A fantastic piece of journalism from Dale Vinton from Car & Classic. https://www.carandclassic.com/magazine/brand-loyalty-its-alive-and-well/?bsft_aaid=a5ce63ed-6419-48b8-adb6-8692f74daf04&bsft_eid=3dc740ee-ba4c-4095-be10-f0a474019538&utm_campaign=other-week-3-day-1&utm_source=blueshift&utm_medium=email&utm_content=saturday-newsletter-10-09-22&bsft_clkid=5eea234e-b7af-458c-aa62-a57ebec8a1e7&bsft_uid=28ce9e57-ae04-4f00-be49-7ba92105475c&bsft_mid=60df4c76-1db0-4020-aff8-7620d9187cee&bsft_mime_type=html&bsft_ek=2022-09-10T09%3A32%3A51Z&bsft_lx=10&bsft_tv=7 When Dale met David Franklin. “David likes Fiat. In fact, David LOVES Fiat.
Whilst on holiday recently, our director Gordon was flicking through this month’s Practical Classics he noticed a familiar face. In the September 2022 edition of
The restoration and reassembly of the 1969 Morris Minor Convertible by the Bridge Classic Cars team has been progressing. The team are working on getting
The workshop team at Bridge Classic Cars have been going through the 1953 Armstrong Siddeley Hurricane as part of its recommissioning. As part of that,
The latest Bridge Classic Cars Competitions prize is, our 1991 Mercedes Benz SL300. The classic Mercedes GT car has previously been through our workshop to
“David likes Fiat. In fact, David LOVES Fiat. You could say he’s a little obsessed, if you wanted to be dramatic about it, but the fact of the matter remains, David is a big fan of the Italian auto manufacturer. So much so that he has just taken delivery of his 55th model – a fully-electric New 500 (RED) edition. Don’t worry, this isn’t an article where we wax lyrical about EVs and their place in the classic car world. No, we want to talk about brand loyalty when it comes to classics and David’s story aroused the old grey matter in that respect…”
It’s clear that brand loyalty continues to exist in the classic world today. Not just brand loyalty but geographical loyalty or even decade loyalty. Only last week we met another David. David Renn is from the US state of Virginia but loves all things British when it comes to classic cars. Whether it’s the German quality you prefer, the 90’s hot hatches or can’t get enough of the classic Fords, we all have a loyalty lying somewhere.
Molly and The Three Chordettes spent the day at the Martlesham Heath Aviation Society Classic Car & Military Vehicle Meet held at The Control Tower in Martlesham.
“We had the most amazing day at the Martlesham Heath Aviation Society Car Show, And then performing for Wam Fest! We had the best time and all our audiences were fabulous! Thank you so much! ”
The 1969 Morris Minor Convertible has been back up on the ramps at the Bridge Classic Cars workshop to have a few key jobs sorted out.
The first was to cut out and repair a small rust hole in the underside of the car. Our technician Dave carefully made a patch panel to perfectly fit the car before full welding it in and grinding back.
Once that was complete then the team could begin spraying the underseal to keep the underside of the car in perfect order.
Whilst on holiday recently, our director Gordon was flicking through this month’s Practical Classics he noticed a familiar face.
In the September 2022 edition of the magazine, is a feature with our 1981 Alfa Romeo Giulietta and an interview with its former owner. If you get a chance, pick up a copy and give it a read!
The 1958 Jensen 541R has worked on getting all the panels onto the car to double-check fitment after paint.
The team have put the one-piece clamshell bonnet and both doors and boot lid onto the classic GT cars to begin adjusting and checking over everything to make sure there’s no interference and damage any of the paintwork.
It’s incredible to see the car together as a whole and see all of the various lines and curves which blend into one another on the body of the car.
The Bridge Classic Cars paint and body team have finished with the complete repaint of the 1981 MG B GT LE.
Following its time with the fabrication team, the body was worked on and perfected by the body prep specialist before being taken into our in-house paint booth/oven. The team then laid down several coats of stunning brilliant silver to get the bodywork and paintwork looking absolutely perfect.
The 1960 Jensen 541S ‘Peony’ which was restored by the Bridge Classic Cars in-house team has won Best Restored Car at Classic at Glemham 2022.
