I knew I had found something unusual when this vintage snapshot appeared during my browsing; a Vega Yenko Stinger on a trailer. It’s one of about 400 ever made, of which only 11 are reputedly still around.
Not that I was that deep into Yenko-lore to know all that. I honestly didn’t recall the model, but the Yenko name was easy to spot in the image. It was time to check some of my automotive literature and a few online sources.
It’s no wonder I didn’t remember the vehicle. In a fairly comprehensive Yenko article I had seen in Automobile Quarterly long ago, there was just one paragraph devoted to the model. So exist it once did. But one can see why the article glossed over the vehicle and devoted its precious pages to Yenko’s more relevant Chevrolet legacy.
Still, checking a 1971 Road & Track note about the Vega Yenko Stinger, there clearly was some expectation about the model when it was announced. After all, Yenko was to apply his magic to Chevrolet’s new import fighter. With its sporty-looking lines and relatively modern chassis, wouldn’t it be the ideal platform for a compact performance car in the European mold?
Also, the idea had some tradition. It wasn’t the first time a compact Chevrolet had awakened Don Yenko’s interest, and the new model was meant as a follow-up to the tuner’s earlier Corvair-based Stinger, a hot number that dated back to his earlier days.
Now, the hot-Vega concept was easier said than done, and turning the car’s underpowered and rough-running mill into a horsepower giant was going to take some work. But where displacement fails, a good boost can do wonders. So, Yenko saw the answer to the Vega’s troubles on the promise of turbo. The latter courtesy of Rayjay Industries.
To accommodate the turbo, a host of additional hoses and a new side-draft Bendix carburetor were found under the hood. Further mods included forged pistons instead of cast ones, a change done at the behest of Chevrolet engineers. No major work was done on the suspension, other than additional links in the rear suspension to limit axle-hop. Finally, a 4-speed manual and a 3.36:1 final drive completed Yenko’s drivetrain specs.
The turbo’s boost supply would kick in at about 2500 rpm, and provide a maximum of 9 psi at 4800 rpm. All this resulted in 155 bhp at 4800 rpm, way above the 90/110 bhp found in the standard Vega. Thus pumped up, the Vega Yenko Turbo-Stinger cleared the quarter mile in 15.5 sec. at 85 mph.
A production run of at least 500 units was promised to the SCCA. As such, the Vega Yenko Turbo-Stinger was going to the streets and the racetrack. Estimated cost for the Turbo-Stinger? About $3,400. A good $1,300 over the Vega’s base price.
Of course, those production aspirations hinged on the new car meeting emission laws, something Yenko and Rayjay felt ‘confident’ about. Chevrolet thought otherwise and was only half-committed to the project, but did supply the fleet of Vegas with forged alloy pistons.
Yenko didn’t relent on the turbo concept though. But after a couple of prototypes were put together, the production-run idea was finally scrapped. The project was instead re-launched as the Yenko Stinger Parts Program, and interested parties were to install the turbos themselves. Regardless of Yenko’s persistence, his customer base failed to grasp the concept and not many took to the offer. Of the 400 or so Vega Yenko Stinger packages sold, there doesn’t seem to be any record of how many got turbos installed.
Meanwhile, Chevy latched onto the hot-Vega scheme. In ’76 the Cosworth Vega arrived, carrying all of 110 bhp plus a sweet revving DOHC engine. All for a cost of $6,000, or about twice the ’76 Vega’s $3,000 base price (With about 70/84 bhp by then). Pricey? Yes! But probably smoother and with better driveability than the Vega Yenko Turbo Stinger. Probably…
Related CC reading:
I remember reading an article in Car & Driver, either in the January or February 1972 issue about Don Yenko’s struggles with the EPA to get the Yenko Stinger into production;
Apparently he dropped the idea after being informed by the EPA the vehicle would have to go through a 50,000 mile certification process before it could be offered. Considering what a POS the Vega engine turned out to be, this may have been a blessing in disguise.
Appreciate the backstory on the Yenko Stinger. I’ve been aware of them for many years, but have never seen one in the metal. Matchbox, Johnny Lightning (or perhaps another) makes a scale version of the Stinger Vega in yellow – one is resting on my display shelf out in the shop.
Since you mentioned it at the end, here’s a link to my detailed piece on the history behind the Cosworth Vega:
https://www.curbsideclassic.com/curbside-classics-american/curbside-classic-1976-cosworth-vega-2196-muscle-memory/
The Vega was such a clean European-influenced design, it didn’t need visual clutter, and amateurish graphics, added to its exterior. The Cosworth Vega in black and gold, looked tacky. Larger/wider blackwall tires and attractive wheels, and perhaps a limited exclusive colour palette, would have conveyed a European GT performance image. I thought traditional US market slot mag wheels looked out-of-place on the Vega. As in the lead pic. Cheapened it. When it always clearly looked like an Italian design.
Less would have been more, in creating a more sophisticated performance image. It was already beautiful. They probably had no idea.
Almost refreshing to find a more mature-looking performance Vega on the web. Stance is nice. Quickly Photoshopped the white letter tires to black. Chrome wheels look a bit tacky here, but attractive and elegant chrome wheels with clean bodywork, would have lent a more sophisticated, stronger performance look. Than any tape stripes.
The super clean-looking exterior on these, have unfortunately so often been treated in a heavy-handed fashion. A subtle badge as an identifier, would have sufficed.
