Cars
From Raul Cruz
My father Raul Cruz Sr. is my inspiration. He was a pipe welder in Puerto Rico and I used to be his apprentice. He taught me to weld and basic mechanical work. I developed a passion to dismantle vehicles and rebuild them to be unique. I did go to trade school for about 7 months, but I found it so boring that I decided to not to continue. Over the years I found myself in need of fabrication work for my vehicles, so I decided to try it myself. After many attempts, and YouTube videos I got the hang of it. Motor work came next after I blew the motor of my daily driver. I decided to rebuild it. Having a few friends that had racing cars, I asked a lot of questions and figured it out. Electrical, paint, and all other aspects of fixing and building a vehicle followed. I’ve worked on various vehicles, trucks, and model cars and trucks as well.
The Build:
In July of 2020 my wife told me we should start a family project vehicle, 3 days later we drove to see a rolling vehicle and the next day we brought it home. A 1934 Pontiac model 34-309 sat in my driveway for almost 1 year.
In July of 2021 I started fabricating the chassis. The chassis was completed in 2 days, welded and painted. The body was dropped onto the chassis in December 2021 followed by mocking up the rear differential, building the links, and making motor mounts in March 2022. In April the rear links and air bag brackets were mounted. My son made the template for the air bag brackets which were cut out of ¼” plate. We dropped the motor in May 2022. By July my wife and daughter started custom making a roof rack that will be mounted after the rag top is installed. The fire wall began in November 2022 which was made from 1/8” steel. We also mounted the hydro boost from a 1990 F450 followed by mounting the Wilwood clutch and brake petal assembly. I fabricated the cradle for the fuel cell and taught my son to arch a 1” square tubing for the roof support around the opening by hitting it against the cement floor. Filler panels to cover the wheel arch were fabricated from steel plates and we replaced the inside wood structures with 1” square tubing. The bottom rear half doors where cut to eliminate wheel arch to square off the doors. In December I finished the inside structure.
Between January-February 2023, I made the floor pan, mounted the seats, and made the lantern mount. The bed frame was finished by March, and I reskinned the side bed panel with longer ones and finalized the bed mounting.
The electrical harness was run by April and the dash metal frame fabrication started. In May I started mocking and fabricating the front suspension using a torch and basic hand tools. In June I decided to paint the body by using 3, store bought, oil-based paints, and mixing by eye to try to get the color my wife envisioned and using a roll-on brush. I've made 2 batches so far and need to mix more.
June 2023, the rack and pinion setup came from a 2013 GMC Sierra 1500. The instrument cluster plate was made custom to mount the autometer vintage gauges. I fabricated the battery tray which is mounted between the rear differential and fuel tank due to space issues to mount a group 31 (semi-truck) battery.
July 2023, railroad lanterns were converted into LED taillights and mounter, plumbing for air ride suspension was done, and the air ride management is a Four Play by Aire Jax. The engine was dropped in for the final time along with radiator and grill shell. 1914 Ford headlights were wired, converted to LED, along with 1912 lights converted into LED for turn signals and markers. The top spotlight came out of a 1936 Chevy. I started plumbing the brake system using AN fittings and copper pipes.
In August 2023, I repurposed the factory e-brake handle and retrofitted it into a wheel wood master cylinder.
In September 2023, I started the cow push grill using aluminum flat stock bars.
In November the wood panels for the floor were sanded, painted, and stained. The visor and drive shaft tunnel were fabricated.
The first start-up date was February 3, 2024. The lights were working, wheels polished, fabricated exhaust, tailgate, and hood.
In March I finished the brakes and started making the brackets (½" steel) for a 2nd set of calipers for the e-brake.
By June the first phase of The Pontiac - Train Wreck was complete, and we were ready to drive.
Specs on the Drivetrain
Engine.1970 bonneville 350
Trans. M22
Rear. 90 F450 Dana80 disc brakes
Front.90 Ibeem
Chassis. 2x4x3/16
***
This project brought my family closer together. I taught my wife, son, and daughter to weld, use a sander, grinder, and handheld ban saw. My son and daughter learned to use a forklift as well. Now my son is taking a mechanic class in high school which he finds to be boring due to the slow pace and my daughter is considering taking a welding class next year when she enters high school.
Congrats Brad on the record breaking run! 200.36mph on the 1 mile and 213mph on the 2k.
1969 Firebird
Built By BBT Fabrications, Mahomet Illinois
Butler built IA-II blocked 482”/Edelbrock heads
T-56 Six Speed
Twin Precision Turbos 6870’s (68mm)
Roadster Shop Fast Track IRS Chassis
Wilwood Brakes
Holley Dominator ECU
Carma Performance tuned
Greening Auto Company
Evod Industries
ESP Spares Inc.
Catos Custom Upholstery
Chicago Glass Guy (windows)
Relic Restomods (Paint)
Advanced Plating (Chrome and Nickel)
Tons of body mods
Tons of one off 6061 aluminum parts by ESP Spares (our shop), BBT Fabrications (Troy’s shop), Evod Industries, Greening Auto Company
- Wheels
- Grills upper and lower
- Tail lights
- Headlights
- Intake, valve covers
- Mirrors inside and out
- Gauge Bezel
- Speaker Grills
- Shifter
- Door pulls
- Door Handles (exterior and interior)
- Center Console Insert
- A/C Controls
- A/C Vents
- Steering Wheel
- Door Sills
- Foot pedals
- Heat extractors in hood
Tons of one off hand fabricated parts by BBT Fabrications (Troy Gudgel):
- Hand built aluminum hood
- Inner fenders
- Entire front end of car
- Widened front fenders
- Spoilers front and rear
- Belly Pan
- All interior panels (aluminum) covered in Italian Leather
Jet Hot coated everything that gets hot
Inconel wrapped headers
535 cu. in. street engine
820 HP and 860 ft/lbs of torque (at only 3800 RPM!!!) and on pump gas!
535 cu.in. Butler Performance Pontiac with a BDS 8:71 blower, CNC ported Edelbrock heads, BP/COMP custom hyd roller cam, and FAST XFI. We also added a full serpentine belt system with all accessories including AC. Tremec 5 spd.
I spent around 8 years building this Beast I always love WW2 Bombers and Greatly appreciated the veterans for there sacrifice I myself never served but a lot of my family and friends have. This just to pay a small tribute to those . I did all the fabrication work and tin work in my garage and paint and door panels I did have local shop make covers out of army canvas they are original 64 GTO front buckets. Eventually I will have veterans sign the deck lid. I will also put my uncle he served 20 years and was in Vietnam.
The power plant is a 1972 455 bored 60 over I bought 87 cc Eheads from you guy the came is also from you all it is 540 lift hydraulic roller from com cams you all had ground on 112 lobe center . Compression is 9.35 to 1 still safe for pump gas short block has eagle rods and crank Ross pistons .TH 400 trans.
Thanks, Jeff
Thank you for sharing such an awesome ride with us Jeff! So many great details. Your hard work has definitely paid off
Butler Performance
1968 Pontiac GTO
Ken Skistimas
Clayton, CA
I bought this car back in High School in 1991. I took almost 30 years to get it built
the way I wanted. I happened with the help and extreme patience of the folks at
Butler Performance!
Engine Specs
Original 400 with a Butler 4.25 stroker kit for a total of 464 cubic inches.
Eagle crank and rods
Dished Butler/Ross pistons for 9.5:1 compression ratio
’68 Ram Air II heads gasket matched and bowl blended, stainless Ferrea valves,
Comp springs, Harland Sharp 1.5 roller rockers
Butler BP8031 HiTorq Cam 288/294, 236/242, .521/.540, 114 roller cam
King HP main bearings
Clevite rod bearings
Durabond cam bearings
Johnson Roller lifters
Sims modified timing chain
Butler ported 60lb oil pump
Tomahawk windage tray and valley pan
Ram Air IV intake manifold
’68 QuadraJet
Driveline
TH400 with a 9.5” Tri Shield Performance stall converter
Moser 12 bolt housing, Eaton TruTrac 3.55 posi
Exhaust
Ram Air manifolds
2.5” Pipes stainless steel exhaust
Wheels/Suspension
UMI 1” drop springs
Summit Sway bar
Jeep Grand Cherokee Steering Box
RideTech shocks
Global West control arms
17” Year One Rally II wheels
Watch as Kevin and Angus from the Junkyard Digs YouTube channel build their first Pontiac engine using a complete “Builder Kit” from Butler Performance.
They transform the tired old 400 from their barn-find Bonneville into a 500+ Horsepower, stroked out, 461 cu.in. Butler Pontiac! This video contains EXCELLENT step by step demonstration and details of assembling one of our “BUILD IT LIKE BUTLER” combos!!
2024 Update- Lenny had Butler spec out a new 505 Ready to Assemble Engine kit featuring our machined and blueprinted IAII block topped off with our Butler/BES Pro Port Heads.
Now making over 1,000HP!!!!
2016 Update- Makes 855 HP and 685 torque and pulls strong past 7600 RPM.
Won his first pull out with the new combo by over 10 feet, beating Big Chevies, Fords and even a Hemi. Lenny Moore's 1955 GMC Pro-Stock pull truck with a purpose built Butler Performance 505 cu.in. Pontiac engine! These GMC's came from the factory with Pontiac engines and per class rules Lenny must run the original make of engine that came in the truck. Plus he has to run cast iron heads, so we started with a set of factory RAIV heads and highly modified them into a "wideport" configuration using offset shaft rockers. Lenny needs all the air flow he can get to make full pulls of 25+ seconds at well over 7000 RPM! Lenny has won several class championships over the years with his Butler powered GMC and with this newest combo we hope to keep him at the front of the pack! Check out the dyno video in the post below!
Lenny Moore's Butler Performance 499 cu.in Pontiac Pull Truck Engine - 820 HP with Factory Cast Iron RAIV Heads !!
Butler Performance built the first engine for Lenny Moore's GMC pull truck almost 10 years ago. It was a 474 cu.in Engine with a 455 block and ported RAIV heads. Lenny won multiple championships with that engine and it is still running strong today! A typical pull lasts for over 20 seconds with the engine running at over 7500 RPM !!
Lenny's second and current engine (pictured) is a Butler Performance 499 cu.in. with an IAII block. This engine features highly modified (by Butler Performance) RAIV heads. We have converted these one of a kind heads to a "wideport" configuration that utilize the same .700" offset T&D shaft rockers as our CNC Wideport Edel. heads. These heads will allow Lenny to sustain higher RPM and wheel speed through the duration of the pull. We used a BOP 1x4 intake and 1150 Carb. 820 HP @ 6800 RPM- 650 ft.lbs. of torque. ( 4.375" Bore x 4.150" stroke ) Butler Performance has a PONTIAC Engine combination for ANY application!
Sam Mitchell’s stunning 1979 TA that came from the Pontiac with a 403 OLDS engine. Butler Performance provided a custom top end package for his 403 build included our modified Edelbrock OLDS heads, hyd roller cam kit, ported edelbrock intake, drop base air cleaner assembly to correctly locate the shaker, Butler EFI Solution with Holley Sniper 2 EFI, and all bolts/gaskets needed for the install.
These combos make 425-450 HP and 475-500 ft/lbs torque at the flywheel- verified on our Superflow Dyno.
