Triumph Spitfire Brake Fluid
November 7, 2022
Classic car technician Jon has continued his investigations into the running issues that our 1977 Triumph Spitfire has been experiencing. He bled the brakes of
Craig Ranson
Managing Director – Bridge Classic Cars
A New Grill – 1987 Volvo 240GL
November 7, 2022
Our 1987 Volvo 240GL has been in the care of classic car technician Jon over the last few days. During this time, Jon has built,
Just Arrived – 1968 MGB GT
November 7, 2022
Our 1968 MGB GT has recently arrived at the Bridge Classic Cars workshop. As with all the cars that come to us, our classic car
Seat Upgrades And More – 1969 Morris Minor 1000 Convertible
November 7, 2022
Our 1969 Morris Minor 1000 Convertible continues to progress through its restoration work. After a large portion of the external work was complete, Brian and
1959 Jensen 541R – Rebuilding A Classic Car
November 4, 2022
Over the last week, classic car technician Rob has been spending his time putting our 1959 Jensen 541R back together. Since the chassis of this
Work Continues On Our 1976 Aston Martin AMV8
November 4, 2022
After making the long journey from America to the Bridge Classic Cars workshop, our 1976 Aston Martin AMV8 has already had quite the adventure. When
Classic Motor Show 2022 – Birmingham NEC
November 4, 2022
Bridge Classic Cars will be attending the Classic Motor Show 2022 being held at the NEC in Birmingham. We are very much looking forward to
On Its Way – 1985 Ferrari Mondial
November 2, 2022
Making its way to the Bridge Classic Cars workshop is our 1985 Ferrari Mondial. Once it arrives, it will get a full inspection from our
Robert Furniss Riding 1991 Maserati Bi-Turbo Spyder E – A Classic Car Saving Lives At Sea
November 2, 2022
One recent addition to the Bridge Classic Cars workshop comes with much more importance than first meets the eye. Our 1991 Maserati Bi-Turbo Spyder E
Our 1981 VW Scirocco Storm Won And Delivered
November 2, 2022
Adrian Fuller was the lucky winner of our 1981 Volkswagen Scirocco Storm in the live draw held on 27th October 2022 with ticket number 809.
Coming Soon – 1973 Jaguar E-Type Series 3 2+2
November 1, 2022
Soon to be on its way to the Bridge Classic Cars workshop is our 1973 Jaguar E-type. As you can see from the photos below,
Saying Goodbye To Our 1958 Jensen 541R
November 1, 2022
The time recently arrived for us to say goodbye to our 1958 Jensen 541R. This beautiful classic car came to us from Holland and spent
Our 1981 MGB GT LE Delivered To Its New Owner
November 1, 2022
The lucky winner of our 1981 MGB GT LE, Martin Godwin, took delivery of his classic car earlier today. Martin was randomly selected as the
Our Very Special 1905 Riley 9HP
November 1, 2022
You can’t get much rarer than our 1905 Riley 9HP. With only 3 believed to be left in existence (including the one in our workshop),
1966 Ford Cortina MK1 1500 GT Live Draw
November 1, 2022
Bridge Classic Cars would like to invite you to our live draw on the evening of Thursday 10th November 2022 where someone will win our 1966 Ford Cortina
Now Live – Enter To Win Our 1966 Ford Cortina MK1 1500 GT
November 1, 2022
So many of us here at Bridge Classic Cars have been feeling very nostalgic ever since our 1966 Ford Cortina MK1 1500 GT arrived. This
Inner Arches
November 1, 2022
Classic car technician Al has been working on our 1956 Jensen 541 lately. Recently, he has been focused on continuing the painting of the chassis
A Hydrogen-Powered Car – Hyundai Nexo
October 31, 2022
As much as electric cars have gained in popularity in recent years, a key issue that has put some people off from making the switch
New On MyClassics.co.uk – 1970 Land Rover Series IIA
October 28, 2022
Newly listed on MyClassics.co.uk is a 1970 Land Rover Series IIA. It is in need of some restoration work but it will no doubt be
Work Continues On Our 1975 Jensen Interceptor MK3
October 28, 2022
Classic car technicians Monty and Christian have been spending quite a bit of time with our 1975 Jensen Interceptor MK3 lately. From removing the front
A New Glovebox
October 28, 2022
Classic car technician Brian has made a new glovebox for our 1992 Rover Mini Cooper 1.3. He did this by first making the patterns he
More Progress…
