Don Yenko changed the muscle car world when he started stuffing big blocks in cars, and putting his spin on all kinds of vehicles from GM. The Novas that Yenko built at his dealership are legendary and Joe Buono is lucky enough to have one. Joe’s 1970 Yenko Deuce is a flawless example of one of the iconic cars that Yenko built.

When Joe went to trade school to learn how to make a living car guys surrounded him. All of his friends had rad rides, Joe grew up in the muscle car era, so that’s what got him involved in cars more and more. That led Joe to build several different cars over the years and it turned him on to cars like his Yenko Nova.

Most people hunt for a car like this to own, Joe wasn’t really looking for a Yenko, the deal just fell into his lap.

“A friend of mine, Kurt Weaver, was related to the wife of the gentleman that owned this car. Kurt said he had found a car for me, but I wasn’t really in the mood to buy a car because of a bad deal I had just gone through with another vehicle I tried to purchase. I ended up going with Kurt and we looked at the car three or four times before I purchased it,” Joe says.

This particular car is as legit of a Yenko Nova as you’ll find. It’s listed in the Yenko Registry that’s run by Marlon Spots and is 1 of 175 built. The Nova has the classic 350 cubic-inch LT engine under the hood Behind the engine you’ll find an M22 transmission and rearend that’s filled with 4.10 gears. When Joe purchased the car it had last been restored in 1994 and had only been driven about 400 miles since the restoration was completed.

You’d think a rare car like this just lives out its days in a nice garage and is looked at by Joe on a regular basis. Well, you’d be very wrong, Joe drives his Nova three or four times a month when the weather is nice to get ice cream, go to dinner, or hit a local car show.

“I think that as we age, we’re caretakers of these cars and are blessed to still have them around. I’m just hoping that whoever gets this car next takes care of it and continues to share its history with the world. They don’t make cars like this anymore, and I want people to be able to appreciate cars like this,” Joe states.

Cars like Joe Buono’s Yenko Deuce are rare and it’s a real treat to see them out at shows. Make sure you appreciate the classics you see like Joe’s car, because they don’t make them like this anymore.