It’s amazing to see the reception and accolades that this particular Jensen has been chalking up since being completed by the workshop here at our Suffolk HQ. We can’t wait to see what it does next!
The workshop team at Bridge Classic Cars has been working their way through several pieces of trim on the 1978 MG B GT.
This is a full ground-up restoration on the classic MG B, so the team is going through every single piece on the car, starting with the quarter light window.
The team have been repairing the mountings for the quarter light window which Rob has carefully cleaned up and replaced the hardware and get fitted back into the car after cleaning up and polishing the brightwork.
With the window frame now complete in place, Rob could fit up the door cap onto the door.
Then, it was time to get the rear bumpers back together. Each of the pieces has been inspected and test fit before being finally built up and installed onto the car.
The trim shop at the Bridge Classic Cars HQ have been working on more parts of the 1958 Jensen 541R.
The team have been working on finishing up the amazing fluted rear seat bases. Each line of the fluting has been carefully stitched by hand by Lydia closely following the original as a reference. The covers are now finished and stretched around the bases.
After that, Lydia could work on getting the handmade seat pockets attached onto the back of the front seats before trimming the hoop base and fitted it to the underside of the seat back.
The restoration and reassembly of the 1969 Morris Minor Convertible by the Bridge Classic Cars team has been progressing.
The team are working on getting all the various parts, trims and panels back onto the classic Morris. Scott has carefully and methodically reinstalled the either new or refurbished parts onto the car whilst also hooking up the various electrical and cable systems as he goes.
With the paint shop now finished with the 1958 Jensen 541R, the Bridge Classic Cars trim team can begin working on the interior of the car insitu.
To begin with, the trim shop have made new wooden bases for the front seats of the classic 541R which have been made specifically to fit each individual seat perfectly. Along with that, the team could make the new rear window trim rib, which was cut and refined by hand to ensure the best possible fit of the arch by the rear window of the classic GT car.
The trim shop then used the old door cards to begin templating for the new handmade pieces for the aesthetic rework of the 541R. Brian has carefully refined each door card to fit tightly into the door while also leaving enough room for the material which will wrap around the fibreglass panel.
Then finally he could make the kick panels. These were template and then transferred to ply wood.
As part of the scheduled checks on the 1934 MG PA, the Bridge Classic Cars workshop have been going through to get a couple of small oil leaks fixed on the car.
Jon, our technician, has gone through the bolts on the underside of the classic MG to cinch down all the gaskets and seals as we had noticed a few minor oil leaks underneath the car while it’s been in the building. With everything tightened down, the car could be run up to temperature and checked over.
The Bridge Classic Cars workshop have been going through trying to diagnose the fuel leak issue on the 1953 Armstrong Siddeley Hurricane.
Jon, one of our amazing technicians, has carefully and entirely stripped down the carburettor once against to investigate it in finer detail. After total inspection, he found the end of the jet tube had actually splintered and broken, completely falling off when it was removed from the carburettor.
The team have ordered up a new jet and jet tube to rebuild the carburettor with again and to begin testing once more.
Our 2008 Bentley Continental GT Speed has made its way from the Bridge Classic Cars HQ here in Suffolk all the way up to Scotland with its excited new owner, Terry.
Terry won the stunning Bentley last week with his winning ticket 1630! We want to wish him many happy miles with this masterpiece in luxury and performance.
The 1979 Arrow Ferrari Daytona was spotted by a member of local classic car group, East Coast Retros, on its way back to our Suffolk HQ.
The Daytona had a short trip out to one of our trusted specialists to check over a couple of the systems on the car before the team fire it up for the first time and begin to test the car properly.
The workshop team have been working on the underside of the 1969 Morris Minor Convertible recently.
The team have been cleaning up the exhaust flange thoroughly and then resealed the downpipe and allowing it to cure after being correctly secured and tightened down.
Also, the team have found some areas of corrosion on the underside of the car which will be repaired and fixed up by the team.
The workshop team at Bridge Classic Cars have been working their way through the list of jobs on the 1991 Volkswagen T4 Transporter.
The first job, was to work on the rear suspension on the T4. The rear sat considerably higher than the front, so the customer has asked the team to sort it out. Thanks to the bountiful aftermarket, the team will be replacing the set of springs for the camper. The heavy-duty, stiff springs will be taken out of the car and replaced with a new set of lowering springs which allow the same support but lowering the ride height at the back of the van.
