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June 2020

1972 Peugeot 504

June 12, 2020

Scott has continued work on the corrosion repairs needed on our Peugeot 504. There just seems to be more and more areas of corrosion the

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Racing Jaguar E-Type: Custom Door Inlays

June 15, 2020

Kath has been hard at work on our unique Jaguar E-Type Racecar. The interior is going to be very different to any other E-Type. The stripped out, lightweight interior will be functional, sleek and stylish.

Kath has made door panel inlays in orange leather. She’s marked out the leather before backing onto board, trimming off any excess.

Kath has then sewn around the edges in a slightly lighter contrasting shade of orange. She has then glued them into position within the metal doorframe with contact adhesive. There will be some additional components to come on our door panels but they are already looking great.

Surf’s Up: Our ‘Surf Blue’ 1967 Austin Mini 850 Mini

June 15, 2020

Darren has now completed painting our Austin Mini. He’s now completed the external painting in ‘Surf Blue’. This colour choice works so well on a Mini of this age, simply gorgeous. The cream roof compliments the blue superbly.

Wonderful work, Darren.

It’s now heading back to Ted at the Mini Centre to continue restoring this lovely classic. This Mini is being converted to run on a completely electric motor. We cannot wait to see this vehicle when Ted completes the restoration.

Jensen 541R Interior Update From The Trim Shop

June 15, 2020

Brian has been making some superb progress on lots of smaller jobs on our Jensen interior restoration. He firstly stripped down the scuttle air vent covers ready to retrim.

Brian has also stripped down and recovered the main Jensen dash panel. He has re-trimmed this in black vinyl. This black vinyl is extremely tactile, providing a luxurious, understated finish that will offset the chrome work superbly.

Brian has restored the original glovebox, re-trimming the glovebox with new carpet.

Brian has also made one pair of rear door capping from 9mm ply wood. He chiselled the correct cutouts and shaped the wood to perfectly match the original. Great work, Brian!

Jensen 541R Floor Fitted

June 15, 2020

Another milestone has been hit in our 1960 Jensen 541R restoration as she now has a doors and a floor!

Paul has installed the newly painted doors onto the vehicle.

We’ve also now installed the floor into our 541R.

1957 Jensen 541R Interior Door Pockets

June 15, 2020

Brian and Dave have been making up the Jensen door pockets that intrude into the door card, providing storage space.

Using the original wooden pocket as a template, Brian has cut new wooden inserts and handed them over to Dave.

In the workshop, Dave has custom fabricated new metal surround for the pocket. This will head back into Brian in the trim shop for final fabric trimming and fitting. Although this task alone is but a small detail, it needs to perfectly match the original door pocket to ensure the vehicle is restored as true to the original as possible. The overall quality of a restoration is determined by how precisely the smaller details are restored. Wonderful work, Dave and Brian!

Jaguar V12 Engine work

June 14, 2020

Work begins on the testing of our spare Jaguar V12 engine. The Arrow Ferrari Daytona has arrived with us with a blown engine and with it came a spare Jaguar V12 taken from another Ferrari replica.

The engine is believed to be a running engine but Ady will do various test and freshen up the look before we even consider an engine swap.

1960 MGA Restoration Update

June 12, 2020

The MGA seats are now fitted. Paul has repaired the seat rails and fitted both seats. The rails were angled in slightly which caused issues sliding them back and forth. They are now perfectly aligned for our seats to move correctly.

The windscreen has also now been installed into the car with handles in place. Paul has installed the door seals and chrome end caps.

Great work Paul, our 1960 MGA is looking absolutely marvellous now.

We’re nearing the end of this beautiful car’s restoration, we cannot wait to see the finished article now.

1972 Peugeot 504

June 12, 2020

Scott has continued work on the corrosion repairs needed on our Peugeot 504. There just seems to be more and more areas of corrosion the further we go into this Peugeot.

Scott has discovered some fairly poor repair work after removing thick underseal beneath the soft top and rear seats. This has all had to be cut out and correctly fixed. Scott has been cutting out the rotten metal and replacing with new. Great work, Scott!

1962 Jensen 541S Arrives at Bridge Classic Cars for Sale

June 12, 2020

Coming for sale soon is this beautifully presented Jensen 541S, we will inspect the car and check everything is in top condition before it goes online for sale. Here at Bridge Classic Cars we are very familiar with this beautiful gold Jensen 541S. We’ve carried out work on this vehicle at the start of the year. The current owner has entrusted us with the sale of this wonderful classic.