October 28, 2022
Since the chassis of our 1959 Jensen 541R has been back in the workshop, classic car technician Rob has been busy rebuilding the car. He
Delivering Our 1970 Jaguar XJ6 Series 1
October 28, 2022
We recently delivered our 1970 Jaguar XJ6 Series 1 to the very lucky new owner – Martin Tyte. Martin won this impressive classic car through
Chassis Painted
October 27, 2022
Since returning from the sandblasters, the chassis of our 1956 Jensen 541 has spent some time in our paint shop being painted. It’s not very
A Leak Found And Fixed
October 27, 2022
Classic car technician Jon has been investigating a leak on our 1972 Rover 4500S. The leak was found to be coming from a hose to
The End Of The Ford Fiesta
October 27, 2022
Rumours have been circulating over the past couple of days that the Ford Fiesta will be removed from production soon. Ford has now confirmed that
Investigating Running Issues
October 26, 2022
Our 1977 Triumph Spitfire came into the workshop for the team to investigate some running issues it was experiencing. Classic car technician Jon has begun
Putting Things Back Together
October 26, 2022
Now that the chassis of our 1959 Jensen 541R is back in the workshop, classic car technician Rob has started the process of putting everything
New Hardboard Panels And Badges Refurbished
October 26, 2022
The interior trim of our 1978 MGB GT has had new hardboard panels made. The finish of the new panels goes a long way in
A Special Car Returns
October 26, 2022
A little over a year ago, we said goodbye to our 1972 Chevron B20. Everyone here at Bridge Classic Cars loved this formula 2 car
Triumph Spitfire Brake Fluid
November 7, 2022
Classic car technician Jon has continued his investigations into the running issues that our 1977 Triumph Spitfire has been experiencing.
He bled the brakes of the car and noticed that two different types of brake fluid had been used.
Triumph Spitfire brake fluid is usually DOT5. However, when bleeding the brakes, both DOT5 and DOT4 were found.
DOT4 and DOT5 Brake Fluid
In very simple terms, brake fluid is responsible for moving the pressure from the brake lever to the brake pads. Brake fluid should lubricate the callipers, help prevent corrosion, and have a high boiling point. There are 4 different types of Brake fluid – DOT3, DOT4, DOT5, and DOT5.1
Each type of brake fluid has a different boiling point. If brake fluid boils, it forms air bubbles which increases how much it can be compressed resulting in poorer performance of your braking system.
DOT3 and DOT4 are the most common types of brake fluids used.
DOT4 brake fluid is glycol ether-based. It has a higher boiling point which is more stable than that of DOT3 brake fluid.
DOT5 is a silicon-based brake fluid and can withstand higher temperatures than DOT3 and DOT4.
As a general rule, it is usually a good idea to change the brake fluid in your car every two years. Obviously, this will depend on the amount of mileage you do but two years is a good timeframe to keep in mind. Brake fluid absorbs water over time so the longer you leave it between changes, the poorer your braking system will operate.
It’s worth noting that DOT3 and DOT4 brake fluid shouldn’t be mixed with DOT5. Doing so could result in brake failure. DOT5 is a silicone-based brake fluid so is not compatible with the glycol-based DOT3 and DOT4 fluids.
Our 1977 Triumph Spitfire Brake Fluid
When Jon bled the brakes of our Triumph Spitfire, it was clear that both DOT4 and DOT5 had been used. In the photo below, you can see that the DOT5 brake fluid has risen to the top while the DOT4 fluid fell to the bottom of the container.
Now the brake fluid issue has been resolved, investigations continue into this classic car’s running issues.
A New Grill – 1987 Volvo 240GL
November 7, 2022
Our 1987 Volvo 240GL has been in the care of classic car technician Jon over the last few days.
During this time, Jon has built, cleaned, polished, and fitted the new front grill. This has made a big impact on how the front of this classic car looks. With its new badges and wheel stickers, the new front grill brings our 240GL one step closer to being ready to leave us fully restored.
As well as his work on the grill, Jon also secured the boot trims too.
