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Craig Ranson

Managing Director – Bridge Classic Cars

Herbie’s here in Suffolk

December 22, 2018

Source: Instagram Spotted this week here in Suffolk by Ipswich 102 afternoon presenter Paul Morris. Ipswich 102 – welcome from everyone here at Bridge Classic Cars After three

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New in for the new year

December 20, 2018

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]This morning, bright and early we welcomed one of our new projects for 2019, our 1977 MGBGT. One owner from new, our little MGBGT has

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Cleaning up our 1939 Packard 120

December 15, 2018

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]We managed to secure another day with Paul Johnson Valeting this weekend so he spent the day detailing our 1939 Packard 120. Although we are yet to

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1965 Amphicar: the rebuild

December 15, 2018

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]With the engine now successfully refitted into position we can now look to rebuild the car with all of the brand new and refurbished components.

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Refurbishing the MG B Hood Frame

December 28, 2018

A lot of work is required on our hood frame to get that back to an acceptable standard. We are looking to refurbish the original hood frame and once stripped and blasted the task should be relatively straight forward, albeit quite time consuming.

The end result, however, has turned out excellent and now that it is galvanised we can look to prepare and repaint.

Our 1936 Riley Merlin Nine seats are now complete…

December 25, 2018

We have now completed the re-upholstering of our 1936 Riley Merlin Nine front seats using the customer’s own leather hyde.

The hyde that has been supplied to us is very similar in colour to the original and has come to us with sentimental reasons so we were more than happy to assist with this project.

Coming Soon: 1960 Austin Healey Frogeye Sprite MkI

December 24, 2018

Arriving in to our workshops in the early part of 2019 we have our 1960 Austin Healey Frogeye Sprite MkI.

We will wait for the arrival before deciding what the future holds for our little Frogeye but always a favourite amongst classic car lovers we have absolutely no doubt that one way or another she’ll be back on the roads enjoying the summer nights once more.

Arrived in time for Christmas: 1969 Pontiac Firebird

December 24, 2018

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]’It was the night before Christmas…’

…when we received the phone call from Ian at Schumacher Cargo Logistics to confirm the arrival of our 1969 Pontiac Firebird into Felixstowe docks.

She had been at sea for a number of weeks taking the trip over from Canada but a couple of days prior to the phone call we were expecting the ship to be arriving. Once the containers had been offloaded and signed in we were able to collect the car.

She fired up first time and if it wasn’t for the fact that the nearside rear tyre was completely flat we would have driven her back from the docks to our Pettistree workshops. Instead we loaded up the trailer and took a de-tour to the local garage to get some air.

It was then we were able give her a good run out on the A14 and A12.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_gallery type=”image_grid” images=”24834,24835,24836,24837,24838,24839,24840,24841,24842,24843,24844,24845,24846,24847,24848,24849,24850,24851,24852,24853,24854,24855,24856″][/vc_column][/vc_row]

Herbie’s here in Suffolk

December 22, 2018

Source: Instagram

Spotted this week here in Suffolk by Ipswich 102 afternoon presenter Paul Morris.

Ipswich 102 – welcome from everyone here at Bridge Classic Cars

After three months of hard work behind the scenes (from lots of people you’ll never hear on the air!) Ipswich 102 launched their regular programmes on 102FM, DAB Digital Radio, on smart-speaker and online (find out all the ways to listen here).

Dom Atkins hosts your new Ipswich 102 breakfast show, weekday mornings from 5am. Tony Horton returns to the Suffolk airwaves through the daytime, and Paul Morris has great music and up to the minute travel news for the area into the evening. See the full programme schedule here.

Local radio for Ipswich, broadcast from Ipswich and presented by people who all live in the area and call it home.

Tune in now to your new Ipswich 102.

Work progressing on our 1971 Jaguar E-Type

December 21, 2018

Dave has now successfully re-instated the air intake to filter set up within the engine bay compartment.

The radiator surround has also been fitted into position.

…and the rubbers are also now being fitted up around the door.

1975 MGB Interior Re-Trim

December 21, 2018

We have managed to salvage the original seat frames of our 1975 MGB. They were in quite a bad state but we have successfully repaired and re welding the frames before blasting and re-coating.