PONTIAC FIREBIRD -71
(Pontiac 501 CID H.O. Blown EFI)
Bore: 4.211”
Sroke: 4.500”
Comp.Ratio: 9.3:1
Max Hp Capability 980-1050 (with race gas and max boost)
Fuel: E98 (US 93 pump gas) + 25% VP Q16
ENGINE AND RELATED
- Precision Machined, Deburred and Sonic Tested Cast Iron Pontiac Block
- Bryant 4330M Billet Steel Alloy Crankshaft (Double Keyed for Blower Drive Hub)
- Callies Ultra 4330M Forged Steel Alloy H-Beam Rods
- Bill Miller Custom Alloy Forged Pistons with Ceramic Coated Tops and Total Seal Rings (Design by Peltoniemi Enginering)
- Clevite Race Bearings and ARP Bolts All Around
- Internals Fully Balanced and Sonic Tested
- Butler/Comp Custom Grind Roller Cam, Crover Solid Roller Lifters and Butler Crmo pushrods
- Peltoniemi Engineering Fully Adjustable Hi-Alloy Steel Cam Drive Gears with BOP Engineering Full Roller Chain
- Highly Modified Pontiac H.O. Round Port Cast Iron Heads by Peltoniemi Engineering
- Del West 2.11/1.77” Titatium Valves and K-Motion Valve Springs
- Manley Titanium Retainers and 10degree Super Locks
- T&D Shaft Mount Rocker Arm System
- SCE ICS Titan Head Gaskets
- Hawes Engineering Port Matched Canted Floor ”Low Profile” Blower Intake and Back-Fire/Burst System
- BDS (Blower Drive Service) 10-71 Fully Hard Anodized Outlaw Helix Blower with Billet Rotors (Custom manufactured)
- Peltoniemi Engineering Custom Idler and Belt Retentioning System
- Good Vibrations Injector Plate with 96lb/1000cc Precision Flow Injectors and High-Capacity Fuel Rails
- Peltoniemi Engineering Custom Modified Enderle Style Injector Hat and Throttle Body
- NOS Pro Shot Fogger 8-Nozzle Nitrous Oxide System (Custom Configuration by Peltoniemi Engineering) Adjustability from
150 to 500 additional horse powers)
- Holley Dominator / RacePak Engine Management and Data Logging System
- Taylor Vertex / Holley Direct Ignition System with 4 Dual Tower High Output DIS Coils and Brisk Spark Plugs
- Dual Knock Sensor (Bosch), Dual Wideband (NTK) and Dual Exhaust Gas Temperature (Racepak) Control / Monitoring
- Custom Built Fuel Injection and Engine Wiring Harness by Peltoniemi Engineering
- Peltoniemi Engineering Aluminu Distributor Replacer / Oil Pump Drive Plug with BOP Engineering Composite Gear
- Peltoniemi Engineering Billet Aluminum Accessory Pulleys
- Custom Fabricated Billet Aluminum Accessory Relocation Brackets and Mounting Solutions by Peltoniemi Engineering
- Upgraded Oiling System Consisting of Modified Engine Block Oil Control and Channeling, Modified and Baffled OE Style
Moroso Oil Pan, Milodon High Flow Oil Pick-Up, Titan Pro Billet Oil Pump, Hamburger’s Relocated Oil Filter Mount with
Double Baldwin Oil Filters, Derale 13-Row Double Oil Coolers and Stainless Steel Braided PTFE Oil Lines
- ATL Racing Fuell Cell with Internal Catch Tanks and Modified Fuel Pick-Up Arrangement
- Custom Fabricated Sheet Metal Aluminum Fuel Cell Container by Peltoniemi Engineering
- Weldon / Aeromotive Fuel Delivery System and Stainless Steel Braided PTFE Fuel Lines
- Peltoniemi Engineering 304 Stainless Headers with Burns 3,5” Merge Collectors
- 3.5/3.0” Custom Fabricated Stainless Steel Exhaust by Peltoniemi Engineering
- TCI High Torque Lightweight Starter and Mechman 170A Billet Alternator
- PRW High-Flow Aluminum Water Pump
- C&R Racing Double-Pass Aluminum Radiator and Double Davies Graig Electric Fans
- Custom Fabricated Aluminum Sheet Metal Radiator Overflow Tank and Washer Tank
- XRP HS-79 Series Water and Fuel Lines
- Custom Fabricated Breather System of by Peltoniemi Engineering
- Custom Fabricated Aluminum Sheet Metal Valve Covers and Ignition Coil Fixing Plates by Peltoniemi Engineering
- Custom Fabricated Steel Motor Mounts by Peltoniemi Engineering
- Russell / Earl’s / XRP AN Fittings and Hoses + Several Custom Designed Plumbing Solutions by Peltoniemi Engineering
DRIVETRAIN AND REAR-END
- Meziere Billet Flexplate and Starter Ring
-Neal Chance 9” Custom Built Torque Converter According to Peltoniemi Engineering Specificatios
- TH-400 Transmission / Case (Custom Modified for Pro Street/Competition Applications)
- Titan Engineering Pro-Mod Style Direct SuperDrum Alloy Assembly with 36 Wide Element Max-Strength Pro-Mod Race
Sprag and Spiral Retaining Ring with Exclusive Drum Stabilazing System
- Modified Converter Charge Circuit and Hardened Stator Tube
- BTE Racing Custom Manufactured Ultra Light-Weight Torrington Rollerized Forward Clutch Hub
- Coann Racing 7075 Airchaft Alloy Center Support with 10% Oversized Billet Intermediate Piston
- Hugghes Performance Hi-Alloy Straight Cut Billet Planetary, Custom Ratio Gears and Planetary Carrier Assembly
- Top Secret Engineering BALLICTIC KELVAR RACE Explosion shield and REVERSE BAND
- INTERNALS COMPLETELY FULL ROLLERIZED
- Vasco Billet Steel Input and Intermediate Shafts, 300M Super Allow Main and Output Shafts and Rossler Shaft Retainer
System to Prevent Shaft Movement
- Grinner Competition Full Manual Billet Alloy Valve Body with Redesigned Circuits for Super Fast Release and Instant
Engage and Lock-Off Characteristics
- BTE Racing Top Competition Oil Pump with Upgraded Hydraulics and Increased Line Pressure
- Hughes Deep Sump Aluminum Oil Pan and High-Volume Filter Assembly
- Derale 13-Row Double Oil Coolers and Stainless Steel Braided PTFE Oil Lines
- Chromoly Driveshaft with 1350 Series Joints and Strange Chromoly Forged Steel Trans Slip Yoke
- Strange Engineering Chromoly Forged Steel Pinion Yoke with Mark Williams Billet Girdles
- GM 12-Bolt Reinforced Rear End / Case modified by Peltoniemi Engineering
- Eaton Detroit Truetrack Dirrefential with C&R Racing / Motive 3.90:1 Ratio Gears
- Moser Engineering 33-Spline Billet Steel Alloy Axles
- Moser Engineering Aluminum Rear Cover with Bearing Cap Support Studs
BODY & CHASSIS
- Pontiac Original Body and Body Panels with Custom Restoration and Paint Job/Polishing by Peltoniemi Engineering
- Custom Modified L88 Style Hood
- Ringbrothers Custom Alloy Hood Hinges and Pins
- Custom Clear Optic Headlights
- Moog & ProForged HD Series Joints All Around
- Energy Suspension Bushes All Around
- Custom Fabricated Front Fender Brace to Radiator Support Bars by Peltoniemi Engineering
- Custom Fabricated Sheet Metal Radiator Support Plate by Peltoniemi Engineering
- Custom Fabricated Sub Frame Reinforcement Beams by Peltoniemi Engineering
- Custom Fabricated Transmission Explosion Shield by Peltoniemi Engineering
- Custom Fabricated Transmission Crossmember by Peltoniemi Engineering
- Custom Fabricated Driveshaft Safety Loop by Peltoniemi Engineering
- Custom Fabricated Roof Support Brace by Peltoniemi Engineering
- QA1 Motorsport 2-Way Adjustable Suspension
- QA1 Motorsport Coil Over Conversion in Front
- Herb Adams Suspension Stabilizer Kit in Front and Rear (custom modified by Peltoniemi Engineering)
- Competition Engineering Slide-A-Link Traction Bars (custom modified by Peltoniemi Engineering)
- Wilwood Brakes with Aluminum Hubs in Front
- Goodridge Stainless Steel Braided PTFE Brake Lines All Around
- Centerline AutoDrag Wheels with Mickey Thompson Sportsman S/R Tires
INTERIOR AND MICHELLANEOUS
- Connolly Leather Custom Interior and Custom Floor Mats by Ari Holopainen, Rovaniemi FINLAND
- Modified and Flocked Dash and Center Console with Autometer Ultra-Lite Instruments
- M&M Shifter Modified by Peltoniemi Engineering
- NOS Polished Aluminum Nitrous Bottle (usually fully filled due to occasional use only J)
- Metrom Performance Billet Aluminum Door Sill Plates and Door Air Vents
- Billet Specialties Custom Pedals
- Classic Grant Steering Wheel from the 70’s
- Numerous custom fabricated components by Peltoniemi Engineering
- Salgrom Racing Automatic Fire Extinguishing System in Engine Room and Trunk (Fuel Cell and Battery Compartment)
FOUR STUNNING FACTS ABOUT THIS CAR:
1. The Car is 100% total daily driveable ride and can even be borrowed to your granny for groceries.
2. The Car is unlightened with steel body panels weighting 1750kg (3850 pound).
3. The Car can be easily fully restored to it’s original conditions if ever preferred.
4. The Car has been a ”family member” since 1978.
Owner: Jorma Peltoniemi
Buiders: Henri Peltoniemi, Jorma Peltoniemi
Dear Butler Performance,
I just wanted to take a minute to tell you how pleased I am with my purchases and customer service from you. As a business owner and manager I know that most correspondence is from unhappy customers. I wanted to relay how pleased I am.
Over the last several years I have purchased multiple items from Butler for my 1966 Pontiac GTO. Most recently I ordered a 461 Stroker engine kit and Cold Case radiator. The customer service and technical advice was outstanding.
Greg talked to me about what my goals were and then put together a quote listing all the parts necessary. He communicated all through the order and assembly process.
The engine is beautiful, sounds amazing and I couldn’t be more thrilled with the performance. What a difference from the original 389!
Thank you Butler Performance. I sing your praises at every car show and Pontiac forum I am involved with.
Sincerely,
Dan
Dan purchased one of our un-assembled “Builder Kits” that included a fully machined/blueprinted 400 block, balanced stroker kit, hyd roller cam kit and Edelbrock heads- along with just about everything else needed for Dan (or the builder of his choice) to build his very own BUTLER PONTIAC combo.
We love working with special projects like this! Paul purchased a 462 c.i. balanced rotating along with one of our BUTLER/COMP hyd roller cam kits and other parts to complete his build. Paul has his block machined locally to our recommended specs and it turned out great!
Article By FOX23.com News Staff July 19, 2022 at 9:57 pm CDT CATOOSA, Okla. —
Captain Tryon with the Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office’s (TCSO) has won an award for his TCSO themed Firebird.
His 1969 Firebird won “Most Outstanding in Class” at the 2022 Pontiac-Oakland Club International Convention.
Jump back to the present day, it was time for Gas Monkey to add their style and attitude to a Firebird. After the original car Richard purchased for this build turned out to be more rust than car, a second more solid bird had to be purchased for any work to really begin.
Giving this muscle car the muscle it deserves, under the hood is a 467 cu. in. V8 from Butler Performance, putting out 550 hp and 600 ft/lbs of torque. Most would be happy just having that under the hood but not this shop. With an Edelbrock 7156 Performer RPM intake, 87 CC Performer RPM cylinder heads, and a Butler grind COMP hydraulic roller, what’s under the hood is just as beautiful as the blue paint job that “was totally” Richard’s idea. Handling all that power is a Silver Sport 5 Speed transmission. Keeping this impressive powerplant cool and collected, a Ron David Radiator is seated at the front of this engine bay.
Here's a letter from long Time customer Chris McGuire
Good morning Butler Performance , this is Chris McGuire, thank you "really "for your interest in my ride ! My goal was build it , enjoy it , and have folks like you appreciate it ! Thank you ! Well , this was it 1996 , in a field , minus "injun", trans , top , and interior . I paid a whopping $100 bucks for her and took her home. 19 years of "regular" hot rodding fun , transformed to "Gasser ". In this lengthened "teepee" started my 5 yr journey into a new style of "attitude ". Speedway Motors supplied the straight axle kit along with other compatible parts , I didnt chop off the front end like most , instead I took off the stock suspension and plated the frame . The engine crossmember was cut in half "length wise" then rebraced to give more under clearance for the straight axle. Already knowing about Butler Performance and their earned reputation , my first contact with Butler Performance was around 4/ 2016 and after detailed discussions about application and expected performance.
I purchased a bad*** "pump gas" 467ci stroker kit for my bare 67 400 pontiac block along with a complement of other suggested components from Butler Performance . I decided to buy a billet 4 bolt main splay kit from Pro Gram Engineering and have the block fitted for them by John Rankin at R.P.M of Martinez Ca . I also purchased a set of round port Butler race prepped Edelbrock performer aluminum heads for my 467 kit . A Victor Edelbrock manifold was the choice to fit the Butler 'turtle' air diffuser on the plenum floor, I also port matched the intake and 3/8 "heat displacing carb spacer . The valley pan came from Nitemare Performance . Butler performance suggested a minimum 950 cfm carb for my application , Butler also added that Dougs long tube headers would be the best for evacuating exhaust away from those big breathing heads . I chose the Holley 950 XP for carburetion . Fuel delivery is via BG 400 , all A/N 1/2 in line was used from carb to a16 gal trunk mounted JAZ fuel cell . All engine internals were treated with A.R.P fasteners . I fabbed a modified 7qt deep sump oil pan w/ oil trap , a reworked windage tray "clearanced" for A.R.P main studs , a Butler high pressure 70 psi anti cavitating oil pump , I also lengthened the oil pick up tube
I used Crower 1.65 rockers , Johnson short travel hydraulic lifters , chromoly pushrods w/ oil restrictors also home fabbed is the oil filter adapter , head to frame mounts , mid plate mount , ladder bars , rear coil over shock mount. I narrowed and replated the stock rear wheel well frame rails and made wheel tubbs . Jegs supplied a "cut to fit "10 pt roll bar kit that I cut and welded to the frame and also made the roll bar gussets and customised two Jegs driveline loop supports. The trunk bulkhead was homebuilt .The differential is a 57 /64 "period" correct Olds/Pontiac 9.3 that I found locally at a friends auto wrecking yard (FairVac Auto) buried in a pile of other diffs , I dug it out , my friend Don D confirmed it was the "real deal " and shelled out $100 bucks. I took the 308 non posi and beefy axles out and saved them , I had the housing narrowed and steel billet ends were welded in place along with a FABCRAFT back brace , all done by Theo at Wizzard Racing of Woodland Ca . A 4:10 "Trophy Track" posi by FABCRAFT Metalworks was chosen .
The 9.3 differential gearing was all set up in the housing professionally by local friend Don Doan of Vacaville Ca who also supplied the 31 spline Moser axles. All four corners were treated to A.R.P racing studs and long shank lugnuts . Mark Williams Enterprise supplied the billet carbon fiber drive shaft with billet ends , quick release billet yoke , and greaseless Spicer 1350 series u joints . I chose a well built J.W transmission th400 reverse pattern w/ transbrake , deep pan and ultrabell bellhousing. A T.C.I flexplate and Tuffstuff high torque mini starter were the choices for the build .
A custom 4000 stall torque converter was built by Lenny at Ultimate Converter Concepts exclusively for my ride . I used M/T street S/S radials 30x10 x-15s rears ,15x4.5 -15 pizza cutters up front with an 11" Wilwood brake kit from Speedway Motors . "Make memories" , "have fun". Thanks Butler Performance for your interest in my story !
Sincerely : Chris McGuire...
"So here's the scoop on the build.... My good friend Floyd Wasoba traded a truck load of hay for this car when he was in high school, when he was in college the car was stolen, they stripped the motor, trans, rear end and interior out of it.... When it was recovered Floyd put it in a barn with the intentions of rebuilding it one day, it had set in the barn for 28 years and as life happens to us all he was never able to rebuild it, he was involved in a logging accident that left him paralyzed from the chest down and had given up on the dreams of ever finishing the car, in early April of 2015 his son Daniel Wosoba called me and asked if I would be interested and helping him rebuild his dad's car .... Of course I jumped at the opportunity to be involved in such a special project, so we devised a plan and snuck the GTO out of the barn without Floyd's knowledge.... On May 7th 2015 we started on the car and on October 3rd 2015 we drove the car into a surprise birthday party for Floyd ( it was a hard 5 months ) ... seeing Floyd's face at the birthday party it was all worth it ... if you paid attention to the walk around video after taking it out of hibernation there is hand controls beside the steering wheel and paddle shifters on the steering wheel.... that's the reason for the swing out roll bars and the corbeau front seats with a 5-point harness, so Floyd can transfer from his wheelchair into the car.... the first car show we took it to it won first place in the muscle car division and when we took the car to the track Floyd went 11.30 at a 119 mph ... I don't think I have ever seen a bigger smile on anyone.
