Lennie "Pop" Kennedy and the Buicks

Editor's Note- This article was written by Jim Bell for the Kenne-Bell Newsletter in September, 1980. We are presenting it as written -we thought it important to hear from Jim in his own words- 

Lennie "Pop" Kennedy and the 1968 GS 400

The Oldtimers say Lennie "Pop" Kennedy was the first man to run down the Pomona Drag Strip. His first Buick was a 100% pure stock 1955 Century that turned a best of 86.97 at 15.60. In those days everyone ran their cars stock before they started cheating, so I was able to witness first hand which car was really the fastest off the showroom. The Dynaflow, coupled with the old man's tremendous reflexes made it a real mystery car.

How could a Dynaflow, of all things consistently beat those '55 Chevy sticks? In 1961 I bought a '55, blueprinted (the) motor, and installed the hot gear set up for that year car- 4.44 gears from a Buick ambulance. It turned a best of 14.73 at 93 mph which was enough to handle the trick 1957 Powerglide cars from Marv Ripes A-1 Transmission and Bill's Service. There was no question that the 1955-56 Buick trans had the first high stall converter.

Next, "Pop" bought himself a '56 Century. It ran a best of 87 at 15.60- not much better than the '55. Again, in those days, the only modification was to remove the air cleaner and install duals. Headers, cheater cams, blueprinting, etc., were considered unfair by "Pops". He enjoyed beating the Chevies, Olds, Pontiacs, etc. with a stock Buick and would have no part in cheating.

The first time out with the '57, at the old San Gabriel Drag Strip, the Dynaflow laid down a 14.90 at 90 mph. The Century was a 364 cu in. 4 bbl with 3.90 gears.

The only color picture of the 1959 Invicta

Next came one of the most exciting cars in California Stock drag racing- the (1959) 401 Invicta. The stock converter had a 3500 (rpm) stall. The beast weighed 4600 lbs. yet turned 90 mph at 15.0 first time out. The 4.44 gears and shaving .030 off the heads brought it down to 14.70 and 93 mph. The Dodges of Bill "Maverick" Golden and The Flying Dutchman and Tom Ritchey's Pontiac were a few notables who fell to the big finned Buick.

The only other modification to the Invicta was Bucron tires. They replaced the Vogues as the hot tire setup in the late 50s. We didn't know what a cheater click was in those days. The '59 accumulated over 100 trophies. I purchased the car was a street cruiser when the '61 Invicta came in. I had more fun with the '59 than any car I ever owned.

Pop Kennedy, his trophies,  and the '61 Invicta in our old Showroom

The '61 got the same treatment for drag racing- 4.44 gears, ,030" off the heads and a new set of Caslers. Pete Reynolds, a local Buick dealer, was so impressed with the way the car ran that he sponsored the gas for 2 trips to Indy. "Popsy" rewarded Pete with class wins for both trip in 1961 and 1962. The Pontiacs could hardly believe the Old Man from California. The '62 turned a best of 97.70 at 14.21 with headers and 2 Speed Switch Pitch Converter and Trans.

Pop Kennedy at the 1962 Winternationals in Indy

In 1964 Buick came out with a little 300" 4 bbl motor in a 3200 lb. Skylark 2 door coupe. First time out - 14.21 at 97.8 mph. 4.44 gears (ambulances were getting rare by this time), headers, .025" off the aluminum heads and Casler cheater slicks. The new TH300 2 speed was absolutely amazing. This was our first Turbo Switch Pitch Converter. It had (a) 3000 stall with the 300 incher. 

Pete Reynolds gives Pop Kennedy the keys to the '65 Gran Sport

In 1965, Buick introduced a 400 incher (the 401" de-rated by one cubic inch to meet GM's limit of 400 inches in a small car.) The 1964 had to go. Pop bought the first one to hit California. 12.70s at 107 mph with our Switch Pitch Converter, 2 Speed Trans, Mark 3 cam kit and 11:1 pistons. The 3 Speed TH 400 picked up exactly .1 and 1 mph to 108 at 12.60 One of these cars lightened to 3300 pounds with ram air ran a best of 111 at 12.30 back in 1966. The '65 was run mostly in brackets until 1967, when Buick came out with a completely new 400 inch engine design. A GS 400 was soon getting the treatment in our garage for NHRA Super Stock. 13 years ago we ran a best of 111 at 12.10. It put out another 75 hp over the 401, but we were paying a heavy price for the horsepower. We were blowing up the 400s as fast as we could build them.

