Shelby's Stolden tool list from Cannonball 2014

[shelbyinparadise]

There are a lot of people I need to Thank for helping try to recover the items taken at the end of the Cannonball. My friends that asked me to be part of this event, gave me a once in a lifetime chance to be part of a 101 ring traveling circus across the country, as the Lead Truck Driver, Machinist, walking reference book, and old Sage, as part of the Highly successful Carson Classic Motors Cannonball Team. The Support Crew had a perfect score, completing the required mileage on time safely.

Without much thought I volunteered to go as prepared for what ever the road threw at us as I could, with Spares, tools and Clothes for what ever came our way. We helped a lot of other teams with the machine shop, special tools and what ever help we could muster, while keeping our 8 bikes ready for the next day. Any help in Finding my Special tools will be rewarded. Shelby Withrow 940-748-2555 shelbyinparadise@compuwise.net

.38 Smith and Wesson CTGStainless Steel revolver and leather holster
6 Volt/12 Volt battery charger
2 amp Battery tender
AC trouble light with long orange cord 50 ft.
Red gym bag with clothes, 3 spare solid state relays, business cards and tee shirts from trip
Black soft suitcase, with winter clothes, gloves, personal items
1 cardboard box containing 4 linkert carbs, M4, M16 Nos, M88 rebuilt silver, M31, Extra float bowels, floats
Colony carb parts in packages, fuel strainers, needles & seats, High and low speed needles
I orange metal Dorman style covered parts bin, with adjustable pockets full of New Old Stock Linkert small parts
in plastic bags, for all years of carbs over 500 small parts, throttle, choke, nozzles, arms levers, plugs....
Spare trailer tire 215 x 15 load range D or E, new off rim
Hi-Jack farm jack.
Trailer ramp for tandem trailer
Small floor jack red and white, with handle
New Truck air compressor by Slime in case
Complete Van Norman Boring Bar tool kit for 1942 model 777, with extra early round and flat boring tools
new inserted boring bar tool straight made by Lacey Williams.
new inserted boring bar tool offset made by Lacey Williams for blind hole boring.
Setting fixture for offset holder
3 to 4 Micrometer Starrett or Craftsman, Black in color
3 to 3.5 Lufkin Rule inside mike and handle
Electrical tool box , black plastic with Klein tools, strippers crimpers, test light, linesman pliers, needle-nose pliers
Plano tackle box double sided, cream color with all sizes of electrical connectors in plastic bags, most a-line brand, More electrical tools
Black Plastic Road tool Box with tray, special hand tools, craftsman socket sets 1/4 & 3/8 drive, Nickelson needle file set, toll and die makers tools
Starrett, greenwood, Bay state tap handles(8 or 10) many special taps, Factory Linkert cleanout tool set from H-D, small ballpeen hammers, much more.
new S & S flywheel balancing arbor
Brass and Steel pin punch set,
Aluminum bead breaker tire tool
Polaroid PDC-700 digital camera in blue soft case, over 400 pictures on 1G chip from trip
Panasonic mini video camera, New
There are so many machinist and jewelers small tools and parts to remember or list

[MJW]

As tough as loosing all this is, I'll bet you wouldn't trade your memory of the Canon ball to get it back. I hope it all turns up

[shelbyinparadise]

As tough as loosing all this is, I'll bet you wouldn't trade your memory of the Canon ball to get it back. I hope it all turns up

I had to think of what you said after some time had passed. The depression resulting from the theft was quite severe, and the Cannon ball was over, filling out police reports, getting the word out was all we could think of. What would we do to move forward from this spot, how to find our stuff, how to replace some, and realizing that some items would never be replaced was quite the buzz kill.

Slowly the memories of the events during the Cannon Ball, the friends; the good, the bad, and the ugly, all start to come back in focus.

Although with time things will sort themselves out, I am Proud of our performance, and would do it again, I still put a high value on what I lost, and that would be a poor trade that no one should have to make. Cannonball Great, Theft not so much.

I still hope that some of it turns up, Thanks for your support. Shelby

[billpedalino]

Shelby,
I just read your listing above and my heart truly breaks. Not only must the monetary value hurt, but if you're like many of us, these tools and fixtures each carry a memory and representaion of where we were in life when we first acquired/fabricated and used each of them. On a personal level, I would feel like a large piece of myself was ripped away, as I'm sure you do. I am truly sorry for your loss and I hope that the degenerates that took your posessions are caught and that true justice is delivered.

[shelbyinparadise]

Shelby,
I just read your listing above and my heart truly breaks. Not only must the monetary value hurt, but if you're like many of us, these tools and fixtures each carry a memory and representaion of where we were in life when we first acquired/fabricated and used each of them. On a personal level, I would feel like a large piece of myself was ripped away, as I'm sure you do. I am truly sorry for your loss and I hope that the degenerates that took your posessions are caught and that true justice is delivered.

Bill, you sure hit the nail squarely on the head. For us that repair, refurbish or restore these wonderful machines for the long run, we depend upon our tools to do quality work. So many of my tools were gifts from old dealers that helped me when I was young and were impressed with my work. I can remember after I had repaired an older Harley motor for a close friend of the local dealer, who could not get the needed parts from H-D anymore, had all his pre Shovelhead factory tools rounded up in the service department. He then called me to stop by for a visit and while I was inside his employees loaded my truck up with several boxes of factory tools. I was told that from that day forward the Service Department would refer all older work to me that came through their door. All he told me was "Merry Christmas" many months early when we walked out to my truck and showed me the boxes.

With my machinist skills and specialty tools I enjoy the art of the repair, and have never looked back at my life choices with anything but pride. I had rather be part of this traveling circus, doing runs, swap meets and restorations at my own pace than run a "for profit shop", chasing the Almighty Dollar.

Bill, Thank you for bringing back my fond memories, instead of me thinking of what I lost. I needed that. Shelby