Some days are more interesting than others. When you see the remnants of an old Classic Mini being unloaded from a trailer, you have to
Since we have sent the Riley’s frame away to be dipped, we started work on the body. We have begun to go far deeper into
The story with our Aztec Gold 1976 Mercedes 350SL continues but this time at marque specialist Derrick Wells. After looking into the starting issues that
The day has come. Our beloved 1967 E Type Racer has left the building to start its new life on the twisting roads around Blackpool
Those following along with the progress of the 1998 Honda Integra Type R that we are currently working on at Bridge Classic Cars will know
For a handmade classic car, only a handmade interior will do. This is much the story with our beautiful 1960 Jensen 541R we have in
Interior trim is one of the key elements of any restoration, and we here at Bridge Classic Cars have got probably the best in-house trim
The Jaguar straight-six. A staple of British motoring since its first outing in 1949 and continued in production well into the 20th century. This particular
We have an inquiry as to whether we could repair a rip in the seat of a modern Mercedes. As you can see it is
Some days are more interesting than others. When you see the remnants of an old Classic Mini being unloaded from a trailer, you have to go outside to take a look. This one is a bit rough around the edges but nothing our in-house team can’t handle should they need to.
We had a look over and inspected this particular car for our good friends over at Team C Racing, the local Classic Mini specialists.
Keep your eye out for possible future updates on this character-filled Classic Mini.
Since we have sent the Riley’s frame away to be dipped, we started work on the body.
We have begun to go far deeper into the 1951 Riley RMB that we have in with us here at Bridge Classic Cars. Our in-house technicians knew that the car was in very rough shape to begin with but the extent of the decay is only coming to light the more layers we peel away on this car.
But, fear not. Everything is fixable with the right skillset. Which thankfully our in-house fabricator James has in spades.
What he has uncovered on the Riley RMB is a series of cut corners to say the least. These were common place years ago but not something that would preserve the longevity of the car, which is what we at Bridge Classic Cars pride ourselves on.
James carefully undid and unwrapped the layers of porous metal that had been fixed one over another to make sure that he, and the other master fabricators that we have, could get at the root cause. This will need to be done before any work can be started on the handmade wooden frames that make up the roof structure, which have unfortunately perished through the many years this car had been enjoyed.
The other issue that the Riley has presented us with is the lack of datum points to create the handmade templates needed for each part. No bracket, panel or edge were symetrical side to side. Each had variations in side, depth and thickness to some lesser or sometimes extreme degree. No problem for our team, just careful removal and methodical approaches to each challenge that a restoration brings.
But that is in essence what we do with vehicle restorations here at Bridge Classic Cars, give new life to classic cars so that they can be enjoyed not just for prosperities sake but for enthusiasts for generations to come.
The story with our Aztec Gold 1976 Mercedes 350SL continues but this time at marque specialist Derrick Wells.
After looking into the starting issues that we have had with the car since it came over to be with us at Bridge Classic Cars from Ireland, our in-house technicians thought it best to get the opinion of a true singularly focus specialist.
As you may have known, we bought this car on the understanding that it was in good aesthetic and mechanical condition. That didn’t quite turn out to be true… sometimes you do have to be careful with what you buy even with a car such as this.
As soon as we get an update on the car then expect to see that right here on Bridge Classic Cars.
The day has come. Our beloved 1967 E Type Racer has left the building to start its new life on the twisting roads around Blackpool with its very lucky new owner.
Those who have been following along with the story of this Volcano Orange E Type will have seen the amazing film and also the wonderful article in Car & Classic about the car. But, like all good things they must come to an end. Our time with this fun in-house built E Type at Bridge Classic Cars has come to an end.
Carefully loaded into our very own enclosed transporter, and safely secured down by our in-house transportation team it was on the first journey of its new life far from us here at Bridge Classic Cars in Suffolk.
As it left, the Bridge Classic Cars team thought about the good times that have been had with this brightly coloured flash of fury. The hours of hard work, devotion and fanatical attention to detail put in by all the members of our highly skilled and enthusiast led team. The film shoot with SuffolkandFast on a misty and foggy morning up at RAF Bentwaters or our very own in-house marketing guru Freddie driving the car back from Helmingham Festival of classic and sportscars while it popped, banged and spat flames as it passed the pub filled with local enthusiasts thanks to its rebuilt engine.
But as the doors closed on our bespoke transporter, we could all smile and know it was going off to be loved and cherished by its new owner. To live and breathe on new roads high above the north/south divide where an entirely new group of enthusiasts and bystanders can enjoy and appreciate this remarkable, one-off road racer.