About the car.... It's a 1970 GTO, it has a 494 cubic inch Butler motor that dynoed at over 650hp, the trans is a 4l80e with a 3000 stall converter, the rear end is a Moser 12 bolt with 3:73 gears, the car weighs just over 4,200 lb, the suspension is CCP tubular front and rear with coilovers and big disc brakes on all four corners, the interior and console were custom built around the corbeau seats, it has Vintage Air that blows 42°, Bluetooth radio and will cruise down the road at 70 miles an hour no problem ... and I almost forgot it has a hundred horsepower shot of nitrous just for good measure...."
The transmission is a 400 hydromatic that was slightly massaged and a gear vendor overdrive that delivers power to a Moser rear 33 spline true track rear with a 355:1 gear ratio. Works really well on the highway, I also utilized a Hotchkis subframe kit due to the boat load of torque the engine produces.
This is a factory AC car with electric windows, tilt wheel, electric trunk, factory gauge cluster and power top.
Thanks & Best Regards
Charles Kropewnicki
Race ported Edlebrock heads
Dual 952 CFM Barry Grants on Wentzler tunnel Ram
Custom grind Roller Hydraulic cam 562/580 lift 299/305 duration
M-22 Rock-crusher 4 speed
3:73 12 bolt Posi
We topped this off with a completely restored Tri-power set-up that we dyno tuned to feed the new combo. David’s stock appearing but much improved 421 now make 490 HP and over 540 ft.lbs. of torque on pump gas!
From David
"We installed the 421 tripower in my 65 GTO this past week. It sure made a big big difference from my nearly stock 389 tripower. Boy it will move and quick."
"These photos are way overdue. David had requested that we send some photos to you, so please forward them to him so that he sees them.
The 1965 Mayfair Maize GTO is proudly owned (since 1987) by Glen Daves. The Butler engine was built the summer of 2013.
The 1967 Gulf Turquoise GTO is referred to as "Susan's GTO", but let's be realistic, without Glen there would be no car!
Both cars are "people magnets" where ever we go. Clearly the engines themselves draw attention, especially to people who are knowledgeable, but these same people truly appreciate the personal details that Glen has fabricated for both cars. I personally could not be more proud.
Thank you for your part in bringing two beautiful GTOs into better then new condition!"
From Dan
"I had Butler build a 461 longblock using my 69 400 block.The Edelbrock 87cc d-ports were painted and logos removed for a factory stock look.Engine includes a custom Comp Cams hyd roller cam.Ram Air exhaust manifolds add to the stock look.Transmission has been switched to a TremecTKO600 5 spd.I installed everything last spring. I originally restored the car 20 yrs ago.My 69 Firebird convertible is a super fun to drive cruiser with the overdrive and the Butler power really adds to the excitement."
Dan Kirchner
Columbus, Oh.
Due to my job I get to travel all over the country. Since I am a classic car enthusiasts I often stop and check out classic cars where ever they may be sitting. It’s not unusual for me to stop and knock on doors just hear the story about a particular car. In the early spring of April 2016, I was on one of those trips when I stumbled on a gem. The Company I work for had assigned me to travel to Vermont, New Hampshire, & Maine to spend a week traveling with one of my coworkers who lives in that region. We headed out early Monday morning out of Burlington, VT headed east. After a short distance I brought my coworker up to speed about my classic car addiction. I told him not to be surprised if I ask him to stop and look at cars on the way. Not being a car guy was he somewhat surprised by my request and replied! What do you mean stop and look at cars? I explained! If I see something interesting in a field or garage or something that looks classic in nature I may want to check it out. I am looking for a GTO! About 1 hr. into our trip we had gotten off the beaten path heading to one of our client’s location which was several miles down a gravel road in Pittsfield, VT. Upon turning into our clients parking lot out of my right eye I saw a white old car sitting in a field behind an old house beside where we were stopping. I couldn’t really tell what it was since it was several hundred yards away. I commented to my car worker! See that’s what I am talking about! Sitting there in the field! My coworker said! That piece of junk! That piece of junk may be gold. It’s a Pontiac something 60s something from the distance. Soon as this meeting was over I headed cross the field to check out the car. As I got closer my heart started pounding harder when I saw the GTO emblem on the grill. Of course, I immediately went knocked on the door all the while my coworker replied! I am not believing this you’re knocking on this person door about this old car. Yep! To my surprise the person who owned the GTO was surprised we had asked about the car. That’s a good sign since I was worried this guy had been asked hundreds of times If he wanted to sell. The guy was glad to come out and tell us about the cars history. He had parked it in the field about 10 years earlier due to the ignition coil having gone out. I had to have this car. 1965 GTO 4 speed car. Missing the original 389 with a 1970 Pontiac 350 installed in it. The owner mentioned that many years earlier the 389 had gotten blown up with the intent to rebuild but the engine disappeared. After several minutes of dickering over the car I ended up buying the car. I couldn’t have been more excited. Spent the next few days on our trip setting up logistics topic her up and transport to TN. That was no easy task! My trip to that region lasted about ten days. The next day after I arrived at our home in Knoxville TN my 65 GTO showed up. We got her unloaded and immediately got the pressure washer out and started washing away 10 years of tree sap and grime. I was determined to get it running. Spent the next week flushing the fuel tank replacing the starter and rebuilding the ignition. Then finally she came to life. Several of neighbors came running out when they heard it fire up. We spent the next few months killing surface rust gutting the interior and taking her on Sunday afternoon drives. November of 2016 we put together a parts list of things we wanted to accomplish over the winter. One of the first projects that we started Dec 2016 was to remove all the suspension. A arms, rear-end etc. We had everything sand blasted and painted. We replaced all the rubber bushings and ball joints. We lowered her 2 inches with drop spindles and springs. We completed a complete drum to disc brake conversion with power brakes. We purchased several sets of boss wheels till we achieved the stance we were looking for. During Jan of 2017 I was on another one of my work trips. I just happened to be traveling through Lawrenceburg TN when I stumbled onto Butler Performance. Since I watch Street Out laws I kind knew who Butler was but was surprised they were in TN. I immediately made a U turn and went in to see what they were about. The first person I met was Greg. I told him about my GTO and we discussed some engine possibilities. At that time, I was thinking short block only. A few days later Greg e mailed me a quote for a short block. I pleased with the quote price not as bad I was thinking. I have built Pontiacs before and have some experience building them. But would be cool if Butler built me an engine. IT was almost impossible for me to even dream since I wasn’t sure if I really wanted to spend that kind of money on this car. So a few months had past and all I could think about was if I could really afford to have Butler build this engine for me. So I emailed Greg had him quote me a long block. Got the quote back and felt like not too bad at all. During all this we were still working on the car. My Sons both Tyler and Mason had spent extensive time helping me on the car. Spring of 2017 we decided to re wire the complete car. We purchased a complete re wire kit from American Auto Wire. This kit was awesome. Very easy to install highly recommend these kits. We spent most of the Summer of 2017 dealing with suspension issues with tires rubbing. We changed out several sets of front springs and another set of tires before getting the ride we were looking for. September of 2017 I decided I would finally pull the trigger on a new Butler Performance 461 long block. To my surprise my wife Denise was on board as well. So, we went ahead and put our deposit down. Since it was going to be a while before the long block would be ready we were able to enjoy taking her on Sunday afternoon drives and work on getting ready for our new engine. Towards the end of the process and after a visit at Butler Performance we decided to go ahead and finish this off with a turn key Engine pkg from Butler performance. During the last few weeks before our new engine was to be ready I decided to make change to the car. I had been trying to come up with a good gear ratio for our 12 bolt gm rear end. I found a company who build custom ford 9-inch rear ends for A body cars. They are called Extreme rear ends. I made the decision to go ahead and order a complete 9 inch with a 3: 90 gear ratios. Spent the last week before our Butler engine was to be ready getting it dialed in. Mid Jan 2018 we got the call our Butler engine was ready to pick up. We couldn’t have been more excited. We spent February & March 2018 getting our New Butler 461 engine installed. We now have the engine installed and are back to taking he on Sunday afternoon drives and burning little rubber along the way. During this process we couldn’t be any happier with all our interaction with Butler Performance. This was hard and huge step for the restoration of this GTO. Looking back, I am so glad we made the decision to go all in and Have Butler provide us Engine. We now have something unique and defiantly turns heads at red lights. Of course, this story is not over. To be continued next year. Hoping to do complete frame off restoration. To be continued!!!
The FarmBird was a first seen on Discovery Channel's Street Outlaws with FarmTruck and AZN. It was a build to compete against Aaron Kaufman from Gas Monkey Garage in the Mega Race featuring Big Chief and Richard Rawlings. The car took its root as a Trans Am dirt track car with a modest Pontiac 455 engine with cast iron heads. Needless to say, Farmtruck and Azn were not satisfied with a cool looking creation that wasn't making the power they needed. So guess who got the call? Yes, you guessed right, Butler Performance. After the Mega Race Farm Truck and AZN brought the Farmbird to our shop so we could add custom Butler/Edelbrock CNC Ported Heads, Butler/Comp Cams custom ground cam, and some other Butler specific upgrades. Wink, Wink...
When the car was finished, we had the opportunity have a little fun. The Farmbird, with Farmtruck and AZN, flew down to our private track. Several passes were made and the tuning was now complete where it headed back into its nest. Next stop, Bristol Motor Speedway.
Click Here to see the birth of the Farmbird on Discovery Channel's Street Outlaws
467 cu.in Pontiac with a Butler Performance balanced rotating assembly and BP/Comp custom grind camshaft. Plus a serpentine belt system and other B.P. goodies that help make this engine as special as the car it's in. This Firebird is an absolute beauty!
You can check it out at SEMA 2017 in The Wheel Group/Ridler Wheels booth #43049.
July 2017 Update
482 c.i. Pontiac with Butler Performance/LSM BILLET BLOCK. 2200+ HP!!
6.34 @ 216 MPH his first time on the ¼ mile with the new combo at the 2017 Norwalk Pontiac Nationals
Mike Cooper currently has a very fast and so far bullet-proof B.P. 505 Procharged engine with an ALLPONTIAC IAII cast iron block. But He decided he wanted to step up to a BILLET aluminum block for this season, to save a little weight and have the ultimate in strength. Even though this new combo is a little smaller he will be able to turn it up to make even more power when he's ready. Mike likes to shift under 8000 RPM so we stopped the dyno pull there with the power still climbing fast! We expect to see Mike turn it up even more at Norwalk this year in the Butler Performance Frantic Four race!
Butler Performance 505 cu.in. Procharged engine making well over 2000 HP!! Procharger, Fuel System and Tune by Quillen Motorsports Engineering
1968 Pro Touring Firebird with a Butler Powered 505cu.in. Fuel Injected monster pushing over 610hp and 620 ft lbs tq. This engine build started with a new IAII block with Ross Pistons and Forged crank assembly. Fueling this beast is a FAST Multi-Port EFI Kit with Polished 4150 throttle body with Custom Edelbrock Ported Heads and Torker II EFI Manifold as well. Features a March Black Onyx Serpentine System with blacked out Butler fabricated valve covers for that sleek look. This immaculate car was crafted by the guys at Metalworks with a frame off restoration and custom fabrication. Hats off to them for their high-quality work and we can't say enough about the job they accomplished. So enjoy the video and pictures while Jason is surely enjoying this awesome Butler Powered bird.
Brad came to us wanting to put some major power in his 64 Catalina 2+2. We took his idea and turned it into a 535 cu.in 800 HP/710 ft lb Pontiac Powered Beast... and on PUMP GAS!!!
The foundation starts with a new IAII Aluminum Block with Custom Ross Pistons, Scat Forged Crank and Oliver Rods. It also features a Custom Billet 50mm Cam with Crower Roller Lifters, T & D Shaft Rocker Assembly. Butler/Edelbrock Custom Round Port 360cfm CNC Wide Port Heads, Ignition components by MSD, and a BP GZ Evac System. To give it a beautiful shine, we installed a March "Style Track" Serpentine Pulley System, polished intake, and BP polished fabricated valve covers.
A Word from Brad
"Finally got my engine installed, that I received from Butler Performance. It's a 535 IAII aluminum block with BP/Edelbrock wide port heads, installed and running in my 64 Catalina 2+2. What a beast! I couldn't be happier with the workmanship and quality they have displayed! Very helpful throughout the entire build process. Thank you again, she runs great! I would also like to thank my wife DiAnne for her patience, and most of the time understanding, during this build. Also, thanks to my daughter Jamie Lin, for the great pics! Would like to give a big thank you to John, Pam, Tony Rossi, Taylor, and Tom Kelly from the home based shop we call Rossi's Hot Rod Garage with the install! A big shout out to Craig and Doug for the electrical updates. Great job guys! Thank you to Dave Crawford at Dave's Muffler & Repair, for the exhaust and suspension work. A big shout out to Rossler Transmissions and Gear Vendors for delivering all that BP power to the Fab Craft 9.3 Trophy Trac posi rear end! Hard work and long hours are much appreciated!
Thank you all Bad Brad"
Photos courtesy of Jamie Lin Martin of www.707photography.com
With 680 Hp And 664 Lb Ft Of Torque, The Butler Built 505ci EFI Engine Doesn't Have To Make Apologies To Anyone. It Idles Smoothly, Drives Well, Sounds Mean, And Makes Tons Of Power. Full Specs Can Be Found In The Chart. The Smooth, Clean Look Of The Engine Compartment Delivers A Sophisticated And Finished Appearance. Now Painted, You Can See The Nice Integration Of The Radiator Cover, Sheetmetal Firewall, And Fender Fillers. Trick Looking Fesler Built Chevelle Hood Hinges Were Modified By The Roadster Shop To Work On The GTO. They Add A High Tech Look, As Does Billet Specialties' Air Cleaner (with A K&N Filter).
David Butler of Butler Performance said of the engine, “We were looking for modern driveability and durability, with the power and torque of a big-inch traditional Pontiac engine. We also wanted a powerplant that would perform well in a variety of street and race applications. The third thing we were after was a specific engine combo that we could duplicate for future JWSE customer cars, without varying from the horsepower we achieved in the prototype.”
