Vehicle Description
1980 Chevrolet Camaro
Grumpy Jenkins is widely known for his superior engine building
skills, being a top-notch drag racer and a multi-motorsports hall
of fame inductee. But before he made a name for himself, Jenkins
was just a normal guy, or at least as normal as any future Chevy
great could be. Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on December 22,
1930, Jenkins was born William Tyler Jenkins, (it wasn't until much
later in life that he acquired the nickname "The Grump" or
"Grumpy"). Raised in Malvern, Pennsylvania, Jenkins grew up on his
grandfather's unused farm property, located within a few miles of
what is now the ritzy Main Line area. Like many young boys, Jenkins
became interested in engines and vehicles around the age of 12.
After all, he would be old enough to have some sort of vehicle to
drive around the farm soon, and he looked forward to that
opportunity. Unbeknownst to him, it was this first real thought of
engines and vehicles in his early teenage years, that would
eventually lead him to being the amazing engine builder he became
later in life. -Thx to Chevyhardcore.com
As sometimes happens in life and especially with race cars, they
are lost to the ravages of time, accidents, or become outdated and
unfit for competition. Such is the case with the original Grumpy's
Toy XV, lost to the world but faithfully recreated by our capable
consignor. Covering every detail down to the decals, engine and
even signatures from Larry Lombardo, one of Jenkins' drivers who is
considered by some to be one of the greatest drivers from the early
Pro-Stock era, this car is spot on. Proudly offered for consignment
and gracing our Hallowed Halls is the perfect tribute to Grumpy's
Toy XV, a 1980 Chevrolet Camaro Pro-Stock drag car. Not only is
this car up to date on its NHRA certifications, it can be shown as
it has in the past. This car has been shown at numerous exhibits
with Larry Lombardo, was featured in the Cruisin' Times
publication, was a staple of the NHRA Summer Nationals at Raceway
Park, Old Time Drags, and various other shows in New Jersey, as
well as being in the Eastern Museum Of Motor Racing in York
Springs, PA for a number of years. Oh, did I mention that not only
is this car current with its NHRA certification but has run a best
ET of 8.88 @160mph in the 1/4 mile.....Sunday Sunday Sunday!!!
Please Note: This Car Is Sold On A Bill Of Sale Only, There Is No
Title***
Exterior
Standard issue white covers the flanks of this once streeter now
full on racer. This white is mixed with red down low on the front
bumper rockers and rear bumper and also runs the length of the
beltline and traces the A and B-pillars before highlighting the
bottom of the rear window. Adorning the sides of the car are
various sponsor decals and the infamous "Grumpy's Toy XV" in a
machine turned gold. Slight faults are noted throughout, but hey,
it's a race car and looks just perfect at 150mph. Lots of
fiberglass has been employed to keep the weight down, and it's
easier to note what is factory Chevrolet steel. Those steel parts
are the roof, rockers and rear quarter panels. All factory glass
has been removed in favor of lightweight Lexan and remains in good
clear condition. A Pro-Stock scoop, which is part of the hood,
allows massive airflow to reach the mill, and a black aluminum rear
wing with a parachute below lets everyone know what this car is
capable of. Wheels are Weld Draglites with skinny 2.50x4.50-15
rubber up front and massive 33.0x16.0-15 rubber in the rear. As an
extra bonus, Larry Lombardo has signed the roof and the trunk
lid.
Interior
Strictly business inside....swinging open the lightweight
fiberglass door we see a simple sheet aluminum cockpit framed by a
black steel roll cage. Bars for the cage run front to back and
across to keep the driver safe should a bad situation arise. A
simple black plastic racing bucket seat is bolted in and 5 point
racing harness and window net are on to keep the driver exactly
where he or she belongs. Remnants of the original dash are present
but more so only in form rather than function. A basic steering
wheel with 2 push buttons, (left button for air shifter actuation
and right button to engage the transbrake), front a slew of
AutoMeter gauges mounted into the dash. To the driver's left is a
switch panel with toggles for the fuel pump, ignition, cooling fan,
water pump, and lights. Hanging just above on the A-pillar is an
Autometer tachometer. On the removable center hump is a Cheetah SCS
racing shifter, which can be shifted normally or shifted via
compressed air when making that record setting pass and on the
right side floor is the MSD ignition box. Above is just the bare
steel of the factory roof, the roll cage roof tubing and the handle
for the parachute release. A shout out to the trunk which comes off
via Dzus fasteners to expose a small fuel cell and the battery.
Drivetrain
Grabbing a helper and pulling the pins allows us to lift off the
ultra-lightweight fiberglass hood. Lurking in the tube frame-based
engine bay is a massive 468ci Chevrolet big block V8. It is fed
copious amounts of air and fossils via dual Holley Dominator 4bbl
carburetors and an Edelbrock Victor tunnel ram intake manifold. A
motor plate is seen to keep the engine secure and black Moroso
valve covers are on for the dress up. Bolted to the back of this
Pro-Stock mill is a reverse manual valve body TH400 3-speed
automatic transmission. This feeds the huge horsepower count back
to a near indestructible Dana 60 rear axle.
Undercarriage
Far too low to the ground to make it up on our lift we did the
snake slither and slide to get a view of the bottom side. All tube
steel and aluminum sheeting makes up the frame and floors and
naturally all is rust free. An independent front suspension with
coil overs is noted and works with a ladder bar and coil over set
up on the back to get the horses firmly planted to the ground.
Wheelie bars have been added to keep the front end from reaching
too far skyward during those hard launches. Disc brakes are on the
front and in the rear drum brakes remain. If these binders don't
bring you to a stop in the shutdown area there's always the
parachute out back for assistance.
Drive-Ability
It's loud, it's powerful, it's radical, it's dangerous in the wrong
hands, it's not legal for highway use, and it's a screamer. While
my ample frame and lack of flexibility kept me from wheeling this
Pro-Stock tribute, my partner in crime and all-around good guy was
more than willing to strap in and try out the traction of the
Classic Auto Mall testtrack. While he feels that he's graceful
entering a racecar, I say it's like watching someone staple water
to a tree. Once in and acclimated with the controls he fired the
car up and got a little heat in the engine before heading off to
set a new CAM 1/8th mile track record. While I didn't watch his
drive, I could hear it as clear as day. Upon returning he reported
blisteringly fast acceleration, adequate braking and handling on
par with a purpose built straight line car. No track records were
set during the drive as our fabled test track hasn't been properly
groomed for 8 second passes and he is not a fan of No Prep
racing.
An overall wonderful job with a dead-on replica of a piece of
racing history lost to the ravages of racing and time. All motor
under the hood, all business in the cockpit and all flash and
fanfare on the body. Let's go spend some time on the show circuit
then hit the track, hang the front wheels high, set a new best ET
and make Grumpy proud!
Exact ...for more information please contact the seller.
