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let's see some pics of 'lil' john butera's cars...

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by nor cal nic, Feb 27, 2008.

  1. nor cal nic
    Joined: Feb 26, 2003
    Posts: 802

    nor cal nic
    Member

  2. ocfab
    Joined: Dec 26, 2007
    Posts: 678

    ocfab
    Member

  3. ocfab
    Joined: Dec 26, 2007
    Posts: 678

    ocfab
    Member

  4. ocfab
    Joined: Dec 26, 2007
    Posts: 678

    ocfab
    Member


  5. nor cal nic
    Joined: Feb 26, 2003
    Posts: 802

    nor cal nic
    Member

    keep 'em coming...
     
  6. Bj
    Joined: Jul 16, 2006
    Posts: 8

    Bj
    Member

    I always loved this coupe.
     
  7. Hackerbilt
    Joined: Aug 13, 2001
    Posts: 6,254

    Hackerbilt
    Member

    For me, 'Lil John has always been more about the individual pieces with the car just being the end result. NOT to take away from the cars themselves mind you!!!
    It's his handling of all the little things that pop up that really amazes me.

    I loved the stretched out A Roadster...as much for what it didn't have as for what it did.

    Your a cool one John...praying for your full recovery!!!
     
    29bowtie likes this.
  8. old dirt tracker
    Joined: Sep 20, 2006
    Posts: 1,003

    old dirt tracker
    Member
    from phoenix

    the guy is one of the greatest builders that ever lived. think about it. he pratically created the funny car, built and qualifed a car for the indy 500, created the smooth billet look, does motorcycles, just to name some of his acomplishments. unlike boyd he is not interested in self promotion, not to speak ill of the dead.
     
  9. DocWatson
    Joined: Mar 24, 2006
    Posts: 10,273

    DocWatson
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    Yup, I love the fact that he built the Indy car in his garage!
     
  10. Mercmad
    Joined: Mar 21, 2007
    Posts: 1,383

    Mercmad
    BANNED
    from Brisvegas

    I don't give a fuck about the things said about someone else here in last few days...
    Lil John is THE trend setter!!!
    This is the man who turned the Entire Rod world upside down with the Corno Roadster!!
    With his 'Caddilac " T sedan in 1974 he showed that rods need not be bad handling, noisy, hashed up death machines ( so beloved of the underslung faddists) .
    Show me anyone else who you can say they Started a trend ?
    You may not like Billet today ,but when Lil John cranked up that CNC machine it was a breath of fresh air to this hobby. It's a shame the whole concept was prostituted by those who went off shore and sold their die cast shit as billet.
    I've read enough about this guy to know that here is a man after my heart and he's one who marches to the beat of his own drum.
    He also refused to be fashion victim,but rather forced the world to adopt his fashion and it was good!.
    In 2008 I am seeing the HAMB being slowly and inexorably turned into a chainer site so with that in mind here is a little of what Lil John had to say;
    " I've seen drag racing go from a sport which has given me great deal of personal satisfaction to a semi organised state of insanity built around prostituted selfishness,self destruct maintenance, and snowballing law suits....."
    John Buttera in HOT ROD dec.1974.
    We owe a debt of gratitude to this guy .
     
    trollst and HunterYJ like this.
  11. Mercmad
    Joined: Mar 21, 2007
    Posts: 1,383

    Mercmad
    BANNED
    from Brisvegas

    His First( finished) Rod...
    [​IMG]
     
  12. Well said,the man changed hot rodding,with his revolutionary ideas and incredible talent. That T ,is an all time favorite of many.:D
     
  13. COOP666
    Joined: May 8, 2007
    Posts: 724

    COOP666
    Member
    from Austin TX

    I've always loved this one. It still looks good.
     
  14. KING CHASSIS
    Joined: Aug 28, 2005
    Posts: 1,862

    KING CHASSIS
    Member

  15. slammed
    Joined: Jun 10, 2004
    Posts: 8,150

    slammed
    Member

    Great thread!
     
  16. bppierce
    Joined: Mar 5, 2008
    Posts: 1

    bppierce
    Member
    from TEXAS

    Doing work for him was great treat for me.

    In the 80's I owned a metal finishing shop and one day got a call and the guy on the other end who said "this is Lil John Butera and I'm working on this Indy car and need your help".

    Having built a model of one of his cars ("Family T") when I was a kid I knew who he was and asked "THE Lil' John?". He kinda laughed and said yea.

    He came over to my shop in Huntington Beach and over about a month he was there 2-3 times a week. He was quite a machinest, but what I remember most of all was how cool he was.

    I don't remember if I even charged him as it was such a pleasure to work with him and that project that I probably paid him.

    I forget what ever happened with that car or if it ever qualified. 15 years later I ended up working at TRD in the build shop, so I was lucky enough to got another chance to work on Indy cars again.

    If anybody has any details of his Indy car project I would sure like to know what happened...
     
