Lot Ended
Description
Fully rebuilt BMC B-Series 1.8 engine and gearbox; only 10,800
miles from build; lovely dashboard; lots of history; driven 40 miles to the
sale
This Teal
Bugatti comes with a large history file extending back to when the car was first
built by a Mr A Debes of Stockport in c.1987. It originally had a Ford 2.0 Pinto
engine but an article on file from the second owner, Mr B Cook of High Peak,
describes how he completely rebuilt the car over a two-year period in 2002/03.
This included fitting a BMC B-Series 1.8 engine which was
fully rebuilt with new pistons, bearings, reground crank etc, also being bored
out to 1,950cc (although the V5C records the capacity as 1,800cc). Mersons of
Stockport did the machining while Mr Cook did the final assembly. Clearly a
talented engineer, Mr Cook rebuilt the gearbox himself.
He also worked
wonders on the aesthetics. The stainless steel bulkhead, cabin liner panels and
dashboard are entirely his work, the latter using mainly Jaguar instruments with
specially made brass surrounds for that authentic old car look. The steel is in
two layers throughout with a sandwich of marine-grade birch plywood between to
ensure that it will last for decades. The bodywork is mainly in fibreglass so it
weighs very little and won't go rusty.
He even made the steering wheel
from scratch, using a genuine Bugatti Brescia steering wheel as a pattern with a
hand-crafted walnut rim. This alone took three months to complete although he
did make another as a spare. He also machined his own stainless steel nuts and
other fastenings for the wheels and the body panels. A radiator was also
custom-made for the car by Hillgate Radiators of Stockport as these Teals can
offer suffer from over-heating, now not a problem on this one. Much of the work
he carried out is documented in photos on file, along with detail shots of
genuine Bugattis which he took for inspiration.
The car then had two
further owners before it was acquired by the previous owner in 2022. He kept a
detailed and charmingly illustrated log of all the improvements he made to the
car. These included cleaning and waxing the chassis; brake and suspension
overhaul; work to the electrical system; new fuel hoses compatible with modern
petrol; new fuel pump; carbs rebuilt; new tonneau cover and sidescreens; general
servicing and tuning etc. There are also copious notes about the history of the
car and tips on maintenance.
Our vendor acquired
the car via Brightwells in the summer of last year (for considerably more than
the guide price suggested here). He has greatly enjoyed driving it and reports
that it runs and drives well and always attracts lots of attention. The odometer
currently shows 10,759 miles which is the distance covered from build. It has an
MOT until August 2025 with no advisories recorded.
Only reluctantly for
sale due to illness, this well-maintained and well-historied Teal was driven
some 40 miles to the sale and has been starting promptly and running well as we
have moved it around on site, with good 50psi oil pressure when hot. The icing
on the cake is the nice personalised number plate, FIB 1958, which is included
in the sale.
A really eye-catching machine, this Bugatti
lookalike will be a fine way to get around this
summer.
Consigned by James Dennison – 07970 309907 - james.dennison@brightwells.com