Vicki tells us that these are correct, Jenkins-prepped carburetors for the engine, and Grumpy wrote the numbers on them. [9] His winning pass in the final round was an 11.39 second e.t., overcoming Dick Housey's 11.37 with a holeshot[9], Jenkins couldn't agree on terms with Chrysler for 1966, so he decided to run a Chevy independently by making his own Chevy engine package. For 1971, the Demon 340 replaced the Dart Swinger 340 (aside of a few special-order Canadian Dart Swingers). The 67 L78 big-block evolved further, and in 1969 Chevrolet created the most powerful Camaro engine combinations ever: the L72, 425/427 COPO option and the outrageous ZL1, an aluminum alloy 427 ridiculously under-rated at just 430 hp. Fitted with a 331ci small-block, the Camaro made quiet test runs at a heavier weight break, proving to Jenkins that a small-block powered sub-compact Vega could compete with weight factored Pro Stocks. . Its A Tuning Circus! Jenkins and Stahl invented, refined, and popularized many of the technical innovations that are now commonplace in professional racing. In 1966, it was the greatest rivalry in drag racing. His plain-white Grumpys Toy frequently won, and at the biggest race of the year, the 1967 NHRA Nationals, Jenkins swept Super Stock Eliminator; a career-defining win. The Mark IV was soon expanded to 427 cubes with 425 hp, but this hot new engine was available only in full- and mid-size cars or the Corvette. AVAILABILITY LOW - SEE PRICE HERE 1969 Chevy Camaro RS Z-28 - Garnet Red w/ Silver . Twice, Stahl defeated Jenkins in the final round of Top Stock; Jenkins threw it away with a red-light start at Indy, and Stahl simply drove away from him in Tulsa, a victory that secured the NHRA World Championship for the lanky racer from York, Pennsylvania. We put them on the car, and Bill went out to test them on a road alongside Detroit Metro airport. Loved to watch Bill J. compete. Lombardo won that season's NHRA Winston Pro Stock championship despite the late start. In an era in which NHRA conducted only four national events annually, Stahl achieved an unprecedented sweep of three of them in 1966: the Springnationals (Bristol, Tennessee), the NHRA Nationals (Indianapolis), and the World Championship Finals (Tulsa, Oklahoma). Jenkins new 67 Camaro fell into NHRAs Super Stock/C. 10, October 1929, The Meccano Magazine, Vol. D.K. I recently stumbled upon Ray Brack's "lost" piece of reporting about Cecil Null's handcrafted musical long gun (i.e., gun guitar - or is it guitar gun?) "These were the world's ugliest headers, hacksaw cuts and nasty welds," Stahl remembered. LEFT and MIDDLE: The correct transmission came with the car. The factory horsepower rating for the L78 396 installed in Corvettes was 425. He fitted the splay-valve heads in a 358cuin (5.87L) engine, used by Larry Kopp to win the 1998 Winston drag championship, and by 1998 national event winners Tim Freeman, Brad Jeter, Johns, Mark Osborne, Scott Perin, and Don Smith. Never saw one in '68. There is some speculation that they found out that the car was too light to be legal for competition, but this has never been verified. 1/18 Diecast RICKO Alfa Romeo 147 Coupe, Red, Lotus 23 Nurburgring 1962 #84 Spark Model 1/43 #s0251, Ebbro 1/43 Nissan Fairlady 350z Z33 Coupe Silver. I blew the picture up and it looks pretty plain-jane. "That book ended up leading me to the header business," he later recalled. Articles, Is Space Still the Place? From 1968-69, the engine was only available for certain A-body Barracuda and Dart models, but for 1970 the 340 was expanded to the new E-body Challenger and AAR 'Cuda, plus the Duster 340. Despite its early exit, Jenkins's Chevy II was already gaining notoriety in a sea of Chrysler products. Excerpts of Jenkins taken from "NHRA National Drags" (1968)Credit goes to Bee-On Video.http://beeonvideo.homestead.com/Video edit and enchancement by one-hea. 285 talking about this. "The final go looked like Indy '66 all over again," wrote Car Craft editor Terry Cook, "as Stahl and Stiles pitted their Plymouth against