I collaborated with Gary Brown of BROWN'S METAL MODS in Indianapolis on this project. He used a Fat Man Fabrications boattail frame designed for these bodies to mount the body and hang the fenders, turning the car into a "roller." However, as I needed Gary to focus on building the DECO LINER Zephyr delivery instead of the BUGNOTTI Project, the project was relocated to Delaware.
Ramsey Mosher of RAM's ROD SHOP in Dover, DE was given the impossible challenge of completing the car by a mid-July 2008 deadline for a major show. Ram had previously built Terry's SCRAPE steel '39 Zephyr, his 1956 Lincoln "TITANIC" and had worked on an assortment of Cook's other toys. Because of the wiring complexities of the BMW V-12 engine and automatic transmission and the deadline, the V-12 was snatched out of the car and replaced with a trusty LS-1 small block Chevy V-8 and 4L60E automatic transmission.
The meticulous process of rubbing and smoothing the car's surfaces was entrusted to Brian Butler and his team at EAST COAST RESTORATION & COLLISION in Greenwood, DE. They used RM black and 5335 Glamour clear for the paint and bodywork, resulting in a stunning finish that brings back the classic appeal of black. The car boasts Bugatti-style louvers in the rocker panels, which were created by stamping steel and bonding them to the composite body. Additionally, Brian fabricated eight stainless steel megaphone exhaust stacks with a design reminiscent of a pipe organ. The elegantly curved windshield, designed by sculptor Stanley Wanlass, is made by RODWARE of Salt Lake City.
A number of Type 57 and 57S Bugattis inspired Cook's design. He used polished stainless woven wire to fill the opening in the steel hood side panels and surrounded the openings with round stainless tubing. The side spears were made from oval stainless tubing and welded onto the back side of the trim to hold it to the body. The sculptured megaphone "pipe organ" exhausts were painstakingly polished by Chris Wyckoff of Hewitt, NJ.
The car will tour the US during the summer of 2008 and will be exhibited in the DECO RIDES booth at Retro Auto in Pebble Beach during the weekend of August 14-17. Like most of Cook's creations, it is for sale to provide funds for numerous other current projects. Interested parties can email Terry at decorides@aol.com.
Before the bodywork, the car was delivered to Stephen Pierce of ONE OFF TECHNOLOGIES in Gilford, NH. He fashioned the leather that has been "crocked" (converted to faux crocodile) and designed and stitched the trim using contrasting red leather. Strader's Auto Upholstery completed the carpeting and trunk interior due to time constraints. While in Gilford, Pierce also created the stainless steel brightwork trim that decorates the exterior.
The car has thin stainless trim on one side and large fender skirts shaped like pumpkin seeds on the other side. The skirts were hand-formed by PANEL CRAFT of Bethlehem, NH and then chrome plated by The FINISHING TOUCH of Chicago. Cook liked both designs and thought that since you can only see one side of the car at a time, it didn't matter that they were different.
BUGNOTTI incorporates numerous distinctive styling elements into a single car. However, the key message that Cook is aiming to convey is the extravagant use of polished stainless and chrome-plated aluminum for the exterior body decor. This design pays homage to the flamboyant use of brightwork by renowned Parisian coachbuilders Jacques Saoutchik and Giuseppe Figoni, both of whom are heroes of Cook.
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