With the frames now complete we have fitted the brand new MGB Autumn Leaf interior trim, including new seat foams and diaphragms.

 

New in for the new year

December 20, 2018

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]This morning, bright and early we welcomed one of our new projects for 2019, our 1977 MGBGT. One owner from new, our little MGBGT has been barn stored since the 80’s with little to no attention but 2019 will be the year she’ll be back on the road.

The car will remain as original as possible, we’ll be restoring as much of the original components as we can as the car will remains as it should…with the exception of the brakes possibly.

She will remain Flamenco red with pinstripe interior. The interior is in exceptional condition which is fantastic news so we will certainly be removing these, wrapping well and preserve them.

The car will undergo no ‘re-imaging’, the bumpers will remain rubber, the chrome will be restored where possible and the car will remain original and most importantly, useable.

[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_gallery type=”image_grid” images=”24754,24755,24756,24757,24758,24759,24760,24761,24762,24763,24764,24765,24766,24767,24768,24769,24770,24771,24772,24773,24774,24775,24776,24777,24778,24779,24780″][/vc_column][/vc_row]

Our Jensen chassis have now been painted

December 20, 2018

Both of our Jensen 541R chassis’ have now been painted in POR15 Top Coat Chassis Coat Black. In the new year we will be able to start work on reassembling the chassis’, to get them back on their wheels.

POR15 Top Coat in Chassis Black (was Chassis Coat Black) is a direct to metal coating designed to work incredibly well in all applications where there is a need to preserve substrates susceptible to corrosion

Chassis Coat Black paint has a smooth, satiny semi-gloss finish, and is probably more correct as original for under hood and chassis components for cars produced in the USA from the early 1950’s to today.

POR15 Top Coat can be applied directly to metal substrates, with no need for a primer or undercoat, and is formulated to form a robust barrier that sheds moisture to provide long lasting protection.

POR-15 Top Coat has excellent adhesion and when used over POR15 Rust Preventive Paint the products create a system works to provide a permanent barrier to corrosion.

  • Non porous and will not crack, chip, or peel
  • Amazing scratch and abrasion resistance
  • Not sensitive to UV light
  • Can be applied over POR-15 or other paints.

Making up a number plate bracket

December 18, 2018

The car came in to us with some after-market number plate surrounds but with the car being so beautifully original we wanted to try and keep the car exactly how it came in to us.

At the time, the surrounds were only mounted on the back so we have fabricated a bracket to hold the front number plate surround and we have also used the existing plates. These could be replaced with the pressed silver black plates which the new owner may choose to do.

Cleaning up our 1939 Packard 120

December 15, 2018

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]We managed to secure another day with Paul Johnson Valeting this weekend so he spent the day detailing our 1939 Packard 120.

Although we are yet to complete the engine works on the car (due to a couple of valves having to be made) we are almost complete with the rest of the project so she’ll soon be ready for a new home.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_gallery type=”image_grid” images=”24702,24701,24700,24699,24698,24697,24696,24695,24694,24693,24692,24691,24690,24689,24688,24687,24686,24685,24684,24683,24682,24681,24680,24679,24678,24677,24676,24675,24674,24673,24672,24671,24670,24669,24668″][/vc_column][/vc_row]

1965 Amphicar: the rebuild

December 15, 2018

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]With the engine now successfully refitted into position we can now look to rebuild the car with all of the brand new and refurbished components.

[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_gallery type=”image_grid” images=”24664,24663,24662,24661,24660,24659,24658,24657,24656,24655,24654,24653,24652,24651,24650,24649,24648,24647,24646,24645,24644″][/vc_column][/vc_row]

1975 MG B Bodywork nearing completion

December 15, 2018

The bodywork of our 1975 MGB is nearing completion. We are hoping to have the welding work wrapped up this week so we can then get the shell ready for paint preparation at the beginning of the new year.

Bridge Classic Cars Christmas Meal

December 14, 2018

We’ve had an amazing year here at Bridge Classic Cars, most notably the huge relocation from Deben Road in Ipswich to our new premises at The Nursery, Pettistree.

We’ve hosted our very own Classic and Sports Car Show which was a huge success and will be announcing our exciting news for next year’s event in the new year.

We’ve seen technicians come and go but we still remain a very close and tight team who work extremely hard whilst enjoying what we do.

