Bill "Grumpy" Jenkens Vega

[Rick Wolfe]

Hello all, a couple of weeks ago I was at a swap meet and was lucky enough to pick up a "Twister Vega" and want to build a Grumpy vega  so tomorrow I'll be ordering the slixxs decals and was wondering what size motor did he run ? small block or big block,  also what type of valve covers did he use,  Will also be getting the comp resin dual quad tunnel ram for it also, Thank you for all your help, Rick

 

'

[John Pol]

Big Block if you want to see photos of it go on facebook there is group grumpys Toys

[gtx6970]

I thought the vega was always small block to get the weigbt breaks?????

[iBorg]

NHRA legal- Small block. NHRA was very specific mini cars had small blocks.

I don't think he ran a big block in the early Vega. He might of ran a big block in the Vega for match racing around 1974 but I doubt it. The Monza in its wider configuration probably had one for match racing.

[Snake45]

Definite small block in the Vega. 

I'll try to find the book tomorrow and see if there's any pics of the engines in there. But I don't recall Grump every getting particularly fancy with valve covers, I think he mainly used simple stamped stuff. But at this point he might have used something like Morosos. 

[Shon Wittenbarger]

He did run a small block, a 331 and I think he ran LT1 corvette valvecovers with spacers

Edited May 28, 2019 by Shon Wittenbarger
left out a word

[magicmustang]

12 hours ago, Rick Wolfe said:

Hello all, a couple of weeks ago I was at a swap meet and was lucky enough to pick up a "Twister Vega" and want to build a Grumpy vega  so tomorrow I'll be ordering the slixxs decals and was wondering what size motor did he run ? small block or big block,  also what type of valve covers did he use,  Will also be getting the comp resin dual quad tunnel ram for it also, Thank you for all your help, Rick

 

'

Here's the article on the restored Grumpy's Toy X Vega. It states it was a 331ci small block. https://www.dragzine.com/features/pri-coverage/pri-2013-bill-jenkins-restored-grumpys-toy-x-pro-stock-vega/

[NYLIBUD]

William Tyler Jenkins, better known as Bill Grumpy Jenkins,was the King of the small block engines.He was doing things to SBC before anyone even had a clue.

Edited May 28, 2019 by NYLIBUD

[Snake45]

54 minutes ago, NYLIBUD said:

William Tyler Jenkins, better known as Bill Grumpy Jenkins,was the King of the small block engines.

He wasn't too shabby with Big Blocks, either. 

[NYLIBUD]

Yea you are right about that ,but he was known for his secrets of getting more power out of a SBC, than anyone, back in the day.

[Kitkrazy]

19 hours ago, iBorg said:

NHRA legal- Small block. NHRA was very specific mini cars had small blocks.

I don't think he ran a big block in the early Vega. He might of ran a big block in the Vega for match racing around 1974 but I doubt it. The Monza in its wider configuration probably had one for match racing.

He ran a small blocks for weight breaks

[Shon Wittenbarger]

He preferred small blocks over big blocks, but when NHRA done away with weight breaks I think 81 he had no choice. I don't remember him ever running a big block vega

[Rick Wolfe]

Thank you everyone for the reply's I thought that he ran a small block but was not sure, ordered the decals and tunnel ram today and try to start this weekend. Again thank you everybody for taking the time to reply, Rick