Technical Specifications
Year/Model: 1969 Jim Wangers Signature Edition GTO
Race Weight With Driver: 4,350 lbs
Curb Weight: 4,100 lbs
Fuel Level When Weighed: Full
Fuel: 93 octane
Engine: Butler/IA II
Cubic Inches: 505
Induction System
Fuel Injection: FAST
Throttle Body: FAST, Dominator-style, 4150
Injectors: Edelbrock 44-lb/hr PICO
Intake Manifold: Edelbrock
Fuel System
Pump: Aeromotive, electric
Lines: Aeromotive -8, -6
Regulator: Aeromotive, set to 45 psi
Heads
Casting: Edelbrock
Head Porting: Butler CNC
Flow Numbers: 332/265 cfm at 0.700-in lift
Valves: Ferrea 2.25/1.74-in, stainless steel
Bottom End
Pistons: Ross forged aluminum, flat-top, 4.350-in
Rings: Total Seal Classic Race, file-to-fit, 1/16, 1/16, 3/16-in
Rods: Eagle forged-steel, H-Beam 6.800-in
Compression Ratio: 10.9:1
Crankshaft: Butler forged-steel, 4.250-in stroke, nitrided
Rotating Assembly Balanced: Yes
Camshaft
Brand: Comp Cams hydraulic roller
Duration at 0.050: 248/254-deg
Lift With Specified Rocker Arms: 0.618/0.618-in
Lobe Separation Angle: 110-deg
Installed Position: 107-deg
Ignition
Distributor: MSD Pro-Billet
Amplifier: MSD 6AL
Coil: MSD Blaster 2
Wires: MSD 8.5 mm
Spark Plugs: NGK R5671A-7
Total Timing: 34-deg
RPM that total timing is reached: 2,800
Exhaust
Headers: Doug’s
Primaries: 1.875-in diameter
Collectors: 3.5-in diameter
Exhaust Pipes: 3-inch stainless, custom
Mufflers: Pypes
Crossover: Custom X-type pipe
Drivetrain
Transmission: Tremec TR6060 six-speed
Clutch: SPEC Stage 3
Shifter: Modified Hurst
Rear: Ford 9-in
Rear Gear Ratio: 3.70:1
Posi: Detroit Truetrac
Axles: Moser, 31-spline
Chassis and Suspension
Brakes Front: Wilwood/Jim Wangers Signature Edition
Rotors: 14-in
Calipers: Six-piston
Brakes Rear: Wilwood/Jim Wangers Signature Edition
Rotors: 13-in
Calipers: Six-piston
Wheels Front: HRE/Jim Wangers Signature Edition, 19×10
Tires Front: Michelin Pilot Sport PS2 275/30ZR19
Wheels Rear: HRE/Jim Wangers Signature Edition, 20×12
Tires Rear: Michelin Pilot Sport PS2 335/30ZR20
Suspension Front
Springs: Eibach, 600 lb-rate
Control Arms: Tubular, with Corvette C6 spindle
Stabilizer Bar: NASCAR-style 1.25-in
Shocks: AFCO coilovers, remote reservoir, double-adjustable
Steering: Corvette rack and pinion
Suspension Rear
Springs: Eibach, 450 lb-rate
Control Arms: Tubular
Stabilizer Bar: None
Shocks: AFCO coilovers, double-adjustable
The Rest
Top Speed: Builder’s estimate, 190 mph
Price: Over $100,000 at press time
Performance Highlights
Road Course Time: 1:07:50
Skid Pad Average Lateral G-force: 0.955 g
60-0 Mph Braking Distance: 147 feet
Dragstrip Quarter-mile: 12.16 at 120.41 mph
Barrett Jackson Lot #1401 1978 PONTIAC FIREBIRD CUSTOM COUPE "BURT REYNOLDS BANDIT"
Click Here to visit the Barrett Jackson Auction Listing
Pro-Touring Firebird owned by actor Burt Reynolds and built by Restore a Muscle Car and Gene Kennedy. It started life as a Firebird Formula and has been customized to what you see today. It's powered by a Butler Performance 8.2-liter engine with over 600hp , aluminum intake and heads, March pulleys, ceramic-coated headers and 3" exhaust with Spintec mufflers. It's also equipped with Fast XFI fuel injection, Shaker hood, aluminum radiator, electric fans and air conditioning. It also has Tremec 5-speed manual transmission with Hurst Line-Lock, mini-tubbed Detroit Speed, QA1 coilovers and RAMC billet 18" Snowflake wheels with Nitto Drag Radials. The custom leather interior features a Pioneer and JL Audio Sound System. The car is signed by Burt Reynolds.
Click Here to see the featured aArticle on Fox News; "The Bandit Rides Again"
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Best Regards,
C.J.
To Butler Performance,
I have been buying parts and slowly rebuilding my 1970 Firebird since 2000. In 2013, when it was time for a new engine, I had a couple local machine shops work on a 461 Stroker that never lived to its potential and had nothing but issues and problems. I then decided to call Butler and have them build an engine for me that was powerful and reliable.
I ordered an IAII 505 and from day one, Butler was very eager to please and helpful. They asked me what I wanted and told me how to go about it. When I received my engine, it was clean, beautiful and ran like a dream! I now have an engine that I can be confident and proud to own.
Butler Performance has great quality control and customer service. I will always recommend them and I will never shop anywhere else.
Sincerely,
Jeremy
Sacramento, California
Mike Brown's 8:71 BDS blown Butler Performance Pontiac on the dyno. 474 cu.in./455 block, very mild HYD ROLLER Cam, 8:1 c.r with 7 psi boost on pump gas. Made 711 HP and almost 700 ft/lbs torque! Should make a fun little street cruiser... with the AC on!
Mike Brown's awesome 474 cu.in Blown Pontiac street beast! This torque monster is based on a 455 block with B.P. ported Edelbrock heads and runs on pump gas with a very streetable hyd roller cam. We were able to incorporate one of our serpentine belt systems with all accessories including AC, and even found room to mount a B.P. crankcase vacuum pump to keep this engine sealed up for years of boosted street driving. Look for a feature on Mike's 1971 LeMans once he gets his new B.P. Pontiac installed and on the road!
IN HONOR
Michael Brown – Salem, VA
What you see here is a dream, a project, that I wanted to see become a reality since the early 1980’s. Many of us saw cars created back then in the “pro-street” theme, I was one of those teenagers. When I was 16, I knew specifically which car I wanted to build this way: A 1971 Pontiac LeMans.
My grandmother purchased a new LeMans on August 13th, 1971 from Steene-Miller Pontiac in Oak Hill, WV. Total price was $3,450. I have had the car since 1980, driving it for three years with the original Pontiac 350 and TH350 transmission. I was very smart in college, buying “clunkers” to drive so that I could keep the LeMans in our basement and away from the West Virginia winters. In 1983, things changed again with the car as I lost my mom to cancer. In the summer of 1983, I removed a 455 and TH400 from her 1972 Bonneville. After having the engine “warmed up”, it was placed in my LeMans. The car was driven in summer months only until the fall of 1987. The car stayed in many garages over the years, awaiting a transformation. This process began in early 2015.
This “transformation” began by having a Checkered Racing four-link rear suspension (with sway bar), roll cage, wheel tubs, fuel cell and narrowed 9 inch Ford rear end installed by Front Page Motorsports of Roanoke, VA. Now, my work began as I proceeded to re-wire the whole car with a Painless kit, install a new fuel system, new interior, Dakota Digital gauges and fan controller, disk brakes on all four wheels, CPP hydro-boost and tubular A-arms, a BeCool fan and radiator package, Vintage Air a/c system, MechMan alternator and many other modifications.
The 455 engine block, from my mother’s car, was sent to Butler Performance Pontiac as I wanted them to tackle the largest aspect of the build. Since the 1980’s, I had always envisioned a blower sticking up through the hood of my car…. Butler utilized a BDS 8-71 blower (with dual chrome Holley 650’s by BDS), Edelbrock round port aluminum heads, a custom March serpentine belt system, Comp roller cam / lifters, MSD ignition and the list goes on. I requested a “mild” build, and the 711HP and 697lb-ft of torque provides just that – yes, with the a/c on! I received EXACTLY what I wanted.
The TH400 from my mother’s car was built by Bass Transmissions of Roanoke, equipped with a manual valve body and stronger internals. I then installed a Pro-Torque converter and a Gear Vendors overdrive, and both of them are performing very well.
My car spent six months being painted by J. D. Campbell Restorations in Catawba, VA. The “Dodge Viper Red” finish has made me quite proud and it too generates many inquires as to “who painted this?”
So, do you care to guess what was the most emotional part of the build was? You have many things to consider that relate to this 18+ month project. When the car came home from paint, the very first thing I did was to install my license plate: N HONR. The car was “in honor” of my mother, my grandmother, my father, all of our family members that had something in common with this vehicle.
On September 3rd, 2016, I was finally able to drive the car with my wife by side. This was the first time for us in the car in 29 years! The next morning, we received a call at 4:30AM. My wife, who had been on dialysis since December of 2015, had to report to a transplant center immediately for a new kidney. This was one blessing after another.
I have to say “thanks” to quite a few people that helped so much. The following have helped make this dream a reality: Butler Performance Pontiac, J. D. Campbell, George Page, Gary Stultz, Mark Patsel and especially my wife – Sherry Brown.
It was his daughter, Tara, who suggested that he get a new body and chassis for the 1967 Firebird motor he’d had sitting on a stand in his garage for decades. And so, circa June 2009 — around the time his daughter was finishing high school — Stanley and Tara began working on what would - seven years later - finally become his dream racing machine.
Stanley says his vehicle, which was be featured in the 2015 Detroit Autorama, is “a brand new car,” but he also calls it a 1965 Daytona Coupe. For the longtime car lover — a consulting actuary by day — the road to Autorama has been pitted with more potholes than the average metro Detroit street.
Stanley got a 1967 Pontiac Firebird in the 1980s, hoping to bring it back to life. But while the exterior of the car was at a body shop, it was stolen, leaving Stanley with nothing but the motor and drive train. Later, Stanley’s beloved 1968 Pontiac GTO — which he’d owned since the 1970s and had dreamed of getting admitted to Autorama — was destroyed in a fire.
With his daughter’s encouragement and help, in June 2009 Stanley got a Factory Five Racing replica kit of the 1965 Shelby Daytona Cobra Coupe and worked on that, initially incorporating the rebuilt Firebird engine into the vehicle. When his daughter left for college in 2010, he continued to work on the car in "his half" of a two car garage, only finishing it recently. His Daytona Coupe is custom painted House of Kolors Jet Black with HOK Neon Chartreuse racing stripes.
Except for the paint and the motor, “I’ve done all the work myself,” Stanley said. Sam has brought it to events such as the Detroit Autorama, the Harper Cruise and the Woodward Dream Cruise, and the Woodward Dream Cruise Car Show.
Sam's Daytona Coupe's theme is that it's a real, SCCA sanctioned and documented road racing car, but also street legal and "streetable". Its SCCA classification is "Super Production" which means that it conforms to all the GT-1 rules. It has a custom full roll cage, and too many other custom features to list here.
“It’s really a cool-looking car,” Stanley said. “It’s a real 21st-century race car.”
Although Sam's original concept was to use his 1967 Pontiac Ram Air I motor from his Firebird that was stolen, and that motor performed fine as it was designed (360 hp) Sam wanted MORE POWER! That's when he turned to Butler Performance. Butler helped Sam to custom design a complete new state of the art 461 cid power plant for his Daytona Coupe, the biggest, baddest motor he could fit in that little car. With Butler's help and advice, Sam stuffed a huge new Butler Pontiac power plant in that tiny chassis! Sam's new Butler Performance motor is built with an iron block, Edelbrock aluminum heads and a custom grind, hydraulic roller lifter camshaft. With such a small, light car (2,400 lbs.) Butler built the perfect motor for Sam's coupe. Scary quick but still perfectly streetable! With a weight to power ratio of 4.75/1, Butler's power plant definitely puts Sam's car in the supercar class!
Sam says "It was dyno'd at the factory (Butler Performance) at 522 horsepower, 577 ft/lbs of torque, at 4500 rpm, so all that power and torque is actually usable without having to spin the motor real fast! Really snappy and loves to wind! Awesome!"
The guys on History Channel's Big Easy Motors took on a project of building a bad GTO powered with a Butler Performance 461 cu.in. Engine. The GTO went from a shell of a car to a beautifully restored high performance street machine.
Click here to the see episode 12 featuring the Butler Powered GTO
- Factory Pontiac 400 bored and stroked to 461 cu. in.
- Butler Custom Rotating Assembly
- H-Beam Rods
- Ross Pistons
- Butler Custom Edelbrock Ported Heads
- and more...
Thanks goes out to Joey and the crew at Big Easy Motors for including us in the build of this beautiful GTO.
Powered by an aluminum block 535 cu.in. Butler Performance Power Plant producing 705hp and 736 lbs/ft.
- Aluminum Block
- Forged 4.500" crank w/H-Beam Rods
- Ross Custom Pistons
- Edelbrock Round Port 340+ cfm Port Matched Heads
- Butler MSD Kit
- Pontiac 4150 Northwind Intake
- Holley 950 CFM HP Carb
- Butler Moroso Evac Kit
- March System
- and much much more...
Completely blueprinted, dyno tested, and tuned.
This monster was crated and shipped to Switzerland to power the BFG Radial Tire Bird
"Hello Butlers
I wanna say thanks for the cool engine, the car is ready for first roll out :-) I hope they like him as I do grets from switzerland."
Rolf
Another beautiful example of a Pontiac in Europe! Peter Baumann from
Switzerland has built an immaculate GTO and came to Butler Performance for
505 cu.in. Pontiac engine with an IAII block, BP/Edelbrock heads and a
BP/COMP custom hyd roller cam. It features a complete 1966 Tri-Power
assembly built by Mike's Tri Power specifically for this combo and it works
great. This engine on pump gas made 520 HP @ only 5200 RPM and over 600
ft/lbs torque @ 3500 RPM!! This Goat has beauty AND power!
Frank Pegueros’ 1965 GTO
Final dyno numbers for my 1965 tripower 421HO was 430 HP and 485 Ft-Lbs Torque. I installed the motor into my 1965 GTO which is equipped with a Muncie M20 4spd and a 12-bolt posi rear-end. The exhaust runs through a set of '67 HO exhaust manifolds and a 2.5-inch Pypes stainless steel exhaust system with electronic cut-outs.
