Managing Director – Bridge Classic Cars
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]This morning we saw the return of our 1966 Morris Minor 1000 for it’s yearly MOT. She’s been with us a couple of times in
Yahoo News reports that more women are joining the predominantly male-dominated classic car market than ever before, new research has revealed. According to a study
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]This morning, we took delivery of the rear suspension’s larger components from Scott at B&R Bodyworks in Gt Blakenham. The smaller items we blast ourselves
Our good friend Tony from Wyatt Polishing in Thetford came to visit our Ipswich workshops today. He has just finished re-chroming the door handles of
The new windscreen has now been fitted to our freshly painted VW T25 Camper. She is now watertight. Just a few more days till we
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]As we’ve said on many occasions, when carrying out any work on your classic car (or modern for that matter!) take lots of photos! Some
Here we have the first images of the new Snowberry White finish to our 1968 MGBGT. Snowberry White is a very creamy white. It was
Our 1932 Vauxhall Cadet engine has now been removed from the vehicle ready to be stripped, repaired rebuilt. As you can see from the images,
Mark and Lauren have had a busy morning removing and loosening all of the components required to remove the engine from our 1932 Vauxhall Cadet.
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]On Tuesday 20th September our completed 1951 MG TD Competition Abington MK II was taken to Priory Hall in Hadleigh, Suffolk for the celebratory photo
It’s been a long time coming but the new V5 UK registration is now with us. The new UK plates have been produced. Unfortunately it
…and we’ve found the issues but unfortunately it will mean the engine will now need to be removed. It’ll be removed later today and completely
Our 1969 MGB V8 is in today to be MOT’d. This was due to take place in the afternoon which gave us the morning to
It’s been a busy weekend for Trevor this weekend as he worked on getting our Volkswagen Camper T25 in primer ready for paint. On Monday
Our 1969 MGB V8 has arrived this morning so John has been busy today getting her ready for tomorrow’s MOT. First job of the day
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Earlier today, we too delivery of our 1932 Vauxhall Cadet. You may have seen her out and about at the Suffolk car show’s, she’s in
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Coming to see us at Bridge Classic Cars very soon is a lovely 1932 Vauxhall Cadet from Felixstowe. A few little running issues to investigate
Thanks to Tony at Wyatt Polishing for sending through some up to date images of our 1971 Jaguar E-Type V12 Roadster chrome being worked on
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]We teased you with some images back in August of our 1976 Maserati Merak engine just as we were completing the rebuild. Well next week we’ll
We just accepted delivery of our newly refurbished Triumph TR7 wheels. As much as the 2 tone black and chrome rims did look fantastic we
Our 1971 Jaguar E-Type v12 Roadster is now ready for the big task of welding. As we have mentioned previously, this beauty spent some time
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Today, we welcomed a 1984 Mercedes 300TD in to the Bridge Classic Cars workshops. The purchase of the call was to assess the car as
Years and years of muddy water, dirt and grit flying about underneath takes it’s toll on the underside of your vehicle. The underneath is often
With the bodywork well underway it’s time to fit the engine back into the T25 Camper.
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]We recently took delivery of a fully restored Triumph TR7. The previous owner of 16 years did a full ‘nut and bolt’ rebuild and has
“I just wanted to let you know how thrilled I am with the restoration work you did on my beloved Midget. I was worried that
With the suspension components and front frame now away being sandblasting Asa has been preparing the shell for cleaning.
With the front and rear suspension now removed and organised, it’s now time for us to blast all of the components separately. Once the parts
Last month we welcomed a familiar face back to Bridge Classic Cars…the very beautiful and very rare Jensen 541S. Back in 2015 we discovered a 1961
Our Maserati Merak’s upper steering column has arrived back to our Ipswich workshops from the paint shop earlier today. Check out the amazing effect you
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]This morning we saw the return of our 1966 Morris Minor 1000 for it’s yearly MOT. She’s been with us a couple of times in the past for some remedial work to be carried out but this time, she was just in for a pre-MOT inspection before going through the test.
Good news all round as she passed with flying colours, no advisories to report.
Here at Bridge Classic Cars we have the skills and expertise to carry out all work on your classic vehicle. From upholstering the seat to a full restoration no job is too big or too small.
