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Craig Ranson

Managing Director – Bridge Classic Cars

A clean and a test drive

March 28, 2017

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]On the day we put our 1968 MGBGT into storage the weather was awful and even the short 100yd distance from the trailer park to

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Happy Mother’s Day

March 26, 2017

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] I had a wonderful afternoon out at Helmingham Hall with my mum Julie and sister Karen as we enjoyed an afternoon tea in the

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Triumph Vitesse Restoration Images

March 25, 2017

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Old images found from July 2006 when we first started stripping the car.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_gallery type=”image_grid” images=”10961,10962,10963,10964,10965,10966,10967,10968,10969,10970,10971,10972,10973,10974,10975,10976,10977,10978,10979,10980,10981,10982,10983,10984,10985,10986,10987,10988,10989,10990,10991,10992,10993,10994,10995,10996,10997,10998,10999,11000,11001,11002,11003,11004,11005,11006″][/vc_column][/vc_row]

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Digging out old photos

March 25, 2017

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Work is now complete on refurbishing one of our new offices inside Bridge MOT Centre. Whilst unpacking, we came across a couple of CD’s tucked

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Almost ready for second stage primer

March 23, 2017

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]We are now working on the last few areas that needed our attention before the second stage of primer will be applied.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_gallery type=”image_grid” images=”10852,10853,10854,10855,10856,10857,10858,10859,10860,10861″][/vc_column][/vc_row]

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New addition to any garden…

March 21, 2017

How amazing are these Volkswagen Camper Plant Pots? Posted on Facebook by our good friend Nikki Caborn: New addition to the garden ❤ #springtime#vwcamper #primroses#doesthismeanimgettingold

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Jaguar E-Types outside Bridge Classic Cars

March 31, 2017

The sun was shining this afternoon and with the door open and our 1971 V12 roadster on the front ramp we couldn’t resist parking up our 1965 Jaguar E-Type and our 1970 Jaguar E-Type out the front to show off this wonderful collection.

  • 1965 Jaguar E-Type Series 1 – Green
  • 1970 Jaguar E-Type Series 2 – Red
  • 1971 Jaguar E-Type Series 3 Roadster – Golden Sand TBC – bare metal, on the ramp

A few pictures from the chromers

March 31, 2017

Here we have a couple of up dated pictures taken by Tony at Wyatt Polishing as he gets stuck in to the MGYT chrome work.

We should be expecting all of the chrome back with us next week just in time for the refit.

1970 Jaguar E-Type returns for service and MOT

March 30, 2017

Our 1970 Jaguar E-Type Shhhhhhhhhhhshhh has returned to our workshops for the yearly MOT and service ready for the summer.

Asa has already carried out an all round check in our workshops to ensure he is generally happy before it moved into our MOT workshop, Bridge MOT Centre, next door ready to be tested.

1970 Jaguar E-Type Series 2

Fitting the bespoke polished floor

March 30, 2017

Images of the underneath of our 1976 Maserati Merak.

Dave and John are currently designing and producing the bespoke polished flooring that will be fitted later in the week.

Investigating the camber issues

March 29, 2017

With reports of uneven tyre wear to the offside front we were asked to investigate to see whether we could establish and rectify the issue. The camber had already been adjusted and it had been looked at by a number of other garages who were unsuccessful in diagnosing the problems.

Our Tommy has been trained in this kind of issue so he was quick to jump on to see whether he was able to find the problem.

With all of the adjustments reset he already had a good idea of what it may be. Whilst underneath he saw a bush that was not looking as healthy as it should but he needed to investigate further before making any decision.

After the adjustments had been made John took her on a test drive to see what movement, if any, would occur.

As expected, the bushes that Tommy found previously had not operated as they should and the adjustments that had been made previously were already way out. So it was time to remove the affected parts.

After a new set (both sides) of suspension arm bushes had been fitted the issue looked to be resolved.

Recommissioning our 1971 MG B Roadster

March 29, 2017

We’ve just arrived back to our Ipswich workshops having collected the beautiful little MGB Roadster for recommissioning, ready for the summer.

