By Dean Larson

Photos courtesy of Brand New Muscle Car

Back in October we announced that our friends over at Brand New Muscle Car (BNMC) in Tulsa, Oklahoma, were adding officially licensed Yenko continuation Camaros to their muscle car lineup. Understandably, the first new Yenko Camaro offered in 40+ years was big news, and the shop was contacted by the Velocity network to film a show covering the build of Yenko sYc-001. All this put David Miller and his team on the build fast track, and the car has been moving along rapidly since, destined for completion in July. With plenty of builds progressing and a T.V. show in the works, Miller is a busy guy, but we able to get a few photos and details from him on the progress of sYc-001.

The build started back in February with a pile of chassis and suspension components from Classic Industries, OER (Original Equipment Reproduction), Wilwood and Chris Alston’s Chassisworks. Look at the photos, and you’ll notice a few items that are drastically improved over stock, including the fabricated front frame section from Chassisworks. We won’t say it’s a restomod-type build, but if you were building something over again, you’d probably improve on a couple things also. This theme carries on to a couple other areas of the car’s mechanicals. 

For sheet metal, BNMC started with a brand new shell from R3 Performance Products, which was thoroughly massaged and seam sealer was applied to all seams. With some body-prep done, the front frame section, front suspension from Chassisworks, coilovers from VariShock, and a 12-bolt rear axle and were mounted. But you can’t have a roller without the right wheels and tires, and the car is full Yenko with a set of American Racing Torq-Thrust wheels with Yenko center caps and Goodyear Polyglas GT tires sized F60-15.

Once the crew was satisfied with the body fitment and panel gaps, they wheeled the body into the paint booth again to lay down the GM code 76 Daytona Yellow Axalta paint. 

But you can’t have a Yenko Camaro with out a very special 427 cubic inch GM engine. Proformance Unlimited of Melbourne, Florida, built a this 427-ci ZL-1 engine, making 550 hp and 575 lb-ft. Just like the 1969 Yenko, the block used here is a lightweight aluminum casting. But unlike the original Yenko, this one breathes through a Holley Sniper EFI system for everyday reliability. The throttle body design and classic gold finish should disguise this unit well with the air cleaner installed.

We’re pretty excited to see the team at Brand New Muscle Car finish up Yenko Continuation sYc-001. The original Yenko was an absolute beast on the street with only a few telltale stripes to warn any would-be red light challengers. Just like in 1969, sYc-001 will look pretty reserved on the exterior, but a 550 hp engine and modernized suspension hides underneath if anyone should challenge this new Yenko’s legitimacy

Watch the entire buildup of sYc-001 in a 13-episode T.V. mini-series titled Brand New Muscle Car: Yenko Camaro, on the Velocity Channel airing Saturday mornings later this year.