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Grumpy Tales

One of the true "characters" of drag racing!

From the lens "Grumpy" Jenkins, Pro Stock Legend Bill Jenkins' Chevy & Mopar Drag Racing Machines.

Bill Jenkins didn't get that "Grumpy" nickname for nothing. Many have had interesting and amusing Grumpy encounters. I'll be adding mine as the lens progresses. If you too have a cool "Grumpy Tale" to tell, let's hear it!

  • Mark Harper Mar 1, 2010 @ 9:19 pm | delete
    Where are these cars now?
  • CorvetteGuy427 Feb 8, 2011 @ 8:45 pm | delete
    I highly recommend Doug Boyce's new book, "Grumpy's Toys." Doug clearly outlines all of Grumpy's race cars. LOTS of photos that I've never seen and I have a scrapbook from Bill's hey days.

    One car I though had been dumped in the Hudson River was Toy VIII, the beautiful ?70-1/2 Camaro ? the Rent-A-Pro Stocker. The car literally went through the grinder and there's some controversy around the ?restored? car. It seems that Bill is on record saying that ?There was nothing left of the original car but the roof, quarter panels, and rockers.? And Richie Zul (the last owner of the car) said,?there was nothing left of Jenkins' car.?

    So, there you go. But it sure looks good! - Scott
  • boilermaker56 Jan 5, 2010 @ 8:29 pm | delete
    does anyone remember grumpy haven one of his cars stolen?maybe back in the 70's?i remember reading about it in a "car craft mag.--maybe.
  • CorvetteGuy427 Feb 8, 2011 @ 8:34 pm | delete
    That would have been Grumpy's Toy X, the '73 Vega. This was his second Vega. - Scott
  • Earl Nov 10, 2009 @ 10:44 am | delete
    In 1966 I attended the NHRA Winternationals and watched Jenkins go all the way to runner-up against Jere Stahl. Bill was first off the line with the 350 HP Nova in all his races. This really impressed me so I returned home to Los Banos, CA and ordered a 1966 Chevy Nova SS with 327", 350 HP and 4-speed. Over the years I won many trophies
    at local central valley tracks and had lots of fun. Of course my Nova was never as fast as Jenkin's. A highlight was seeing Bill run against Dyno Don at Fremont in the '70's. And then meeting Jenkin's back east and geting his autograph.
  • CorvetteGuy427 Aug 28, 2009 @ 1:25 pm | delete
    Faye Rutledge wrote in:

    These were taken at the Bristol TN NHRA Spring Nationals in 1973!

    Gee, I didn't realize unitl I just went back to his squidoo page, that your husband made the illustrations! Wow!! He's so talented! I will probably be making a purchase for my husband, but can't decide which one! Maybe for Christmas, and I'll get the montague! Does he ever do the illustrations of personal photos? Not the whole photo, but of the car in the photo?

    Answer: Yes Faye, I do commissions. Go to www.precision-illustration.com for details . Go to the original commissions page.

    --Fayes photo is in the next module
  • CorvetteGuy427 Apr 26, 2009 @ 4:50 pm | delete
    Bill Jenkins didn't get that "Grumpy Jenkins" nickname for nothing. There are hundreds of amusing "Grumpy Tales" out there. If you have one, let's hear it! I'll got many that I'll adding to this Squidoo lens, as well as some funny photos of "Happy Grumpy" that are sure to bring a smile to your face!

by

CorvetteGuy427

Hi, I'm K Scott Teeters and I love Squidoo! You know me as the Automotive Artist and Writer, featured in Super Stock and Drag Illustrated and other magazines.... more »

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