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Craig Ranson

Managing Director – Bridge Classic Cars

1963 Jaguar SS1000

June 24, 2020

Ady, Bridge Classic Cars’ engine specialist was called out to investigate an issue on this Jaguar SS1000. There was no spark so Ady has fitted

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1972 Peugeot 504

June 12, 2020

Scott has continued work on the corrosion repairs needed on our Peugeot 504. There just seems to be more and more areas of corrosion the

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E-Type Racecar Interior Progress

June 24, 2020

Kath has had the E-Type Racecar in the trim shop this week.

She’s making superb progress building up this interior from scratch. Take a look at the extensive gallery below to see all the details that have gone into this vehicles interior.

Sticking with the ethos of this build, we’ve kept the interior as minimalist as possible to keep weight to a minimum. Kath has designed bespoke leather inserts in place of traditional door cards.

BMW M3 prepared and ready for storage

June 24, 2020

Our 1998 BMW M3 Evoultion has returned to our hangar having been away touring the coast for a week. We have a few items to address on the car and then it will be put back in storage until the better weather returns.

1963 Jaguar SS1000

June 24, 2020

Ady, Bridge Classic Cars’ engine specialist was called out to investigate an issue on this Jaguar SS1000. There was no spark so Ady has fitted a new distributor and coil. This classic Jaguar is now purring once again.

Arion S2 Race Car – Engine Exchange

June 23, 2020

Arriving in our workshops this week we have our Arion S2 race car. Powered by a 900cc motorcycle engine that has unfortunately blown during a recent track event.

A replacement engine has been sourced and is on its way.

Hopefully like for like, we are optimistic that this may be a relatively simple engine swap with some essential plates being removed from the existing engine and fitted to the new/old replacement. Once these have been fitted and the engine tested we can refit and test.

1988 Mercedes 500SL Seat Repair

June 23, 2020

Visiting our workshops this afternoon is our amazing Mercedes 500SL R107. As you can see, the driver’s seat has suffered from years of use. The customer has purchased the material brand new and is looking for the skills of our trim experts to recover the centres of both front seats.

2003 Mercedes SL55 V8 – Competition Preparation

June 23, 2020

New arrival to Bridge Classic Cars, introducing our 2003 Mercedes SL55 V8. One of our newest cars to be released as a competition, although 2003 is not considered classic status, the V8 SL55 is becoming a rare beast to find and most definitely a future classic.

Currently in our workshops to address some body work issues, the car will be released very soon and we think this will be a quick seller!

Austin Healey 3000 Interior

June 22, 2020

Kath has had our Austin Healey in the trim shop recently to lay carpets over the transmission tunnel and both footwells.

Off to Vintage Voltage

June 20, 2020

With our Mini shell now in its beautiful Surf Blue finish, we bid farewell as we hand the car over to Team C to be fitted up.

An exciting journey awaits as we can now exclusively reveal that after refit, the car will be off to the guys at Electric Classic Cars to appear in Season 2 of Vintage Voltage.

Director Richard Morgan explains what’s next for our Mini; “Anything that will save weight, improve handling and brakes is a good idea as this is going to get 350hp of Tesla motor going in it. We may well need to de-tune that but we’ll play that by ear once we’ve got it on the road. We’re looking for cars to potentially have as feature cars in season 2 of our TV show Vintage Voltage. In case you’re not aware of it, this is a show commissioned by Discovery Channel that is airing in the UK on Quest and in the US on Motortrend, with international distribution by ITV.”

We look forward to next seeing the car on our TV screens…

Collecting our 1979 Ford RS2000

June 20, 2020

A crazy busy week at Bridge Classic Cars HQ this week; lots of exciting projects on the go, cars coming in, going out. The truck and the trailer have been up and down the country.

Mauro has been our designated driver all week and one of his tasks was to collect our latest addition to the Bridge family. Sure to be a popular one, tucked away in this garage is our 1979 Ford RS2000.

Follow the progress of this incredibly iconic classic as we bring her back to life for one lucky person.

Suzuki GSX400 Custom Exhaust

June 18, 2020

Before we look to cut the frame, alter the overall appearance to a cafe racer and start to piece together the bike with brand new components, we have taken the basic set up to our very good friends at Demand Engineering. Demand will be the next guys to get their hands on our bike as we look to design and manufacture the bespoke custom exhaust. A very different look to the original with the appearance and sound being absolutely critical to what we want the end results to be. We cannot wait to sit down with Dan and plan the next steps.

