A Modern Take On A 1920s Speakeasy
March 1, 2024
In Bury St Edmunds, a unique bar experience has been created – The Secret Distillery. Situated at 3 Short Brackland, this is not your ordinary
March 1, 2024
Bentley – Inspection and Repairs
March 1, 2024
Jon has now completed the inspection on our 1993 Bentley Turbo R. He’s carried out the necessary repairs which included; sorting the connections on the
A New Competition Car
March 1, 2024
We have recently welcomed another car into the Bridge Classic Cars workshop. This time it is our 1964 Ford Zephyr 4, which will soon go
An E-Type Arrives
March 1, 2024
Tony recently collected our 1969 Jaguar E-Type Roadster. When it arrived, James carried out a service/appraisal. He put the battery on charge and carried out
A busy week of deliveries
March 1, 2024
Tony’s had a busy week on the road this week. As I sit here writing this he is currently heading up the A65 on his
Inspection And Repairs – E-Type
March 1, 2024
Classic car technician has been taking a look at our beautiful 1968 Jaguar E-Type Series 1.5 While working on the car he refitted the nearside
A piece of Bridge Classic Cars at Virginia Auto Show 2024
March 1, 2024
Back in July 2022 we surprised David with the amazing news that he had won our 1997 Rover Mini. Soon after, he visited our Suffolk
More Jensen Progress
March 1, 2024
The heat shield on our 1956 Jensen 541 has been finished and the throttle pedal has been fitted. The vacuum valve and heater pipes were
A Modern Take On A 1920s Speakeasy
March 1, 2024
In Bury St Edmunds, a unique bar experience has been created – The Secret Distillery. Situated at 3 Short Brackland, this is not your ordinary bar, but is a throwback to the past, recreating the atmosphere of a 1920s speakeasy, a time when such establishments operated in the shadows of Prohibition America.
A Nod To The Prohibition Era
During the 1920s in the United States, the sale of alcohol was outlawed, giving rise to the speakeasy, where drinks were discreetly sold. The term ‘speakeasy’ relates to the suggestion that patrons speak “easy” or quietly about these illicit bars. The Secret Distillery captures this feel, offering a space that feels both exclusive and full of history.
The Secret Distillery
Opened on a quiet Saturday evening, The Secret Distillery is the brainchild of Ryan Luke and Tom Mills and is the second bar launched by the Bacton-based gin distillery, Heart of Suffolk.
Since its creation in 2018, the distillery has created three award-winning London dry gins – Betty’s, Rosie’s, and Ivy’s. Their collection also includes limited edition liqueurs, adding a unique twist to their spirit selection.
The original Heart of Suffolk Distillery was in Finbow’s Yard, Stowmarket but has now expanded to include a shop, an events space, and a production unit. The new speakeasy-style bar is located at the site of the former St Distillery bar.
A Taste of Suffolk
Emphasising local flavours, The Secret Distillery offers a range of drinks from nearby producers, including Humber Doucy Brewing Company, Ampersand, Suffolk Village Ciders, Herbarium, Scobby’s, and Vino Gusto. This commitment to local sourcing not only supports the surrounding community but also provides patrons with a taste of Suffolk’s finest.
A Venue for All Occasions
The Secret Distillery is open Thursday and Friday evenings, Saturday 12 pm to 11 pm and Sunday 12 pm- 6 pm. It’s not just about the drinks though; the venue also houses a shop where you can purchase Heart of Suffolk spirits.
Bridge Classic Cars
We stock a range of gin from the Heart of Suffolk Distillery here at Bridge Classic Cars. In fact, it wasn’t too long ago that we welcomed them to our fully licensed bar to have a look around.
Bentley – Inspection and Repairs
March 1, 2024
Jon has now completed the inspection on our 1993 Bentley Turbo R. He’s carried out the necessary repairs which included; sorting the connections on the nearside headlight and main beam. He’s stripped the nearside door panel and repositioned the electric window switch.
The car has been taken off the ramp and a road test has been carried out.
It returned to the workshop with a belt squeal and steering is out to the right.
We have tightened the alternator belt.
The steering has been adjust and we’ve inflate all tyres to the correct pressure.
Fuel has been added and now the car is ready for the draw!
A New Competition Car
March 1, 2024
We have recently welcomed another car into the Bridge Classic Cars workshop. This time it is our 1964 Ford Zephyr 4, which will soon go live on the Bridge Classic Cars Competitions website.
Jonn has been looking at our new arrival and here are his notes:
Top up gearbox and axle oils. Strip brakes and inspect. Remove offside front calliper.
Thoroughly degrease calliper and clean all components. Remove piston from calliper and found it badly pitted and unserviceable. Check rear brakes to find cylinders weeping, shoes contaminated and hub seals weeping. Order parts….. refit wheels and drums until parts arrive. Remove fuel tank sender. Strip and lubricate and free off. Refit and test, ok. Tidy wiring under bonnet.
Remove air filter and fixed throttle linkage. Cut small pieces of wood to use as battery security. Make small strap from alloy to hold down battery and cover in sticky back foam. Drill out inner wing and bolt up strap. Clean out washer bottle and top up and test. Adjust washer aim. Test dynamo charging. Remove dynamo and regulator to send for repair. Remove exhaust completely and take to Fab shop for repair. Suck out old fluid from both master cylinder reservoirs and top up with new.