1976 Triumph Spitfire 1500 MOT, Service, Pre Delivery Inspection

June 12, 2020

Another classic car win this week at Bridge Classic Cars.

Congratulations to Andrew Oswald, winner of the 1976 Triumph Spitfire 1500.

The Live Draw for this competition was held on Friday 29th May 2020.

Before delivery Mauro, Ady and Scott have given this car a full service including new spark plugs, new carburettor gasketes, new fluids and filters and a tune. Scott has also given the rear brakes a full clean and service.

1990 Austin Mini Thirty Arrives at The Workshop

June 12, 2020

This gorgeous little Mini has just arrived at Bridge Classic Cars. It is in need of minor recommissioning work to get her back to her best.

Although mechanically it looks very good, Mauro is now giving this Austin a thorough inspection to make sure there isn’t any issues that need addressing.

The mirrors will need to be re-attached and the passenger side door card needs to be remade in our Trim Shop. There is also a few spots of rust and paint defects which will be addressed by the Paint Shop.

Once restored, this vehicle will be up as a competition. Who’s excited to see another classic Mini available to be won?

Launched in June 1989, the limited-edition Mini Thirty (30) celebrated the car’s 30th birthday and was based on the Mini Mayfair. Fitted with the 998cc engine, it was offered in Cherry Red (COG-BLVC843) or black (PMA-BLVC90) and was fitted with chrome bumpers and grille, a dedicated Coachline set and 1959-1989 crests, a security coded stereo and a set of Minilite-style alloy wheels.

The black and red half-leather interior was common to both car colours.

Of the 3,000 produced for the UK, 2,000 were in Cherry Red and 1,000 were Black; 2,800 were manual and 200 had an automatic gearbox. 600 were made with an optional sun roof.

1971 Range Rover Broken ‘O’ Ring

June 11, 2020

Ady has found a broken ‘O’ ring which is causing a fuel leak, we’ll fit a new ‘O’ ring to fix. We’ve also found the issue with the speedo, the bearing that rotates the speedo pin is no longer fully lubricated. After re-lubricating and cleaning this component, the speedo should now read accurately. There’s still some work to do on our Range Rover project but Ady’s made a cracking start today.

MG Midget Clutch and Release Bearing

June 11, 2020

Scott has been working on our MG Midget. He’s replaced the clutch and release bearing before the car is transported to it’s new owner. As with all of our sales vehicles we’ve also given it a full 12 months MOT. We wish the new owner many joyful miles to come in this lovely little classic.

1957 Jensen 541R Restoration Update

June 11, 2020

There has been plenty of progress on our Corvette powered Jensen 541R restoration. Dave’s gearbox mount is now in place.

Dave has also welded in seatbelt mounting brackets in, ready for seatbelts to be installed.

Dave has also fabricated Metal components for the top of the door (left) which are now with Chris in the paint shop for painting. Dave has also made aluminium vent sliders which open or close the heating airflow.

1971 Land Rover Range Rover Arrives at the Workshop

June 11, 2020

This 1971 Range rover is in our workshop for a service, improve how it runs and to fix a few niggles. The speedo gauge flickers and the clutch is reportedly very light. First up, Ady, Bridge Classic Cars’ engine specialist will be investigating the engine.

Suzuki GSX400 New Headlight Design

June 11, 2020

Huge thank you to Alchemy Motorcycle Parts for their assistance on this design modification. Our 1984 Suzuki GSX400 Cafe Racer/Bobber now has it’s new headlight.

We have been searching the market for a 6 inch LED with black surround and an integrated black mesh front. We have been able to find this specification in a H4 Halagen format or a 7.7 inch size but the size and specification has been tricky to master.

There are plenty of 6 inch LED options but the only grille able to fit would be a retro-fit option that screws to the sides. This was not the look we were going for.

A call to Alchemy Motorcycle Parts and a little homework on their part and they have successfully managed to marry up the LED 6 inch headlight with the integrated mesh used on the Halagen set up.

And it looks amazing…thank you!

Rover P5B: Going to the chapel and we’re…

June 10, 2020

With his daughter’s wedding coming up in November 2020, the owner of our lovely 1971 Rover P5B has asked us to bring the car in to the workshops to get it ready for the big day.

The car has not been used for almost two years. We have been asked to give it a thorough check over and with evidence of brake oil leaking out this is most certainly one area that will require attention. The car will also undergo a full service and MOT.

We have just collected the car and is now with us in the workshops waiting for the works to begin.

Rare: 1979 Arrow Daytona – Ferrari Recreation

June 10, 2020

Arriving in our workshops this week as a future restoration project we have our 1979 Arrow Daytona (Ferrari Daytona Recreation).

