Save the Mangham-Wilson-Allen Streamliner!
Latest News
Last updated
09/23/04.
Update 9/23/04
More photos of the Streamliner back on the Salt! (Check out the
photos)
Update 9/3/04
WE DID IT!!!!!
Today at 7:10pm we shut the doors on the trailer. The streamliner is complete
and loaded for Bonneville. I can't tell you how proud I am of the entire team. I
especially want to mention and thank Paul Laubach. Paul's mechanical expertise
and machine work enabled us to reproduce every detail of the streamliner. I
can't announce the winner of the contest until we return from Bonneville as I
have the list in e-mail at work. Thanks to everyone in and outside of the
motorcycling community for supporting us in our efforts. (Check
out the Photos).
Dennis Tackett
SOS Project Manager
Update 9/2/04
We've really been putting in the hours. It's midnight and I'm just getting home.
Paul and Keith have been working non-stop. We're almost ready to start it up!
The only items remaining to complete are all control cables, oil lines, and fuel
lines as well as mounting the seat. (Check out the
photos).
Update 9/01/04
The frame has been painted black along with appropriate parts. Engine and
gearbox assembly installed. Rear wheel installed. Handlebar and pulley wheels
installed. It's really looking like a motorcycle now. (Check
out the photos).
Update 8/29/04
WE HAVE PAINT!!!
We've reach another major milestone. The body work is completely painted. It's
gorgeous! Jason will buff it out today and then it gets moved back to RPM for
final assembly tomorrow. (Check out the photos)
Update 8/28/04
The white base coat of paint has been applied and baked over night. This morning
we're laying out the red checkerboard and numbers on the tail section. The red
will be painted this afternoon. The blue paint will be done tonight or first
thing in the morning. After the blue is baked on, the final clear coat will be
applied over it all. We'll move it back to RPM on Monday for final assembly.
We're in the home stretch! (Check out the photos)
Update 8/27/04
All the bodywork has been prepped for final paint. The inside of each piece has
been painted white and the outsides primed. We decided to wait to paint the
frame until after the final bodywork painting is completed this weekend. The
bodywork has to be painted while it's mounted on the frame and we were worried
about over-spray. The enclosed trailer we'll use for Bonneville isn't available
today so we'll move the streamliner on an open trailer to the paint shop. Do you
think we'll get a few looks hauling it down the street? (Check
out the photos)
Another interesting tale:
When Jack Wilson closed down Big D Cycle it was sold to a less-than-reputable
new owner and eventually went bankrupt. When Keith heard about it he attended
the auction of assets to obtain as much Big D legacy machinery/tools/parts as
possible. One of the items he obtained was Jack's personal toolbox. Of course
all the standard tools and wrenches had been removed but there were a couple of
drawers still containing some items. No one except Keith realized they were all
the special tools Jack had made to work on Triumph engines. One of these
hand-made tools is for finding top dead center to set the timing on a pre-unit
Triumph. If you look closely at the recent engine photo you will see this same
tool being used by Keith to set the timing (it's installed in the spark plug
hole). We are doing our very best to make the restoration as authentic as
possible. Not only are we following the same construction methods, in some cases
we're using the exact same tools!
Dennis Tackett
Project Manager
Update 8/22/04
We reached a major milestone over the weekend. The inside of all the bodywork is
now painted white and the outside is in primer. We plan to paint the frame this
week. Final painting of all bodywork will take place next weekend at Herb's in
Plano. I like to send a big thank you to Herb's Paint and Body in Plano for
their sponsorship and to Jason Small for all the hard work on his own time.
(Check out the photos)
The magneto restored by Bob Kiser looks great.
Thanks to Dan Dzivi for the seat work.
Thanks to Paul Laubach for all the mechanical work. We couldn't have completed
it without you!
Thanks to Stewart Garrison for the fuel tank. (He found it in a farm implement
scrap yard and it matches the original very closely!)
I'd like to take the opportunity to relate a couple of stories that are typical
of the camaraderie and volunteer spirit I've seen time and again on this
project:
Several months ago when we had all the SOS gear on eBay for sale, I received a
message from a group of vintage motorcycle enthusiasts in South Africa. They
didn't have a lot of money but were following the project closely over the
Internet. They scraped up enough to order a couple of t-shirts. I was so touched
by their letter I included some extra SOS gear at no charge. Imagine my surprise
when I received a letter from South Africa containing a check for 100 Pounds
Sterling. This is close to $200 USD. We are obviously kindred sprits because
they specifically earmarked the donation for "beer at Bonneville". I am
certainly not one to ignore specific instructions so we will do our best to
follow this request and you can bet there will be quite a few toasts to our
newfound friends in South Africa!