Pop Kennedy with the '65, '67 and '68 Reynolds Racers

Between burned crankshafts, we were desperately trying to test new cam profiles, manifolds, headers, and other components for an engine no one had played with before. We finally discovered the problem was insufficient oil pressure. By this time, the '68s were out. Pop discovered that the '68 had more rear fender well (width) for wider tires so he bought one.

After successfully racing the 400 inches for a year and a half we began testing 455s for the upcoming 1970 models. Standard, Stage 1, and Stage 2 heads were all evaluated on the flow bench and drag strip. I can still see the smile on Pop's face when he came back from the first run with the prototype set of Stage 2 heads. .3 and 3 mph with no other changes and it pulled strong all the way to 7000. The 455? Good for .32 and 3.3 mph over a 400.

The iconic Reynolds Buick '70 GS 455 Stage 2

The new Stage 1 was a beautiful sight. Quite a derivation from the '65, '67 and '68 gold cars. It was picked up at Reynolds Buick on Monday and driven around until Saturday nite where it proceeded to dazzle the boys with a 101- 13.9 blast just as it came off the street (plugged up, air cleaner, stock tires, etc) The primary objective was to be successful in NHRA Stock Class, where no other Buick had ever been successful. The factory was always too honest about their horsepower ratings so the cars could never be class contenders.

However, 1970 was different. We had a legal GS car running 12.0s on a 12.55 record. Furthermore, Bill Trevor and the other '70 Buicks were no where close to these times.   The Winter(nationals) were in the bag- until (the) NHRA factored the cars to 400 hp! Discouraged, and with no way to win in Super Stock, we bolted on the Stage 2s, an Edelbrock, a 1000 cfm Thermo Quad, 11" tires and our factory Stage 2 hood scoop. The MKC 113 cam came out and in went the Mark 4. 123 mph at 10.7s in 1970 was getting with it in anyone's book.

Old Popsy was 62 by then but could still handle the wheelstanding 3600 lb. 455. A couple of heart attacks and 2 or 3 strokes didn't slow him down at all. I vividly recall the Hot Rod Meet at Riverside in '69. Only one foot was working after a stroke. I thought we'd have to hook up a hand brake but he got by with "low-stalling" the converter the whole day.

Then there was the time we were running a new motor combination in the Riviera oval car. Pop's entire left side went totally numb. Not wanting to miss the race, he drank a pint of Jack Daniels to get some feeling so he could drive. We were at the races when Pop limped up through the stands. The next day he drove to the hospital in the '65. The doctor thought the story was some kind of joke. Pop spent 2 weeks in the hospital. One day after being released he was back to Orange County trying out a new manifold. At 72 he's finally retired from Kenne-Bell and talking about making a comeback. Running gas mileage tests for us is becoming a bore he says. if he returns, It'll be in the 104. 127 mph Stage 2 bracket car. I guess those fast runs are needed to keep the heart pumping.

I've watched the old man drive for 20 years and he was unquestionably one of the best. Always first out of the hole with those uncanny reaction times. I've often wondered how good he would have been at 20-  or even 40.

I think I made all of the winning and going fast sound easy. There was, of course, another side. The experimenting with the various engine components and combinations, transmissions, converters, suspensions, tires, etc. was laborious, expensive, and at times very frustrating but I wouldn't have traded those years with "Pops" for the world. Is there anything more enjoyable than racing and beating the Fords, Chevies, Oldsmobiles, Pontiacs, Dodges, Plymouths, and Chryslers for 25 years with cars that "don't run?" And we all know Buicks don't run- particularly the old "nailheads."

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For more of the Reynolds Buick racing legend, visit our Reynolds Buick Racing site.

