Project Complete: 1971 Bedford J Type
January 20, 2020
Our Bedford J Type Indian Takeaway restaurant truck is now complete. Its safely home in Hackney, London where it will begin it’s new life as
Craig Ranson
Managing Director – Bridge Classic Cars
Spotted in Calais!
January 20, 2020
We’ve got a soft spot for the Reliant Scimitar. We noticed this lovely Reliant on the ferry over to Calais.
MGA Bodywork Update
January 20, 2020
Chris has been working hard getting our MGA body prepared and painted. After bracing and repairing any rust patches in the metalwork, he moved onto
1960 Morris Mini
January 20, 2020
Here at Bridge Classic Cars, we’ve acquired a very early example of a Morris Mini. We’ve got big plans for this Mini. As pictured, there
1962 Jensen 541 S Arrives at Bridge Classic Cars
January 20, 2020
This lovely ’62 Jensen 541 S has been collected and brought back to the Bridge Classic Cars workshop. It’s in for paintwork correction and a
Custom & Unusual Cars For Sale – January 2020
January 20, 2020
Our Studebaker Champion went up for sale last week and captured the hearts of many 1950s American vehicle fans. Custom & Unusual Cars For Sale
1965 Amphicar Restoration update
January 20, 2020
Tom has picked back up work on our 1965 Amphicar, a vehicle that can travel both on land and water. Tom has been busy fabricating
Daimler Dart Roof in the Trim Shop
January 20, 2020
Kath has been busy in Bridge Classic Cars’ Trim Shop. She’s been working on our Daimler Dart hardtop refurbishment. Kath started by removing the old
Jensen 541 R Wiring update
January 15, 2020
Bob, Bridge Classic Cars’ electrical expert has begun installing the electrical wiring into our 1960 Jensen 541 R.
Jensen 541 R Chromework
January 15, 2020
Chromework has arrived back at the Bridge Classic Cars workshop for our two Jensen 541 R projects. Pictured below is a selection of some of
1968 TR5 Stripping Components
January 15, 2020
We’re in the early stages of our TR5 restoration. We need to asses which parts of the vehicle can be refurbished and which components will
1960 MG A Suspension and rear axle
January 15, 2020
Paul has continued work on our lovey 1960 MG A. He’s fitted the rear axle with brakes. The leaf spring suspension and a fuel pump
Bedford Truck Rubbers fitted
January 15, 2020
Dave has continued work getting out Bedford J Type truck roadworthy. He’s fitted brand new front quarter rubber seals. Pete is also working on the
1959 Morris J Type Completed Seats
January 15, 2020
Kath has done a fabulous job trimming the black leather Morris J type seats. She’s perfectly matched the design of the old seat to a
Bullitt Mustang sells at auction for whopping $3.4m
January 14, 2020
This wasnt just any Ford Mustang though. This was the mustang Steve McQueen drove in the 1968 action film, Bullitt. Read the full article via
Suzuki Cafe Racer strip down
January 14, 2020
We’ve ordered up a custom rear light strip from New Rage Customs. This will compliment our new ‘Bobber’ style seat and overall minimalistic look. Paul
1960 MG A Engine
January 14, 2020
Ady, Bridge Classic Cars’ in-house engine specialist has been working on a complete engine restoration on our 1960 MG A engine. Here is a brief
Carl Offord, Lightning Rods – January 2020
January 14, 2020
Congratulations to Carl Offord, who finished 2nd place at the Best in Britain Lighting Rod championships. The Lightning Rod championships were held at the Yarmouth
Jensen 541R Bespoke exhaust images
January 14, 2020
Work continues on both of our gorgeous Jensen 541r’s. Below is a gallery of the custom fabricated exhaust that’s fitted to the 1957 Jensen 541r.
Studebaker Champion and Amphicar Collection
January 13, 2020
Over the weekend Gordon and Craig were busy picking up two fantastic, unusual classics. Both cars will go up for sale in our showroom. The
1960 MG A Chassis in the Paint Shop
January 13, 2020
Chris has made wonderful progress working on the chassis of our 1960 MG A restoration. He’s braced the chassis to add structural rigidity and stop
1959 Morris J Type Interior
January 13, 2020
Kath has continued work on the Morris J Type Interior trim complete restoration. She has continued wrapping the seats in brand new black leather. Soon
Bridge Classic Cars visit the 2020 Autosport Show
January 13, 2020
We were at the 2020 Autosport show, hosed at the NEC in Birmingham. There were an incredible selection of vehicles and trade stands on show.