After the more cosmetic-related jobs had been completed, Jon turned his attention to the brakes. Specifically, the front brake back plates. These have now been painted and re-fitted to the car. The brakes have also been bled and a road test has been carried out. Jon was very happy with how our classic Volvo drove when he took it out for a short drive so it’s definitely almost ready to get back out on the road again.
As you can see from the photos below, our 1987 Volvo 240GL is looking very good and has come a long way since it first arrived in the workshop.
Just Arrived – 1968 MGB GT
November 7, 2022
Our 1968 MGB GT has recently arrived at the Bridge Classic Cars workshop.
As with all the cars that come to us, our classic car technicians will give it a thorough assessment and inspection before its future is decided.
All we know so far is that this is one beautiful classic car to look at.
Seat Upgrades And More – 1969 Morris Minor 1000 Convertible
November 7, 2022
Our 1969 Morris Minor 1000 Convertible continues to progress through its restoration work.
After a large portion of the external work was complete, Brian and Lydia began their work on the interior of the car. A new carpet was put in, a new roof was made and fitted, and we put a new pinstripe on this beautiful classic car too.
Progress Continues…
Recently, Brian has been doing more work on our 1969 Morris Minor 1000 Convertible. This time, his attention has been on the seats. In particular, he has been fitting stronger webbing straps to the front seat frames.
While this may not be something that changes the look of the seats, it will go a long way in making the seats as comfortable and as long-lasting as possible. The seats will now go on to be installed back into the car ready for the rest of the interior work to be completed very soon.
In addition to Brian’s work on the front seats of our 1969 Morris Minor 1000 Convertible, classic car technician Paul fitted a new electric fan. Paul also fitted 2 universal joints to the propshaft.
This classic Morris Minor is proving to be a very popular car. Anytime we share photos of it on social media or we have visitors to the workshop, this is one of the cars that seems to catch people’s attention.
Our 1969 Morris Minor 1000 Convertible is a beautiful classic car that continues to make good progress through its restoration journey. As great as it looks in our workshop, and as much as we enjoy seeing it every day, we are certainly looking forward to seeing it back out on the road so everyone has the opportunity to enjoy looking at it as much as we do.
Restoration work will continue so our Morris Minor Convertible will soon be even closer to leaving us and returning to its owner.
1959 Jensen 541R – Rebuilding A Classic Car
November 4, 2022
Over the last week, classic car technician Rob has been spending his time putting our 1959 Jensen 541R back together. Since the chassis of this rare car arrived back at the workshop, Rob has had his work cut out fitting everything back onto the car in the right place (and in the right order!)
The rebuild began with Rob fitting the sills back on and then refitting and welding the bulkhead onto the chassis as well.
From there, Rob went on to bolt the front wheel arches and the mounting frames in place and began work on fitting the body and the roof back together again. With this done, our 1959 Jensen 541R started to become much more recognisable as the beautiful classic car that we know it is.
We recently got the doors of our 541R back from the sandblasters. Although some repair work is still needed, Rob reassembled the doors so he could fit them to the car in order to check the A and B post alignment. He also bolted the roof down before making a new C pillar inner panel ready to fit later on.
Rob has moved on with his restoration work and has now made and welded the rear arch filler panels. He has also welded the A and B posts down.
The left-hand sill and panels have been adjusted and fitted and the left-hand C panel has also been welded in too.
Despite the fact that there is still a long way to go (and a whole lot more work to do), our 1959 Jensen 541R is looking extremely different to how it did just a few days ago. It is much more recognisable now and it is much closer to its final look than it has been before.
We are very lucky to have a skilled classic car technician like Rob working on the car and we are looking forward to seeing even more progress made very soon.
Work Continues On Our 1976 Aston Martin AMV8
November 4, 2022
After making the long journey from America to the Bridge Classic Cars workshop, our 1976 Aston Martin AMV8 has already had quite the adventure.
When it first arrived with us, we were very excited to see this impressive-looking car in the workshop just waiting to be bought back to life. Once classic car technician Scott started his assessment of the car, he found some oil leaks that needed to be rectified. After removing the under trays to investigate the oil leaks, Scott was able to take a better look at the car and begin making an initial assessment as to where any welding might be needed on its floor.