Check out the personalized California legacy license plates ("1BP 421"). Butler built 421!
1965 Pontiac GTO
I purchased the unrestored rust free 1965 Hard
Top GTO in Yakima, Washington during the
summer of 2014 where it spent its entire life and
was garage kept by all previous 4 owners. The
136,000 mile car was repainted in 2012 using
original Cameo Ivory paint. The car's Parchment
interior is 100% original except for the black carpet
which was replaced when the car was repainted.
The original 389 4-barrel was blown by the 2nd
owner during the 1970's and received a Butler
Performance built 1965 421HO Tripower motor in
early 2016. The exhaust runs through a set of 1967
HO exhaust manifolds and a 2.5-inch Pypes
stainless steel exhaust system with electronic cutouts.
Final dyno numbers were 430 HP and 485 Ft-
Lbs Torque.
The original Muncie M20 4 speed and the (non-original) 12-bolt posi rear-end were overhauled during the fall of 2015. All suspension rubber and springs were replaced in 2015. Modest stock upgrades were made by adding Ram Air induction, Rear Cross-member Frame Reinforcement Brackets, Rear Sway Bar, Power Steering, Quick Ratio Steering Box and Front Disc Brakes. Original factory delivered options include: Rally Gauge Cluster & Tach, Center Console, AM Radio, Underhood & Trunk Lamps, Glove Box Lamp, Ash Tray & Cigarette Lighter Lamps, Center Underdash Lamp, Back-up Lamps, Parking Brake Lamp, Visor Vanity Mirror, Custom Retractible Front Seat Belts, Rear Window Defogger, Window Washer & Dual Speed Wiper, Exterior RH Side Mirror, Trunk Mat & Spare Tire Cover, Front & Rear Floor Mats, Soft Ray Windshield, Muncie M20 4 Speed, and Handling & Ride Package.
Roger Berkvik’s 1979 Trans Am
Roger's awesome '79 Trans AM has been completely updated including a Butler Performance 535 cubic inch STREET engine that pushes out 700+HP and 685+lbs of torque on PUMP GAS! This engine features a Butler Performance/Edelbrock/FAST Multi Port EFI system and one of our billet serpentine accessory drive kits. He also uses our drop base assembly to locate his shaker to the correct height with the ported Victor intake. Roger contacted Butler Performance from his home in Norway and asked us to put together a complete turn-key engine & drivetrain. Our guys designed Roger a custom engine and trans package that included a TCI 6X/ 6 Speed automatic OD transmission kit. He did an awesome job putting this car together and emailed us to let us know that he loves driving his all new T.A.!!!
Oct 2016 Update
BIG CHIEF SETS NEW PONTIAC DOOR CAR WORLD RECORD IN THE CROWMOD AT NO MERCY 7
3.99-second pass at 190 mph on drag radials
Click here to read more on SpeedSociety's Site
Big Chief from Discovery Channel's Street Outlaws unveils his newest creation- Crowmod
Click here to read more about the"CROWMOD" on Hotrod.com
2015 PRI Show- Justin “Big Chief” Shearer unveiled his new car- The Crowmod. The same Butler Performance powered engine from his crashed Pontiac, "The Crow".
Justin had a horrific crash in his 1972 Pontiac LeMans drag car during a drag race. As you can see from the pictures, the original Crow was no more. To everyones surprise, the Butler Performance twin turbo 2500 hp engine survived the crash. The drivetrain was extracted and transplanted into his newest creation, a new lighter ride named "Crowmod". The Crowmod is a 1968 Pontiac Firebird featuring the latest and lightest body and chassis available. Here at Butler Performance we are glad to see this custom designed, insanely fast setup take life in his latest creation.
Chris Carrato's 1978 Trans Am
Chris Carrato's 1978 Trans Am features a Butler Performance 650 HP pump gas Pontiac Engine! This combo is based on a 455 block (4.5" stroke) and Edelbrock heads.
The Indy Street Rods 1969 Judge
69 GTO Judge "JudgeMENTAL"
JudgeMENTAL Story
This story actually started decades ago as two stories that eventually merged into one. Darren Nickleson, the builder of JudgeMENTAL is the younger brother of the owner, Don Nickleson. In their teens, in a family of four boys raised by a gear head dad, the only way to have a great car was to find one and fix it up. Don started honing his bodywork skills at the age of 14 and infected his younger brother Darren with that same passion a few years later. Darren later sharpened his skills at a few places including a corvette customizing shop before starting his own collision repair business in his early 20’s. Both brothers like many of us share an unreasonable passion for cars and both have built a number of hotrods and street rods over the years.
A second story started in 1974 when Don became the owner of a very rare 1969 GTO Judge Ram Air IV. The girl (Denise) that Don dated at the time (they were sophomores in high school) eventually became his wife… the guy with the best car wins the girl story. Both loved the Judge but it had to go since the gas mileage and college tuition wouldn’t fit into their budget. They have regretted letting it go ever since and when they decided to build a top level car the decision was easy… build a Judge.
Here is where the two stories merge. Over the two plus decades that have passed Darren built quite a business, primarily a top level collision repair business, but one also capable of building top level show cars and performance cars with any level of fabrication and customization desired. Darren was looking for a way to finance a car that would showcase that talent and draw clients to the Indy Street Rod and Classics side of his business and Don was looking to build a car worthy of showcasing while taking him and his high school sweetheart down memory lane! Those two desires came together in JudgeMENTAL , a two and a half year adventure to possibly the nicest GTO ever built.
JudgeMENTAL is a true GTO built as a tribute to the great 1969 Judge. It is what Pontiac should have built in the current muscle car era, one with awesome styling, tremendous power, and incredible agility. The build started with a sight unseen purchase from Arizona, a rust free true GTO. It was soon discovered that rust free doesn’t mean dent free! Every body panel other than the deck lid was replaced on the car as well as the floor to accommodate the Tremec six speed and mini tubbed rear end.
The car body demonstrates the best in fabrication from the lengthened and boxed-in rocker panels, perfect body gaps, lazer straight body panels, customized front valance, smoothed fabricated inner fenders, fire wall, and much more. Paint and stripes were applied by Darren’s shop using the original Carousel Red plus just the right dose of pearl to give it the right amount of highlights.
It rides on a Street Rod Garage chassis with a narrowed rear allowing the 14X20 rear wheels, with adjustable suspension on all four corners and Wilwood brakes all around. Front wheels are 19X9’s, all rolling on Budnik Cannon wheels.
For the engine Don wanted to stay pure Pontiac so they turned to Butler Performance to build the 505 cubic inch power plant with 665HP and 650lbs of torque. The engine features a F.A.S.T. fuel injection system and a custom breather that snugs up to the scoop vents on the hood. Doug’s headers lead to custom 3 inch oval polished stainless steel dual exhaust. Power is driven to the ground through a Currie rear end.
The interior was fully custom built by Cutter’s Custom Stitchin and includes a custom dash, front to back console, custom buckets front and back… all wrapped in black and gray leather. Classic Instruments provided the custom gauges with the JudgeMENTAL logo on the faces.
End of the day, Darren has a car that showcases what an awesome builder he has become and Don has the greatest tribute to the 1969 GTO Judge the industry had ever seen.
Oh the name, JudgeMENTAL … well it is probably obvious we are CRAZY about the ’69 Judge, true mental cases. Another theory may be that some folks that are bit more reasonable and less passionate might think we are crazy to put so much time, energy and money into a car… clearly they are wrong.
Detroit Muscle TV's Trans AM Tribute
POWER NATION'S DETROIT MUSCLE TV'S TRANS AM TRIBUTE CAR
When the popular TV show Detroit Muscle wanted to build a Trans AM Tribute car they only looked one place for the Pontiac's engine! Butler Performance built them a 474 ci Pontiac Engine producting well over 500 HP and worthy of going in this awesome Trans AM Tribute.
Congrats to Donnie Hicks who was lucky enough to win this car. We hope you enjoy this car and the power it makes for years to come!!
click HERE to watch the episode
Gary Grillo's 1971 Trams Am
Gary Grillo's 1971 Trams Am Gary purchased a 303 cu.in. complete Road Race engine from using a 400 block and custom short stroke billet crank with , Victor Intake, Custom Roller Cam and B.P./Edelbrock Heads. Gary did a great job on this super nice road race car.
Robert Elmore's 1978 Trams Am
Robert Elmore's 1978 Trams Am Robert purchased a 535 cu in engine kit using the IAII aftermarket block from Butler Performance and built the engine himself. Also added a set of Edelbrock 325+ CFM CNC heads and a Victor Intake. This engine also has a Comp Cams hyd roller cam and lifters. Engine is pump gas friendly and runs great. Great job on the engine build and frame off resto Robert.
Justin Shearer's "The Crow" is no more.....
Justin Shearer took a nasty spill recently, totally destroying his beloved "Crow" as seen on Discovery Channel's Street Outlaws. Luckily Justin only suffered minor injuries thanks the the well built Pontiac GTO. This would seem like an end to the story of the Butler Performance powered Pontiac, but he wasted no time transforming this mess into a beautiful lightning fast new car....Butler powered of course.
Congrats to Chief on winning the Outlaw Armageddon Invitational
2015 Episodes coming soon and a new look for the Crow is here!! Scroll down for the new pics of the car!
Justin has been a customer before the hit TV show Street Outlaws was around! He's been building his car that he calls "The Crow" for a couple of years. Justin went with a machined, balanced engine combination that he assembled himself, which was a 482 c.i. IAII block, balanced rotating assembly with BP/ROSS custom turbo pistons, BP/Edelbrock CNC ported heads, custom valvetrain, etc.
Check out this article in Hot Rod about Justin and his Butler Powered GTO
Update 3/2015
BUTLER PERFORMANCE MAKES SEVERAL UPGRADES TO THE CROW’s ENGINE FOR EVEN MORE POWER AND DURABIILTY! CHIEF PLANS TO KEEP HIS PONTIAC ON TOP!
Under the hood of Justin's Pontiac
On the Street with Big Chief
Click here for another look at his Butler Performance engine
Congrats to Justin for making up to the 5th 4th 1st spot on the list. Stay on TOP Justin!!
Ernie runs an aluminum BP/IAII block with BP/Edel CNC Wideport heads, BP custom rotating assembly and custom B.P. cam/valvetrain.
Glenn Taylor's 1967 GTO
Glenn purchased a 467 cu in balanced rotating assembly along with a set of 87cc Edelbrock heads to put in this beautiful 1967 GTO that is mother bought new in 67. Car was then given to him when he was 16 years old and has had it ever since. Engine also has a custom grind Comp Cams hyd roller and a FAST EZ EFI 2.0 system. Also behind the engine is a 200-4R trans. Awesome Job Glenn!
Danny Mazzella's 1968 Tempest
Danny Mazzella's 1968 Tempest Danny purchased a 462 cu in long block from Butler Performance and finished it out with a set of Edelbrock D-port heads. This engine also has a Edelbrock Victor intake and Butler Performance custom fab valve covers. Updated 3/11/2015 Street driven full interior 1968 Pontiac Tempest. Used mainly to get cheeseburgers and corn dogs with the wife in the California weather. It’s got 461ci Butler Pontiac under the hood that burns on alky through a pro-systems 950cfm 4150HP. Backed with TH350 & 5000 stall. Best 60ft 1.41, Best ET 10.18@132 not bad for 3790lbs!!
Allen Ray's 1968 Firebird
Allen purchased all his engine parts from Butler Performance and built it himself!! Including a 461 cu in balanced rotating assembly, a set of Edelbrock 87cc D-port heads, Comp Cams hyd roller camshaft, Edelbrock Performer RPM intake and Tall Butler Performance fabricated valve covers. Behind the engine, he installed a California Performance Transmission 2004R complete AT trans kit w/ overdrive. All these parts make for a very nice Firebird.
Kyle Foreman's 1967 GTO
Kyle Foreman’s 1967 GTO Kyle purchased a 467 cu in Unassembled Engine Kit with Edelbrock Heads from Butler Performance that he completely built himself. This engine also has a B.P. Custom Grind hydraulic roller cam and lifters which makes it very streetable and PUMP GAS friendly! "Hi, I would just like to thank you for the 467 stroker complete engine kit with all the custom engine parts purchased from Butler Performance for my 67 GTO I completely assembled myself with all your help. She fired up on the first crank, this engine sounds like a drag car. My GTO was my very first project car I bought when I was 15 years old. I'm now 41 years old and completely restored it the way I wanted. It would not have been perfect without this engine. I have never received so many compliments on this car. Thanks again."
LARRY GATTIS' 1964 GTO
Larry Gattis' 1964 GTO Larry has a Butler Performance 535 c.i. Engine with a streetable hydraulic roller cam that made over 700 HP and 715 ft.lbs. torque on PUMP GAS!!! Also Larry built the car himself in his own garage. Awesome job Larry "Hi, David I installed my new engine and worked out all the details (there are always a lot of them) and it runs great! The torque is amazing, and will snap your head back at 80mph. I have the gear vendors overdrive and can run 70mph at less than 3000 rpm. At 60 I can punch the overdrive off, floor it, and the car really comes alive! If I am in second over and punch to 2nd under, it will get sideways at 50 mph when I nail it. A/F ratio runs around 12 most of the time and there is never any kind of bog. It was close fitting under the hood, so I found an obnoxious red breather that worked with a 72 Corvette base. Thanks for your excellent work; I am truly impressed! Here are some pics of my ride!"
BRIAN METZGER'S 1978 TA
Brian Metzger's 1978 TA Brian opted for a Butler Performance 505 c.i. engine that would run on pump gas and uses a hydraulic roller cam! This combo should lead to long engine life with very little maintance!
Scott Wells' 1967 GTO
Scott Wells' 1967 GTO
Scott is a starting center in the NFL. He was part of the Super Bowl winning Green Bay Packers in 2010 and is now with the St. Louis Rams.
Scott had Tennessee Classic Automotive restore and customize a beautiful 1967 GTO. They came to Butler Performance in search of an engine that would have the horsepower and look to compliment this one of a kind custom GTO . We built Scott a 501 cu in engine to run on pump gas with Edelbrock heads, hyd roller cam and EZ EFI Multi Port Injection. Also included a March Style Track system to match the Butler Performance valve covers and polished throttle body which really made the engine look great. The engine made 639 ft lbs of Torque and 638 HP!!
