Tagged with 'dealership'

The Chevrolet models that came out of Don Yenko's shop were all spectacular. This '68 Camaro may be a little more so...

In the late 1960s, General Motors had a corporate edict which barred any engine larger than 400 cubic inches from finding its way under the hood of their recently released Ford Mustang fighter, the Camaro. To bypass this minor hurdle, the now famous Don Yenko ordered SS Camaros equipped with the L-78 Big Block engine to his father’s dealership and swapped it out with the 7.0-liter L-72 from the Corvette. The result was the now very rare and sought after Yenko Camaro.  Only 64 Yenko’s were built in 1968, one of which will cross the auction block at Mecum’s Original Spring Classic auction next month.

JOLIET, Ill., March 31, 2014 /PRNewswire-iReach/ -- As Chicagoland performance-car enthusiasts await the arrival of the track-ready 2015 Chevy Camaro Z/28 at Bill Jacobs Joliet in the coming months, they'll be able to catch a glimpse of the muscle car in action as paces the 2014 Indy 500 on May 25.

While the 2015 Chevy Camaro Z/28 won't be fully unleashed on the track, the man behind the wheel has proven to be more than capable of getting every ounce of performance from a car. Chevy selected three-time Indy 500 winner Dario Franchitti to drive the track-ready Camaro. Although Franchitti had his racing career cut short after suffering serious injuries from a crash last October, the automotive world is thrilled to see Franchitti back behind the wheel at the Indy 500.

Ever since my first car, a 1975 Camaro, I’ve always had a Camaro in my life. That is, until my four children came along and the Camaro was traded in for a Suburban! Fast forward 20 years and with the kids in college, I decided it was time once again to renew my love for Camaros. I started searching for a ‘69 retro-rod. I looked for about six months, but everything I found was well above my price range.

One day while traveling down the Interstate I saw a 2000 SS Camaro that really caught my eye. I modified my search to include a Gen 4 SS. I found the perfect car just 20 miles from my home, and I just had to have it.

I purchased this ’71 Camaro SS from Jim Rathmann Chevrolet in Melbourne, FL. At the time, I was working at the local Publix grocery store and living at home and I needed reliable transportation. I ordered the car in March with almost every option available, and then talked my mother into co-signing for the GMAC loan. I wanted an SS because the Z/28 didn’t come with air conditioning, and after all, I lived in Florida. I also realized that big blocks wouldn’t be around much longer. I decided against the RS package, because the car was going to be parked in a grocery store parking lot, and I saw how people parked head-on there. Besides, I liked the full bumper look.