We have a passion for classics so your car is in the very best hands. How many times can you say you’ve been to a garage that cares as much as you do about your classic car?[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_gallery type=”image_grid” images=”7566,7565,7564,7563,7562,7561″][/vc_column][/vc_row]
Yahoo News reports that more women are joining the predominantly male-dominated classic car market than ever before, new research has revealed.
According to a study of 2,009 adults conducted by classic car insurance broker Footman James, 26% of women would now consider buying a classic car.
The survey also revealed that over the past two years, the number of women who own classic cars has increased by 40%, with women expected to account for 11% of the overall market by the end of the year.
Footman James’ research also revealed women were savvier when it came to identifying appreciating classic cars than men were.
Female participants successfully identified two of the top five appreciating classics from the past year, while male participants only identified one.
Liam Lloyd from Footman James said: “Nowadays the classic car market is no longer an old boys club, with female owners proving their savviness when it comes to picking the top performing models. The popularity of mainstream media has introduced a whole new array of people to the world of classics, reflected in the rising interest from female buyers across the country.
“However for any buyer, regardless of age or gender, it’s important to keep a few top tips in mind. Look to buy the best, seek expert advice, don’t be afraid to ask questions and monitor the market. Also, while it’s natural to focus on potential increases in value – it’s just as important to make sure it’s a car you actually like. After all there’s a reason it’s often called a passion purchase.”
Lloyd also stressed the importance of ensuring classic cars were properly insured, as rising values could lead to them becoming under-insured.
Birmingham was identified as the city with the greatest number of female classic car owners, with Tonbridge and then Bristol rounding out the top three.
It was also found that the average age of a female classic car owner has dropped over the last few years, now standing at 52.
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]This morning, we took delivery of the rear suspension’s larger components from Scott at B&R Bodyworks in Gt Blakenham.
The smaller items we blast ourselves in-house but the larger and less delicate components are taken to one of our many blasting contacts. Rather than having blast cabinets they have rooms dedicated to blasting and let’s face it, they are the experts in their field.
[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_gallery type=”image_grid” images=”7334,7333,7332,7331,7329,7328,7327,7326″ title=”Before”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_gallery type=”image_grid” images=”7469,7470,7471,7472,7473,7474″ title=”After”][/vc_column][/vc_row]
Our good friend Tony from Wyatt Polishing in Thetford came to visit our Ipswich workshops today.
He has just finished re-chroming the door handles of our 1971 Volvo P1800 and said he’d drop them off for us, fantastic customer service I think you’ll agree.
…and not just an excuse to get out of the office and take his MG Midget for a spin!
The new windscreen has now been fitted to our freshly painted VW T25 Camper.
She is now watertight.
Just a few more days till we see her back in our Ipswich workshops ready for the custom design decals to be added and the interior to be fitted up.
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]As we’ve said on many occasions, when carrying out any work on your classic car (or modern for that matter!) take lots of photos! Some of them you’ll look at in years to come and think “what did I take a picture of that for?” but trust us, that random picture might come in quite handy.
It’s easy to look at the engine you’re currently taking apart and think “I’ll remember where that goes” and then life gives you other things to concentrate on. When you finally get round to rebuilding the engine you took apart all that time ago, you have something random in your hand and you’re looking at a hole in front you questioning whether it’ll fit…that’s when the photo will come in handy!
[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_gallery type=”image_grid” images=”7491,7492,7493,7494,7495,7496,7497,7498,7499,7500,7501,7502,7503,7504,7505,7506,7507,7508,7509,7510,7511,7512,7513,7514,7515,7516,7517,7518,7519,7520,7521,7522,7523,7524,7525,7526,7527,7528,7529,7530,7531,7532,7533,7534,7535,7536,7537,7538,7539,7540″ title=”Lots of images are great for cross referencing”][/vc_column][/vc_row]
Here we have the first images of the new Snowberry White finish to our 1968 MGBGT.
Snowberry White is a very creamy white. It was a very popular colour used in the 1960’s and generally speaking was used by the MG, Austin and Rover motor companies.
Our 1932 Vauxhall Cadet engine has now been removed from the vehicle ready to be stripped, repaired rebuilt.
As you can see from the images, the seals have not prevented the ingress of water and unfortunately as the water has been sitting around for some time it has started to rust the components. This will need to be rectified as part of the rebuild process to prevent this from happening in the future.
We’ve been busy welding up various cars this week and both ramps have been hard at work but once we cleared some room in our workshops the engine was able to be removed.