1971 Bedford J-Type
January 13, 2020
Work continues on our Bedford J-Type. We’ve had to extend the fuel tank pipe to meet the new, wider body shell. We’ve also fabricated brakets
Austin Healey 3000
January 13, 2020
Work continues on our lovely Austin Healey 3000. The transmission was making an unusual noise and so was brought in to the for repair. The
1964 Daimer Dart Roof lining
January 13, 2020
The Daimler Dart features both a soft, convertible roof as well as a hardtop. This wonderfully restored Dart is in such wonderful overall condition. It’s
1973 Triumph TR6 Restoration
January 13, 2020
Mauro has picked up work on our Triumph TR6 Complete restoration. He is making great progress continuing to build up the chassis today. The front
Collecting our 1962 Jensen 541S from North Yorkshire
January 12, 2020
Ady and Pete have made the long trip up north to collect this lovely ’62 Jensen 541s. Work will soon begin when it arrives at
1960 MG A Chassis Work Continues
January 10, 2020
Paul has continued work on our 1960 MG A Chassis. Paul is working on the MGA floor panels now. He’s used the old wood to
1998 BMW M3 EVO COUPE
January 10, 2020
Arriving back into the Bridge Classic Cars classic car workshop is this fabulous E36 BMW M3. The E36 BMW M3 is a vehicle with one
Project Complete: 1971 Bedford J Type
January 20, 2020
Our Bedford J Type Indian Takeaway restaurant truck is now complete.
Its safely home in Hackney, London where it will begin it’s new life as a Indian Takeaway van.
Spotted in Calais!
January 20, 2020
We’ve got a soft spot for the Reliant Scimitar. We noticed this lovely Reliant on the ferry over to Calais.
MGA Bodywork Update
January 20, 2020
Chris has been working hard getting our MGA body prepared and painted. After bracing and repairing any rust patches in the metalwork, he moved onto preparing the bodywork for paint.
The underside was the first part of the vehicle to be painted. Interestingly, the underside of the body is painted in coloured Raptor. Raptor is a protective coating that provides a barrier, reducing the chances of rust appearing in the future. It still delivers a perfect colour match to the regular paint, however, it has all the protective qualities to prevent the underside from corrosion.
Once the shell has been baked off, Chris will flip the body over and move onto painting the topside. Great work, Chris!
1960 Morris Mini
January 20, 2020
Here at Bridge Classic Cars, we’ve acquired a very early example of a Morris Mini. We’ve got big plans for this Mini. As pictured, there are still remnants of the original, Cherry Red paintwork. We intend to fully restore this lovely little vehicle to original specification and colour.
1962 Jensen 541 S Arrives at Bridge Classic Cars
January 20, 2020
This lovely ’62 Jensen 541 S has been collected and brought back to the Bridge Classic Cars workshop. It’s in for paintwork correction and a other remedial works.
Our classic car technicians have a wealth of well experience with Jensens. As such, we’ve picked up a lot of Jensen restorations over the years with clients eager to have their cars seen to by Jensen experts. They are beautiful cars, but also present many demands and challenges in order to restore with the finest quality. Rest assured, this Jensen is now with our expert technicians who will see this lovely 541 S back on the road, ready to be enjoyed soon.
Custom & Unusual Cars For Sale – January 2020
January 20, 2020
Our Studebaker Champion went up for sale last week and captured the hearts of many 1950s American vehicle fans. Custom & Unusual Cars For Sale shared our advert with their nearly 90,000 followers.
Interested in our gorgeous Studebaker? Get in touch with our friendly sales team.
1965 Amphicar Restoration update
January 20, 2020
Tom has picked back up work on our 1965 Amphicar, a vehicle that can travel both on land and water.
Tom has been busy fabricating new floorboards, using the original, rotten flooring as a template. He’s also refitted all the rubber seals and started assembling the rear seats.
Daimler Dart Roof in the Trim Shop
January 20, 2020
Kath has been busy in Bridge Classic Cars’ Trim Shop. She’s been working on our Daimler Dart hardtop refurbishment.
Kath started by removing the old headlining off and stripping back the surface. She then prepared with foam and primed brackets and cut new boarding for the edging to ensure a seamless, tight roof lining.
The next stage was applying the brushed nylon headlining.
The roof will now head over to the paint shop for fitting of the rubbers, a final polish and inspection.
Jensen 541 R Wiring update
January 15, 2020
Bob, Bridge Classic Cars’ electrical expert has begun installing the electrical wiring into our 1960 Jensen 541 R.