We were first introduced to the car back in October 2016 during our 1951 MGTD photoshoot at Priory Hall in Hadleigh. She’s been garaged for a couple of years and only taken out on a handful of occasions but in remarkable condition.

From first impressions Asa is very confident that it will not take a lot of work to get her ready for the summer. An MOT, engine service and general inspection will hopefully be enough to have her back on the road.

 

A clean and a test drive

March 28, 2017

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]On the day we put our 1968 MGBGT into storage the weather was awful and even the short 100yd distance from the trailer park to the storage unit was enough to get mud on the arches.

…and we can’t leave a freshly restored car like that, it’s just not right.

It was a beautiful sunny day today so it was the perfect day to head over to Hadleigh to see our 1968 MGBGT. As it has been a few since it left our workshops I thought it was best to go on a little run into Layham before giving her that good clean that was promised.

 

[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_gallery type=”image_grid” images=”11123,11124,11125,11126,11127,11128,11129,11130,11131,11132,11133,11134,11135,11136,11137,11139,11140,11141,11142,11143″][/vc_column][/vc_row]

Behind the scenes of our 1924 Riley 11/40 photoshoot

March 28, 2017

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Waking up to thick fog this morning we were all looking at the possibility of having to rearrange today’s photo shoot.

Jason from Sugar and Spice Photography was reporting on the weather conditions in Felixstowe. All morning the visibility was very poor and with the beautiful open fields at Helmingham Hall he was expecting the visibility at the hall being similar there too.

From 11am the fog started to clear so we all decided to go ahead as planned and it was certainly the right decision.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_video link=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DX2SO-_VVvc”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]We were greeted by Katy at Helmingham Hall upon arrival and with the sun beaming down across the grounds we got straight on with unloading the Riley ready for the shoot.

First location for Jason was in front of the stunning hall[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_video link=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Dp2EeoEiHo”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Then it was a short trip down to the centre of the famous Festival Of Classic and Sports Cars driveway.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_gallery type=”image_grid” images=”11088,11089,11090,11091,11092,11093,11094,11095,11096,11097,11098,11099,11100,11101,11102,11103,11104,11105,11106,11107,11108,11109,11110,11111,11112,11113,11114″][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]A huge thank you to Katy and the Tollemache family for allowing Bridge Classic Cars access to your wonderful grounds at Helmingham Hall and as always, thank you to Jason at Sugar and Spice Photography for another great shoot. We look forward to seeing the pictures.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

Jensen 541S body repairs are now complete

March 28, 2017

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Tommy has now completed the repair work on the body.

With the chassis arriving back soon from the paint shop, the freshly repaired body will now be permanently fixed back on the chassis ready for preparation and paint.

Lots of work has gone into perfecting our Jensen 541S body. The bottom of the A post panels have been cut away and replaced as have the offside and nearside door sills. The B post panels have had the same treatment and the entire roof lining , around the tops of the doors and windows have been re-manufactured.

Tommy has done an incredible job on our Jensen, it is a very difficult car to work on but with a number of these under our belt we have the experience and expertise to carry out work to this scale.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_gallery type=”image_grid” images=”11071,11072,11073,11074,11075,11076,11077,11078,11079,11080,11081,11082,11083,11084″][/vc_column][/vc_row]

Detailing the engine of our Mercedes

March 27, 2017

After the full respray our 1984 Mercedes W123 300TD engine bay was in desperate need of a good clean to freshen up the look. Previously, someone had been a little happy with the WD40 over the engine which is not ideal when you want to inspect the engine. With it now cleaned and detailed it will be much easier for it to remain clean. Cleaning an engine is never an enjoyable task but little and often is certainly the most effective way of keeping it clean.

A complete transformation…

Happy Mother’s Day

March 26, 2017

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I had a wonderful afternoon out at Helmingham Hall with my mum Julie and sister Karen as we enjoyed an afternoon tea in the The Coach House Tea Room.

