for hauling much of anything other than"butt" It has a 4 cylinder with 390 cfm holley and a header hooked up to a opel 4 speed and a shifter that felt like a stick in a 5 gal bucket of mud when shifting it! The turbo vega would run circles around the Yenko! I still like my bikes better than a vega!

69Z28-RS · « **Reply #29 on:** December 23, 2013, 01:32:39 PM »

The only vegas which ever got a second glance from me were the Cosworth Vegas of '77 or so, and well set up V8 Vegas at drag strips (of course, nothing about them other than the body was 'vega'). Talking about your sloppy vega shifter.... the Ford equivalent of the Vega was the Pinto. During the late '70's gas crunch, my car pooling buddy bought a cheap pinto to drive to work.. one day he shifted and the entire shifter handle came off in it hands.. he was holding it up wondering what to do for the next gear..

67L78 · « **Reply #30 on:** December 24, 2013, 01:08:00 PM »

I want a pair of those cooool sunglassssesss! Walmart?

Stuck in the 70's

tom · « **Reply #31 on:** December 25, 2013, 07:46:17 AM »

A friend of mine back in the day had a wagon with the olds 215 aluminum v8. Not a rocket, but mostly Vega and had some go to it. Conversion kits were available at local speed shops, and the 215s were about $100. at the local scrap yard.

rsr · « **Reply #32 on:** December 25, 2013, 10:57:52 PM »

Richard you might check at dollar general..........Cosworth vegas were made only two years 75-76..All 2062 1975 models were black and the 1446 1976 ones were offered in other colors! These were the first passanger cars to use EFI best I remember.They had some really good hi per parts and run very well able to turn high RPMs. They are very affordable today but when new just a few dollars less than a vette..

Charley · « **Reply #33 on:** December 25, 2013, 11:27:31 PM »

I just got rid of a 1200 mile Cosworth Vega to a friend of mine a week ago. Here it is leaving. Still had the window sticker on the 1/4 glass

BULLITT65 · « **Reply #34 on:** December 26, 2013, 01:49:25 AM »

what does a car like that go for (roughly)?

rsr · « **Reply #35 on:** December 26, 2013, 02:06:46 AM »

More than the 5900.00 it sold for new I'm guessing?

lakeholme · « **Reply #36 on:** December 26, 2013, 02:01:28 PM »

Hagerty lists a #1 car at $13700 for a 75 and $14100 for 76.
Rick, with the difficulty of finding parts, am I right that there is little profit in those numbers?

JohnZ · « **Reply #37 on:** December 26, 2013, 03:26:09 PM »

Those were fun cars - I was the Cosworth-Vega Launch Manager at Lordstown and the Final Assembly Production Superintendent in 1975; wrote a series of articles on the car's development and launch about ten years ago for the Cosworth-Vega Owner's Association magazine.

Petes L48 · « **Reply #38 on:** December 26, 2013, 04:18:33 PM »

I was in the Boy Scouts back in '75, I can still remember our group touring the Lordstown plant as seeing those black Cosworths rolling down the line. My buddy in high school dropped a SBC into his Vega, that thing would fly.

lakeholme · « **Reply #39 on:** December 26, 2013, 06:41:08 PM »

Quote from: JohnZ on December 26, 2013, 03:26:09 PM

Those were fun cars - I was the Cosworth-Vega Launch Manager at Lordstown and the Final Assembly Production Superintendent in 1975; wrote a series of articles on the car's development and launch about ten years ago for the Cosworth-Vega Owner's Association magazine.

John, is there any place we could see those articles now?

Motor Trend Car of the Year in 1971... As I recall, the Vega got the same "bad press" in the seventies that the Corvair got in the sixties.

rsr · « **Reply #40 on:** December 26, 2013, 09:31:42 PM »

I'd say no profit in those numbers if you restore it yourself but just buying one and riding/enjoying it for awhile could be profitable unless you give #1 money for a #3 car! A buddy of mine had a 50 mile 1975 model he sold for 13,500 in 2005 when they were up.Even cool and rare as they are it's a tricky investment car... The Yenko wagon sold in 09 for 85k.I had my 72 Yunick turbo engine car appraised in 07 and the appraisers worked on it a long time but came up with 100k. I was lucky to trade it for a 69 camaro IMHO.