Mark and Lauren have had a busy morning removing and loosening all of the components required to remove the engine from our 1932 Vauxhall Cadet.
Hopefully we’ll have a body minus an engine by the end of the day so it can start to be stripped and prepared ready for rebuild.
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]On Tuesday 20th September our completed 1951 MG TD Competition Abington MK II was taken to Priory Hall in Hadleigh, Suffolk for the celebratory photo shoot.
We were welcomed at the beautiful hall by owner Cyndy who showed us her own MG tucked away ready for the summer.
A special thank you as always to Jason at Sugar and Spice Photography for his incredible skills and thank you also to Hayley and Lauren from the 1940’s harmony trio The Bombshells for bringing a bit of glamour to the shoot.
If you would like to see more of The Bombshells you can visit their facebook page and if you would like them perform at your event contact the team at Halo Entertainment who will be more than happy to help.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_gallery type=”image_grid” images=”7091,7092,7093,7094,7095,7096,7098,7099,7100,7101,7102,7103,7104,7105,7106,7107,7108,7109,7110,7111,7112,7113,7115,7116,7120,7123,7126,7127,7128,7129,7130,7131,7132,7134,7136,7137,7139,7140,7143,7145,7147,7148,7151,7153,7156,7158,7159,7161,7164,7166,7167,7169,7171,7172,7178,7181,7377,7379,7381,7383,7384,7385,7392,7393,7396,7397,7400,7402,7403,7405,7406,7407,7408,7411,7415,7414,7419,7420,7422,7423,7424,7425,7426,7421″][/vc_column][/vc_row]
It’s been a long time coming but the new V5 UK registration is now with us. The new UK plates have been produced.
Unfortunately it was a little too late coming so our wonderful photo shoot by Jason at Sugar and Spice Photography with Hayley and Lauren from Halo Entertainment took place at Priory Hall in Hadleigh on the old plates.
I’m sure you’ll agree, it still looks incredible.
Here are the new plates, you can imagine them being on the car in the photos!!
…and we’ve found the issues but unfortunately it will mean the engine will now need to be removed.
It’ll be removed later today and completely stripped down for internal inspection.
Whether the bloc will need to be re-bored or honed will be evident further in to the process once it has been stripped down.
Here are the images from our Endoscope you can see the damage inside bore 5 and 6. As you can see, a dirty substance has been found.
Our 1969 MGB V8 is in today to be MOT’d. This was due to take place in the afternoon which gave us the morning to get a few extra jobs done to the car.
Our first job of the day was to fit the new cooling fan to the radiator, once this was in place we wired it up before refitting the bumper and grille.
A 12v socket was to be fitted to the passenger footwell too.
Unfortunately during our work we discovered a substance within the cooling system which needed to be immediately addressed. We are currently working on the issue to prevent it from happening again.
It’s been a busy weekend for Trevor this weekend as he worked on getting our Volkswagen Camper T25 in primer ready for paint.
On Monday morning Craig popped over to the paint shop in Needham Market to answer a couple of questions Trevor had and the good news is that she’s all painted and almost ready for the decals.
As you can see, the previously white vents and covers have now been colour coded and a decision has been made today for the new grilles to be coloured black.
New bumpers and door rubbers have been ordered today from VW Heritage, the UK’s leading supplier of VW parts…so once these have arrived and have been fitted up she’ll be looking fantastic once again!
Watch this space for more pictures, coming soon…
Our 1969 MGB V8 has arrived this morning so John has been busy today getting her ready for tomorrow’s MOT.
First job of the day was to checked it over, a fuel leak has been reported but after a thorough assessment not leak has been discovered as yet. We’ll keep our eye on this over the coming days so so far it looks promising.
The thermostat has been refitted and we have replaced the thermostat hose. The radiator has been removed and re-positioned as we have now fitted the new fan.
The cooling system has now been flushed through and bled to clean of all impurities.
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Earlier today, we too delivery of our 1932 Vauxhall Cadet.
You may have seen her out and about at the Suffolk car show’s, she’s in with us today for a general check her over. We’ll be checking over the engine to make sure we get her running as she should be and we know of a couple of welding tasks that need to be carried out.
Once we’ve got her up on the ramp for assessment we’ll be able to identify all of the jobs required and have her back to Felixstowe in no time!
