Bill "da Grump" Jenkins photo tribute
 

Another great passes on
RIP A true innovator to the sport & will be missed

http://www.nhra.com/story/story.aspx...ookieSupport=1

liteweight

Re: Bill "da Grump" Jenkins Passed away today
 

Read this news in the regular Stock & Super Stock forums...sad day.

http://classracer.com/classforum/showthread.php?t=39870

Re: Bill "da Grump" Jenkins Passed away today
 

Rest in piece,,, Bill Jenklins,,, you may no longer be Grumpy,, but you'll always be remembered. Thanks for all you did.
Danny Durham

Re: Bill "da Grump" Jenkins Passed away today
 

Rest in peace? No way! Dyno Don, Ronnie Sox and Dick Landy are waiting for Da Grump in the staging lanes in that great big drag strip in the sky!

http://img16.imageshack.us/img16/473/sssccamaro.jpg

M68

Re: Bill "da Grump" Jenkins Passed away today
 

Grumpy...in happier days

Re: Bill "da Grump" Jenkins Passed away today
 

A little story that Dick Landy told me a few years ago .
They ( Dick, Ronnie, Buddy, Don Nicholson,& "da Grump & others) of course, were fierce competitors at the tracks, & because they travelled the same circuit with each other, they spent alot of, away from the track, time together also. I don't remember who, but one of them bought one of those electric road race sets, threw away all the corners, bought more straights, & set up a scaled version of a drag strip in the motel hallways. Everyone had their own cars, & they would line up down the hallway with lawn chairs, have a few beer etc. & drag race these little slot cars. Dick said it was pretty even at first, because all the cars were out of the box, stock, but it didn't take long for everyone to start modifying them to make them faster. A racer will always be a racer!!!!!
Can you envision these guys doing this????. Musta been really neat to watch these grown men who litterly hated each other durring the work day, play together so well after hours.
Thought this would be a fitting place to share that story.

liteweight

Re: Bill "da Grump" Jenkins Passed away today
 

I still remember when Bill 'Grumpy' Jenkins set the pro-stock world on it's ***** with this new Vega pro-stocker...it's probably my favorite race car of his.

http://i.ebayimg.com/t/Hot-Rod-Magaz...1%7E%7E_12.JPG

Re: Bill "da Grump" Jenkins Passed away today
 

Even happier days. :D

http://img571.imageshack.us/img571/9895/grumplinda.jpg

M68

Re: Bill "da Grump" Jenkins Passed away today
 

Great story! Yes, I can envision it, especially after a few cold ones were consumed. :) Speaking of HO scale drag strips, that's exactly the way I had my Aurora HO set set-up, except it was only 15 ft. long, way back when in the early-1970s.

Someone should start a Bill "Grumpy" Jenkins thread as a tribute to this automotive genius and innovator. There are many memories and stories (like the one above) of the da Grump that should be kept alive and shared with others via this forum.

http://img215.imageshack.us/img215/6206/grump3.jpg

How 'bout it?

M68

Re: Bill "da Grump" Jenkins Passed away today
 

Maybe just keep this one going already...you can always ask the admin to change the topic title later on to Bill da Grump Jenkins Tribute...

http://www.hackettstownlife.com/imag...6ab0ef7192.jpg

Re: Bill "da Grump" Jenkins Passed away today
 

I do not own rights to any photos I am showing. I hope I do not step on any toes.
But here goes, Da Grump!!!!!!
http://i141.photobucket.com/albums/r...can54Large.jpg
http://i141.photobucket.com/albums/r...gessracers.jpg
http://i141.photobucket.com/albums/r...ins-4Small.jpg

Re: Bill "da Grump" Jenkins Passed away today
 

Heres a few more. Thank you to those who took the pics, and sent them in the stock/super stock group I am in on yahoo.
http://i141.photobucket.com/albums/r...ins-3Small.jpg
http://i141.photobucket.com/albums/r...ng/grumpy2.jpg
http://i141.photobucket.com/albums/r...ng/grumpy1.jpg
http://i141.photobucket.com/albums/r...vadetroitW.jpg

R.I.P. Bill Grumpy Jenkins. Hail Hail Chevys Drag Race King!!!!

