Managing Director – Bridge Classic Cars
Another classic car win this week at Bridge Classic Cars. Congratulations to Andrew Oswald, winner of the 1976 Triumph Spitfire 1500. The Live Draw for this competition
This gorgeous little Mini has just arrived at Bridge Classic Cars. It is in need of minor recommissioning work to get her back to her
Ady has found a broken ‘O’ ring which is causing a fuel leak, we’ll fit a new ‘O’ ring to fix. We’ve also found the
Scott has been working on our MG Midget. He’s replaced the clutch and release bearing before the car is transported to it’s new owner. As
There has been plenty of progress on our Corvette powered Jensen 541R restoration. Dave’s gearbox mount is now in place. Dave has also welded in
This 1971 Range rover is in our workshop for a service, improve how it runs and to fix a few niggles. The speedo gauge flickers
Huge thank you to Alchemy Motorcycle Parts for their assistance on this design modification. Our 1984 Suzuki GSX400 Cafe Racer/Bobber now has it’s new headlight.
With his daughter’s wedding coming up in November 2020, the owner of our lovely 1971 Rover P5B has asked us to bring the car in
Arriving in our workshops this week as a future restoration project we have our 1979 Arrow Daytona (Ferrari Daytona Recreation). The car is a non
We are very excited to announce the imminent arrival of a somewhat rare modern classic. We intend on getting our 2003 Mercedes SL55 V8 AMG
We’ve now completed our TR6 Hardtop Restoration. Kath has put the final touches to the rubber seals and it’s now ready to be reunited with
Darren has been progressing with our Triumph TR6 Restoration down in the Paint Shop. We’ve fitted a new boot for our TR6 and adjusted the
A slight mishap with one of our good friend’s cars resulted in the rear wing needing a smart repair. The dent was pulled out and
Our jaguar E-Type Racecar has been in the Trim shop visiting Kath and Brian last week. They have been fitting the bold orange carpets into
Ady, Bridge Classic Cars Engine Expert has been working on the complete rebuild of our 190SL Engine. This is the first time it’s fired up
This gorgeous Triumph TR3 is such a credit to it’s keeper. It’s been getting plenty of attention sitting pretty in our workshop. This newly restored
From Tuesday 2nd June 2020 some of you may have experienced difficulties with completing your online order for competition tickets through our website. Please be
Congratulations to Tajinder Hans, winner of the 1988 Porsche 924S with ticket number 1239. The Live Draw for this competition was held on Friday 29th May 2020.
Kath and Brian have been working on our 1960 MGA interior. They firstly fitted the metal hood frame to the car. Then Kath has covered
Brian, one of our Classic Car Technicians who specialises in Interior Trim has been making superb progress on the interior of our 541R. Brian has
Paul has been working on our 1960 Jensen 541R restoration. He’s fitted the doors and prepared the prop shaft to paint black. A new brake
Stored for over 40 years in a Suffolk Barn, this gorgeous Series One 1956 Land Rover has been brought to us for Restoration. The first
Our Triumph TR6 Hardtop restoration is now almost complete. We just need to fit the glass now, and it’s ready to go. A collaboration between
John has been working on our Jensen 541R Gearbox. This Tremec gearbox is mated to the Corvette engine given to this unique Jensen. To get
This late 80’s Japanese sports car is being put back on the road and needs a bit of love to get her ship-shape. Paul has
This beautiful 1982 Porsche 911 has just left the paint shop after it’s repairs by Darren. The front nearside wing had a nasty scratch that
Work continues on our 1960 Morris Mini Deluxe. Darryl has been working hard on this project on our behalf from his home workshops. The car
Here’s a little side by side comparison between how our Francis Barnett looked before and after restoration.
This gorgeous Ford Escort RS2000 has been into our workshop for a few repairs. The gear lever locating bush was broken and needed replacing. Pictured
Ady, Bridge Classic Cars’ engine specialist has been working on one of the last pieces of our 190SL restoration. The old flywheel had some cracks
Another classic car win this week at Bridge Classic Cars.
