Well the sun has arrived in the Vienne and that is the time when the cars need to be prepared for the summer.Today I must sort out a water leak on the T252 ready for the rally at Le Vigeon.I shall then take advantage of the sun to take her for a run.I have put the cambox lid back on after using it to make a new pattern for the T251 cambox.Sadly I have the original corebox but not the outer print,so a new one had to be made.Fortunately the T252 MK 1 cambox lid is just half of the T251 so it could be used by my pattern maker as a model.I wish they had made a hood for this car.I got very wet when I went south for a rally last year.It needs a proper windscreen frame making to support the hood and that has to be beautiful.I rather like the windscreen frame of the Jaguar XKSS.This has the required elegance.Oh well it is another job to add to the list.here are two photos of my baby.good day to everyone.

This year is possibly going to be a special one for the Bugatti world.The owner of T73c005 is racing hopefully at Angouleme and at Le Vigeon [6/7 june] If my own T73c 004 is ready we may see two T73c's on the track together for the first time ever.73c005 has two mirrors,as everybody will be in front of me I dont need any !

Great shots, John.

About getting wet: I thought Brits liked to get wet in their cars. Such lousy weather, such a lot of open cars in Britain...

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Vive la Marque !!

absolute gorgeous cars, must be a dream to drive them

I will let you know when I have actually driven the T73c whether it is nice to drive or not.I am informed by Tom Dark that it is a wonderful car to drive.But after 25 years work I still have not driven mine !

looking forward to hear from you.

herman sr

I believe there is one or possibly 2 that already have been driven (one with the large fenders).

What do the other drivers say about it, and do you expect the same?

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Vive la Marque !!

73c002 has certainly driven before its conversion into an "american show car" The owner has some difficulty understanding what exactly is the purpose of a single seater ! 73c001 has also driven and took part [slowly] in a race at silverstone where I was entered in my T37.This car may have driven in paris after the war.73c003 is in the schlumpf museum and is incomplete and will probably never drive which leaves 73c004 [mine] and 73c005 Tom Dark's car.Jumbo Goddard tried 002 and thought it had potential.Tom Dark is the only person up to now who has raced seriously and has every intention of continuing.He is coming to Angouleme this year and will hopefully be at Le Vigeon on the 6/7 june this years.If I can finish 004 in time I will also be at Le Vigeon.No two T73c's have ever been raced together.Toms car has at present 200 BHP for a weight of 600 KGs.Tom has been very sucessful with his "Q" type MG single seater and his comments on the T73c are worth hearing.In his Magnum Hugh Conway said quoting Domboy that "for want of a suitable carburettor the car was not run"I believe this comment was not correctly translated by Hugh. It is a fact that the later large blower has its inlet underneath.I personally think that they made the classic mistake of designing something without reference to the CAR.The steering tie rod passes across just under the blower and it is almost impossible to get a decent manifold and carburettor to fit,although it would have been simple on the dyno!I made the same mistake and have a wonderful new manifold and 50 DCOE but although it fits Rolands T73 roadcar perfectly it won't fit on my T73c I am quite seriously thinking of lengthening the chassis to put the carb behind the steering.The existing manifolds for the T73c were certainly made at molsheim probably by Roland Bugatti.They are for a weber carb { DCF} made in the early 50's for Ferrari.Ergo this manifold was not made in paris.The problem does not arise with the early blower which has the carb on the side.It is the early type blower certainly which was on the car seen by Pozzoli in Paris.Tom Dark is very very happy with the car and is most pleased with the roadholding,steering and brakes.He has changed the axle ratio and may do so again.The all syncromesh gearbox is one of the best Bugatti made.One interesting outcome of our study of the patterns is the discovery of two patterns for cast iron exhaust manifolds.One for the T73 with the downpipe at the front and the second with the downpipe in the centre.This pattern makes the fourbranch but not the flange to the head nor to the downpipe ! The flange to the head was welded on after,and who ever heard of a castiron exhaust pipe on a GP car? 005 has this type of cast manifold.001 and 002 [both ex De Dobb.] have proper tubular bugatti pipes.I show here the various carbs and manifolds used on these car,002 has a small solex bolted direct to the blower.The engine shot at DE Dobbs workshop shows clearly Rolands manifold.A very poor design with a very small opening for the flow of gas.

do any good photos exist of the Bugatti stand in Paris after the war ? I have the one showing the T73 coach,are there any others?

Dear Jean:

Patience will be required as I do not know when I will be able to access it, but my parents wedding album features several photos of the Paris Showroom in 1951 from their honeymoon. The 4.7 litre monoposto was in the showroom (and both my mother and father took turns sitting in it and getting their picture taken); but I do not think there were any other Bugattis. There were two engines on stands...both I believe were variants of the T73 engine; certainly you, Jean, will be able to identify them.

I'll try to get to them in the next week or so.

Cheers,

Sandy

Those must be great shots! Another piece of the "post WW2" puzzle.

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Vive la Marque !!

What a remarkably civilised family you belong to.I am sure that we would all very much like to see those shots.

Found this from the Autocar in my files. Presume you already know these but maybe they can be of use for you. Rgrds jacobug

thank you jacobug, I have not seen these for years.

For someone wanting to make a T68 330cc motor here are some of the original moulds,crankcase,timing cover etc