Jensen 541 R Chromework
January 15, 2020
Chromework has arrived back at the Bridge Classic Cars workshop for our two Jensen 541 R projects.
Pictured below is a selection of some of the chrome components that will be fitted to the completed restorations.
1968 TR5 Stripping Components
January 15, 2020
We’re in the early stages of our TR5 restoration. We need to asses which parts of the vehicle can be refurbished and which components will need to be replaced. As such, we will be stripping down every component and assembling from the ground up to ensure everything is in perfect condition.
Pictured below, Andy is stripping down the wheel hubs.
1960 MG A Suspension and rear axle
January 15, 2020
Paul has continued work on our lovey 1960 MG A. He’s fitted the rear axle with brakes. The leaf spring suspension and a fuel pump have also recently been installed onto the car. The MG is now ready for the half shafts and brake drums to be fitted next.
Bedford Truck Rubbers fitted
January 15, 2020
Dave has continued work getting out Bedford J Type truck roadworthy. He’s fitted brand new front quarter rubber seals. Pete is also working on the Bedford, ensuring the vehicle is roadworthy before it makes the journey down to London.
1959 Morris J Type Completed Seats
January 15, 2020
Kath has done a fabulous job trimming the black leather Morris J type seats. She’s perfectly matched the design of the old seat to a better than factory finish. Great work, Kath!
Bullitt Mustang sells at auction for whopping $3.4m
January 14, 2020
This wasnt just any Ford Mustang though. This was the mustang Steve McQueen drove in the 1968 action film, Bullitt.
Read the full article via Motorious below:
Suzuki Cafe Racer strip down
January 14, 2020
We’ve ordered up a custom rear light strip from New Rage Customs. This will compliment our new ‘Bobber’ style seat and overall minimalistic look.
Paul has completely stripped the Suzuki, in preparation for sandblasting and then later, painting.
The next steps will be to refurbish the forks and the fuel tank.
Then once the frame is painted, we can prepare the entire bike for assembly with new parts.
1960 MG A Engine
January 14, 2020
Ady, Bridge Classic Cars’ in-house engine specialist has been working on a complete engine restoration on our 1960 MG A engine.
Here is a brief rundown of Ady’s process:
- Totally strip down the engine
- Unlead the cylinder head to run on modern fuel
- Install new valve guides and valves
- Reface the cylinder head to be fully reconditioned
- Bore engine out and fit cast iron liners, then bore liner out to fit the new piston.
- Cylinder block was refaced
- Crankshaft polished
- Assembly with new bearings, gaskets, fuel pump, oil pump ect…
Carl Offord, Lightning Rods – January 2020
January 14, 2020
Congratulations to Carl Offord, who finished 2nd place at the Best in Britain Lighting Rod championships. The Lightning Rod championships were held at the Yarmouth stadium on the 29th December. Three races were run on the day.
In race number one Carl started 6th from the back in a field of roughly 25 cars. Carl fought his way through the grid and crossed the line in third after a fantastic wheel-to-wheel race. Unfortunately Carl was docked two places due to a racing incident which saw him finish in 5th.
Race two began with a reverse grid with Carl heading out 6th from the front. Carl drove a fantastic clean race and built up a comfortable lead to take the win in the second race of the day.
Finally, the third race of the day was up. Carl qualified on pole position and drove a perfect race for the first 20 of the 25 lap race. On the 20th lap Carl approached a back marker to overtake. The back marker lost control and spun, collecting Carl up with him. Having made his way back onto the racing line, Carl had lost not only a lot of time, but also the lead and slipped down into 2nd place. He fought valiantly to try and regain first place but in the end finished in 2nd place.
Having lead so many laps it was hard not to feel disappointed not to come away with the win, however, second place is still a great achievement. Congrats, Carl.
Jensen 541R Bespoke exhaust images
January 14, 2020
Work continues on both of our gorgeous Jensen 541r’s. Below is a gallery of the custom fabricated exhaust that’s fitted to the 1957 Jensen 541r. Demand Engineering, one of the country’s best exhaust fabricators have made this beautiful stainless steel system for our Jensen.
The exhaust headers have been finished in a lovely satin black, heat resistant paint.
Studebaker Champion and Amphicar Collection
January 13, 2020
Over the weekend Gordon and Craig were busy picking up two fantastic, unusual classics.
Both cars will go up for sale in our showroom. The Studebaker Champion will be available for sale in its current, beautiful condition. The Amphicar concours restoration is almost complete and will be available for purchase upon it’s completion.
