The new 396 was called the Mark IV, but there was no mistaking its Mystery Engine heritage. J. W. Wilson officiated. Privacy Policy and Bill's Nova ran in A/Stock class at NHRA events, and was reputable for winning races against 426-cid Dodge and Plymouth Street Hemi cars. The photograph may be purchased as wall art, home decor, apparel, phone cases, greeting cards, and more. XXVII, No. Of course, Bill Grumpy Jenkins didnt invent the big-block 1967 Camaro but his touch in choosing, prepping, tuning, and driving his now famous, plain white 67 Camaro made a lasting impact on the popularity of the make. This 1977 Country Squire Motorhome Was Abandoned for 15 Years! eBay. [5], Jenkins died in 2012 of heart failure in Paoli, Pennsylvania. But for a brief moment in 1966, Top Stock was the biggest show in drag racing. I. XXVII, No. Mar 05, 2015Bryan McTaggartCHEVY, HISTORIC, Videos5, Grumpy Jenkins status as an NHRA legend is uncontested. I blew the picture up and it looks pretty plain-jane. Last year for the term Chevy II. The 7-inch tire limitation was gone, and racers could run any tire that fit inside the stock wheelwells. The car was found while Vicki was online looking for a project car. 2, February 1931, The Meccano Magazine, Vol. Author Doug Boyce delivers a fascinating and surprisingly personal look at "da Grump's" extraordinary career and . Toys, Dolls, Games & Puzzles In 2001, he was ranked eighth on NHRA's Top 50 Drivers of all-time. Vince Piggins created and oversaw Chevys Heavy Duty (aka Racing) parts program, and he also took note of Jenkins talent. TR 733 PAINT. [4], He was nicknamed "Grumpy" for having a no-nonsense attitude at races. Dale and Vickihad always believed that the car was once one of Jenkins Camaros, but after stripping some of the layers of paint and primer, they were able tofind hints of the cars past. So, we can officially say that this is the legendary Bill Grumpy Jenkins 396-powered Camaro that tore through NHRAs Super Stock class for the 1967 championship. Newly-tooled open wheels, "factory stock" style front bench sea and rear seat with authentic engraved pattern. The original front suspension and quick-ratio steering is still on the car, as well as the original leaf springs. D.K. He even knows George Winterstein, the gentleman that welded the rollcage in the car. "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. At a match race at Detroit Dragway in 1962, Stahl met Dave Strickler, Jenkins' partner in a series of Old Reliable Chevrolet Super Stocks. After winning the second Pro Stock race in Gainesville, Florida, the NHRA forced the car into retirement because, in their words, it was too old. It was a fateful move. It is said that some of the parts that were used to restore this car came from Bill Grumpy Jenkins himself. A Collection of Interesting, Important, and Controversial Perspectives Largely Excluded from the American Mainstream Media #(2) at the best online prices at eBay! 285 talking about this. He was lost in his own world; he was like an artist that way. He had a subpar 9.90 second pass in the untested Vega, qualifying 17th of the 32 entries at the season-opening event. The car was then sold several more times, and eventually, in 2002, it landed in the possession of current owners, who would like be referred to simply as Vicki and Dale. 68 L-79 Nova Registry . Lombardo raced for Jenkins until 1979, finishing third in 1977 points, second in 1978, and seventh in 1979. Rest in peace Bill "Grumpy" Jenkins, you were the best of the best! Copyright 2023 BangShift LLC. [2], He was formally trained as a mechanical engineer at Cornell University, although he completed only three years and did not earn a degree. 11, November 1938, The Meccano Magazine, Vol. Losing to Stahl cemented his reputation as the scrappy underdog, taking on the might of Chrysler's drag racing machine with his outgunned Chevy IIa melodrama that would be reprised in 1972 when Jenkins again took on the dominant Hemis in Pro Stock with his all-conquering small-block Vega. Their feats were chronicled in detail in the drag racing press, and their faces were featured in endorsements for products ranging from shifters to spark plugs. 11, November 1941, The Meccano Magazine, Vol. This seeming mismatch propelled Jenkins to legendary status with his giant killing, small-block Chevy II. We'll give you credit for the submission (of course) and what is cooler than showing all your gang that you have a story on Bang Shift? The original version of this story first. Nova Father/Son Car. Interestingly, the same factory cam was used in the later L72 427/425. 