January 11, 2022

Sailing Away – The Glastron Sea Ray is Up For Sale

Bridge Classic Cars have just delivered the Glastron Sea Ray to local specialists Clarke & Carter where it will be sold.

As many who read the blog know, we have done extensive work on this fantastic speedboat (and its trailer) to make sure it’s not only easily useable but also is currently at the very highest safety standards.

We wish whoever owns the boat next, many happy and safe miles out in the sun

One in, One Out – Arrivals and Departures at Bridge Classic Cars

Bridge Classic Cars recently welcomed this new arrival to our workshop in Pettistree, Suffolk. A 1995 Dodge Viper RT10. But, in the same breathe we also said goodbye to an old friend of ours.

Recently we had been offered the chance to purchase the Viper from its previous owner in Scotland. An iconic piece of supercar history, we jumped at the chance. The Vipers owner also mentioned how he had always liked the Mini 850 we had as our competition car which was owned by Keith Aldous. After putting the two in contact, it was decided. We would own the Viper and the previous owner of the Viper would be the lucky new owner of the straight cut gearboxed Mini due to Keith debating on selling the car soon anyway.

So with that, the Mini is now on its way up to Scotland to be loved and enjoyed by its new owner and the Viper made an appearance in Woodbridge when our director took the 8 litre V10 powered supercar to pick up his son from school. Surely the envy of the entire car park!

Going Forward – Sending the 1972 Chevrolet El Camino for a Transmission Rebuild

This 1972 Chevrolet El Camino has been stored at our secure storage facility, The Hangar, for some time now. But today it was time to get the classic American muscle car out and off to a local automatic gearbox specialist to have a look into why it won’t select any gears.

The customer had been taking the car to a show locally when all of a sudden the car just lost all forward and reverse gears. It was bought to us to investigate why this has happened so we have got a local specialist who works with all of our automatic gearboxes to help out on this project.

Coming Soon – 1975 Jensen Interceptor Mk3

Bridge Classic Cars will soon be welcoming this 1975 Jensen Interceptor Mk3 for an aesthetic restoration by our in-house teams.

Our paint and body teams will assess and report on the condition of the classic GT car which will then put together a plan to get the car sorted out.

Expect to see much more on this Interceptor very soon here on the Bridge Classic Cars newspage.

Handling the Pressure – Oil Pressure Gauge and Wiring Issue with the 1973 MGB GT V8

Progress is continuing on the 1973 MGB GT V8 that is currently in the Bridge Classic Cars workshop. Our technicians have been going through to check all the systems required for its testing and found a couple of issues.

Paul has been looking into an issue with the oil pressure gauge and some peculiar issues with the wiring. Look into the gauge to begin with, Paul has cleaned out and rewired the pressure sender which he believes has sorted the problem but it will be reevaluated during the cars tests.

The wiring was some issues down to the routing of certain wires through the engine bay which was causing the car to blow fuses during the cars fire up. Paul went through each of the wires in the engine bay and behind the dash in order to trace back any problems to get them fixed. After this and a couple of repairs to the wiring, Paul is moving forward with his checks on this amazing 1973 MGB GT V8.

This Just In – 1970 Porsche 911T

Bridge Classic Cars have welcomed this iconic 1970 Porsche 911T into our in-house trim shop at our Pettistree, Suffolk HQ. The car, which belongs to a local customer has been brought to us for a special job.

The Bridge Classic Cars in-house trim team will be fitting a complete 911 carpet set into the cockpit of one of the most recognisable sports cars of all time. As you can see, there isn’t a lot on the inside of the car but all around the car is filled with massive amounts of character. There are so many pieces on the car that give it a personality all of its own.

Expect to see lots more on this car here on the Bridge Classic Cars news page.

Mounted Up – Refreshing the Subframe Mount on the 1990 Mini 30

Jon, one of our Bridge Classic Cars in-house restoration technicians, has been working on getting our 1990 Mini 30’s subframe mount all sorted out.

The old mount appears to have been damaged previously so as these are a safety item, we have sorted the issue out. The original mount was in a position were Jonn had to drill out the original mountings and then fabricate a new spacer and bracket for the mount to align to. With this done, it’s time to move onto the other jobs with this brilliant little Mini!

