Craig Ranson

Managing Director โ€“ Bridge Classic Cars

1960 AC Aceca

John and Paul have arrived to our Rendlesham hangar with our latest addition to the workshops, our 1960 AC Aceca barn find. First things first,

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1989 BMW M3

Visiting our workshops this week and due in to have work completed in August we have our incredible 1989 BMW M3. Already causing quite a

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WeFitAnyTyresAnywhere – April 2020

Thanks to Graeme of WeFitAnyTyresAnywhere A. for the Instagram story mention and B. for visiting our workshops to fit new tyres on our 1980 MG Midget.

We are now one step closer to being able to hand the keys over to the new owners, father and son who will look to enjoy the car and carry out small remedial jobs on the car in the coming years. What a great way to spend some quality father and son time.

1960 AC Aceca

John and Paul have arrived to our Rendlesham hangar with our latest addition to the workshops, our 1960 AC Aceca barn find.

First things first, we have been asked to carry out a full and thorough re-clean of the car, inside and out. The owner would like to remove 35 years of dust build up so we can get a good insight into what condition the car is currently in.

Once clean, the car will be transported to our Pettistree workshops where it will undergo a full assessment and to report on all of our findings.

We will also test the engine to see what, if any, damage was caused when the head gasket blew 35 years ago.

1968 Volkswagen – Body Repairs

We had a visit to our workshops this afternoon from Lisa and her daughters in their wonderful 1968 Volkswagen Beetle.

Certain areas are in need of a little attention from Antony and Scott in the fabrication department and Darren and Chris in the paint shop. The wheel arches are heavily corroded around the meeting point with the side steps. the rear is also suffering too. All metalwork will have to cut out and replaced with new or new panels fitted and then we will look to carry out a re-paint from the windows down.

1973 Triumph TR6 Hardtop

Our 1973 Triumph TR6 factory hardtop is currently in restoration here at Bridge Classic Cars.

The hardtop is also having a bit of a face-lift whilst in with us; with all chrome work being removed and a new black ‘stealth-like’ finish.

A lot more repair work than first anticipated with the roof having suffered a lot of corrosion. All affected areas have been cut out and replaced with new metalwork, the hood is now in the paint shop being primed and painted before heading off into our trim shop for Brian and Kath to fit the new black head lining.

1989 BMW M3

Visiting our workshops this week and due in to have work completed in August we have our incredible 1989 BMW M3. Already causing quite a stir from an Instagram story we issued, the BMW M3 E30 has to be one of the most desirable classics from the 80s.

We’ve already had messages asking whether she’ll be for sale and the answer is no, not yet anyway ๐Ÿ™‚ The car has been brought over from Spain by it’s current owner who intends on using it as one of his incredible daily drivers.

In with us to have the bodywork tidied up and a full re-spray we’ll have more pictures for you in August.

1982 Porsche 911 – Paint Repairs and Roof Lining Repairs

Our 1982 Porsche 911 is in the workshops to have a couple of areas of paintwork addressed. The front nearside wing has a small but deep scratch that needs repairing. The rear spoiler has unfortunately suffered the effects of having slight moisture. The car has been sitting under a cover and we believe the cover has allowed moisture to get in but not to breath which has resulted in a very minor bubbling effect. This area will need to be stripped of paint, treated, prepared properly and re-painted.

Whilst in, we will look to repair a small tear in the roof lining. We are aiming to repair the area in situ, without having to replace it with new. itr would be lovely to keep the existing roof lining but we’ll assess the results once complete to see whether it is to our satisfaction.

Finally, all four wheels will undergo a full refurbishment.

Jaguar E-Type Racecar Trottle Linkage

Paul has been working on our unique race inspired E-Type. He’s had to modify the throttle linkage to fit our carburettors which are upgraded from standard. The linkage has now been fitted into the engine bay which is now tantalisingly close to completion.

Lovely work, Paul!

Peugeot 504 Rust Repairs Continue

Scott has been working hard on our Peugeot 504 project. This lovely classic was in need of some serious rust repairs. As with all rust repairs, it’s very difficult to tell exactly how far the rust has penetrated into the vehicle until you start cutting it out. As Scott has found, in this case there was a lot of rust! Work like this needs to be done correctly to future-proof the car and keep the vehicle in top shape for many years to come.

Scott is now at the fabrication stage of this extensive repair. He’s been shaping and welding in fresh metal, replacing what has been cut out.

Cracking work, Scott!

This wonderful classic Peugeot will head over to Chris in the paint shop when Scott has finished. Once in the paint shop, Chris will begin shaping and perfecting the bodywork in preparation for fresh paintwork.

2014 Audi A5 S Line – smart repairs

In this weekend we have our 2014 Audi A5 S Line with a very unfortunate scratch from front to rear.

