One of the most famous hot...
One of the most famous hot rod photos of all time appeared in Hot Rod's Jan. '74 issue during Terry Cook's editorship. The "Great California Street Rod Civil War" pitted Andy Brizio holding the honor of the North, while Lil' John carried the pride of the South.
"But, it was John's white '29 roadster that changed things. It's hard to remember now, but he painted the grille shell white and hand-carved the windshield posts out of billet aluminum, partly because he didn't want to pay for chrome. He wanted the car to be simple, to have symmetry, and to be, above all, functional. It didn't win shows or get on magazine covers. John built a fancier, red version for John Corno that won the AMBR.
"John made the first custom-machined, billet, modular wheels for Jamie Musselman's (Coddington) '33 roadster. He built Joe Hrudka's (Mr. Gasket) exquisite '33 Willys coupe. He and his son built a slick Chevy Nova that made the cover of Hot Rod magazine. But, while John was certainly known to thump his chest and shout loudly about things he believed, gaining recognition for himself wasn't one of them. I, for one, am glad and honored to do it here."
Coachbuilder and designer Steve Moalm on Lil' John
"It was at Fremont Drag Strip in Northern California, sometime in the late 1960s, that Lil' John Buttera first caught my attention. John had built a Funny Car for Mickey Thompson that was different than all the rest. With its independent front suspension, flawless workmanship, and attention to every detail, I wanted to know who built the car. Between rounds, John was working on the car, and I was able to find out who built it.
"I followed John's work mostly in Hot Rod magazine and admired his willingness to try new things and think outside the box. When the articles about him building his T sedan started to run, I followed them very closely, remembering his race cars. Being a hot rodder myself, I paid very close attention to his work on hot rods.
"Andy Brizio introduced me to John, and we slowly became good friends. Anyone who knew John knows there were many layers to his personality. If you could remember all his one-liners, you could publish a best seller.
Lil' John loved his Model...
Lil' John loved his Model A highboys, painted grille shells, and a turbocharged Buick V-6! Yep, the mid-1970s saw hot rodders try any number of variations on the venerable V-8.
"It became quite obvious to me that John could not be intimidated by any one person or group of people. He did his work without compromise, his way. He worked hard, giving two days' work for one day's pay. John had little time for those who didn't work hard or wanted to talk about what they were going to do. John was only interested in what somebody did.
"One funny story about John was the time he was in Pleasanton, California, for the Goodguys West Coast Nationals. He had decided to leave and go back to his hotel room, but he wasn't gone long before he called and said his roadster quit running, and he would wait at the side of the road for us to come and help him. While waiting for us to come, he had a cigarette. When he was finished with his cigarette, he flicked it over his shoulder. It wasn't long before he could smell smoke. He looked over his shoulder and noticed he'd started a small grass fire. He hopped out of his car and tried to stomp out the fire-next thing he knows, there are red lights, sirens, the works. Lil' John didn't try to get attention-he just wound up getting it.
"I admired John. I liked him and learned a lot from him. I'm going to miss my pal, Lil' John."
Automotive journalist and historian Ken Gross on Boyd
"Boyd Coddington, himself a remarkably talented, self-made phenomenon, had the ability to surround himself with many talented people-including Chip Foose, Jesse James, and very importantly, master craftsman and CNC-genius Lil' John Buttera. Their collective output set new and lasting standards for hot rodding.
"Although Boyd may be better known outside the hot rod community for his popular television show, his acting talents were not always immediately apparent. Certainly not to me, any way.