When it comes to that classic muscle car era, memories are the only thing most of us have left. For one extremely blessed individual, they also now have this all-aluminum, super-rare, never-fired, ZL1 big-block Chevy engine that appears to have roots back to Don Yenko!

The engine appeared on Bring A Trailer back in January, and amazingly, the seller listed it at “No Reserve”, a bold move, but a clear indicator of what the market will allow. The result clearly shows that someone has been getting a very big allowance!

The Mighty 427 ZL1 Big-Block

Regarding unicorn engines, Chevy’s 427 ZL1 big-block engine is at the top of the heap. Built to produce the most power with the least amount of weight, there’s a good reason that so few cars ever left the factory with one of these mighty, aluminum-blocked beauties under the hood. In fact, for 1969, there were only 71 cars that ever made it out into the general population – 69 Camaros and a pair of Corvettes. That said, the Corvette number has been up for debate for decades, with some folks saying up to seven Corvettes were so equipped, allowing that a few L88s were possibly retrofitted at the factory.

The engine comes complete, carb to oil pan, with chrome valve covers, aluminum water pump, with heads and intake both wearing Winters Foundry markings.

Getting Chevy to place those engines into such a fortunate chassis took some doing, along with a few fancy knots throughout all of the “red tape” necessary to get something like this done within GM. The Camaros were built under COPO status, short for Central Office Production Order number 9560. The lightweight ZL1 big-block was a 100-pound alternative to Corvette’s L88 engine, but your wallet would be significantly lighter as well. The engine alone cost more than the base 1969 Corvette!

Don Yenko Crate Engines

Don Yenko was just like many of the other performance-minded Chevy dealers. He wanted to sell cars and parts to enthusiasts. In addition to his well-known supercars, Don even began selling over-the-counter ZL1 crate engines and blocks to help enthusiasts get a head-start on the competition. Don even reportedly worked out a deal with Chevrolet to purchase the aluminum blocks directly from the Winters Foundry. This appears to be an early version of one of his engines with a hand-stamped “YENKO” on the block. Here is a story where we talked about an example that was uncovered years ago that has “YENKO” cast into the block.

This engine features, what appears to be, an earlier block. The block appears to be virgin, and there is no VIN stamped onto the block, a sign eliminating its use in a COPO Camaro. It also has several stamped numbers which appear to designate when the engine was built. The owner mentions in the auction the engine was freshened up with all OEM parts when it was assembled and has not run since. It does appear to have the Winters Foundry marks on the block, intake, and heads.

What Is A ZL1 Big-Block Worth?

There was a lot of speculation as to what this particular engine would bring at auction close. There are also a lot of other considerations that dictate the final bidding price as well. Beyond the all-aluminum big-block status, the engine’s provenance can be a significant factor. The potential Yenko connection can boost someone wanting to build a correct Yenko car, while a GM casting number and Winters foundry marks and engine block casting codes become more important to those looking to recreate a factory-fresh appearance.

One of the great things about BaT auctions is the accessibility to the seller during the auction. The seller of this particular engine was in constant communication with potential bidders and took their requests for additional photos to heart. He even pulled the intake and oil pan to confirm the engine’s condition with a borescope. There is also a video where he showed the engine’s oil pressure by driving the pump with a drill.

In the end, we see someone was willing to pay a hefty $50,000 for this particular engine. We think the seller did well, and the buyer secured one of the most iconic engines of the muscle car era. The next question will be, what do you do with a pristine ZL1 big-block engine? What would YOU put it in?