Congratulations to Andrew Oswald, winner of the 1976 Triumph Spitfire 1500.
The Live Draw for this competition was held on Friday 29th May 2020.
Before delivery Mauro, Ady and Scott have given this car a full service including new spark plugs, new carburettor gasketes, new fluids and filters and a tune. Scott has also given the rear brakes a full clean and service.
This gorgeous little Mini has just arrived at Bridge Classic Cars. It is in need of minor recommissioning work to get her back to her best.
Although mechanically it looks very good, Mauro is now giving this Austin a thorough inspection to make sure there isn’t any issues that need addressing.
The mirrors will need to be re-attached and the passenger side door card needs to be remade in our Trim Shop. There is also a few spots of rust and paint defects which will be addressed by the Paint Shop.
Once restored, this vehicle will be up as a competition. Who’s excited to see another classic Mini available to be won?
Launched in June 1989, the limited-edition Mini Thirty (30) celebrated the car’s 30th birthday and was based on the Mini Mayfair. Fitted with the 998cc engine, it was offered in Cherry Red (COG-BLVC843) or black (PMA-BLVC90) and was fitted with chrome bumpers and grille, a dedicated Coachline set and 1959-1989 crests, a security coded stereo and a set of Minilite-style alloy wheels.
The black and red half-leather interior was common to both car colours.
Of the 3,000 produced for the UK, 2,000 were in Cherry Red and 1,000 were Black; 2,800 were manual and 200 had an automatic gearbox. 600 were made with an optional sun roof.
Ady has found a broken ‘O’ ring which is causing a fuel leak, we’ll fit a new ‘O’ ring to fix. We’ve also found the issue with the speedo, the bearing that rotates the speedo pin is no longer fully lubricated. After re-lubricating and cleaning this component, the speedo should now read accurately. There’s still some work to do on our Range Rover project but Ady’s made a cracking start today.
Scott has been working on our MG Midget. He’s replaced the clutch and release bearing before the car is transported to it’s new owner. As with all of our sales vehicles we’ve also given it a full 12 months MOT. We wish the new owner many joyful miles to come in this lovely little classic.
There has been plenty of progress on our Corvette powered Jensen 541R restoration. Dave’s gearbox mount is now in place.
Dave has also welded in seatbelt mounting brackets in, ready for seatbelts to be installed.
Dave has also fabricated Metal components for the top of the door (left) which are now with Chris in the paint shop for painting. Dave has also made aluminium vent sliders which open or close the heating airflow.
This 1971 Range rover is in our workshop for a service, improve how it runs and to fix a few niggles. The speedo gauge flickers and the clutch is reportedly very light. First up, Ady, Bridge Classic Cars’ engine specialist will be investigating the engine.
Huge thank you to Alchemy Motorcycle Parts for their assistance on this design modification. Our 1984 Suzuki GSX400 Cafe Racer/Bobber now has it’s new headlight.
We have been searching the market for a 6 inch LED with black surround and an integrated black mesh front. We have been able to find this specification in a H4 Halagen format or a 7.7 inch size but the size and specification has been tricky to master.
There are plenty of 6 inch LED options but the only grille able to fit would be a retro-fit option that screws to the sides. This was not the look we were going for.
A call to Alchemy Motorcycle Parts and a little homework on their part and they have successfully managed to marry up the LED 6 inch headlight with the integrated mesh used on the Halagen set up.
And it looks amazing…thank you!
With his daughter’s wedding coming up in November 2020, the owner of our lovely 1971 Rover P5B has asked us to bring the car in to the workshops to get it ready for the big day.
The car has not been used for almost two years. We have been asked to give it a thorough check over and with evidence of brake oil leaking out this is most certainly one area that will require attention. The car will also undergo a full service and MOT.
We have just collected the car and is now with us in the workshops waiting for the works to begin.