Keith received an e-mail a couple of months ago directing him to a particular
eBay item. It turned out to be a metal die cast model kit of our streamliner
from 1958! It was produced in England and a professional model builder in the UK
had put it up for sale. Keith called him immediately and after he learned who we
were, he took it off the site. He volunteered to send the model at no charge but
said if we could pay for his time he would assemble and paint it properly for
us. Of course we agreed. We received his package last week and it's stunning! It
even includes a little driver in white helmet and jumpsuit! (Check
out the Die Cast Model)
We're coming down to the wire and I'm as nervous as an armadillo crossing an
interstate, but we're going to make it! I'll be taking 2 weeks vacation
beginning the 1st of September to help wrap up loose ends and then make the
Bonneville trip. I hope to see a lot of you there!
Dennis Tackett
Project Manager
Update 8/18/04
George has returned from a wonderful riding vacation through the Rockies and
will be updating the website on a regular basis again. Welcome back George!
We've really accomplished a tremendous amount of work since the last update.
Paul has completed all the bodywork including the engine compartment door, air
scoops, and driver doors. Jason has completed prepping all the bodywork pieces
for paint. The inside of the bodywork will be painted this weekend. The frame
will be painted around the 25th. Final paint of the entire body will take place
the weekend of the 27th. The pulleys are installed for the outrigger control,
the template is complete for the rear fender fabrication, and the racing tach is
arriving tomorrow. The tach was extremely hard to find and we were only able to
obtain one from a collector after we told him it was for the streamliner. The
original competition tach came from a BSA Goldstar. The streamliner is really
taking shape now and we think it's going to turn out spectacular! (Check
out the photos)
Dennis Tackett
Project Manager
Update 8/5/04
Our Webmaster, George Tuttle, is heading out for a 10-day ride in Colorado so
this will be the last update until he returns. Have fun George!
The driver compartment doors are complete. The "firewall" is installed. I put
firewall in quotes because I always thought its purpose was to BLOCK the fire,
instead of becoming a wall of fire. As you can see, the original firewall was
made of wood and we've recreated it, but with a little shaking of our collective
heads. (Check out the photos)
We've had a change of painters. We intended to use Curt at Colorworks but his
business has been so hectic he just hasn't had time for our project. We had a
couple of other options so we've contracted with Jason Small at Herb's Paint and
Body. Jason's shop is just around the corner from RPM Cycle so it will be easier
to transport the pieces and check progress. Jason plans to begin painting the
inside of the body work this weekend and then we'll completing final fitting for
external painting next week. A bio of Jason is in the works and will be posted
after George returns from vacation. This brings up a good point. If you're
already retired, can a trip to Colorado be called a vacation?
Dennis Tackett
Project Manager
Update 7/29/04
The hump has been completed. Engine compartment cover is complete. Front body
work wheel cuts are complete. We're in the process of installing the engine
frame and rear wheel to allow us to complete the wheel cuts on the rear section.
Progress! (Check out the photos)
Update 7/25/04
It was so bad we had to blast!
Our little volunteer group arrived at RPM Cycle at 9am as scheduled to prep the
frame for painting. Volunteers included George Tuttle, Bob Hagemann, Dave Howe,
Dickey Hunter, me, and Stewart Garrison. We set to work sanding the frame and
quickly realized this was not going to work. The intense fire had baked the
frame so long the paint basically turned into powder coat. Luckily Stewart came
to the rescue by bringing his portable sandblasting equipment. We had been
afraid to turn the frame over to a commercial sandblaster due to the fragile
condition of the joints and brackets. The sandblaster was a one-man operation so
I thanked the rest of the volunteers for showing up and sent them home. Stewart
and I worked in shifts for the next 7 hours to complete the sandblasting. This
was grueling work in the 100+ degree heat but it was worth it to pass another
major milestone. The frame is now prepped for paint. There are a few details to
complete, such as attaching the loop holding the headrest behind the driver, and
then it will be painted. Thanks to all the volunteers who gave up their weekend
to help and a really BIG THANKS to Stewart for saving the day with his
sandblaster. (Check out the photos)
Ed's shop-cleaning day
We had a huge number of volunteers show up early Sunday morning. Unfortunately,
I was moving a little slow after sandblasting all day and didn't arrive until
9:15am. It was great timing however because the shop was done! We had enough
people show up to assign a small section to each person which made for very
quick work. Thanks very much to all the volunteers! We had a great productive
weekend!
