Folks Of Interest RIP Bluto (Jim P)

He was very active on the cyclecar thread and had a wealth of knowledge on the subject

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Crap, great loss to the old-car world and smaller h.a.m.b. world. Jim and i would allways exchange a few messages on our birthdays ( both 1 November ) Never met him , only seen him on YouTube . No more knowledge coming from the Eastern Front . Condolences to Zofia.

 

Donuts one thing to keep in mind with the passing of Members. I am always honored as everyone here to pass on condolences and share thoughts about the legacies of the individuals who have left us.

With regards to threads they started or participated in they will always be here. So one just need search and you will find every thread they were active in. So the knowledge and memory of each member shall live on.

I think its a wonderful benefit the Hamb has going for it.

There is also a memorial thread (emeritus) as well. Honoring passed membership I believe.

 

I'm so sorry to hear it. Rest in Peace...

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I didn't know him, but from posts above a great guy and a impressive resume RIP

 

RIP Bluto. Your sense of humour and knowledge will be missed from the monthly banger meet here on the HAMB.

 

Sad news, godspeed Jim.

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RIP Bluto.

 

Sad sad day in hot rodding. Bluto was probably the best healed hot rodder that we knew. I had a chance to become good HAMB friends with him and he will be sorely missed.

Please forward my condolences to his family.

Rest in peace my friend we'll catch up later.

 

I missed this thread until just a few moments ago. When I saw the thread my heart fell and I didn't want to believe it. But as I read post after post I realized that it is true...

I am simply at a loss for words. Like others have already said Bluto stood out from the crowd with his encyclopedic knowledge and the quality of his contributions to this family. My prayers go out to Zofia and the rest of their family. As they mourn, we mourn with them.

Godspeed Mr. Proffitt. You will be truly missed.

 

I am very sorry to get this news. He will be greatly missed - thoughts goes to Z...

 

Oh Bluto , we are gonna miss you,
Thanks for sharing your vast knowledge and showing us stuff we didnt even know existed and for being nice.
Ill miss you on the cycle car thread,
Godspeed and find peace and perhaps find others who designed the cars your so fond of,
My heart goes out to his wife and family, be strong.

 

Jim was a pretty neat guy. Tom Fritz even did a painting of Jim sitting on the running board of his '39 GMC wearing his trademark overalls. I have a print hanging in my living room to remind me of Jim. Godspeed Jim, prayers to Z.
https://www.fritzart.com/product/get-ya-a-jug-of-water/

 

Wow, very sad to hear. Always enjoyed his posts and in the last few years over on the Old Farts Club social group. Will leave a huge gap in the information pipeline for sure.
RIP Jim.


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sad news , RIP BLUTO .... thoughts and prayers to the family... will miss him !

 

Zophia asked me to send her sincere thanks to all of you, for the kind words, thoughts, and prayers.
She knows that the next few days will be rough, but she is a strong lady and I know she will come thru
OK in the end, it will just take time--lots of time..

H

 

Thx for the post Herb.

 

He seemed to know everything, to have done everything, and to have collected most of it or built it from scratch entirely. Vast, broad, and deep living encyclopedia always willing to share from his knowledge base. He was about what I hoped life would be like when I was 12...to own, work on, race, and play with every neat car out there.
He thought big, moving to Poland ("the Eastern Front") for access to aircraft forging and machining skills for parts for rare or unique sports racers, and I think raced every way there was to race. I talked with him some on Ford brakes for his wife's hill climb car, and that was a privilege, to know a little bit about what he was doing.

Here's a sample Bluto writing:

OK Here's my take....

Real men driving real cars make real history.....everything else is FAKE

I have all too personal experiance with owning a real one off race car and having it FAKED by the a German car company complete with my serial number.... Then they did everything they could to discredit me, my car and everything I ever did! In the end History and I won.BUT not really no one wins in all that kind of a ''Shit storm''

Restoring a race car? For which racer in it's life. The first? Last? Most famous? You own it...... you pick!

I own an Alfa 8C 2300. A race car. It was modified so much that my choice is to do it as last really run in anger. Will it be worth more or less. I don't really care.......It will be closer to what it was than faking a new body and the rest.......TO UNMODIFY IT!

I own a 1927 S type Mercedes....It has an actual factory five year race history. In which the factory switched numbers,changed the bodywork three times and god know what else. I'm putting it back in the last factory body
cause it's pretty and I like it....... My car my choice. Is it real?... fully factory documented and that's that

I own a fake Maserati 151 LM coupe. All the real cars were written off....
Does that make a faithful fake real....nope and you know I don't care.
I make no history for the car and the first thing I tell everyone that see it that it is a fake....the other two fakes the owners claim are '' real '' in some way. Go figure.....

I've been very very lucky to find real cars I loved and a couple fakes I love just as much.... but some folks just don't have the class to admit that

A wise old friend told me once "Every puppy has to have a name"

Next question is is my 32 roadster a fake cause it's got a new body or my 40 a fake cause it's got a new chassis?