JohnZ · « **Reply #41 on:** December 27, 2013, 08:58:48 PM »

<<John, is there any place we could see those articles now?>>

Yup - some samples are attached below.

lakeholme · « **Reply #42 on:** December 27, 2013, 09:47:20 PM »

Thanks John!

rsr · « **Reply #43 on:** December 28, 2013, 03:10:05 AM »

Real interesting stuff to read about..Thanks John for the vega education!

tom · « **Reply #44 on:** December 31, 2013, 12:47:53 PM »

And if you actually read to the end of the "bad press" the corvair got, I think it was in the last paragraph or so of the corvair segment of Unsafe At Any Speed by Ralph Nader, he concluded that with the improvements made during production the corvair at that was the best handling, performing car in it's class or price range anywhere. Some of the turbo versions were incredible.

lakeholme · « **Reply #45 on:** December 31, 2013, 04:04:42 PM »

Quote from: tom on December 31, 2013, 12:47:53 PM

And if you actually read to the end of the "bad press" the corvair got, I think it was in the last paragraph or so of the corvair segment of Unsafe At Any Speed by Ralph Nader, he concluded that with the improvements made during production the corvair at that was the best handling, performing car in it's class or price range anywhere. Some of the turbo versions were incredible.

Yep! But Nader, et. al., went after the Vega in the 70s, as well...

tom · « **Reply #46 on:** January 01, 2014, 09:55:26 AM »

sure did, and in the states that salt in winter, the vega didn't last long. Most I remember were rusted through the front fenders within a few years off the lot.

69Z28-RS · « **Reply #47 on:** January 01, 2014, 02:22:45 PM »

.. and in the HOT states, as soon as the engine overheated one time, the engine *warped*.....

JohnZ · « **Reply #48 on:** January 01, 2014, 04:58:12 PM »

Quote from: 69Z28-RS on January 01, 2014, 02:22:45 PM

.. and in the HOT states, as soon as the engine overheated one time, the engine *warped*.....

Actually, it didn't "warp" - what happened was that due to the difference in thermal expansion coefficient between the iron cylinder head and the aluminum block, when it overheated, it micro-sheared the head gasket seal between the block and head. That made it more likely to overheat the next time, and it went downhill from there, with coolant dribbling out of the overflow hose on the ground. A larger radiator and a coolant recovery system cured that problem in 1973, but by that time the engine's reputation was toast. Had Ed Cole allowed Chevrolet to proceed with their own design "L-10" aluminum cylinder head, this problem would never have occurred.

lakeholme · « **Reply #49 on:** January 01, 2014, 09:16:36 PM »

John,
Interesting to hear you say that about the Chevy L-10 design, since you were there.

69Z28-RS · « **Reply #50 on:** January 02, 2014, 02:20:30 AM »

Thanks for clarifying the issue with the Vega engine heating issue, JohnZ... I *may* have heard that before in the latter days, but I heard so many others who owned those cars say the 'block warped'... I never owned one or worked on one myself. (My memory is OLD too) *G*

KurtS · « **Reply #51 on:** January 30, 2015, 11:08:46 PM »

John,
Can you post your other article, Vega Development and Production History, 1968-1975?

Thanks!

ko-lek-tor · « **Reply #52 on:** January 31, 2015, 04:36:36 AM »

Never thought I'd be mentioning this, especially on this site, but among the artifacts in my shop is my 76 Pontiac Astre. Long story, but a good one. A gift from my long time, but now deceased friend C. Koch, father of Jim Koch, as in Boston Beer Co. {Sam Adams}.

JohnZ · « **Reply #53 on:** February 01, 2015, 04:45:23 PM »

<< John,
Can you post your other article, Vega Development and Production History, 1968-1975?

Thanks! >>

Sure - got lots of this stuff.

lakeholme · « **Reply #54 on:** February 02, 2015, 12:16:37 AM »

Love this stuff! Thanks, John.

KurtS · « **Reply #55 on:** February 02, 2015, 04:14:04 AM »

I really do enjoy this stuff. Esp how they were - let's make something totally new. And cheap!
Then kept adding complexity because the customer didn't want cheap.
They really didn't understand the real competition and quality.

Then they repeated the whole thing again with Saturn - let's make something totally new!

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Author Topic: Rick & His Yenko at Americarna LIVE Car Show (Read 31645 times)