An E-Type Arrives
March 1, 2024
Tony recently collected our 1969 Jaguar E-Type Roadster.
When it arrived, James carried out a service/appraisal. He put the battery on charge and carried out a full inspection of the car. All the brakes and tyres were checked, including the pressure of the spare. The brakes were all good so James removed the carpet and inspected the plug to check the gear oil. This was ok, as was the rear diff oil.
James noticed slight oil leaks from the engine, high up and the rocker covers are showing signs of weeping. He checked all of the lights, washers, wipers, and signals. The horn was not working.
There was a small drop of oil on the rear diff and gearbox. The spare tyre was flat but the tyre and wheel rim were new with no visible puncture.
James went on to grease the rear suspension and drive shafts. The offside rear outer suspension arm was cracked slightly and the grease nipple was loose. The exhaust front pipe was slightly damaged on the lower edge which James thinks could be due to height.
The oil and filter were drained/replaced along with the air filter and spark plugs. Then James investigated the horn not working. The relay that controls the horn was checked, and the horns worked when powered separately. The earth from the steering wheel switch was checked as ok, but there was a live feed missing from the relay. This was traced back to the fuse box, there was no continuity through the fuse despite it looking to be in good condition. A replacement fuse was fitted, and the horns worked, the old fuse was found to be broken internally despite its external appearance.
He then moved on to the oil leak. Both rocker covers were removed, along with the camshaft end plates (these can leak too). All residue of excess sealant was removed from the old seals and mating areas, and then the correct sealant was added to the cylinder heads and rocker covers. New gaskets were fitted, the the covers were installed with new copper sealing washers and tightened. The oil residue was cleaned from the engine, and then new oil was added and the car was run up to recheck for leaks from the rocker covers area and new oil filter.
All maintenance points were greased and levels checked and topped up, tyres checked for pressure and depth, and lights and wiper operation confirmed ahead of an MOT test. The battery was charged but appears low still, so replacement is recommended. Visual inspection of brake and suspension components was all ok.
A busy week of deliveries
March 1, 2024
Tony’s had a busy week on the road this week. As I sit here writing this he is currently heading up the A65 on his way to the north of Scotland for the weekend to collect 5 (potentially 6) classic motorcycles.
But earlier in the week he delivered the incredible 1992 Rover Mini Italian Job to one very happy Brian. Brian has been waiting patiently for the winning car as we discovered a slight vibration during the Pre Delivery Inspection and we did not want him to have the car until we had resolved the issue.
James accepted delivery of his 1982 Bedford HA van. Although James resides some distance from us here in Suffolk he has a vehicle storage facility close to our door so the journey we were expecting to have ended up a few hundred miles shorter. James is an avid collector of classic cars and we are lead to believe this win is the 16th classic he has in his collection. Enjoy the car James.
But the Alfa Romeo, recently won by double winner Lee is staying with us in our Hangar for a little while as Lee prepares his home for the new arrival. Lee would rather not see his Alfa sitting on the driveway whilst his building works continues so has instantly opted to have the vehicle dry stored with us and we expect to rearrange the delivery for early May.
Inspection And Repairs – E-Type
March 1, 2024
Classic car technician has been taking a look at our beautiful 1968 Jaguar E-Type Series 1.5
While working on the car he refitted the nearside front bumper trim and swapped the spare wheel with the offside rear and knocked it up tight. He then cleaned and reglued the boot seal.
Jonn also tightened the nearside rear front shock absorber top bolt before checking all fluid levels (these were fine).
He went on to fit new exhaust nuts to the downpipe flange. After adjusting the washer jets, Jonn fitted O rings to the bonnet rear grille and secured them.
The road test of our E-Type went very well and Jonn was happy with the result.
A piece of Bridge Classic Cars at Virginia Auto Show 2024
March 1, 2024
Back in July 2022 we surprised David with the amazing news that he had won our 1997 Rover Mini. Soon after, he visited our Suffolk workshops in person to see the car for himself.
Almost 2 years on, as I scroll through my feed I recognised a familiar car pop up in a post on the ISMOC Facebook page. That’s our Mini…currently parked up on display at the 2024 Virginia Auto Show and the story has been posted by David! It’s always a joy to see or hear that our competition cars are being used, showed and enjoyed.
And even more lovely to see comments from admirers all over the world. Our competitions are being seen and enjoyed from all over the world, how amazing is that?
If you want to be our next winner, check out Bridge Classic Cars Competitions and maybe we’ll soon be calling you, just like we did for David.
More Jensen Progress
March 1, 2024
The heat shield on our 1956 Jensen 541 has been finished and the throttle pedal has been fitted. The vacuum valve and heater pipes were also fitted.
Paul removed the handbrake mounts before painting and refitting them.
Paul made a finishing strip for the rear shelf of our 541 to hide some holes where the suspension mounts poke through. Lydia used foam built up in layers to graduate the slope to the wooden bar. She also applied a very thin layer of foam to the shelf to smooth over any imperfections in the fibreglass. Next, this was covered with a layer of black leather.
