Porsche 911 MOT and PDI
December 18, 2024
Our recent competition winner Phil has opted for delivery of his Porsche 911 rather than the cash alternative which we are thrilled about. As the
Craig Ranson
Managing Director – Bridge Classic Cars
Maserati BiTurbo engine updates
December 13, 2024
Nigel and Richard over at Coltec Engineering are currently working their magic on our Maserati BiTurbo engine. We are very much looking forward to the
Triumph 2500TC Corrosion and New Dash
December 13, 2024
Removing the paint, exposing the corrosion and starting to rectify the issues we face on our 1977 Triumph 2500TC. As a part of the projects,
Jaguar XJS – rust repairs almost complete
December 11, 2024
Well, fun and games were had today getting the final body rusty bits repaired. Pete started the day by doing some final grinding on the
A little work on our own cars…
December 11, 2024
2000 Peugeot 306 Cabriolet It’s been a while since my 306 Cabriolet has had a nice fresh service so today Steve carried out a cambelt,
Repair work on our 2002 Ford Thunderbird
December 11, 2024
Our beautifully unique Ford Thunderbird had had a little knock on the front and rear bumper at some stage of it’s life so Mauro has
1994 Toyota Land Cruiser preparing for paint
December 11, 2024
Chris has been busy preparing the Land Cruiser panels with epoxy panels ready for filler work to commence. All the filler work has now completed
Daimler 250 V8 Appraisal
December 11, 2024
Time for us to take a closer look at our Daimler 250 V8. First up, we need to carry out out a full and thorough
1964 Mercedes 230SL Appraisal
December 11, 2024
Steve has carried out an appraisal on our Mercedes Pagoda to report back findings to the customer. Meanwhile John is attending to a leak on
1993 Jaguar XJS Restoration Work
December 10, 2024
Today, Pete has fitted the DAB antenna, hands free microphone and made adaptions to the way the stereo cage fits in the dash using some
1987 Mereces 500SL rebuild continues
December 10, 2024
John and Jon have been at it again. They have successfully built up and fitted the new rear vents. They have also managed to fit
Wherever you look, it’s competition cars!
December 10, 2024
We have so much going on at Bridge Classic Cars Competitions right now; cars coming in, cars going out, cars finding new homes, cash alternatives
A few new arrivals…
December 9, 2024
1998 Rover 200 Coming in to Bridge Classic Cars HQ with a heater issue, John is already on with finding the fault and hopefully being
Exhaust Blow on Jensen 541
December 7, 2024
Run up and listen for the exhaust blow. Jon has then blocked the tailpipe and traced the blow to the front joint. We’ve slackened the
A week after Buxton
December 5, 2024
A relatively successful trip was had heading up to The Pavilion in Buxton for the H&H Classic Auction last week. We came away with 4
Minis Everywhere
December 5, 2024
It’s a busy Mini today in the workshops as we prepare for our Cooper S to be delivered to Geoff later in the week. We’ve
Maserati BiTurbo Recommission
December 3, 2024
We continue to polish intake pipes. We finish all pipes and place in the boot ready. The radiator has been removed for painting and all
Cyber Monday – we do things differently
December 2, 2024
At 4pm tomorrow, Tuesday 3rd December 2024, we reveal the winner of one of the most exciting new EV’s on the market right now, the
Dino Dash Done
November 22, 2024
Lydia has completed our Dino dash ready for install. I think you’ll agree, it looks sensational.
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
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
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
New addition in storage
November 21, 2024
Arriving to us for storage over the winter months is our lovely little 1977 Alfa Romeo Spider. The car is now safely tucked away in
Plate change on our Defender
November 20, 2024
A simple plate change shouldn’t take too long right? Our Defender plates caused a bit of a headache for Jon today as the existing plates
Goodbye Bristol
November 18, 2024
Our 1956 Bristol 405 has been with us for many many years but this week we bid her a fond farewell as she heads off
Remedial repairs to our 1970 Fiat 500
November 15, 2024
Parts have arrived for our 1970 Fiat 500 so we can now continue on with the repairs. We’ve taped up the cut wiring in the
Looking bright for our Aston Martin DB2/4
November 12, 2024
Our brightwork has returned from the chromers/polishers this week. Wyatt Polishing have done an incredible job as always on our Aston chrome work. Tony has
Mercedes 500SL – cleaning up the wiring
November 12, 2024
John is tidied and cleaned up some of the wiring in the boot area. He has mounted and connected up the aerial.
