Meet Ron Butler at the 2009 Austin Spring Meet

[SoTxButler]

Ron is coming to the 2009 Texas Cobra Club Spring Meet in Austin. If you want to “chew the fat” with someone who was there...come meet Ron and pick his brain about his days with the Shelby team and his car building career. I promise you will learn some fun and interesting stuff about the cars, the legend, and this passion of ours.

I have Butler #86 and Ron finished the car in 1993. In the interest of full disclosure, I am unabashedly biased and I think his work ranks with the best.

Ron has had an interesting and varied career in motorsports. He joined Carroll Shelby in 1964 and for the next six years, worked on the original Cobras, Daytona Coupes, GT-40s and Trans-Am Mustangs. He became the crew chief for Ken Miles and went to Le Mans five times as a member of the Shelby “over the wall” crew. He was part of the development team on the Toyota 2000 GT and did a lot of testing on the dry sump systems on the 427 Cobras by turning many laps at Riverside International Raceway.

He left Shelby in 1970 and opened his own shop in Culver City, CA and fabricated something like 30 to 40 Pro-Stock Drag Racers, including the Mopar Missile and three or four California Flash cars for Butch Leal.

Ron bought the original Cobra tooling from Shelby and eventually built 104 Cobras with both 427 and 351 Windsor engines. At one point, he fabricated racing oil pans, dry sump tanks and also created the molds for Wind Surfers for Coyle Schweitzer, inventor of the Wind Surfer. Ron still operates a business with his son Brett providing prototype fabrication work.

Early in his career, Ron raced Midgets and in 1974, returned to Midgets by constructing some of the first Midgets using down tubes and built six coil-over cars with adjustable sway bars in 1976. He raced with USRC Midgets for five years, finishing fifth in points one year and as runner up to Danny McKnight another year. He raced and crashed all over the west coast.

Beginning in 1980, Ron spent ten years racing a number of vintage car venues like Laguna Seca, Kent WA., Portland OR., and Sears Point. Some of the cars he raced were the Ken Miles R1 and R2 MGs, a Triumph 250, a Pete Brock designed Daytona, a Pantuzzi Ferrari V-12, Lotus Elite and a 356A Porsche owned by the late Pat Hart. As a side note, Ron originally built my car for Pat Hart.

I hope you can make the Austin Spring Meet and spend some time visiting with Ron. He is a great guy and he loves talking Cobras. I can assure you he is looking forward to seeing all the fine cars that will be there. To find him, look for my car, the black Cobra (no stripes) with a license plate reading “Butler”. I would love to see a big turnout of Butler owners. Let's see how many of his cars we can get to Austin. If you are coming, drop me a note and let me know. For those of you not familiar with the Austin meet, there were 168 cars last year. I guarantee you will enjoy Austin and the central Texas countryside. While sitting on the deck at the Oasis on Lake Travis enjoying Mexican Food, I promise you will be looking at one of the most awesome views you will ever see. The meet is generally held in late March....so watch for notices from the Austin Cobra Club. I feel sure they will be announcing the dates soon.

Ron currently lives in Santa Barbara with his wife Moira and has never been to Texas. I have promised that he will meet some of the nicest and friendliest people on earth and he and Moira are excited about visiting Central Texas. He is originally from New Zealand and has lived in Hawaii along the way.

[jay bentley]

What did the original cobra tooling consist of that Ron bought from Shelby?

Jay

[Jamo]

Hmmm...me thinks it was the original tooling from Arntz.

I had Butler No. 5, built in 1981-2.

[mrmustang]

Originally Posted by Jamo

Hmmm...me thinks it was the original tooling from Arntz.

Ding, ding, ding we have a winner.



Bill S.

[SoTxButler]

As to the tooling, the words were taken right Ron's resume. We will ask him in Austin. However, I happen to know that Shelby had cars in Ron's shop within the last two or three years and they are still very close friends. I know Ron built the chassis for the Arntz cars.

When we get the answer, we pass it on.

[Seagull81]

SoTex,
Sounds great. Looking forward to meeting him.
Steve

[Jamo]

So, according to you, he built 104 Cobras based on Shelby's original tooling...which means you (and presumably I) had continuation originals? Damn, I sold it waaaaay too cheap.

