GRUMPY JENKINS '66 Nova Stock Eliminator Drag Car
HTML-код
- Опубликовано: 7 сен 2024
- Tribute car or real deal? That was the question I asked myself when I spotted this '66 Chevy II Nova at the 2024 Corvette Expo featuring Chevys in the Smokies. The car has the right look, but a few key details prove that it is not the original Grumpy's Toy Nova drag car from 1966. The L79 engine (327ci/350hp) was the most potent small block from the era, and it powered Grumpy Jenkins' Nova.
The decals look cool. I was a kid in grade school during this time and was building model cars complete with decals like this.
good friend of grumpy here in eastern nc has that l79 eng on stand built 10yrs ago never been cranked every part number correct except dist found correct number dist man wanted 100 for it
Bill was a pioneer of the sport, same with Smokey Yunick.
Smokey Yunick was a B-17 Pilot in WW2.
Had lots of fun seeing of fun watching this man racing rip
First off this a replica of what Jenkins Chevy 2 would look like. His numbers were 666(not 766). The NHRA 1966 stock class rules were as follows..0.30 inch over bore max. Any flat tappet camshaft and valvetrain. Stock compression(ie stock pistons, combustion chamber) stock heads, valves must retain stock specs. No porting or polishing. Stock carburetor & manifold configuration. Shipping weight minimum was 2,880lbs, stock body metal only, no interior gutting. Max tire 7 inches. Grumpy ran a 331 from '66 all the way through the mid 70s(certain classes) just like alot of competitors looking for the edge, Bill was no angel himself, Charles Strunk once said but never abused the rules.
Would be interesting to know what gear the grump ran in this car?!
Here’s what I was told and backed up by AI …: Bill "Grumpy" Jenkins was known for his meticulous attention to detail and engineering expertise when it came to drag racing. In the case of his record-setting 1966 Chevy Tudor Nova that he raced in NHRA competition, Jenkins utilized a unique gear ratio setup to maximize performance on the drag strip.
During the 1966 NHRA season, Bill Jenkins reportedly ran a 4.56 gear ratio in the rear end of his Chevy Tudor Nova. This specific gear ratio was chosen to optimize the acceleration and overall performance of the car for drag racing purposes, allowing Jenkins to achieve the impressive quarter-mile times and speeds that contributed to his success on the track.
Jenkins' innovative approach to gear ratios and other aspects of vehicle setup played a significant role in his record-setting performances and solidified his reputation as a drag racing pioneer and legend in the sport.
I'm building a 66 Nova for Drag N Drive events. It will look pretty stock on the outside. Including steel wheels with dog dish hubcaps. I wanted to buy one when I was 15 but they were out of my price range. It took 35 more years, to get one.
sweet dou gotta luv The Grump😁🤩thx 4 sharing😎
Got a 66 Chevelle Super Sport , Yes True 138 SS
Came out with a big block 396
Now has a Small block 327 , M-21 Muncie 4 speed trans and 12 bolt posi , pulls both front tires off the ground and Screams to the moon
Need to go back to these rules, smartest man wins, grumpy, smokey these guys were brilliant for reading between the lines of a rulebook
right off the bat the front wheels and tires are wrong.
You're right , the front wheels on the original car were '49-'53 wheels that had small steel clips ( which broke ) that were riveted to the inside of the center section to hold on the dog dish caps . I believe those were four inches wide , no more than five inches .
yes. these guys always miss the details. it's more than just decals...
Which incidentally they did get the "Jenkins competition" decal on the quarter panel right. GM got after Bill about using the blue bowtie to letter on which is why later cars had a black arrow with yellow lettering.
The original car was numbered 666 , to intimidate the competition , the replacement white car was numbered as 777 . Bill was running wrinkle walls by this time , not pie crusts , front wheels are way too new , Bill was running early 50s wheels on the front . This is the second set of stripes on the roof . The first set only had stripes along the outside of the roof . Where's the fenderwell headers ?
Very cool
I always say ,the fastest car Iv'e ever been in was powered by a 327 Chevy motor, it was in an Australian HQ Holden, and the motor was built by my neighbor, it had a super lumpy idle, and I never new the details of the build, but it was an absolute beast , I remember being a bit concerned for my safety.
In the 70's I had a 69 Camaro with a 327 out of a 75 Corvette that I build and yes it was fast for back then
Being concerned for my safety is my favorite thing to do haha.
That’s a pretty good recreation of the exterior of Bill’s 66, I can’t say about the engine compartment though. It’s worth pointing out though that the race wins and records referenced on the door is from the 1965 race season, when Bill was driving Chrysler products, both a HEMI powered Plymouth and a Dodge, in 64, Bill and Dave Strickler were known as The Dodge Boys (say it ain’t true!). In 1966, Chevrolet grossly over rated the L79 power output, which hurt this combination in the long run, and why you were much more likely to see the 275hp Novas running in the Stock Class.
The car this is a tribute to, was in a dead heat all year with Jere Stahl 's Belvedere, in A/S. The championship was decided at the finals when Jenkins redlighted against Stahl. I knew both Jere and Bill, the season was a regular discussion when reminiscing about their careers. They actually toured together, Strickler was with them as well. The Chevy II was extremely competitive.
NHRA Stock Eliminator and Super Stock today bear very little resemblance to what it was in 1966. The class structure is entirely different. At that time, cars actually ran at their factory curb weight, not at a pounds per factored HP weight as they do today.
The original car like this one, was wrecked in a towing accident back in the day. I believe Bill was towing it back from a race on an open trailer when the accident occurred.
Back in my youth....Believe it or not, but I saw the original Red/White Jenkins Nova (like the tribute car shown in this video) car run at the 1966 NHRA Nationals. This car was the epitome of stock car class science and development in building this type of cars.
The Red/White Nova car was subsequently destroyed in a towing accident, not long after the Nationals.
Jenkins built another Nova and it was an all white car. At the time Jenkins was very very well known, THE GURU and the king of the Chevy "stock" class car world. He also built Chevy engines for many other competitors in different classes, which were also national class winners/record holders too.
Beautiful car champion 🇦🇺👍
I may have missed it but where is this collection located?
I knew a fellow (Henry Bell) that had a 64 Malibu 327/350 hp that was awesome. He carried cheaters in the trunk and would race anybody for $100
Nice! 350hp was a big deal back in the day.
Price is
Cry Baby
The steel wheels SUCK.
What would you put on it?
It's a tribute to Jenkins car that's exactly what wheels should be on it build yours however you want
tribute