Interesting Craigslist Find

[NathanStewart]

Somebody's got to recognize this thing.  Started as a bike and is now a lakester. 

http://inlandempire.craigslist.org/cto/3646532909.html

[maguromic]

I looked at it for a friend of mine a few weeks ago and it looked rough, the weather has not been been kind to the aluminum body over the years and the engine is blown. The good Dr Freud  helped with tracing the history  "That was run by a fellow named George Conboy. Something makes me think it was powered by a Triumph. I don't recall that it ever set a record. He was a rather quiet person among some real hitters including Vesco, Wirges, Leppan and Campos" .  After Frued gave me the info I looked it up in the 1972 Speed Week program and it was entered with twin Triumph's.  Tony

[fastman614]

If it was built by George Conboy, it is probably a pretty decent build......

The last I recall of George, he had a lakester or 'liner number 7777..... he had a mishap on the course just ahead of my in 1990...... and, during the delay, while I was suited up and belted in, I almost went into a coma from the heat etc.....

.....NOT a reflection on his ability though..... just a reflection on an event.....

[Bob Drury]

  Tony, no matter what, it is still one hell of a find and one more piece of our history.
  One of the sad things about our sport is that not only do our old hero's die, but so do most of our history setting vehilcles.
  Thanks to folks like Jim Travis (who restored the Pumpkin Seed amongst others), Mike Cook (etal) who restored the Micky Thompson Car, and numerous folks who have spent their valuable time and money (with the help of many others), we have been able to preserve several of our record setting cars.
  I would hope that all of us, from the George Poteet's to low buckers like myself, will not only contribute to: This site, Save the Salt, and last but not least, the new Bonneville Museum in Wendover.
  My dream is that the Museum will feature Al Teagues home built Streamliner, Bruce Geislers twenty plus record setting 53 Studebaker, and Carl Heap and Bob Slagle's fabulous Phoenix 280 mph truck.
  Obviously, I also hope to see the Burkland car, many of the Vesco's entry's, and.........geez, every one elses vehicles...............  who can you possibly leave out?  
  Every one who has run before me, all of you I have been honored to run with, and all of you future LSR entrant's, I salute and honor.
  The bottom line is that We are a chosen few who have stepped up to the plate and have given or give every ounce of effort (and money) to try and be the fastest vehicle on Earth (in our class) and in many cases have given up our Retirement Saving's, Home Equity, Children's Inheritances, Burial Services, and in some cases...... marriages's... all to try and reach a goal that no one before us has acheived.
  Due to health and monetary problems, I may not make it to Bonneville this year, but I can assure each and every one of you, untill they plant me with me toe's sticking out of the ground, I won't quit my quest.......... and to tell you the truth, I don't even know what my quest or goal even is...............  Bob
 p.s.   We are all of the same Ilk, we visited the Salt Flat's and found our home........ amongst all the others who came before us and those who are still a part of what we do...... and that includes all the Course Workers, Tech and Impound People, safety workers, all the support worker's and even Slim and the folk's who keep the "Green Chapel's" clean.
  We all need to help each other keep this wonderfull sport safe and available for all of us to enjoy now and in the future.

[wheelrdealer]

Amen Bob.

Before Peterson or NHRA, Don Garlits started the drag racing museum. It helped that he only sold one car in his career. Therefore he had a lot of raw material to start a museum. I believe the museum is the key, that is where these cars, bikes should end up. More people will be motivated to spend the time/money if the vehicles have some place to be shared. I am relatively new to the participation side of LSR. But I have read and dreamed about it since I was ten years old. Just took me 42 years to do it. So the chances of any of my junk ever being worthy are slim to none...but a restoration would be a cool way to contribute and have some sweat equity in the museum of Land Speed Racing.

BR

[55chevr]

When I was younger I used to drag race motorcycles.  At the end of the season, the new bike was built from parts taken off the old bike. After 10 years all I had was a collection of broken parts and no real motorcycle.  I traded what I had for a street bike and I still had to throw in some cash.   I don't think that I am that unusual and that is one reason that there aren't a lot of surviving race machines still intact. 

Joe

[fastman614]

When I was younger I used to drag race motorcycles.  At the end of the season, the new bike was built from parts taken off the old bike. After 10 years all I had was a collection of broken parts and no real motorcycle.  I traded what I had for a street bike and I still had to throw in some cash.   I don't think that I am that unusual and that is one reason that there aren't a lot of surviving race machines still intact. 

Joe

Hmmmmm..... You have a very valid point there....

[stay`tee]

When I was younger I used to drag race motorcycles.  At the end of the season, the new bike was built from parts taken off the old bike. After 10 years all I had was a collection of broken parts and no real motorcycle.  I traded what I had for a street bike and I still had to throw in some cash.   I don't think that I am that unusual and that is one reason that there aren't a lot of surviving race machines still intact. 

Joe
 
so true, ,  one usually sold off the surplus, to finance the next race version,,,

[Tman]

I have been looking at that bike liner since I was a kid in my hand me down HRM magazines. Cool to see that it still exists in some form!

[streamliner]

This bike made it back onto CL a few weeks ago.  Listed for $8,500.  Here's a vintage photo that Alex Tremulis took of Burt Munro looking over the bike, I think after it caught fire.  Is that George Conboy that Munro is talking to (with the short left leg and corrective shoe)?

[tauruck]

This thread has said more in one page than I'd imagined it would.

Bob, that was a great post especially for someone like me that hasn't seen the salt.
Every post was spot on.

[Freud]

George was a quiet man. Of course being surrounded by the "big players of that era" I doubt that

I would have said much either. But he did run and that's a great compliment. There were others

that were not that successful. One man lost his life in the warm up area. For a while you could

start and make a short run behind the staging area. All the staging area was was a double line

that sometimes extended a day behind the starting line.

I have no idea if George is alive or not. Jim Ludiker may know. He goes to Jack's Garage.

I'll try to find out.

FREUD

[Dean Los Angeles]

That was indeed a Triumph. The carbs from the front engine were behind the rear carbs with about 2 feet of plumbing to the front engine.
I watched in 1972 while they put it up on the rollers to start it.
Putting on the canopy was quite the show. While he was inside pointing and screaming, his crew was trying to twist and pull it to get it to fit so it would latch.
By the time the canopy was on the engines were starting to smoke.
They pushed him off and it went 20 feet and fell over. I rushed over with about 6 other guys so we could pick it up. The thing was so heavy we couldn't budge it. It took about 12 to get it back up right.
The next day on a test run backwards from the start line it caught fire. I never saw it again.

[Stan Back]

Is that you, only 1/2 naked, Freud?

[racefanwfo]

Link does not work