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). There are some very rare cars in this collection.I will try to combine shipping when possible.For the most part, these cars were removed from the boxes and displayed in an acrylic case. Shouldn't it have the Chevy II on the hood chrome. Working in the service department of a Chevrolet dealership, Stahl had plans to attend the General Motors Institute, a GM-owned school that developed engineers and managers, but they were interrupted by a stint in the Army. [3] The lower displacement engine in the smaller car, hence lighter minimum weight, enabled it to outrun the larger-engined but heavier cars. He was involved in the development of the L-79 engine. There is not a lot that can be said about Grumpy Jenkins that hasnt already been said many times over. [8] He would also win S/SA at the 1965 Winternationals in a hemi-powered Plymouth named Black Arrow. When this car reached the Penske shop during the first week of January, 1967 the car was to be prepared for SCCA racing. This allowed for a little hot rod ingenuity, and that meant stock lift with more duration and a tighter lobe separation. Jenkins teamed with Strickler to win Little Eliminator at the 1963 Nationals with an A/FX 427 Chevy. Without the help of factory support, Jenkins developed his first Grumpys Toy: a Chevy II with a 327 cubic-inch engine. [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. 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. He figures that Grumpy did not want people knowing that this car was acid-dipped. Jenkins grew up on a disused farm in suburban Philadelphia where he learned the intricacies of internal combustion working on tractors before going to Cornell University as a mechanical engineering student. Its A Tuning Circus! Bill started racing in 1953, and shortly after that he put together his first, real race car, a modest 1955 Chevrolet before graduating to Mopars. In those days, Jenkins was known not as Grumpy (that came later, due to Jenkins gruff facade), but Jiggs Jenkins. He changed the cars around some. Bill Jenkins was a newly minted statistician in 1968, and one of the first black officers in the United States Public Health Service (PHS), when a colleague told him about a government study . Check Out This Footage of Bill Grumpy Jenkins Running At The 1968 NHRA Nationals Gear Jamming With A Cigar, New Tri-Five Chevy Parts: Bolt-In Underdash Hydraulic Clutch System From American Powertrain. 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. Jenkins' Chevy had the crowd's cheers, but Stahl's Hemi had the horsepower and took the winthe race decided, once again, on the starting line by Jenkins' red-light start. There are some very rare cars in this collection.I will try to combine shipping when possible.For the most part, the The 396/375 was also used in a brief run of 1965 Chevelles with the Z-16 option code. Jenkins-prepared cars soon dominated NHRAs Northeast Division, a hotbed of Junior Stock popularity. Dale started his research by calling Jenkinshimself, but as Dale puts it, He hung up on me so fast it couldve make your head spin. Over a period of six months, Dale continually tried to talk to Grumpy with no luck. Jenkins success with the Chevy II set the stage for the divisions first pony car, Chevys new 1967 Camaro. [3] That year he was featured in Time magazine, the first drag racer to experience mainstream national coverage. Despite its early exit, Jenkins's Chevy II was already gaining notoriety in a sea of Chrysler products. Once complete, the 1967 car looked like a 1968 Camaro, and he raced the car in this trim until 1970. $58,000 - $64,000 USD | Not Sold | Auburn, Indiana Details Catalogue This 1966 Nova has been built to replicate the late Bill Jenkins L-79 Nova racecar. 8, August 1937, The Meccano Magazine, Vol. Although intense, their rivalry was never ruthless. Storied Past Jenkins teamed with Strickler to win the 1963 Little Eliminator Nationals with a 427 cubic-inch-powered, A/FX-class Chevy Impala. Bill Jenkins is yet to be pried from GM-type products, and if you think Grumpy made the Chevy II's parts movewell, you might keep an eye open for a slippery Camaro with Bill in the immediate vicinity.". A link to reset your password has been sent to your email address. During the 1960s, Junior Stockers acquired a near cult following, especially on the East Coast. Dondero won the AHRA title. On paper, Stahl won the battle. The stock duration was 242 degrees at 0.050-inch lobe lift; 0.520-inch lift, intake and exhaust; 114-degree lobe separation; and lash sets at 0.024-inch intake and 0.028-inch exhaust. As soon as the untouched car rolled out of the trailer, herecognized itimmediately. 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. 