  17. hog mtn dave
    Joined: Jul 14, 2004
    Posts: 1,352

    hog mtn dave
    Member

    We found this car in a dirt floor barn near Darlington, SC in about '95. Ran it with a carbureted small block, and later with a blown alcohol BBC. It was run out of the Hog Mountain Garage as the Dixie Flyer, owned by Mark Polson.

    [​IMG]

    After doing some research we discovered around 2000 that is was a Buttera car. It's now the BancAmericar recreation.

    [​IMG]
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Jun 1, 2014
  18. Roadmaster75
    Joined: Sep 8, 2016
    Posts: 1

    Roadmaster75

    I restored this R&B (li'l Jon Butera) car and ran it from 1997 to 2007 in nostalgia classes
    with an alcohol SBC.
    It was originally a 187 inch R&B Chassis AA/FD in 1969 and as I understand was run at Indy that year.
    A great car & a a lot of great memories.
    It continues to run at nostalgia events around the country with its new owner!
    47 years and still going strong!!


    10.jpg
     
    low budget and kidcampbell71 like this.
  19. lake_harley
    Joined: Jun 4, 2017
    Posts: 2,159

    lake_harley
    Member

    Dragging up an old thread here, but I just saw Lil' John's white A roadster at the Nat's in Louisville. To me, that was just one of those cars that pulled me in to absorb the details and clean, simple construction. I've done searches here and on the 'net to try to find perhaps an old magazine article or something that might go into more detail about the car but haven't found much more than a random handful of photos. Was the car ever featured in a magazine? I was somewhat involved with hot rods in the 70's when Buterra's white roadster was built but didn't subscribe to any magazines back then. I did find one reference that it had a small block Mopar and Torqueflight in it that might have been later changed to a SBC but that might have been another clone car he built about the same time. Doesn't seem to be much out there about it unless I just haven't used the right words in my search. If you found or know any details about the car, please post it!

    Lynn
     
  20. goldmountain
    Joined: Jun 12, 2016
    Posts: 4,442

    goldmountain

    The thing I remember most about the white car was when it appeared on an episode of "The Waltons". Great car but the TV guys obviously had no clue as to an era appropriate hot rod.
     
  21. lake_harley
    Joined: Jun 4, 2017
    Posts: 2,159

    lake_harley
    Member

    I'd agree. "The Waltons" would have been a slightly different time to say the least.

    Lynn
     
  22. redo32
    Joined: Jul 16, 2008
    Posts: 2,137

    redo32
    Member

    John Corno tried to buy the White car, "Lil" wouldn't sell, but built him one that went on to win AMBR.
     
  23. White roadster was at NSRA Nationals last weekend. No ropes. You could walk right up and get any photo you wanted. tapatalk_1565057917019.jpeg

    Phil
     
    Al's.C.D.T, Uncle Ronn, Stu and 2 others like this.
  24. Hollywood-East
    Joined: Mar 13, 2008
    Posts: 1,993

    Hollywood-East
    Member

    Here's one I sold to Bruce (dreracecar) 10 yrs. Ago.. KIMG5217.JPG KIMG5218.JPG
     
  25. Uncle Ronn
    Joined: Mar 23, 2015
    Posts: 99

    Uncle Ronn
    Member
    from Modesto CA

    Lynn, Lil' Johns first Roadster was featured in Rod Action In August of 1976.
    That magazine also shows chassis construction details of the car he built for Corno.
    Found my issue at a swap meet in good condition, guy just said "ah take it".
    Always my favorite, Ronn
     
  26. 41rodderz
    Joined: Sep 27, 2010
    Posts: 6,540

    41rodderz
    Member
    from Oregon

    Ok remember he built with his and for his son a 1965 Nova that was featured in the mag. Either Car Craft or Hot Rod.
     
  27. Lil' John built some extremely nice cars but none would be considered Hamb friendly. HRP
     
    a boner likes this.
  28. DDDenny
    Joined: Feb 6, 2015
    Posts: 19,144

    DDDenny
    Member
    from oregon

    "Lil" built the white 28/29 roadster for Portland's' John Corno.
    The Nova that John and his son Chris built was the inspiration to put IRS in my 67 Nova, and yes Danny both OT here.:mad:
     
  29. krylon32
    Joined: Jan 29, 2006
    Posts: 9,397

    krylon32
    ALLIANCE MEMBER
    from Nebraska
    1. Central Nebraska H.A.M.B.

    Little John was a major influence on me when I built my Henry bodied deuce highboy roadster in 1984. Smooth body, super low, chopped frame less windshield with one piece hand made deuce style posts, rolled rear pan, removable hardtop, handmade custom Carriage Works 4 bar front with 1/4 elliptic springs in the rear. Western wheels. Drove the car to the LARS from Nebraska and turned down 35K, a fortune in 1986. That's where 2 fools met!
     
    Last edited: Aug 26, 2019
    HunterYJ likes this.
  30. A Boner
    Joined: Dec 25, 2004
    Posts: 7,419

    A Boner
    Member

    Lots of cool cars aren't H.A.M.B. Friendly, Bud!
     

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