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Craig Ranson

Managing Director – Bridge Classic Cars

Advancements on the TR5

January 26, 2021

Mauro’s recent adjustments to our 1968 Triumph Tr5 include added fittings to the dashboard and many small mechanisms added throughout the vehicle. It’s the small

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New Arrival At HQ

January 25, 2021

This weekend we welcomed a stunning red 1996 Mercedes 320SL into the workshop. This lovely modern classic is set to be one of our next

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Jaguar At Dawn

January 21, 2021

The dawn chorus sounded a little different this morning. Accompanying the chirping birds on their morning song was the rumbling purr of an E-Type. Craig

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Lada Extras

January 20, 2021

The Lada has come in with a mysterious tilting issue whereby it tilts and rises intermittently, as if by magic. After an investigation, we discovered

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The Mercedes New Trim

January 20, 2021

Lydia, one of our trim shop technicians, has been working on preparing and creating the interior for Craig’s 1987 Mercedes 500SL. A while ago Craig

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Work In Progress

January 20, 2021

There’s a long list of work that’s going on with the Daytona, which mostly has Scott at the helm. The brakes have been sent off

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So Close Yet So Far

January 20, 2021

This lovely 1958 Jensen 541R will soon be up for sale with us however there are a few issues that need attending to first. First

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Mr Masters

January 17, 2021

“I see other similar competitions on social media but they are not run half as well and there is definitely a doubt as to the

Read More »

Mr Reilly – Essex

January 17, 2021

“As a winner, I can confirm the competitions are real! I saw the 1st white MG offered and before buying a ticket Googled around and was

Read More »

Peony Red Jensen Bodywork Continues

January 26, 2021

Parts of our 1960 541S Jensen are sat in our paint bay whilst Chris works on them. The door hinges have been sandblasted, the door frames and door skins have been painted, and the boot, front bumper part and wheels are ready for primer. The black part for the boot rubber has also been painted.

Tr6 Chassis Plate Fitted

January 26, 2021

Tom has recently fitted the chassis plate on our lovely Triumph TR6 which is almost ready to go, with just a few adjustments left to make.

Advancements on the TR5

January 26, 2021

Mauro’s recent adjustments to our 1968 Triumph Tr5 include added fittings to the dashboard and many small mechanisms added throughout the vehicle. It’s the small details that make a big difference.

His recent work includes cleaning the wiper engine mechanisms and restoring the hand brake, gearbox lever and sun visor brackets.

The rev tachometer has been fitted meaning that the dash is almost finished.

The glovebox lock, door handles and door locks have also been fitted.

Honda Goldwing Coming Soon

January 26, 2021

We’re welcoming this lovely Honda Goldwing GL1000 as part of our own collection, however, it will be sent to JAL Restorations for a freshen up. Stay tuned to follow this Goldwing’s restoration journey.

New Arrival At HQ

January 25, 2021

This weekend we welcomed a stunning red 1996 Mercedes 320SL into the workshop. This lovely modern classic is set to be one of our next competition cars. Kitted out with AMG wheels, beautifully kept interior and the option of 3 different roof settings; hard top, soft top and convertible, this Mercedes is a stunning example of an everyday classic.

In the 1996 models, the V-8 received individual ignition coils for each cylinder, a reimagined crankshaft, a new modified engine-management system and lighter pistons. This model also has a five-speed automatic gearbox which has replaced the previous four-speed. 

Not only is this Mercedes in pristine condition, but it is also award-winning. In 2019 it won a trophy at the Mercedes-Benz Car Club.

Here you can see Craig driving the Mercedes out of Hall Farm in Dedham. This modern classic is a smooth and understated drive.