The Short but Brilliant Career of Stock No. 181

There are lots of secrets locked up in Pete Reynolds' files. Photos, momentos, newspaper clippings, letters, in short all types of interesting ephemera from nearly a century in business accumulate in Pete's desk. So we weren't entirely surprised to find this cool retro 60s calendar in an upper drawer.

And it wasn't really a stretch to find this cool Golden Anniversary Open House invitation from the spring of 1965 in the drawer. 1965 was a big year for Reynolds, marking their Golden Anniversary in business and only their second year in their new facility on Citrus Ave. Pete Reynolds was firmly at the helm, Irv. Sr was semi-retired but able to enjoy the commemoration and young Don Reynolds was born that spring, so there was much to celebrate that year.

Even the gold and white color scheme of the invitation was significant, as Pete had decided to mark the Golden Anniversary lots of gold- including special gold plated license frames, and fleet of gold painted demonstrators. Buick didn't have a bright enough gold to suit him, so he special ordered a fleet of 1965 Buicks in a Pontiac color called Tiger Gold. They represented the gamut of Buick models, including Specials, Skylarks, Le Sabres, Electras and Rivieras.

Here's the new car stock book, commonly called "The Bible." Every new car gets stocked in here, with relevant details recorded. Stock number, VIN, color, trim and ultimate disposition are noted, with customer name and purchase date or trade information for dealer trades. On January 11, 1965, there's an entry for a model 4427, which is the new mid year Gran Sport Pillared Coupe, VIN# 5Z108620. The stock number is 181 and it's noted as "Pete's Demo." It's the last entry on the page. This was our first '65 GS racing car. 

Pete had done it before, ever since Bill Trevor, the Buick instructor at the Training Center, told Pete that if he wanted to sponsor a car. that Bill knew of a driver. The driver was Lennie "Pop" Kennedy of course, and they had paired up back in 1959 and Pop had raced a '59 Invicta coupe into the record books and followed up with a '61 that won its class at Indy Winternationals in 1961 and 1962. Things had gone fallow for a couple of years but now in early '65, Buick had stuffed its 401 cubic inch engine into a mid sized body, named it the Gran Sport, and shipped one of the very first ones off the line to Reynolds. 

Above you see a young Pete and Pop Kennedy with the freshly arrived #181 Gran Sport, still looking stock except for a pair of Casler racing slicks on its V2 chrome road wheels. There's plenty of little mods afoot, but keep in mind the car is still Pete's demo, and is fully road worthy. Pity the picture is black and white as the color is the special Anniversary Gold, in reality Pontiac's Tiger Gold. 

This note is written in Pete's own handwriting and outlines the various choices for the Casler racing slicks. It's especially interesting because it shows that Pete was much more involved in the preparation of the car that we had previously believed. He's totally hands-on and is taking an active role in the car's preparation. 

Here's another of Pete's notes- quotes from Motor Trend calling the new GS one of the fastest cars that MT has tested, including the Corvette. It further goes on to note the curb weight and cubic inch displacement, plus or minus one.

Here's a draft of a letter dated Jan. 29. 1965 from Pete to a Bob Scott at Buick engineering in Buick's Flint headquarters. In the letter, Pete thanks Bob for all of the assistance he has received in getting the car from Flint, along with the Zone's help- it made it's first runs on racing slicks borrowed from Dave Loggins!

Pete expressed to Bob Scott that they just ran the car at Fontana and it gave him very high hopes for the Pomona Winternationals which will be held Feb. 5-7, 1965. He does on to talk about how fortunate he feels to have Pop Kennedy behind the wheel. It's obvious that they had a great relationship. 

Now here's the seldom seen Bill Trevor accepting a trophy on behalf of the Reynolds Gran Sport. We know that the photo was taken in Carlsbad, CA, in late January of 1965. We don't have any more exact information that that at this time, but from the trophies, our little Tiger Gold GS did pretty well there. 

And here's another shot of a smiling Bill Trevor with the victorious #181 Reynolds Gran Sport. This is still Carlsbad. It's worth noting that Pop Kennedy is never in these trophy pictures, Pete Reynolds said that's because Pop always made a beeline for the prize money. And who indeed could blame him?

