Steve Griner 1945-2018

Lyn Smith · 09-09-2019, 01:43 PM

Just found out at Indy that Steve Griner had passed away last year. Steve was the inventor of the trans brake, lock up convertor, and first to produce a billet valve body,plus many other racing transmission innovations.Most Hemi shoot out cars still run his v body.I bought my first race transmission from him in the late 70s. In the mid 80s Steve built me a light weight t 400 that helped me win Stock at the 1985 US Nationals (it was a heads up run in the final.) He loved working on his Model Ts and running them at the Newport,In. Hill climb every year.And you can bet that the gear box in that model T has some of his tricks in it.LOL RIP Steve.

Jerry Terry · 09-09-2019, 05:19 PM

RIP Steve. Sorry to hear about Steve , I had one of his trans brakes years ago. Didn't Steve and Dave Coan work together in the seventies ?

Jerry
Retired 3490 3492 STK SS SST

gsa612 · 09-09-2019, 08:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jerry Terry

RIP Steve. Sorry to hear about Steve , I had one of his trans brakes years ago. Didn't Steve and Dave Coan work together in the seventies ?

Jerry
Retired 3490 3492 STK SS SST

I had one from them in the late 70's...gsa612

bigshow2966 · 09-10-2019, 04:14 AM

A buddy of mine worked for Steve for years. He managed to buy the rights to the Mopar stuff when Steve passed.

MIKE JONES 302 · 09-11-2019, 08:57 AM

The Buick I have that came from you had a Griner Turbo 400, works great, both times I've had the pan off not one spec of contamination whatsoever, never seen anything like it. Griner was very good!

TOM KASCH · 09-11-2019, 09:42 AM

In the fall of 1977 J.L. called me and asked If we would try something new from Giner. So we went & got the 1st turbo 400 trans brake.
Came home & tried it in the snow on the drive way, called & told him it holds, we will go to the Gators. On the 1st try at 4000 rpm's it brobe my stock right axle.
When to a shop & had a spool & axles put in.
The next weekend was the IHRA Winternationals we went 10:98 , but i was afraid to use it like I should have[2500] was about as high I went.

BillRandles · 10-31-2019, 11:57 AM

I met Steve in the spring of 77, he was living in my friends basement in Kokomo. But I didn't really know at the time that this guy was a transmission guru on a different level than anyone I knew. It wasn't till Indy that year he showed up in the campground in his old green Chevy truck. That was his test vehicle you could say. He had a trans brake in it and was showing us how it worked out there in grass launching this old truck. Eventually someone came around and put a stop to it. I got to know him personally several years later. Helped us out alot. Interesting person, smart, lot of common sense. I smile when I think of him. RIP

CMcAllister · 11-03-2019, 02:44 PM

I met him in maybe 1990 at the Mopar show at Columbus. Came up to me cold and started talking about his Torqueflite valve bodies. Ended up putting one in my 904 (pro tree car) and it was better than what I took out as advertised. Over the years I talked to him on the phone at times - felt like a privileged character since he hated a phone - and used his Powerglide unit when we finally went to a 2 speed.

Very interesting person. I view him as the "Don Ness" of transmissions - he dreamed it up, engineered it, built it, made it work, had it copied and never got rich from it. I see a lot of stuff he did still being sold today by other companies.

09-09-2019, 01:43 PM	#1
Lyn Smith VIP Member Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Pontiac,il. Posts: 1,121 Likes: 217 Liked 841 Times in 156 Posts	Steve Griner 1945-2018 Just found out at Indy that Steve Griner had passed away last year. Steve was the inventor of the trans brake, lock up convertor, and first to produce a billet valve body,plus many other racing transmission innovations.Most Hemi shoot out cars still run his v body.I bought my first race transmission from him in the late 70s. In the mid 80s Steve built me a light weight t 400 that helped me win Stock at the 1985 US Nationals (it was a heads up run in the final.) He loved working on his Model Ts and running them at the Newport,In. Hill climb every year.And you can bet that the gear box in that model T has some of his tricks in it.LOL RIP Steve. Attached Thumbnails Last edited by Lyn Smith; 09-09-2019 at 01:46 PM.

09-09-2019, 05:19 PM	#2
Jerry Terry Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Cincinnati Posts: 647 Likes: 5,891 Liked 448 Times in 132 Posts	Re: Steve Griner 1945-2018 RIP Steve. Sorry to hear about Steve , I had one of his trans brakes years ago. Didn't Steve and Dave Coan work together in the seventies ? Jerry Retired 3490 3492 STK SS SST

09-10-2019, 04:14 AM	#4
bigshow2966 Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: chicago Posts: 616 Likes: 390 Liked 81 Times in 35 Posts	Re: Steve Griner 1945-2018 A buddy of mine worked for Steve for years. He managed to buy the rights to the Mopar stuff when Steve passed.

09-11-2019, 08:57 AM	#5
MIKE JONES 302 Junior Member Join Date: Aug 2018 Location: Colorado Springs Colorado Posts: 28 Likes: 2 Liked 85 Times in 15 Posts	Re: Steve Griner 1945-2018 The Buick I have that came from you had a Griner Turbo 400, works great, both times I've had the pan off not one spec of contamination whatsoever, never seen anything like it. Griner was very good!

09-11-2019, 09:42 AM	#6
TOM KASCH VIP Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: TOLEDO,OHIO Posts: 1,735 Likes: 0 Liked 241 Times in 100 Posts	Re: Steve Griner 1945-2018 In the fall of 1977 J.L. called me and asked If we would try something new from Giner. So we went & got the 1st turbo 400 trans brake. Came home & tried it in the snow on the drive way, called & told him it holds, we will go to the Gators. On the 1st try at 4000 rpm's it brobe my stock right axle. When to a shop & had a spool & axles put in. The next weekend was the IHRA Winternationals we went 10:98 , but i was afraid to use it like I should have[2500] was about as high I went.

10-31-2019, 11:57 AM	#7
BillRandles Junior Member Join Date: May 2017 Location: Sharpsville IN Posts: 6 Likes: 4 Liked 1 Time in 1 Post	Re: Steve Griner 1945-2018 I met Steve in the spring of 77, he was living in my friends basement in Kokomo. But I didn't really know at the time that this guy was a transmission guru on a different level than anyone I knew. It wasn't till Indy that year he showed up in the campground in his old green Chevy truck. That was his test vehicle you could say. He had a trans brake in it and was showing us how it worked out there in grass launching this old truck. Eventually someone came around and put a stop to it. I got to know him personally several years later. Helped us out alot. Interesting person, smart, lot of common sense. I smile when I think of him. RIP

11-03-2019, 02:44 PM	#8
CMcAllister Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Fulton County, PA Posts: 533 Likes: 9 Liked 745 Times in 206 Posts	Re: Steve Griner 1945-2018 I met him in maybe 1990 at the Mopar show at Columbus. Came up to me cold and started talking about his Torqueflite valve bodies. Ended up putting one in my 904 (pro tree car) and it was better than what I took out as advertised. Over the years I talked to him on the phone at times - felt like a privileged character since he hated a phone - and used his Powerglide unit when we finally went to a 2 speed. Very interesting person. I view him as the "Don Ness" of transmissions - he dreamed it up, engineered it, built it, made it work, had it copied and never got rich from it. I see a lot of stuff he did still being sold today by other companies.