After that, the team could work on getting the cold start sorted which had been reported by the customer as not working. The team found the cable had seized but after being reworked the team got it to start working again and tested.
Finally, the team have reshimmed the power steering and adjusted the alternator belt.
This is an informal meeting in the grounds of the beautiful Little Easton Manor.
The event is open to everyone, you don’t have to have a classic car to come, so pop in for lunch and to view all the cars on show.
Refreshments are available from 9am to 4pm at the Tea Room.
Live music act
The Manor Bar will open and serving drinks from 11.30am.
Open to all classic and interesting cars. Provided that the ground is dry enough, you will be able to park on the grass outside the barn.
This is a residential area, so please drive carefully.
Please book your car in so we they reserve you a place.
Classic cars will be guided to their parking place, general parking will be in the rear field.
“Please note: Food and drink is provided by The Tea Room at The Manor and The Manor Bar. We would kindly ask you not to bring your own food and drink. Should you wish to bring your own, then a corkage will be charged on anything you choose to bring in (including food, soft drinks and alcohol).”
The subframe for the 1955 Jensen 541 ‘Number 8’ has been reworked by the Bridge Classic Cars team.
The part was in need of some repairs and revisions so was taken to the bench for the restoration technicians to rework. The team have completely remade some of the tabs and mounts which will be needed for it to be reattached to the frame while also reinforcing certain areas.
The paint and body team have been working hard on the 2005 Suzuki Every.
The freshly repainted body has been carefully put back together as part of its aesthetic overhaul. The team have put the freshly painted and refined bumpers as well as the front and rear lights put in and aligned along with the trim work.
The Bridge Classic Cars workshop have been working on the 1997 Rover Mini for its new owner.
The first job was to replace the tie-bar bushes. The old ones had perished and begun to knock slightly so the team have gone through and replaced the old ones with brand new pieces.
The next job was to track down and fix a small coolant leak which the team tracked down to a small cut in a coolant hose which was immediately replaced and the system topped up.
The final job was to solve the slight knock from the front-end which was caused by a worn-out subframe bushing. The team have swapped that our for a brand new piece and secured down, road tested and then given the green light.
The Bridge Classic Cars workshop have been tasked with finding the source of the water leak on the 1933 Austin 7 in with us.
Upon inspection, the team found the leak was coming from a broken core plug in the cylinder head. To remove these, the team ‘punch’ them out to shrink the head down and remove them. But, when the team went to remove the core plug they had an interesting surprise…
The team looked underneath the core plug and saw it was bronze. Normally these are silver but when the team looked closer they found a penny (stamped 1990) which had been previously put into the cylinder head to use as the core plug.
To fix this, the team have replaced them with high-quality actual core plugs and snuggly fit them into the cylinder head of the classic Austin. With that done, the team can now begin to check through the system and ensure the little 4-cylinder engine is working just as it should.
The 1968 Jaguar E-Type 4.2 has been in the Bridge Classic Cars workshop for our restoration technicians to tackle a couple of jobs on.
The first task the team had was to repair part of the radiator. The joint at the top of the filler neck had broken, it had previously been glued, and was bypassing the expansion tank. So, our technician Dave cut off the original to clean up the part and resolder the piece back on.
The next step was for Dave to work on the rear brakes and handbrake of the classic E-Type. The team have gone through and manually adjusted the handbrake on the car as well as fitting a new return spring to the near side rear and having to carry out a small modification to the system in order to fit the new spring.
Whilst looking into the brakes, the team noted the light on the dash, which indicates the brake fluid being low or the handbrake was on, wasn’t working. Upon inspection, the team found the bulb was actually gone from the system but upon testing they found the circuit itself was inoperative and suspect the issue is with the internal switch located underneath the interior of the car which would need to be removed to replace.
Also, the team discovered some paint blistering under the brake fluid reservoir but after inspecting the tank actually found the system to be overfilled and the escaped excess had dripped down and disturbed the paint.
Moving onto the engine of the E-Type, the team found a leak from the back of the Cam Cover on the straight-six. Upon inspection, Dave found an O-Ring from the rev counter mechanism had begun to leak so the team removed it from the back of the camshafts and replaced the seals before fitting it back up to the engine.
