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Post by bobjeffreson on Jan 26, 2011 9:13:26 GMT 10
One of America's most famous sprinters is right here in Sydney. Bob Blacklaw has quietly been restoring the car that was originally known as the Fike Plumbing Special. This car was driven by the legendary Parnelli Jones. It's the same car in which Sherman Cleveland lost his life and is probably more famous here as the Anderson Sprinter, owned by Gary Rush. Rush in the Anderson sprinter....
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mal28
Mud Scraper
Posts: 38
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Post by mal28 on Jan 26, 2011 9:46:56 GMT 10
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Post by PeterR on Jan 26, 2011 10:04:51 GMT 10
When they sold the car to old mate in darwin they forgot to put the top wing on the car and it sat at rushs transmission shop at auburn until they found out that streak found the car was going to restore it, Now he has a totally unmolested marsden real estate top wing for the car.
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mal28
Mud Scraper
Posts: 38
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Post by mal28 on Jan 27, 2011 9:25:38 GMT 10
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Post by PeterR on Jan 27, 2011 16:49:00 GMT 10
nah i got nuthin else sorry mal.
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Post by bobjeffreson on Jan 29, 2011 7:50:54 GMT 10
The Fike Spl sprintcar is thought of so much, they build replicas of it to keep the memories alive. Here is just one example......
They even get photos of Rufus Parnelli Jones in the replica cars...... that he never drove...... 
I can understand why the the car is coming back as the Anderson sprinter, however I somehow wish it was returning as the Fike Spl.
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Post by bobjeffreson on May 7, 2011 8:02:51 GMT 10
Going through one of my old books and found the photo of Rufus Parnelli Jones giving the Fike sprinter a boot full...
Who would call their son Rufus?
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Post by sprint98 on May 12, 2011 22:17:48 GMT 10
The original guy that bought the car off Rush was someone by the name of Ritchie Summers from Darwin.
Never forgot that name, as I couldn't believe the car left Sydney.
Now has anybody found Sid Hoppings CAE super modified?
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Post by bobjeffreson on May 13, 2011 18:28:55 GMT 10
Hopping's CAE car.
Another wonderful super modified from back in the day...They were very classy back then...check out the CAE mounted in the front crash bar. 
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Post by mandmdavis1 on May 13, 2011 21:34:54 GMT 10
O.K. ...guys ...what was hoppings car after that?  |
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Post by sprint98 on May 18, 2011 14:30:52 GMT 10
Sid kept the same basic car till his retirement in 1978, after PCR opened. But he added a few more wings ( 3 ) and it became the batmobile. Which was done for the Liverpool asphalt.
The car worked great on dirt with all the downforce, and once held the 1 too 7 lap records at the Sydney Showground.
Over to you Bob!!
p.s. always liked the padded seat on the rear!!
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Post by bobjeffreson on May 19, 2011 5:47:51 GMT 10
Sid said to his crew chief..." I want plenty of downforce"
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Post by bobjeffreson on Dec 13, 2011 18:21:51 GMT 10
Lately I've been checking some American vintage Auto websites...as I do...
All the discussion lately has been about the Fike Plumbing Sprintcar, driven to many victories by Parnelli Jones. They know that the car Johnny Anderson brought to Australia for the 1971/72 season and was a Fike car and was sold to Gary Rush.
They are desparate to prove that the car that Bob Blacklaw now owns, is NOT the real Fike car.
They hate the fact that one of America's most famous sprintcars, may be now residing in Australia.
They have decided that there must be two Fike cars.
Guess what.... they agree Blacklaw has one......and they cannot find the other! Oh BUGGER!
I bet they just hate that!
I'm loving this debate!
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What the hell I will tell them. In the late 80's he was racing in Darwin and had located the Casio Offy and while talking to a bloke about that find was told of the Anderson car sitting in tall grass in the front yard of a house. 