We also wandered around the beautiful gardens and impressive grounds.

A very different sight to what we are used to with deer playing in the fields for as far as we can see and a very quiet driveway.

For those familiar with The Festival Of Classic and Sports Cars this is the driveway where exhibitors are able to parade up and down on the two concourse runs throughout the day. On 6th August 2017 The Festival Of Classic and Sports Cars is back at Helmingham Hall.

The amazing collection of vehicles is displayed against the magnificent back drop of Helmingham Hall and its surrounding moat which sits in the middle of the ancient deer park.

As well as this impressive display of vehicles, the festival is also a lovely day out for the whole family with mini Land Rovers for children to drive, fairground stalls, over 40 craft and trade stalls, main ring entertainment, birds of prey and much, much more!

There will be an abundance of local food, drink and entertainment from The Broadside Boys, The Suffolk Phoenix Brass Band and Itchy Feet plus Chocks Away will be dancing throughout the day showing off their skills in Jive, Swing and Lindy Hop.

Thank you very much Helmingham Hall for your hospitality today and I hope everyone enjoyed it as much as we did. We’ll see you all at Helmingham Hall in August at this year’s Festival of Classic and Sports Cars.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_gallery type=”image_grid” images=”11040,11041,11042,11043,11044,11045,11046,11047,11048,11049,11050,11051,11052,11053,11054,11055,11056,11039″][/vc_column][/vc_row]

Mr Turner – Colchester, Essex

March 25, 2017

“Dear Pete, I would like to thank you both very much for the friendly service you have provided for me over many years on my current two cars and previous ones I have owned. You have always been as helpful as possible and willing to provide help and advice straight away, if at all possible. I have always been impressed with your knowledge of vehicles and your professional and genuine approach. Given my experience, I am sure that current and future customers will be very satisfied with your service.”

Triumph Vitesse Restoration Images

March 25, 2017

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Old images found from July 2006 when we first started stripping the car.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_gallery type=”image_grid” images=”10961,10962,10963,10964,10965,10966,10967,10968,10969,10970,10971,10972,10973,10974,10975,10976,10977,10978,10979,10980,10981,10982,10983,10984,10985,10986,10987,10988,10989,10990,10991,10992,10993,10994,10995,10996,10997,10998,10999,11000,11001,11002,11003,11004,11005,11006″][/vc_column][/vc_row]

Digging out old photos

March 25, 2017

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Work is now complete on refurbishing one of our new offices inside Bridge MOT Centre.

Whilst unpacking, we came across a couple of CD’s tucked away in a box that we’ve had in storage for years.

Here we have pictures of our 1978 Vauxhall Viva from back in 2006.

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Fitting the Motif Bar and Badge

March 25, 2017

The final task on our 1965 Jaguar E-Type respray project was to fit the new motif bar and badge.

The existing bar was broken and had been temporarily fixed with superglue but as the car was stripped for paint we purchased a new bar and badge but due to low stock with the supplier this was the last item to arrive.

Not a problem, the bar is now fitted and the car is complete.

The Maserati Merak has water

March 25, 2017

Just a few weeks away from completion of our 1976 Maserati Merak. It’s been a long and challenging build but we are now very close to reaching the end.

This week John has fitted the water tank and hoses. He then filled the system ready for the engine test run next week.

The air filters and filter housing have also been positioned as has the fuel pump.

Back in our Ipswich workshops

March 24, 2017

Our 1984 Mercedes W123 300TD has returned to our Ipswich workshops from the paint shop. With the offside front arch now fully repaired, the trims can once again be fitted to the car to help finish off the exterior.

The new screen and rubber have been installed so all that is left to do in this phase is to detail the engine.

We have Paul from Paul Johnson Mobile Valeting coming in on Monday to carry out the task as well as detailing our 1924 Riley too.

Phase 2 of the restoration will be carried out in January 2018 which will see us working on the interior areas of the vehicle.

