Craig Ranson

Managing Director โ€“ Bridge Classic Cars

CORONAVIRUS UPDATE

In light of the recent government guidance on social gatherings; to mitigate the risks to customers and our team, our workshops and hanger showroom will

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Mr Dodman – Rendlesham

“Canโ€™t thank you enough, from start to finish, ย my experience at Bridge Classic Cars has been outstanding. Please thank Darren for the amazing job he

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Jensen Dash Wiring

Bob, Bridge Classic Cars’ electrical specialist has been working on our gorgeous rare 1960 Jensen 541R. He’s connected the wiring loom through the bulkhead and

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1960 Jensen Sets and Seatbelts go in

Dave has been installing the newly trimmed seats into the car. They really do look wonderful in position. He’s currently fitting the driver side seat. Firstly, Dave installed the seat rails before mounting the seat onto the rails.

The four point racing seatbelts are being custom fitted to the chassis.

TR6 Roof Restoration Update

Antony has been working hard on our TR6 hardtop roof project. The glass has been removed from it’s metal frame. We’re currently preparing the surface before it goes into the paint shop. Once there, it will go through primer phases and refinishing to be perfectly smooth. Once the surface is perfect, it will then into paint.

The roof lining has just arrived which can be seen below. Once the hard top leaves the paint shop it will head into the trim shop for the new headlining to be fitted.

1962 Jensen 541S in the Workshop

Weโ€™ve fitted a new grille, manufactured by Bride Classic Cars on tooling disigned in house. Made from stainless steel rather than the soft alloy that Jensen made from new.

The spotlights that are notorious for coming loose have been re-secured.

Air vent grille screws were loose due to worn fibreglass body sections. Area has been fibreglass re-matted and re-drilled to the correct size to ensure a tight fit.

Bonnet catch release suffers from fibreglass cracking due to the incorrect opening of the bonnet.

This are has been remitted, strengthened and hardware refitted to ensure longevity of the repair.

The front section has been totally resprayed as incorrect front bumper alignment lead to the bonnet rubbing against the bumper skirt causing damage to paint.

Both horns were faulty and we have fitted original, refurbished horns from our stores.

Front bumper skirt has been moved forward. Non-standard rubber protection has been removed to ensure that the front skirt sits away from the bonnet valance to elevate rubbing causing paint damage.

We’ve also removed the clock, refitted new batteries and replaced.

Re-alignment of bonnet and inner wings to stop bonnet rubbing on inner wings and damaging the black paint.

1973 Triumph TR6 Body Gapping

Darren is meticulously working on our stunning triumph TR6. He’s ensuring the panels are perfectly gapped and positioned before we apply any paint. 

He’s also making sure the panels are completely smooth and true to achieve the perfect paint finish. After seeing the internal bodywork painted we can’t wait to see how good this vehicle will look in it’s stunning magenta. Once Darren has worked his magic on the external body panels and all the chromework if fitted we will get to admire this stunning triumph once more. Great work, Darren.

Austin Healey 3000

This gorgeous Austin Healey 3000 has come in to the Bridge Classic Cars workshop today for a full service and a paint repair.

We’ll firstly be servicing the vehicle in our main workshop before it heads over to see Darren and Chris in the paint shop for the small repair.

Jensen 541S Grille and Bonnet Adjustment

Dave has started work on our beautiful 1962 Jensen 541S. The vehicle is in for some small, remedial tasks. A new front grille is on the list to be fitted and here at Bridge Classic Cars we have manufactured the tooling to replicate the S grille and have been one of the main suppliers of the Jensen 541S grille.

The bonnet latches also need adjusting and the engine is not running anywhere near as beautifully as it should be.

Andrew Warne Testimonial Race

This past Sunday (15th March) marked the date of Andrew Warne’s testimonial race at Swaffham Raceway. Several of the Bridge Classic Cars family came out to attend as Andrew’s number 246 was raced by brother Antony alongside father Darren.

1999 Porsche 911 visits us for interior enquiry

This gorgeous 1999 Porsche 911 popped by the workshop last week to see if we could tackle some interior fixes; the headlining, dash area and a possible full interior re-trim.

We hope to see this Porsche 911 back in the workshop soon for Kath and Brian to work on.

1968 Triumph TR5 Bodyshell

Our Triumph was brought to us part way through it’s restoration. As such, the body shell is being restored elsewhere. We’ve been sent images as the body progresses and we do hope to have it with us very soon to continue with the re-build.

Peugeot 504 Bodywork Restoration Continues

Scott has been grinding out over 1/4 inch deep filler that’s covering very poor rust repairs. Where flat sheets of steel have been simply tack welded over the rust it’s caused the rust to worsen.