Mrs Atkins – St Albans

January 25, 2021

“A huge thank you to everyone that has worked on our little Morris over the last year. I appreciate it was a much larger job than at first thought but the results are amazing – you are very talented people. It was a very emotional moment when she was unloaded from the truck. I can’t wait to be able to take her out for a drive to a country pub and take her to our local classic car shows. Thank you all once again.” Caroline, James and Charlotte

Morris Minor Delivered Safe And Sound

January 25, 2021

Saturday dawned as a beautiful (and nippy) sunny day, and what better weather for a long-awaited delivery! Mauro drove the lorry over to drop off our charming 1963 Morris Minor 1000 which was received by its delighted owners.

We offer car transportation, logistics and delivery, so if you’re in need of a helping hand to pick up, drop off or transport your car, you can get in touch on 01473 742038 or email us on info@bridgeclassiccars.co.uk

Morris Minor’s Final Send-Off

January 22, 2021

This delightful 1963 Morris Minor 1000 came to us back in December 2019 and has undergone and fantastic transformation within the last year. It has had rust correction, bodywork, new paint, new interiors, engine restoration, new wiring and a chassis rejuvenation during its time with us.

Morris Minor convertibles have always been seen as a premium touring car of that generation. Morris Minors, in general, are full of charm and instantly recognisable. From an engineering and mechanics side, they’re also built extremely well and make a reliable classic that is also suitable for everyday use. The Morris Minor was the first car built in the UK to sell more than one million vehicles.

Now that the restoration has been completed, its time for us to wish this Morris farewell as we send it back to its owner tomorrow. We hope this delightful vehicle will be enjoyed for many years to come.

@vincars_ MG Feature – January 2021

January 21, 2021

We were delighted to have been featured on @vincars_ page on Instagram, who kindly posted a selection of photos of our stunning 1951 MGTD Competition Abington MkII which is thought to be the only one of its kind left in the world.

Originally bought by Craig and his friend, this MGTD was shipped over from Canada and restored back in 2016. You can see its restoration story here.

You can see the original post here.

Tyre Replacement Services

January 21, 2021

Its been a big day for wheels here at Bridge Classic Cars! We had Graeme from We Fit Any Tyres Anywhere pop into our HQ to fit some BMW and Mercedes Pagoda tyres for us.

Having such a great partnership allows us to offer more services within Bridge Classic Cars and work alongside local businesses.

Morris Minor Wheel Alignment

January 21, 2021

Tom has aligned the steering wheel in our Morris Minor, meaning this treasured Morris Minor 1000 will be ready to leave on Saturday. Centralising a steering wheel is done after a car has been test-driven to see where the steering wheel naturally returns to, making sure that the car doesn’t drift off to the side when the wheel sits in a neutral position.

As much as we love sending of our cars, it’s always a little sad to see a long term project leave the workshop.

DB7 Wheels For Refurbishment

January 21, 2021

We’re about to send our Aston Martin DB7 wheels off to Wheel Care to be refurbished, refaced and repainted. This ensures that the wheels last longer and run better. Since these wheels are Magnesium making them harder preserve throughout the process due to their porous nature.

Wheels have a hard life, often taking curbing dents, getting rough around the edges and generally worn down. Investing in refurbishing your wheels not only restores them to their former beauty but also increases your safety on the road. It is also more economic to refurbish your wheels rather than to replace them.

Jaguar At Dawn

January 21, 2021

The dawn chorus sounded a little different this morning. Accompanying the chirping birds on their morning song was the rumbling purr of an E-Type.

Craig was up early at our hanger this morning and decided to take our 1967 Jaguar out for a spin to keep it fresh and the Suffolk sunrise did not disappoint! What better than a beautiful car against a stunning backdrop.

You can take a closer look at its restoration journey and previous photos here or take a look at it on our ‘For sale’ page here.

Colour Matching on the TR5

January 21, 2021

“Colour is a power which directly influences the soul.” – Wassily Kandinsky

Our TR5 has been colour matched today by our friend and partner, Dean, from GB Refinish. Before Dean was able to assess the colour, one of our paint technicians had to polish part of the car so that the CME Colour Matcher can work its magic without picking up any dust, as that will affect its accuracy. We’re needing to add some paint touch-ups to the TR5 but didn’t know the exact colour as it was painted elsewhere but this is where Dean comes in!