1984 Mercedes-Benz 300TD

…we are saving the straightening of the badge til last thing! haha

Mr Tye – Hadleigh, Suffolk

March 24, 2017

“Excellent service by Bridge Classic Cars. I was very impressed with their professional approach. It is nice to find a genuine garage. Thank you again”

WIN a meal for 2 and a bottle of wine with your April MOT

March 23, 2017

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WIN this April with

Win a 3 course meal and a bottle of wine for 2 at Aurora Bar & Restaurant, Ipswich, book an MOT in for April to enter our free prize draw.

To book your April MOT call Peter or Andy on 01473 743033 or email info@bridgemot.co.uk and you could be enjoying a meal on us.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_gallery type=”image_grid” images=”10906,10905,10904,10903,10902,10901,10900,10899,10898,10897,10896,10895,10894,10893″][/vc_column][/vc_row]

Ivy Rose Studio in Manchester goes Vintage…

March 23, 2017

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Ivy Rose Studio is a boutique creative photography studio based in Chorlton, Manchester.

As you can see, they offer beautiful boudoir photography and vintage pin up photography, as well as stunning family portraits, fun kids photo shoots and memorable bridal and maternity photography.

Makeup artist Michelle Lawrenson, a very good friend of ours at Bridge Classic Cars has recently modelled for the new Ivy Rose Studio website.

Although there are no vintage or classic cars in sight we still couldn’t resist showing you a sneak peak of some of the images taken from their recent vintage shoot.

Michelle Lawrenson – Ivy Rose Studio, Manchester

A special thank you to Ivy Rose Studio and Michelle for allowing us to share the amazing classic images.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_gallery type=”image_grid” images=”10881,10880,10879,10878,10876,10875,10874,10873,10872,10871,10870,10869,10868,10867,10866,10865″][/vc_column][/vc_row]

Almost ready for second stage primer

March 23, 2017

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]We are now working on the last few areas that needed our attention before the second stage of primer will be applied.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_gallery type=”image_grid” images=”10852,10853,10854,10855,10856,10857,10858,10859,10860,10861″][/vc_column][/vc_row]

More E-Type engine pictures

March 23, 2017

We have now positioned the newly rebuilt V12 engine in our workshops ready to be fitted to the reinforced engine stands.

Our Jaguar E-Type Roadster is ready for paint preparation

March 22, 2017

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Our 1971 Jaguar E-Type V12 roadster is now ready for the paint preparation.

At this stage we are estimating a further 150-180 hours will be spent on the preparation before the complete respray commences.

Various conversations have been had but at this moment in time the colour combination is undecided. Our original plan of black with red MAY be altered but at this stage of the build this is not a a problem. With preparation and primer to concentrate on we still have time to make the colour combination decision.

The colour choice will be solely down to the new owner and his/her preference.

 

[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_gallery type=”image_grid” images=”10833,10834,10835,10836,10837,10838″ onclick=””][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]This morning, we had the pleasure in meeting Brian Page of Classic Assessments as he visited our workshops to learn a little more about Bridge Classic Cars.

The reason for his visit was to inspect the work we have carried out and our plans for our 1971 Jaguar E-Type Roadster. As the workshop was full of our classics we were able to show Brian various stages of the current projects we have; our 1924 Riley 10.8HP 11/40 Sports Tourer, our 1949 MGYT, our 1976 Maserati Merak, our 1960 Jensen 541S, as well as our 1965 Jaguar E-Type and finally over to Colchester to see our 1967 Jaguar E-Type.

It was a very busy morning but hopefully very worthwhile for Brian.

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Mercedes W123 300TD Respray

March 21, 2017

The respray is now complete on our 1984 Mercedes W123. With a few more components to work on our next job will be to finish off the refit before carrying out a full polish and thorough clean.

This is a stage restoration project, agreed with the customer. Stage 1 was to repair the bodywork, carry out the full respray and refurbish the wheels. Once we have the sign off we can then arrange the schedule for Stage 2.

© Bridge Classic Cars Holdings Ltd, T/ as Bridge Classic Cars. Registered in England and Wales with company number 5047706.