1961 Austin Mini – Recommission
November 7, 2024
Having been off the road but dry stored for some time, we have started the assessment and repairs required on our 1961 Austin Mini. I
Mercedes 500SL – rebuild continued…
November 7, 2024
The John’s have been working mainly on the doors recently. They’ve cut counter sunk bolts to length, fitted and secured both door locks. The door
Porsche 911 MOT and PDI
December 18, 2024
Our recent competition winner Phil has opted for delivery of his Porsche 911 rather than the cash alternative which we are thrilled about. As the car only had 5 months MOT remaining it will arrive to Phil with a nice clean bill of health having just passed a new MOT successfully, with no advisories. We’ve also carried out the pre deliver inspection before finally filling the car with P1 fuel before carrying out a quick road test. All ok.
Maserati BiTurbo engine updates
December 13, 2024
Nigel and Richard over at Coltec Engineering are currently working their magic on our Maserati BiTurbo engine. We are very much looking forward to the engine returning to our workshop for it to be fitted up.
An exciting competition for 2025, our very rare and very desirable Maserati BiTurbo.
I caught up with Nick Fiore, winner of our 1991 Maserati BiTurbo Spider this week. Even after all this time he’s still loving his Maserati and enjoying many trips across the UK and Europe. Could you be Maserati winner number 2?
Meanwhile, back at Bridge Classic Cars HQ, Jon has been reassembling the manifold and is now all painted. We have used the O-ring kit to make new seal for plenum, aligned the choke and throttle arms and tested with the plenum fitted.
All bolts have been cleaned and fitted with new new washers. Secure plenum, ready to go.
We’ve removed both door panels in preparation for the dent removal process to occur. Once all tiny dents have been removed we have refitted both door panels.
Triumph 2500TC Corrosion and New Dash
December 13, 2024
Removing the paint, exposing the corrosion and starting to rectify the issues we face on our 1977 Triumph 2500TC.
As a part of the projects, the customer would like to upgrade his dashboard to the newer MkII version. We have been able to source the correct dashboard but modifications will be required as the car is in left hand drive form.
Jaguar XJS – rust repairs almost complete
December 11, 2024
Well, fun and games were had today getting the final body rusty bits repaired. Pete started the day by doing some final grinding on the rear quarter and getting that ready for primer, once that was done he moved on to the other rusty areas along the driver’s sill.
The trailing edge of the drivers arch had a small hole so he traced the extent of the rust and cut out back to good steel, only a small patch required here and looking much better!
And then the tricky bit, he had to make a stand to support the weight of the car so he could move the ramps support arm out of the way, there seemed to be some rust and damage from previous jacking attempts right where a two post ramp arm locates, this stand worked perfectly. It also meant that Pete could cut out and replace with hand fabricated sections the damaged/rusty section as he had all he space needed.
So that brings to a close the last of the body repairs on the old gal, there are still more items to tackle with the exhaust but that’s another story.
And there we have it, at long last we have its stereo firing on all speakers. This lovely head unit has been a challenge to fit into this car but it’s been well worth the effort.
She now has Bluetooth audio and hands free capabilities, DAB radio, traffic announcements and much more alongside the stylish classic looks tucked into dash.
A little work on our own cars…
December 11, 2024
2000 Peugeot 306 Cabriolet
It’s been a while since my 306 Cabriolet has had a nice fresh service so today Steve carried out a cambelt, and at the same time, a water pump change.
