(Owned by George Siipola from 1951-1972).
                                 (Dealership sold in 1972 to Johnny Toth-named 
                                  Johnny's Garage, and later Johnny's 

1970 Selling Dealer: Flemington Rambler 
                                 Rte 31 (formally Route 69)

                                 Flemington, NJ

 

22-1

Name: Flemington Rambler/Raceware Sales

Owner: Dave Siipola (owned from 1969-1975)

Driver: Ted Kijek

Best ET/MPH:

Sponsor: Flemington Rambler, Gilbert's Speed, Raceware Sales

Location: Flemington, NJ 

Misc:

NHRA Events: 1970 Indy Nationals, 1970 Super Stock
Nationals, 1972 Summernationals, 1973 Indy Nationals,
1973 Springnationals, 1973 Summernationals, 

Ted and Dave drove out to Michigan to pick up the car from
Hurst.  (Dave's father owned the dealership). They were
given a specific day to arrive.  Once there they were given
a number and had to find the car with that number in the
shop. This particular car was not complete and had items
like the tranny and headers in the trunk.  The car was
masked and ready to be painted right in the warehouse but
they wanted an all-white one. (Hurst called to ask if they
wanted all white or tri-color, it wasn't on any order form.
The tri-color was an extra charge, though.) Dave
remembers the cars all being crammed into one tight spot
as the rest of the shop was used to transform the Mopar
taxicabs. You couldn't walk between the cars! He also felt
the guys working on the cars were not real mechanics, just
told what to do to get them done. Dave floorplanned the
car with his dad's dealership and cost about $4500. He also
hated the linkage and worked with Howard Maseles from
Hurst (driver of the prototype car, and was a Hurst Shifty
Doctor at the tracks) to get a better set-up.

The drivetrain was redone, to include building a 3 piece
crossmember from plans they were given from Hurst. Dave
rebuilt the tranny and rearend (removed every other tooth
in the tranny for quicker shifting) and Ross Gilbert built the
engine.  Dave credits Ross as the guy who figured out the
alternate oil line under the intake, still used today! The car
was run successfully around the east coast: York, Maple
Grove, Cecil, Atco, and Englishtown.

AMC sent the entire 70 change-over kit but they elected
not to install it. They also continually sent a number of
components for the car: carbs, engines, spark plugs, etc.
Ted stated they tried various shifter combinations and
even was given a new set of crane prepared 1970 dog-leg
heads. Ted won the Summernationals 3 times. He took
part in the new Pro Super Stock circuit with Ken Rose
(owner at the time of Hurst Super Stock AMX #1). As
another coincidence, the engine builder was Ross Gilbert,
driver of Hurst Super Stock AMX #41.

 

 

 

(Photo below by Bill Rolik at Island Dragway in 1970)

 

 

 

 

 

Different paint and lettering:

 

 

 

Misc:
NHRA Events:

This car was owned by Dave Siipola (his father owned the
Flemington Rambler dealership). Dave ran a company called
Trans/End until 2007 that would attend the major NHRA events
with a mobile machine shop. Dave at one time had 9 guys working
for him and had customers such as Bernstein and Joe Amato. He
estimates he built about 20K rearends and also transmissions. Ted
was the driver and ran it a couple of years.