The car is a non runner due to an engine fault not too long ago which resulted in the car sitting with a blown engine. A second V12 Jaguar engine has been sourced and may be the resolution when restoring the car.

Over the years the owner has collected many many original and after-market Ferrari Daytona parts so although the car is extremely well produced and very close to the original Ferrari Daytona there are certain areas that do make the car less aesthetically pleasing. The interior, for instance, is not as close to an original Ferrari Daytona as it could be so original Ferrari interior parts have been purchased.

The entire car will be restored in our workshops later in the year with a new colour combination and a number of upgrades to further improve the car.

Coming soon: 2003 Mercedes SL55 V8, Efini RX-7 Type R Bathurst

June 9, 2020

We are very excited to announce the imminent arrival of a somewhat rare modern classic. We intend on getting our 2003 Mercedes SL55 V8 AMG in the workshops in preparation for a future competition opportunity.

The Mercedes SL55 V8 is most certainly a future classic and should be wish us in the very near future.

And next up…a ridiculously special car! Introducing our 1995 Efini RX-7 Type R Bathurst. 1 of 500 produced for the Japanese market. Our RX-7 had 1 owner in Japan before coming over to the UK and has since had 1 owner in the UK before we got our hands on it. The car is absolutely stunning condition and has covered just 7,500 genuine miles. What a stunning car to own. We can’t wait to collect this one!

1973 TR6 Hardtop: Completed Restoration

June 9, 2020

We’ve now completed our TR6 Hardtop Restoration. Kath has put the final touches to the rubber seals and it’s now ready to be reunited with the rest of the vehicle. A superb collaboration between the Paint and Trim Shops, great work, all!

1973 Triumph TR6 Update

June 9, 2020

Darren has been progressing with our Triumph TR6 Restoration down in the Paint Shop.

We’ve fitted a new boot for our TR6 and adjusted the fitment to perfectly align with the bodywork. We’ve also prepared the boot, side sills, doors and fenders. Now the panels are prepared and smooth, these will be going into the paint shop primer very soon.

Mercedes E350 Smart Repairs

June 9, 2020

A slight mishap with one of our good friend’s cars resulted in the rear wing needing a smart repair. The dent was pulled out and the area was prepared for new colour matched paint.

A few areas on the rear bumper also need attention, the usual scuffs and scraps. As we have the car in the paint shop it seems only right to correct that area too.

Jaguar E-Type Series One Racecar – Interior

June 8, 2020

Our jaguar E-Type Racecar has been in the Trim shop visiting Kath and Brian last week.

They have been fitting the bold orange carpets into the veheicle.

They firstly started making paper floor mats in the floor pan as a template when cutting the carpet. The carpet then gets test-fitted and adjusted to fit perfectly if needed. This process was used for the front carpet mats, rear underseat, rear ramp area and the boot…

When all the carpet pieces are cut to size, they are ready to bind. Binding is the process of wrapping leather around the carpets, creating a piped edge. Kath has sewn the leather onto the front of the carpet, before folding the edge over to sew down the inner edge. This helps the carpets to sit perfectly in place and stops the fabric from fraying.

The cross-members were then also trimmed with carpet, following the exact same process before being glued down to the vehicles tub.

Next up, sound deadening is installed and stuck into place before being bonded to the carpet. We’ve now trimmed most of our E-Type’s interior. The next major phase will be to begin re-installing seats and switchgear.

Great work, Brian and Kath!

190 SL Engine Fires Into Life

June 8, 2020

Ady, Bridge Classic Cars Engine Expert has been working on the complete rebuild of our 190SL Engine. This is the first time it’s fired up in months. He just needs to adjust the timing and a few other minor tweaks, then it’s ready to be run-in. Great work, Ady!

The engine was firstly mounted to the subframe before the rest of the vehicle is lowered onto the the subframe.

1957 Triumph TR3: Service and MOT

June 8, 2020

This gorgeous Triumph TR3 is such a credit to it’s keeper. It’s been getting plenty of attention sitting pretty in our workshop. This newly restored TR3 is in for it’s third year service.

Mauro and John have changed the engine oil and ensured all fluid levels are correct. We’ve lubricated all the required chassis and running gear components. we’ve checked the engine valves and given the car new filters.

Being a historic vehicle, no MOT is required. However for additional peace of mind, this vehicle has sailed through her MOT.

There was a small fault with the passenger door which has now been rectified. The door was needing to be slammed harder than you’d expect for a TR3. This was caused by a stud bolt being slightly too long, causing additional friction when shutting the door. We’ve ground the bolt down and now the door shuts percetly.