Update 7/23/04
The hump behind the driver's headrest is installed. The gearbox is assembled.
Front end is mounted in preparation for final body cuts for the wheel openings.
All body work will be removed on 7/23/04 for frame prep by SOS volunteers on
7/24/04. (Check out the photos)
Update 7/20/04
We've made lots of progress in all areas. Keith is in the process of building
the motor. Final fiberglass work is being completed on the new body work such as
adding the hump behind the driver and the engine cover. Dan completed the seat
and headrest. (Check out the photos)
Update 7/15/04
Great news! We've finally turned the corner on the new body work. The two halves
were joined and then front, rear, and bottom sections cut. Fiberglass layers
were added to stiffen the joined sections and left to dry overnight. Our first
test piece with powder blaster didn't turn out as we hoped. The baking soda
blaster does not take all the baked-on paint and rust off. Looks like we'll do
the old-fashioned way (sanding, scraping, wire brush), which is what always
seems to work best on this restoration for some reason. Ghosts of old-time
Triumph mechanics perhaps? We've begun and 7-days-a-week schedule at RPM for the
restoration. Clock's ticking! (Check out the photos)
RPM Cycle Projects
Keith wanted to let everyone know that we are continuing the Bonneville
tradition begun by Stormy, Jack, Pete, Johnny, Jess, Ed, and Jon. Check out the
RPM website at http://www.rpmcycletx.com/
Keith is building a 750cc fuel-injected nitro-methane un-faired Triumph to make
a run at the existing record of 124mph held by a Norton (Our apologies to NTNOA
members, but yes, we're taking the record away from Norton!).
Keith is also building a really trick 8-Valve Triumph in a Rickmann frame as
a café/street rod. Check out the brakes and suspension!
Dennis Tackett
Project Manager
Update 7/13/04
Well, as with any project, there have been quite a few challenges to
overcome. Our biggest problem to date has been the frame. We expected it to
be difficult, but the length or the frame and its flexibility from being
heated in the fire have really given us fits. It would have been much easier
to just build a whole new frame or take the existing frame to one of the
CompuTrack laser frame alignment companies. As with all decisions on this
project, we had to ask ourselves how they would have done it in 1956 and stay
true to those methods. We've finally got it straight and the wheels aligned with
low tech torches, pulleys, hammers, and blocks. Now that we have the frame
completely straight we've found that the fiberglass body work was cast too
thick. The body is actually bending some smaller parts of the frame after
attachment instead of vice versa like it should. We've cast new thinner
fiberglass body work and we tried fitting the new thinner body work to the frame and found it was too
thin. Since we're running short on time we're doing the alterations at RPM
instead of hauling the moulds and shells back and forth to Ft Worth. We added
two more layers of fiberglass to one of the new sides and left it in the mould
overnight to cure. The second body half will be completed the same way on 7/14
and then left to cure overnight. We will try to fit the body work again on 7/15.
Update 7/12/04
Front shocks mounted.
First cuts on new bodywork completed.
As of 7/10/04
We've finally got the frame perfectly straight and the wheels aligned.
New
thinner fiberglass body work has been made and it is being fitted to the frame.
Work completed so far:
Front and rear wheels and tyres complete. (Click here for
photos)
Frame completely straight with front and rear wheels aligned perfectly.
New fiberglass body work halves complete.
Dummy wood panels mounted for fitting new body work.
Front shocks complete.
All engine components and hardware complete. Waiting for assembly.
Dennis Tackett
Project Manager
(06/29/04)
Sorry it's been a while since my last update. I'd like to have some earth
shattering photos for you but the last few weeks have very difficult. Ed
Mabry did a great job getting the frame and body 90% straight, but as they say,
the last 10% of a project takes 90% of your time. We found that the weight
of the frame and body resting on the wheels throws off the alignment of the
steering head. We've actually had to leave some sections and parts bent so
they will align straight under the weight loading of the body and engine.