Dave Dillon's 1969 GTO
Dave went with a 467 cu.in. Butler Performance Balanced Rotating Assembly and ported Edelbrock Round Port Heads. This engine also has a very nice hyd roller camshaft and runs on Pump Gas.
Dave had this to say in a letter to Butler Performance
"Wanted to let you guys know how great my engine package runs & performs! I finally made it to the drag strip w/my car what was about 22 yrs.to the day since I was @ Ubly Dragway before I parked it & made the car what it is today! It ran consistent 10.40’s all day. We had people coming over & checking out my car & they couldn’t believe it when I told them it runs on pump gas w/ street tires & mufflers. There was a few Pontiac guys there that were very impressed that when they looked under the hood they were expecting to see a big block Chevy and seeing a Pontiac setting in there they wanted to know all about it. So I told them if you want to make your Pontiac engine run like mine and be reliable to drive, get ahold of Butler Performance! l tell everybody @ all the car shows we go to also because I get so many compliments on how great my engine looks! It got me a trophy @ Frankenmuth Auto Fest this fall. They only give out 50 awards and there were around 2500 cars there! So thanks again for getting my engine running right w/ the head & cam package to complete the 467 kit. It runs and sounds wicked! "
Roger Sanford's 1964 GTO
Roger went with a 467 cu. in. Butler Performance Stroker Kit and finished the engine off with a set of 72cc Edelbrock heads and a really nice solid roller camshaft. The engine made 505 HP and 537 ft lbs of torque.
Paul Delfeld’s 1964 GTO Convertible
Paul Delfeld, who owns Ram Air Restoration, has just completed a long term restoration on his 1964 GTO Convertible. The car started life as a Triple Black 389 Tri-Power car, with a 4 speed and AC. Paul wanted a “period correct” and original looking car that was also fun and easy to drive. He put the correct engine in storage and contacted Butler Performance to build a 421 SD engine with #980 SD heads and factory SD 2x4 intake and carbs. We stroked the 421 to 461 cu.ins., lowered the compression to a pump gas friendly 9.5:1 and installed a mild hyd roller cam. This engine produced 525 HP and almost 550 ft.lbs. of torque! Paul also installed a Tremec/TKO600 5 speed OD trans.
Congratulations to Paul on finishing his stunning GTO!
Chris Burrows 461 c.i. / 525+ HP Pump Gas GTO Judge
Chris purchased a complete turn-key 461 cu in engine with Edelbrock heads, Hyd Roller cam and our Forged Rotating Assembly. Built for Pump Gas and Very Streetable.
Kyle Morse's 1964 Tempest
Kyle went with a 461 cu.in. Butler Performance Stroker Kit and finished the engine out to be match his period correct look!
Dean Amos’ Beautiful Pro-Street Firebird
Dean went with a 535 cu.in. Butler Performance Pro-Street Engine with BDS 8:71 Blower and March Serpentine system. This combo made 880 HP and 778 ft.lbs. Torque
ON PUMP GAS and STREETABLE
Dean had this to say in a letter to Butler Performance
"Hi David. It's been a little while and just wanted to drop you a note, give you and update and tell you how much I appreciate the job you guys did on the motor. It is very rare that I ever hire out engine building and other work, since I have always done this myself. It's seems whenever I have had to hire out, many times I have to redo their work to get things done correctly. Very few places take pride in their work as if they were working on their own cars nowadays...
With all this said, I wanted to tell you how much I appreciate the excellence you guys put into my engine build and tuning. The motor runs absolutely perfect without a single issue to date. Believe it or not, it is actually very pleasant to drive on the street (considering how radical this one is for the street) and of course without need to say, this setup makes some INCREDIBLE power and torque! I picked up almost 2 additional lbs of boost in real air situation than what showed on the dyno sheets. Even with the MSD tuned on the conservative side, I bet I am in mid-900HP range on premium pump gas without a hiccup.
Anyway, please thank Jim and Rodney for me and my personal thanks to you specifically for all your help and the time you took with my order. I have been taking the car to a lot of local car shows and have received best of show, first or second place in every single one we've attended (which is a rarity for this many attended shows). Therefor, you guys have been getting a lot of publicity and praise down here in the Dallas area.
Anyways, thanks again for everything. I have included a couple pics to see the final product. If you're ever in the area, let me know... Best regards, Dean"
Mark Galvan's 1972 Firebird "Thrust"
Butler Performance set Mark up with a turn-key 461 c.i. mild, pump gas street engine with ported 6X cast iron heads that produced 525 HP. The restoration was done by Jeff Lilly Restorations
Bill Atlee's Beautiful, Show Quality 1963 Tempest Resto-Mod
Bill runs a Butler Performance 501 cu.in. Engine (455 Block) with Edelbrock heads.
Kendal Goin's Pontiac Powered Mustang
We supplied Kendal of Goin Performance this 505 cu.in. IAII engine kit and BP ported Edel. Heads (std. port) and custom cam.. Not only did Kendal assemble our engine on site, he also built this 89 GT from the ground up. He finished 3rd in points and is currently work on 2nd for the 2011 season. The Mustang has made a best pass of 5.17 @ 138 in the1/8th
Stephan Keiser's 1967 GTO
Stephan Keiser's 1967 GTO Stephan purchased a complete turn key 467 cu. in. engine from Butler Performance. We shipped the engine to him ready to install in his 1966 GTO. Even though he lives in Switzerland, Butler Performance is his first choice for all his pontiac engine needs
Rodney Butler & Travis Quillen's 1963 Tempest Promod
BUTLER PERFORMANCE MAKES HISTORY
NORWALK, OHIO 8/7/2010 THE BUTLER PERFORMANCE 1963 PROMOD TEMPEST LAID DOWN A 6.27 @ 228 MPH
THIS 1/4 MILE PASS MAKES THE TEMPEST THE QUICKEST AND FASTEST PONTIAC POWERED DRAG CAR (DOORSLAMMER) IN HISTORY
482 c.i. Butler Performance/IAII Pontiac Engine (2800 HP!!) CNC Wide Port Edelbrock heads, Custom Intake, Twin Turbo, Fuel Injected Pontiac power, 2720 lb race weight
Big thanks goes out to Travis Quillen of Quillen Motorsports Engineering
Roger Bolliger's SCCA Road Race Trans Am
Roger purchased a Butler Performance ALL ALUMINUM traditional Pontiac engine, dyno tested/tuned and delivered to him in Switzerland. His engine is 496 cu.in. based on our IAII/Butler Performance aluminum block and using our std. port Edel. Heads. It made over 730 HP on pump gas with the built-in durability to take continuous abuse on the road course's of Europe. Even though Roger is thousands of miles away, he relies on Butler Performance for all his high performance Pontiac needs.
click here for a short in car video from his car at a F1 course in Germany(5 mb)
UPDATE APRIL-2011
TWO OVER ALL WINS ON THE RED BULL RING IN AUSTRIA ON THE SAME WEEKEND!!
Congratulations to Roger on his back - to - back wins, See some videos from this weekend below
Restore A Muscle Car's 1977 Trans Am
Project cars from Restore A Muscle Car featuring Butler Performance Engines.
1977 Special Edition original factory 4-speed Black TA
474ci 600HP Butler Performance Engine - Assembly by Restore a Muscle Car Full leather interior, Cerullo Seats, SSBC Brakes, Kenwood Sound system. Year One BRE Door Panels with 6.5" speakers. 4-Link Syspension with 3" Ram Air Restorations Exhaust system installed by Doug's Mr. Muffler
700HP Butler Performance Engine - Assembly by Restore a Muscle Car Kicker Sound System with Clarion Head unit. YearOne BRE rear deck speaker shelf. Mini tubed with 18x10 Front and 18x12 Rear - Rushworth Wheels Custom Cerullo Seats, Black Leather with Embroidery
Restore A Muscle Car's 1973 Trans Am
Project cars from Restore A Muscle Car featuring Butler Performance Engines.
1973 Trans Am Pro-Touring
700HP Butler Performance Engine - Assembly by Restore a Muscle Car Kicker Sound System with Clarion Head unit. YearOne BRE rear deck speaker shelf. Mini tubed with 18x10 Front and 18x12 Rear - Rushworth Wheels Custom Cerullo Seats, Black Leather with Embroidery
Brad Spidel 's 1968 Firebird
Brad runs a 477 cu.in custom rotating assembly from Butler Performance, as well as our ported Edelbrock heads and intake, custom grind Comp Cams camshaft and an F-2 Procharger @ 22 lbs of boost.Rear wheel dynonumbers of 939 rwhp and best times of 5.60's (1/8 mile) - 8.90's (1/4 mile) on stock type suspension and a 10.5 tire
Jeff Kinsler's 1968 Pontiac Firebird
Jeff runs a 500 cu.in. Pontiac engine with an IAII block and Butler Performance Edel. Wideport heads and a single stage of nitrous. We spec'd out the combo and provided many of the internals (like a custom forged crank, rods and pistons) as well as our Wideport heads and BOP intake. Jeff ran an 8.05 ET in 1/4 mile. Jeff has a stock type suspension, mufflers(3" pipes), and he runs 275/60R15 MT drag radials. Jeff ran a best of
Update - 1/2014Congratulations to Jeff for his 1/8 mile pass of 4.99 @ 142. This makes Jeff the Ultimate Street Nitrous car in the 4's
Prodigy Customs' Project Empty Nest
Unveiled at 2007 SEMA in Las Vegas Powered by a Butler Performance/ALLPONTIAC.COM 535 cu. in. ALL ALUMINUM PONTIAC ENGINE
Introducing the Burt Reynolds Edition Trans Am by YearOne
Update 5/2013
Year’s One’s B.P. powered TA was just featured on SPEED TV’s “R U Faster Than A Redneck”. NASCAR driver Kenny Wallace took the Super Chicken on the track to defeat a Lamborghini!Year One goes up close with the Super Chicken
Legendary style meets supercar performance in this limited production, hand-built muscle car.
When the 1977 Special Edition Trans Am was chosen to star alongside Burt Reynolds in the classic movie Smokey and the Bandit®, history was made. Burt and the Trans Am became superstars of popular culture, recognized everywhere as the epitome of cool, fun, and style.
Three decades later, and YearOne is teaming the star and the car together again, with a modern performance makeover that injects supercar levels of power and grip into legendary style. The Burt Reynolds Edition Trans Am by YearOne. It’s undeniably cool. It’s seriously fast. And it’s extremely limited. Get one while you can. " (Preceding text taken from YearOne.com)
These limited production supercars are being offered in three stages, each having different engine options. The BAN2 and BAN3 cars can be ordered with a Butler Performance 535 cu.in Pontiac engine producing over 650 HP on pump gas!! An aluminum block and EFI are also available options. Contact Butler Performance or YearOne directly for more details.
Update on Year One's BRE/BAN 3 test car ( dubbed SuperChicken! )with Butler Performance Power !!
Danny Reegan's 1965 GTO
Danny is a long time customer of Butler Performance and he currently runs one of our 511 cu.in engine combos with our Edel. CNC Wideport heads. This engine dynode @ 895 HP with a single carb on gas and will be a consistent bracket race combo.
Congrats to Danny for winning the Big Chief class and the 2008 Pontiac Southern Nats.
David Kawallek's 1981 TA Street Car
David bought a 535 cu.in. assembled shortblock from Butler Performance (Dave likes to do some of his own engine work but wanted us to do the shortblock blueprint and assembly). He also bought a set of our CNC Wideport Edel. heads, ported Victor Intake and all other parts to finish the top end. David received everything he needed for a complete 535 cu.in Engine in one crate from Butler Performance, including ignition, valve covers, Evac Pump kit, etc. Below is a spec sheet and letter Dave sent to us:
| Make and Model | Pontiac | Firebird Trans-am |
| Year | 1981 | |
| Weight with Driver | ¾ Tank of Fuel | 3908 |
| Fuel Required | 114 Octane | |
| Engine | Butler Performance | 535 Cubic Inch Displacement |
| Power Adder | None | |
| Air Cleaner | K&N 16” with 1” Drop | For Dominator Style Carburetor |
| Carburetor | 1150 CFM Holley Dominator | Book Racing |
| Intake Manifold | Butler Performance Ported Edelbrock Victor Dominator | Ported to Match Wide Port Heads |
| Fuel Pump | Mangna Fuel Quick Star 300 | |
| Fuel Lines | Steel Braided | |
| Regulator | Holley Large Port | |
| Cylinder Heads | Butler Performance Edelbrock CNC Wide Ports | |
| Rocker Arms | T&D Shaft Rockers | 1.60 Ratio |
| Valves | Ferrea 6000 Series Valves | |
| Engine Block | IAII Iron Block | |
| Pistons | Ross | Flat Top |
| Rings | Total Seal Classic | |
| Compression Ratio | 13.3:1 | |
| Crankshaft | Crower Billet | 4.50 Stroke |
| Connecting Rods | Eagle H Beam | ARP 2000 Bolt |
| Camshaft Make and Type | Comp Cams | Solid Roller |
| Cam Specs | Ground On a 112 LSA | Installed @ 108 L/C With .440 Lobe |
| Distributor | MSD Pro Billet | |
| Amplifier | Crane HI -6 | |
| Coil | Crane | |
| Total Timing | 38 Degrees | Locked |
| Headers | Hooker 2” Primary | Model #4202 |
| Exhaust System | Dr. Gas 3 1/2” X Cross Over | Over Walker Race Magnum 3” Mufflers Torque Tech 3” Tail Pipes |
| Transmission | Turbo 400 | Forward Pattern Manual Valve Body |
| Converter | Continental 10” | 4700 Stall |
| Shifter | Stock Pontiac | Slap Shift |
| Rear End | Moser Ford Nine Inch | |
| Rear Gear Ratio | 3.5 | |
| Posi | Trac Tec Detroit | Locker |
| Axles | Moser 35 Spline | |
| Wheels F/R | Weld Racing | Pro Star |
| Tires F/R | Goodyear Invecta GL Front | Mickey Thompson ET Drag Radials 325x50 Rear |
| Suspension Front | Stock GM Springs Sway Bar Removed | Carrera 90/10 Drag Shocks |
| Control Arms | Stock Upper and Lower Control Arms | |
| Suspension Rear | Cal-Trac Split Mono Springs | Competition Engineering 3 Way Adjustable Drag Shocks Set At 50/50 |
| Traction Devise | Cal-Trac Traction Bars | |
| Best ET | 9.92 | 137.27 MPH |
| Best 60 Foot | 1.46 | |
| Video links | Video number 1 | Video number 2 |
David writes: Car is driven occasionally just for fun- at normal cruising the car seems like a real pussy cat. The exhaust is relatively quiet and with the Drag Radials it really handles quite well. The car rarely ever exceeds 180 degrees while cruising around, even in 95 plus degree heat. I do drive the car to the track every time and me and my Mopar buddy lay claim that we are the fastest street driven cars that are naturally aspirated that race at our local track. That says a lot about the two most unsuspecting cars that are not either a Chevy or a Ford, and when people look under the hood to see a Pontiac engine in the bay after laying down a fast pass is just priceless!! Just the few passes I have made this year with the new engine have just totally surpassed my expectations. I thought I would have to change the converter and gear and really work over the suspension to get it to run a nine second pass. I do plan to change these things in the future just to see how quick I can get this car to run but for now I am very pleased. I have been purchasing parts from the Butlers for many, many years and have always been satisfied with the products and the service. The attention I received and advise on my latest project was no different, David is probably tired of me calling every other week just to keep him updated on how the car is doing. Butler Performance, thank you for all your help over the years and being someone a person could count on when it comes to parts or performance help and advice. Thank you, David Kawallek
Al Dombrowski's 1974 GTO
10.28 @ 129 MPH. real street driver , 3650 lbs, full factory interior & body (power steering/brakes) drag radials, 373 rear, Butler Performance 496 ci Aluminum Pontiac Engine. Hyd Roller Street cam, D- port AL. heads, 93 octane Pump Gas !! .
