1936 Bugatti Atlantic Replica Project RABUGGI - Glass / Finishing

[10-13-16] Side window latch detail...
Trying to replicate the Atlantic "vent pane" window style.

[11-26-16] Installing the re-sized laminated safety glass windshield panes
(from Tri-City Glass) with extruded gasket #60-0133-99 from Steele Rubber

[11-26-16] Right pane is in; left one ready for the soapy string.

[12-16-16] State issued VIN tag, mounted on door jamb with an epoxy bonded aluminum bracket...
This is a small but very significant step. [History of this Hobbyist registration application]

[12-16-16] A state issued windshield decal advises that "A Wisconsin
V.I.N. has been assigned and is located on the driver door jamb."

[02-20-17] Side window vent-pane scissor-stays -- closed / open

[02-20-17] RABUGGI, wearng his spiffy new license plates, waiting
patiently for some decent weather for shakedown on the road

This might be a good place to add a note about the radiator shell finish... After researching various processes to simulate chrome plate on non-metallic materials, ie: various "chrome" paint / lacquer products, vacuum metalizing with added clear coat, chrome vinyl film wrap materials, none instilled a confidence for quality and durability on a one-off part. The metallic vinyl wrap seemed the closest to do-able, but still engendered misgivings about the sharpness and angularity of the shell's shape requiring a lot of piecing and seams. The final choice was to go with conventional base/clear glossy paint in a silvery metallic. It looks fine.

[02-22-17] RABUGGI's first road trial!... An uncommonly beautiful February day presents an opportunity for some initial shakedown and impressions. No bad surprises; all is pretty much as expected. Ride is firm and a little jarring over RR tracks. Non-power steering is slow but light. With non-power brakes the pedal effort is stout. The DRAC speedometer recalibration (verified with a GPS) is good, about 1% optimistic. At the present state with no sound blanket, carpet, or headliner, there is a noticeable level of road noise, tire noise, and some "clunking" sounds with road surface anomalies. Engine and exhaust sound is pretty subdued inside the car, less sound than expected. The buzzing/whooshing noise in the video is more pronounced than in real-time. It may be wind noise from open side windows that the camera's mic accentuates. The steering centering torque was not very strong, almost to the point of requiring driver's help returning to straight from a slow tight turn. Might be a caster adjustment issue. A professional alignment will be scheduled shortly. Steering dynamic response at highway speed feels stable, tight, and pleasant. Yeah, the steering wheel center/straight position needs to be re-indexed.

^ ^ ^  Click for full resolution images.  ^ ^ ^
[02-23-17] Another unseasonably nice February day, out and about, road legal...
These are the first pictures not in the garage or driveway (!!). Backdrop is a still frozen Lake Winnebago.

[04-05-17] Since the plan is not to bother with a heater/defroster for a fair weather toy, we initially simply plugged off the heater hose circuit. It turns out that the heater circuit is an integral part of the S10 cooling system. Blocking it off defeats the intake manifold warming flow and cold start driveability. Soooo, this image shows a simulated heater circuit hose to provide flow through the intake manifold like O.E. This improved the cold start-up engine running; but this circuit, at least in 40F ambient, cooled the whole system so much that it never gets up to temp. Chatting with some techie friends at breakfast Saturday morning led to a forehead smacking realization that the heater circuit return fitting was in a wrong place in the radiator I had made 10 years ago. It's one of those blindingly obvious mistakes that turn invisible after looking at it for a long time.

[04-13-17] The "heater hose" circuit is now returning to a T-fitting in the lower radiator hose (to the water pump).
This is much better, although it still runs a little cool (~170F). Hmmm? ...better than too hot.

[06-09-17] Disassembling the body pieces for the finish paint...
This is the main body cabin being chain hoisted off of the rolling chassis.

[06-13-17] The body components, completely disassembled for a paint job...
1,213 miles and three months of road-use shakedown, adjusting, tweaking (and a couple
little car shows), instills some confidence that RABUGGI is satisfactory to proceed to finsih painting.

[07-07-17] Loading, trailering, unloading the body pieces to the paint shop, Geiger Auto, Inc....

[09-06-17] At the body shop, painting prep in progress -- sanding grey primer

[09-19-17] In the spray booth, painting progressing with the base coat...
Paint color is '63 - '64 Corvette "Silver Blue", GM code WA2973, Ditzler PPG code 12546.

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Newly painted body cabin!

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Chassis rolled forward

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Chain hoist set

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Cabin hoisted

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Chassis rolled back in

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Lowering body cabin...

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...onto body mounts

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Brake cylinders connected; bleeding

9 / 29

Windshield installed

10 / 29

Rear glass prep for bonding

11 / 29

Rear windows installed

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Harness ready for dash panel

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Door & hatch weatherstripping

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WS wipers, shifter, brake handle

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Left door hinges, snubbers

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Right door next

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Latches, handles

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Side mirrors & glass

19 / 29

Vent pane hinges & latches

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Door panel trim, cowl chafe strip

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Fitting headliner form

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Connect hand brake cables

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Seats & belts

24 / 29

Hood side beams

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L. front fender & steering shaft

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R. front fender

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R. rear fender, hood top panels

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Hood side panels

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Rear hatch cover -- Done!

❮ ❯

Gallery of Pictures of Painted RABUGGI out and about 11-12-17

The Period Appropriate Backgrounds
Former C&NW rail freight house on Broad St. - ca 1900 The Waters on Winnebago (Oshkosh Yacht Club) - 1903 The Winnebago shore at east end of Murdock Avenue	Oshkosh Northwestern building, Waugoo Ave. - 1930 1929 Oshkosh Post Office, 219 Washington Avenue The brick side wall of a building at 103 High Avenue

[04-04-22] Some updated images of interior [Click for full resolution image, typically 1.1MB each.]

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    Last tinkered with October 4, 2024