Sid,
Again, in the timelines document, on July 30, 1968 we submitted a project budget ($147,000) and a proposed schedule for September-October 1969 record attempts. Both were mildly optimistic. While we were able to recruit engineering graduate students to assist in the vehicle design, they worked on a school semester schedule. While this is perfectly reasonable, it took a lot more time to get the design work completed than we had estimated. As a result, in December 1969 IGT assumed ownership of The Blue Flame (we actually had a DMV title) since we had defaulted on our contract schedule.
In January 1970 we towed The Blue Flame to IGT in Chicago. While the chassis was complete (less the tail fin), the rocket system plumbing and controls had not been installed. I was concerned at that time that IGT thought they could take over the whole project and run it themselves.
In February 1970, IGT was towing the car to a meeting with the primary gas industry sponsors in Rockford, Illinois, lost control of the trailer and rolled it over on its side.
After that negative experience (and my calls to the gas industry execs), Pete and I took The Blue Flame back to Milwaukee to finish the car and make the record attempts in September 1970. While we didn't actually own the car anymore, we had designed and built it, and ran the record attempts at Bonneville. Then, we returned the car to IGT for a world tour publicizing the liquefied natural gas fuel. So, the whole project was completed in less than two years. First attempt to set a LSR and we did it!