Joe Galownia's SCCA Road Race 1975 TA
Joe Galownia's SCCA Road Race 1975 TA with a BP 461 CU. IN. long rod engine(400 block) and std. port Edelbrock Heads - Victor Intake (modified to fit under TA hood) Fastest fendered car (out of 120) at the last two races of the '05 season. Joe has not turned a screw on the engine since he picked it up dyno tested and ready to install from Butler Performance.
John Bailey's 1991 Firebird with Pontiac Power
John is a long time customer of Butler Performance and runs in the N/A drag radial class. Best to date is an 8.65 @ 157.82 MPH with a 3,540 lb race weight.
V8 TV'S PROJECT SPLITTER
Brett Evans wanted to build a car that does everything. It had to have dragstip guts and the ability to stick in the turns. After much thought, Brett decided on a second-generation GM F-body for the car. He located a clean 1970 Trans Am clone, which added another dimension to this project – it wasn’t your typical Chevy. Even cooler is that Brett is running a Pontiac engine from Butler Performance to power this project. We built an 850 HP 541 using an IAII block and Butler Performance CNC Wideport Edelbrock heads. A dual purpose car with Arrowhead power – Splitter was born
click here for the V8 TV SHOW website to find out more about this exciting car plus watch exclusive videos documenting the build of this car.
Larry Quinns 1962 Pontiac Catalina. 8.95 @ 151 MPH!!
Larry runs a Butler Performance Aluminum Block in his Pro Nostalgia Cat. Race weight is over 3000 lbs. and Larry shifts at 8200 RPM! Look for this car to be in the mid 8's once it's dialed in.
Jerome Washer's 1967 GTO
Jerome is a Pontiac lover from Belgium and he called Butler Performance for a complete turn-key engine for his beautiful GTO. 461 cu.in w/ Edel. Heads. Jerome received his engine tuned and ready to drop-in with a complete MSD ignition and all accessories installed. We also sent him a matching TCI trans./conv. combo and Moser bolt-in rear. We provide complete drive train packages for any Pontiac application.
Jerome Washer from Belgium 1967 Bonneville station wagon
1 of only 29 4spd. station wagons produced in '67. Jerome calls Butler Performance for all his Pontiac performance parts, including a complete engine rebuild kit for his wagon's 428 power plant.
Tony's 1966 Pontiac Lemans
BUTLER PERFORMANCE DOES OVERHAULIN' IN 2006!
Tony Todd's 1966 Pontiac Lemans with a Butler Performance 455 engine w/500+ HP . The "mark" was a best friend of Charlie Sheen, who was the insider that helped set-up the prank. Charlie also worked with Chip on the design of the car. This was another great build with a very happy customer!
"UPDATE - JULY 2013"
Tony Todd, one of our previous “marks” during the 2006 season of Overhaulin” checked in to let us know his Lemans with a Butler Performance 455 is still running great. He sent some pictures along from his newest role on the show Anger Management with long time friend Charlie Sheen.
Steve Dickervitz’s 1965 GTO convertible
Street driver with Butler Performance 467 D-Port heads, factory tripower, cast iron HO manifolds TH 400 and 3:73/1 rear gear. Runs on pump gas 4035 lb and runs mid 12’s in the 1/4.
Kris Krone's 1977 TA
Kris bought a complete turn-key 462 c.i. Engine from Butler Performance, with a March Serpentine System and B.P. Evac Pump Kit. His beautiful engine runs on 92 octane pump gas, w/Edelbrock heads and a custom grind Hyd. Roller cam. This VERY streetable combo made 576 HP @ 5700 RPM & 585 ft.lbs. of torque @ 3000 RPM !! Kris runs a 4 spd. Auto OD trans and custom torque converter from Butler Performance, to match his engine.
Gary Firch's 1981 TA- Butler Performance 505 cu.in Pump Gas Street Engine
"Building My Super T/A"
On one sunny day in August of 1993, my eight year old son (Jeff) and I arrived at the local GM dealership. My 1991 GMC pickup needed some service work. Then Jeff spotted a car sitting in the used car section of the dealership. My son said to me, "Dad it's a black Trans Am, let's go check it out." We got out of the pickup and walked over to look at the car. I couldn't believe my eyes, it was a 1981 black and gold, 4.9 liter Turbo Trans Am. The car was in surprisingly good shape, it was a black diamond in the rough. I gazed into the window, and look at the odometer it had 26,725 miles on it. I then thought to myself this is too good to be true. A salesman walked over, and I asked, "How much for the T/A?" He then checked his pricelist and stated, "For $5,995 you can drive it away today." My reply to the salesman was, "You got yourself a deal."
I drove the car occasionally for year, then decided to freshen it up. I gave the car a frame off restoration, rebuilt the 301 C.I. motor, repainted the car, and replaced all decals/pin stripping.
I took my T/A to the local drag strip, interested in what it would in the quarter mile. It was sad to say that the performance of my 301 Turbo Trans Am was a heart breaker. The best time was 17.20 at 85.7 MPH. This car was about to undergo a serious power plant change.
I then checked my parts inventory, my choice being a 1973 455 C.I. four bolt main block. Along with other goodies that included the following: 1971 455 H.O. heads, mild solid lifter cam, a 850 CFM Holley carburetor, Holly street dominator intake manifold, and a turbo 400 transmission with a 2800 stall converter. Shortly after building this new engine combination, I took my T/A back to the track. As you might of guessed, I had much better results, with my best time being a 12.45 E.T. at 107.8 MPH. I was surprised, my T/A started to regain some of its lost image of being a muscle car. I finally felt that I had a T/A that looked great, and ran excellent. All was good until I did a tear down inspection of the motor. The lifter valley had several cracks in it.
After weighting my options of putting an old cast iron block back in my T/A, I realized this is not what I want to do. I thought to myself there must be something stronger that could with stand a larger camshaft and more horsepower.
I then heard about a speed shop in Leoma, Tennessee, from one of my friends who races Pontiacs. He then told me, Butler Performance can handle all my Pontiac high performance needs. So I called Butler Performance, and David Butler answered my call. We started to get an idea of what would be the best engine combination for my needs. David suggested a 505 C.I. Indian Adventures II block. I still wanted to use my set of H.O. heads on a trail basis. David mentioned that pump gas engines work well for customers who like to drive their cars on both the street and strip. I was very impressed with my 505 C.I. setup. The torque and horsepower output was a much needed change for the better.
I have heard that real horsepower is in the cylinder heads. I thought a pair of race ported B.P.. Edelbrock heads would be the answer. I called Butler Performance. and placed my order for the race ported Edelbrock heads. Once I received my new heads, I started to assemble my new power plant. I'm very pleased to say that every accessory bolted on and fit perfectly.
Once the engine was completely assembled, I took my T/A for a test drive. The torque and horsepower increased dramatically over my 455 C.I. H.O. heads.
Butler Performance helped me put REAL EXCITEMENT into my Pontiac. I am the proud owner of one beautiful l black and gold special edition 1981 Turbo Trans Am. I wish to express my thanks to, Jim & David Butler, Chase Milner, and also the entire staff at Butler Performance. I will always highly recommend Butler Performance, wherever my Trans Am and I go!
Thank You, Gary Firch
Update - 5/11/2011
I repainted my TA, changed the decals and gave it a new interior. The 505 is running great with no problems .The engine that you built is a source of great interest,as well as many questions about the installation and performance. I am having a good time going to car show, in 2010 the car won 24 of 27 shows I went to. In 2009 at the Trans Am Nnationals my TA finished in 2nd place in the modified SE-2 class, this year I am aiming at 1st place. I worked on the paint job and interior for the past 6 months and finished all the upgrade work on 5/11/11. My goal was to make it look like a brand new 1981 turbo trans am - Mission ACCOMPLISHED!
| STREET/STRIP TECH. SPEC. | |
|---|---|
| Year/Model: | 81’ Turbo Trans Am SE |
| Race Weight: | 4,005 LBS |
| Curb Weight: | 3,780 LBS |
| Type of Fuel: | 93 Octane B.P. |
| Engine: | 2005 J.B.P. Indian Adventure II |
| Bore: | 4.350 |
| Cubic Inches: | 505 |
| Built By: | Gary Firch (Owner) |
| Carburetor: | 950 HP Holley |
| Jet Size Prim./Sec.: | #80/#82 |
| Spacer Plate: | None |
| Intake Manifold: | Edelbrock Performer RPM (Ported To Match Heads) |
| Fuel System | 110 G.P.H. Holley Pump Regulator Set 7 P.S.I |
| Heads: | J.B.P. Edelbrock 87 cc Race Ported Ferrea Valves 2.11 Int./1.77 Ext |
| Flow Numbers: | 310 Int./229 Ext. C.F.M. @ .600 Lift @ 28” of H2O |
| Pistons/Rings: | Custom Ross Flat Top/ Total Seal |
| Rods/Size: | Eagle Forged Steel H-Beam/ 6.800 |
| Compression Ratio: | 10.8:1 |
| Crankshaft: | J.B.P. 4.250 Stroke |
| Rotating Assembly Balanced: | Yes |
| Camshaft: | Competition Cams Solid/Roller |
| Duration: | @ .050 .270 Int/ .278 Ext. |
| Gross Valve Lift: | 651 Int./ .651 Ext. |
| Lob Separation: | 106.0 |
| Center Line: | 106.5 |
| Installed Position: | 2º Advance |
| Rocker Arms: | Lunati 1.65:1 Roller |
| Ignition: | Hypertech H.E.I. |
| Total Timing: | 34º @ 2500 R.P.M. |
| Ignition Module: | Crane HI-6 |
| Headers: | Ceramic-Coated Hooker Super Comp. 2” O.D. x 27” 3.5” Collectors/ 3.5” X-Pipe, Exhaust Pipes, Ram-AirRestoration Ent., Inc. |
| Mufflers: | Xlerator By Goerlich |
| Transmission: | T.C.I. Turbo 400 Super Street Fighter Auto/Manual Valve Body |
| Converter: | 10” T.C.I. Super Street Fighter |
| Stall: | 3500 R.P.M. |
| Shifter: | Stock |
| Rear End: | 10 Bolt Posi 3.73 Richmond Gear |
| Brakes: | Stock 10.9” Disc Fr/ Stock Rear Disc |
| Tires: Firestone | Firehawk P225/70R15 Fr. M/T ET. 26x10.5x15 Rear |
| Tire Pressure: | 32 P.S.I. Fr./11 P.S.I. Rear |
| Suspension Fr.: | Stock WS6 Package |
| Shocks Fr.: | Monroe Gas Ride |
| Suspension Rear: | Stock WS6 Package |
| Shocks Rear: | Monroe Air Ride |
| Chassis Mods.: | Lakewood Traction Bars/Comp. Eng. Sub-Frame Connectors |
| Interior Mods.: | Hurst Line Lock Edelbrock Air/ Fuel Ratio Meter |
| Exterior Mods.: | Decals/Pin Stripping By Phoenix Graphix |
| Safety Mods.: | Driveshaft Safety Loop SFI Approved Flex Plate By T.C.I. |
| Paint | Dupont 99A Black Single Stage, Painted By Owner |
| Launch Technique: | Load to 2000 RPM |
| Estimated ET/MPH: | 10.80/118 MPH |
Jim Koopman's 1966 GTO
with a Butler Performance 467cu.in. Engine(428 Block). Ported Edel. Heads, custom grind roller cam. Purchased complete turn key engine along with a matching TCI trans and custom torque convertor from Butler Performance in '98, and still running strong.
"Hey Butler Performance,
You guys did this build in 98' its a 428 block with new 4 bolt caps, stroked, bored, Ultradyne roller, Crane ingnition, Hedman Hustlers, its AMAZING, starts on the first crank, I'm so happy with it. I also like the TCI trans and converter you had put together for me. If you all ever need a referral out this way feel free to contact me, I will gladly help out, I am so proud of my car with your awesome build in it. This car was one of my fathers first demonstrators when he bought his first Dealership, Koopman Pontiac Cadillac, GMC, Sheldon Iowa. I was promised the 10th anniversary Trans Am, long story short I got into too much trouble that summer and he sold the Trans Am, and gave me the GTO. It was shot & rusted out, but I was 9 years old, and thrilled, so from ages 9 to15 I put the car back together with salvage yard parts and working nights, (my father died when I turned 13). The car has a ton of sentimental value, & pretty cool history. I had just started to go through it again when I contacted you, and what a motor/trans you all did for me! The body / paint was done out here at the GM Proving grounds just before they let most of the GM guys go. Well here are some photos, I'll let them do the talking. I would be flatered to have it added to your portfolio of great Pontiacs! Say hi to everyone, they were always real nice on the phone whenever I called, and Thank You Again! Best money I have ever spent!
your friend,
Jim Koopman
Scottsdale AZ."
