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The Unsettler
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: Lantanna TX
Posts: 23,885
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RIP Bill "Grumpy" Jenkins
81.
Did not win a lot of races but brought a lot of inovation to NHRA.
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"I want my two dollars" "Goodbye and thanks for the fish" "Proud Member and Supporter of the YWL" "Brandon Won" |
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03-30-2012, 05:17 AM
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Registered
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: Pensburgh
Posts: 5,630
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RIP
Grumpy's Toy(various incarnations) were always a mainstay of the drag features in all the car mags I read in the late 70's early 80's
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Eric 83 911SC/83 944 bunch of Honda 750s 69 Chevrolet C-20 Longhorn (family heirloom) |
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03-30-2012, 05:26 AM
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Evolved
Join Date: Jan 2007
Posts: 3,338
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He would have been less 'Grumpy' if he would have finally lit that cigar.
RIP Bill.
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Don't fear the reaper. |
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03-30-2012, 05:44 AM
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Model Citizen
Join Date: May 2007
Location: The Voodoo Lounge
Posts: 18,816
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Dammit.
RIP Bill Jenkins. 
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"I would be a tone-deaf heathen if I didn't call the engine astounding. If it had been invented solely to make noise, there would be shrines to it in Rome" |
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03-30-2012, 05:58 AM
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Slippery Slope Victim
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Brooklyn, NY USA
Posts: 4,385
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My childhood idol. RIP
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MikeČ 1985 M491 |
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03-30-2012, 08:56 AM
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Banned
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: Jacksonville FL
Posts: 50,449
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The only thing faster than Grumpy in a Vega was rust.
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03-30-2012, 10:33 AM
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On Tour
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: New Mexico
Posts: 1,500
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Bummer.... RIP
See him run a few times at the local strip in the 70's in D/FW Mike
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- 2018 Cayenne S 958.2 - 1988 Carrera 3.2 Coupe Marine Blue (SOLD) |
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03-30-2012, 11:44 AM
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Registered
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Magnolia State
Posts: 7,548
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Jim 1987 Carrera 2002 BMW 525ti 1997 Buell Cyclone cafe project 1998 Buell S1W: "Angriest motorcycle I've ever ridden." |
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03-30-2012, 12:04 PM
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Registered
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Magnolia State
Posts: 7,548
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Jim 1987 Carrera 2002 BMW 525ti 1997 Buell Cyclone cafe project 1998 Buell S1W: "Angriest motorcycle I've ever ridden." |
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03-30-2012, 12:06 PM
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Still Doin Time
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Nokesville, Va.
Posts: 8,225
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He the first to:
1) Be competitive and successfull with small displacement engines when NHRA gave a weight break in the early 70's to the Pro-stock class 2) To have a real narrowed rear to get the rear tires up under the body for it sit lower for aerodynamics and improve handling. 3) To use round tube main frame rails to save weight, increase space and get the chassis lower to the ground 4) To use a pressure gauge mounted on the dash - routed to the front brake lines to hold the front brakes at a predetermined psi with the line-loc. This solved the problem of trying to hold the brake, feather the clutch and stab the throttle when trying to stage the car in the beams. (They were all stock case based 4-speeds then) 5) Realize that his high rpm engines liked slightly retarded ignition timing as he shifted into 4-th gear. So he used a toggle switch on the shifter to cut the circuit to the lead set of points in the dual point distributor. this picked up ET and MPH. 6) Used gear oil instead oif grease in his front wheel bearings (less rolling resistance) 7) The first to experiment with negative crank-case pressure by increasing the draw on the top end and reversing the rear main oil seal so air could be sucked by into the crank-case w/o dragging on the crank shaft................. I could go on and on..............the guy was unbeliveable. A master of high performance engines
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'15 Dodge - 'Dango R/T Hauls groceries and Kinda Hauls *ss '07 Jeep SRT-8 - Hauls groceries and Hauls *ss Sold '85 Guards Red Targa - Almost finished after 17 years '95 Road King w/117ci - No time to ride, see above '77 Sportster Pro-Street Drag Bike w/93ci - Sold |
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03-30-2012, 12:11 PM
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Registered User
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RIP Grumpy.
Awesome engine builder in the purest form of motor sport, Pro Stock.
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79 Silver 930 SOLD 
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03-30-2012, 12:21 PM
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