Bugatti type 35 / 37 / 51 chassis

Herman · **Posted:** Tue Jul 05, 2011 1:24 pm

Desiderata assumed the type 35 and type 37 chassis came from the same stack, just drilled differently. (asked in the events section, under the Ardennes Rallye).

I thought this would turn into a nice discussion, so copied the question here, and extended it with the type 51.

Bugwrench · **Joined:** Mon Jan 07, 2008 6:16 pm **Posts:** 338

Desiderata wrote:

I have always assumed that a 35 and a 37 used chassis frames from the same stack, just drilled differently, but am I right ?

Your assumption is 100% correct!
Bugwrench

J.J.Horst · **Posted:** Tue Jul 05, 2011 2:44 pm

So you can always see from the "T37 holes" if a car has been converted from T37 to T35!

Bugwrench · **Joined:** Mon Jan 07, 2008 6:16 pm **Posts:** 338

J.J.Horst wrote:

So you can always see from the "T37 holes" if a car has been converted from T37 to T35!

Sure! And 37371 shows this in the most obvious way possible!
Bugwrench

Desiderata · **Joined:** Fri Jun 03, 2011 7:57 am **Posts:** 45

No. You can't always see the holes because often they have been filled in for cosmetic reasons or to disguise the true origins of the frame.

Bugwrench · **Joined:** Mon Jan 07, 2008 6:16 pm **Posts:** 338

Bugwrench wrote:

Desiderata wrote:

I have always assumed that a 35 and a 37 used chassis frames from the same stack, just drilled differently, but am I right ?

Your assumption is 100% correct!
Bugwrench

This is of course also true for the T51 chassis.
Bugwrench

Lazarus · **Posted:** Tue Jul 05, 2011 5:42 pm

Bugwrench wrote:

Desiderata wrote:

I have always assumed that a 35 and a 37 used chassis frames from the same stack, just drilled differently, but am I right ?

Your assumption is 100% correct!
Bugwrench

This is of course also true for the T51 chassis.
Bugwrench

Hmmmm.My T51 chassis had countersunk flush rivits at the rear to make less work for the carpenters making the fuel tank supports.But otherwise it was the same.

Desiderata · **Joined:** Fri Jun 03, 2011 7:57 am **Posts:** 45

A question Lazarus. How did you know it was a type 51 frame ?

Lazarus · **Posted:** Tue Jul 05, 2011 7:08 pm

Desiderata wrote:

A question Lazarus. How did you know it was a type 51 frame ?

number in rear of frame over 700 and some small hole details.The longer fuel tank meant different wooden supports and hence the change to flush rivits.I would prefer not to go further than this as I always like to be able to identify real chassis when I see them.

Desiderata · **Joined:** Fri Jun 03, 2011 7:57 am **Posts:** 45

I do accept that an expert CAN identify an original chassis, undertray or hood (bonnet) but would like to have some hints as to how this identification can be done with any degree of certainty unless recourse is made to scientific analysis of metal samples.

This is a very important subject now. A chassis frame made by Hoskins or whoever might be worth $5,000 but a réal genuine type 51 item more like $100,000 bearing in mind a complète car might now sell for $1,500,000.

Uwe · **Joined:** Wed Aug 22, 2007 1:12 pm **Posts:** 2285

chassis construction > chapter seventeen > GRAND PRIX BUGATTI [H.G.Conway]

Bugatti type 35 / 37 / 51 chassis

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