1987 Maserati BiTurbo
Meanwhile, Chris was busy tidying the engine parts, finishing them in VHT wrinkle plus paint before uncovering the text and badges. VHT Wrinkle Plus combines strong colours with a deep rich texture for a custom look. It is temperature resistant to 350°F (177°C) and is ideal for adding a touch of personal styling to almost any metal surface. VHT Wrinkle Plus resists colour fading, grease, degreasers and severe weather conditions. This tough, durable finish is extremely resistant to rust, corrosion, chipping and cracking.
Repair work on our 2002 Ford Thunderbird
December 11, 2024
Our beautifully unique Ford Thunderbird had had a little knock on the front and rear bumper at some stage of it’s life so Mauro has carried out a lovely repair to it to make it look good again. The front bumper has been removed as well as the rear bumper, we’ve smoothed out the dinks before respraying.
1994 Toyota Land Cruiser preparing for paint
December 11, 2024
Chris has been busy preparing the Land Cruiser panels with epoxy panels ready for filler work to commence.
All the filler work has now completed on the car. Chris has now stripped the parts to bare metal before priming the whole area.
Daimler 250 V8 Appraisal
December 11, 2024
Time for us to take a closer look at our Daimler 250 V8. First up, we need to carry out out a full and thorough appraisal. The spare tyre needs inflating so we’ve done that as well as all 4 fitted tyres.
The coolant has been topped up, we’ve tightened the battery terminals, slacken offside rear exhaust mount and lower pipe slightly before re-securing.
Top up rear axle with oil, greased all points. We’ve then used a lock wire to secure the ball joint rubbers.
Clean fuel cap and make new seal. Fit nyloc nut to nearside upper ball joint. Remove old fuel pipe from the rear. Cut new pipe to length. Remove rear arches and rear wheels to aid fitting new fuel pipe. Start to fit pipe and bend into position.
Finish fitting fuel pipe and secure both ends. Fit P-clip near to the tank end to help secure pipe.
Sleeve rubber hose over areas of contact. Paint exposed metal areas on rear suspension. Clean and re-stick lower door to sill seals. Check lights in boot. Check power from disconnected wires in boot and all is ok.
Check continuity of wiring and again, all is ok. Check earth and found no earth to boot lid. Run wire down loom inside boot.
1964 Mercedes 230SL Appraisal
December 11, 2024
Steve has carried out an appraisal on our Mercedes Pagoda to report back findings to the customer.
Meanwhile John is attending to a leak on the gearbox. It seems to be coming from the gasket so the sump pan was removed, filter cleaned and a new gasket fitted.
1993 Jaguar XJS Restoration Work
December 10, 2024
Today, Pete has fitted the DAB antenna, hands free microphone and made adaptions to the way the stereo cage fits in the dash using some hand made rubber spacers. He has made a minor repair and location change to the sun visor clamp as this was sitting wonky and looks to have done so from factory.
We are awaiting an adapter for the DAB antenna connector to the back of the head unit and then this can be fitted in place for the final time. The Bluetooth, remote, and hands free functions are working as they should be. We are also chasing some interior parts for around the window switches and for the interior lights. Once these items have arrived that will conclude interior work on this big cat.
Amongst other things, the rear trailing arms have the new bushes fitted, have had a light shotblast, a fresh coat of paint and all now reassembled into the car. Pete had to fabricate new locking bolts to replace the worn ones and found a broken grease nipple so that was removed and replaced. The AC fan has finally come free of the old motor by drilling the shaft out and using a big hammer! It’s now mounted into the frame with it’s new motor and new fittings ready to go back in after we replace the condenser unit.
As Pete told us, a picture says a thousand words in this next section. Over the last couple of days he has been working on more rust repairs. The car has has had some extensive cosmetic and structural surgery. Removed a previous repair to the front of the nearside sill that was well below our standards and it highlighted just how poor this was done previously. We have found further rust holes behind it, this has now been cut out and new steel parts hand made to suit the shape of the car. Welded, dressed and primed. There has also been a lot of work replacing the lower rear quarter the same side. More rot was found on the inner panel, this has all been replaced and the new rear quarter welded into the car and trimmed/dressed to fit perfectly. He has even maintained the position of the original spot welds keeping this spots. Next we will be on the drivers side for similar repairs.
