I worked as a mechanic at Ammon R Smith, Dave was married to Vernon Smiths daughter, she was very beautiful, Dave was very cool guy and easy to talk to. I remember one time I went down in the basement of the parts dept and there was a full 62 front assembly of all aluminum, it was so cool working there with all the neat drag race stuff going on.
You are very welcome! I really appreciate your dad's knowledge he shares with me on The Old Reliable. I had a great time filming this video and learned a lot!
@@davidfrazier2753 He is truly the best! He has the biggest heart and I'm so grateful that I got to grow up around all of these cars and his knowledge.
He completely dominated the Pro Stock division for 2 years in the early 1970s with a 327" Chevy powered Vega racing Dodges/Plymouths with the 426 Hemi engines.
I love these old time memories. Was at maple grove last night.I met a older gentleman that worked with Jenkins at a garage in newtown square or malvern. I think he said it was a sunoco. Telling stories about the old york dragway and using the pool water from the hotel to do burnouts down rt 30 to test run there cars. I was born 30 years to late! RIP BILL AND DAVE. AND THANK YOU!
It's wonderful to see that all of the unique early drag race vehicles are still with us today preserved in unblemished splendor. These guys Dave and Bill, forerunners of the Pro Stock class, NHRA, IHRA, of today and all the other racers, provided much excitement for the fans. Thanks Larry for preserving this car. It's gorgeous. DMC
I was born in October '62 and was driven home in my mom's new '62 Bel air and just have a magnet for these cars , they just appeal to me . I am drawn to them .
My cousin owned and totally restored one with the bubble back window. Rare. White with T Blue interior, and Baby Moons. Wedge motor, and he let me drive it one day. It was amazing, and the clutch pedal took all the strength I had to depress it. A guy in Sweden has it now from what I understand.
I used to announce for Bill Bartell who put on the SuperCar Show Downs at Quaker City, and I swear that's me announcing during Stricklers 62 running down the track...cool groovy
You know that thought occurred to me about 10 years ago I saw a big old black car setting out in front of a pole barn I was out doing some tree work near Nashville Illinois I am 13 miles south of there is where I live out of curiosity I said what year is that thing and he said that is a 1963 Chrysler imperial it was black with a light blue interior I said really and what are you doing with it he said I pulled it out of there after about an hour of taking a bunch of stuff off of it but piled up I’ve put one out every year and I need to sell it. Oh yeah I said how much you want for it he said I’d take 1600. I said well let me look it over at Walmart or is that for 13 automatic and it’s got a push button on the dash and look at that steering wheel you don’t see too many like that so I looked it over and it was not round but kind of oval like an egg and I said the word run? Does the motor run? 4 13 huh that’s a pretty big old dude and
I never got to finish that so anyway 1600 it was a big pretty good black paint a lot of chrome you can check one out it had the bucket headlights it was the last year for any American car to have those and I thought about it and he said it runs it was my grandfathers , He bought it brand new in Michigan all the paperwork is in the glove box and when he died it went to his son who was my dad and now I got it and I’m about ready to let it go or I’ll give up the task to somebody else they can push it around or fix it or do whatever. and I said well probably somebody I’ll end up getting it I mean the tires are all up he said one wheel will not turn I said wow that’s no big deal I called him about two nights later and I said I’ll tell you want I wouldn’t mind having that thing I got to thinking that’s the year I was born and I have never had a 1963 car or truck of the same here I’d like to get it just for that he said come up here and get it you bring half that and I said really he said Yep I said 800bucks he said yup I said there will be a guy up there tomorrow to get it with a rollback and that guy works down at the jail right now he sold that towing business but you can go talk to him to this day and he’ll tell you that was the heaviest car that he ever had on that truck and I had a 68 Cadillac on there also that was black I thought it might beat it but he said no he said that Chrysler was heavier anyway wished why so many of us I would have kept it I ended up getting a couple window motors working having the carburetor de gunkd and the whole time I played with it in the evening’s it ran great yeah I went down the road 100 mph pretty nice white walls should’ve never sold it
The Hurst girl at 1:00 is crazy cute...no surprise there. Btw, not sure if this video mentions it (I haven't yet watched the whole thing) but Bill "Grumpy" Jenkins attended Cornell University, College of Engineering...that's in the IVY League and especially in the late 50's/early 60's was one of the very best Engineering Colleges in the country (Cornell played a significant part in the Manhattan Project during WWII)...Mr. Jenkins didn't graduate due to lack of funds but he did make it through a couple years (an old Ford guy and a recently retired multi degreed Engineer who worked for America's largest defense contactor for over 30 years).