The fuel system also had Scott’s attention as he spent some time preparing it for when the engine would be started for the first time since it’s been in the workshop. It was at this point that dirt was found in the fuel filter so a replacement had to be ordered to rectify this issue. While he was waiting for the new filter to arrive, Scott sandblasted the filter housing.
Scott wasn’t done there though. He removed and inspected the air filter before doing the same for the air intake plenum. He also removed the carb tops so he could clean out the float bowls.
Over the last week, Scott has continued his work on our 1976 Aston Martin AMV8. He has been working hard putting the engine back together and getting it cleaned up and ready for its future life back out on the road.
In addition to his work on the engine, Scott has also begun to remove some of the interior of the car so repair work can shortly begin on the floor pans.
Considering this classic car has travelled from America to our workshop and has only been here for a short while, a lot of progress has already been made and we are very excited to see what the future holds for this beautiful classic car.
Classic Motor Show 2022 – Birmingham NEC
November 4, 2022
Bridge Classic Cars will be attending the Classic Motor Show 2022 being held at the NEC in Birmingham.
We are very much looking forward to spending a day or two with an arena full of fellow classic car enthusiasts. The Classic Motor Show is a place to exhibit classic cars and bikes as well as to listen to talks from industry experts and spend plenty of time surrounded by classic vehicles.
There will be classic car displays, exhibitors of all things classic car related, classic car and bike clubs will be in attendance, and there will also be live music performances too.
This is one car show that we attend regularly. It is one of the biggest and best classic car shows and it is a place where you really can find everything classic car related. A number of the Bridge Classic Cars team will be in attendance this year and we are hoping to see lots of familiar faces as well as meet new friends too.
The Classic Motor Show 2022 runs from Friday 11th November through to Sunday 13th November.
We hope to see you there!
On Its Way – 1985 Ferrari Mondial
November 2, 2022
Making its way to the Bridge Classic Cars workshop is our 1985 Ferrari Mondial.
Once it arrives, it will get a full inspection from our team of classic car technicians before we decide on a plan of action for the future of this classic car.
Robert Furniss Riding 1991 Maserati Bi-Turbo Spyder E – A Classic Car Saving Lives At Sea
November 2, 2022
One recent addition to the Bridge Classic Cars workshop comes with much more importance than first meets the eye.
Our 1991 Maserati Bi-Turbo Spyder E was previously owned by Robert Furniss Riding. Known as Bob, Robert was a hardworking man. He progressed in his banking career into the role of Group Treasurer of the Royal Bank of Scotland.
Bob had a keen interest in sailing while working in the city. However, after moving to the Isle of Man, his attention turned to collecting quality cars. He ended up getting involved with numerous car clubs and was even appointed as Chairman of the Conister Trust and Manx Classic Car Club. He was also President of the Manx Motor Racing Club and he became something of a classic car enthusiast.
Bob’s car collection grew to one of considerable size. In fact, he even moved to a large country house in order to have enough garage space to keep his ever-growing collection safe.
After his sad passing in May, Bob left his car collection (worth around £1.5million) to charity. He had been a keen supporter of local charities for a while. Even after his death, Bob wanted to continue to make a difference. He had a particular passion for maritime charities (thanks to his previous love of sailing) and for charities that helped young people.
The RNLI was named the Residuary Beneficiary of the Robert Furniss Riding estate. This meant that when his collection of cars went to auction (including our Maserati), the proceeds went to the charity. The funds raised will help support them in their extremely important work of keeping people safe at sea.
1991 Maserati Bi-Turbo Spyder E
Our 1991 Maserati Bi-Turbo Spyder E is a very cool car. It is one of just 147 right-hand drive 2.8-litre Spyders made and brings a whole load of style to this modern classic.
However, what makes this car truly special is that its former owner was a hardworking individual who loved generously sharing his seemingly endless knowledge of classic cars with anyone who needed it. He supported multiple charities and has made a big difference to their operations.
Everyone at Bridge Classic Cars sends our condolences to Bob’s friends, family, and loved ones. We will make sure his Spyder is well looked after!
Our 1981 VW Scirocco Storm Won And Delivered
November 2, 2022
Adrian Fuller was the lucky winner of our 1981 Volkswagen Scirocco Storm in the live draw held on 27th October 2022 with ticket number 809.
