Smokey Yunick Approved: 1966 Chevrolet Chevelle
Smokey Yunick is a legend on multiple different levels, so what better a way to pay tribute to the man than with this 1966 Chevelle Daytona 500 replica. Decked out with a big block 454, a cage, and a single seat, all this Chevelle needs is a new owner, and some track time! Bidding has reached $9,000 with no reserve. Find it here on eBay out of Gallatin, Tennessee.
The engine bay is bare and simple as a race car should be. The 454 cubic inch V8 is a date stamped 1973 unit. The drivetrain is made up of a manual transmission that is a date stamped 1966 M20 Munice unit, and a 10 bolt rear. The engine is lightly modified, but is a great runner and sounds the part of a race car.
Although resembling the iconic original, this Chevelle does not have the Smokey Yunick Flat floors that mimicked a belly pan, or some of the other extremely well thought out modifcations that Smokey used. Still, this Chevelle looks the part. Before undergoing the Smokey tribute, this Chevelle spent life in a barn until undergoing its tribute make over in 2009. Listed as rust free and solid, this Chevelle does have a clean appearance. The interior of this Chevelle is minimalistic featuring a cage, a single seat, and the dash. Although boasting a racecar like appearance, this Chevelle still has all of its glass that rolls up an nicely.
Although tame enough for the streets, we think it would be cool to replicate some of the special features of the original Smokey Yunick Chevelle to pay further tribute, and to make this car that much more unique and interesting. Smokey Yunick has been described as a “rule bender”, but the man was a genius, dissecting rules and making the rules work for him, instead of against him. Would you pay tribute to Smokey, and Nascar history, by picking up this very cool ’66 Chevelle?
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Comments
To be an authentic replica, this Chevelle would have to be trimmed down to roughly 9/10 scale! I was lucky enough to see Smokey’s genuine :cheater” some years ago, and had the distinct impression there wasn’t a genuine, Chevrolet-stamped panel on its exterior. Parked next to a “normal” NASCAR Chevelle from the same year, it looked sleek and tiny, so much so that I’m surprised NASCAR ever let it on the track….
Anyone know of a ’66 Ford Galaxie for sale? Someone could build a replica of Fred Lorenzen’s “Banana Car” to go with this!
When Smokey built his 9/10 car. He was able to get away with it because he asked NASCAR for templates to make sure he was in tolerance. Well they sent him the only set they had for the new car that year. He built a smaller set, sent them back and the rest is history.
The way I heard it, they didn’t have templates so he suggested using another Chevelle from the parking lot. It matched perfectly as the car in the lot was built by Smokey as well.
Kim Haynes from Gastonia, N.C. built a replica of Junior Johnson’s Yellow Banana years ago. He claimed the frame was original, found under a rebodied racer that “Big John” Sears had used. Kim was an absolute artist, restoring many of the old NASCAR racers. Anyone know what happened to him, I’ve lost contact? I contributed a few pieces to the car. Vic Edelbrock owned the car, last I knew, and raced it some of the vintage events on the west coast. I never did get to see the car run.
Not even a NASCAR fan but I think this would be cool at any car cruise or show.
“Say Smokey”. I remember him more for his auto advice column in Popular Science. Kind of the “Dear Abby” of the auto ( and beyond) world. I’m not the biggest NASCAR fan either, ( except the crashes are pretty exciting) but this is pretty cool. Not 10g’s cool though, it might be worth it, IDK, I mean, what do you do with it?
Google books has old issues of Popular Science on line ” how to build a swinging bachelor pad with Sear’s Masonite”. OK, I made that up, but Smokey and plenty more are online and await you clicking them.
Owning a 1966 Malibu I would love to have this car………car cruise night at the A&W would be a good cruiser or simply out on the back country roads
NASCAR inspectors demanded him to remove the gas tank to measure it after his extended time between refueling pit stops. The car was then driven back to the garage sans tank.
Smokey had installed an oversized fuel line from the tank to the engine “No rule against it”
That kind of stuff is what made NASCAR cool/fun not like today’s cookie cutter cars. Can’t tell one from the other.
i think his 9/10 chevelle led to the Templates that were used to measure the shape and size of the stock car bodies for many years.
He knew how to cheat fair.
it is not cheating unless you get caught….:)
More like if the rule doesn’t exactly say I can’t do something, I’m free to do whatever I want. Donohue and Penske were of the same mindset.
Smokey Yunich didn’t break the rules, he took advantage of the lack of a specific rule against his “innovations’. Half of the rules in NASCAR today are due to Smokey Yunich & Junior Johnson.
I think the Chevelle is cool, I dont think many of the mods that he did are worth trying to replicate. It would be labor intensive and only a true NASCAR geek would know what to look for.
But I have a huge degree of respect for Smokey and read most everything I could lay my hands on for years but theres a few books out there I looked up last year That are on my shopping list.
You can never go wrong learning or reading about his work.
His three volume autobiography is worth the bucks. Certain sections may curl the toes of todays’ readers.
Another Smokey paint job tribute from the movie Talladega Nights.
Love this car & have great admiration for Smokey. So much that, back in the 90s I was working for a razor company, and put together an eclectic panel of experts to come up with some really new ideas to become ‘the next big thing’ in shaving.
Smokey was the first guy on my list, didn’t know him at the time, but called and he was very interested to be involved
We met for several days and came up with some great ideas, Smokey contributed along with a bunch of others.
During our time I learned that he was great at what he did, give him a set of rules and he would figure out how to meet the letter & circumvent the restrictions. He wasn’t as good as some others at blue-skying or conceptualizing the future and defining a product with very few rules.
Early NASCAR was perfect for Smokey and vice versa. Too bad NASCAR has changed so much but big change has paved the way for nostalgia cars like this one LD71😀
Very cool car!!!