Building Update – Next Stage of the Workshop Extension Floor is Complete!

The new floor for the workshop extension at Bridge Classic Cars Pettistree HQ in Suffolk is entering it’s final phase!

The flooring has had a special treatment and polishing regime down to it to allow for a very high gloss finish which looks absolutely incredible. The new flooring makes the whole area feel bigger and lighter, which is perfect for its use. The next stage of the flooring is when the specialist teams come back into to finish the expansion joints in the floor and then its one final treatment and the new floor will be ready for use!

Held in Suspense – Refitting the Front Suspension to the 1955 Aston Martin DB2/4 Mk1

Work on the 1955 Aston Martin DB2/4 continues with Bridge Classic Cars as our in-house restoration technician Scott begins to put together the front suspension of the DB2 back into its freshly powdercoated frame.

Scott has been carefully refitting the newly refurbished pieces into the DB2 so as not to mar either the frame of the piece itself. Scott has taken the time to even test fit mounting bolts before installation to see whether the powdercoating will need to be taken down to allow the bolt to neatly and securely go into its allotted place.

With so many newly refurbished parts, Scott has methodically worked through the front end of the car so as not to have to remove any components to install others around it. The first piece, is the stunning cast steering rack.

There will be more very soon on the progress of the 1955 Aston Martin DB2/4 Mk1 here on the Bridge Classic Cars news page.

Coated – Exhaust for the 1973 Jaguar E Type Series III Roadster

The 1973 Jaguar E Type Series III Roadster, Fern Grey, is getting closer to completion by the day. Recently our in-house restoration technicians have been working on completing the exhaust for this amazing project.

Our technician Paul has been working on cleaning, preparing and coating the exhausts for the 5 litre V12 that sits at the heart of this E Type. Paul carefully cleaned and prepared the original headers for the car before applying several coats of glossy black exhaust paint. This paint is specific for the use on exhausts as it can withstand incredible high temperatures and the environment.

Paul also worked on cleaning and painting the exhaust brackets for Fern Grey to match the rest of the immaculate underside of the car.

Way out Back – Replacing the Rear Pinion Seal on the 1954 Jaguar MkVII

Dave, one of our most experienced technicians here at Bridge Classic Cars has been working on replacing the rear pinion seal of the 1954 Jaguar MkVII.

We noted the seal was leaking during an inspection and with the newly refurbished gearbox soon to be back in the car, Dave took this opportunity to get the rear pinion seal into the rear end before the gearbox is fitted and the driver shaft installed.

Keep a look out on the Bridge Classic Cars newspage for more updates soon on the 1954 Jaguar MkVII.

A Flash of Colour – Primer and Guide Coat on the 1977 MGB Roadster

The Bridge Classic Cars in-house paint shop have been busy getting the 1977 MGB Roadster we have in for restoration ready for its first coats of colour.

Chris, our lead painter, has been working on getting the body panels just right for the next phase of painting the MGB Roadster. Hours of sanding, filling and more sanding to ensure that each panel sat correctly with its bodylines and also in terms of its curve down and across the body. Then, the body and all its panels had several coats of epoxy primer.

Once the primer had cured enough, it was time to begin working on the first coat of colour on the roadster. A Light guide coat for the car in preparation for its full colour coat which will be going on very soon.

Starting Over – Inspecting and Rebuilding the Carburettors on the 1934 Riley 9 Lynx

The Bridge Classic Cars in-house restoration teams have been working on getting the beautiful 1934 Riley 12/4 Lynx running properly.

Our technician Jon, has been heading up the project. After the Riley had been fully serviced, Jonn noted the engine wasn’t running the best it could. With that, he removed the SU Carburettors and began to inspect and assess each and every component. There was quite a build-up of sediment inside the bowls of the carbs so Jon began to clean out both of the carburettors. Still, the car wouldn’t run right.

Our parts department managed to get hold of a set of rebuild kits for the SU’s and Jon began to take them apart in order to fully rebuild the carbs. After rebuilding the units and then getting them adjusted just right, the Riley Lynx ran perfectly!