Hi guys,
I have watched with interest and read the various posts going on about Lloyd Butfoy and RBT Transmissions (which technically stands for Roy Butfoy Transmissions Transmissions, something that bugs me no end). Particularly on the Superformance forum, there is much moaning and hand-wringing about the availability (or lack thereof) of Mister Butfoy, and the big question mark about the completion date for various gearboxes.
Lloyd and I have been friends for the better part of 15 years, so I decided to simply pay him a visit and see how things are going. I am pleased to report that Lloyd is alive and well, and your orders have not been lost or forgotten.
Here is a photo that I shot inside his shop.
These are all used transaxles that customers have sent in to be overhauled. Most are from Panteras, although there are a few from the BMW M1 or original GT40s, and the occasional Mangusta. Some of the gearboxes in this photo are being converted from their original Pantera configuration to be used in a GT40, which I learned is not as trivial as simply flipping the ring and pinion. He pointed out some of the many modifications that need to be made to enable the gearbox to function inverted.
All the new gearboxes are being screwed together in Texas by his business partner, Oliver. Lloyd told me that every single part in those gearboxes is new, whereas with the gearboxes in his California shop, to keep costs down and with concurrence of the owner, he often tries to salvage good used parts (one friend's gearbox was there with a crack in the back part of the case, and Lloyd was able to supply a used replacement that was in perfect shape at a considerable cost savings).
Lloyd told me that some people are rather desperate to get their gearboxes--Fran Kress actually sent a blank, signed check along with a plea to get his gearbox turned quickly! But there is an established queue, and it takes awhile to move to the front of the line. My friend had taken his gearbox there on October 14, 2006, and on January 2, 2007, Lloyd had partially dismantled it (all the gears were still on the mainshaft but it was otherwise apart), diagnosed the crack in the case and sourced a replacement piece from his inventory. He estimated that the gearbox would be completed and out the door in about 4-8 weeks. He said that his ambition is to complete 3-4 gearboxes a week.
Until recently he was working alone; in the photo you can barely see his new part-time helper behind him. This fellow has just come on board here and is helping to deal with the backlog; he is basically an apprentice and is learning from Lloyd how to do the work, although from what I could see, his job seems to be limited to taking things apart, and Lloyd still does the artisan work of diagnosing the problems and then fixing them, and putting things back together.
Oliver in Texas has reportedly hired several people to help him, and hopes to have them all trained up and ready to go by the end of January. Curiously, the gearboxes he builds all are shipped to Lloyd in California, who I guess does some final assembly work and quality control, before shipping them to the customers.
I asked Lloyd what the wait would be if a customer placed a new gearbox order today, and he said that if all goes well, it would be shipped to the customer in about two and a half months, which is a great improvement over the recent past. Gearbox overhauls can take longer, because there is considerably more work involved, depending on the condition of the gearbox to begin with.
Lloyd told me that some people were downright belligerant, demanding instant gratification and getting obnoxious when they are told that they are going to have to wait in line behind everybody else. He said that he has offered to send several checks back to people who crossed over the line of civility.
The bottom line is, there is only so much that one man (or one man plus a partner and a few helpers) can do in a given amount of time, and it's important to remain patient and understanding.
Remember, Lloyd's business was running flat-out before the explosion of interest in the GT40, so he has had a lot to cope with lately. But I saw a whole bunch of new gearbox orders tacked to his bulletin board (FAX is the preferred method of submitting an order), and each of them will be filled in due time, with the same high quality that RBT has always been known for.
So, for any of you that were worried because your phone calls were unanswered (Lloyd was working the whole time we were talking, and the phone was ringing constantly, and he told me that he was committed to finishing the job at hand before attending to phone calls later in the day), and your e-mails ignored (he doesn't go near the computer anymore, as his inbox is flooded with 2000-3000 e-mails at any given time), rest assured that he WILL get to your job, eventually, and you will be happy with the result.
If you need to communicate with Lloyd, the best thing to do is simply to send him a FAX explaining briefly what the issue is, and with return contact information. He does return phone calls at some point during the day, and he will get back to you eventually.
Feel free to e-mail me privately at [email protected] if you have any questions.