Here we have pictures of Mark and Lauren arriving back to our Ipswich workshops.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_gallery type=”image_grid” images=”7266,7267,7268,7269,7270,7271,7272,7257″][/vc_column][/vc_row]
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Coming to see us at Bridge Classic Cars very soon is a lovely 1932 Vauxhall Cadet from Felixstowe.
A few little running issues to investigate and some work needs to be done on the suspension.
We just love how original she is, it shows that not all classic cars have to be fully restored and have no imperfections to be beautiful.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_gallery type=”image_grid” images=”7223,7224,7225,7226,7227,7228,7229,7230,7231,7232,7233″][/vc_column][/vc_row]
Thanks to Tony at Wyatt Polishing for sending through some up to date images of our 1971 Jaguar E-Type V12 Roadster chrome being worked on in their Thetford workshops.
We’ve been very busy of late and as this project is our own it has unfortunately had to take a back seat.
Work is due to commence on the body later this week as we have lots of welding to do. The chromework is also due back to us later this week.
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]We teased you with some images back in August of our 1976 Maserati Merak engine just as we were completing the rebuild. Well next week we’ll be introducing her back to the body shell once again as she gets fitted back in ready for the final stages of rebuild.
The original Merak’s three-litre engine produced 190 PS (140 kW; 187 hp) at 6000 rpm and 26 kg·m (255 N·m; 188 lb·ft) at 4000 rpm.
Three twin-choke carburettors (one 42 DCNF 31 and two 42 DCNF 32) fed the engine, and the compression ratio was 8.75:1. Maserati declared a top speed of over 240 km/h (149 mph).
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We just accepted delivery of our newly refurbished Triumph TR7 wheels.
As much as the 2 tone black and chrome rims did look fantastic we felt that the originals would look much better so after trawling the internet in source of some original 13 inch wheels we managed to find a set that we in desperate need of some TLC.
As always, Wheelworx did what they do best and now we have a fantastic set of perfect Triumph TR7 wheels with a brand spanking new set of tyres.
Our 1971 Jaguar E-Type v12 Roadster is now ready for the big task of welding. As we have mentioned previously, this beauty spent some time in the US with the intention of being a drag car.
With this in mind, a lot of unnecessary changes have been made to the shell so it’s now the job for Will to put her back to how she should be. New arches will need to be fitted up and welded into place.
We can’t wait for her to be back to her best, ready to be refitted. The chrome is back with us now and doesn’t look as pretty wrapped up in a box!
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Today, we welcomed a 1984 Mercedes 300TD in to the Bridge Classic Cars workshops. The purchase of the call was to assess the car as a potential winter restoration.
The car has spent the majority of it’s life over in California where, at some stage, sustained damage to the front offside which had affected the wheel alignment. It appears that the repair work, carried out over in the US may not have been to accepting standards so this will need to be addressed and corrected as a priority.
Once we are satisfied that the work is corrected our Mercedes 300 TD will then receive a full respray. The Mexican TopHat wheels will also be refurbished, the underside will be protected and the interior trim will be perfected in places. There are also a number of slight mechanical issues that will need to be addressed too.
The owner of the 1984 Mercedes 300TD uses her everyday on our Suffolk coastal roads so this project will be broken down into stages so that there aren’t too many long period’s of time that the car will be off the road.
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Years and years of muddy water, dirt and grit flying about underneath takes it’s toll on the underside of your vehicle.
The underneath is often taken for granted and forgotten about. We like to polish up the shiny bits, the areas that people see but how often do you think to clean the underneath?
Here’s a wonderful example of 2002 Mercedes ML 4×4. Before recently changing hands this beauty was owned from new by one careful, lady owner. She’s covered just 2,000 miles per year, a total of 30,000 miles so far in her lifetime.
She’s been brought into us at Bridge Classic Cars to be waxoyl’d underneath. This process protects the underside of your vehicle from the british weather, adding a protective layer that resists the everyday grit and grime from the roads.
When wax oiling a vehicle it is best to remove the arches and any components that are easily removable, this is not essential but as we say ‘if you do a job, do a job right’. Water can get behind the arches quite easily so we add a layer of wax oil behind there also.
Here we are on day one of wax oiling the Mercedes, we have used a clear wax oil for this treatment; various colours are available and it is all down to choice and preference.
All done and ready to go home to Leiston.
With the bodywork well underway it’s time to fit the engine back into the T25 Camper.
