TR5’s New Paint
November 12, 2020
The latest step on the TR5 is that it’s air intake for the engine has received a fresh layer of VHT Crinkle heat resistant paint
Craig Ranson
Managing Director – Bridge Classic Cars
Peony Red Jensen’s New Parts
November 12, 2020
Our specialist technicians have been working hard on the 1960 Jensen 541S restoration. The latest refurbishments include smoothing and correcting the doors by filling any
New In: 1979 Mini Clubman
November 12, 2020
We’ve got another new kid on the block and this time it’s a unique 1979 Morris Austin Mini Clubman with bespoke finishing! This beautiful Mini
1988 Ford Escort – Future Competition Car
November 12, 2020
This fully restored RS Turbo was being stored within our Vehicle Storage Hangar, however when the owner decided to offer the vehicle up for sale,
Ford Escort RS Sells At Auction For Over £31,000!
November 11, 2020
This 1983 Ford Escort RS1600i sold at auction for over £31,000! This Sunday, at Anglia Car Auction in King’s Lynn, the Escort sold for over
1999 Mercedes 280SL Competition Extension
November 11, 2020
The draw for our latest classic car competition, the Mercedes 280SL was scheduled to take place at 7.00pm on Thursday 12th November. Unfortunately we have
New addition to the Hangar
November 11, 2020
This week we’ve welcomed a new toy to our Hangar, our Sea Ray Bow Rider 17ft long Mercruiser 130hp with a Volvo SX. With the
Another Jensen, Another Fan
November 10, 2020
One of our technicians, Paul, has made an aluminum mount for the fan in the black 1960 Jensen 541R. This has been handcrafted from a
Bits And Bobs
November 10, 2020
The parts for our 1968 Triumph TR5 have arrived and our technician Mauro has set them all out to assess what’s there and If anything more needs to be ordered.
Happy Camper
November 10, 2020
Our beautiful 1973 VW T2 had its primer applied post acid bath. Unfortunately, the process of removing the rust revealed a bigger than expected project underneath
ITV This Morning – November 2020
November 10, 2020
Our 1974 De Tomaso Pantera features in Alison Hammond’s recreation of Kylie Minogue’s iconic music video ‘Can’t get you out of my head’. Last week
There’s A New Cat On The Block
November 9, 2020
Our new competition car is a smart 1998 Jaguar XJR Supercharged in a moody navy blue and could be yours for under £10. Don’t let
Meet the team: Darren
November 9, 2020
It’s another Meet The Team Monday! This Monday we’re pleased to introduce our Paint Shop Manager, Darren! Darren started his career with cars in a
It’s Hammer Time at ACA
November 8, 2020
As of Wednesday 11th November, 206 out of the 226 cars entered into last weekend’s classic car auction at Anglia Classic Car Auctions have now
Peugeot 504
November 6, 2020
Our trim experts have taken apart the 1972 Peugeot 504’s back seats in order to make the new ones. Kath, one of our trim experts
Anything But Minor
November 6, 2020
Our 1963 Morris Minor has had its oil seal removed and refurbished, engine rewired, new clutch added and an engine stabilizer installed.
