Rodents have been at the Riley
November 21, 2024
A few little electrical issues have occurred on our 1936 Riley Nine so we’ve welcomed the car back in to look at the problem. Turns
November 21, 2024
Jaguar Strip Down
November 21, 2024
It’s been a busy week in the headlines for Jaguar and it’s been a busy week for Jaguar in our workshops too. Peter started with
Rover P4 Repair Work
November 21, 2024
Mauro has not only been busy taking photos but he’s been working on perfecting our Rover P4 corrosion. The interior has been completely and the
ZEV Manadate – Nissan Propose Changes
November 21, 2024
The UK automotive industry is highly likely to miss electric vehicle sales targets for 2024. As a result, manufacturers could face penalties due to the
Maserati BiTurbo – 11000 miles!
November 21, 2024
The wait is over. Our 1987 Maserati BiTurbo has been in The Hangar for some time now but work has finally begun on getting the
Awards Night
November 21, 2024
Last night, Craig and I were in London for the Motor Trader Industry Awards 2024. The ceremony was held at Grosvenor House which was a
Ferrari 400 on the ramps
November 21, 2024
Our 1979 Ferrari 400 has gone into the next round of preparation by our workshop. This time, Jon and Pete have been on the underside
Working on our 1970 Fiat 500
November 21, 2024
The little 1970 Fiat 500 has been on the ramps at our Suffolk HQ for the team to get the last few bits and pieces
Tuning the 1956 Jensen 541
November 21, 2024
Our workshop are a bit of a dab hand when it comes to Jensen’s – it is without doubt the most frequent car that we
Final work and delivering our 1974 Triumph TR6
November 21, 2024
Our technician Jon recently worked on getting our 1974 Triumph TR6 to head off to its new home after recently being won through Bridge Classic
Working on the 1967 Mercedes 250SL Pagoda
November 21, 2024
Recently, we welcomed a new addition to our Suffolk HQ with this stunning 1967 Mercedes 250SL Pagoda which was recently picked up by our transport
Rodents have been at the Riley
November 21, 2024
A few little electrical issues have occurred on our 1936 Riley Nine so we’ve welcomed the car back in to look at the problem. Turns out, a mouse has made it’s way in and has chewed on a few wires. We have addressed the issues, tidied up the wiring and the car is good to go once again.
Jaguar Strip Down
November 21, 2024
It’s been a busy week in the headlines for Jaguar and it’s been a busy week for Jaguar in our workshops too. Peter started with us at the beginning of the week and he’s already making great progress on some of our cars. Work has commenced on the Jaguar XJS as he has been stripping down the rear, to repair the rusted areas. He cut out the nearside rear sill and fabricated new steel sections. He welded the new parts to the car as he went.
Any parts removed from the car have been safely stored ready for refurbishment (if needed).
Rover P4 Repair Work
November 21, 2024
Mauro has not only been busy taking photos but he’s been working on perfecting our Rover P4 corrosion. The interior has been completely and the welding on the bottom of the A and B pillar, along with the chassis bracket for the body mounting have all been done.
ZEV Manadate – Nissan Propose Changes
November 21, 2024
The UK automotive industry is highly likely to miss electric vehicle sales targets for 2024. As a result, manufacturers could face penalties due to the rules set out by the UK government in the Zero Emissions Vehicles Mandate.
Nissan has stepped up and is pushing for the government to review the mandate in order to prevent the UK automotive industry from effectively subsidising EV sectors in other countries, at the expense of investment in Britain.
Industry Challenges and Falling Sales
The ZEV Mandate was designed to encourage the transition from petrol and diesel vehicles to EVs. In the mandate, one of the targets set was that 22% of the total market share should belong to EVs. Manufacturers have been aggressively discounting EVs but, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), this will actually only be 18.5% by the end of 2024. It’s also worth bearing in mind that the target is due to rise to 28% in 2025.
If these targets are not met, manufacturers face pretty substantial fines. They can avoid these fines by purchasing credits from EV-only brands, many of which are based abroad. This arrangement could lead to UK-based manufacturers having to financially support overseas industries, while negatively impacting UK innovation and production.
Nissan
Nissan has said that the brand remains committed to a fully electric future, having invested heavily in EV models and technology through its Sunderland operations. However, it has proposed immediate adjustments to the ZEV Mandate, including:
- Allowing manufacturers to borrow credits from future years to meet current targets.
- Introducing a two-year monitoring period for 2024 and 2025, instead of imposing penalties.