A real shame that someone has decided to carry out this act but we will rectify the damage and get it back to how it should be in no time.

In our paint room being prepared for paint.

The work is now complete and the car is back to how it should be. Looking fantastic and ready to go.

1960 MGA Enters The Trim Shop

Paul has handed the MGA over to Kath and Brian in the trim shop to begin the interior fit.

They’ve made light work getting all the panels fitted into the car. Even pre-cut kits still seem some adjustments to fit perfectly. We will update this blog when the interior fit is complete. Great start, Brian and Kath!

Both Jensen Interior Projects Continues

Brian and Kath have been flat out the past few weeks since returning to our workshop. They’ve been tackling the interior on our two Jensen 541R’s.

Brian has been mainly working on creating the bespoke wooden panelling and Kath has been working with our leather and fabric.

The old interior has been used by Kath as a template to cut our fresh leather to. She has then fitted the new leather to Brian’s bespoke built wooden panelling.

We’ve now finished work on the front two seats and the rear seat base and back swab of our black 1960 Jensen. The next stages will be to fit the headlining which will be a gorgeous cream colour. This should offset the black leather and black exterior paint wonderfully!

1966 Ford Mustang GT – Behind The Scenes

Behind the scenes footage of our day shooting our 1966 Ford Mustang GT in preparation for the latest competition prize.

The location for today’s shoot is the Hush House, RAF Bentwaters.

Originally built as a jet engine testing facility with a spectacular exhaust tunnel, the Hush House is now a cinematic filming location with one of the most atmospheric interiors in the country.

The design of the Hush House means that there are no obstruction pillars or beams, and the huge sliding hangar doors are both cinematic and practical. Available to hire separately or in conjunction with other facilities at Bentwaters, the Hush House is a truly unique setting for your next project.

To be in with a chance of winning our incredible 1966 Ford Mustang for just ยฃ9 and to view all of our latest competitions click here

VE Day in Wickham Market

Travelling through Wickham Market high street we came across this delightful RAF Austin parked up.

It’s lovely to see VE Day being flagged in the village for the car enthusiasts.

1932 Military Austin Seven Radio Car Built to the order of the War Office.

This is one of only three surviving Radio Cars and is only one in RAF colours, who are documented as using the vehicles.

Restored a few years ago it is in excellent condition with many original features including colour and registration number, but presently has an incorrect radio set fitted.

The Austin has been authenticated as an original War Office order and carries the original contract plate and number, together with the WO number stamped on the bodywork.

1957 Jensen 541R – Uranograu

First glimpse of our 1957 Jensen 541R in its brand new suit.

A unique two tone finish; with the body in Uranograu or Urano Grey and we have matched the roof to the wheels.

Here we have images of our Jensen in final stage primer before top coating the individual panels and body shell.

The car will now head back into the workshops to be fitted up with newly refurbished parts.

McLaren offers classic cars to secure virus help

McLaren is considering raising money by mortgaging its historic car collection and factory to see it through the coronavirus crisis.

The Formula One team owner and supercar maker has seen sales and F1 advertising revenues hit as countries globally went into lockdown.

Cars on show at McLaren’s Surrey HQ include F1 winners from the 1980s and ’90s and Le Mans competitors.

McLaren would not disclose details, but said it was exploring funding options.

Read the full story on BBC online

https://www.facebook.com/BridgeClassicCars/posts/2743420105781185

1961 Francis Barnett Trials Restoration Complete

So the time has come for us to finally reveal our completed 1961 Francis Barnett 250cc Trials.

It has been almost 2 years since the bike arrived with us and as we quickly discovered it had more of a history than we first realised. being an original Francis Barnett factory trials made it rare but then to find it was a 250cc model made this a extremely special project.

The bike is now restored to as close to factory specification as we are able to get it.

If you know more about the history of our bike or any of our fantastic projects you see on our website we would love to hear from you. info@bridgeclassiccars.co.uk

Our 1967 Mini, ready for paint

The preparation of our 1967 Austin Mini is now complete. Next week we’ll be wheeling the bodyshell into our paint bay to be treated to a nice new coat of Surf Blue and Old English White.

Goodwood 78th Member’s Meet Rescheduled

Issued on Wednesday 13th May 2020 by Goodwood Motorsport, The Duke of Richmond and Gordon:

Over the last few weeks, the team have been exploring a variety of new dates for the 78th Membersโ€™ Meeting, which was due to take place on 28-29 March.

After careful consideration and in light of the ongoing Coronavirus situation and the UK Governmentโ€™s latest advice on mass gatherings, we have taken the decision to postpone the 78th Membersโ€™ Meeting until 2021, with the provisional dates being 10-11 April 2021.

Previous racing and demo announcements, like the exciting Rally Sprint, two-heat Gerry Marshall Trophy and the insane S.F. Edge Trophy are all planned to take place. In the meantime, we are continuing to work on a range of options concerning both the Festival of Speed presented by Mastercard and the Goodwood Revival for later this year, and will report back within the next few weeks with our plans.