This year, we took time out on Friday 14th December to enjoy a team meal at the amazing Miller and Carter Steakhouse restaurant in Ipswich. And to say a huge thank you to the team at Bridge Classic cars every member of staff received a new set of rusty tools for the new year…

…direct from Stefs Chocolatier in the country that’s famous for chocolate, Bruges, Belgium.

Thank you as well to the staff at Miller and Carter for being so accommodating and patient with our large table of indecisive people!

Standard Flying 14 Clogged Oil Filter

December 14, 2018

We believe the oil filter of our 1947 Standard Flying 14 may not be working to the best of it’s ability. Compared alongside a new oil filter you can see just how clogged up the existing filter has become.

This will be replaced with a brand new one which will certainly move us one step further forward with improving the running of the car.

 

Tidying the engine bay of our 1961 Jaguar XK150S

December 13, 2018

Apart from needing a thoroughly clean and some certain area detailed and freshened up, our 1961 Jaguar XK150S engine is running and driving wonderfully. With that in mind we concentrate our efforts on perfecting the look rather than re-writing the rule book.

The once black areas have been cleaned of surface rust, masked up and coated in a new coat of high temperature black finish.

Jaguar E-Type Roadster: Slave Cylinder

December 13, 2018

Just as we thought our work was complete and the car can be returned we discover a slight leak coming from under the car. Upon closer inspection we can see that the slave cylinder of our 1968 Jaguar E-Type has failed dropping oil onto the workshops floors but more importantly causing the brakes to work incorrectly.

We had a new slave cylinder on the shelf so this was a relatively quick fix and the car is now ready to go once more.

MGCC visit to British Motor Heritage Factory near Oxford

December 13, 2018

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Our good friend and colleague Tony at Wyatt Polishing is very useful when it comes to pinching pictures. When he’s not busy re-chroming for our restoration projects he is often out and about enjoying the classic car scene in one of his many classic cars.

Yesterday, he visited the British Motor Heritage Factory near Oxford with the MGCC.

‘A fascinating day at the British Motor Heritage Factory near Oxford with the guys from The MGCC, the work and dedication of the staff working here is simply amazing! Building new shells for Midgets, MGB’s, Minis, E-Types and others. My own Midget’s shell ‘”Taz” came from this very factory 22 years ago.’

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New Arrival – 2009 MGTF 8th Anniversary

December 12, 2018

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]New arrival, our 2009 MGTF 85th Anniversary – a very rare car, one of only 50 produced to mark the 85th Anniversary.

38,000 miles with great service history. Cam-belt and water pump replacement was carried out at 32,000 miles. Comes complete with original documentation, manuals, books.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_gallery type=”image_grid” images=”24556,24555,24554,24553,24552,24551,24282,24281,24278,24277,24276,24275,24274,24273,24272,24271,24270,24269,24268,24570,24571,24572,24573,24574,24575″][/vc_column][/vc_row]

Completing the Austin Healey BN1 Engine Rebuild

December 12, 2018

Ady has now completed the rebuild of our 1955 Austin Healey 100M engine.

We have replaced with a full set of gaskets throughout, refitted with new studs, plugs, leads. The water pump and oil pump have been replaced, new cover assembly, piston assembly, pulley, big end bearing set, main bearing set and thrust washer set. The engine has been detailed in silver, black and the original green finish you would expect to see from new on the Austin Healey 100M. All of the nuts and bolts throughout have also been replaced with new to give the full set up a new and fresh look.

Fitting the refurbished brake calipers

December 12, 2018

We have now had our brakes returned from the manufacturers Zeus Engineering having undergone an overhaul.

Pete is currently fitting up so we can test them and hopefully ahve some good news to report back to the owner with.

 

Repairing the S2000 underseal

December 10, 2018

We are now underneath the car to inspect the under seal for any signs of wear that need to be addressed.

Tackling this job sooner rather than later is hugely beneficial, to keep on top of the maintenance rather than letting it slip.

Replacing the S2000 timing chain tensioner

December 10, 2018

First job of the day is to replace the timing chain tensioner on our 2002 Honda S2000.

As well as this, we are looking at getting the car ready for the winter with a gearbox oil replacement, differential oil replacement, under seal check over, brake fluid change and a coolant change.

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.

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