These measures aim to provide manufacturers the flexibility to adapt to ever-changing market conditions while still achieving the long-term goal of 80% EV sales by 2030.
Nissan has consistently supported the aims of the UK’s ZEV Mandate and have been working with Governments and partners towards a fully electric future since the first Nissan LEAF arrived in 2010.
Guillaume Cartier, Chairperson for the Nissan Africa, Middle East, India, Europe and Oceania (AMIEO) region.
The Mandate risks undermining the business case for manufacturing cars in the UK, and the viability of thousands of jobs and billions of pounds in investment. We now need to see urgent action from the Government by the end of the year to avoid a potentially irreversible impact on the UK automotive sector. We are committed to working with Government and industry partners on a long-term solution, but action is needed urgently to ensure we protect UK car manufacturing and ensure we can all realise and support the transition to zero emissions and carbon neutrality.”
The UK Economy
Nissan’s Sunderland plant employs over 7,000 people and contributes more than £2 billion annually to the UK economy. The company is also advancing its EV36Zero initiative, integrating EV and battery production with renewable energy. This includes efforts in battery recycling, skills development, and vehicle-to-grid technology.
Maserati BiTurbo – 11000 miles!
November 21, 2024
The wait is over. Our 1987 Maserati BiTurbo has been in The Hangar for some time now but work has finally begun on getting the car back on the road. Although, the car has a genuine 11,000 miles on the clock it has been laid up since 1995 due to what we believed was a blown engine.
It looks as though this may NOT be the case. Coltec are currently delving into the engine issues and has so far reported to us that the engine itself is in stunning condition. At some stage of it’s life it has had water ingress but signs are looking good.
The plan is to replace the gaskets and rebuild the engine using the original componants.
As well as the engine work, the car has suffered from a little dink at the rear which will need to be addressed. The rest of the paintwork is absolutely beautiful and the underneath matches that description.
The ceiling cloth is dropping so Lydia will work on this.
Not sure what will happen with the car once the work is complete; maybe a competition car in the making. The Maserati BiTurbo’s have increased in value hugely in recent years and having an 11,000 mile example will make for a very special prize indeed…watch this space!
Awards Night
November 21, 2024
Last night, Craig and I were in London for the Motor Trader Industry Awards 2024. The ceremony was held at Grosvenor House which was a stunning venue for the night.
I was fortunate enough to be shortlisted in the Rising Star category and, although I didn’t win, I had a great time and it was a proud moment for me to see my name and picture appear on the screen in front of 800 people from within the motor industry.
“It was great to see Bridge Classic Cars being recognised amongst some of the best motor industry professionals in the country. It was a great night and, although Rob didn’t win this time, I’m sure we will be back in the future and won’t leave empty-handed”
Craig, Manaing Director, Bridge Classic Cars.
We met some really interesting people and it was certainly special to have so many talented automotive professionals in one place at the same time.
Rory Bremner hosted the award ceremony so we spent a lot of the time laughing at his impressions and jokes so, all in all, it was a fantastic event.
Obviously, I would have liked to have won but I am still very pleased that I was recognised as a finalist and I hope that next year, we will come home with several trophies!
Congratulations to all of the winners!
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Ferrari 400 on the ramps
November 21, 2024
Our 1979 Ferrari 400 has gone into the next round of preparation by our workshop. This time, Jon and Pete have been on the underside of the classic V12 grand tourer to get it back up and running properly.
Jon began by fitting up new front brake pads into the calipers before turning his attention underneath the car. On inspection, Jon noted that there was a very slight blow coming from the exhaust so with that Jon and Pete removed the centre section to inspect it fully and try to find where this blow could be coming from.
After going out on road test, Jon noted that the blow had become a lot better. With that, he has added a bit more paste to the nearside front joint and whilst it cures, he is charging the battery up ready for more test drives.
Working on our 1970 Fiat 500
November 21, 2024
The little 1970 Fiat 500 has been on the ramps at our Suffolk HQ for the team to get the last few bits and pieces done on the car before it is handed over to our marketing team to become a future competition car.
Jon has recently replaced the track rod ends on the car which was simple enough and then he could readjust the tracking on the car. After that, Jon took the car on road test – and after a small idle speed adjustment – the car is ready for a good clean and then to become a competition car in the near future.
Tuning the 1956 Jensen 541
November 21, 2024
Our workshop are a bit of a dab hand when it comes to Jensen’s – it is without doubt the most frequent car that we have restored in nearly 20 years. The most recent 541 which our team have been working is this beautiful Grey 1956 Jensen 541.
