I got some info on that SRD built 70 Camaro - Page 3

RichSchmidt · #21 05-14-2013, 07:54 PM

Thanks Pete. I always thought it stood for development too,but I was talking to one of the guys from Black Arrow engines who said it like that,so I thought maybe I was onto something new. It is great to have your help. I will be going to buy the car in the next week or two,and then I will have more info in my hands. I plan on carefully sanding off the paint,and looking for more clues. I will put up some pics of what I find. Whatever the car turns out to be,I won't be hacking it up,and it seems to be a cool piece of racing history. If nothing else,I will do a few safety updates,and drop my 427 and glide in it and run it as a low 10 second bracket car. I am interested in how early on the firewall was cut,because that is one of the things that I don't like about the car and would consider in doing.

**DW31S** · #22 05-15-2013, 02:38 PM

Another idea might be to contact Doug Boyce who wrote the book on "Grumpy's Toys". I can imagine through his intense research, some light might be shed on whether or not it really is a Jenkin's car. I know Richie Zul had one, and I think Dennis Ferrara had that same car, and I think Bruce Larson had one of Jenkin's cars in that body style, too.

RichSchmidt · #23 05-18-2013, 04:15 AM

Those were all the same car,and the only other 2nd gen was the #7 which was a show car that was given back to the dealer after Jenkins was done with it. This wasn't a Grumpy's Toy,it might be some other racer's car,but it was sold as a used race car from SRD in 1975,and the owner bought a Jenkins 427 and custom headers for the car and ran it as a gasser. It would seem that this car had most of it's work done in about 1972,and was raced by somebody who we can identify. The current owner spoke to Jenkins about the car,and Bill said that he didn't really remember it. At this point I think the best start is to slowly sand off the existing paint(old laquer from 1975),try and get an NICB report to find out where the car was sold new,and I am going to try and bring it by Pete Hutchinson,or at least get him a ton of more detailed pics. I also need to bring the car to the guy who bought it from SRD in 1975 and get the exact story on what was done to the car when he first bought it. I have pics of the car when he raced it,but I have no idea if he changed anything before those pics were taken. He obviously changed a few things on the car,as he eventually put a 1979 fiberglass pro nose and 1979 tail lights/bumper.

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RichSchmidt · #24 05-18-2013, 04:43 AM

These are the only crappy pic I have of the engine compartment back in the day. The firewall was recessed in these pics,the car had a bolt together glass front clip. I will get better copies of these pics soon.

The back of the car as it sits now. Underneath the 79 bumper and tail lights,almost all the original 1974 tail panel was intact with just a few pieces trimmed out from around the original tail light openings. I don't plan to replace the tail panel,just use a replacement panel to provide the pieces I need to fix the original.

In contrast,here is the engine compartment of Grumpy's Toy#8 after Richie Zul had SRD rebuild it for him. This is Dennis Ferrara in this pic. This is what pretty much all SRD prostockers were built like in 1974,which is why I know this car was originally built early on.

Peter426 · #25 05-30-2013, 11:30 PM

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: RichSchmidt</div><div class="ubbcode-body">As for the real Grumpy's Toy #8,it was sold to Richie Zul who sold it to Dennis Ferrara at the end of 1976,Dennis sold it at the end of 1977 to a guy named John Sandoval from Brooklyn NY who sold it in the early 80's to 2 guys from Mt Vernon NY who owned it for about 20 years until it was discovered and sold to whoever Mike G bought it from. That's the history on the restored car.</div></div>

Aren't you forgetting Bruce Larson? From what I know, ownership goes like this: Jenkins/Larson/Zul (after his 1969 Camaro was stolen from motel at 1973 Summernationals)/Ferrara/etc.

Pete

RichSchmidt · #26 06-04-2013, 05:41 PM

Yup Pete,that's how it went for Grumpy's Toy8.it looks like the Jenkins car was mini tubbed with the springs moved in maybe back in late 71 when it was still a Grump's Toy. It was loaned to Larson and later Zul who had it thaat way. It was while Zul owned it that the tube chassis was put under it and it modified into a 74 body. When Zul first ran the car with the stock front clip under it,the car was built nearly identical to this one. That's why I figure that this car was done in 72 or 73 since after that SRD changed some things.

On the bright side,I pulled some strings with a friend in the FBI who owes me a favor,and he works firsthand with the NICB as a fraud investigator,and he just shot them over the VIN for this car and my other two cars to see what comes up. Does anybody know the dealer and zone codes from 1970 and 1973? The VIN on this car looks to be in the 3d week of June in 70,so let's see where it came from.

musclecarjohn · #27 06-05-2013, 08:48 PM

Good luck Rich...!

RichSchmidt · #28 06-25-2013, 01:15 AM

Here are some more pics. I got it home,and took off all the 1979 crap.

A lot of the original tail panel was left. I have at least one of the corners off a donor car I cut up,and the seller gave me a tail panel which I will cut out only what I need to patch the original. I also got the original lights and bumper. The tail light openings look to have been filled over before the car was converted.

Cool wheelie bars,these were in the pics from 1975.

RichSchmidt · #29 06-25-2013, 01:27 AM

Here is something interesting. Apparently everybody was confused. The car never had a 3 link in it. It was never even backhalfed. It had the original rails modified and the springs moved in,and later the ladder bars and coil overs installed(before 1975 though).The original rear rails were cut where they kick up over the rear,and removed,then the right rail was put on the left side and vice a verse. It moved the spring mount inboard. hey installed 3x3" frame connectors thru the floor with the springs mounted off the back of them just like modern frame connectors. It has the original outer wheelhouse,only the inners were replaced with tubs.

This is the trunk tin work with the 79 rear treatment still installed. The weight bar was used to meet legal weight with a 427 big block.

Before being sold from SRD in 1975 the car had a Lenco in it,and had a very large section of the tunnel removed.

The door hinges were apparently too heavy,and that needed to be addressed.

Apparently the gas,clutch and brake pedal brackets were all too heavy as well. And the inner cowl area must have weighed a lot since it was removed and the pedals and column mounted to the roll cage.

RichSchmidt · #30 06-25-2013, 01:33 AM

I guess even after acid dipping the doors were deemed too heavy and the hole saw came out. The holes now need a little fixing but the doors are useable.

The front end is very slick. The wheelbase is offset about 1.5" and the caster specs are engraved on each upper control arm. The welding work and overall quality on the front clip is flawless.

I haven't seen one of these stickers in a while.