The second week of my journey began in my favorite place: the workshop, where I witnessed the rebirth of a “blacktag” car. The project I’m involved in is a Bugatti Type 55, and most of the parts for this car were brought from South Africa back in 2009. As the collector mentioned, when starting such a project, one should expect that one-third of the spare parts will be good, one-third will be subpar, and one-third will be absolute rubbish. Patience is essential; these projects take time, and we have the evidence right in front of us.
I did a little research on this pile of metal, and I learned that the Type 55 is a sports car produced from 1932 to 1935. It is a road-going version of the Type 51 Grand Prix car that I affectionately nicknamed it “Joker” because of its stunning silver logo; please see the photos.
The Type 55 is powered by a 2.3L, 2-valve DOHC, straight-eight engine. I’ve always been told that real Bugatti cars have eight cylinders, and I understand that thinking. I once believed the same about BMWs—after all, a real BMW should have at least a six-cylinder engine. However, Bugatti was ahead of its time, and that was a valuable lesson for me.
What I truly admire about these cars is the necessity of honing your diagnostic skills, as there’s no computer to tell you what’s wrong. For instance, there was a Type 43 in the workshop that wasn’t running properly, and my mentor suspected an air leak. A simple test, spraying brake cleaner around the engine, confirmed the suspicion.
Finding parts for these cars is challenging, so I recalled what I learned in university about working on a lathe when we needed to create a bolt. I made it under the supervision of my mentor, and it was a fantastic feeling to build something useful with my own hands.
Â
This week, I had the pleasure of meeting a lady with strikingly elegant curves, as well as a fabulous Lagonda Pillarless Saloon, a British luxury car from 1933 equipped with a smooth 3.5L engine. Driving this car isn’t easy at all; it features a center throttle, so you might accidentally accelerate instead of braking if you’re not careful.
You need to treat these classic cars with care and allow them to reach optimal operating temperature before hitting the road. They aren’t as straightforward as you might expect, particularly since we’re accustomed to modern computers handling so much for us. In the realm of vintage cars, there are no computers to guide us. We can forget conveniences like drive-by-wire throttle systems, traction control, electric steering, electronic clutches, and ABS braking systems. 🙂
It’s only the second week, and I feel we’ve made significant progress. Please share your thoughts about this week and whether you think we’re heading in the right direction in the Community Group.
Let’s discuss it there and all the photos from this week can be seen here!Â
