Whereabouts of Grumpy Jenkin's Camaro Toy IV

[Pro Stock John]

Bill Jenkins aka Grumpy as we all know had a bunch of race cars over the years and some of them are lost to time.

This car, Toy IV, was one of them. Bill ordered a Butternut Yellow L89 1968 Camaro. He later repainted the car white.

Bill sold Toy IV to Rufus Boyd aka Brooklyn Heavy in late 1970 and Carmen Rotonda maintained the car and drove it. Carmen sold it to a guy in 1974 who later sold it to Joe Algieri in 1979. I chatted with Carmen today and he clarified the ownership trail. (I amended this timeline today 12/9/23 in this post to reflect my chat with Carmen).

Joe sold the car as a roller to a guy in Kentucky who was going to run Modified with it. Joe himself trailered the car to Kentucky, he doesn't remember where, but he said it took 18 hours from NJ. This was in 1980.

Here are some of Joe's Facebook comments on IV:

2019:

Joe Algieri
This car was owned by my brother and myself I still have parts off the original car someday we will find it and we will restore it and who knows what after that but yes we did on this car and race it in modified production I was very young we were very successful but I wouldn’t of been able to do it without his help.

Bill Algieri
Thanks brother, we had a lot of fun, F modified if I remember correctly.

Joe Algieri
You are correct.

Joe Algieri, 2018:
OK let’s see how good Facebook really is here’s a picture of my Camaro I sold a 37 years ago in Kentucky delivered it do you think we can find it

Joe Algieri
No Bill Hayes did all the chassis work on his car I sold it without a motor and transmission to a gentleman in Kentucky who is going to race it in IHRA modified production no title no Vin just just a paint job to go on don’t have any more information there would be a reward offered for the real car

**
So it sounds like it went to Kentucky in 1980. Also Bill Hayes had a shop called Auto Weld.

I want to give special thanks to Joe Algieri, Carmen Rotonda, Doug Boyce, Mark Pappas, Richie Schmidt and others who graciously took time to talk to me via phone calls and over social media.

[napa68]

That's a great post, Hopefully, that will get the juices flowing to find the car

[Pro Stock John]

Yeah could be fun to poke around and do a little research.

I specifically asked about the front end because the car no longer had the hideway headlights. He made the change.

[ACR]

Good to see someone putting together the history on Toy IV with facts. I’ll be following this one eagerly. Hopefully the cars out there and can be brought back to its glory days.

[JoeC]

this information has been around for a long time and a lot of people have been looking for it so I'm surprised it has not been found. I hope it turns up.

[Too Many Projects]

Originally Posted by Pro Stock John

Yeah could be fun to poke around and do a little research.

I specifically asked about the front end because the car no longer had the hideaway headlights. He made the change.

Maybe those are the parts Joe was referring to in his post.

[RALLY]

Great story and hopefully it will be found. That 68 Camaro made Jenkins a lot of money and of course wins on the strip.

[1967 4K]

I like the 67 SS/C car that Dana Mecum owns now.

[Pro Stock John]

Originally Posted by Too Many Projects

Maybe those are the parts Joe was referring to in his post.

Joe said he sold the nose of the car, was kind of indicating it was rough from the acid dip. From what I've read over the years, sheetmetal that was acid dipped unless treated properly would become weaker over time.

(12/10/23 edit) - I originally said nose and to some that implies the entire doghouse. Joe says he still has the fenders.

[Too Many Projects]

Originally Posted by Pro Stock John

Joe said he sold the entire nose of the car, was kind of indicating it was rough from the acid dip. From what I've read over the years, sheetmetal that was acid dipped unless treated properly would become weaker over time.

Yeah, I read your conversation with him about selling the front clip after. I've read, way in the past, in those ancient paper things called magazines, that many of the race cars that were dipped were never properly neutralized and eventually rusted to dust while sitting neglected. If the clip was already in bad condition and the rest of the body wasn't properly treated at that time, that is what could have happened to the body too.

I thought I read the body was sold with no tags or title and if it kept rusting to the point of not being worth repairing and no on knew it was any different than a base Camaro, it may have gone to Camaro heaven a long time ago.