Dean uses a nifty piece of equipment called the CME – Colour Explorer. This clever device used LED technology which asses the colour and creates unique codes for the surface that it has scanned. This scanning is done at several angles and when complete, Dean will then plug the device into his computer where it will provide the unique codes that will relate to an exact colour.

This is an incredibly useful tool when trying to colour match on classic cars that may have bespoke or ‘extinct’ colours that would otherwise be impossible to find. Dean’s expertise and equipment mean we can find the exact colour needed to ensure that each classic retains its original colour. Having Dean as a partner and contact at Bridge Classic Cars means we can provide specialist paint services.

Stripping back the interior of the 1979 Arrow Daytona

January 21, 2021

Brian has begun to strip down the interior of the 1979 Arrow Daytona in at Bridge Classic Cars.

Carefully Brian and the trim team have removed all of the carpeting and necessary trim panels to get access to both the dash and centre console which will be removed and stored before their restoration starts.

Along with the interior trim pieces, the wiring for the cabin has also been removed and catalogued for future reference once the car is back in the workshop to be reassembled.

Lada Extras

January 20, 2021

The Lada has come in with a mysterious tilting issue whereby it tilts and rises intermittently, as if by magic. After an investigation, we discovered that the shock absorbers have collapsed. With this diagnosis in mind, we’ll endeavour to rectify the issue when the new parts arrive.

As pictured above is the work we did to blacken the underside of this Lada when it was last in to preserve the work we added to rectify an issue with corrosion.

Morris Minor Front And Central

January 20, 2021

Our lovely 1963 Morris Minor 1000 passed its driving test with flying colours, as seen in the last update, however, there’s a final tweak we want to make to ensure the Morris is perfect. The steering wheel needs to be centralised, so we are going to send Tom over to our hanger where the Morris is being stored, to centralise the steering wheel.

The Mercedes New Trim

January 20, 2021

Lydia, one of our trim shop technicians, has been working on preparing and creating the interior for Craig’s 1987 Mercedes 500SL. A while ago Craig decided to go with a Claret red to dress the interior of his custom classic, and now the interior trim creation begins

Lydia has been focusing on preparing the gearstick holder. Once stripped, it is ready for recovering by sanding and filling. Lydia makes the first draft of the paper patterns, she then cuts out vinyl for a vinyl draft copy. By sewing the vinyl together, Lydia can see how the cover would fit and address any issues that may arise. Once the first draft is made, Lydia then makes a second draft paper pattern, makes it in vinyl and re-addresses how the parts come together. This process also allows her to test out how much topstitching to sew on and if her measurements are correct. From these drafts, Lydia took the decision to add topstitching all over as she believed this would be the most efficient design.

Once the drafts have been made and corrected, Lydia can start making the real leather cover. She does this by marking up the second vinyl draft so that she can take it apart and use the pattern pieces as a guide for the leather. Once the leather is all marked up and ready for cutting out, the leather pieces can be sewn together, topstitched all over and fit.

Work In Progress

January 20, 2021

There’s a long list of work that’s going on with the Daytona, which mostly has Scott at the helm. The brakes have been sent off to be refurbished at Norfolk Brake and Clutch, the chrome work will be sent to our friend Tony Wyatt and we will do the stainless steel refurbishments in house. As seen in a previous Daytona update, Tom has taken apart the rear axel so it is now ready to be sandblasted. We’ve also found a leak in the differential which needs to therefore be rebuilt, as does the steering rack after finding a leak there too.

Scott has also been focusing on doing filler work on the Daytona body. He’s been repairing any imperfections in the body and getting neat panel gaps. This is done before we prep the body for paint.

We also discovered a large amount rust on the chassis which will need to be repaired and fabricated.

Scott has also removed the radiator and oil cooler, and stripped some elements out of the engine bay to make it easier to prep for paint. He has also removed the front and rear windscreens too.