Those following along with the progress of the 1998 Honda Integra Type R that we are currently working on at Bridge Classic Cars will know of the extensive fabrication work undertaken by our in-house technicians and fabricators.
This time we are cleaning up the engine bay before the car goes into our in-house paint team. This DC2 has had many hours put into its sympathetic restoration of key areas but each has been thorough and needed. Cleaning up the engine bay is an important part of the Type R’s journey with us here at Bridge Classic Cars.
As with many restorations, what begins as one issue soon exposes other areas that do require the attention of our skilled in-house technicians.
The surface rust in the Integra’s engine bay was a prime candidate to be worked on. All of this in preparation for its glorious 4 cylinder VTEC screamer to be carefully lowered back into its home once the bay has been cleaned and refreshed.
Once this is complete, our technicians here at Bridge Classic Cars in Suffolk will carry on through their inspection. After all, the DC2 Integra Type R is what many believe to be the greatest front-wheel-drive coupe ever made.
For a handmade classic car, only a handmade interior will do. This is much the story with our beautiful 1960 Jensen 541R we have in the trim shop here at Bridge Classic Cars for one of the incredible owners, Gordon.
Our beloved Lilac has been in the trim shop recently to have our in-house trim experts begin work on upholstering the seats for this truly unique car. Starting from scratch, our upholsters began laying out the original frames and foams to ensure that the new set, which are handcrafted in-house, would fit. They also had to suit the cars classic but also quite contemporary lines.
The webs for the rear seat needed to include the signature rear hump. This had to be taken into account when making this one-off interior. The rear is a masterpiece of flowing lines that finish in neat and crisp corners that perfectly suit a car of this calibre. The padding was selected to give the most amount of support for the driver and passengers whilst out there enjoying the gorgeous 541R.
Our in-house team of automotive upholsterers took their time to make sure that the front seat also was given the same treatment as the rear. Skillfully matching the compound shapes and curves that make up the best seat in the house when it comes to enjoying a truly unique classic car.
Interior trim is one of the key elements of any restoration, and we here at Bridge Classic Cars have got probably the best in-house trim shop bar none. Take for example this classic car, Craig’s 1987 Mercedes 500SL which is having a whole new interior done by our in-house trimmers. The fit and finish on these custom-made interior pieces are worthy of an article in themselves.
Those of you following the project will know that the original interior was a, once upon a time, dark royal blue but as part of the restoration of the car here at Bridge Classic Cars, the whole interior is being retrimmed in a deep and beautiful Claret Red.
Starting with the original door cards as a template to work from, our in-house trim experts got to work creating new door cards from scratch in order to create the best fit and keep them as close to the originals as possible. Once the new door cards had been shaped, finessed and test fitted it was time to choose the right hide. Matched to this amazing example of 1980s German luxury performance was stunning deep Claret Red. Every mark, indent or locator was carefully and skillfully transferred onto the new door cards by hand to ensure they were an exact match for the existing interior trim pieces.
The deep red colour of the door cards was carefully selected to match the previous material used through the 500SL. The centre console, dash covering and all the other refinished trim work all match up thanks to the expertise and attention to detail that our interior team at Bridge Classic Cars has and the devotion to their craft.
The Jaguar straight-six. A staple of British motoring since its first outing in 1949 and continued in production well into the 20th century. This particular engine was lovingly refreshed by our in-house engine builder Ady along with some other sympathetic restoration work completed by our highly skilled technicians here at Bridge Classic Cars to make sure this Mk2 3.4 was one of the best out there.
The level of detail put into this engine by us here at Bridge Classic Cars matches the rest of the care and attention lavished on this fine example of this era of Coventry Jaguar. With so much attention given to the build-up of the long block, the install had to be given the same respect.
After a full engine bay respray, it was important to install the engine slowly and methodically. Gently easing the glorious straight-six into its age-old home. Like a well-tailored suit, the engine slipped perfectly into position where it could be checked that it would not interfere with any other componentry and it sat just right for all to behold when the long, elegant bonnet was opened for its tell-tale heart to be on display for all to proudly see.
We have an inquiry as to whether we could repair a rip in the seat of a modern Mercedes. As you can see it is the main seat area on the base and in order to repair properly the entire material from that section would need to be replaced.
The customer has asked whether we can glue up the tear which would is an option. It is not ideal but it can be done.
This may be one for the trim shop in the coming weeks, we’ll see.