Scott has cut out the pervious repairs and worked back further into the car until the solid metal. From there he’s fabricating repair sections and welded them in, repairing correctly any rotten sections along the way. Great Work, Scott.

1934 Riley Monaco Service

Pete has been servicing our lovely classic Riley Monaco. As part of the service he’s replaced all fluids including diff oils.

Pete is also looking into adjusting the bonnet to fit correctly and fixing the fuel gauge.

He’s also checking all the brakes and servicing them where required.

1960 Jensen 541R Interior Trim

Kath, Bridge Classic Cars’ in-house trimmer is working hard on our Black 1960 Jensen 541R interior. Kath is now working on the second Jensen seat from the black leather hide. She begins by marking out the new parts, using the old components as templates. The old seat tub, base and squab has also been prepared and refurbished, ready for the new leather to be sewn on. Lovely work, Kath.

The black interior to match the black exterior will look absolutely stunning when complete. The chromework is sure to look incredible when paired with the all black colour specification.

1957 Jensen 541R Bodywork Goes Into Paint

Chris has been working on our 1958 Jensen 541R. He’s now finished off the last fibreglass repairs on the underside of the bonnet and completely stripped down the body panels for painting. He’s begun the first layers of filler primer on the boot, bonnet and side-skirts. It’s crucial at this phase to ensure the surface is absolutely immaculate before colour paint is applied. It’s only by taking extreme care now that we achieve the perfect finished product. Great work, Chris.

TVR Grantura Photoshoot

Weโ€™re delighted to present to you our recently restored TVR Grantura! ?

A stalled restoration, this Grantura was brought to us at Bridge Classic Cars to complete restorative works. Weโ€™re honoured to have brought this wonderful British sports car a new lease of life, what are your thoughts?

Thank you to Butley Priory for allowing us to shoot at such a wonderful location. 

Check out the entire restoration diary via the following link:

https://bridgeclassiccars.co.uk/category/projects/completed/1962-tvr-grantura/

CORONAVIRUS UPDATE

In light of the recent government guidance on social gatherings; to mitigate the risks to customers and our team, our workshops and hanger showroom will no longer accept visits from clients beginning Tuesday 17th March 2020. All deliveries will be greeted at the door by a member of staff. We hope this is only a temporary preventative measure to ensure everyone’s safety.
We will continue to accept vehicles that have been booked in and the operation of Bridge Classic Cars will continue upon the government advice. We will continue to be reachable by phone or email.
If you are delivering your own vehicles, we will accept them by appointment only. Contact the office to setup a time during our business hours of Monday to Friday, 6:30am-5pm. Please note all questions and requests will only be answered by email or phone to prevent in-person interaction.
We will do our best to ensure that you do not see any difference in our service. Bridge Classic Cars continue to operate.
Be safe and take care of your families.
Sincerely,
Craig Ranson
Director – Bridge Classic Cars

Amphicar 770 Restoration Update

Tom is currently working on our Amphicar restoration. He’s recently installed a new exhaust gasket, refitted the carburettors, refitted the air filter as well as custom fabricating and fitting new seat rails as the old rails had severely rusted.

Lovely work, Tom.

Calm Indian Cow: Our Bedford Food Truck Restoration

We’ve been sent these lovely images of the food Calm Indian Cow is producing from our restored Bedford J Type truck.

They look absolutely delicious, if you’re ever in Shoreditch looking for a bite to eat, it looks well worth a visit.

Aston Martin DB5: In the Workshop

Entering our classic car workshop this week is our breathtaking Aston Martin DB5. Famously, one of James Bond’s most iconic vehicles, it’s easy to see why the DB5 has become such a cult classic.

This lovely example is in with us to remedy some engine niggles. It will be seen by our classic car engine specialists to diagnose and remedy the issue.

1960 MGA Restoration update.

Paul, Bob and Kath have all been making great progress on our beautiful 1960 MGA. Kath has now completed re-trimming the seats and dash surrounds. Bob has wired up the dash and instruments and Paul has fitted splash guards, full stainless steel exhaust and a new radiator fan and wiring. We’ve also got most parts assembled for the new heater unit.

The next stages will be to assemble and fit the heater unit and fit the new windscreen, complete with fresh chromework.

78th Goodwood Members Meet Postponed

Unfortunately, the 78th Goodwood members meeting has been postponed due to COVID-19. The following statement has been emailed out to all attendees.

In 2014, after a hiatus of 48 years, Goodwood staged the 72nd Membersโ€™ Meeting, successfully reviving a series that began back in 1949. In 2018, the 76th Membersโ€™ Meeting raced on through the Beast from the East, while other events succumbed to the freezing conditions.