Re: Bill "da Grump" Jenkins Passed away today
 

Sounds good.

http://img864.imageshack.us/img864/7...towrig1974.jpg

M68

Re: Bill "da Grump" Jenkins Passed away today
 

http://img198.imageshack.us/img198/7...toyingenue.jpg

http://img718.imageshack.us/img718/975/grumpy2.jpg

http://img444.imageshack.us/img444/5848/stoyv.jpg

M68

Re: Bill "da Grump" Jenkins Passed away today
 

Not a bad replica...and for sale too at an not unreasonable price.

http://img339.imageshack.us/img339/7...pystoyv010.jpg

More pix here:

http://topnotchvehicles.com/v-web/gallery/album19

M68

Re: Bill "da Grump" Jenkins Passed away today
 

Pro Stock's BEST era, in my humble opinion. Can I get an amen?

http://img839.imageshack.us/img839/9752/stoyx.jpg

http://img850.imageshack.us/img850/6959/img1317h.jpg

M68

Re: Bill "da Grump" Jenkins Passed away today
 

Amen,,, the decade of the 70s was my favorite time period of Pro Stock without a doubt.Even with the weight break fiascos, the factory politics, NHRA rules revisions, driver and team changes and even brand swaps(Bob), it was great following along with the innovations and competition that was provided by that generation of Pro Stock racers.
I've had the Grumpy's Toys book for some time now, and I'd recommend it for anyone. I wish they'd do one for Glidden and the Mopars of Sox & Martin and Landy.
Danny Durham

Re: Bill "da Grump" Jenkins Passed away today
 

I'm sure Linda is deeply saddened, as it seems her and Bill were lifelong friends.
Danny Durham

Re: Bill "da Grump" Jenkins Passed away today
 

Who else could make this work?????

http://i40.tinypic.com/59zpl3.jpg

Re: Bill "da Grump" Jenkins Passed away today
 

I was wondering when someone would post that pic of Grumpy...funny as hell. :)

Re: Bill "da Grump" Jenkins Passed away today
 

I saw the Vega's and Pinto's as the beginning of the end of what was Pro STOCK. The weight breaks were a terrible idea and got completely out of hand by the end of the 1970s. The tube chassis stuff allowed them to modify them to where now they don't look like anything stock. They should just call it PRO and leave the stock off and out of the rulebook. I think NHRA will follow NASCAR in a few years and allow EFI into PS. I think the first years were the best because at that time, you could buy a 427 Camaro, 429 Boss Mustang or 426 Hemi Cuda or Challenger. PS now is basically a funny car with carbs and gasoline.

Re: Bill "da Grump" Jenkins Passed away today
 

http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/i...7/img216-1.jpg

http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/i...N57/img184.jpg

http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/i...N57/img214.jpg

http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/i...7/img248-1.jpg

M68

Re: Bill "da Grump" Jenkins Passed away today
 

You make some good points there. My favorite era is from 1970-74. In spite of the all-tube frame construction of cars built in the latter half of 1972 thru 1974, for the most part, they still resembled production vehicles.

I agree 100% with your assessment of modern Pro 'Stock', especially the last two decades, and especially so, the past few years, with cars that look like something straight out of Bizarro World. There's nothing 'Stock' about these ultra-expensive and sophisticated de facto carbureted funnycars sans fliptop bodies, and everything $PRO.

The real Pro Stock class died a long time ago. Time way overdue for NHRA to rename the class like you say.

M68

Re: Bill "da Grump" Jenkins Passed away today
 

My pet peeve in ALL professional NHRA classes is that most of the drivers now are nothing more than hired guns. Gone are the days of the innovators such as da Grump, Dandy Dick, S&M, The Swamp Rat, The Snake ,,etc where the owners were the R&D department, fabrication department, engine shop, chassis shop etc. These guys did it all. Not so much today huh??
Anyway, I'm done with my B fest, let's try & keep this thread positive.
I have another idea in keeping this thread going & would like to make a suggestion of keeping it soley for our passed 1/4 mile heros from a era & time we will never see again . I quess you could say it's somewhere where we can pay homage to the guys & girls that were the innovators of the sport we all love.

liteweight

Re: Bill "da Grump" Jenkins Passed away today
 

Great suggestion liteweight but maybe in a new thread

Re: Bill "da Grump" Jenkins Passed away today
 

I know what you mean, but I'm thinking Stanfield and Edwards are still from the older mold, since Edwards was a former Modified world champion, and Stanfield was once a Superstock world champ. They can still thrash and get it done. Of course, theres still WJ, another former champ, even though hes not as competitive as he once was and Larry Morgan. My 2 cents.
Danny Durham

Re: Bill "da Grump" Jenkins Passed away today
 

Agreed Danny
but there are few of this calibur any more

liteweight

Re: Bill "da Grump" Jenkins Passed away today
 

New Topic Started.
Great Idea!!!