the one car which seems to give them more trouble than the others put togetherthe Chevy of Bill Jenkins. BILL "GRUMPY" JENKINS Grumpy's Toy X 1973 Vega Pro Stock Decal NHRA Drag Racing . Once complete, the 1967 car looked like a 1968 Camaro, and he raced the car in this trim until 1970. [2] He entered Pro Stock when NHRA started it in 1970, and won the first two events of the year (the Winternationals and Gatornationals) in a 1968 Chevrolet Camaro,[2] ultimately taking the national title. As soon as the untouched car rolled out of the trailer, herecognized itimmediately. Nova Father/Son Car. Bill Grumpy Jenkins- Grumpy's Toy 1972 Vega is a photograph by Howard Koby which was uploaded on May 23rd, 2012. Jenkins fouled in the first round of class eliminations against HOT ROD managing editor Don Evans, driving the magazine's Camaro project car (unbeknown to the HR staff, the Camaro's big-block was an oversized, and thoroughly illegal, 502ci ringer). Instead, an optional 396ci engine was offered in horsepower ratings from a mild 325 up to 425. Born in Philadelphia,[5] Jenkins grew up in Malvern, Pennsylvania. Jenkins spins off the road, plows through some guy's front lawn, grabs First gear, and drives back to my gas station. [4], He was nicknamed "Grumpy" for having a no-nonsense attitude at races. [11], Jenkins built a Vega in 1974 (dubbed Grumpy's Toy XI) that had several firsts which impacted future drag racing cars, including the first dry sump oiling system and a MacPherson strut front suspension. It has the Jenkins shop-stampings on the case. The new 396 was called the Mark IV, but there was no mistaking its Mystery Engine heritage. 67impala427 TMM Moderator MR 67 IMPALA. 8, August 1937, The Meccano Magazine, Vol. 1968 Chevy Nova 1 1/18. "People always liked the Camaros, but I never gave a s**t about them," Jenkins later confided. He became known as the premiere normally aspirated drag race engine builder after his Super Stock victory at the 1967 Nationals. "I got into a disagreement with Chrysler about the transmissions, and they stopped my support," Stahl recollected. Good info, again, Richard. Jenkins also blew away NHRAs Hemi-dominated A/S record to 11.66! Bill Jenkins SS 396 Nova | Vintage Video of the day Bill "Grumpy Jenkins Big Block Nova Super Stocker at 68 NHRA Nationals. In 1964, Jenkins and Strickler travelled to England, as part of the U.S. #(2) at the best online prices at eBay! He set a class record[clarification needed] with an 11.66 second pass. Jenkins cut down the team's match races in the early 1980s until his final season as a team owner in 1983. Jenkins obtained one of the first cars coming off the Norwood, Ohio, assembly line. On the way back to Pennsylvania after the race, Jenkins' Chevy II was destroyed in a highway accident. If this item contains incorrect or inappropriate information please, Relevant [2], He was formally trained as a mechanical engineer at Cornell University, although he completed only three years and did not earn a degree. After graduation he worked as a service manager at several Chevy dealerships and purchased a new '60 Chevrolet with a hot 348ci engine. The new 67 Camaro came as a base vehicle with a disappointing six-cylinder engine, a small-block 283 or 327, plus a new engine: the 350 V-8. Drag racing has had some famous rivalries. All rights reserved. In comparison with the thundering Top Fuelers and nascent nitro-burning Funny Cars, Top Stock provided little sound and no fury. A mechanical aptitude developed at an early age allowed him to quickly acquire an in-depth knowledge of engines. Chevys last gasp for the W series engines produced the Z-11, a 427ci, 430hp engine and aluminum front end package for the 1963 Impala. Some Vintage Toys Have Stellar Value. [3] He has been inducted in numerous motorsports halls of fame for his engine building skills in the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) Pro Stock class. He had a subpar 9.90 second pass in the untested Vega, qualifying 17th of the 32 entries at the season-opening