If you have any further questions, please visit our Coronavirus FAQs or contact the Ticket Office team at ticket.office@goodwood.com.

Please bear in mind that in order to comply with Government guidelines, we have a reduced team who are dealing with a high number of enquiries and we will contact you as soon as we possibly can.

Iโ€™d like to thank you for your continued support, understanding and patience during what has been a challenging time for all of us.

Kindest regards The Duke of Richmond and Gordon

Highlights from 2019 Goodwood 77th Member’s Meet

Barn Find: 1960 AC Aceca BE 812

Arriving into our Suffolk workshops very soon we have our very special and rare 1960 AC Aceca BE 812 barn find.

The car has been dry stored since it was taken off the road in 1985. Previously owned and residing in Bahrain, Saudi Arabia the car was shipped to the UK in 1962 and has remained with the same owner ever since.

We will be working alongside the family who own this beautiful car to assess it’s current condition and come up with a plan which may see the possible return to the UK roads in the not too distant future.

Mini 850 Electric Car – very close to paint

Our 1967 Austin Mini 850 is very close to paint preparation stage now. With the majority of the new panels and repair work having now been completed Darren will look at final stages of re-shaping. When he is happy the car will move on to paint preparation before we apply the new Surf blue and Old English white.

Future restoration projects: Sunbeam Alpine and MG Roadster

We have had a visit this week from our 1967 Sunbeam Alpine in need of some attention around the lower sills. This beautiful little classic requires replacement sills and for certain areas of paintwork to be rectified.

This could be one for the future here at Bridge Classic Cars.

Next up, we have been notified of a serious restoration project in the form of an MG roadster. Lots of work required on this oie but certainly doable. Another possible projects to come through our doors later in the year.

Win ยฃ100 Competition Credit for You and a NHS / Key Worker!

As a thank you to all of the hardworking NHS staff and Key workers we’re giving away ยฃ100 of competition credit for you and a NHS / Key Worker of your choice. To win, simply go to our facebook post below and follow these simple steps.

Make sure you have ‘LIKED’ Bridge Classic Cars on Facebook.

TAG as many NHS and Key Workers in the comments as you like.

SHARE the post with your family and friends.

1968 Triumph Vitesse: One for the future

On Thursday of last week we had a visit from a lovely little 1968 Triumph Vitesse. The owner is considering a full concours restoration with us so brought the car in for a full assessment and to discuss a possible future plan. We hope to see the car later this year, all being well.

Upcoming TVR Restoration Project

In April, our charming little TVR featured in TVR Sprint Magazine. We were delighted with the coverage and even more so after receiving an enquiry on a possible up-coming project; this 1960 TVR Grantura MKII. We can’t wait to get started!

MGB Roadster Winner Receives Their Prize

Freddie and Craig hand delivered our very frist competition prize to lucky winner, Graham Haigh. Graham who won our MGB Roadster with ticket number 2201!


You could be our next winner! We’re drawing both our 1988 Porsche 924S and 1974 Austin Mini on Friday 29th May, regardless of tickets selling out! The odds of winning could be even better than expected. ?
Pick up your tickets here ?


?? Porsche 924S https://bridgeclassiccars.co.uk/competitions/product/1988-porsche-924s/?? Mini https://bridgeclassiccars.co.uk/competitions/product/1974-mini/


Graham plans to take his MGB Roadster on a road trip down to Cornwall once the current restrictions in the UK have been lifted.
We wish you many happy miles of motoring in this gorgeous MGB Roadster, enjoy the car Graham ?

Rebuilding 1934 Riley Monaco brakes

The car came to us needing a service and at the same time we were asked to investigation the brakes that did not seem to be in full operation.

Having stripped the brakes, re-facing the drums and re-lining the shoes Mauro has now successful rebuilt the brakes and the car once again, slows down and stops as it should.

The car is now complete and ready to return home for the summer.

Our Jensen 541R Interior

Our 1957 and 1960 Jensen 541R interiors have completely taken over our trim shop as Brian and Kath return to work.

They get straight into the rebuild of our Jensen interiors and as you can see, a lot of the original components are beyond repair so many new templates are being made using the original patterns.

The Jensen rear quarter are being remade using new boarding and foam padding before being recovered in black leather.

The original leather work has been stripped, removed and being replaced with brand new material.

1982 VW Golf MkI / Mk1 remedial work

We had a visit today from Dan with his beautiful 1982 Volkswagen Golf MkI in need of a little tidying in places.

A couple of areas of paint required and re-upholstery of the front driver’s seat. We’ll also look to either repair or replace the rear parcel shelf, refit some areas of trim that need attention and fit a new sound system throughout.