Author Topic: Jim Travis. Good guy. Not dead.  (Read 8039 times)

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Offline kiwi belly tank

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Offline Seldom Seen Slim

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Re: Jim Travis. Good guy. Not dead.
« Reply #1 on: December 08, 2015, 12:05:06 PM »
Sid, on behalf of Randy and the rest of Jim's family, and on the behalf of most racers who know anything, and especially on behalf of Jim Travis himself -- thanks for putting "Not Dead" in the subject line. :-D
Jon E. Wennerberg
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Offline kiwi belly tank

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Re: Jim Travis. Good guy. Not dead.
« Reply #2 on: December 08, 2015, 04:50:01 PM »
It seems like the only time one of the original racers name pops up is after their "last pass" so to speak so I wanted that to be crystal clear up front that the ol fart is still here. :-D
  Sid.

Offline Stainless1

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Re: Jim Travis. Good guy. Not dead.
« Reply #3 on: December 08, 2015, 11:52:38 PM »
Great article....
Glad Jim is alive and kicking.... although that is one of the best obits I've ever read  :roll:
 :cheers:
Stainless
Red Hat 228.039, 2001, 65ci, Bockscar Lakester #1000 with a little N2O

Offline deucemac

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Re: Jim Travis. Good guy. Not dead.
« Reply #4 on: December 09, 2015, 01:36:22 AM »
He and Randy brought the midget out to display at Turkey Night a couple of weeks ago. Talked to him a while. at 78, he is as "Jim Travis" as he has always been. Great guy

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Re: Jim Travis. Good guy. Not dead.
« Reply #5 on: December 09, 2015, 06:52:18 AM »
Some years ago we had Jim to stay with us over in the UK to take him to places he'd always wanted to see. He's a great bloke. Places to see included the just about to be demolished Ariel bike factory in Birmingham - that's the original not your version. At a large classic Ariel and Matchless dealer he had them put a crate behind the counter into which he put stuff having been given a free run at their parts shelves. He taught me all about ironing clothes as well which as you can imagine consisted of T shirts and jeans. Give them a good spin and then stretch them a bit, fold them carefully and put in a large pile with something heavy on the top. Leave until dry. In our house we still call that Jim Ironing. :-D He did grass me up to my wife at one point though by telling her after a couple of weeks that I'd actually let something overtake me. Had a Subaru P1 at the time in bright blue with carbon coloured wheels as per the works rally cars. I'm now all sensible and grown up.

Robin

Offline SPARKY

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Re: Jim Travis. Good guy. Not dead.
« Reply #6 on: December 09, 2015, 08:33:02 AM »
Robin what a great story!!
Miss LIBERTY,  changing T.K.I.  to noise, dust, rust, BLUE HATS & hopefully not scrap!!

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Offline Vinsky

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Re: Jim Travis. Good guy. Not dead.
« Reply #7 on: December 09, 2015, 12:37:12 PM »
For a bit there, I was thinking "Jim Travers" not Jim Travis.  Travers was one of the founders of Traco Engineering, Coon being the partner, so the name Tra-Co. There's a book called 'Race Man Jim Travers and the Traco Dynasty. Another amazing man.
John

Offline Rex Schimmer

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Re: Jim Travis. Good guy. Not dead.
« Reply #8 on: December 16, 2015, 03:38:10 PM »
Vinksy posted: For a bit there, I was thinking "Jim Travers" not Jim Travis.  Travers was one of the founders of Traco Engineering, Coon being the partner, so the name Tra-Co. There's a book called 'Race Man Jim Travers and the Traco Dynasty. Another amazing man."

Great book by Gordon Chance, AKA "Ricky Nelson, the teenage tuner". Gordon was one of the original "kids" that worked at Traco.

Rex
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Offline Hoffman Jr

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Re: Jim Travis. Good guy. Not dead.
« Reply #9 on: December 16, 2015, 07:29:11 PM »
Jim is not a good guy, he is a great guy!
Harry Hoffman Jr

Offline kiwi belly tank

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Re: Jim Travis. Good guy. Not dead.
« Reply #10 on: December 16, 2015, 09:26:51 PM »
Here's another "Jim" story.
It's March 1995 & we are heading to Lake Gairdner to show Betsy (Al Teague's liner) some southern salt, George Fields, Ken Walkey & others were on this trip too. Jim was the life of the party on the way down but we get to Adelaide & there's free day to go see the sights.
Jim decides to go walkabout & sample some of the local brew so he wanders into a pub & asks for a beer only to be told they won't serve him because he's an Abo. Jim says what the hell's an Abo? The barman says Aboriginal & Jim says I'm an American! Anybody that knows Jim will understand the similarity. Once they got that squared away he was good to go.
So for the whole time we were down there we called him Abo & with me it stuck, I still call him Abo & I agree Harry, he is a really great guy.
  Sid. 

Offline typo41

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Re: Jim Travis. Good guy. Not dead.
« Reply #11 on: December 22, 2015, 02:31:47 PM »
Jim is now the President of the Rod Riders Racing Club

It will be an interesting year,, as Jim always has something to say,, about everything.   :-D
Tony Huntimer
Huntimer Photography