Arriving in our workshops this week as a future restoration project we have our 1979 Arrow Daytona (Ferrari Daytona Recreation).
The car is a non runner due to an engine fault not too long ago which resulted in the car sitting with a blown engine. A second V12 Jaguar engine has been sourced and may be the resolution when restoring the car.
Over the years the owner has collected many many original and after-market Ferrari Daytona parts so although the car is extremely well produced and very close to the original Ferrari Daytona there are certain areas that do make the car less aesthetically pleasing. The interior, for instance, is not as close to an original Ferrari Daytona as it could be so original Ferrari interior parts have been purchased.
The entire car will be restored in our workshops later in the year with a new colour combination and a number of upgrades to further improve the car.
We are very excited to announce the imminent arrival of a somewhat rare modern classic. We intend on getting our 2003 Mercedes SL55 V8 AMG in the workshops in preparation for a future competition opportunity.
The Mercedes SL55 V8 is most certainly a future classic and should be wish us in the very near future.
And next up…a ridiculously special car! Introducing our 1995 Efini RX-7 Type R Bathurst. 1 of 500 produced for the Japanese market. Our RX-7 had 1 owner in Japan before coming over to the UK and has since had 1 owner in the UK before we got our hands on it. The car is absolutely stunning condition and has covered just 7,500 genuine miles. What a stunning car to own. We can’t wait to collect this one!
We’ve now completed our TR6 Hardtop Restoration. Kath has put the final touches to the rubber seals and it’s now ready to be reunited with the rest of the vehicle. A superb collaboration between the Paint and Trim Shops, great work, all!
Darren has been progressing with our Triumph TR6 Restoration down in the Paint Shop.
We’ve fitted a new boot for our TR6 and adjusted the fitment to perfectly align with the bodywork. We’ve also prepared the boot, side sills, doors and fenders. Now the panels are prepared and smooth, these will be going into the paint shop primer very soon.
A slight mishap with one of our good friend’s cars resulted in the rear wing needing a smart repair. The dent was pulled out and the area was prepared for new colour matched paint.
A few areas on the rear bumper also need attention, the usual scuffs and scraps. As we have the car in the paint shop it seems only right to correct that area too.
Our jaguar E-Type Racecar has been in the Trim shop visiting Kath and Brian last week.
They have been fitting the bold orange carpets into the veheicle.
They firstly started making paper floor mats in the floor pan as a template when cutting the carpet. The carpet then gets test-fitted and adjusted to fit perfectly if needed. This process was used for the front carpet mats, rear underseat, rear ramp area and the boot…
When all the carpet pieces are cut to size, they are ready to bind. Binding is the process of wrapping leather around the carpets, creating a piped edge. Kath has sewn the leather onto the front of the carpet, before folding the edge over to sew down the inner edge. This helps the carpets to sit perfectly in place and stops the fabric from fraying.
The cross-members were then also trimmed with carpet, following the exact same process before being glued down to the vehicles tub.
Next up, sound deadening is installed and stuck into place before being bonded to the carpet. We’ve now trimmed most of our E-Type’s interior. The next major phase will be to begin re-installing seats and switchgear.
Great work, Brian and Kath!
Ady, Bridge Classic Cars Engine Expert has been working on the complete rebuild of our 190SL Engine. This is the first time it’s fired up in months. He just needs to adjust the timing and a few other minor tweaks, then it’s ready to be run-in. Great work, Ady!
The engine was firstly mounted to the subframe before the rest of the vehicle is lowered onto the the subframe.
This gorgeous Triumph TR3 is such a credit to it’s keeper. It’s been getting plenty of attention sitting pretty in our workshop. This newly restored TR3 is in for it’s third year service.
Mauro and John have changed the engine oil and ensured all fluid levels are correct. We’ve lubricated all the required chassis and running gear components. we’ve checked the engine valves and given the car new filters.
