My efforts are being directed at building from scratch a T-35B replica. I am not capable of building the engine or gearbox but I am trying to make sure it has the basic character as the Buggati powerplant. I bought a Toyota 1g-gze engine which is a two liter supercharged inline six cylinder producing about 150hp. The gearbox is being turned 90 degrees to the right and linkage made to allow it to be shifted as the original. I am making patterns to make the wheels as original. I am not an experienced panel beater so I am building the body from carbon fiber which I have much experience with. I am also using hydraulic brakes but the drums will be as the Bugatti cast into the wheels. My goal is to be able to drive it and enjoy it rather than just show it.

Also, my project is slowly progressing. Patterns for the differential housing are done as is the "bellhousing". It is not a real bellhousing as we have come to know them because it is almost flat and very short. The transmission will be one of the more difficult components to build. There simply isn't any transmission I know of that will make a suitable replacement for the original Bugatti unit. I am thinking of finding a suitable set of gears from a transmission with a close ratio and four forward speeds and making a cast housing similar to the original. I don't think I will be able to find straight cut gears anymore as they havn't been used in commercially available cars for close to fifty years.
William Kelsey

I have been pouring over photographs and drawings in an attempt to determine how the front springs were terminated. Having no luck. I believe there are two rollers in the aluminum casting with one - probably the top one - having a flange to locate the spring laterally and the bottom roller only keeping the spring up in the flange of the top one so as not to flop around. I think I will build it that way. Probably be best to put a couple of drawn cup needle bearings inside the top roller to keep it smooth and the shaft not to were out.

Unfortunately, I have to break with Bugatti on the gearbox. There is no way to find a set of gears with anywhere close to the ratios used on the T-35 with straight cut teeth and no syncros. I found a Toyota five speed with a 2.86 first and 1 : 1 forth. I am removing the fifth gear and all its components and casting a housing for the much shortened gear units. Bugatti didn't use a layshaft as I will but there is a limit to what I can do. I also am leaving the syncros in place. It will shift exactly the same as the original Bugatti - i.e., shifter outside the body and pattern the same.

I made the decision to guess at the type of front spring anchors to use. I made shackles housed in aluminium alloy mounting assemblies. Doesn't even look like Bugatti but I don't know what he did so, rather than let the project get bogged down, I designed my own. The axel will be a more daunting challenge but that will be several months before I will begin that.

Hi, Herman.

I hope you can shed some light on a problem I ran into. On an original Type-35 rear end, there is a torque arm to keep the assembly from turning the opposite direction of the driving force of the wheels. There are two trailing arms to locate the rear end. Problem is: There has to be some compliance where the rear springs attach to the axel housings and I have no idea how it was done. None of my drawings show the way in which it was accomplished.

My casting patterns are finished for the transmission, wet plate clutch housing, and differential housing. No, they are not replica Bugatti but rather, like the rest of the car, only designed to replicate the feel, looks, and performance of the original. The gears in the transmission are from a Borg Warner T-5 and the fifth gear is removed. The syncros were left in. It will shift the same way as a original Bugatti. I changed the type of gears I am using in the differential from MGB to Peugot. Reason is that the Peugot is much lighter and has a clutch mechanism to limit the slip and, frankly, is much better than the MGB in overall quality.

The second picture is of one of the axel housings. On a Bugatti, they are refered to as "trumpets". Mine do not have the bell shaped end but they have a flared end machined into the mounting flanges. They are made of 4130 chrome moly steel which is much stronger than the mild steel Bugatti used. I decided to use MGB rear drum brakes on all four wheels rather than mechanical brakes of any kind. The only change will be the drums will be cast iron sleaves pressed into aluminum finned drums for cooling.

When I get the castings back from the foundry and machined, I will send you a picture of them.

William Kelsey