Lovely work, Team.

Online Payments – Technical Difficulty

June 6, 2020

From Tuesday 2nd June 2020 some of you may have experienced difficulties with completing your online order for competition tickets through our website.

Please be assured that this experience is due to technical issues from our supplier and not to do with you or your bank. Unfortunately these issues are out of our control, but something that is being worked on around the clock to ensure we get back up and running as quickly as possible.

During this time, if you saw an error whilst paying or you do not see your ticket allocation within the ‘My Account’ section of the website then you have not been charged.

The banner on our website reads as follows:

Due to technical issues beyond our control, we are currently unable to accept online payments. You are still able to enter our competitions by calling the office on 01473 742038. Lines are open 7 days a week. We apologise for any inconvenience caused and aim to be in full operation very soon.

At Bridge Classic Cars we aim to be as honest and transparent as possible at all times so although we believe the issues will be resolved within the next few days we wanted to explain to you the reasons for the technical fault.

When you order your tickets online, the payment is sent through a gateway operated by Paytriot Payments. Paytriot Payments are a PCI DSS Level 1 Compliant gateway and merchant account provider. In simple terms, they ensure that your payment is as secure as possible throughout the entire process.

Some of the smaller banks consider ‘competition’ based formats to be a form of gambling, hence why you will occasionally see websites, like ours, not able to accept certain cards or from certain banks. This is to ensure that we adhere to the rules set out by those parties.

The technical issues we are in the middle of are all based around these reasons. We are not alone and Paytriot Payments are working around the clock to resolve the issue and get us all back operating once again.

During this period, we are still able to accept other methods of competition entry. If you require tickets to any of our competitions, our office lines are open 7 days a week, please call 01473 742038 and we will be more than happy to assist.

Porsche 924S – Exhaust and Steering Rack

June 6, 2020

Congratulations to Tajinder Hans, winner of the 1988 Porsche 924S with ticket number 1239.

The Live Draw for this competition was held on Friday 29th May 2020.

Before the car leaves our workshops we give it the full once over, carry out a service, MOT and pre-delivery inspection.

A couple of areas we addressed prior to delivery. We discovered a leak on the steering rack so a newly refurbished steering rack was fitted. We also discovered corrosion appear on the exhaust so a brand new part exhaust was fitted.

Our Porsche sailed through the MOT and is now in the hands of it’s new owner for many many more years of enjoyment.

Congratulations Tajinder…enjoy!

1960 MGA Interior Trim: Soft Top Install

June 5, 2020

Kath and Brian have been working on our 1960 MGA interior. They firstly fitted the metal hood frame to the car.

Then Kath has covered the front header rail in fabric and stapled and glued into place.

Once the header rail was in place, Kath and Brian fitted the main hood cover over. They inserted the metal bar into the rear section, ready to clip onto the car. They then pulled the cover over and attached to the header rail ensuring that the tension was perfect before fully securing.

Kath then made some flange covers to cover up the copper ‘O’ ring.

She then finished off the soft top roof with final trim sewing and securing the header rail.

Next up, Kath and Brian marked out where the fixings attach to the hood, then fitted the roof to the car from the rear.

They then adjusted the front corners of the soft top and completed the job by fitting the front end cover.

Superb work, Kath and Brian. The attention to detail and craftsmanship in this hood is absolutely superb!

In The Trim Shop: Jensen 541R Interior

June 5, 2020

Brian, one of our Classic Car Technicians who specialises in Interior Trim has been making superb progress on the interior of our 541R.

Brian has fabricated new footpanels with back supports screwed in. He’s also stripped down the old scuttle panels.

He’s cut new scuttle panels and drilled correctly placed holes.

Brian has dismantled the original under-dash panels and is making new under-dash panels from millboard. He’s stripped down the original door panel infills and trimmed in black leather. The attention to detail is second to none. Beautifully done, Brian.

1960 Jensen 541R Restoration Progress

June 5, 2020

Paul has been working on our 1960 Jensen 541R restoration. He’s fitted the doors and prepared the prop shaft to paint black.

A new brake servo unit has been fitted with custom brackets. We’ve installed EPS (Electronic Power Steering) and fitted in place. Paul has also installed the Brake and clutch pedal mounting box. He’s fitted the front brake hose and modified bracket to hold the hose.

Bridge Classic Cars are award winning Classic Car Restoration and Maintenance specialists. Your pride and joy is in safe hands with our expert Classic Car Technicians. Take a look at our awards here.

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