Thinking, more the original Pontiac GTO. Similarly, all those grotesque tape and graphic packages on the Chev Monza, detracted from their looks. Fatter tires and proper stance, perhaps a more mature conveyance of performance, on such a good-looking car.
My Vega GT didn’t have the optional stripes. A few years before I sold it, the polished stainless steel wheel trim rings were stolen. With the black wall 185/70-13 Pirelli CN36 radials I picked up at a used tire shop and the gray-finish rally wheels, it did look quite good. Too bad I have no pictures of it from then.
The Stinko Yenger? What a way to impress your gum-chewing girlfriend! Interesting write up on this rare model. Thanks.
If I’d been king at Chevrolet back then I would have continued down the turbo path with the Vega instead of the Cosworth path. Buy a FI system from Bosch, and plumb it properly along with the requisite improvements in cooling and oil capacity and such. 140+ hp or so for an EPA approved version seems doable. Buick was obviously already at work on a turbo version of their V6, which came out in 1978.
A turbo Vega GT would have been a lot cheaper yet faster than the ill-fated overpriced, under-performing Deadly Sin Cosworth Vega:
https://www.curbsideclassic.com/blog/cohort-classic-1976-chevrolet-cosworth-vega-too-little-too-late-way-too-expensive/
The Bendix fuel injection system was far superior to any thing Bosch made during the 70’s due to being digital ecu based.
It was also superior to any other GM system like the crossfire until TPI came along in the mid 80’s.
A factory turbo Cosworth was a missed opportunity like a turbo charged mid 60’s corvette.
Zora Arkus Duntov was getting 500hp using Rochester fuel injection in 1964.
The problem with the Cosworth Vega is it had a lot of smog equipment, a European spec car would had have at least 140-150 hp.
The other 16 valve car GM made in 1976 the Vauxhall Chevette HS 2.3L made 135hp using Stromberg carbs.
Put your dyno where your mouth is
Interesting but considering the balsa wood engines not the best idea methinks .
I remember Camaro owners getting angry when I’d point out the Vega looks live a shrunken Camaro…..
Such a missed opportunity .
-Nate
Couldn’t agree more, and I can’t imagine the heartbreak suffered by so many early Vega owners when their good-looking, brand-new cars quickly turned into steaming piles.
The only thing that saved GM was that the Vega was generally considered a second car (and a disposable one, at that).
The real killer would come in 1979 with the new, X-body Citation. That lump was a larger, mainstream vehicle that many bought as their primary transportation.
It’s one thing when your Vega craps and you have to fall back on your main vehicle. It’s quite another when your ‘only’ vehicle is a Citation and it takes a dump.
I vaguely remember the name but not the details. I’m more taken by the Mamiya/Sekor camera ad making a big deal of switchable light meter patterns. A built in meter was still newish in 71 and switchable meter patterns didn’t become mainstream until the 90s. Mamiya never translated its medium format success to 35 mm leaving the field in the early 80s.
“Buick was obviously already at work on a turbo version of their V6, which came out in 1978.”
If ever there was a POS engine, this was one. Based on my experience with a new 1978 Regal Turbo Sport Coupe, owned and operated for 3 years. Traded in on a new ‘81 Accord hatchback. The overall ownership of experience of that Buick permanently soured me on GM products.
The trailered car in the lead photo looks like a seriously configured example, given the five lug rear axle.
Great catch!
A car I knew nothing about. I have to wonder how the Vega engine took to being force-fed. No wonder only 11 remain.
I’m not sure about those black wheel arch flares. They don’t look that much wider than what’s on the body already, just a different profile, and they really don’t work with the wheels on the photo car. I rather like the rest of the package though,
Judging from the 5 bolt pattern on the rear wheels and what appears to be roll bar braces behind the seats I’m betting this one has had a V-8 conversion.
Aside from the other issues that prevented production of the turbo version, I doubt the original Opel 4 speed used in ’71 and ’72 Vegas would have held up for long under such usage. While it was much nicer to use than the Saginaw that replaced it in ’73, it wasn’t even really strong enough for the stock 2.3 engine.
And a turbo would not have helped an already existing cooling problem with these cars. But I do think all of this could have been fixed for far less money and time than was expended on the Cosworth project, and resulted in a much more affordable sporty GT.
Missed opportunity for sure.
On the “Corvair”, I’m sure this worked.On a “Vega”, one/two “Yenko, induced, runs and the car would of been coming right apart! lol
Can’t remember the exact month or year, but Popular Hot Rodding put a 454 in a Vega back in the bell bottom days.
My brother loved his 72 vega I was just a kid back then but I remember him saying this would be a good car if the drivetrain was different, he put a 327 backed up with I believe a Muncie 4 speed trans and a modified Ford 9 inch rear end indeed it was formidable
I worked at Yenko 1966-72..wrote a book about it .” The Yenko Era ” available at Classic Industries in California. I remember when the first Vega was delivered to the Dealership.. nice little car, handled pretty well..not much power…Brock Yates wrote an article for Car and Driver about the government road blocks on turbochargers and emissions certification. Last one I drove was on the used car lot at Yenko Saab about 1976. Took it out for a few miles for old times sake
I bought a new 72 Vega GT and made it to the Smokey mountains but not through the Smokey Mountains. 1/2 way through the mountains, the Head gasket let go and we were towed to Gatlinburg where the Chevrolet Dealer installed a new head gasket . We went back to Cinti Ohio and luckily they had not sold my 71 Nova SS yet and we traded the Vega back in for my Nova .