Cheers!
I have watched with interest and read the various posts going on about Lloyd Butfoy and RBT Transmissions (which technically stands for Roy Butfoy Transmissions Transmissions, something that bugs me no end). Particularly on the Superformance forum, there is much moaning and hand-wringing about the availability (or lack thereof) of Mister Butfoy, and the big question mark about the completion date for various gearboxes.
Lloyd and I have been friends for the better part of 15 years, so I decided to simply pay him a visit and see how things are going. I am pleased to report that Lloyd is alive and well, and your orders have not been lost or forgotten.
Here is a photo that I shot inside his shop.
These are all used transaxles that customers have sent in to be overhauled. Most are from Panteras, although there are a few from the BMW M1 or original GT40s, and the occasional Mangusta. Some of the gearboxes in this photo are being converted from their original Pantera configuration to be used in a GT40, which I learned is not as trivial as simply flipping the ring and pinion. He pointed out some of the many modifications that need to be made to enable the gearbox to function inverted.
All the new gearboxes are being screwed together in Texas by his business partner, Oliver. Lloyd told me that every single part in those gearboxes is new, whereas with the gearboxes in his California shop, to keep costs down and with concurrence of the owner, he often tries to salvage good used parts (one friend's gearbox was there with a crack in the back part of the case, and Lloyd was able to supply a used replacement that was in perfect shape at a considerable cost savings).
Lloyd told me that some people are rather desperate to get their gearboxes--Fran Kress actually sent a blank, signed check along with a plea to get his gearbox turned quickly! But there is an established queue, and it takes awhile to move to the front of the line. My friend had taken his gearbox there on October 14, 2006, and on January 2, 2007, Lloyd had partially dismantled it (all the gears were still on the mainshaft but it was otherwise apart), diagnosed the crack in the case and sourced a replacement piece from his inventory. He estimated that the gearbox would be completed and out the door in about 4-8 weeks. He said that his ambition is to complete 3-4 gearboxes a week.
Until recently he was working alone; in the photo you can barely see his new part-time helper behind him. This fellow has just come on board here and is helping to deal with the backlog; he is basically an apprentice and is learning from Lloyd how to do the work, although from what I could see, his job seems to be limited to taking things apart, and Lloyd still does the artisan work of diagnosing the problems and then fixing them, and putting things back together.
Oliver in Texas has reportedly hired several people to help him, and hopes to have them all trained up and ready to go by the end of January. Curiously, the gearboxes he builds all are shipped to Lloyd in California, who I guess does some final assembly work and quality control, before shipping them to the customers.
I asked Lloyd what the wait would be if a customer placed a new gearbox order today, and he said that if all goes well, it would be shipped to the customer in about two and a half months, which is a great improvement over the recent past. Gearbox overhauls can take longer, because there is considerably more work involved, depending on the condition of the gearbox to begin with.
Lloyd told me that some people were downright belligerant, demanding instant gratification and getting obnoxious when they are told that they are going to have to wait in line behind everybody else. He said that he has offered to send several checks back to people who crossed over the line of civility.
The bottom line is, there is only so much that one man (or one man plus a partner and a few helpers) can do in a given amount of time, and it's important to remain patient and understanding.
Remember, Lloyd's business was running flat-out before the explosion of interest in the GT40, so he has had a lot to cope with lately. But I saw a whole bunch of new gearbox orders tacked to his bulletin board (FAX is the preferred method of submitting an order), and each of them will be filled in due time, with the same high quality that RBT has always been known for.
So, for any of you that were worried because your phone calls were unanswered (Lloyd was working the whole time we were talking, and the phone was ringing constantly, and he told me that he was committed to finishing the job at hand before attending to phone calls later in the day), and your e-mails ignored (he doesn't go near the computer anymore, as his inbox is flooded with 2000-3000 e-mails at any given time), rest assured that he WILL get to your job, eventually, and you will be happy with the result.
If you need to communicate with Lloyd, the best thing to do is simply to send him a FAX explaining briefly what the issue is, and with return contact information. He does return phone calls at some point during the day, and he will get back to you eventually.
Feel free to e-mail me privately at [email protected] if you have any questions.
Cheers!
