The Bugatti Build Project - a design exercise

[Kerry Pinkerton]

Let's think about this too. The Pur Sang design study was after a "LOOK" not necessarily a production machine with all the safety bells and whisles. I don't know that we need or should have the same cabin width that exists in Corvettes. First of all it KILLS the LOOK.

What is the cabin size of a typical two seater like the Miata or even a lotus seven. Comfort is one thing but this car will never be a highway cruizer. It's modeled to be a brute force sports car with retro styling. Creature comforts, reclining buckets, 38 speaker stereos, seem out of place. Our doors will not be 6" thick or have to have side impact beams. Let's keep it lean and long. IMHO creature comforts (including a spacious cabin) are a distant third behind looks and performance.

[toolmanMike]

Originally Posted by anders nørgaard

The only pics we have are here in this thread. Side view, front- and rear view, front left side view and rear left side view... that's all we've got.

So, where'd these drawings come from?

Mike

[anders nørgaard]

Hi Guys,

Kerry,
I agree. The fat look kills the car!!

Mike,
The drawings come from Pur Sang Argentina's web site.

I just found some other pics from Bugatti Revue

http://www.bugattirevue.com/revue21/retro.htm

Looks like Pur Sang actually built a car that has some resemblance to the car we are going to build..
This one has a 16 cyl. Caddy engine




In these pics there are persons and we can compare size!

[Dick Bear]

Hey,

Anders' last sketch proves the point of ending up with a cartoon rendition of the real thing. Fitting the body to an existing frame is, it seems, a waste of both time and energy at this point.

If we were to cut-up an existing frame into several pieces and then "refabricate" those components to fit, I fear we'll end up with a platform having less structural integrity than we could achieve if we simply design-built the chassis from scratch based upon our body configuration.

Dick Bear

[Wray Schelin]

Hi Anders,

I would say that PurSang missed the mark on their interpretation of Mr Huber's retro Bugatti design concept.

That thing is plan ugly.....

We can do a lot better! We will do a lot better!!

[anders nørgaard]

Dick and Wray,

You're both right in your last posts!!!

Actually I was "happy" when I found the pics of the ugly thing above, cause they do show, that a car can be built with the propotions from the T41. We'll just have to do like Ralph said: No reason to have the same cabin width as in a vette. Or... was it Kerry? (emb)
Yes it was! SORRY Mr.P

[toolmanMike]

Originally Posted by Dick Bear

If we were to cut-up an existing frame into several pieces and then "refabricate" those components to fit, I fear we'll end up with a platform having less structural integrity than we could achieve if we simply design-built the chassis from scratch based upon our body configuration.

I was more suggesting that a single 'vette chassis would be the place to get all the components. As part of the the design process, I can see placing all the salvaged subassemblies in there the appropriate positions in space in the modeler and filling-in with the frame. Buy what you can and build what you have to tie it all together...

The chassis will turn-out to be the easy part when compared to getting the body designed and built.

Mike

[Wray Schelin]

Originally Posted by Dick Bear

Hey,

Anders' last sketch proves the point of ending up with a cartoon rendition of the real thing. Fitting the body to an existing frame is, it seems, a waste of both time and energy at this point.

If we were to cut-up an existing frame into several pieces and then "refabricate" those components to fit, I fear we'll end up with a platform having less structural integrity than we could achieve if we simply design-built the chassis from scratch based upon our body configuration.

Dick Bear

Hi Dick,

I've been waiting for someone to point out the obvious. <grin> Now you can take the slings and arrows of the chassisitas. <grin>

The chances of finding an existing chassis to fit the retro Bugatti design concept drawing and not ruin the intent of the design is a one in a million shot.

All of the suggestions for using an off the shelf chassis were offered with good intent to help speed up the process but all of the ramifications were not considered.

This has proven to be a great lesson for all to learn.
We can't expect to make a Princess by making the shoe first....

[anders nørgaard]

Yeah, and using a chassis off the shelf, we will have a set of springs that are designed to a certain load... maybe we can't use them for our car! We could either buy a-arms or make them ourselves. Buy a rack-and-pinion and some spindles that fit the wheelbase and track. That would be a good start.

Just measured the cabin of a Honda Civic... 51" wide in shoulderheight... plenty of room for 2 guys my size (5'10")... could be just 46" no problem!

[anders nørgaard]

Hi Guys,

Just did some "rearranging" of the "bulk carrier".
Think this looks a lot more like it!

The 46" is to the inside of cabin. Allowed fo dor thickness around 2-1/2"