Here's another great shot of Pete Reynolds and Pop Kennedy, and #181 on the patio outside the brand new Reynolds showroom. The car is a little more mature now, still with temporary California plates in the window but the racing lettering in place, including the BUICK painted on the roof. We believe this picture was taken right after "Buick Sunday", when Buick automobiles swept every class in which they were entered, at Fontana Raceway on February 21. 1965

Here's another handwritten featuring several different examples of penmanship, including Pete's. The jist of the note is that there's a special session with Hot Rod Magazine at Fontana on February 11, 1965, makes notes of the mods to have in place and also a note to have everything in it's best appearance. Bill Trevor and Pop were in attendance as well. 

Here's an undated letter to Jim Roady of the Buick Zone office in Van Nuys thanking him for his assistance in preparing the car and also advising that he also wrote to Bob Scott in Flint. Again the significance of the note is that it details how extremely hands-on Pete was with the 1965 car. The documentation has changed our thinking about Pete and how emotionally invested he was in racing. He definately had some gasoline in his veins.

We can't believe we have this- these are timing slips from San Fernando Raceway on February 21, 1965- otherwise known as "Buick Sunday," where Buick won every class it entered and our #181 Gran Sport, with Pop Kennedy at the wheel, was clearly the "Belle of the Brawl." And here are our actual timing slips. Who could fathom that they still exist? We'll do a deeper dive on Buick Sunday soon, but for now let's just say it was the day that made the Gran Sport's reputation.

And here's a pretty significant week in Pete's calendar- the first week of April, 1965. There's a note to be in Carlsbad on Monday, April 2, 1965 to meet the folks from Car Life at 11 am. No doubt this appointment was kept. April 2 also happens to be Pete's birthday. The next entry is ominous- "wreck in race car." This can't be good. 

 It wasn't good, but it could have been worse. Pete ran over to Pomona to talk to Hooker Headers (he was a dealer for them) about negotiating a bulk price to stock more sets. They had asked him to bring the race car over to look at a fit issue. It was a sunny day and he didn't give a second thought to the Casler racing slicks. While in Pomona, a sudden rain blew in and he found himself driving back on I-10 with significantly reduced traction. As Pete exited on Holt, he lost traction and the Gran Sport rolled over in the soft grass.

 Pete was pulled out by a passerby and taken to the hospital. A very expectant Caroline Reynolds met him there and was not amused. Pete's ego and shoulder were bruised, but he had come through remarkably well. The Reynolds Racing program would continue, but Caroline requested that Pete not drive the racing car anymore. The damage to the roof made #181 a total loss, and Pete gave the order to pull the engine while Sales Manager Jim Hutchison began looking for another Gran Sport in dealer stock to trade for.  The car that helped put the Gran Sport on the map was no more. It had been a short but brilliant career for #181.

Reynolds Buick Hosts Their 95th Hi-Perfromance Anniversary

As seen in The GSX-TRA, National Publication of the GS Club of America:

From the late 50's through the mid-seventies, Reynolds Buick-GMC of West Covina, CA was literally the "Fastest Buick Dealer on Earth." In the early postwar years in Southern California, the drag strip was the place to be. Young men with octane in their veins broke away from their weekday jobs to race on the weekends.  As it happened, a chance conversation with a Buick Factory Representative inspired what ultimately became a very successful partnership between Buick dealer Pete Reynolds, engine builder James Bell, and legendary racing driver Lennie "Pop" Kennedy. 

Together, and with the cooperation of the factory, they created a series of Buick drag racing cars that won many races, set records, and not only became part of the racing lore of Southern California, but also helped Buick to create some of its finest cars of all time. 

Irven Reynolds Jr, known to all as "Pete" joined the family dealership in 1950 upon graduation from the University of California-Berkeley. Pete assumed the helm as dealer in 1958 and steered the course of guiding the dealership through the postwar era. It was Pete whose friendship with Buick's Bill Trevor led to an association with Lennie "Pop" Kennedy and legendary engine builder Jim Bell that created some of the finest Buick racing cars of all time. Bill knew "Pop" from racing against him and told Pete that if we wanted to sponsor a car, that he knew just the man to drive it.