We believe the heat of the fire has weakened the space frame tubing and is
allowing a small amount of flex. As a result, front/rear wheel alignment
is off by 1/8". (Click here for photos) This is
not acceptable and will be corrected. Front and rear fender templates have
been made. All engine and gearbox parts are in and assembly should be
complete by the middle of next week. We're running a little behind my
original schedule but we will have it complete for Bonneville the first week of
September.
Dennis Tackett
Project Manager
(05/15/04)
We are in the process of building up the wheels and mounting them this week on
the chassis. (Click here for photos) We had to recreate the rear hub out of billet aluminum since the
original completely melted in the fire. This took a little longer than expected
because we had to reverse engineer the spoke angles from the warped rear 19"
Dunlop rim. The original rear hub was custom made to allow smaller gearing to be
run for higher top speed. We were able to save the original front 19" Dunlop rim
and steel hub and these have been refinished and laced with new spokes.
The front shocks are complete. We sent the original shocks off and received
exact duplicates last week. We didn't re-use any of the old shock parts as they
were extremely brittle.
Engine work is progressing. The new engine cases are complete along with the
original head and barrel. We salvaged about half of the original hardware and
this has been sent out to be cad plated or chromed as appropriate. We were
surprised at how much hardware was chromed instead of cad plated. We surmised
this was done on purpose as chrome would hold up better to the harsh salt
environment compared to cad plating. We hope to have the engine completed in 2
weeks.
We found some interesting information about the rider seat. All that was left of
the original seat was the sheet metal pan after the fire. We never found a good
detailed photo of the seat so I called Jess Thomas in California to see if he
remembered what the seat configuration was when he set the 500cc record. It was
certainly bare bones! They had stuck 2 old Bates pillion pads in the bottom of
the metal seat pan and called it good! We actually had 2 of these in stock and
you can see them in the attached photo of the wheels. The headrest consisted of
some foam and an old Bonneville seat cover. The seat pan is in the process of
being painted and the head rest is being re-upholstered.
(04/19/04)
The Streamliner was transported to RPM Cycle in Dallas on Friday morning, April
16. (Click here for photos) It was on
display at RPM Cycle during their Open House and Swap Meet on Saturday.
The next step in the restoration is for Keith Martin to get the engine and rear
wheel in place and make the header cutouts. This should take two or three
more weeks. Temporary wheels have been mounted because the repaired wheels
from Buchanan have not yet been delivered. The Streamliner will then go back to
Ed Mabry's shop for final wheel alignment and the mounting of air scoops.
(04/05/04)
Check out Editor-in-Chief David Edward's full page editorial in the May issue of
Cycle World Magazine.
David was a friend and admirer of Jack Wilson and has been very supportive of
the SOS efforts to restore the old burned up Texas Ceegar to her former glory!
You might even want to buy the May issues as a Texas Ceegar souvenir.
And speaking of that...be sure and check our New
"The Texas Ceegar Streamliner Store" for
some GREAT SOS collectables!
(02/24/04)
Frame is 99% complete. Ed needs to attach the front roll bar and install the
footers. Bodywork is in final stages. It's been joined on the bottom and the
initial cuts
made. Should be ready for paint in
about 2 weeks.
Keith is building a stock motor to allow running pump gas. He's waiting for the
crank to come back and then he'll start assembly of the engine. He has all parts
needed for the engine, gearbox, and carbs. He can have all of this built in
about 2-3 weeks.
Need to get Paul started next week on fabricating the early version of the fuel
tank. It'll be ready when we need it.
Rear hub has been machined. New rim will be laced next week. Front wheel is at
Buchanan's for straightening and lacing and should be back next week.
Ordering 19" Dunlop ribbed tires this week and Stewart will "antique" them when
they arrive next week.
Aircraft control parts are readily available and Ed has the catalog. I'm
planning to turn the airdales of our group loose on this task.
Daniel Dzivi will do the seat upholstery and has confirmed he can match the
pattern.
Stewart Garrison has offered to do the sheet metal (seat pan and front
"fender").
I figure we'll have a rolling chassis with completely painted bodywork by
Easter. Lots of little details after that but worst case completion still looks
like the end of May or mid-June. This gives us over 2 months of flex in the
schedule before Bonneville in case we hit some snags.
