Register now to get rid of these ads!

Grumpy Jenkins

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by Gotzy, May 16, 2007.

Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.
  1. a guy from here in Davenport Rich Thompson and his dad had one of Grumpy's old Nova - the Lil' Stinker
     
  2. billsill45
    Joined: Jul 15, 2009
    Posts: 784

    billsill45
    Member
    from SoCal

    That's a little under $17K in today's dollars ... still not a bad deal. What was the price the last time it sold?
     
  3. My buddy just finished a tribute to Jenkin's 10(X) car

    [​IMG]
     
  4. TMcCrea
    Joined: Aug 13, 2008
    Posts: 578

    TMcCrea
    Member
    from Maryland


    Mike told me about the day he came home from school and Dave took him out for a driving lesson. Dave had spent the day installing a shifter in Mike's car and showed him how it was done.
     
  5. Yeah he told me that before too. How cool would it be to have Dave Strickler teach you how to drive a four speed!! Now Mike is turning his '67 Camaro into the next "Old Reliable". Dave bought the car for Mike when he was in high school so it will be truely a Dave Strickler purchased Old Reliable. It is going to be a very nice car also. I think his dad would be proud!!

     
  6. biscaynes
    Joined: Mar 16, 2008
    Posts: 1,647

    biscaynes
    Member

  7. willowbilly3
    Joined: Jun 18, 2004
    Posts: 4,356

    willowbilly3
    Member Emeritus
    from Sturgis

    I remember a magazine interview, when asked how he decided what to eliminate to lighten up a car he said "Simple, I throw it up in the air and if it comes down it's too heavy"
     
  8. ssimpala
    Joined: Jan 25, 2011
    Posts: 121

    ssimpala
    Member

    I just read all 282 posts and it sure brought back some good memories! I tried racing with guys back when I was just a big kid. I had a little '66 Chevy 11 that we tried to prep up like Don Hardy was doing. I only had a couple of sponsors, one of whom was Marvin Phillips from Phillips' Automotive. He started out doing drag cars and later moved on to circle track...and gained a little fame...I never did! I raced all over from '66 until '68 when I was drafted into the Army, sent to Vietnam, and promptly blown up. That ended any hopes I had for a drag racing career....but still "play" at the local strip with the kids. Those were really good times! If any of you guys happen to come accross a picture of my old car I would appreciate seeing it. It was a light gold '66 Chevy 11 with a beige top. Had my name Bill Fiveash on the side along with Phillip's Automotive and Mustang Chevrolet, the number 5, and all the usual small advertisers. Thank's a lot, Bill.
     
  9. dragracer01
    Joined: Oct 30, 2010
    Posts: 3

    dragracer01
    Member

    Hello.Jenkins was known for painting the engines of his cars, and others he tuned, black for heat dissipation.Does anyone know when he started this?In particular,was the engine in the Old Reliable 62 Bel Air painted black?
     
  10. Big_John
    Joined: Mar 28, 2006
    Posts: 334

    Big_John
    Member
    from Upstate NY

    I think it was Bob Glidden that said that.
     
  11. Wagonmaster2
    Joined: Aug 18, 2010
    Posts: 333

    Wagonmaster2
    Member

    I recall the 1966 Chevy II A/S car had a black block and white engine compartment.

    It was Glidden,,,,
     
  12. biscaynes
    Joined: Mar 16, 2008
    Posts: 1,647

    biscaynes
    Member

    OR 2 at york '09, orange...
    [​IMG]
    and OR 4, black....
    [​IMG]
     
  13. biscaynes
    Joined: Mar 16, 2008
    Posts: 1,647

    biscaynes
    Member

  14. Gizzy
    Joined: Jan 20, 2008
    Posts: 761

    Gizzy
    Member
    from N.W,Ohio

    Pure art
     
  15. MeanGene427
    Joined: Dec 15, 2010
    Posts: 2,307

    MeanGene427
    Member
    from Napa

    Not to take anything away from Jenkins, I have one of his books because I believe as he did- "Da Grump was always fun to watch. He also said once, and I am paraphrasing because I don't remember the exact quote, that an engine doesn't know what name is on the valve covers; it only knows how well it can breathe."- but "kick Hemi ass" is to say the least a bit generous, and probably just misinformed- the weight breaks put in place by NHRA greatly favored the little Chebbie/small car- the Ford Cleveland, Boss 429, and SOHC engined cars, as well as the Hammys, carried substantially more weight per cubic inch than the Vega/sbc combo- to quote from NHRA's own website:
    "Formal factory backing and the sheer number of entries swung the pendulum to Chrysler's favor, and Jenkins was winless through the balance of 1970 and all of 1971. Recognizing that the vast number of fans drove Chevrolets, NHRA reconfigured the rules to allow cars with small-block wedge engines to run at a lighter weight break. An untested short-wheelbase Vega that Jenkins built for the 1972 season was held to a subpar 9.90 to qualify a disappointing 17th for the 32-car field at the season-opening Winternationals. Last-minute suspension changes enabled Jenkins to improve to low 9.6s on race day, and he defeated five Chrysler Hemi entries for his most memorable victory. "- so as they say, the fix was in ;)
     
  16. biscaynes
    Joined: Mar 16, 2008
    Posts: 1,647

    biscaynes
    Member

    ya,ok

    posted on another thread...