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]We recently took delivery of a fully restored Triumph TR7.
The previous owner of 16 years did a full ‘nut and bolt’ rebuild and has enjoyed just over 15,000 trouble free miles in her.
Only brought to market as he is now restoring another one.
We have a fully documented rebuild history and the car is totally rust free and runs like a Swiss Watch. Delivered to us via the Mansion House Hotel in Elgin Scotland which is one of our favourite retreats.
For some unknown reason the bodywork seems to be micro-blistering in places so we have decided to re-spray the entire car and within this we’ll treat it to a fully colour coded styling.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_gallery type=”image_grid” images=”5513,5512,5511,5510,5509,5508,5507,5506,5505,5504,5503,5502,5501,5500,5499,5498,5497,5496,5495,5494,5493″][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]A life before Bridge Classic Cars[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_gallery type=”image_grid” images=”5483,5481,5480,5479,5478,5477,5476,5475,5474,5473,5472,5471,5470,5469,5468,5467,5466,5465,5464,5463,5462,5461,5460,5459,5458,5457,5456,5455,5454,5453,5452,5451,5450,5449,5448,5447,5446,5445,5444,5443,5442,5441,5440,5439,5438,5437,5436,5435,5434,5433,5432,5431,5429,5428,5427,5426″][/vc_column][/vc_row]
“I just wanted to let you know how thrilled I am with the restoration work you did on my beloved Midget. I was worried that you might be sniffy about the job as it is just a Midget. I should not have worried. From day 1 your care and attention was beyond anything I could have imagined. The quality of work is fabulous and receives rave reviews from other classic car owners I meet. The fact that you tried to chase down a new badge plinth and then oversaw the restoration of the original plinth was a small example of your commitment to doing the right thing throughout. I felt you were as thrilled with the outcome of the restoration as I was.
I would have no hesitation in recommending you to anyone. The fact that I immediately asked if you could take on my 1966 Massey Ferguson 35 for restoration should be evidence enough that your work is outstanding.”
With the suspension components and front frame now away being sandblasting Asa has been preparing the shell for cleaning.
With the front and rear suspension now removed and organised, it’s now time for us to blast all of the components separately. Once the parts are all blasted and cleaned up, they’ll be re-prepared ready fitting back together.
Last month we welcomed a familiar face back to Bridge Classic Cars…the very beautiful and very rare Jensen 541S. Back in 2015 we discovered a 1961 Jensen 541S in a barn in Boxford, Suffolk.
With only 127 Jensen 541S produced we set out to restore this beautiful creation.
Last month we saw the arrival of another Jensen 541S. This one is very very special indeed.
1 of the 3 prototypes (experimental models) built and the first to be personally owned by the Jensen brother’s themselves. Our new arrival is this 1960 Jensen 541S. Originally pearl grey with a black roof she was the very first automatic model to be built and is in with us at Bridge Classic Cars ready to be taken back to her original routes.
We were joined last week by owner Ronald, he had travelled over to see us from Belgium to have a look over his wonderful Jensen but this post is not actually about the Jensen, instead I would like to discuss the future!!
When I hand the reigns of Bridge Classic Cars over to my children and they do the same to their children this incredible machine would not look out of place in the Bridge Classic Cars carpark…the Tesla Model S.
This is the future and I am so grateful that I got to drive it and experience it.
The Tesla Model S is designed from the ground up to be the safest, most exhilarating saloon on the road. With unparalleled performance delivered through Tesla’s unique, all-electric powertrain, Model S accelerates from 0 to 60 mph in as little as 2.5 seconds. Model S comes with Autopilot capabilities designed to make your highway driving not only safer, but stress free.
Model S is a driver’s car. The cabin combines meticulous noise engineering with Tesla’s uniquely quiet powertrain to obtain the sound dynamics of a recording studio. The gem of the interior is the 17 inch touchscreen, which is angled toward the driver and includes both day and night modes for better visibility without distraction. It puts rich content at your fingertips and provides mobile connectivity so you can easily find your destination, favourite song, or a new restaurant.
Thank you Ronald for the amazing opportunity to drive your Tesla.
Stay tuned for updates and details on the progress of our 1960 Jensen 541S…
Our Maserati Merak’s upper steering column has arrived back to our Ipswich workshops from the paint shop earlier today.
Check out the amazing effect you can get from a really good wrinkle texture paint coating.
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.