Much the same as the passenger side in fabrication needed, inner had slightly more rot than the passenger side but Pete has made replacement steel sections for this, all that remains is a final weld dress and then it onto the lower sill and jacking point repairs. Starting to be a very solid car now.
1987 Mereces 500SL rebuild continues
December 10, 2024
John and Jon have been at it again. They have successfully built up and fitted the new rear vents. They have also managed to fit and align the door mouldings.
John has then got to work on rebuilding the front head lights and stripping down the front bumper. The headlight wiper motor linkage was seized so we have stripped down motor to check the operation, which was okay. Then we proceeded to dismantle the linkage and free off the corroded/seized parts of the linkage. It was then greased and rebuilt and the operation checked. When satisfied it was then fitted to the vehicle.
As for the bumpers, they are not in the best state at the rear so we need to weigh up whether it is more costs effective to repair or replace with new.
Wherever you look, it’s competition cars!
December 10, 2024
We have so much going on at Bridge Classic Cars Competitions right now; cars coming in, cars going out, cars finding new homes, cash alternatives flying about all over the placed. It’s difficult to keep up!
So I thought I’d do a weekly round up of all competition car updates for you. I’m really sorry if you come on to read about one specific car (which I know a lot of you do) but I just thought I’d be a bit different today. Normal updates will follow…
2024 MG Cyberster
Our 2024 MG Cyberster, one of the very first models to arrive in the UK was won last week by Paul Butcher. Paul opted for the cash alternative of £45,000 which is an incredible sum of money just before Christmas. Being one of the first MG Cybersters to arrive on UK soil and being one of the most important EV’s to be released, this car is certainly set to be one for the future. A very special car indeed and now in the hands of EMG MG to sit as pride of place in their Ipswich showroom.
Available now if you want to get the keys to your own Cyberster in time for Christmas! Contact EMG MG for more information.
1987 Maserati BiTurbo
We can not wait for this car to be ready. The Maserati has been in our possession for many many years and is a genuine 11,000 mile car. Since taking ownership of this incredible car the values have soared, especially in the hard top models.
We are currently recommissioning the car and as it has been standing for some time this is not a 5 minute job, but will be well worth it when it’s complete.
We have stripped and cleaned the plenum chamber, inlet manifold and rocker covers ready for painting.
The carburettor has been removed from the inlet, we’ve cleaned out the float chamber and freed off the needle valve. Blow out jets and reassemble.
The rest of the parts have been removed from the manifold. to be degreased.
Make new seal with O-ring kit and refitted the manifold bottom water chamber.
We have flattened and polished the car.
The badge and lettering is now back on the car as well as the rear light and number plate.
Jon has finish preparing the parts for painting. He has cleaned the throttle and choke spindles.
The manifold has been masked up before being given to the body shop.
1968 Ford Lotus Cortina
Next up, our 1968 Ford Lotus Cortina in for a full appraisal on the workshop floor.
Swap wires from coil and ballast. Electronic ignition fitted and wired to coil 12v. Coil wired through ballast at 6v. We’ve swapped the wires from ballast to coil to 12v feed. Tighten steering idler bolts.
Next up, we’ve put the car up on the ramp to continue with our assessment.
The rear rear wheels have been removed to check the brakes. Nearside rear wheel bolts loose and wheel holes now elongated and won’t tighten so requires a new wheel.
We’ve fitted smaller nyloc nut to nearside trailing arm so bolt actually goes into nyloc.
There is a fuel leak from fuel tank sender area so we have drain the fuel. We’ve used the fuel pumps on the car to empty the tank. Next up, we’ve remove the sender, cleaned and tested. Removed the spark plugs and cleaned out holes. Cleaned and regapped before refitting the plugs.
Remove battery from boot and start to re-route the fuel pipes to pumps.