We had hoped that by following UK Government advice and implementing a number of additional safety and hygiene protocols, we could all โ€˜Keep Calm and Carry Onโ€™ as coronavirus threatened the 78th Membersโ€™ Meeting. Alas, with the situation constantly evolving, and the news that the UK Government will no longer offer emergency support to mass gatherings this isnโ€™t possible; the safety and wellbeing of our customers remains our highest priority. As such, we regret to inform you that the 78th Membersโ€™ Meeting, which was due to take place on March 28-29, has been postponed.

We are currently exploring potential alternative dates with all relevant parties and I would like to reassure you that your tickets will remain valid for the new date.

Goodwood has always relied on the support of the Goodwood Road Racing Club since the very beginning and I would like to thank you in advance for your understanding and patience during these challenging times. Rest assured that we will update you with an alternative date as soon as we can and I look forward to a time in the not-so-distant future when we can once more come together to celebrate everything we love about motorsport.

We will continue to review plans for the Festival of Speed and Revival, in the hope that both events will be able to go ahead as planned on July 9-12 and September 11-13 respectively, as well as looking forward to the rescheduled 78th Membersโ€™ Meeting.

In the meantime, if you have any other further questions, please visit our website for coronavirus FAQs<https://goodwoodmail.com/4S6T-BB0V-2G6NHP-8JIOB-1/c.aspx>.

The Duke of Richmond and Gordon

See below a gallery of some of our favourite memories of last years show and our invitation to the 78th Goodwood members meet.

Triumph TR5 Seats completed

Kath has now completed restoring our Triumph TR5 seats in this lovely grey leather work. We can’t wait to see how they’ll look in the vehicle!

Mr Dodman – Rendlesham

“Canโ€™t thank you enough, from start to finish, ย my experience at Bridge Classic Cars has been outstanding. Please thank Darren for the amazing job he did on my Spitfire. Iโ€™m sure Iโ€™ll be back to you in the future for further projects. Thanks again”

Jensen Dash Wiring

Bob, Bridge Classic Cars’ electrical specialist has been working on our gorgeous rare 1960 Jensen 541R. He’s connected the wiring loom through the bulkhead and connected up the dashboard instrumentation.

1957 Jensen 541R Fibreglass Prep

Chris, one of our specialists in Bodywork and Paint has been working his magic on our fibreglass bodied, 1957 Jensen 541R.

He’s strengthened the bonnet by layering in fresh fibreglass. Chris has also built up fibreglass on the corners of the bumper to ensure the panel gaps and fitment is absolutely perfect. Our Jensen is now heading into the paint shop for final bodywork preparations and primer coats. Top work, Chris.

Jensen Interior Restoration Update

Kath, Bridge Classic Cars’ interior trim specialist has been making wonderful progress on both of our Jensen interiors.

Firstly, Kath begun by sewing up the new black leather seat covers before moving on to refurbishing the upper panels near the headlining. She then began assembling the front and rear seat bases, the rear seat middle section also required trimming in fresh leather.

Kath then began stripping the interior side panels and centre console, ready for reconditioning.

The seats are now complete and ready to be fitted back into the cars. They have been refitted to the highest quality and will look absolutely stunning fitted back into the vehicle. Great work, Kath!

1967 Austin Mini 850: Custom Bodywork

Antony has been working hard in our fabrication bay on our Austin Mini 850.

He’s custom built a new roof gutter and window top as well as repairing any rust effected areas. Top work, Antony!

Peugeot 504 Restoration: Engine Works

Ady, Bridge Classic Cars’ engine specialist has be tacking our Peugeot 504 engine restoration while Scott is fixing up the bodywork.

He’s removed the engine, stripped off the front cover and found that becuase the front cover was fitted incorrectly, the crankshaft pulley was wearing through it.

We will now be making a bespoke oil seal conversion for this Peugeot 504.

1977 Triumph Spitfire Full Respray

Darren Has done a wonderful job on this Triumph Spitfire’s paintwork. The customer had selected this gorgeous deep black for their vehicle.

This vehicle is being restored at home by our customer, they wanted a perfect finish that only our state-of-the-art painting booth and highly skilled bodywork specialists could achieve.

Top work, Darren!

Jensen Perspex Ready for Fitting

The perspex is now ready to be fitted to both of our Jensens. Using the old perspex as a template, the fresh perspex was made to the exact same shape as the original was.

These are now ready to be fitted to both cars.

2004 Porsche 911 in for Service

Did you know we also work on modern cars?

This lovely Porsche 911 is in for a minor service which includes a visual inspection, checking water levels, checking lights, new oil and filters and lubricating any nessasary parts.