Most recently, Jon has been working on tuning the classic GT car to run perfectly. To do this, Jon stripped down the intake side of the engine by removing the air filter box and housing to gain access to the carburettors. Carefully, he removed them and stripped them down on the bench to remove the pistons and suction chambers, from there Jon could accurately measure the jet depth for each individual chamber, lowering each one slightly in order to richen up the air/fuel mixture, while apart it gave Jon the opportunity to thoroughly clean up the pistons and suction chambers before refitting back onto the car.
With everything back together, Jon could run up the straight-six and begin by firstly tuning the carburettors by ear to get them roughly into the right area before the team deep dive into tuning the car completely. The keys were handed over to Big John, our workshop manager, to perform the road tests.
While out on test, Big John made some notes about some small changes and areas which Jon would need to take a look into once back at the workshop. With the car back at our Suffolk HQ, Jon got the 541 back onto the ramp. From there, he could slacken off the exhaust clamps and apply a small amount of sealer before refitting the pipework back together, and whilst under the car he could adjust the clutch arm to give it more clearance.
Final work and delivering our 1974 Triumph TR6
November 21, 2024
Our technician Jon recently worked on getting our 1974 Triumph TR6 to head off to its new home after recently being won through Bridge Classic Cars Competitions by Michael.
One of the last jobs to do before it was handed over to our logistics coordinator, Tony, to deliver was to replace the starter motor of the classic straight-six. To do this, Jon had to remove the plenum to gain better access and safely remove the old starter, which once removed allowed him to inspect the ring gear on the car (which was noted to show a bit of wear) but the new starter slipped back into place and Jon could get everything back together.
After testing and being signed off by the workshop, the TR6 was loaded into our enclosed trailer where it could be transported to the winner Michael, who was thrilled to receive his new TR6 – all of his here want to wish Michael many happy miles with his TR6.
Working on the 1967 Mercedes 250SL Pagoda
November 21, 2024
Recently, we welcomed a new addition to our Suffolk HQ with this stunning 1967 Mercedes 250SL Pagoda which was recently picked up by our transport coordinator, Tony.
Once safely back at our workshops, the team took their time to take a look through the classic German GT car as part of the cars appraisal, where every inch of the care was carefully inspected and evaluated by the team.
The Pagoda, is truly one of the most beautiful classic Mercedes in the eyes of our team and its always a pleasure to have them on the ramps.
Our technician Jon has been working alongside our new technician Pete to carry out the appraisal of the Pagoda. They worked together to get the car started (as it came in as a non-runner) and into the workshop for the pair to get to work on the car.
The team have checked over the car thoroughly both in and out of the car to get a better idea of its condition and areas which will require attention.
Jon has made extensive notes on the car which are as follows:
”Front number plate damaged, drivers door trim and window channel loose, washers not working (pump runs noisy), engine oil black but level OK, Coolant level low and brown and low antifreeze content, Fuel pipes to inline pump starting to perish, intake pipe unsecured, gear position cable on bulkhead insecure and held on with wire, nearside front brake binding, front anti roll bar link rod bushes starting to perish, handbrake cables slack underneath, slight play in both front king pins, all tyres aged and perishing, spare tyre pre-dates others and flat, front pads 20% worn, discs OK, nearside shows some signs of heat but appear OK, Rear pads 10% worn discs OK, fuel pipes from tank to pump aged and deteriorated, fuel pump at rear leaking and requires repair kit and rebuild, torque up wheel nuts, attend to some items so car can be safely moved out, grease all points on car, play in kingpins now gone, adjust handbrake shoes, top up coolant with water, top up screenwash and inflate spare tyre to correct pressure.”
Jon could then move on to checking a few issues with the classic Mercedes such as the heating in the car but to begin with he needed to sort out some of the trims on the car which had come loose or were fitted incorrectly. He removed the chrome weather strips to adjust the clips and have them fit correctly to the car before refitting back into the doors. With the loose window channel, Jon found correct hardware in our stock to get refitted onto the car and then refit the rubber seal back into place.
He then could move under the bonnet of the car to check the coolant and heater system. Firstly, checking the coolant levels and then running the car up to temperature checking for correct operation but at that point noticed that the heater direction lever was broken. Once the car was up to around 80’c Jon noted that the heater began to warm up in the car somewhat. On road test, Jon also noted that the brakes didn’t feel quite right so the car came back into the workshop for some adjustment – his recommendation for the heater system is a full system flush and replacement thermostat as found with the low level, discoloured coolant with very little antifreeze in the mixture.
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