Dennis Tackett
Project Manager
(02/21/04)
The two body halves and the turtle deck were all mounted on the frame for the
first time today. Everyone was delighted to see how precisely Ed Mabry had
straightened the frame and aligned all the attaching points. The two
halves came together better than anyone imagined. Ed then made the initial
cuts along the seams that will eventually allow the body to come apart exactly
like the original. The folks from Associated Fiberglass will now
fiberglass along the top and bottom of the shell which will complete all the
fiberglass work (we hope).
(01/03/04)
The Mangham-Wilson-Allen streamliner will be on display at the 20th Annual NTNOA
Lake O The Pines Rallye October 1-3, 2004. This event attracts some of the best
motorcycles in the United States for the People's Choice Bike Show. Over 100+
bikes and 250+ participants arrive every year at this beautiful campground in
the East Texas Piney Woods to enjoy good BBQ, great concourse quality bikes, and
rides around the lake. For a recap of the 2003 Rallye go to:
http://www.ntnoa.org/03loprecap.htm
We've added 3 photos to the Restoration Progress page. Take a look at
http://www.saveourstreamliner.com/bodywork.htm.
We will be selling the pin and t-shirts through our website shortly for fund
raising.
Dennis Tackett
Project Manager
(01/12/04)
All,
We found Charlie Mangham, Stormy's son and Kit Mangham, his wife. She
remembers going down to the shop while they were building the streamliner and
Charlie has a bunch of photos. Charlie is almost deaf and can't talk on the
phone very well. I asked if we can meet with her and Charlie to document what
they know. Charlie is very protective of his photos so I asked if we could have
them just long enough to scan them. Another piece of the puzzle!
Dennis Tackett
Project Manager
(12/08/03) (Meeting 12/13/03)
All,
Ed has asked for some help...next Sunday we need 3-4 guys to clean up the body
molds so Ed can make some body-profile templates to guide him in finishing the
external dimensions of the chassis.
We'll need to scrub the molds down good with soap & water, then clean the
insides with acetone.
Ed has the acetone so I guess all we need are a few bodies!
Don't know what time for sure yet...probably 10:00 - 2:00 or thereabouts.
If the weather is good maybe we can ride, maybe breakfast too. Breakfast even
with bad weather.
Please let me know if you can make it.
Thanks,
Dave Howe (gdhowe@mindspring.com)
(11/26/03) (Meeting
11/30/03)
All,
Mick Duckworth is writing an article on the Streamliner for the January issue of
Classic Bike. He needs a photo of the volunteers along with a current photo of
the condition of the bike. If you are interested please be at Ed's shop between
12:30 and 1pm Sunday. We'll take a few photos and then go to the 2pm meeting at
the new BMW dealer in Ft Worth. Attached is a map to Ed's. It's the Minnis Drive
exit off 121 - 2528 Weaver Street,
Fort Worth, Texas 76117. (See map) When you turn north on Weaver his shop is on the
right about 2 blocks. Blue metal bldg. Number is 817-831-1805 if you get lost.
Dennis Tackett
Project Manager
(11/25/03)
Guys,
I'm sending this to everyone that made the last meeting and that actually
volunteered labor or parts. Mick Duckworth is writing an article for the January
issue of Classic Bike. He would like a photo of everyone that is working on the
streamliner. I would like for everyone to meet at Ed's shop between 12:30 and
1pm this Sunday. The frame is over at Ed's now so we can take a photo of
everyone standing behind it. We can go to the meeting from there.
Thanks!
Dennis Tackett
Project Manager
(11/24/03)
Hi everyone,
Mick Duckworth is a longtime writer for various magazines. He is doing a story
on the streamliner for the January issue of Classic Bike. We've been trading
e-mails and I asked for any photos he might have of the streamliner. See
attached (Mick Duckworth's Photos). We met at Daytona a few years ago
and he remembered my 500 racer.
Dennis Tackett
Project Manager
(11/11/03)
All,
I've been writing some lengthy articles on the Streamliner. They're too large to
e-mail with all the photos so I'm talking with Dave Howe and George Tuttle to
post them on the NTNOA website or start a new one. In the meantime I thought I
would send you a few e-mails of where we are and some interesting things we've
found while working on the Streamliner. I'll keep the content small for those of
you still with dial up (including me at home).
