# R.I.P. Bill "Grumpy" Jenkins



## CorvairJim (Dec 16, 2011)

I just found out on another HobbyTalk forum that drag racing legend Bill "Grumpy" Jenkins passed away yesterday, March 29. "The Grump" lived roughly 10 miles from me in the Malvern/Berwyn PA area, where he had lived most of his life and ran his race shop. I met him once at his favorite watering hole. He looked the same as he always did - the unlit cigar in his mouth was a dead giveaway that this was the legend himself sitting with some friends enjoying an evening out. I wish I had the car model that I had just finished building along for him to autograph: It was the "Old Reliable II" 1962 Chevy Bel Air "bubbletop" driven by Dave Strickler out of the Ammon R. Smith Chevy dealership in York, PA and built by Grumpy. 

I hope you don't mind if I post a few pictures of the model as a tribute to the man. Sorry that they're a little blurry - They were taken with an old, 1st-generation digital camera nearly a decade ago. The original photo files were lost when the computer they were on crashed a while back, so these were downloaded back into my current machine from my Motortopia.com account.


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## Schwinnster (Sep 5, 2011)

Thanks Jim. Sorry to hear of Grumpy's passing. 

I only knew of his "Grumpy's Toy" -- the Vega funny car (?). Interesting set up with the air cleaner-- is that cowl induction?

Love these early drag racers. I have the "Arnie-The Farmer- Beswick's" '62 Catalina kit, which I'll be building as a street custom. I'll have to get another one, and one of the 62 Grumpy/Strickler Bubble Tops-- set the two of them up with a 'christmas tree'. 

Always more meaningful when you have some sort of 'close ties' to a legendary figure-- maybe not even realizing it, while they're becoming a legend. A big loss for us all, but a little moreso for you and those 'nearer' to Bill. My condolences, my friend.


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