LMFAO...but ok, we'll standby for you to tell us the history of Ron Butler's Original Shelby Cobras.

[SoTxButler]

Jamo,

I posted that the words came from his resume. Jamo, what problem do you have with Ron Butler? It appears there is something beneath the words I am reading. I know you are a Super Moderator, but your post is unbecoming.

[Jamo]

No problem at all with Ron...talked with him several times when the G&S folks walked away with his jigs, etc. they didn't pay for in the 90s. I think he's an exceptional guy.

Don't hide behind me being a super mod or what you think is unbecoming. You're giving incorrect info and making it sound like Ron built Cobras based upon Shelby's own tooling...I find incorrect info like that unbecoming on a site that prides itself with maintaining correct info. Anyone that's been around and knows the history of Steve Arntz and Ron Butler and G&S knows the history, which has been on these pages for many years...you're wrong in making statements about how Ron built 104 cobras based on Shelby's tooling.

Your statement: "Ron bought the original Cobra tooling from Shelby and eventually built 104 Cobras with both 427 and 351 Windsor engines." Sure sounds like Ron built 104 Cobras from Shelby's original tooling.

Now, might he have some tooling of some sort from Shelby...probably does, but you're statements are way off.

I don't know what resume you're reading or if you're reading something incorrectly, but when someone tries to correct you nicely, don't come back all pissy and then whine about being picked on.

Check your facts closely and make sure you are correct...and take a look at your frame and compare it to an original sometime before you start educating the rest of us.

Closed until you PM me and let me know you're researched your facts correctly.

[Jamo]

A good honest offline discussion has resulted in the thread being reopened. Anyone who has a chance to meet Ron and hear him talk about the development and racing in the 60s is in for a treat. He's not one of the big names who banks on signing stuff...he's one of the real people who can take you back to the 60s with his first hand stories of what it was like to build and race these cars.

[SoTxButler]

I have had discussions with Jamo and I agree that some clarification is necessary for this thread.

I originally posted that Ron bought the original Cobra tooling from Shelby and then built 104 Cobras. I do not want to imply in any way that Ron replicated the original car. If you know of a Butler, you know that the frame is square tubing, the wheelbase is 91", the front end was MG and the engine is set back some 9 to 10 inches in the chassis. Ron believes that makes for a better handling car and some, including Jamo, will confirm that the cars do handle quite well. Many of you know of Steve Arntz and that the frames of his cars were built by Ron Butler; Steve went out of business and the story goes on and on. The point here is that a Butler does not share the same kind of frame as an original.

Some have asked what original tooling was bought. I do not know what tooling he bought, but I will try to find that out. When I do, I will post my findings. My posting info came from a resume I was given.

The most important thing to take away from this thread is that Ron Butler has made a huge contribution to the Cobra legend that we all are a part of. He is 71 years old and I want to try to get the word out on Ron Butler and allow his accomplishments in motorsports to become better known.

I hope anyone that can come to Austin in the spring will come. The Austin Cobra Club hosts a great meet and we would love to have the whole country come on down.

[HI Cobra]

Sounds good to me - I'll make it a point to be in Texas for the Austin fling
so I can meet all you guys. Great excuse for a road trip in #142 - not that
I need one. Nice little ride from Montgomery to Austin coming up!

[SoTxButler]

HI Cobra

We will be happy to have you. By the way, do you know Wayne Pressley over in Enterprise. He is on that other forum a lot, but he does great work on Cobras...builds a lot of them and sells stack systems. If you don't know him, take a drive one day to Enterprise and meet him...a great guy.

[HI Cobra]

Russ - I'm a newbie to Texas. I am in Hawaii most of the time for now so
haven't met anyone there yet. Am looking forward to spending more time
there and having some free time to enjoy the roads.
Thanks for the tip on Wayne Pressley - sounds like a good man to know.

[n6opv]

I think some of the confusion in the earlier parts of this thread just comes down to wording; actually just one word - "tooling." In this case it is referring to tools and equipment and not jigs and fixtures to build original Cobras. Obviously, the way it's worded implies something else but that's not Russ' fault.