Starting with a virtually stock bright red 1959 Invicta, known in lore as the "winningest Buick of all time", the Reynolds-Kenne-Bell association was instrumental in establishing the reputation of the Buick nailhead engine as a performance powerplant and were so influential that Buick Headquarters not only touted their successes, they supplied prototype parts to Reynolds for evaluation. This partnership fielded several cars- the 1959 Invicta, a nearly identical 1961 Invicta, a very early 1965 Gran Sport (which was rolled and replaced with second '65), 1967 and 1968 GS 400 coupes, and the most famous Reynolds Buick racer of all, a white 1970 Gran Sport 455 Stage 2 which survives to this day in the collection of Guy Parquette. 

In the fall of 2010. Reynolds Buick-GMC-Isuzu celebrated its 95th Anniversary with a very special Open House featuring entertainment, prizes, burgers, and two legendary Reynolds Buick race cars which traveled across the country for the event. It was an opportunity for our employees and our customers to come together with their families and share food, fellowship, and some rare glimpses into Reynolds Racing lore.

We won't pretend that we didn't have our doubts early in the day. It drizzled. It rained. It poured at times. And then, in the early afternoon, it stopped. The skies cleared and our hearts lifted. It was going to be a beautiful evening for the Open House. As the parking lot dried, an army descended to set up the event. By early evening, guests were arriving and everything was exactly as we had hoped it would be.

As has become a Reynolds tradition, guests were serenaded by the Michael Peters combo. Some even got up and danced under the moonlight sky. Dinner  was provided by the legendary In-n-Out truck, whose annual visit is always eagerly welcomed. After dinner, door prizes were awarded. The showroom and lot were full of employees, customers, their families, and guests.

Some very special guests this year arrived by trailer- two very special Buick drag racing cars that were very successful for Reynolds Buick were remembered this year with a very special display.
Jack Mancini of North Kingstown, Rhode Island brought his specially prepared 1965 Reynolds Buick Gran Sport Tribute Car. This beautiful racer is a recreation of our second 1965 Gran Sport that Pop Kennedy raced so successfully, and is an exact replica in every way of the actual car - right down to the correct vintage tachometer on the steering column. It was created by Mancini's shop, American Muscle Car Restorations, and stands as a three dimensional tribute to Reynolds Buick and their rich racing legend. Jack and his wife Karen attended the event along with renowned Buick GS expert Jimmy Shiels who assisted in the restoration of the car.

Another very special guest was the actual 1970 Reynolds Buick GS 455 Stage 2 race car that was well known all over Southern California dragstrips. We were fortunate to have not a recreation, but the actual car, which has been restored by owner Guy Parquette of Mosinee, Wisconsin to the exact specifications of when Pop Kennedy ran 10.89 at 126.85 MPH. There were more than a few goosebumps when the car was unloaded from the trailer and fired up in our back lot, almost 40 years from the day since it first arrived here. We were thrilled to have the car home for a visit and would like to sincerely thank Guy and his wife Colleen for bringing it.

As our 100th Anniversary approaches in 2015, we're looking forward to hosting an even grander event for Gran Sport and Buick performance fans. You can follow us on Facebook  or visit Reynolds Buick Racing  for the latest information.

FAST FRIDAY: Pop repeats his Indy Win in '62

After the success of the 1961 racing season, with thirty eight consecutive wins through the summer and a class win at Indianapolis in the fall, it's no surprise that Pop Kennedy was eager to return to Indianapolis for the 1962 NHRA Nationals. Again he drove the red '61 Invicta, with the drag slicks in the trunk. Pete Reynolds paid for the trip and Pop was more than happy to drive back to Indy.

Eager to show the drag racing world that what happened in '61 was no fluke, Pop was prepared (well, almost- we'll get to that.) This time he repeated his class win in D-Stock Automatic, and even improved on his speed. From last year's 15.19 second run at 91.21, Pop and the Invicta turned in a 15.85 at 93.20 MPH to take the class for a second time in a row. Slightly slower time, but higher top speed, and he still won the class.