    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]
     
  17. 65deluxe
    Joined: Oct 16, 2007
    Posts: 756

    65deluxe
    Member

    By the mid 1970's, weight breaks had swung in favor of Ford's Cleveland and you had the likes of Glidden, Gapp & Roush, Dyno Don dominating. For Jenkins, this made winning the NHRA Championship in 1976 all the sweeter. Chrysler, well thats a whole different story but its a given, if they weren't winning all the time, they weren't happy. In saying that, while writing the book "Grumpys Toys", Bill told me that in hindsight, he felt that going to weight breaks in 1972 should never have happened and that it took until 1982 before Pro Stock got back on track.
     
  18. MeanGene427
    Joined: Dec 15, 2010
    Posts: 2,307

    MeanGene427
    Member
    from Napa

    I don't believe the weight breaks ever "swung in favor of Ford's Cleveland", you'd have to show me that one in print, lbs./ci., in the same type car. They did go to different cars with longer wheelbases that had a "better" factor such as the four-door Maverick "Taxi' car, so apples to oranges- if they ran a comparable car, ie Pinto vs Vega, they had to haul a substantial weight penalty, not so much with the bigger car, but still far from an equivalent setup. The Cleveland Ford setup was just capable of producing more power because of the better heads, NHRA, NASCAR, whatever
     
  19. biscaynes
    Joined: Mar 16, 2008
    Posts: 1,647

    biscaynes
    Member

  20. mustang6147
    Joined: Feb 26, 2010
    Posts: 1,847

    mustang6147
    Member
    from Kent, Ohio

    I had the privilege of lining up at Norwalk against Grumpy. My car was a 1969 Camaro, It ran 8:10 at 168 best time... I later recieved a encased model of his 1968 Nova SS 396 called Grumpys Toy V, signed by the legend himself.
     
  21. 65deluxe
    Joined: Oct 16, 2007
    Posts: 756

    65deluxe
    Member

    For sure the Cleveland set up was far superior and when you dropped one of these into a Pinto, that did run at the same weight (I stand corrected)as the Vega, the Chevy didnt stand a chance.
     
  22. AHotRod
    Joined: Jul 27, 2001
    Posts: 12,216

    AHotRod
    Member


    Do you have any color pictures of the engine compartment of the '66 Chevy II ?
     
  23. AHotRod
    Joined: Jul 27, 2001
    Posts: 12,216

    AHotRod
    Member

  24. biscaynes
    Joined: Mar 16, 2008
    Posts: 1,647

    biscaynes
    Member

    couple from cayuga ont....
    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]
     
  25. AHotRod
    Joined: Jul 27, 2001
    Posts: 12,216

    AHotRod
    Member

  26. biscaynes
    Joined: Mar 16, 2008
    Posts: 1,647

    biscaynes
    Member

  27. biscaynes
    Joined: Mar 16, 2008
    Posts: 1,647

    biscaynes
    Member

  28. Mr48chev
    Joined: Dec 28, 2007
    Posts: 33,861

    Mr48chev
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    I've got that one somewhere in the shed if the mice didn't eat it. A lot more how to than what to buy.
     
  29. Pistnbroke
    Joined: Jan 30, 2008
    Posts: 524

    Pistnbroke
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    sad day Oswego Dragstrip @1975?
     

    Attached Files:

  30. Marty Strode
    Joined: Apr 28, 2011
    Posts: 8,798

    Marty Strode
    Member

    The crash picture in post 304, reminds me, in 1975 here in Portland, Grumpy was "match racing" Dick Landy, there was some oil, from a previous T/F race between Jerry Ruth and Shirley Muldowney in Dick's lane. Dick crashed badly and law suits were to follow. Now "The Grump" and "Dandy Dick", two legends are gone, RIP.
     
Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.

Share This Page

Register now to get rid of these ads!

Archive

Copyright © 1995-2021 The Jalopy Journal: Steal our stuff, we'll kick your teeth in. Terms of Service. Privacy Policy.

Atomic Industry
Forum software by XenForo™ ©2010-2014 XenForo Ltd.