We delivered the car to Adrian today and, as you can tell from the photo below, he looked very pleased to have won it.
We would like to congratulate Adrian once more and we wish him all the best with his new classic car.
Coming Soon – 1973 Jaguar E-Type Series 3 2+2
November 1, 2022
Soon to be on its way to the Bridge Classic Cars workshop is our 1973 Jaguar E-type.
As you can see from the photos below, this is a beautiful classic car and we are very much looking forward to seeing it in person when it arrives very soon.
Once it gets here, it will receive a thorough inspection from our classic car technicians and a plan of action for the future will be put in place.
Saying Goodbye To Our 1958 Jensen 541R
November 1, 2022
The time recently arrived for us to say goodbye to our 1958 Jensen 541R.
This beautiful classic car came to us from Holland and spent a few months with us while our team of classic car technicians bought it back to life. It leaves us looking very different to how it looked when it first arrived at our workshop and we are very happy to see it move on to its next chapter.
Our 1981 MGB GT LE Delivered To Its New Owner
November 1, 2022
The lucky winner of our 1981 MGB GT LE, Martin Godwin, took delivery of his classic car earlier today.
Martin was randomly selected as the winner in our live draw held on 27th October 2022 with ticket number 1562.
Everyone at Bridge Classic Cars offers our congratulations to Martin and we wish him all the best on his future road trips in this beautiful car.
Our Very Special 1905 Riley 9HP
November 1, 2022
You can’t get much rarer than our 1905 Riley 9HP. With only 3 believed to be left in existence (including the one in our workshop), we understand how important it is to bring this truly classic car back to life.
Our team of highly skilled classic car technicians have been working hard to rebuild our 9HP and, despite numerous setbacks and challenges, progress is still being made in the restoration of this more-than-a-century-old car.
1966 Ford Cortina MK1 1500 GT Live Draw
November 1, 2022
Bridge Classic Cars would like to invite you to our live draw on the evening of Thursday 10th November 2022 where someone will win our 1966 Ford Cortina MK1 1500 GT.
During the evening, our workshop will be open for people in attendance to look around and some of the team will be on hand to share information about the cars being restored. There will also be live music from local band The 3Buskateers, food from Woodbridge Mobile Pizza Company, and coffee from Carmello’s.
The main event of the evening will be our live draw at 7 pm, where one lucky person will win our 1966 Ford Cortina MK1 1500 GT.
You can win this classic car by entering the draw at Bridge Classic Cars Competitions
It would be amazing to have the winner in our live audience so make sure you enter the draw to be in with a chance of that person being you.
The live stream will begin at 7 pm, but everyone is welcome from 6 pm.
Come along and enjoy our musical entertainment and spend some time talking classic cars with us.
The live draw will take place at Bridge Classic Cars, The Nursery, Main Road, Pettistree, Woodbridge IP13 OHH
Enter Suffolk Plant Centre and continue up to the gates where Bridge Classic Cars can be seen on the left.
We look forward to welcoming you on Thursday 10th November 2022 at 6 pm
Reserve Your Place
Now Live – Enter To Win Our 1966 Ford Cortina MK1 1500 GT
November 1, 2022
So many of us here at Bridge Classic Cars have been feeling very nostalgic ever since our 1966 Ford Cortina MK1 1500 GT arrived.
This is a classic car that a lot of people have fond memories of thanks to how popular they were through the 70s and 80s.
If you want to experience owning a Ford Cortina all over again, then you can enter the draw to be in with a chance of winning our 1966 Ford Cortina MK1 1500 GT as it is now live on Bridge Classic Cars Competitions.
Inner Arches
November 1, 2022
Classic car technician Al has been working on our 1956 Jensen 541 lately.
Recently, he has been focused on continuing the painting of the chassis and its numerous components.
As well as painting the rear inner arches of this soon-to-be beautiful classic car, Al also painted the door frames too.
Work will continue on our 1956 Jensen 541 and it is great to see progress being made in its restoration.
A Hydrogen-Powered Car – Hyundai Nexo
October 31, 2022
As much as electric cars have gained in popularity in recent years, a key issue that has put some people off from making the switch over is their long charge times. Hyundai has come up with the next generation of more environmentally-friendly hydrogen-powered cars in the form of the new Hyundai Nexo.
