Bill Jenkins Grumpys Toy 1972 Nova

[GEORGE LEMIRE]

I just purchased the Slixx decals for Grumpys Toy 67 Camaro 68 Camaro and decals for the 72 Nova.I cannot find any info, photos on the 72 Nova that Bill Jenkins ran I would use the Old Pro for donor kit.Any help would be appreciated.

[BubbaBrown]

Grump's Nova was a 1968 before they came out with Camaros. I am unaware of any 72 but I could be wrong.

 

[Mark]

It's a '68, the last of the three Novas he raced.  As I understand, he never drove it, it was campaigned as a number two car with another driver.  He ran the first of three Vegas in '72.

[GEORGE LEMIRE]

Thanks for the info on Grumpy.

[Mark]

The Revell '69 Nova will be closer as a starting point.  I don't know too much about the Revell kit, but I think one of the versions had a big-block engine.

[deuces wild]

2 of those were big blocks.... The Yenko and the C.O.P.O.

Central Office Production Order....

[bytownshaker]

[1972coronet]

We need a '68 Chevy II, please! May as well offer both the 4-speed and the TH-400 (the latter to represent the COPO L-78/TH-400), and christen it with period race items.

Then, do a 1970... Yenko Deuce and last year of the SS-396.

[Rattus Patrolus]

Jenkins 68 Nova was usually driven by Ed Hedrick, in SS/D class, except the World Finals.

The car ran an L78 396cid /375hp engine, re-factored by the NHRA to 425hp.

Although Jenkins claimed his L78s were making close to 500hp - the track hp works to around 450hp. 

The cars entry #s were as follows:

68 Spring Nationals and US Indy Nationals - 704

68 World Finals -701.

The car was only raced by Jenkins for 1 year. 

[Rattus Patrolus]

Just a bit more info - 

According to Jenkins the Nova started out as a L79 327 Chevy test car that was given to him by Chevrolet so it originally wasn’t a SS or a 396 car….although it had the SS grill emblem, it did not have the wider chrome trim or the hood vents.

The car ran the same L78 solid lifter 396cid engine as his Camaro.

Hedrick won SS/D at the SpringNats, and Hedrick was r/up in SS/D to Sox’s 440 car at Indy.

Jenkins won class at the SuperStock Magazine Nationals against a ‘who’s who’ list.

Grump then took it to the World Champs final, where he ran r/up to Stricklers SS/F Z28.  The car was then sold.  It was raced and wrecked out later.