Bugatti

For sure the Bugatti engine is temperamental. But putting a Model A engine in it and it has, as the monitor said, lost it's sole. My opinion.
 
I have a lot of Model A Parts in the barn that have "soul to spare."

Of course with a replacement engine can you affirm that it is still "Bugatti?"

Best said - rich man's toy who kept it going for the pleasure.

I guess you can't fault that.

Joe K
 
The Bugatti engines had a roller-bearing crankshaft, and the big end of the connecting rods were one piece, meaning each section of the crank had to be assembled in place. This allowed high rev limits, and took advantage of the relatively low cost of labor compared to the cost of materials.
The downside of this method was revealed when a section of the crank failed.
If I recall an article about the prewar Bugattis (Automobile Quarterly?) the heads were not removable, but one piece with the block. No head gasket needed, but if a piston required removal it had to be done from underneath. Perhaps it was the same article which talked about the Bugatti Club tours, and cited the fragility of the camshafts as the reason why one of the club members travelled with an extra set, wrapped in oiled cloth in case a roadside replacement was needed.
A nice Model A block with overhead valve head and dual carbs sounds like a rational alternative.
 
I live close to the Gilmore Car Museum. Thirty years ago they had a Bugatti race car that I spent many happy hours examining, including lying on the floor underneath it. You know how the Model A engine has those good-looking domed-head bolts? The Bugatti had just about every fastener on the whole thing with sculpted heads. Mr. Bugatti believed that all the parts of the car deserved to be shaped gracefully. He pioneered the same phenomena in Europe which Henry Ford demonstrated in America: Surprisingly lightweight cars having the chassis members spread the stress throughout the parts allowing the right amount of flexibility. The result was cars that were much more durable than all the competition with their ever more massive frames. In the late 1920s and early 1930s Bugattis dominated European racing.

The car in the video is beautiful and valuable because it is a real Bugatti chassis. I would imagine that the present owner richly enjoys driving it!
 
ronn said:
wonder how much it devalues the Bugatti in price?
Click to expand...

About 80%.Maybe more. Also, in today’s the interest in the original-look, many are applied to the phrase "new is old".
 
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I have seen several pieced together Bugattis and they still bring strong money- even with the incorrect engine. they just arent out there................


I personally would be happy with one of the South American copies. but thats me.
 
Interesting. The super-charged straight 8 was a piece of jewelry. I don't know I would put a Model A engine in a Bugatti, but at least they're able to continue driving and enjoying the car.
 
Hello, sounds like the owner wants to enjoy driving it rather than looking at it, suppose that little modification will be done to fit the Ford engine to possibly reverse installation if an original engine is found. So many of the high end cars, are treated like a stocks or bonds , investments that just sit ,never get to enjoy driving them.
 
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