Technically, the Nexo is an electric car. However, what makes it different to other electric vehicles is that it has an onboard fuel cell generating its power, rather than a big battery pack.
Using Hydrogen to feed the fuel cell means that you can completely fill the tank of the Nexo in around 5 minutes. This is substantially quicker than you can fully charge standard electric cars. What is potentially even more impressive is that, after a Hydrogen refill, you can expect a range of over 400 miles before you’ll need to top-up again.
When it comes to the Nexo’s environmental impact, you can drive knowing that you are keeping your emissions as low as possible. Hydrogen-powered cars, like the Nexo, produce emissions in the form of purified air and water. This is obviously much more environmentally friendly than petrol or diesel-powered vehicles.
What’s Different About The Hyundai Nexo?
There have been hydrogen-powered systems before but Hyundai has engineered the one used in the Nexo to make sure interior space isn’t sacrificed for the sake of powering the car. It does seem that the brand has been pretty successful in this too. The boot of the Nexo isn’t too far away from that of a petrol or diesel-powered SUV and there is a decent amount of space for passengers in the back of the car as well.
As the fuel cell and everything that goes with it have been so efficiently built into the Nexo, it has enough space to be used as a practical family car which is important considering its price.
The Price
Hyundai is expecting to sell the Nexo in large quantities. While this seems like an obvious thing to say, the price tag of a little under £70 000 might be too much for the vast majority of motorists to afford.
Is This The Future Of Motoring?
The Nexo certainly seems to have the potential for laying the foundations for the future of the motor industry. A practical car that drives well, has plenty of space and produces zero emissions does tick a lot of boxes of what a future-proof car looks like.
However, the cost, the low number of hydrogen filling stations, and the current popularity of electric cars could make it a challenge for hydrogen-powered cars like this to completely take over.
New On MyClassics.co.uk – 1970 Land Rover Series IIA
October 28, 2022
Newly listed on MyClassics.co.uk is a 1970 Land Rover Series IIA. It is in need of some restoration work but it will no doubt be up and running again with a little bit of attention given to it.
This iconic classic vehicle runs although the current engine is somewhat smokey. A spare engine comes with the Land Rover though which has been seen running in another vehicle.
Full details can be seen here.
The Land Rover is also listed on eBay.
Work Continues On Our 1975 Jensen Interceptor MK3
October 28, 2022
Classic car technicians Monty and Christian have been spending quite a bit of time with our 1975 Jensen Interceptor MK3 lately.
From removing the front wings to working on the new body panels that arrived at the workshop, they have been busy making good progress on this special classic car.
As you can see from the photos below, things are progressing well and work continues as our Interceptor moves further along its restoration journey.
A New Glovebox
October 28, 2022
Classic car technician Brian has made a new glovebox for our 1992 Rover Mini Cooper 1.3.
He did this by first making the patterns he needed from cardboard. He then used these to cut the shapes out of mill board and using scoring boards to put creases in the appropriate places.
All the parts were fitted together outside of the car to make sure everything fit perfectly together.
Once everything had been made, checked, and finalised, Brian fit the new glovebox into the dashboard of our special little Mini.
More Progress…
October 28, 2022
Since the chassis of our 1959 Jensen 541R has been back in the workshop, classic car technician Rob has been busy rebuilding the car.
He has already bolted the front wheel arches and the mounting frames into place and he has also started work on fitting the body and the roof back together again.
The car already looks very different than it did when it first arrived at the Bridge Classic Cars workshop and it will continue to change as it moves along its restoration journey.
Delivering Our 1970 Jaguar XJ6 Series 1
October 28, 2022
We recently delivered our 1970 Jaguar XJ6 Series 1 to the very lucky new owner – Martin Tyte.
Martin won this impressive classic car through Bridge Classic Car Competitions in our live draw on 20th October 2022, with ticket number 18.
Everyone here is very pleased to hear that Martin loves his new car and we wish him many happy years (and miles) in his stunning new Jaguar.
Chassis Painted
October 27, 2022
Since returning from the sandblasters, the chassis of our 1956 Jensen 541 has spent some time in our paint shop being painted.