Introducing Demand Engineering:

“Demand Engineering makes exhausts, that’s what we do, and that’s all that we do.

We’d like to think that we’re getting pretty good at it, but we’ll let you be the judge of that.

Demand was formed in 2011 by two friends doing what a lot of friends do, finishing a conversation that starts with the immortal lines ‘what if you and I…..?’  they both happened to be Engineers, and they both had passion for all things noisy with wheels on.

Fast forward 7 years and we’ve been involved with some pretty special projects, in a wide variety of vehicles, from GT40 race cars to irreplaceable classics.  We’ve built exhausts for Boats, Bikes, Tractors, Buses, Supercars and even Aeroplanes. That doesn’t mean to say we haven’t done a fair few ‘normal’ cars as well, Subaru’s, VW’s, Fords, and seemingly endless Motor homes.  There’s been nothing I can think of that has phased us.

We work with all of our customers to give them what they want, I’d like to think that was kinda the point.   We’ve worked with Guy Martin on his Transit van, and with Universities with their ‘Formula Student’ cars.
Side exit? No Problem. Lightweight, Carbon fiber Race Kart exhaust? Sure. Needless to say, if it has an engine, we’re bound to be interested!  We can build and create manifolds, silencers, tailpipes and more,  come and have a cup of tea and lets talk about what we can do for you.

Over the years, we’ve also become pretty adept at exhaust development.  We have designed, tested and manufactured exhausts for other companies, from specialist equipment to super cars.  With computer controlled Tube bending equipment, combined with our fixture tables, we can precisely replicate any design, over, and over again.

One thing in common with all that we do, for every exhaust we make, from a tuned equal length manifold, to a rear silencer on a family hatchback, we offer the same level of care and attention, workmanship, materials and customer service.

Demand Attention and Performance.  It’s our name on the exhaust, and we’re proud of what that means.

Porsche 911 Headlining Repair

June 18, 2020

It was debatable whether we could rescue the original headlining of our 1982 Porsche 911. This was the preferred option by the customer so we set to work seeing whether we could repair the tear and keep the original headlining.

With a bit of gentle persuasion, we managed to tighten the headlining and reposition. The slight tear, we managed to patch up using a special interior fill paste. Once set, we could colour match the area to enable to a good match to the patina.

Kath and Brian have done an incredible job on this one and the great news is, the car leaves us with the original headlining still in place.

Great work Kath and Brian #teamtrim

1970 Fiat 850 Inspection

June 18, 2020

The new owner of this Fiat 750 has asked us to inspect the vehicle and asses the amount of work needed to get it back on the road. Ady and John have made a list of all of their inspection notes that need addressing.

  • Core plug at the back of engine
  • Repair back panel
  • Repair cracked screen
  • Both fan belts need replacing
  • Core plug at the back of engine
  • New exhaust clamp
  • OS outer sill split
  • 4 new tyres
  • Front bumper corners need fixing
  • Bottom bell housing cover missing
  • NSR floor rust hole
  • Both anti roll bar link arms
  • Rear shock rubber
  • Brake service
  • OSR indicator
  • Lights not fully working
  • Wipers not fully working
  • Needs points ignition and condenser

Filming Day at RAF Bentwaters

June 18, 2020

Normally, the quieter of our locations, today Mauro, Freddie and Craig spent the day at RAF Bentwaters at our Hangar Showroom.

Mauro was looking over the cars we have in our facility to ensure they are all up to standard; our weekly task is to ensure the cars are driven, checked over and brought up to temperature. Whilst there, he was also looking at the Ford Sierra Sapphire brakes as they seem to be loosely stuck and in need of a little attention needed freeing. The Mercedes 190SL, having just completed the full engine rebuild was being cleaned by Colin at Viper Auto Valet ready for our showroom. The Mercedes E350 was ready to be collected. We also await the arrival of our 1998 BMW M3 Evolution which has enjoyed a few weeks travelling the country but now returns to us to be stored away for a few months. Meanwhile Freddie and Craig we over the other side of the site with our Mercedes SL55 filming for some future projects.

Carl Boardley – unveiling his WSR-built BMW 1

June 18, 2020

Statement from Cooper Colchester BMW

Big News – suffice to say we are Buzzing!

“Cooper Colchester 2020 Motorsport announcement.

We mentioned yesterday that we had a big announcement for 2020, and here it is.

This morning we met with Carl Boardley (Motorsport) and his team to have final discussions regarding a sponsorship deal for 2020. We are over the moon to announce we have a secured a deal for us to be working together moving forwards.

