For Chevrolet enthusiasts, the Yenko name is the beginning and end of the entire performance equation. It didn’t take long for Don Yenko to make a name for himself in the drag racing scene, and soon Chevy owners from across the country were enlisting his aid in building bigger, badder, and bolder Bow Tie-wearing muscle cars. He covered all his bases along with his partner-in-crime, famed engine builder Grumpy Jenkins. This included turning a few humble Chevy Novas into real racing machines.

Heading to the auction block is one such car, a 1969 Nova SS that had its 396ci V8 replaced by an over-the-top 447ci big block that was spec’ed for Can-Am racing. Making in the neighborhood of 500 to 600 horsepower, the engine was installed into this triple-black Nova by none other than Jenkins himself, Both he and Yenko recall dropping the 447 inch mill (one of just 17 such engines ever built) into what was once just another Nova SS. Naturally, such a potent engine needed a transmission that could stand up to all that power, so Yenko installed a four-speed Muncie “Rock Crusher” manual transmission and a 4.30:1 Positraction rear end.

Like so many Yenko racing machines, this one did its duty before bouncing between owners for a few decades, finally falling into disrepair and eventually requiring an extensive restoration. The current owner bought it from a friend who had purchased the Yenko Nova at a swap meet. He then performed a careful restoration that left the Nova looking innocent and (mostly) stock from the outside. But underneath its hood, hides an engine touched by some of the most important historical figures in American motorsports.

In other words, expect this unassuming Nova to bring big, big money when it crosses the Mecum auction block later this month at the annual Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, event.