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Bugatti’s De Ram Shock Absorbers, Part Two
Deep inside the fascinating mechanism and a look at its weak pointsI have worked on many Bugattis over the last twenty years, but it is important to note that I am not precisely a “specialist”, in the sense of a person who ONLY handles a single brand. I’ve always favored variety in the type of jobs that I take on and I also adore certain Alfa…
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The Maserati Birdcage Gearbox, Part One
The Tipo 61 transaxle's origins and mechanical layoutThe Tipo 61 Maserati “Birdcage” was a winning car under the right circumstances in its brief competitive lifespan from mid-1959 into 1961. Light weight was its major advantage, with the complex tubular chassis structure that spawned the “Birdcage” name being the main factor. It also had excellent disc brakes, licensed from Girling, and very good…
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Bugatti’s De Ram Shock Absorbers, Part One
Genius Invention or Despicable Contraption?Bugatti installed De Ram shocks on a variety of models in the mid-1930’s, the sophisticated hydraulic dampers offering a dramatic improvement in handling and ride quality over the simple friction devices that were previously available. When they are working properly, that is. Given the complexity of the design and the relatively small number of them…
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A Busy March in Norcal
Pre-war Alfa Brakes to BMW M12/14 TurbosIt is a beautiful sunny spring day outside here in northern California, and I need to get out there. So far in 2024, I’ve worked in the shop five days a week and been chained to the computer most weekends. Here’s a few images from the past couple of months… The Alfa Romeo 2500 SS…
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Bugatti Blocks Balderdash!
Concealing a Row of Hardware for Art's SakeEttore Bugatti came from a family of artists, though he was not himself formally trained as one. He apprenticed at a bicycle manufacturer and began making cars without any engineering education. There are many remarkable artistic details that resulted from this unconventional origin story. One example of Bugatti’s eye for detail are the lovely polished…
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New Parts for Old Bugattis
About ten years ago, while working at Reilly’s old shop in Corte Madera, I had my hands in a particularly interesting 1930 Bugatti Type 35B. This post started off as an attempt to craft a recurring theme along the lines of “On this Day in History”, but I haven’t quite sorted out the format yet.…
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Bananas!
Some automotive design innovations last (Otto cycle 4-stroke) and some do not (Bugatti Brescia cam box design). Today I dove into the cam box of a 1923 Bugatti Brescia, a model with which I had not previously been introduced. I had heard of the “banana tappet”, but not held one in my hands. For some…