Kinseydsp it's not the best engine chevy ever made. it had a bad problem with throwing rods through the block. the 327 or 350 is the best engine Chevy ever made. you will see more in Street rods, and race tracks than you will a 409. sales are never wrong.
One of the guys "in the hood" bought a '53 Stude ( in '62 ) and put an all Chevy drivetrain in it. The 'mill' ? 409-425 HP. C/Gas at US 30 Dyer, IN. Low 11's at 115. Freddy Shumek (?). Baddest in the hood.
They did still make the 409 early in 65 but 65 Chevy's with the 409 are extremely rare...maybe even more rare than the 61 Impala SS 409(142 ever made). The top 409 option in 65 was a solid lifter 400 horsepower version with a single 4 barrel I believe. They also had what they called the "Smooth Idle" 409 too, which had a hydraulic cam and was rated at 340 horsepower. I think I read somewhere that there are two 1965 Biscayne 409's still known to exist. The 396 replaced the 409 mid year 1965
That 63 Impala had to be a Z-11 lightweight race car if it was a W-Series 427. Unless he had a 63 Impala that someone had swapped a Z-11 engine into. That is an extremely rare engine. They only made it in 62-63 until the GM racing ban. I wonder if the Z-11 engine was also available over the parts counter or only in the 62-63 Impala lightweight race cars
I heard a story that the 62 SS Impala 409 used to crack those beautiful windscreen and rear windows going down the 1/4 mile. So some reinforcing of the chassis was needed to stop it twisting. There's another long video on youtube that looks at the car raced by Junior and he shows all the work needed to make the chassis stiff including changing the leaf springs for training arms and coils. On Smokeys car he had the engine rotating in reverse to balance the torque effect and made his car handle flatter on left hand turns. There is no way to determine that just by looking at it. He reversed the distributor drive, gearbox clusters were straight cut and the diff came from a Chev truck which turned the new way standard. Awesome. Nascar have killed innovation and penalise it and thats why crowds are down.
Jenkins..jere stahl.. Kenny weld..strickler..these guys wrote the book on going fast an they were famous head porters..especially Kenny weld!! RIP❤️💪🇺🇸🇬🇧😎
The 409 was the least efficient v8 engine ever built by Chevrolet (except for the 348 with the same design). If it wasn't for Bill Jenkins they never would have won a drag race.
Right you are. My neighborhood gas station owner in Chicago, a veteran and gifted mechanic, bought a 62 09 and spent days setting it up. They decided to try it out on Halsted Street, not a good idea at any time. Somewhere between 2nd and 3rd gear it blew so violently the entire hood came off and bounced down the highway. Late at night, not much traffic, no one got hurt. I don't believe they ever rebuilt it.
The 409 was a good solid motor. It had limits just Ike any other motor. One was it needed to be shifted at 5800 rpm’s. Reving it past 6000 and you were asking for trouble.
I worked as a mechanic at Ammon R Smith, Dave was married to Vernon Smiths daughter, she was very beautiful, Dave was very cool guy and easy to talk to. I remember one time I went down in the basement of the parts dept and there was a full 62 front assembly of all aluminum, it was so cool working there with all the neat drag race stuff going on.
Larry is my dad. I'm such a proud daughter and admire him so much for always achieving his dreams. Thank you so much for making this.
You are very welcome! I really appreciate your dad's knowledge he shares with me on The Old Reliable. I had a great time filming this video and learned a lot!
God bless you
Your dad rocks!!
Thank your Father for sharing, and the continued relationship with the Strickler family. He's a super guy, but you already knew that! 👍
@@davidfrazier2753 He is truly the best! He has the biggest heart and I'm so grateful that I got to grow up around all of these cars and his knowledge.
Man, I wish I was born in those days. I loved hearing my dad talk about when he used to race back then
Two drivers that are to be revered. Bill Jenkins was a master mechanic and a fearless driver. Very few of the best in the 1980's here.
He completely dominated the Pro Stock division for 2 years in the early 1970s with a 327" Chevy powered Vega racing Dodges/Plymouths with the 426 Hemi engines.
I love these old time memories. Was at maple grove last night.I met a older gentleman that worked with Jenkins at a garage in newtown square or malvern. I think he said it was a sunoco. Telling stories about the old york dragway and using the pool water from the hotel to do burnouts down rt 30 to test run there cars. I was born 30 years to late! RIP BILL AND DAVE. AND THANK YOU!
It was a Sunoco station, Grumpy did work for our C Stock 283 '57 Chevy FI. Miss those days. Real people racing rear automobiles.
That was great ! i was lucky enough to have owned three different 409 cars in my life. I loved them.