It’s not very often that you see the chassis of a car in this state so it’s always interesting to see this stage of restoration work.
A Leak Found And Fixed
October 27, 2022
Classic car technician Jon has been investigating a leak on our 1972 Rover 4500S. The leak was found to be coming from a hose to the radiator.
Jon tightened all the hoses and checked the pressure in them too. While he was working on this eye-catching classic car, he also looked at the intake pipes. The ends of these were cut off and refitted to the air filter.
No leaks are coming from our special Rover now so it seems to be ready to get back out on the road very soon.
The End Of The Ford Fiesta
October 27, 2022
Rumours have been circulating over the past couple of days that the Ford Fiesta will be removed from production soon. Ford has now confirmed that these rumours are, in fact, true and the Fiesta will be no more as of June 2023.
Since its introduction in 1976, the Fiesta has become a common sight on UK roads and consistently featured in the list of most popular cars in the country.
The Ford Fiesta has become something of an icon over the years and it is a highly recognisable car. With so many people having owned a Fiesta, been driven around in a Fiesta, or fallen in love with a Fiesta, this news will likely bring a sense of sadness. Fond memories of this little car will be commonplace and it’s hard to not feel that this is the end of an era.
Ford has said that the reason for the discontinuation of the Fiesta is linked to their “planned transition to an electric future.”
The statement from Ford states:
“As we get ready to transition to an electric future, we will discontinue production of S-MAX and Galaxy in Valencia, Spain in April 2023 and discontinue Fiesta production in Cologne, Germany by end of June 2023….We will introduce three new exciting electric passenger vehicles and four new electric commercial vehicles in Europe by 2024. We plan to sell more than 600,000 electric vehicles in the region by 2026, and the electric passenger vehicle production at the Cologne Electrification Centre will reach 1.2 million vehicles over a six-year timeframe.”
This statement also confirms the end of the Ford S-Max and the Ford Galaxy to make way for a new range of electric Ford vehicles over the next few years.
Whatever the reason, the Ford Fiesta is coming to an end so it’s time to say goodbye to the little Ford that made a big impact on the motoring world.
Investigating Running Issues
October 26, 2022
Our 1977 Triumph Spitfire came into the workshop for the team to investigate some running issues it was experiencing. Classic car technician Jon has begun looking into these issues and already found and rectified some of them.
The first thing Jon did was to charge the flat battery. He then removed and regapped the spark plugs. While doing this he found that the gap on 2 of the spark plugs was closed completely which could be a cause of some of the running issues.
Jon went on to remove and check the carb too.
The video below shows Jon making sure the static timing is aligned and that the rotary arm is pointing to cylinder 1 as it should. The video also shows the advance moving in the distributor when the vacuum is applied.
Putting Things Back Together
October 26, 2022
Now that the chassis of our 1959 Jensen 541R is back in the workshop, classic car technician Rob has started the process of putting everything back together again.
This will obviously take some time and it will require a huge amount of patience and skill. Fortunately, our classic car technicians have both of these so good progress is being made.
As you can see from the photos below, Rob has fitted the sills back onto the car and he has refitted and welded the bulkhead onto it too.
New Hardboard Panels And Badges Refurbished
October 26, 2022
The interior trim of our 1978 MGB GT has had new hardboard panels made. The finish of the new panels goes a long way in making this classic car look refined and very appealing.
The badges of the car have also been undergoing refurbishment.
Seemingly small tasks like this do a great job of bringing a restored classic car back to its original state so they are very important.
Our 1978 MGB GT continues to make good progress and we are very excited to see it back out on the road in the near future.
A Special Car Returns
October 26, 2022
A little over a year ago, we said goodbye to our 1972 Chevron B20. Everyone here at Bridge Classic Cars loved this formula 2 car and, although we were happy it was going to a new owner, there was still quite a bit of sadness to see this very special car leave us.
However, today we are all very happy to see it back in our workshop!
Yesterday, we collected the car and transported it back to the workshop here in Suffolk. We were excited just seeing the B20 on our trailer making its journey to us, so you can imagine how excited we have been to actually have it back with us in person.
It has come back to us to be prepared for export as its adventure is set to continue overseas. Our classic car technicians will soon get to work on this very special car and we will certainly enjoy looking after it until the time comes for it to move on once more.