See <[Photos]> for an overall photo from the rear of
the bike. You can see that the frame is bent where it fell off the stand at the
museum on the right side. The frame was made using 2 Triumph frames, 3/4"
tubing, and 3/8" tubing.
Dennis Tackett
Project Manager
From: Dennis Tackett <dennis.tackett@mci.com>
Subject: Ref: Save the Mangham-Wilson-Allen Streamliner
Hi Everyone,
Thanks in advance for help.
A lot of you know me through vintage racing, NTNOA, and being allowed to hang
out at Big D and later RPM. Jack and Keith built my first Triumph ('73
Bonneville) and later my vintage roadracers (500cc B50 and TR5MX). I am forever
in their debt for that and their personal friendships.
What you may not know is that professionally I have been a Project Manager for
over 20 years for various companies. I have never failed to successfully
complete a project, no matter how large or complex. Highlights of my career
include many communications projects for the United States Government, United
Nations, and embassies throughout the world. I was fortunate to be chosen by MCI
in my capacity as Project Manager to mobilize one of MCI's emergency
communications semi-trailer trucks after 911. Our truck was mobilized from Texas
and was up and running on site in NY within 26 hours of the disaster. This truck
provided free phone service for the victims, families, and rescue crews. I also
mobilized an emergency crew to Guam after the typhoon hit last year and restored
phone service to the island. I am so grateful to the museum to give me the
opportunity to bring my professional expertise to bear on this most important
project.
As Project Manager I will organize and direct all efforts. It is very important
to stay focused and not waste efforts, as we have a very tight timeline. The
museum intends to have their re-opening a year from this December. The
streamliner will be at the re-opening ceremony. Our goal is to produce the most
accurate restoration of the original 1955 streamliner as possible. This means
all parts will be those available in 1955. Any machining/manufacturing must
conform to 1955 era methods or at least emulate the appearance. We don't want it
pretty or high-tech. This is a historical restoration. Also, it must run and
roll. We won't use the methane/alcohol fuel used then, as this would be too
dangerous to work with. We will use standard gasoline for fuel.
Any communications you desire to have with the museum must go through me. You
can only imagine the monumental tasks they have. Not only do they have to try
and restore over 400 of the 900 bikes damaged in the fire, they also have to
restore the display facilities and convention areas.
I will bring sign up sheets to the meeting at Dave Howe's place at 1pm Saturday.
Everyone must sign in. These sheets will ask for contact information, areas of
expertise, ideas, parts, and hours/dates available for work. If you cannot be
there drop me a note with the same information. After review of these sheets,
you will be given work assignments and completion due dates. Do not sign up for
anything you cannot complete on schedule. I must apologize to everyone in
advance. I will probably irritate and p*ss off some, most, or all of you at some
stage during this project. I get extremely intense professionally completing
projects and I do not accept failure to complete a task. Be sure you can commit
110% to anything you sign up for. If you do not or cannot complete an assigned
task on schedule it will be re-assigned to someone else. This means no excuses
such as kid's ballgames, rides, meetings, work, sickness or death. If you die
you will still be required to complete your assigned tasks before you are
buried! This will be a fun and rewarding project and I look forward to working
with all of you.
Also, we must try and keep from disrupting Keith's business at RPM. He has a
shop to run and a living to make so I have received permission to stage the
damaged bike in the back storage section when it arrives. This may or may not be
the location of the restoration. If you have any questions, contact me, not
Keith.
Below is my home number. Feel free to contact me anytime. I have also copied
myself on my home e-mail if you need that also.
Best regards,
Dennis Tackett
Mobile: 214-402-1436
Home: 940-498-1240
From: Tackett, Dennis <dennis.tackett@mci.com>
Subject: Test message and status
Date: Tue, 04 Nov 2003 20:00:22 +0000
Hi everyone,
I've set up everyone on this distribution list as it was getting bulky with
individual addresses. I'll send my trip report this week I promise. Been crazy
at work. We did make some progress on the streamliner this week. I spent 3 hours
on Saturday taking digital photos (240) of the streamliner so we'll have a
reference. Also working on getting detailed measurements to get it done in 3D
cad.
More to follow.
Dennis Tackett
Project Manager