It's wonderful to see that all of the unique early drag race vehicles are still with us today preserved in unblemished splendor. These guys Dave and Bill, forerunners of the Pro Stock class, NHRA, IHRA, of today and all the other racers, provided much excitement for the fans. Thanks Larry for preserving this car. It's gorgeous. DMC
Great! I remember "Old.Reliable".@ Winter Nationals ,Beeline Dragway in the '60's.😊
I was born in October '62 and was driven home in my mom's new '62 Bel air and just have a magnet for these cars , they just appeal to me . I am drawn to them .
Awesome car I still have the National Dragster weekly papers with this car dominating Super Stock. Well Done.
My cousin owned and totally restored one with the bubble back window. Rare. White with T Blue interior, and Baby Moons. Wedge motor, and he let me drive it one day. It was amazing, and the clutch pedal took all the strength I had to depress it. A guy in Sweden has it now from what I understand.
am I the only kid who likes this because I like good music and good cars
I had a black one with the 425 427 and four speed. Was one bad ass back in 1973 74 75
currently reading GRUMPYS TOYS, great read and so cool to see these awesome cars !
The most Famous and Best Chevy Motor Ever Made! The Good Old 409!
The mark 4 is better ,canted valve engine
I'm biased but this is my favorite presentation you have. Excellent job on the interviews, editing, etc. Thanks for posting!!
Thank you very much! I appreciate your comments. It was a blast capturing the videos for this film!
Thank You for the show
I used to announce for Bill Bartell who put on the SuperCar Show Downs at Quaker City, and I swear that's me announcing during Stricklers 62 running down the track...cool groovy
Thank you Larry...
I raced David at Fremont drag strip trophy run.
Awesome ! I saw this car run at Thompson drag raceway in Ohio 1962
What did it run..guessing mid 10's
Ive always wanted a1963 chevy.With a 409. Mo. My girlfreind was born in 1963.I need one real bad.
You know that thought occurred to me about 10 years ago I saw a big old black car setting out in front of a pole barn I was out doing some tree work near Nashville Illinois I am 13 miles south of there is where I live out of curiosity I said what year is that thing and he said that is a 1963 Chrysler imperial it was black with a light blue interior I said really and what are you doing with it he said I pulled it out of there after about an hour of taking a bunch of stuff off of it but piled up I’ve put one out every year and I need to sell it. Oh yeah I said how much you want for it he said I’d take 1600. I said well let me look it over at Walmart or is that for 13 automatic and it’s got a push button on the dash and look at that steering wheel you don’t see too many like that so I looked it over and it was not round but kind of oval like an egg and I said the word run? Does the motor run? 4 13 huh that’s a pretty big old dude and
I never got to finish that so anyway 1600 it was a big pretty good black paint a lot of chrome you can check one out it had the bucket headlights it was the last year for any American car to have those and I thought about it and he said it runs it was my grandfathers , He bought it brand new in Michigan all the paperwork is in the glove box and when he died it went to his son who was my dad and now I got it and I’m about ready to let it go or I’ll give up the task to somebody else they can push it around or fix it or do whatever. and I said well probably somebody I’ll end up getting it I mean the tires are all up he said one wheel will not turn I said wow that’s no big deal I called him about two nights later and I said I’ll tell you want I wouldn’t mind having that thing I got to thinking that’s the year I was born and I have never had a 1963 car or truck of the same here I’d like to get it just for that he said come up here and get it you bring half that and I said really he said Yep I said 800bucks he said yup I said there will be a guy up there tomorrow to get it with a rollback and that guy works down at the jail right now he sold that towing business but you can go talk to him to this day and he’ll tell you that was the heaviest car that he ever had on that truck and I had a 68 Cadillac on there also that was black I thought it might beat it but he said no he said that Chrysler was heavier anyway wished why so many of us I would have kept it I ended up getting a couple window motors working having the carburetor de gunkd and the whole time I played with it in the evening’s it ran great yeah I went down the road 100 mph pretty nice white walls should’ve never sold it
Bless him he was definitely dedicated to Chevrolet and Racing and iam to the Corvairs
The Hurst girl at 1:00 is crazy cute...no surprise there. Btw, not sure if this video mentions it (I haven't yet watched the whole thing) but Bill "Grumpy" Jenkins attended Cornell University, College of Engineering...that's in the IVY League and especially in the late 50's/early 60's was one of the very best Engineering Colleges in the country (Cornell played a significant part in the Manhattan Project during WWII)...Mr. Jenkins didn't graduate due to lack of funds but he did make it through a couple years (an old Ford guy and a recently retired multi degreed Engineer who worked for America's largest defense contactor for over 30 years).
Best most versatile engine ever produced, The SBC 265-400.
+allen blackman: Well, yeah...Allen.....but this car never ran the small block chevy motor...ever. It was a 409...which was NOT a smallblock.