Here is a little bit of information about the Stuedebaker;
Studebaker entered the automotive business in 1902 with electric vehicles and in 1904 with gasoline vehicles, all sold under the name “Studebaker Automobile Company”. Until 1911, its automotive division operated in partnership with the Garford Company of Elyria, Ohio, and after 1909 with the E-M-F Company. The first gasoline automobiles to be fully manufactured by Studebaker were marketed in August 1912. Over the next 50 years, the company established a reputation for good quality and reliability.
Studebaker: One can do a lot of remembering in South Bend. New Albany, Indiana: Automobile Quarterly. pp. 228–275. Vol X, 3rd Q, 1972
1960 MG A Chassis in the Paint Shop
January 13, 2020
Chris has made wonderful progress working on the chassis of our 1960 MG A restoration. He’s braced the chassis to add structural rigidity and stop twisting. Then he’s tackled the surface rust, grinding down the effected area before applying rust treatment.
Areas that were too badly rust effected have been cut out and and had fresh metal welded in place.
Great job Chris! With Paul working on the chassis in the workshop and Chris working on the shell int he paint shop, this restoration is really starting to build up a head of steam.
1959 Morris J Type Interior
January 13, 2020
Kath has continued work on the Morris J Type Interior trim complete restoration. She has continued wrapping the seats in brand new black leather. Soon we’ll have the interior matching the external quality of this lovely little vehicle.
Bridge Classic Cars visit the 2020 Autosport Show
January 13, 2020
We were at the 2020 Autosport show, hosed at the NEC in Birmingham. There were an incredible selection of vehicles and trade stands on show. Here are just a few that caught our eye.
We also visited the Autosport live action arena to see some live demonstrations.
The Live Action Arena is a unique experience. Described accurately as “petrolhead heaven” it’s an intense 60 minutes of thrilling entertainment that offers an unrivalled variety of racing action, driving demonstrations, record-breaking stunts and celebrity appearances. https://www.autosportinternational.com/
1971 Bedford J-Type
January 13, 2020
Work continues on our Bedford J-Type. We’ve had to extend the fuel tank pipe to meet the new, wider body shell. We’ve also fabricated brakets for the spare wheel to sit underneath the truck. New exhaust hangar mounts have also been fabricated and installed.
Tom has also restored the door stands, preparing, priming and then painting them in a jet black paint.
Austin Healey 3000
January 13, 2020
Work continues on our lovely Austin Healey 3000.
The transmission was making an unusual noise and so was brought in to the for repair.
The following measures were taken to investigate the noise:
- Strip rear differential from the axle
- Strip rear differential
- Check bearings, planet gears, all shimming, pinion pre-load and back lash
- Rebuild rear differential
- Replace all gaskets
- Fit rear differential back to the vehicle
- Road test
1964 Daimer Dart Roof lining
January 13, 2020
The Daimler Dart features both a soft, convertible roof as well as a hardtop.
This wonderfully restored Dart is in such wonderful overall condition. It’s only current flaw is the loose hard top roof lining. Bridge Classic Cars’ in-house trimmer, Kath has been given the go-ahead by the vehicles new owner to re-trim the roof lining. Once the roof lining is perfected, the wonderful Daimler will be ready to be sent over to its new home in New Zealand.
1973 Triumph TR6 Restoration
January 13, 2020
Mauro has picked up work on our Triumph TR6 Complete restoration. He is making great progress continuing to build up the chassis today.
The front hubs, gearbox mounts and engine mounts have now been installed to the car. Mauro has also cleaned up the gearbox and prepared the brake pedals and brake housing for sand blasting. The prop shaft required new joints so these have been installed.
Collecting our 1962 Jensen 541S from North Yorkshire
January 12, 2020
Ady and Pete have made the long trip up north to collect this lovely ’62 Jensen 541s. Work will soon begin when it arrives at the Bridge Classic Cars workshop.
1960 MG A Chassis Work Continues
January 10, 2020
Paul has continued work on our 1960 MG A Chassis. Paul is working on the MGA floor panels now. He’s used the old wood to measure up a template before fabricating new wooden floor panels. He’s repaired the front chassis section and prepared it for paintwork.
As pictured the rear section of the driveshaft tunnel has severely deteriorated and will wither need repair or replacing.
1998 BMW M3 EVO COUPE
January 10, 2020
Arriving back into the Bridge Classic Cars classic car workshop is this fabulous E36 BMW M3. The E36 BMW M3 is a vehicle with one of the largest cult followings of all.
A true drivers car, this M3 has been untouched for a number of years. As such it is in need of some restorative works to bring this wonderful machine back to its former glory.