In 2020 Carl will be racing the WSR-built BMW 1 series British Touring car, in conjunction with HARD Motorsport. This is the very car that Rob Collard raced in the British Touring car series for BMW Motorsport themselves.

The car achieved 37 wins, and 118 podiums in its time in the BTCC, so has a proven pedigree!

As many of you Motorsport fans will know the BTCC is the back bone of Motorsport in the UK, and dates back to 1958 when the series was named the British Saloon car series.

We are immensely pleased to be able to work with a local Race Driver, and support Carl in his second season in the BTCC. With a long and proven track record as a competitive and successful driver, we cannot wait to see what can be achieved in the BMW for 2020.

Carl Boardley Motorsport is incredibly active on social media bringing race day footage, VLOG’s from the garage, and much more so get following Carl now. Instagram is carlboardley41.racing and Facebook is Carlboardleymotorsport

www.carlboardley.com

The first race on the calendar is Sunday the 29th of March, at Donnington Race circuit. With the entire race weekends shown on ITV4. (Qualifying on Saturdays)

As always keep your eyes on our Social media for opportunities to attend Race days throughout 2020.

We will be running competitions and events throughout the year that will give you chance to get up close to British Touring car action!”

Coming soon: 2009 Nissan GT-R Black Edition

June 17, 2020

Arriving to our workshops very soon we have our 2009 Nissan GT-R Black Edition. A couple of remedial bits and pieces to be done, mainly the 4 wheels are requiring a refurb. None of them are bad but as the car is so beautifully presented the slight scuffs that can be seen on the wheel deserve to be rectified.

We can not wait to announce our exciting news about this car…watch this space.

1971 Range Rover Carburettor Service

June 17, 2020

Ady, Bridge Classic Cars’ engine specialist has serviced and cleaned up the leaking carburettors in our 1971 Range Rover. He has replaced the seals and gaskets and re-installed into the vehicle. This has massively improved the engines running.

Ady has noticed a slight radiator leak so this will be investigated further by our good friends and radiator experts, Shelldrake and Wells in Ipswich. This is the final task to complete before the vehicle is running beautifully once more. Great work, Ady!

1988 Nissan 300ZX Wing Mirror Repair

June 17, 2020

The next job for Paul and Chris to tackle is the wing mirrors of our Nissan 300ZX.

Paul removed the damaged wing mirrors from the vehicle and has passed them over to Chris in the Paint shop.

Chris firstly prepared the mirrors for paint, repairing the damage. He’s masked up the glass, rubbed them down, filled with filler, rubbed down filler and then applied primer.

Chris then gave the primed mirrors one more thorough rub down, ensuring the surface is perfect before paint.

He then applied the colour coat and top coat lacquer. Great work!

The mirrors will now head back to Paul to be installed into the vehicle.

Chromework Completed on several Classic Car Restorations

June 16, 2020

These chrome items have been completely transformed and are shining bright once more. The first step in the process of re-chroming is the stripping process. Grease, paint and rust that has accumulated on the car bumper over the years is removed.

Items are then stripped in a solution known as ‘Labere’. This solution is a perfect chemical balance to ensure the old chrome plating is removed without damaging the metal underneath.

The next step in the process is polishing to a smooth finish.

The metal has then gone through a triple plating process. First copper, applied for weather protection. Then Nickel is applied. Once the nickel layer has been applied it is time for the chrome.

The chrome plating process is a method of applying a thin layer of chromium onto a substrate (metal or alloy) through an electroplating procedure.

In simple terms, electroplating is achieved by passing an electric current between two electrodes which are immersed in an electrolyte bath comprising of chromic acid. One of the electrodes will be the substrate which is to be plated. During the flow of electricity between the two electrodes, chromium atoms are deposited in a layer on the electrode to be plated.

We have chromework here for our Peugeot 504, Mini, Triumph TR6, Ford Capri and Corvette projects.

More body repairs to follow…

June 16, 2020

It seems like an endless task for Antony at the moment as he continues to work on the body repairs of our 1963 Morris Minor 1000.

More panels have been cut out and more new panels, whether they be replacement panels or fabricated panels are being fitted.

New Arrival at The Workshop: 1958 Triumph TR3

June 16, 2020

This gorgeous TR3 has arrived at the Bridge Classic Cars Workshop. It joins another TR3 which is being looked after by Ady in the Engine Shop.

This TR3 is in for a full service, thorough inspection, MOT and new fuel lines. We’ll also be improving the engine running and checking the passengers side seat belt.