Here's the short scoop, as I know it. Back when Shelby closed up shop at the airport, he divided up what was left amongst the people (mostly employees, I imagine) who were interested in buying it. Ron came away with a large amount of tools, parts and equipment. He got welders, air tools, hand tools, lubricants, machinery, engine parts, hardware, racks, all kinds of stuff that he used to start his business. He never gets rid of anything and most is still being used to this day. He does not have jigs and fixtures to build original Cobras.

Which brings us to the next chapter... Arntz. Simply, Ron was contracted in the very early 80s to build frames for Arntz, right before he went belly up. He built about 60 of them and at the end of everything had a pile left over and a large unpaid bill. So he got in the Cobra business (this is the REALLY condensed version since many of the details are already here...). He had to make many jigs and fixtures from parts to be able to reproduce everything on the Arntz cars. In the end, Ron was able to make everything and the cars became Butlers with, as stated above, 104 being made.

He still has it all, mostly stashed away but occasionally pulls something out to graciously make a part for one of us. The Arntz and Butler cars are very similar and most of the pieces interchange. However, very few of these pieces would interchange with an original Cobra.

Jason

[decooney]

For what it's worth, in Dec 2004 before the first Bash, I spent the day down at Ron's place hangin' out with him and his son, checking out the shop. There may be some confusion here about what was used, and what is there...

It was really cool. There were a number of "things" that he purchased and acquired from way back, racking, some original 4" round tubing still on the racks, machines, milling tools, various original track/crew boxes from "LeMans", and other stuff I bet he will share with all of you if you ask him. We talked about him possibly having some of it put in a museum, and what he would do with it. Obviously some deep history there for him. It was the real stuff, no kidding. He never claimed to me any of that was used to build more Cobras, as he had kept all of it as-is, original. It was all stored, just sitting there for a long time, just being saved for something, someday. I saw it, first hand.

In his office, there was also a picture of something that he was working on (prototype recreation idea) at the moment, that I cannot talk about, but it was pretty cool, and I can tell you they only made one or two of them back in the day. I don't think that effort ever came to, but it was something all of you would be interested in seeing had it been recreated.

Sharing some ideas and history and thoughts, and building cars, he even talked to me for a few minutes about buying and taking over what was there from the remaining parts and inventory on the Butler Cars, and just enough to be able to recreate a few cars and enough parts for at least 5 other cars all in bins, boxes. We were there to get some parts for a friends car and to check out a few of the last cars he was building from parts inventory. If I was retired, I would have done it just to finish five more cars for fun and to sell them and put them on the road.

We tried to get him to come to the Bash that next year in '05. He is a pretty low key guy, not looking for that kind of attention. I took a picture of him standing next to one of his engineering award statues in his office that I could tell was something very signifigant in his life. It was a good day, and found Ron to be an absolute gentlemen and no BS at all.

More awards and articles and trophys than one person could ever fit in a single office. Very accomplished. Was lucky to meet him and see it.

Meeting him and listening to it all, and seeing a few things was special. A true engineer and craftsman. It was just one more example of one of those guys who was truly behind the scenes, without all the hooplah, and made it happen back then.

[67snake]

did the butler cars have fiberglass bodys and where some built with chevy 427s

[RallySnake]

Many Arntz's and Butlers were built with small block Chevys, many with Ford engines. The chassis would fit any kind of engine, drive train and enourmous tires.

I met Ron many times while building my Arntz in the early 80's. His shop was about a mile from the office where I worked. It was alway a treat to hear his NZ accent. He could give me complex instructions right off the top of his head for things that were critical to my assembly project. I may have been able to buld my car without Ron and Brett's help, but it would have taken MUCH longer.

I was privledged to take Brett Butler (Ron's son) to lunch one day. He drove my Arntz and gave me several ideas for improvements, including the 5 speed Tremec transmission with a relocated shifter. He also recommended that I change the steering castor from 6 degrees to 3 to make the steering effort lighter. I purchased the last hardtop (that looks like a soft top) to run the Starlite Rally in 2000 and it was a very good thing that I did because it rained most of the way to Las Vegas. Reading this thread brings back many memories.