event. "Ronnie Sox drove it in the introductory article, and Jimmy brought the car to me for headers. This friendship grew to become a close alliance that kept Jenkins in the loop, especially at GMs sprawling Tech Center complex in Warren, Michigan, and Jenkins was forever rumored to have clandestine help from the Bow Tie boys. [3] The lower displacement engine in the smaller car, hence lighter minimum weight, enabled it to outrun the larger-engined but heavier cars. Jenkins teamed with Strickler to win Little Eliminator at the 1963 Nationals with an A/FX 427 Chevy. Yet Jenkins won the war. 1966 Chevrolet Nova - Bill "Grumpy" Jenkins | Auburn Fall 2014 | RM Sotheby's, Customize your preferences and enjoy a tailored experience when visiting us, Access history files and inspection reports for your favourite cars. Vice Grip Garages 1980s Built Chevelle Drag Car Goes On The Dyno Results Are NOT What We Expected! Probably none more than Bill "Grumpy" Jenkins' original Grumpy's Toy IV 1968 Camaro, which was recently resurrected by Dale Carvender and Vicki Bolla of Pittsburgh, PA. We caught up with Carvender and Bolla at the NorthEastern Ohio Camaro Club Fall Classic at Summit Racing, where we got to hear the story. The aluminum CanAm cast iron sleeve block used a large 4.440 in. His reply was Only the guy that got me interested in Camaros in the first place, and the reason I bought my 1968 Camaro when I was 15 years old., Two people can basically carry the empty shell, thats how light and thin the metal is. Vicki, car owner. CopyrightJeffery Latondress. Henry Smokey Yunicks Mark II-powered 1963 Impala took the pole and led early until valvetrain failure forced him out of the race. in. Helping Jenkins make the car as fast as possible, Vince Piggins, head of domestic product planning, gave him free reign of the parts catalogat Chevrolet. Chick. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy and Guinn actually knows a lot about the car because his father was on Penskes race team, and hewas there when the car came back from acid-dipping. [3] Jenkins earned a total of $250,000 that year, including event and manufacturer support. [3] Considered the "Father of Pro Stock", Jenkins-built engines were used to win five NHRA Pro Stock championships and three American Hot Rod Association (AHRA) championships. Running against such competition as Dick Landy, Ronnie Sox and Don Nicholson, Grumpy strived for consistency and clean performances. Grumpy's giant-killer legend was growing. 69 L34 Rest. William Tyler Jenkins (December 22, 1930 March 29, 2012), nicknamed "Grumpy" or "The Grump", was an engine builder and drag racer. Grumpys Original Camaro Z28 is officially undergoing restoration. http://i.ebayimg.com/t/Grumpys-Toys-Book-o n-Bill-G http://www.hotrodhotline.com/sites/default/files/i http://api.ning.com/files/NqkuYxlxVg2bhLn SH6KXDFuB http://www.barrett-jackson.com/application/onlines http://i359.photobucket.com/albums/oo33/69belair/ j http://i211.photobucket.com/albums/bb303/DH427Nov a http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a e http://image.superchevy.com/f/features/chevellemo n http://www.novaresource.org/engine.htm#1968, http://www.novaresource.org/production.htm#1968. 1968 TOPPS #11 JIM BUNNING-FERGUSON JENKINS-GAYLORD PERRY NICE CARD Sold by ylaf | Ends on 2023-03-05 08:43:47 By 1965, Jenkins had split with Strickler, and drove Doc Burgess' Hemi-powered Black Arrow Plymouth to the Top Stock title at the Winternationalsthe first of Grumpy's 13 NHRA national event victories. This particular Camaro was built on December 29, 1966. His line ofGrumpys Toy cars were well-built machines that were something to seriously be feared by other competitors in Super Stock and Pro Stock. [1] Between 1965 and 1975, he won a total of thirteen NHRA events. The collaboration between Jenkins and Stahl flourished. The original version of this story first. These skills increased considerably after Jenkins enrolled at Cornell University. One of the tricks of the Gen-1 big-block Camaro racers was substituting big-block