Racing Jaguar E-Type: Custom Door Inlays

June 15, 2020

Kath has been hard at work on our unique Jaguar E-Type Racecar. The interior is going to be very different to any other E-Type. The stripped out, lightweight interior will be functional, sleek and stylish.

Kath has made door panel inlays in orange leather. She’s marked out the leather before backing onto board, trimming off any excess.

Kath has then sewn around the edges in a slightly lighter contrasting shade of orange. She has then glued them into position within the metal doorframe with contact adhesive. There will be some additional components to come on our door panels but they are already looking great.

Surf’s Up: Our ‘Surf Blue’ 1967 Austin Mini 850 Mini

June 15, 2020

Darren has now completed painting our Austin Mini. He’s now completed the external painting in ‘Surf Blue’. This colour choice works so well on a Mini of this age, simply gorgeous. The cream roof compliments the blue superbly.

Wonderful work, Darren.

It’s now heading back to Ted at the Mini Centre to continue restoring this lovely classic. This Mini is being converted to run on a completely electric motor. We cannot wait to see this vehicle when Ted completes the restoration.

Jensen 541R Interior Update From The Trim Shop

June 15, 2020

Brian has been making some superb progress on lots of smaller jobs on our Jensen interior restoration. He firstly stripped down the scuttle air vent covers ready to retrim.

Brian has also stripped down and recovered the main Jensen dash panel. He has re-trimmed this in black vinyl. This black vinyl is extremely tactile, providing a luxurious, understated finish that will offset the chrome work superbly.

Brian has restored the original glovebox, re-trimming the glovebox with new carpet.

Brian has also made one pair of rear door capping from 9mm ply wood. He chiselled the correct cutouts and shaped the wood to perfectly match the original. Great work, Brian!

Jensen 541R Floor Fitted

June 15, 2020

Another milestone has been hit in our 1960 Jensen 541R restoration as she now has a doors and a floor!

Paul has installed the newly painted doors onto the vehicle.

We’ve also now installed the floor into our 541R.

1957 Jensen 541R Interior Door Pockets

June 15, 2020

Brian and Dave have been making up the Jensen door pockets that intrude into the door card, providing storage space.

Using the original wooden pocket as a template, Brian has cut new wooden inserts and handed them over to Dave.

In the workshop, Dave has custom fabricated new metal surround for the pocket. This will head back into Brian in the trim shop for final fabric trimming and fitting. Although this task alone is but a small detail, it needs to perfectly match the original door pocket to ensure the vehicle is restored as true to the original as possible. The overall quality of a restoration is determined by how precisely the smaller details are restored. Wonderful work, Dave and Brian!

Jaguar V12 Engine work

June 14, 2020

Work begins on the testing of our spare Jaguar V12 engine. The Arrow Ferrari Daytona has arrived with us with a blown engine and with it came a spare Jaguar V12 taken from another Ferrari replica.

The engine is believed to be a running engine but Ady will do various test and freshen up the look before we even consider an engine swap.

1960 MGA Restoration Update

June 12, 2020

The MGA seats are now fitted. Paul has repaired the seat rails and fitted both seats. The rails were angled in slightly which caused issues sliding them back and forth. They are now perfectly aligned for our seats to move correctly.

The windscreen has also now been installed into the car with handles in place. Paul has installed the door seals and chrome end caps.

Great work Paul, our 1960 MGA is looking absolutely marvellous now.

We’re nearing the end of this beautiful car’s restoration, we cannot wait to see the finished article now.

1972 Peugeot 504

June 12, 2020

Scott has continued work on the corrosion repairs needed on our Peugeot 504. There just seems to be more and more areas of corrosion the further we go into this Peugeot.

Scott has discovered some fairly poor repair work after removing thick underseal beneath the soft top and rear seats. This has all had to be cut out and correctly fixed. Scott has been cutting out the rotten metal and replacing with new. Great work, Scott!

1962 Jensen 541S Arrives at Bridge Classic Cars for Sale

June 12, 2020

Coming for sale soon is this beautifully presented Jensen 541S, we will inspect the car and check everything is in top condition before it goes online for sale. Here at Bridge Classic Cars we are very familiar with this beautiful gold Jensen 541S. We’ve carried out work on this vehicle at the start of the year. The current owner has entrusted us with the sale of this wonderful classic.

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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© Bridge Classic Cars Holdings Ltd, T/ as Bridge Classic Cars. Registered in England and Wales with company number 5047706.