Continue re-routing the fuel pipes to pumps in the boot area. Drill and fit p-clips to floor, to hold pipe in place.
Refit battery and secure. We have slackened the alternator belt and checked waterpump and all is ok. Unbolt pulley and refit fan blades. Refit alternator belt and adjust. Remove driver’s seat and carpets. Fit fibre washer to ignition barrel and secure. Strip and fit new rear shoes but clip missing from offside so unable to finish.
Next, we have tested the repaired fuel sender and all seems to be ok.
Remove passengers seat and carpet. Start stripping to remove heater box.
Still more to do on our Cortina in preparation for filming. We have drain the coolant, remove some extra items attached to dash so we can finish removing the heater box.
Once removed, we have strip the heater box and removed the heater radiator.
Tested the radiator and found a split in the seam causing it to leak. With it removed, we are now able to tidy up the area.
And for now, we are up to date on competition cars!
A few new arrivals…
December 9, 2024
1998 Rover 200
Coming in to Bridge Classic Cars HQ with a heater issue, John is already on with finding the fault and hopefully being able to rectify it so it’ll be back to it’s owner in no time.
1998 Rover Mini Cooper
Meanwhile, a new addition to the The Classic Lounge, home to Bridge Classic Cars Competitions, our 1998 Rover Mini Cooper. Somewhat of a minor celebrity in the Mini world, this Cooper has gathered up a decent following over it’s lifetime, having it’s own website and social channel. The car has frequented many a local car show and meet and will soon be available as a competition car.
If you think you know this car, you may well do. The car is famed for the social channel ‘The Mini Resto‘ and was set to become the poster car for a new competition website. The previous owner soon realised the cost of running these competition models and thought again. The car comes to us to complete it’s journey in the competition world so coming to you very soon…
1975 MG B GT V8
And finally for this week, our 1975 MG B GT V8. This has been sourced for a customer with a specific requirement in mind. We have found the car, purchased the car and now it awaits it’s turn in the workshop for a full and through restoration.
Exhaust Blow on Jensen 541
December 7, 2024
Run up and listen for the exhaust blow. Jon has then blocked the tailpipe and traced the blow to the front joint. We’ve slackened the clamps and sealed back up before re securing the clamps and leaving to set.
We carried out the same exercise on another blow on the rear silencer joint.
A week after Buxton
December 5, 2024
A relatively successful trip was had heading up to The Pavilion in Buxton for the H&H Classic Auction last week. We came away with 4 cars ourselves and a 5th made it’s way down on our car transporter for some work required by our team in the workshop.
The car’s have now arrived with us and unfortunately, as is often the case, it is not as plain sailing as we would have liked. It is very difficult to look at a car in the auction environment and be 100% certain that you have bought right. We are certainly not disappointed with our purchases but more work is required on all of them than first thought which is a real pity. It is often the seller who refrains for telling the full story and we pride ourselves on our honesty so it is always a bit of a blow when cars arrive out of fuel, who with no reverse gears, not running on full power. None of the work is too much for us but it eats into valuable time in our workshops.
On a plus note, the team at H&H were as brilliant as always, I had a wonderful time. Channel 4 were there filming some bits so I might be on TV in the near future and I met with Lewis from The Crescent, Buxton who took me on a tour of the hotel and spa. We put our heads together to come up with some great ideas that we will now look to work on in 2025.
Minis Everywhere
December 5, 2024
It’s a busy Mini today in the workshops as we prepare for our Cooper S to be delivered to Geoff later in the week. We’ve carried out the pre delivery inspection and noticed a fuel leak from carb float bowl.
We’ve taken the car outside to warm her up.
Checked for previous fuel leak and no signs of leak anymore.
Next up, we’ve carried out a long road test, under different driving conditions using P1 fuel. We’ve cruised at 30, 50, 60 and 70mph and all seems to be ok. The car accelerates well at all speeds. The idle speed is a little erratic but doesn’t stall or cut out at all and drives lovely. We’ve rechecked for fuel leak and it appears to have stopped now. We suspected the needle valve was stuck in offside carb.