Custom Trim
November 6, 2020
Whether it’s a specific design or a certain fit, we can make it. All of the work done in the trim shop is made by
Friday Snapshot
November 6, 2020
Its been a busy week, with once again, many cars leaving, lots making big milestones and photoshoots! Behind the scenes on the Rolls Royce shoot
Safety First
November 6, 2020
The Purple 1973 Triumph TR6 has recently had seatbelts and tyres installed making by our team. Seatbelts New seatbelts were installed on our TR6! There
Blazing New Wheels
November 5, 2020
Our 1972 Blaze Orange MGB Roadster recently had its refurbished wheels fitted by our team of specialist classic car technicians. Darren, our paint shop manager
Back for more
November 5, 2020
Its always nice to get positive feedback from clients but even nicer when they send their vehicles back in for more refurbishments! The owner asked
Coming Soon
November 5, 2020
We’ve got a number of new cars gracing our workshop soon. Keep an eye out on our social media pages and website for their grand
The Jensen fan
November 5, 2020
New fan brackets have been added to the 1957 Grey Jenson 541R Our engineer Paul has hand crafted a pair of brackets to bolt onto
The Tail End Of The E-Type Jaguar
November 5, 2020
Our 1967 Black E-type Jaguar had its final re-wiring before we sent it off purring back to its owners yesterday. Originally from Jacksonville, Florida, this
The Girl In Red
November 5, 2020
You’d be right in saying that this isn’t a red 1960 Jensen 541S. But with a bit of imagination and a lot of hard work
The Peugeot Has A New Heart
November 5, 2020
The 1972 Peugeot 504 has hit a ground-breaking moment in its restoration: it now has an engine! Our engine specialist has replaced all serviceable parts
The Jensen’s Headlining Act
November 5, 2020
Much like any good festival, our Grey 1957 Jensen 541R also needed a headliner. In car terms, this just means the fabric fitting that coats
Mr Bone – Norfolk
November 4, 2020
“They’re good folk, a friend had his MGA restored there this year. The race E-Type and Jensens are splendid!”
The future’s bright, the future’s…
November 4, 2020
We’ll start with the exciting news that our Orange race E-Type is nearing completion… As the UK enters a new national lockdown this evening, here
Sink Or Swim?
November 3, 2020
We had Colin from Wherry boatyard on behalf of CC Marine and Industrial Supply come in to survey our 1965 Amphicar. As a BSS (Boat
TR5’s New Paint
November 12, 2020
The latest step on the TR5 is that it’s air intake for the engine has received a fresh layer of VHT Crinkle heat resistant paint to ensure it lasts under the high temperatures generated inside the engine.
Restorations often look like a series of large steps but in reality are many many tiny steps just like this that go together to create the finished car. Although this air intake paint job may look small, it’s a vital step in the process of restoring someone’s beloved car.
Our highly trained technicians take pride in carefully curating each part of a vehicle to ensure everything is perfect, with no expense spared.
Peony Red Jensen’s New Parts
November 12, 2020
Our specialist technicians have been working hard on the 1960 Jensen 541S restoration. The latest refurbishments include smoothing and correcting the doors by filling any holes, taking out rust and installing custom made metal pieces.
Our engine specialist Ady carried out a full engine rebuild and has modified the piston holes by making sure the edges are bevelled at an angle rather than a sharp 90 degrees angle. This ensures the pistons fit in neater.
The rest of the engine rebuild has included the rocker fingers being refaced and re-boring with bigger pistons
New In: 1979 Mini Clubman
November 12, 2020
We’ve got another new kid on the block and this time it’s a unique 1979 Morris Austin Mini Clubman with bespoke finishing! This beautiful Mini is set to be an upcoming competition car, so keep your eyes peeled for its release!
The mini had been with Roger Moorhouse from Roger Moorhouse Classic Car Repairs in Norwich for 15 years where no expense had been spared in its restoration.
This beautiful forest green Mini Clubman holds bespoke details such as the gold alloy wheels, wood vinyl interior, and pristine green and cream interior furnishings. A fun yet practical drive for family outings and roadtrips!
It’s had to have a few interior touch-ups to get the leather looking perfect. Our Trim Shop specialists Kath and Brian have been handling those refurbishments which include a new gear stick gaiter, gluing vinyl back onto the rear board pannels, and fixing any loose material.
1988 Ford Escort – Future Competition Car
November 12, 2020
This fully restored RS Turbo was being stored within our Vehicle Storage Hangar, however when the owner decided to offer the vehicle up for sale, we had to buy it.
Expect to see this car live on www.bridgeclassiccarscompetitions.co.uk within the coming weeks.
Ford Escort RS Sells At Auction For Over £31,000!
November 11, 2020
This 1983 Ford Escort RS1600i sold at auction for over £31,000!
This Sunday, at Anglia Car Auction in King’s Lynn, the Escort sold for over 5 times its original purchase price. Fast Ford values have been rising astronomically over the past few years.
Fancy an Escort RS, but not so keen on the high prices these once affordable cars are now commanding?