Being a historic vehicle, no MOT is required. However for additional peace of mind, this vehicle has sailed through her MOT.
There was a small fault with the passenger door which has now been rectified. The door was needing to be slammed harder than you’d expect for a TR3. This was caused by a stud bolt being slightly too long, causing additional friction when shutting the door. We’ve ground the bolt down and now the door shuts percetly.
Lovely work, Team.
From Tuesday 2nd June 2020 some of you may have experienced difficulties with completing your online order for competition tickets through our website.
Please be assured that this experience is due to technical issues from our supplier and not to do with you or your bank. Unfortunately these issues are out of our control, but something that is being worked on around the clock to ensure we get back up and running as quickly as possible.
During this time, if you saw an error whilst paying or you do not see your ticket allocation within the ‘My Account’ section of the website then you have not been charged.
The banner on our website reads as follows:
Due to technical issues beyond our control, we are currently unable to accept online payments. You are still able to enter our competitions by calling the office on 01473 742038. Lines are open 7 days a week. We apologise for any inconvenience caused and aim to be in full operation very soon.
At Bridge Classic Cars we aim to be as honest and transparent as possible at all times so although we believe the issues will be resolved within the next few days we wanted to explain to you the reasons for the technical fault.
When you order your tickets online, the payment is sent through a gateway operated by Paytriot Payments. Paytriot Payments are a PCI DSS Level 1 Compliant gateway and merchant account provider. In simple terms, they ensure that your payment is as secure as possible throughout the entire process.
Some of the smaller banks consider ‘competition’ based formats to be a form of gambling, hence why you will occasionally see websites, like ours, not able to accept certain cards or from certain banks. This is to ensure that we adhere to the rules set out by those parties.
The technical issues we are in the middle of are all based around these reasons. We are not alone and Paytriot Payments are working around the clock to resolve the issue and get us all back operating once again.
During this period, we are still able to accept other methods of competition entry. If you require tickets to any of our competitions, our office lines are open 7 days a week, please call 01473 742038 and we will be more than happy to assist.
Congratulations to Tajinder Hans, winner of the 1988 Porsche 924S with ticket number 1239.
The Live Draw for this competition was held on Friday 29th May 2020.
Before the car leaves our workshops we give it the full once over, carry out a service, MOT and pre-delivery inspection.
A couple of areas we addressed prior to delivery. We discovered a leak on the steering rack so a newly refurbished steering rack was fitted. We also discovered corrosion appear on the exhaust so a brand new part exhaust was fitted.
Our Porsche sailed through the MOT and is now in the hands of it’s new owner for many many more years of enjoyment.
Congratulations Tajinder…enjoy!
Kath and Brian have been working on our 1960 MGA interior. They firstly fitted the metal hood frame to the car.
Then Kath has covered the front header rail in fabric and stapled and glued into place.
Once the header rail was in place, Kath and Brian fitted the main hood cover over. They inserted the metal bar into the rear section, ready to clip onto the car. They then pulled the cover over and attached to the header rail ensuring that the tension was perfect before fully securing.
Kath then made some flange covers to cover up the copper ‘O’ ring.
She then finished off the soft top roof with final trim sewing and securing the header rail.
Next up, Kath and Brian marked out where the fixings attach to the hood, then fitted the roof to the car from the rear.
They then adjusted the front corners of the soft top and completed the job by fitting the front end cover.
Superb work, Kath and Brian. The attention to detail and craftsmanship in this hood is absolutely superb!
Brian, one of our Classic Car Technicians who specialises in Interior Trim has been making superb progress on the interior of our 541R.
Brian has fabricated new footpanels with back supports screwed in. He’s also stripped down the old scuttle panels.
He’s cut new scuttle panels and drilled correctly placed holes.
Brian has dismantled the original under-dash panels and is making new under-dash panels from millboard. He’s stripped down the original door panel infills and trimmed in black leather. The attention to detail is second to none. Beautifully done, Brian.