Now, it’s time to make history here at Bridge Classic Cars as we fill her up with our new P1 fuel, right to the brim.
Rob then took the car away for some final bits of filming but annoyingly the fuel leak has reappeared. Jon has remove the float bowl lid, freed off the needle valve and checked over and now all seems ok.
Now on to Mini number 2, our 1961 Austin Mini 850. Molly has been out to shoot the car today and has reported that it struggles to stay running. Jon has now attended to the stalling issue by removing the air filter and carburettor suction chamber and piston.
We have thoroughly cleaned both and checked for piston free fall in suction chamber. It was a bit sticky so we have lubed up, refitted and refilled the damper oil. The air filter has been refitted.
Road test and adjust idle speed.
The brakes pull to the right slightly under hard braking which we will need to address but otherwise the car now drives fine.
We have adjusted the front brakes and retest and now it is much better.
Maserati BiTurbo Recommission
December 3, 2024
We continue to polish intake pipes. We finish all pipes and place in the boot ready. The radiator has been removed for painting and all parts have been taken to the bodyshop for painting in satin black.
We’ve fitted new front and rear number plates. Removed all masking from engine bay and tidied the area.
Mauro has then worked on removing the small dents, primed the areas on the boot lid and rear end.
Cyber Monday – we do things differently
December 2, 2024
At 4pm tomorrow, Tuesday 3rd December 2024, we reveal the winner of one of the most exciting new EV’s on the market right now, the MG Cyberster.
But before all that…we can’t miss Cyber Monday!
Tickets WON’T be discounted, we don’t believe in that. We do believe in extra special treats though.
From 9am this morning, on the hour, every hour we will be running extra special draws just for those who have already entered our Cyberster draw. One lucky person, every hour, will have their previous order doubled for FREE. So if you already have 1 ticket, we’ll give you another. If you have 5 tickets, we’ll give you another 5.
It’s not too late to enter. Our Cyber Monday bonus draws will take place between 9am and 9pm on Monday 2nd December and you have up until the next draw to be in with a shot.
The Cyber Monday winner’s so far;
9am – Simon Priestley from Worcestershire, now with an extra 5 tickets
10am – Steve Eley from Shropshire, now with an extra 10 tickets
11am – Garry Smith from West Midlands, now with an extra 10 tickets
12pm – Kim Phan from London, now with an extra 2 tickets
1pm – John Ward from Flintshire, now with an extra 2 tickets
2pm – John Llewellyn from West Midlands, now with an extra 2 tickets
3pm – James Houston from London, now with an extra 4 tickets
4pm – Nick Punter from Suffolk, now with an extra 1 ticket
5pm – Nigel Deung from Surrey, now with an extra 1 ticket
6pm – George Walter from Bedford, now with an extra 1 ticket
7pm – Mark Duckers from Staffordshire, now with an extra 2 tickets
8pm – Linda Naulls from Suffolk, now with an extra 1 ticket
9pm – Andrew Newport from Bristol, now with an extra 1 ticket
One response to “Cyber Monday – we do things differently”
Dino Dash Done
November 22, 2024
Lydia has completed our Dino dash ready for install. I think you’ll agree, it looks sensational.
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.
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.
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!
New addition in storage
November 21, 2024
Arriving to us for storage over the winter months is our lovely little 1977 Alfa Romeo Spider. The car is now safely tucked away in a CarCoon
Plate change on our Defender
November 20, 2024
A simple plate change shouldn’t take too long right?
Our Defender plates caused a bit of a headache for Jon today as the existing plates were quite happy where they were.
Goodbye Bristol
November 18, 2024
Our 1956 Bristol 405 has been with us for many many years but this week we bid her a fond farewell as she heads off to a new home. We made the decision recently to sell the car as the queue for restorations doesn’t seem to be getting any shorter. The car is now at it’s new home and the restoration will begin very soon we believe.