Pop was a happy man indeed. At least most of the time. At one point during the weekend, Pop was asked by the Technical Inspectors to pull the heads. He complied, but realized that he forgot to bring spare head gaskets and was forced to re-use them. There's that little issue I hinted at. No problem- not only did they withstand the race, but he drove home on them as well. The back to back wins were noted in the Novenber, 1962 issue of Hot Rod where Pop and the Invicta even got their photograph in the magazine. And upon returning to California, Pop and Pete and the proud Invicta posed with the trophy for a great photo.

Below you can enjoy the article from Hot Rod and our photos. That sure was one sweet running Buick.

Pop and the Invicta staged for the race. 

Pop Kennedy and Pete Reynolds pose with the prizes

MONDAY MEMORIES: Pop at the 1961 Indy Nationals

The 1961 NHRA National Championship Deag Races were held in Indianapolis at the brand new Indianapolis Raceway park over Labor Day weekend of 1961. Pop Kennedy had been doing well with the Reynolds Buick '61 Invicta and Pete Reynolds agreed to pay for the trip to Indy. Pop put the racing slicks in the trunk and went off to Indianapolis. 

He had quite a weekend, winning the D-Stock Automatic Class with a 15.19 second run at 92.21 mph. Even better, in the stock class points total, Pop and the big red Buick won second place overall. His prize was a deluxe set of Vulcan tools, 162 pieces and a tool box, all presented to him by Vulcan tools. To say it was a happy drive home to Reynolds is an understatement. 

And now we know why we had pictures of Pop in our showroom with trophies, the Invicta, and all of these shiny new tools. Here's the coverage from the November 1961 issue of Hot Rod Magazine and a couple of our old pictures which we now understand more fully.   

Pop Kennedy and Pete Reynolds with the '61 Invicta, trophies,  and Vulcan tools

Pop Kennedy and his prizes

Friday Feature: Play Misty for Me

 A couple weeks back we ran an article called Get to Know: The 1971 Buick GSX in which we showed a photo of each of the six colors available in 1971. That led to an email from Scott Roys of Midland, Texas whose Platinum Mist car was shown. He gave us some backstory on the car and we thought it would make a great Friday Feature.

The "Roys Boys" are a Buick family. Father Curtis Roys has owned some great '70s Buicks over the years, including a 1972 Skylark Sun Coupe, a Centurion convertible, and an Apollo White 1970 GSX, and currently has a couple of GS 455s.   Brother Tim is guilty of totalling a 1971 GS back in his high school days, and currently owns a 1970 GS 455 which he drives much more carefully.

Scott's 1971 GSX is named "Misty" for its Platinum Mist color, a rich silver metallic with a slight blue cast- which means Misty's color changes in the sunlight. The Platinum Mist looks awesome with the GSX striping and makes a strong visual impression overall.

"Misty" came to the Roys family in 2006 from Arizona. The prior owner had acquired a totalled 1971 GSX and moved all of the components to a new body shell, including the original matching number drive train. He restored the car exactly as the original had been built, including finishing it in the same Platinum Mist color . The restoration was so authentic that Misty rode on Goodyear Polyglas G-60 -15 Bias Ply tires on 7-inch wide Buick V2 chrome wheels.

Now Scott Roys is a drive kind of guy, so a set of raised white letter radials were quickly fitted to those chrome rims. And after an oil pump failure on the original 455 engine, he began thinking about the power train as well. The original engine was rebuilt, of course, but Scott had the opportunity to acquire a John Massoud specially built Iron Head Stage 1 engine and Scott jumped at the chance.

The new engine dyno tested at 606 hp before shipment, and is now installed in Misty's engine bay, complete with all original power accessories and working A/C. Misty went to the 2008 GS nationals with the new engine and ran an 11.34 at 119.8 mph- pretty phenomenal run for a fully dressed, street driven, luxurious loaded Buick.

We at Reynolds Buick have a soft spot for these particular beauties (having owned a pretty fast one ourselves) and would like to thank Scott Roys and the Roys family for sharing Misty with us. That's one fine looking Buick, guys.

Check out Misty at the 2008 GS Nationals turning an 11.34 at 119.8 MPH: