Craig Ranson

Managing Director โ€“ Bridge Classic Cars

A Completed Service

Our 2000 TVR Chimaera 450 recently underwent a full service with our classic car technician Paul. As its owner has recently purchased the car, this

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On Its Way – 1966 Land Rover 88

Soon to be arriving at the Bridge Classic Cars workshop is our new 1966 Land Rover 88.

Once it arrives, our classic car technicians will put it through an in-depth inspection and assessment before the next step of its journey is planned out.

This is a true classic vehicle and we are extremely excited for its arrival very soon.

Refitting Refurbished Parts

Several parts of our 1978 MG B GT have been refurbished. Some of these parts include the servo, air filters, and oil cooler. All of these have recently been refitted to the car ready for its first drive back out on the road.

Classic car technician Rob was responsible for reinstalling the refurbished parts and, as you can see from the photos below, they fit perfectly back into the car (and are looking better than ever).

Rob also fitted the repainted front spoiler making the front of the car even more recognisable.

A Completed Service

Our 2000 TVR Chimaera 450 recently underwent a full service with our classic car technician Paul.

As its owner has recently purchased the car, this was a great way of making sure all was well with the vehicle so no unexpected issues arise later on.

Dash, Rear Seats, And Extra Bits

Our 1958 Jensen 541R has been seeing lots of progress recently. This has continued with Clinton making new air vent shutters and runners for the car.

In addition to Clinton’s hard work, Brian has been making the dash pad metal rail and covering this in foam and vinyl.

Brian has also made the metal brackets for the rear seat and painted these too. He didn’t stop there though as he went on to make the metal brackets for the headliner front pad, fitted brackets to the front squab, fitted the rear window top trim panels, fitted the side window top trim panels, installed the rear quarter panels, and fitted the rear squab.

As you can see from this long list of completed tasks, our 541R is coming along nicely and our classic car technicians will continue to work hard until it is fully restored and back on the road where it belongs.

Winner Of Our 1968 Morris Mini 850

When Holly Farthing saw that she could win a 1968 Morris Mini 850 through Bridge Classic Cars Competitions, she felt that she had to enter, as her mum, Kate, has always loved Minis and even had one as her very first car!

Holly went on to be the lucky winner of this beautiful classic car and surprised her mum with it on the day it was delivered to her.

Holly won the Morris Mini in our September 15th draw with ticket number 2720.

We hope Holly enjoys her new car and we look forward to seeing you at some classic car shows very soon!

Be More Like James Bond – Own His Aston Martin DB5

If you’ve ever watched a James Bond film and thought you’d like to be more like the iconic spy, you now have a chance to do just that.

One of the Aston Martin DB5s specifically built for ‘No Time To Die’ is about to go on sale. There were actually eight of these cars made for filming purposes but this is the only one that will be available for someone to add to their own private collection.

It’s worth noting that the car is being sold as a collector’s item instead of being sold as a road legal car. As it has so many modifications due to the requirements of the production of an internationally successful film, it will be unlikely that you will ever be able to drive your new DB5 on the road.

However, as far as collectors items go, this is one that takes things to a whole new level. With a 3.2 litre straight 6 petrol engine, manual gearbox, and carbon fibre body panels, you will certainly get a very cool car for your money (even if you can’t actually drive it to the shops).

Speaking of money, the estimated price for this legendary car is between ยฃ1.5 and ยฃ2 million. For that, you get entirely bespoke braking and suspension systems as well as the carefully created “damaged” side panel.

At Bridge Classic Cars, we have had several DB5s in the workshop (like the one in our photo below) so we know first-hand how good these cars are in real life. When it comes to the one going on sale though – we can only imagine how good James Bond’s take on this classic car will be.

Building The Dash And Stripping The Brakes

Classic Car Technician Scott has been busy building up the dash in our 1969 Morris Minor 1000 Convertible. Once he had finished this, he moved on to stripping the brakes so he could check they were in full working order.

After cleaning, greasing, readjusting, and reassembling the brakes, he was happy with them all apart from the off-side front brakes. It was here that Scott found one of the cylinders was seized and another was leaking. A new set of cylinders has been ordered to rectify the issue.

While removing the brake line, the flexi hose was found to be corroded to the point where it broke away from the body of the car as the brake line was removed. Scott repaired the inner wing section and rewelded the bracket in place.

He also began making new front brake lines while the front braking system was apart.

Investigating Issues

As our classic car technicians know their classic cars so well, it’s quite common for previous cars that they have worked on to come back into the workshop for further work in the future.

One car that has recently come back to the Bridge Classic Car workshop is our 1991 Nissan Figaro. After previous work focused on the retractable roof, brakes, and suspension, this time, Jon is investigating why water is pooling in some of the drainage holes around the rim of the car, why the car revs low during start-up, an issue with the gearstick, as well as giving it a full MOT and service.

Valeted And Looking Good

At Bridge Classic Cars, we make sure all of our restored cars look as good as new before they leave our Suffolk workshop. Part of this process involves valeting our cars so they look as clean and as fresh as possible both inside and out.

Our 1953 Armstrong Siddeley Hurricane has been fully valeted and, as you can see from the photos below, the results are very impressive.

Getting Ready For Painting

Our 1987 Volvo 240GL has been spending some time being prepared for painting.

It will ultimately be painted its original white colour. This will make it look almost identical to how it would have looked when it left the factory back in 1987.

Restoring a classic car like this, so it ends up looking brand new again, is something that our classic car technicians are highly skilled at. With this in mind, it shouldn’t be too long until this classic car is looking like it’s just been driven out of the factory for the very first time.

Rear Quarter Panels Complete

Lydia has completed more interior work on our 1958 Jensen 541R by getting the door cards and rear quarter panels finished.

She used original Jensen pieces as patterns to make new leather and vinyl versions. Lydia sewed these together before they were glued and stapled to the frame.

New Carpets and Rear Seat Installation

Our 1978 MG B GT is starting to look more and more like a complete car.

Not only have our classic car technicians finished fitting the interior carpet, but technician Rob has also fitted the rear seat into the car. With the interior of the car starting to look more recognisable (with the exception of a few missing key components), now is the time when you can really see how cool this classic car will look when its restoration is fully complete.

Front Crossmember Removal

In order to carry on getting our 1986 Daimler DS420 restored, classic car technician, Dave, has had to remove the front crossmember.

This is an important component of the car as it helps maintain stability (among other things) so the repair and replacement is something only skilled technicians, like those at Bridge Classic Cars, should consider doing.

Classic Car Technician In Action – 1970 Bristol 411

Our classic car technicians are always busy working on restoring classic cars.

Every now and again, we are able to get a few photos of them doing what they do best, and the below photos of Paul working on parts for our 1970 Bristol 411 are great examples of this.

More Interior Work – 1958 Jensen 541R

The interior of our 1958 Jensen 541R is beginning to make some good progress. In addition to the interior carpets and the interior leather that has already been installed, work has started on the kick panels, door panels, and rear quarter panels.

Hood Frame And Cover – 1969 Morris Minor 1000 Convertible

Our 1969 Morris Minor 1000 Convertible has been getting some attention in the workshop lately.

Brian has been making the hood frame and cover for this incredibly cool looking classic car.

From the photos below, you can see how he began by screwing the wooden front rail, which would make the hood frame, together before fitting the rail to the frame of the roof.

He then made a new cover for the rail from vinyl which was glued, wrapped, and stapled securely in place.

Decalling Our 1981 MG B GT LE

The finishing touches of any classic car restoration are always extremely exciting. It’s these details that can bring a car to life and back to all of its former glory.

Our 1981 MG B GT LE is now at a stage where the finishing touches are beginning to be added. One example of this is the great job that our friends at the Window Film Centre did with the decalling of the vehicle.

We recently picked up the car after the decalling had been completed and, as you can see from the photos below, the final product looks incredible!

More Parts For Our Jensens

There are quite a few Jensens being restored in our workshop at the moment (7 at the last count including 541s, 541Rs, and an Interceptor MK3).

As there is a lot of work to get done on these classic cars, it’s usually very beneficial to bulk produce some of the smaller parts so they are always available if and when our classic car technicians need them.

Clinton has been busy handcrafting several components that will eventually go on to be part of several of our Jensens. As you can see from the photos below, he has been making bonnet hinges and rear seat location pins. Even small parts like this play a big role in classic car restoration.

More Work On The Subframe Of Our 1955 Jensen 541

More repair work was needed on the subframe of our 1955 Jensen 541.

This work has been undertaken and completed. The finished subframe will now be able to offer the support it needs to, in order to keep the classic car running smoothly and safely when it is fully restored.

Engine Removal – 1954 Jaguar MKVII

Dave has spent a lot of time lately working on our 1954 Jaguar MKVII. During one of his inspections of the vehicle, he noticed that there appeared to be some damage to the engine.

As his investigation went deeper, he discovered grit in the oil and some damage to the big end. The result was the engine having to be removed from the car and sent to our partners at Coltec for a rebuild.

Removing the engine from this classic car is a big job but, as an experienced and skilled classic car technician, Dave was able to get the job done and he hopes to receive the rebuilt engine back soon.

Once it’s back with us, work will continue to restore the classic Jaguar.

Interior Work On Our 1958 Jensen 541R

More work continues to be completed on the interior of our 1958 Jensen 541R.

Lydia has been extremely busy fitting the rear squab seat cover onto its frame. Once she had done this, her attention turned to the rear base. After carefully measuring the material, Lydia cut out the pieces of leather and vinyl she needed before sewing them together.

After sewing everything together, she then went on to create the foam frame.

The cover was glued and stapled onto the newly made frame before Lydia could take a moment to take in her handy work.

It wasn’t long before Lydia was back to work though – binding carpet edges and sewing vinyl and carpet together (and piping them) for the door cards.

In addition to this, Brian has been working on the dash panel, glovebox, door panels, and kick pads which have also been made, ready to be installed into the car in the very near future.

The window trims have also been covered in vinyl as the interior work on the 541R makes some good progress. You can see this progress for yourself from the impressive haul of photos below.

A New Carpet For Our 1978 MG B GT

The classic car technicians at Bridge Classic Cars can turn their hand to many jobs. One job that you might not expect them to excel at though is carpet fitting! However, that’s exactly what they have been doing with our 1978 MG B GT.

The exterior of this classic car is enough to catch many people’s eye but, for its owner, the interior needs to be equally as well finished too.

That’s why new carpet and interior trim have been fitted recently. Installing carpet in a classic car takes a steady hand, a keen eye, and a good amount of patience. Luckily the team in the workshop have a whole load of experience (and skill) in these areas and, as you can see from the photos below, the interior of this stunning car is coming together nicely as a result.

New Into The Workshop – 2000 TVR Chimaera 450

It’s always an exciting time when we see the arrival of a new car into our workshop. One of the most recent additions is our 2000 TVR Chimaera 450 in blue.

Once we have finished lovingly staring at this beautiful classic car, our classic car technicians will take control of it in order to inspect and assess its current condition.

While this classic car is with us, it will undergo a full MOT and service, have a new induction hose fitted, and our classic car technicians will investigate an issue with the radiator fan that is causing it to run continuously.

This looks to be an exciting project for Bridge Classic Cars, so expect plenty of updates very soon.

New Glass And Trim – 1981 MG B GT LE

After being recently repainted, our 1981 MG B GT LE had new glass and trim installed.

This has not only made the car look neat and tidy, but also taken it one step closer to getting back on the road for everyone to see and enjoy!

Interior Carpets -1958 JENSEN 541R

With new paintwork and new seats, it was time for the internal floor of our 1958 Jensen 541R to get some attention.

Some fairly tricky areas needed new carpet so a variety of patterns and templates were needed to make sure everything fit perfectly in the car.

As work continues on this beautiful classic car, both the exterior and the interior have come a long way since the car first arrived at our workshop. With work continuing at a steady pace, the 1958 Jensen 541R is certainly making some good progress as it continues on its restoration journey.

Gaining Access To Corrosion Areas On The 1986 Daimler DS420

The team of classic car technicians at Bridge Classic Cars found some areas of corrosion on our 1986 Daimler DS420 a little while ago.

In order to fully inspect all of the corrosion areas, the team have had to gain access to some tricky parts of the car.

Recently, the servo was removed to give our classic car technicians better access to specific areas of corrosion. Once removed, work could begin to resolve some of the corrosion issues as the Daimler continues its journey of restoration.

Winner – 1991 Mercedes 300SL

The only thing that could be more exciting than finding out you’ve won a 1991 Mercedes 300SL through Bridge Classic Cars Competitions, is when it gets delivered to you and you get to meet your new car face-to-face.

That’s exactly what happened when we delivered Neil Beedie’s new car to him.

Neil won the 300SL in our September 15th draw with ticket number 3141.

We hope Neil enjoys covering many miles in his new classic car.

Working On The 1979 Arrow Ferrari Daytona

Scott, one of our classic car technicians, has been hard at work on the restoration of our 1979 Arrow Ferrari Daytona.

From having his head under the bonnet to being under the car itself (and everywhere else in between), Scott continues to restore this incredible car so it can be back on the road where it belongs.

A Classic Car Technician In Action – 1978 MG B GT

There has been a lot of work completed on our 1978 MG B GT to get it into its current state.

As it continues to be beautifully restored here at Bridge Classic Cars, our classic car technicians, like Rob, can always be seen working hard to lovingly bring this classic car back to all of its former glory.