Agree
Best Chevy Engine ever 409!
Kinseydsp it's not the best engine chevy ever made. it had a bad problem with throwing rods through the block. the 327 or 350 is the best engine Chevy ever made. you will see more in Street rods, and race tracks than you will a 409. sales are never wrong.
I have over 1000 runs on my bracket 09 without removing a valve cover. How many SBC and BBC have those bragging rights?
The factory look on those 409 engines, are the prettiest engines ever designed
One of the guys "in the hood" bought a '53 Stude ( in '62 ) and put an all Chevy drivetrain in it. The 'mill' ? 409-425 HP. C/Gas at US 30 Dyer, IN.
Low 11's at 115. Freddy Shumek (?). Baddest in the hood.
Such cool cars
Smoked the comp
A guy I worked with said he bought ordered a new Biscayne in 65' with a 409? He said his older brother had a 63 impala with a W block 427 too?
They did still make the 409 early in 65 but 65 Chevy's with the 409 are extremely rare...maybe even more rare than the 61 Impala SS 409(142 ever made). The top 409 option in 65 was a solid lifter 400 horsepower version with a single 4 barrel I believe. They also had what they called the "Smooth Idle" 409 too, which had a hydraulic cam and was rated at 340 horsepower. I think I read somewhere that there are two 1965 Biscayne 409's still known to exist. The 396 replaced the 409 mid year 1965
That 63 Impala had to be a Z-11 lightweight race car if it was a W-Series 427. Unless he had a 63 Impala that someone had swapped a Z-11 engine into. That is an extremely rare engine. They only made it in 62-63 until the GM racing ban. I wonder if the Z-11 engine was also available over the parts counter or only in the 62-63 Impala lightweight race cars
Being beyond easy on it at the drag strip . I would of gave it hell lol Nice ass car
Awesome thank you
My dad had 2 of them a tow car an drag car it was name MR 409
Cars were sick as hell
good music 2
turdo fire 409,flat head started out as a truck engine,stone crusher in 1957 as a 348.this label will prove to be greatest world wide.
I heard a story that the 62 SS Impala 409 used to crack those beautiful windscreen and rear windows going down the 1/4 mile. So some reinforcing of the chassis was needed to stop it twisting. There's another long video on youtube that looks at the car raced by Junior and he shows all the work needed to make the chassis stiff including changing the leaf springs for training arms and coils. On Smokeys car he had the engine rotating in reverse to balance the torque effect and made his car handle flatter on left hand turns. There is no way to determine that just by looking at it. He reversed the distributor drive, gearbox clusters were straight cut and the diff came from a Chev truck which turned the new way standard. Awesome. Nascar have killed innovation and penalise it and thats why crowds are down.
those X frame cars never had leaf springs.
What was the time of time back in the day?
your description box is wrong grumpy Jenkins was out of Malvern PA not York PA.
Where were you in '62?
Jenkins..jere stahl.. Kenny weld..strickler..these guys wrote the book on going fast an they were famous head porters..especially Kenny weld!! RIP❤️💪🇺🇸🇬🇧😎
strong runner ..but they had problens about a race or two and the bottom end was ready to go. at the end of the 409 they were more reliable .
Hard to hear with the slot car action in the back ground
9 to 10s
🔥
It don't get no better than that folks
Chevy was first to hit 120 mph in quarter in a full body size car!
The 409 was the least efficient v8 engine ever built by Chevrolet (except for the 348 with the same design). If it wasn't for Bill Jenkins they never would have won a drag race.
❤ by bye felicia😊
Why is Elon giving the interview? Lol
388
Dave Stickler was a legend but the 409 was a sorry excuse for a big block I was indeed embarrassment to GM the 409 wouldn’t hold together
Right you are. My neighborhood gas station owner in Chicago, a veteran and gifted mechanic, bought a 62 09 and spent days setting it up. They decided to try it out on Halsted Street, not a good idea at any time. Somewhere between 2nd and 3rd gear it blew so violently the entire hood came off and bounced down the highway. Late at night, not much traffic, no one got hurt. I don't believe they ever rebuilt it.
You don't know what the hell your talking about? Are you nuts? The w block has been a great reliable engine .
The 409 was a good solid motor. It had limits just Ike any other motor. One was it needed to be shifted at 5800 rpm’s. Reving it past 6000 and you were asking for trouble.
Would beat a 4 banger half throtle
rocker arms like to flop off at idle lol 🤦♂️🇺🇸
The max wedge Mopars shut them down
Not really.
A modern day 4 banger would beat it.
This car was built 60 years ago. Where do you think your modern day 4 bangers will be 60 years from now?