I think you have to own and save enough real carsand history before you can own fakes,but that's easy for me to say I've done it.

Just my 2-cents at midnight

Industrial Archeology

And...Bluto Tech!

TECH: RAISING THE DEAD IN DR BLUTO'S LAB
Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by Bluto, Nov 26, 2007.

Watch Thread

1. 
   Bluto
   Member Emeritus
   from Eastern Front
   This is about finding chassis numbers!
   
   It's simple but please do it in a well vented area and wear a lot more protection than your normally think you need to
   
   You'll need
   
   A copper pot scrubber
   
   A battery charger
   
   Some battery acid in a plastic pot
   
   What to do:
   
   Clip one end of the charger's cables to the frame
   
   Put the pot scrubber on the other cable
   
   You dip the scrubber in the acid and gently stroke the area of the frame where you think the numbers should be..... each stroke in the same direction. Between strokes have a look see how your doing
   
   OK This sparks and fumes
   
   It takes some time don't hurry ............. and it's messy AND YOU GET ACID EVERYWHERE!!
   
   But if there are numbers there....... even if they have been ground off they will show up
   
   Good luck and please face mask, rubber gloves, and a lab apron at least... and make sure your buddies looking stand back
   
   BLUTO, NOV 26, 2007!REPORT!
   SHARE POST#1LIKE+ QUOTEREPLY
   
   
   
2. 
   Knowlege, experience, and STYLE!! It don't get no better!

 

Larger than life, Bluto you are missed and will not be forgotten. I 'met' him here maybe ten years ago when he was inquiring about a mutual friends health.

My favorite story is the time he bought a canoe over in Europe and the regulations at the time said that you could bring one piece of 'sporting equipment' with you. Yes, he got them to fly the canoe home and of course they changed the wording from that day forward.

Rest in peace brother, see you on the other side.

 

sorry to hear....reading his posts and the posts y'all have made is such a tribute to him....prayers to his wife and family.

 

bummer , we lost a good friend & a wealth of knowledge ! best wishes to "Z" .
I presume he is going to stay there .......... god bless

 

I got to know Jim through a HAMB social group. When there was a discussion about my uncle who was killed in a B 17 crash in Poland, he knew of the crash site and put me in touch with the care takers. I am friends with them now with Jim's help. In fact, it was through my friend in Poland that I learned that he had passed. Godspeed Jim!

 

Great story, Andy. Shows the "human" side that we don't always get to hear about.

 

I got to talk to Bluto only once. Was about 8/9 years ago. I responded to one of his online posts via a private message. He asked for my phone nbr. I replied. Then within a minute or two, my phone rings. We talked. I was in a low point and a few of his comments seemed a little gruff. But the more we talked, the more I listened, the more I understood. I took his advise on a couple of issues and got a lot of things more clearly focused. I got real busy with things. Only recently I have got things sorted and ready to get back to things Banger related. I started reading the Monthly Banger threads again and reading Bluto's comments. I miss that already. I wish I would have been smarter and asked more questions while we had you as one of our sources. My Loss, Our Loss, Bluto-You are missed.
Mike

 

Very cool story OL 55, Jim did so many neat things for people we should start a list. That MERCER that was in his bedroom was lent to Jay Leno for a week, just so Jay could drive it around and see if he wanted to buy one, he did. I always wanted to go to Pebble Peach, but always thought I'd feel out of place and feel uncomfortable. Jim told me to just go have a good time, and I'd probable know more cars and people than most people. He was right, and the real joy of the event was seeing his old BMW Coupe on the lawn, the car that he tracked down, restored, and raced, it was a big part of his life. I was so glad to actually see it. Bob

 

I don't know how many hours Jim and I talked on the phone when he was still in California, and even more time Skype and phone conversations once they moved to Poland. One of the most giving man with his knowledge and experience I've ever had the pleasure of knowing. He shared a lot of photos of his treasures, as well as a lot of personal stories of his life.

RIP Jimski. May you be three days in Heaven before the devil knows you're dead

 

Sad news. RIP

 

Like many of us, I too lament the passing of an extremely valuable man. But I think that we all benefited from having known him. Some perhaps more than others; but nevertheless his memory, spirit and wisdom will carry on with some degree with each of us who knew him. I really can't remember when I first met him. I DO remember our last phone chat we had. I had just finished an email that I sent to him. The phone rang almost immediately. It was Jim. He sensed my confusion on a situation; and had a"fix". His different approach worked. The last time I was able to visit with him and Sophie was when they parked their MotorHome in Long Beach. I went down, gave them a ride (I had a four place truck) up to a "laundromat". While the wash was going, we went to their favorite Mexican takeout for a humble repast. The laundry done we set out to all the haunts around when Jim had his "Speed Shop" going in town. It took us all back in time including "Z" (I think it may have given her a greater incite into "The Bluto"). We couldn't replicate that day; but I have it safely locked in my "Memory Bank"!

R.I.P. Jim.

 

He always seemed such a warm and genuine chap. Always happy, keen, and enthusiastic about his interests and life in general.

I will miss him.