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Author Topic: 'Lil John Buttera RIP  (Read 4380 times)
deano
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« on: March 03, 2008, 03:06:52 am »
For those of you that have been following the drag racing and hot rod industry for any length of time, you should know that John Buttera passed away this Sunday, after a long battle with cancer. John built a number of components on Darrell Vittone's Fiat years ago, but most of his work was done on funny cars and fuelers in the seventies, including Barry Setzer's steamline fueler, and in the eighties, an all white '33 Willys street rod that was way ahead of its time (billet, hand-machined, directional wheels) and much more. In recent times, Jessie James was helping John restored an old front-motored fueler that was famous years ago, but they both knew his time was limited. First it was Boyd Coddington to pass away this week, and now 'Lil John Buttera. He was 67. Sad.
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danny gabbard
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« Reply #1 on: March 03, 2008, 03:22:39 am »
He was one of the talent's that helped boyd get started, he was the start of boyd's wheel's. he made all the prototype machine part's in the beging. very good machinest- fabricator built some nice car's
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A poor craftsman, Blame's it on poor tools.  GAB-FAB shop # 775 246-3069
louisb
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« Reply #2 on: March 03, 2008, 03:32:27 am »
Wow, that is a lose.

--louis
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Rennsurfer
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« Reply #3 on: March 03, 2008, 07:50:31 am »
R.I.P. John.
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Rick Meredith
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« Reply #4 on: March 03, 2008, 07:57:53 am »
I remember building a model of his T Sedan as a kid, Always loved his designs, RIP.
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Fastbrit
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« Reply #5 on: March 03, 2008, 10:37:46 am »
Truly a great man. I remember being spellbound looking at his workmanship. Rest in peace.
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12.56sec street-driven Cal Looker in 1995
9.87sec No Mercy race car in 1994
Seems like a lifetime ago...
Cornpanzer
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« Reply #6 on: March 03, 2008, 14:16:10 pm »
Man, what a drag!   Cry  Thats one dude that I would have loved to have met.  As much as people ridicule the Billet look now, what John started was revolutionary.  Of course, all of his stuff was tasteful and functional, which is far different that what the billet look became.

I remember a quote from Hot Rod back in the early 80's where someone asked John how he made a billit mrror.  His response was something like  - "I take a chunk of alumninum and whittle away everything that doesnt look like a mirror!"  Grin

Rick, I built that model too!  Smiley

If you want to learn more about lil John, you many enjoy this thread over on the HAMB
http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=247066
« Last Edit: March 03, 2008, 14:25:36 pm by Cornpanzer » Logged
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Jim M
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« Reply #7 on: March 03, 2008, 19:58:38 pm »
I have some pictures i took of his 33 willy's, i was mezmerized at the billet wheels he had made.
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Harry/FDK
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« Reply #8 on: March 03, 2008, 21:43:54 pm »
Sad, Sad, Sad.
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danny gabbard
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gabfab
« Reply #9 on: March 05, 2008, 05:17:02 am »
He also made alot bitchen stuff for some of steve moal's car's
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A poor craftsman, Blame's it on poor tools.  GAB-FAB shop # 775 246-3069
Sarge
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« Reply #10 on: March 11, 2008, 16:15:54 pm »
Lil' John's obituary is in today's LA Times  Sad Sad Sad

http://www.latimes.com/news/obituaries/la-me-buttera11mar11,1,57724.story?ctrack=2&cset=true
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