Paul has been working on our 1960 Jensen 541R restoration. He’s fitted the doors and prepared the prop shaft to paint black.
A new brake servo unit has been fitted with custom brackets. We’ve installed EPS (Electronic Power Steering) and fitted in place. Paul has also installed the Brake and clutch pedal mounting box. He’s fitted the front brake hose and modified bracket to hold the hose.
Stored for over 40 years in a Suffolk Barn, this gorgeous Series One 1956 Land Rover has been brought to us for Restoration.
The first port of call will be to fully inspect this vehicle and asses the levels of rust and corrosion. The owner has asked for us to bring the vehicle up to MOT standard and get it to a usable, reliable shape. They’ve elected to try and retain as much of the lovely patina as possible, which on a vehicle such as this is just lovely.
Scott, one of Bridge Classic Cars’ vehicle technicians actually daily drives his fully restored Series Two Land Rover. The team are excited to see this vehicle at the workshops, however, nobody is quite as excited as Scott!
Our Triumph TR6 Hardtop restoration is now almost complete. We just need to fit the glass now, and it’s ready to go. A collaboration between our Paint and Trim Shops, this is now looking immaculate. Great work team.
In the Trim Shop, Kath has fitted the main headliner and trimmed around the b posts. She’s and re-covered the three boarded sections for the inside rear window. She’s installed the front edge rubbers and cleaned up the old rear rubber. The final stage will be to fit glass and then it’s ready to be used on the owners TR6.
John has been working on our Jensen 541R Gearbox. This Tremec gearbox is mated to the Corvette engine given to this unique Jensen. To get the gear lever position perfect John has repositioned the whole gearbox forward for the ideal driving position.
Wonderful work, John!
This late 80’s Japanese sports car is being put back on the road and needs a bit of love to get her ship-shape.
Paul has been tasked with undertaking the restoration of this lovely vehicle.
The 300ZX’s rear brake calliper has a very corroded piston and bore. Both the rear and front brakes are showing significant corrosion and are in need of a complete overhaul.
The shock inserts needed replacing so we’ve sourced and installed new. The alloy wheels have been professionally refinished and treated to fresh new rubber. They look absolutely stunning and work perfectly with the styling of this 300ZX.
Paul has discovered the source fo the coolant leak. The top hose connector has corroded (pictured below). This will need replacing with new.
This beautiful 1982 Porsche 911 has just left the paint shop after it’s repairs by Darren.
The front nearside wing had a nasty scratch that needed addressing. The rear spoiler had suffered the effects of having slight moisture and also needed repainting. Using our State-Of-The-Art paint matching system, Darren has been able to perfectly repaint the effected areas in the exact colour matched paint. The best compliment with repairs like this is not knowing any work was ever done. As always, a superb job from the Paint Shop.
This lovely vehicle is now in our Trim Shop for a roof-lining repair.
Work continues on our 1960 Morris Mini Deluxe. Darryl has been working hard on this project on our behalf from his home workshops. The car returns to us very soon to be prepared for paint.
A tight deadline on this project as we need to have it built and finished within the next few months. Time is ticking!
Here’s a little side by side comparison between how our Francis Barnett looked before and after restoration.
This gorgeous Ford Escort RS2000 has been into our workshop for a few repairs.
The gear lever locating bush was broken and needed replacing. Pictured above.
Under braking the car was pulling to one side so we investigated the brakes.
We removed the brake pistons to reveal the seals were rotten. We cleaned the pistons and replaced the seals, refitted them and bled the brakes.
Ady, Bridge Classic Cars’ engine specialist has been working on one of the last pieces of our 190SL restoration.
The old flywheel had some cracks in the metal so we have replaced with a bespoke machined steel flywheel. Along with the cracks, the flywheel teeth had signs of excessive wear. The old starter motor was catching the teeth and wearing them away. At this stage we have also fitted a new clutch.
We’re looking forward to hearing this stunning 190SL fire back into life very soon.
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.