The fabrication shop at Bridge Classic Cars have been working on the 1981 MG B GT LE at our Suffolk HQ.
The team have been going through some of the corrosion that we have found on the bodywork of the car. Beginning with the rear decklid.
The team found an area of corrosion in the upper part of the decklid which seems to have been in the same area as a previous repair. Once the team cut the area out, they found it filled with an old newspaper which was duly removed and a new patch piece was welded in after the whole area was rust treated.
Whilst this was happening, Chris was working on the door of the car which had corroded along its bottom edge and a small part of the bottom fascia. Each of these sections were precisely cut out of the car and all of the areas cleaned down and treated before being patched and welded in clean, new steel.
Finally, Monty has worked on the headlight buckets of the MG B GT which had corroded on the bottom edge. For this, the area was cut out of the car in order for the team to repair the rust with handmade patch panel made specifically for the car.
The Bridge Classic Cars workshop team are continuing the reassembly of the 1978 MG B GT which is being restored by our in-house team.
This time, our technician Rob, has been getting some of the bigger details installed onto the car. The first was getting the new brakes installed onto the front suspension, the brand new rotors, callipers and lines have all been put into place and checked to make sure everything fits correctly with no interference.
Then, Rob could move onto the getting the rear light assemblies installed into the car to, later on, get the wiring in place and finished up.
Then it was a case of installing the dashboard, heater box and pedal box. All of these have to be in place to also check the fitments and tolerances of each piece individually and together.
The workshop team at Bridge Classic Cars have been going through the 1953 Armstrong Siddeley Hurricane as part of its recommissioning.
As part of that, the team have been cleaning up the original rocker cover gasket but while off, the team have gone through adjusting the tappets to the correct tolerances before the team began to try and get the classic tourer started.
Jon, one of our amazing technicians, has recently rebuilt the carburettor to make sure everything was clean and freed up to work correctly. Then, once back on the car the team could make the adjustments and start to get it running.
Eventually, Jon got the car started. However, the team noted a problem. As the engine was running, the exhaust was spitting out raw fuel from the exhaust pipes. An issue the team haven’t come across before but are determined to get to the bottom of.
The team have noted that the car is fitted with a later SU carburettor (originally this would have been a Stromberg 55) which could be part of the running issue with the Hurricane.
After it had fired up, Jon rechecked the tappets and found the coolant was actually coming up through one of the head studs which holds the cylinder head to the engine block, both of these issues will need to be investigated further.
The fabrication team at Bridge Classic Cars have been continuing the lower metal repairs on the 1986 Daimler DS420 which is in at our Suffolk HQ.
Our fabricator Monty has been going through each section of the DS420 to get the metalwork in perfect condition. This time, the team have been working on repairing the front lower sill and inner arch.
Any section of corrosion has been carefully cut out and the area treated and neutralised before the handmade patch panels were put together, refined and welded into the car. The team have been working to tight tolerances and making sure that the structure and strength were put back into the areas.
The Bridge Classic Cars team have sourced a key piece of the puzzle in our 1999 Rover BRM which arrived at our Suffolk HQ recently.
The office team have tracked down and sourced an original set of BRM wheels for the car. The team have found these to replace the wrong aftermarket wheels which are currently fitted to the car.
The wheels will go off to our friends at Wheelworx to be completely refurbished to better than new condition.
The latest Bridge Classic Cars Competitions prize is, our 1991 Mercedes Benz SL300.
The classic Mercedes GT car has previously been through our workshop to be fully inspected by the workshop team in order to be ok’d for filming.
The classic Mercedes has also had its optional hardtop retrimmed by the team at the Bridge Classic Cars Suffolk HQ.
The team set off from our storage facility, The Hangar, with the stunning 6-cylinder pulling away smoothly through its long-legged automatic gearbox. The perfect companion for the bright, brilliant sunshine that washed over the Suffolk countryside.
The beautiful silver paintwork danced the light across its meaningful angular shape, complimented by its dark red interior.
Lap after lap, the classic Mercedes worked faultlessly in comfort, style and grace as you expect with all 1990s Mercedes. In every situation, this beautiful example is always the right choice.
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