We have a lovely RS Turbo coming soon to Bridge Classic Competitions, due to launch next week.
https://www.thesun.co.uk/motors/13164147/ford-escort-1983-vintage-sell-31k-car/
1999 Mercedes 280SL Competition Extension
November 11, 2020
The draw for our latest classic car competition, the Mercedes 280SL was scheduled to take place at 7.00pm on Thursday 12th November. Unfortunately we have not met our minimum threshold of ticket sales to run this competition. Instead of cancelling and refunding everyone, we have elected to extend the competition by 14 days.
New addition to the Hangar
November 11, 2020
This week we’ve welcomed a new toy to our Hangar, our Sea Ray Bow Rider 17ft long Mercruiser 130hp with a Volvo SX.
With the weather now starting to turn this will be up and ready for summer 2021!
Great fun…
Another Jensen, Another Fan
November 10, 2020
One of our technicians, Paul, has made an aluminum mount for the fan in the black 1960 Jensen 541R.
This has been handcrafted from a sheet of aluminum in our workshop. The mount allows for the fan to sit in the engine bay and be supported.
The metal sheet was then painted and fitted to the back of the fan. Paul drilled in an extra set of holes to allow for more ventilation as seen below.
Bits And Bobs
November 10, 2020
The parts for our 1968 Triumph TR5 have arrived and our technician Mauro has set them all out to assess what’s there and If anything more needs to be ordered.
Within this pile of goodies, you can find brake parts, clutch, seat belts, chrome parts such as door handles, rubber for the windscreen, injector pump, radiator, fan, headlights, copper fuel, and brake lines as well as a huge host of other bits that will go towards making our TR5 whole again!
Happy Camper
November 10, 2020
Our beautiful 1973 VW T2 had its primer applied post acid bath.
Unfortunately, the process of removing the rust revealed a bigger than expected project underneath so the owner took the decision to store the VW and resume its work next year.
We’re excited to re-start work on this in 2021 as we know this T2 is going to look amazing when restored to its former glory!
ITV This Morning – November 2020
November 10, 2020
Our 1974 De Tomaso Pantera features in Alison Hammond’s recreation of Kylie Minogue’s iconic music video ‘Can’t get you out of my head’.
Last week the team took our restored De Tomaso Pantera up to the ITV studios to meet director, Harry Bott. Harry went to great lengths to find the same model and colour De Tomaso that featured in the original music video. Fortunately, we had restored this iconic Pantera, and the owner was happy to help out.
If you’re looking for a certain car for your production, whether it be an old classic or a more modern vintage number, we can help you out! As a company, we’ve had a number of our cars feature in TV and Film.
The full video will air on This Morning on 12th November so keep your eyes peeled.
You can see the car’s history with us here.
Here is the final edit played out on ITV’s This Morning…
There’s A New Cat On The Block
November 9, 2020
Our new competition car is a smart 1998 Jaguar XJR Supercharged in a moody navy blue and could be yours for under £10.
Don’t let the Jaguar’s elegant styling fool you, this performance machine packs a hell of a punch. The 4.0L Supercharged V8 engine catapults you to 60mph in just 5 seconds! The 380bhp XJR will pull hard, all the way to its limited top speed of 155mph.
These Jaguar’s were built to a very high standard and feel every bit a quality heritage British performance car
Full service in July 2020 at Jaguar Land Rover Stratstone Service Centre.
In February 2020, the XJR had the following new components: drive belt, water pump, rear shock absorbers, front disks and pads, brake fluid and rear wheel bearings. No expense has been spared on this car’s maintenance.
The current MOT expires in December 2020, however, we will be putting a fresh 12 month MOT on the vehicle before delivery to the winner.
You can enter this by heading over to the competition website or clicking here.
Meet the team: Darren
November 9, 2020
It’s another Meet The Team Monday! This Monday we’re pleased to introduce our Paint Shop Manager, Darren!
Darren started his career with cars in a similar way to many of our technicians did, by studying an apprenticeship, “I’ve always been into vehicles since I was a teenager” Daren tells us.
Darren studied his apprenticeship at the formerly known Potters Ford dealership in Framlingham, Suffolk, and has kept it local ever since. Darren joined our team in January 2019.