Tom has also stripped down rear and front axle ready for it to be sandblasted and painted. He’s also checked the bushes and sub-frame condition. Tom has prepared the power steering rack to be repaired as well as the brake callipers.

Amphicar Underside Sealing

January 20, 2021

Our Amphicar has been taking a temporary back seat in our workshop whilst we wait for the gearbox to come back. Our plan moving forwards is to re-seal the underside with a resin seal, ensuring that this iconic car is watertight and water ready.

A Bright Future For The TR6

January 20, 2021

The Triumph TR6 has recently had new spotlights installed. Our next step is to install the switch. The client has asked that we install the switch in a discrete place so that the interior still keeps its original look.

Mauro has also installed the new steering wheel, with the cover made by our trim shop, into the TR6 which is looking very smart!

Can’t Catch A Jensen Brake!

January 20, 2021

Its Jensen central here in the workshop! Our other Navy Jensen is currently undergoing some more work after the owner gave us the go-ahead to continue their restoration.

Paul has cleaned the brake discs, removing existing grease sat on the elements. Paul has also taken apart the disks and taken out some other debris that had sat in there. We’ve also fitted new brake lines and callipers on the back. The brake pipes have been redone, as well as the kingpins and bushes replaced. The front brakes have be been upgraded and the new brake lines have been fitted.

So Close Yet So Far

January 20, 2021

This lovely 1958 Jensen 541R will soon be up for sale with us however there are a few issues that need attending to first.

First of all, the Dynamo needs to be refurbished as although it technically works fine, there’s a small charging fault with it.

There’s an issue with the water pump which has a severe leak meaning it will need rebuilding.

Black Jensen Paint Touch Ups

January 20, 2021

Our 1960 Jensen 541R is currently in the final, final stages. It is currently sat in the paint shop for some minor corrections as we believe that perfection is the only option when it comes to our restorations.

On its road test, our Jensen performed well and only showed small teething issues but otherwise its ready to go!

Grey Jensen Door Shimmy

January 20, 2021

The Grey Jensen is having some small alterations made to its doors. Currently, as they sit, the doors are slightly too wide to fit into the B-post, so we have managed to make some subtle alterations to the door and the aluminium trim to allow the door itself to fit more comfortably into the body.

Rust Bust On The Peony Red Jensen

January 20, 2021

The restoration to the Peony Red Jensen’s doors continues. James is working on correcting the corrosion damage by welding and fabricating new parts to replace the corroded elements. Both doors are bespoke and custom to the car, so James, one of our classic car specialists, is having to make all his adjustments bespoke and unique to the car.

You can see the process here:

New Doors, New Opportunities

January 18, 2021

Our lovely Grey 1967 541R Jensen has had some alterations done to the doors. We have cut the lip of the nearside and outer-side doors so that the door cards will fit. We’ve then re-welded and re-fitted the outer-side door chrome and made sure the door closes and opens, and the windows slide up and down.

Mr Masters

January 17, 2021

“I see other similar competitions on social media but they are not run half as well and there is definitely a doubt as to the final draw with them. Charlotte clearly demonstrates the equipment and the draw is transparent ,cars are top notch . In a lock down culture businesses have to adapt in other ways or go under and thats exactly what you have done bravo”

Mr Reilly – Essex

January 17, 2021

“As a winner, I can confirm the competitions are real! I saw the 1st white MG offered and before buying a ticket Googled around and was pleased to see an established business behind it all which convinced me buying a ticket was ‘safe’. The competitions have been great through the lockdowns, and provide a little bit of hope and excitement through these strange times.When buying a ticket or 2( or, 3 or 4…) it gives a little bit of hope we might win, especially with good odds of these competitions. But if we’re honest, we don’t truly expect to win. But I have imagined many of the competition cars being in my garage. And strangely, I still buy a few tickets for more competitions. What’s the probability of lightning striking twice?”

Bridge Classic Cars are award winning Classic Car Restoration and Maintenance specialists. Your pride and joy is in safe hands with our expert Classic Car Technicians. Take a look at our awards here.

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