Re: Bill "da Grump" Jenkins Passed way today
 

Think the kind of racer you are describing still is alive and well in Comp; they rank right there with Stanfield and Morgan. Just watch those guys flog their stuff sometime, they are unbelievable, well; at least 50% of them that don't buy the latest Panetta bullet or gimmick but innovate and work hard. I have zip interest in most of today's PRO's, they don't have zip invested in terms of what Grumpy invested....

Re: Bill "da Grump" Jenkins Passed away today
 

Mr Carter is quite right, stock,s/s and comp are where the action is, anyways that's another story. I had a close encounter of the Grumpy type many years ago at the Keystone when he was helping Joe Lepone with his new Beretta, I was sitting by the fence near the old tower leaning on the fence when next to me Grump was standing, well knowing his fondness for conversation all I could manage to say was" hello Mr Grumpy oops I mean Mr Jenkins" well he laugh and started to talk about how hot it was and how much it was going to play havock with the cars. We ended talking about helicopters, since my brother and I were wearing Hughes Helicopters T shirts, he was asking all the right questions about the mechanical of keeping those birds flying, we never talked about cars once, best 30 minutes we both had talking with someone about flying. He loved the story I told him about an old mechanic told us "if you knew what was going on under there(the cowling) you wouldn't be getting in it. CR

Re: Bill "da Grump" Jenkins Passed away today
 

Great story. Thanks for sharing.

M68

Re: Bill "da Grump" Jenkins Passed away today
 

http://img845.imageshack.us/img845/8...rumpyjenki.jpg

http://img29.imageshack.us/img29/9453/stoye.jpg

I'll take the first generation Camaro. :)

M68

Re: Bill "da Grump" Jenkins Passed away today
 

http://i359.photobucket.com/albums/o..._3581354_n.jpg
http://i359.photobucket.com/albums/o..._7649110_n.jpg

Re: Bill "da Grump" Jenkins Passed away today
 

http://i359.photobucket.com/albums/o...kins/y8-14.jpg
http://i359.photobucket.com/albums/o...andStahl-2.jpg

Re: Bill "da Grump" Jenkins Passed away today
 

http://i359.photobucket.com/albums/o...ins/grump3.jpg
http://i359.photobucket.com/albums/o...34697753_n.jpg
http://i359.photobucket.com/albums/o..._1817521_n.jpg

Re: Bill "da Grump" Jenkins Passed away today
 

http://i359.photobucket.com/albums/o...nkins/2553.jpg

http://i359.photobucket.com/albums/o...enkins/531.jpg

Re: Bill "da Grump" Jenkins Passed away today
 

Some nice pix there, Dave.

http://img825.imageshack.us/img825/4995/stoyiv.jpg

http://img33.imageshack.us/img33/3131/stoyxi02.jpg

http://img10.imageshack.us/img10/4046/stoyxi.jpg

M68

P.S. Is that Beserko Bob standing by the U.S. 30 sign? Sure looks like it to me.

Re: Bill "da Grump" Jenkins Passed away today
 

http://img442.imageshack.us/img442/8...anddagrump.jpg

What track?

M68

Re: Bill "da Grump" Jenkins Passed away today
 

Don't know the track, but is that a very young Joe Lepone standing behind Jenkins on the other side of the car?

Re: Bill "da Grump" Jenkins Passed away today
 

http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/g...EngineCarb.jpg

http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/g...dVonBargin.jpg

http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/g...ck/Grump67.jpg

http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/g...k/Grumps68.jpg

http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/g...umpCapitol.jpg

http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/g...umpAquasco.jpg

http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/g...ncorrected.jpg