During his time studying general mechanics, Darren was given the choice to specialise and took the option to focus on Strip Fitting. From there he progressed to working with the paintwork.
“I still prefer doing body and paintwork because you get to see the rewards at the end.”
As our Paint Shop Manager, it’s down to Darren to ensure that the paintwork on each of our cars is matched, made, and added, as well as overseeing all the work that goes on in our Paint Shop.
Fun fact: one of the most popular cars in Darren’s birth year was the Ferrari 1973 Berlinetta Boxer. When launched, it competed with the Lamborghini Countach to be the fastest supercar you could buy.
It’s Hammer Time at ACA
November 8, 2020
As of Wednesday 11th November, 206 out of the 226 cars entered into last weekend’s classic car auction at Anglia Classic Car Auctions have now sold. That is over 91% and with some outstanding provisional bids waiting to be finalised that’s an incredible result for Rob, Lyn and the team.
The full results will be published by close of business this evening on the Anglia Car Auctions website.
Some notable results, including buyers premium;
1983 Ford Escort RS 1600i £31,320
1988 Opel Manta GTE Exclusive Coupe £22,260
1981 Delorean DMC-12 £34,560
1961 Austin A35 Light Van £10,530
1990 Rolls Royce Silver Spirit II £12,720
1981 Aston Martin Lagonda Series 2 £33,920
All of the automobilia sold.
£560 was raised on Saturday following Rob George’s decision to wear his robe and pyjamas. The money raised will be shared between the RNLI and the Poppy Appeal. A further £100 was pledged for Rob to arrive in a dress on Sunday. In addition, a very kind vendor donated all the proceeds from his MG Midget rolling shell which fetched £1,000. If you would like to support the fund raising, please give us a call.
Peugeot 504
November 6, 2020
Our trim experts have taken apart the 1972 Peugeot 504’s back seats in order to make the new ones.
Kath, one of our trim experts has unstitched the old seats and measured up the old parts onto new leather. Once this is done, the new parts are stitched together and flute lines added.
The flute lines need to be carefully added so that they line up with the ones on the back squab cover as seen here:
Anything But Minor
November 6, 2020
Our 1963 Morris Minor has had its oil seal removed and refurbished, engine rewired, new clutch added and an engine stabilizer installed.
Custom Trim
November 6, 2020
Whether it’s a specific design or a certain fit, we can make it. All of the work done in the trim shop is made by hand and designed perfectly for your motor.
One of our clients is making the hard choice between these 4 designs for the interior of their 1982 Porsche 911.
Friday Snapshot
November 6, 2020
Its been a busy week, with once again, many cars leaving, lots making big milestones and photoshoots!
Behind the scenes on the Rolls Royce shoot
We were extremely lucky with the weather on Wednesday for our Rolls Royce Corniche shoot at Hintlesham Hall.
This stunning 16th Century Elizabethan hotel created the perfect backdrop to shoot the regal 1973 Rolls Royce Corniche with our friend Giles, who made the perfect model.
We’re currently selling the Rolls Royce, so if you’d like to look this suave, head over to our website to see more about it!
You can see our Behind The Scenes video on our Instagram Reels!
Goodbye Yellow TR6
Our ray of sunshine, the Yellow 1973 Triumph TR6 has just left the workshop!
It came in with some issues concerning the gearbox so we swiftly replaced the clutch slave cylinder and it was back up and running in no time!
It was delivered back to its owners this morning.
Peony Red 1960 Jensen 541S
We’ve recently received another Jensen to restore. Although it’s currently a dull white, it will soon blossom into a beautiful Peony Red! This is a really exciting project for us as it’s going to be an amazing transformation!
Earlier in the week it had its fiberglass body worked on, smoothing down the exterior and adding a layer of stone chip to the inside. You can see that here.
Since then, our technicians Chris and Ant have tidied the metal plate work by welding and smoothing the exterior to make it all uniform. A primer has been added and a DTM satin paint applied on top.
The chrome pieces for the Jensen have also been sourced and cleaned, ready to be applied.
The doors have been refurbished with rust and holes corrected and parts of the inner door having been refurbished.