Doug Baril's 1968 Firebird
Doug Baril's 1968 Firebird. Doug Built this beautiful Firebird from the ground up, using many engine parts from Butler Performance. This car is a perfect example of a Pontiac with modern comfort and performance that still retains classic styling.
Dick Hornblad's 1972 Lemans convertible
Dick went with a Butler Performance 350 Pontiac Stroker Engine (407 cu.in.). This customer wanted to add big power and torque to his original Lemans while keeping it completely stock appearing and very streetable. We added one of our stroker kits and ported his D-port heads to add over 100 HP and 100 ft.lbs of torque.
Craig Anderson's Street Legal 1966 GTO
Craig called Butler Performance for a rotating assembly, cam and lifters and picked up 100+ HP from his old combo.
Paul Fargo's 1969 GTO Judge
Paul Fargo's 1969 GTO Judge Paul bought a 505 c.i. Blueprinted and Ready to Assemble Complete Engine Kit from Butler Performance. Paul completely assembled the engine kit himself in his garage, with a little guidance from us over the phone. His kit featured our ready to bolt on, Ported Edel. Heads and runs on Pump Gas. Paul's street legal GTO weighs 3900 lbs. and runs Radial tires. He has ran mid 10's in a few initial test and tune passes, and says there is much more in it!
Bob Bright's 1966 show winning GTO570
After having his 455 built by one of his local shops and spending a lot of money doing so, Bob was very disappointed with the power, and in a short time the engine failed. Bob sent his engine to Butler Performance for a complete rebuild/upgrade. Bob wanted a Pontiac engine that looked as good as his car, make big power/toque, be very streetable and of course last for years of gear banging use with little or no maintenence. We delivered the beautiful 570 HP (@5900 rpm) and 560 ft.lb/torque, (without nitrous), 467 cu.in engine you see here. It uses Edel. heads, hyd. roller cam, offy lowrise 2x4, and runs on pump gas
Butler Performance 1965 GTO
driven by Rodney Butler 1/4 mile ET 6.91 @ 201.9 MPH. Butler Performance 440 cu. in. engine - CNC wide Port, Edelbrock heads, Victor Intake, Twin Turbo, Fuel Injected, with mufflers, 3040lb race weight
Rodney Butler's Previous 1965 GTO
ET 8.55 @ 152 MPH. Butler Performance 497ci (455 block) w/Edel. Heads 2600lb Race Weight
David Butler's 1996 Trans AM
1/4 mile ET 7.61, 178 MPH.Bracket Race Combo Indian Adventures block,STD. Port Edelbrock heads with Victor intake and Dominator carb, Turbo 400 automatic transmission Single stage NOS. Ran 7.80's with 455 block
David Butler's 1990 Trans AM
1/4 mile ET 8.50's, 155 MPH. Butler Performance 467 cu in(400 block), D-Port heads, no Nitrous, 2450lb Race weight.
2000 Ram Air TA with traditional Pontiac Power
10.31 @ 130 mph on Pump Gas and ET Street radials!!!!! The Tiger has a 505 c.i. Butler Performance engine. This very streetable engine combo runs on 93 octane, has Edel. heads and an Edel.intake. The Tiger is street legal and has a race weight of over 3700 lbs. NO NITROUS
2000 Ram Air TA with traditional Pontiac Power
built by Butler Performance for Pontiac's 75th anniversary display at the SEMA show in 'Vegas. This car features a traditional Pontiac 400 ci engine with Edelbrock heads and round port headers, fully programmable Electronic Fuel Injection (custom unit by Butler Performance) 4L80E transmission, Moser 9" rear, Baer Brakes, and all factory accessories. This car was delivered to us from Pontiac as a V6 - 5 speed Firebird! Pontiac relied on Butler Performance to take on this unique TA conversion, and we jumped at this opportunity to showcase traditional Pontiac power in a 4th generation body.
Butler Performance builds engine OverHaulin'!!!
When Chip Foose and the OverHaulin' team needed a Pontiac engine for their biggest build ever, they called on Butler Performance. We provided a 461 cu. in. 400 stroker combo with Edelbrock heads and a custom Comp Cams Hydraulic Roller. This pump gas beast produced 450 hp & 528 ft lbs of torque at the rear wheels with only a 750 carb and full 2 1/2" exhaust. It has the streetability and reliability to keep Lance's goat cruizin for years to come. Check out the OverHaulin' site, and watch for this episode to reair. You can watch as we deliver the engine and join the build team to produce one of the finest GTOs in the country in only 7 days!
BUTLER PERFORMANCE DOES OVERHAULIN' AGAIN!
Butler Performance has teamed up with Chip Foose and the crew of Overhaulin' for a 2nd time to help transform Sharon's tired Goat into the beautiful and powerful ride you see here. This was Sharon's first car and she used to work on it and race it with the help of her grandfather. Butler Performance provided overhaulin' with one of our 461 cu.in. crate engines based on a 400 block. We used Edel. heads and comp cams hyd. valvetrain. We topped it off with a pair of our Aluminum valve covers. This beautiful and very streetable engine produces close to 500 HP and 550 lb.ft. of torque. We hear that Sharon loves the power and sound of her new Butler Performance powerplant.
THE WRECKS TO RICHES CAR
When Barry's Speed Shop needed a Pontiac engine for their new show "Wrecks to Riches" on TLC they called on Butler Performance. Barry converted a plain 1971 Lemans into a high end, show quality 1970 GTO clone. They wanted an engine that was show quality, make big power and torque on the chasis dyno and yet be streetable enough to cruise anywhere. Butler Performance provided one our 461 cu.in. complete/ready to assemble engine kits, with every nut and bolt needed to build a 500 HP Pontiac torque monster. Barry's builder said it was the most complete engine kit he had ever assembled. Their Butler Performance engine turned out to be one of the best looking and most powerful engines of the series!
HPTV/Royal Purple Firebird
When Joe Elmore and the guys at Horsepower TV (on the Spike channel) were contacted by Royal Purple Racing oil to build their project '69 Firebird, they knew the engine had to be something special. Their first call was to Butler Performance. We provided HPTV with an ALL ALUMINUM traditional Pontiac powerplant based on our IAII/Butler Performance aluminum block. The 474 cu.in street/show engine uses Comp Cams hyd. roller valvetrain, Edelbrock heads and Intake prepped at our shop, and a host of other Pontiac performance pieces from Butler Performance to make this the most modern and versatile Pontiac powerplant available.
Mark Scordato's 1968 GTO Convertible
Mark chose a 565 C.I. Butler Performance engine in his show quality 1968 GTO convertible 5 speed street car. And yes he does drive this car on the street!!! WITH 892 HP. 745 FT LBS. TORQUE on 98 Octane This is a true "G" machine, with a couple of quick suspension changes along with a set of ET Streets(Front and Rear) this car goes from a street monster to a track terror. Runs mid 9's with limited traction
Daniel Smith's 1991 Trans AM.
(Q16/Brackets) Runs 5.31 @ 131 MPH in 1/8 mile with a 1.13/60 foot. 2,630 lb race weight, with his new Butler Performance bracket race engine, New block, BP/Edel. CNC wide port heads, on Gas, no NOS. Very consistent and durable, Daniel has been a multiple race winner this season!
Larry Cooper's 1970 TA
Running his new Butler Performance 525 cu.in. engine. Uses an IAII/Butler Performance Aluminum Block and out of the box Tiger heads with a Victor intake. Larry ran 8.80's at his first event(Norwalk) with his new bracket race engine combo. Look for this car to only get faster once Larry buys some wheelie bars!
Scott Tiemann's (Super Car Specialties)1966 GTO -
9.48 @ 139.95 MPH - 1.28 60 ft (with only a few passes on the new combo-look for this car to be in the low 9's soon) Butler Performance 487 cu in combo 805 HP @ 6400 rpm and 704 ft lbs of torque! (400 factory block) BP wide port Edelbrock heads. Victor Intake, only a 270 @ 050 roller cam. 3320 lbs raceweight with driver. No Nitrous.Full interior less rear seat. 400 turbo transmission. All steel except for fiberglass hood.
David Sealey's 1971 Firebird
9.48 @ 141 mph NO NOS - 3350 lbs, stock suspension, Full interior, show winner, completely street legal. Dave runs a Butler Performance bottom end (455 block) and our std. port Edel. heads and victor intake. He also runs one of our custom built TCI converters. 2003 10" tire Natural Outlaw Class winner and season points champion.
Ray Cox's 1978 TA
Competes in XSTREME STREET in the Pro - Edelbrock Series. Best et of 8.53 @ 161 mph 3400 lbs with mufflers and all necessary street equipment. 10.5" tires. Ray runs a 478 CI Butler Performance engine with our CNC wideport Edelbrock heads, victor intake and single stage NOS
Tommy Thompson's 1966 GTO
3375 lbs race weight, runs 9.28 @ 146 on 9" radial slicks. Tommy runs Pro Stock in the Pro-Edelbrock Series. 515 CI Butler Performance Combo(No NOS) single 4 bbl carb.
Willy and Bill Krechs 1999 Firebird
7.13 et @ 195 mph. BP 505ci engine with Butler Performance CNC wideport EDEL. heads. PG trans. with single stage NOS and FAST EFI fuel injection (set up by Travis Quillen) Bill bracket races this car in Top Sportsman events.
"Quick 400"Craig Berkheimer's
stock-appearing 1969 Firebird runs 10.20s @ 129 mph at approx. 3300 lbs. Craig purchased a complete Butler Performance 416 cu. in. long rod engine, ready to install. His engine uses #16 D-Port Heads, Torker II intake and only a 10.75:1 comp. ratio. No Nitrous.
Barry Fritz's 1965 GTO Streetcar
Runs 10.07 @ 132 mph with full interior, runs thru the mufflers. 3600 lbs. Has complete Butler Performance 467 cu. in. engine with D-Port heads and single 4 bbl. Stock suspension, also uses BP custom built torque converter. No Nitrous.
Matt & Joe Tankersley's 70 Super Gas GTO's
Joe is a multiple time champion in IHRA Super Rod and now competes in Quick Rod. Matt is highly competitive in Super Rod, picking up where his dad left off in that class. Both Matt and Joe run BP 474 cu. in. longrod combos
Jack Spore's Pontiac Powered Swamp Racing Buggy
Finished 3rd in points standings w/Butler Performance engine components.
Arnie Beswick's Original 1963 "Tameless Tiger"
Rebuilt and restored by Donnie Reeves. Run's mid 8's w/ Butler Performance 440 CU. IN. long rod engine
Dexter Bennett's 1962 Pontiac Tempest
8.80's @ 3000 + lb race weight w/ Butler Performance 505 Cu. In. bracket engine. New block - Edel. Heads -Victor intake on gas. Look for Dexter to be deep in the 8's for the 04' season with his new Butler Perf. CNC Wide port Edelbrock Heads
Steve Moran's 1984 Firebird
8.52 @ 159 mph (1.1160 time) Runs Butler Performance 501 CU IN engine (455 block) w/2 2 bbl carbs, turbo 400 trans, 3.89 rear gear (no nitrous).
Uses Butler Performance 461 CU IN long rod engine (400 block)
Tripower 10.14 @ 129 mph (he even sent in time slips w/ picture) 474 CU IN long rod engine w/ Butler Performance components. Edel. heads. Ultradyne Hydraulic! cam, and a tripower intake. 3500 lb race weight. (no nitrous)
Thomas van Wanrooy's F1 Stockcar
Thomas runs this F1 Stockcar in the Netherlands. It has a 462 Pontiac engine with a Butler Performance Custom Roller Cam Kit
Tom Herman's Street Legal 1971 Gran Prix
(3600 lb race weight) 8.80's @ 152+ mph, w/ conservative tune-up. Runs a Butler Performance 475 CU IN engine w/ BPI CNC wide port heads and victor intake and elec. fuel injection. Runs thru a full exhaust system, has 10.5 " tires and uses a single stage nitrous kit.
Dan Sweeney's 2001 Top Sportsman Firebird
7.50's @ 180+ mph using 1 stage nitrous (he has two) BPI 541 CU IN engine, Butler Performance CNC wide port heads, PG trans. 2550 lb race weight.
Don Spada's 1968 Firebird Convertible
Don turned to Butler Performance and purchased our 467 cu.in stroker kit, Ported Edelbrock heads and Intake, cam kit, all necessary gaskets, March serpentine system, and most of the other misc. parts to complete his pontiac engine. He used his block and had it all assembled locally in Hawaii with technical assistance from Butler
Jim and Brandon Brady's Rear Engine Dragster
7.80's @ 170+ mph. w/ Butler Performance 505 CU IN engine. Std. port Edel. heads. Reliable bracket race combo.
Run's mid 8's quarter mile w/ Butler Performance std. port edel. head and other engine components.
Run's mid 8's quarter mile w/ Butler Performance std. port edel. head and other engine components.
Larry Anderson's Show Quality Trans Am Bracket Racer
Runs 7.90's @ 180+ mph w/ BPI 505 CU IN engine w/ Butler Performance Edel. CNC wide port heads. Single 4 bbl single state nitrous kit.
Mike Cooke's Totally Stock Appearing Trans Am/strong>
10.80's @ 123+ mph w/ 455, #62 D port heads, 3.42 gear Butler Performance solid lifter cam shaft. Car has completely stock interior, full exhaust system and 10 bolt rear.
Jeff Taulbee's street legal 1979 TA.
Butler Performance 537 c.i. engine. IAII/Butler Performance aluminum block, ALLPONTIAC Tiger heads, BOP intake. 950 HP (@7200 RPM) and 765 ft.lbs. of Torque(NO NITROUS). Jeff wanted an engine that made over 900 HP and still be capable of limited street driving and that's what we delivered. (and yes he really does cruise this 950 HP beast on the street!!!) Jeff says the all aluminum engine stays very cool while street driving and has required almost no maintenance. ET's coming soon.
Jay Nell's 1969 Judge
Pontiac GTO Judge Restomod Tribute
Butler Performance provided a balanced stroker kit for this car. It was displayed in a booth at the SEMA show in 2011