motor mounts with a pair of small-block mounts. His 327ci L79 small-block V-8 gave away 99 cubic inches to the Street Hemi, but his Chevy II enjoyed a 762-pound weight advantage over the heavyweight Belvedere. You Make The, SEMA 2022: GEARWRENCH Leveled Up With Distinct Quality Hand, Reignite Your Cat Eye Silverado Headlights With, SEMA 2022: Paragon Corvette Adds Performance Parts To, PRI 2022: FuelTech Talks About The Tech Of The FT700, PRI 2022: Concept Performance Now Offers Aluminum LTR, PRI 2022: Get Locked In With Forgeline Beadlock, Creative Automotion: The Art of Farmtruck &, Randy Bolig The Media Mover And Shaker Behind Chevy, How Ken Lingenfelters Love for Corvettes Benefits So, Shop Tour: Prestige Motorsports Is Your One-Stop Hot Rod, Full Factory Tour: How Edelbrock Makes Its Cast Aluminum, HOLY SHIP! There are many neat moments here, but our favorites include the in-car segments with Jenkins up on the wheel. XVI, No. A 175-lb. "The only reason I ended up with the '66 Plymouth was because Jimmy Davis (Super Stock and Drag Illustrated editor) had this Hemi hardtop for a magazine test car," Stahl remembered. NHRAs Super Stock rules required the stock cast-iron, closed-chamber cylinder heads. We'll send you the most interesting Chevy Hardcore articles, news, car features, and videos every week. I know he ran the 68 Camaro with a Can Am alu BB in the first ever NHRA Pro Stock race (1970) beating the Sox & Martin Hemi in the final round. Seems to me it has the SS rear panel that I've seen in other photos. A rollcage was installed in the car, and the trunk floor was cut out to make room fora fuel cell. Your credit card or PayPal account will be charged. Burial was in the church cemetery, with. [5], "Pro Stock legend Bill 'Grumpy' Jenkins dies", CUP: Three NASCAR Legends Lead IMHOF Class, "Bill Jenkins, 81, Drag Racing Driver and Innovator, Dies", Jenkins' 'Grumpy' ways make for a winning way, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Bill_Jenkins_(drag_racer)&oldid=1125783351. When he found the compact car was to be placed in the same class as the 426 ci/425 horsepower hemi Dodge and Plymouth muscle cars, he commented it "looked like a pretty good gimmick at the time". 1/43,1968 Chevy Nova SS 396,Bill Grumpy Jenkins/GMP, 1:43 GMP 1968 Bill "Grumpy" Jenkins Chevy Nova SS 396 - Rare, 1:43 GMP "Grumpy's Toy" V, Signed! In fact, Jenkins and Stahl were friends as well as competitors, colleagues as much as adversaries. It is said that some of the parts that were used to restore this car came from Bill Grumpy Jenkins himself. If he was back working And while a 375-hp 396 was widely advertised starting in 1969, little was said about it for '68. The unlikely battlefield was Top Stock, an eliminator category chiefly populated by garishly painted production cars. At this point, he asked if the car had thin sheet metal, and Vicki confirmed that it does. These proved to be very versatile and Jenkins allowed Lakewood Industries to market them as Traction-Action bars. After sitting out the Winternationals, Stahl entered the Top Stock fray at the Springnationals. It carried Jenkins to hugely popular Pro Stock wins in its first two events of the 1970 season: Pomona and Gainesville, where he defeated Mopars ace, Ronnie Sox. Driving a converted 1968 Camaro, Jenkins won the first two NHRA 1970 races, the Winternationals and the Gatornationals, before undergoing a losing streak when the Chrysler factory-backed Dodge and Plymouth entries, led by Sox & Martin, dominated the class. I decided to bring the car back out and race for Jenkins' team." 11, November 1941, The Meccano Magazine, Vol. In those days, Jenkins was known not as Grumpy (that came later, due to Jenkins gruff facade), but Jiggs Jenkins. Their cars were featured in four-color centerspreads in Drag Racing and Drag Strip magazines. $2.98 Buy It Now or Best Offer, $41.21 Shipping, eBay Money Back Guarantee. ", Again Jenkins and Stahl met in the final roundand again Stahl was the victor. 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