Overview
We’ve recently bought a 1974 VW Beetle for a near future competition car! We cant wait to get started on this beautiful green vehicle!
We’ve also had a lot of work on our other cars such as new trimmings for the Grey Jensen, custom window wipers and pump for the Nissan, new wheels on the MGB, new seat belts on the purple TR6.
Safety First
November 6, 2020
The Purple 1973 Triumph TR6 has recently had seatbelts and tyres installed making by our team.
Seatbelts
New seatbelts were installed on our TR6! There may be a few pieces missing but at least it’s now a safe drive!
Teamwork
It also had its first start-up today, but to get it running perfectly, we’ll be handing it over to our engine specialist Ady.
You can trust here at Bridge Classic Cars that your car will get full attention from our team of specialist technicians, and the proof is in the pudding!
New Windscreen
A brand new windscreen has also been recently installed.
New Wheels
The owner of our TR6 specially requested for the original tyres to be fitted, so we ordered a set of original TR6 Michelin XAS tyres from Longstone Classic Tyres.
We understand that some people want their cars fitted with modern refurbishments and some prefer to keep the originality intact. Both are great options when restoring a classic car and equally have their own pros and cons, however its never too much trouble to acquire or make original custom fittings to make sure the car is just right. Its all in the finer details!
Blazing New Wheels
November 5, 2020
Our 1972 Blaze Orange MGB Roadster recently had its refurbished wheels fitted by our team of specialist classic car technicians.
Darren, our paint shop manager has recently cleaned down, re painted and refurbished the wheels as well as painting parts of the engine.
Back for more
November 5, 2020
Its always nice to get positive feedback from clients but even nicer when they send their vehicles back in for more refurbishments!
The owner asked for some extra alterations so we cracked on right away!
We created a custom made window wiper bracket for the Nissan as well as replacing a water pump.
Coming Soon
November 5, 2020
We’ve got a number of new cars gracing our workshop soon. Keep an eye out on our social media pages and website for their grand arrival.
1974 VW Beetle
We’ve got an exciting new competition vehicle coming in soon. Currently residing in Scotland, this beautiful Lime Green Beetle will be up for grabs in the near future!
Watch this space..
The 1972 Chevron B20
We’re proud to represent a 1972 Chevron B20 Formula 2 race car. Although this, unfortunately, won’t be a giveaway car, it will be up for sale sometime in the near future on our website!
This beautiful vintage vehicle was originally designed as a single-seat racer for Formula 2.
We can’t wait to have such a unique vehicle in our workshop.
The Jensen fan
November 5, 2020
New fan brackets have been added to the 1957 Grey Jenson 541R
Our engineer Paul has hand crafted a pair of brackets to bolt onto the Jensen’s fan. These have been made from a sheet of metal which Paul has measured, shaped, drilled and painted, ready to be bolted onto the final product.
Craftmanship like this means that all our projects are bespoke and personal and fit the car which enables a perfect match.
Before
After
The brackets and fan were then later fixed together. This will now be inserted into the engine.
Not long after, the fan had been fitted into the Jensen’s engine and was ready to purr.
The Tail End Of The E-Type Jaguar
November 5, 2020
Our 1967 Black E-type Jaguar had its final re-wiring before we sent it off purring back to its owners yesterday.
Originally from Jacksonville, Florida, this E-Type came in way back in 2016 for a full restoration. We’ve worked on her over the past 4 years for regular maintenance and repairs.
She’s come a long way from the total rebuild we received in 2016! It’s always a pleasure to have such an iconic vehicle in the workshop.
The Girl In Red
November 5, 2020
You’d be right in saying that this isn’t a red 1960 Jensen 541S. But with a bit of imagination and a lot of hard work from our specialist technicians, this car soon will be a beautiful Peony Red.
However, that’s a few stages away. It’s currently with our technician Chris who is carefully working on the fiberglass body.
With fixings added, holes filled and a black stone-chip applied on the inside of the body, this Jensen is getting closer to its new colour makeover. These alterations are made to make sure the body of the car is aesthetically uniform and ready for the next stage of works.
