Bugatti Type 37
I’ve loved every single minute of building and changing the Bugatti - I’ve learned so much along the way.
The Inspiration Car
I didn’t really know cars of the era before looking for an inspiration car. I was completely sucked into a world of incredible cars and the people who created them. But it wasn’t long before I found the Bugatti Type 35. It has such fantastic proportions and the body lines are just so right! The Type 37 used the same body and chassis as the Type 35 but it
had a smaller engine and my Cyclekart would have a much smaller engine (200cc), so I went with the Type 37 (37A for those that really care!). It also had wire wheels which I prefer to the trademark alloys
of the Type 35.
The Chassis
The chassis is made of the normal 75mmx25mm 1.6mm steel rectangular hollow section. I wanted to capture the narrow front chassis of a Type 37 and ended up making my chassis more complicated than it needed to be. There’s a plywood tub dropped between the rails and it’s glued and screwed in place, so the chassis is pretty solid.
Running Gear & Engine choice
I used a Gemini front axle and yokes, custom leaf springs and made by own stub axles because theirs didn’t fit pit bike wheels at that time. I think the stub axles were the first items I produced on the mini lathe I’d just bought. I’d hadn’t used skills like turning and welding for probably 30 years since being taught at Ford in Swansea. I added dampers on the front suspension for the fun of it, but they do actually make a difference. They are Hartford style dampers rather than the original Bugatti design which apparently was a real fiddle to keep working.
I started with a solid axle at the back but had almost undriveable understeer in the wet so switched to one wheel keyed, the other freewheeling. I sometimes key both wheels depending on where we’re going.
The engine is a Loncin 196 Honda clone which I’ve tweaked a little, mainly for the fun of taking it apart and putting it back together. I switched to a clone Mikuni 22mm carb because that’s what someone advised and a less restrictive exhaust. It has a Comet TAV2 Torque-a-Verter driving a 10T sprocket to a 70T main sprocket.
The Body
The body is a made of 9mm plywood, flexi-ply backed with fibreglass, fibreglass for the top compound curves on the tail and then aluminium for things like the radiator and the cowl. The material choices were all based on what I thought I could build with. Having said that, I had almost no experience of working with fibreglass or aluminium but learning new skills is a huge part of the appeal of Cyclekarting for me.
What’s the least and most favourite part of the build?
I made the middle and tail of the Cyclekart a bit too fat and changing that would be a huge job. Thankfully you only really notice from some angles.
I love adding the flummadiddle, the badges, screens, gauges etc. It’s not about creating a replica, but I love noticing the differences between cars and trying to get into the heads of the people who designed these parts. If I can make them working parts, then all the better. Probably my favourite part is the handbrake. I’ve become a bit obsessed with handbrakes if I’m honest. They’re such a key look to the era and they’re a little bit of engineering on display.
How long did it take to build?
Marek and I started planning straight after the first meet up in Sept 2018. It took a couple of months to sort out a workshop and add some more tools. We had a driving chassis by the March 2019 Builders Meet. The body was “finished” in time for the Stretton meet in May 2019. Of course, they’re never really finished.
The little details
I chose number 50 because Louis Chiron won the 1928 Italian Grand Prix in a Bugatti Type 37A with race number 50.
Bugatti specialist, racer, youTube star and fabulous story teller, Ivan Dutton has driven this Bugatti, as has erstwhile Director of Brooklands Museum Allan Winn. Allan is one of the few people to get to drive the Napier Railton.
How does it drive?
It’s pretty quick off the line, a bit tail heavy and it makes you grin. They’re not refined machines, but they do have kind of magic!
Ongoing changes and tweaks
There’s loads of little bits I want to try but I really want get the rev counter working – it has worked, but stopped when I installed it in the dash.
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