Maybe we’ll see the car at a show some time in the future. We wish you all the best with the restoration journey.
Remedial repairs to our 1970 Fiat 500
November 15, 2024
Parts have arrived for our 1970 Fiat 500 so we can now continue on with the repairs.
We’ve taped up the cut wiring in the engine bay and neaten the whole area.
Adjusted the pedal heights via the stop on the clutch pedal and added a small, rubber buffer to each pedal stop.
The grommet has been refitted grommet on fuel pipe in the engine bay.
Next up, Jon has cut a piece of MDF and covered it in sticky back foam to fit behind the battery. This has helped to secure into position.
Adjusted the nearside door striker, removed the front wheels.
Remove nearside track rod. Strip and fit new track rods. We’ve found the ball pins are much smaller so won’t fit so we’ve had to leave until the correct ones arrive.
Strip and fit new front wheel bearings.
Looking bright for our Aston Martin DB2/4
November 12, 2024
Our brightwork has returned from the chromers/polishers this week. Wyatt Polishing have done an incredible job as always on our Aston chrome work. Tony has photographed and sorted through all of the pieces and stored them away safely ready for reassembly.
Mercedes 500SL – cleaning up the wiring
November 12, 2024
John is tidied and cleaned up some of the wiring in the boot area. He has mounted and connected up the aerial.
1961 Austin Mini – Recommission
November 7, 2024
Having been off the road but dry stored for some time, we have started the assessment and repairs required on our 1961 Austin Mini. I very much doubt we will need much work to get the car back on the road.
We’ve stripped and fitted a new clutch slave cylinder. The new clutch slave cylinder is slightly different to the existing so we’ve had to reposition the return spring.
We’ve removed all the old fluid from the reservoir and filled up with new. Next, we’ve let the gravity feed down to cylinder and repositioned the flexi hose.
We’ve removed the fuel tank and we’ve discovered that it is not too bad at all inside.
We’ve used the petrol to swill around inside, gathering all the sedative before draining again.
The tank has been refitted and secured into position. The hose from tank to electric pump needed replacing so we’ve done that too before blowing out the old fuel line. Fitted the pipes and secured.
Next, we’ve added 4 ltrs of petrol in to the tank and checked for leaks. All is ok.
The sump has been refitted and filled with oil. We’ve run the car up and all is ok. The oil light went out and no visible leaks present so all good so far.
Switch off and top up oil. We’ve then drained the coolant, removed the heater valve, stripped, cleaned and free off before rebuilding.
New gaskets have been made and refitted with new nuts and washers.
The clutch slave cylinder has been bled but the pedal still doesn’t feel right. The clutch is not returning. We’ve traced the fault to a collapsed flexi hose.
Strip and remove the carburettor which is full of dirt inside. We’ve cleaned all parts and blown out. Fitted new jet tube and needle valve and set to basic setting.
We’ve cleaned the pistons, fitted new gaskets and refitted the carb with new air filter.
Strip and fit new spark plugs points and condenser.
Next up, we’ve drained 9 litres oil, cleaned out filter housing and fitted a new filter. Then we’ve run 1 litre of oil through the engine and left it to drain.
Removed the rocker cover and adjusted the tappets. Re-stuck the gasket and refitted rocker cover before draining the fuel tank.
Grease all points, fitted a new battery.
The boot was in desperate need of a hoover.
Then we cut off old hold down bolt, drilled out to fit 3/8unf bolt and secured.
Mercedes 500SL – rebuild continued…
November 7, 2024
The John’s have been working mainly on the doors recently. They’ve cut counter sunk bolts to length, fitted and secured both door locks. The door seals have now been fitted into the channels around the door before securing the front piece with clips.
They they’ve moved on to the boot area where they’ve fitted hose clips to the fuel pipes.
It has been a good number of years now since the engine was fully rebuilt on the SL but as it is such a complex engine that requires everything to very just so, we have decided to send the engine back off to Coltec Engineering to be checked over and tested ready for refit.
Leave a Reply