67impala427 TMM Moderator MR 67 IMPALA. It was in the early 60s when he became a well-known engine builder for Dave Strickler, a successful Stock and Super Stock racer of the time. Jenkins loved to row through the gears, so the car was fitted with a Hurst Competition-Plus shifter controlling a four-speed Muncie M21 transmission. Youll get interviews aplenty, looks around the cars and of course, great historical drag racing footage. eBay "Bill "Grumpy" Jenkins" 1968 Chevy Nova Super Stocker PHOTO! It wasn't a grand debut for the first "Grumpy's Toy." Those vehicles, and especially Bill Grumpy Jenkins plain-white Camaro set a lofty standard by which Chevy race cars continue to be measured. Dale and Vicki were hoping to have the car completed by the end of 2015, and it looks like they have a made it. "The car is rugged and Stahl doesn't make it any easier to defeat. His association with friend and customer Dave Strickler produced numerous NHRA records and Stock Eliminator wins with the 409. Skip to main content. NHRA changed the 1972 rules to allow drivers with a small block wedge engine to run a lighter car. [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. The final Jenkins/Stahl showdown came at the NHRA World Championship Finals in Tulsa, an invitation-only event where the top points earners in divisional races met to decide the championship title in a winner-take-all match. Chevy offered the L78 396/375 through its 1971 model year. Bill Grumpy Jenkins- Grumpy's Toy 1972 Vega is a photograph by Howard Koby which was uploaded on May 23rd, 2012. Jenkins took six out of eight Pro Stock victories in NHRA and an unprecedented $250,000 in 1972 winnings, all directly traceable to his venerable 1967 Camaro. Jenkins spins off the road, plows through some guy's front lawn, grabs First gear, and drives back to my gas station. 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. Bill Jenkins SS 396 Nova | Vintage Video of the day Bill "Grumpy Jenkins Big Block Nova Super Stocker at 68 NHRA Nationals. [3] He became known in national circles as the engine builder for Dave Strickler in the early 1960s. [5] He left college in his third year. The collaboration between Jenkins and Stahl flourished. Top power output came from the L78 option, a 396 with a Holley four-barrel carburetor; single-point Delco distributor; forged steel crankshaft and rods; four-bolt main bearing block; forged-aluminum, 11.0:1-compression pistons; and a mechanical lifter camshaft. Bill "Grumpy" Jenkins, as memorialized in a classic poster from Moroso. For that reason, this car was pushed into a corner of the Penske shop and almost forgotten. Jenkins removed the vent windows and put 1968 Camaro door glass in the 1967 body, added the trim to the doors, and also added hidden-headlights to the front end. "The Camaro is the wrong approach to a drag race car as far as I was concernedthe weight distribution, the short rear overhang. Loved to watch Bill J. compete. In 1972 he recorded 250 straight passes without missing a shift. XVI, No. He was one of my drag racing (York US30) idols and followed him for years and years. I decided to bring the car back out and race for Jenkins' team." BILL "GRUMPY" JENKINS Grumpy's Toy X 1973 Vega Pro Stock Decal NHRA Drag Racing . [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. It looked like it had the potential to be competitive," Stahl added, "so I bought the cheapest two-door sedan that could be ordered.". Jenkins did indeed move to the new Camaro, but not before one last hurrah in the Chevy II. Grumpy's main focus was on Comp engines, which were used by a large client list, including national event winners Garley Daniels, Steve Johns, and Bob Kaiser. It was Bill Jenkins who skillfully prepared and tuned a 63 Z-11 Impala that Dave Strickler drove to Little Eliminator at the 1963 Nationals. [3] Jenkins-built engines continue to be used. All rights reserved. A Middle Stock Eliminator victory at the AHRA Winter Nationals was followed by an ignominious loss at the NHRA Winternationals. Histria. The 67 Camaro came with monoleaf springs that produced extreme wheelhop. Atlanta, Georgia 30328 | 877.481.5750. Sign in to see your user information. Two weeks later, Stahl was in Monza, Italy, helping Ecosse compete in the Race of Two Worlds, which pitted Indy Cars against European sports cars on the high-banked Monza oval. The unlikely combatants were a pair of bookish engineer/racers. This ten-minute video, which includes narration by veteran broadcaster and Car and Driver writer Brock Yates and interviews by a host of the Grump's peers, showcases Jenkins in action at the 1968 U.S. Nationals in Indy. Shifter controlling a four-speed Muncie M21 transmission looks pretty plain-jane HISTORIC, Videos5, Grumpy Jenkins status as an legend. 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