The next stages will entail grinding out any imperfections and cracks so it can be prepared for the paint-shop.
The Peugeot Has A New Heart
November 5, 2020
The 1972 Peugeot 504 has hit a ground-breaking moment in its restoration: it now has an engine!
Our engine specialist has replaced all serviceable parts such as spark plugs and belts, replaced any worn hoses and plummed the engine back into its rightful place.
The beating heart of this car is back in place after a successful engine surgery.
The Jensen’s Headlining Act
November 5, 2020
Much like any good festival, our Grey 1957 Jensen 541R also needed a headliner.
In car terms, this just means the fabric fitting that coats the ceiling and gives it that finished look.
Our trim shop experts Kath and Brian have recently applied the headliner. First off they installed metal beams and padding to alleviate any rattling inside the vehicle. After this was fitted, the headlining fabric was installed, pulled tight, heated, and glued in place leaving holes for the interior lights.
The Jensen has also had foam padding added to the parcel shelf, vinyl glued into the front A posts, vinyl added to the dashboard, and holes left for the air vents.
Mr Bone – Norfolk
November 4, 2020
“They’re good folk, a friend had his MGA restored there this year. The race E-Type and Jensens are splendid!”
The future’s bright, the future’s…
November 4, 2020
We’ll start with the exciting news that our Orange race E-Type is nearing completion…
As the UK enters a new national lockdown this evening, here at Bridge Classic Cars we remain open for business as per our recent statement. The new measures come in to force on Thursday 5th November and expected to last until Wednesday 2 December.
This morning, we are introducing you to and looking forward to some exciting new projects hoping to be heading our way in the new year.
Here is a brief over view of some recent discussions we’ve been having and some exciting projects that we are hoping to be involved with very soon.
Our 1973 Triumph Stag has sadly been a stalled restoration for some years. Having been prepared and painted a few years ago the car has been sitting still ever since. The owner has now made the decision that the car must be completed and back on the Suffolk roads so we are hoping to be of assistance with this one very soon.
Next up we have our 1948 Triumph Roadster 2000. Again, a stalled restoration project that may possibly be in our workshops early 2021 to be completed and returned to the UK roads.
As you know, we love a Jensen 541. Here is an ongoing restoration being carried out by the current owner and a key player in the Jensen 541 world. The car is now ready for body preparation and paint so we are hoping to see her with us in the paint shop early to middle of 2021.
In 2019 Chris started the restoration of his father’s 1959 MGA Twin Cam. Now in the very safe hands of ex-TVR head technicians, the car is looking wonderful and taking shape nicely. We are hoping to take on the responsibility for the car, once completed. The current owner resides overseas and wants to find a good home for the car. It has been in the family for many many years and it would be lovely for it to find a new home with another family for many many years to come.
A project for Kath and Brian for early 2021 will be our South African 1980 Porsche 928 from our friends at Horizon Classics. The Porsche has recently undergone a full engine rebuild and body work improvements. Steve is currently awaiting the brand new, original Porsche material at which time the car will make it’s way over to our Trim Shop in Suffolk for a interior refit.
Finally, we look forward to welcoming our 1974 Volkswagen Super Beetle 1303 to the Bridge Classic Cars family. We are hoping to collect this incredible car from the north of Scotland very soon, hopefully when we have the opportunity to get out on the road. We will update you very soon on this one!!
Sink Or Swim?
November 3, 2020
We had Colin from Wherry boatyard on behalf of CC Marine and Industrial Supply come in to survey our 1965 Amphicar. As a BSS (Boat Safety Scheme) Examiner, its Colins job to tell us what is needed to make the Amphicar water worthy.
It’s a bit like an MOT but for boats and it’ll allow our Amphicar to be one step closer to getting its tires wet.
The amends includes relocating the battery cut-off switch changing the fuel entry removal system from a bottom to a top entry, replacing rubber hoses with copper pipes to allow a 2 hour 100 degrees safety bracket, installing a fire extinguisher, modify the main battery wiring, replacing the fuel arrester to the fuel tank, general labeling, adding an override switch to the dashboard and installing a modern Bilge pump and float switch.
