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Craig Ranson

Managing Director – Bridge Classic Cars

This Just In – 1959 Jensen 541R

June 24, 2022

The 1959 Jensen 541R which has been up for sale and stored at our secure storage facility, The Hangar, has been transferred over to our Pettistree restoration workshop to begin its journey.

The classic Jensen has been commissioned to be built by our workshop from the ground up for its new owner.

Keep an eye out on the Bridge Classic Cars news page for more updates very soon on the 1959 Jensen 541R.

Refresh – Gearbox Service and Checking a Fuel Issue on the 1951 Jaguar XK120

June 24, 2022

The Bridge Classic Cars team have been working on the Jaguar XK120 with this round of work comprising of a gearbox oil change and looking into a fuel issue.

To begin with, the team began to look for a reported fuel leak at the rear of the car. Jon inspected all pipework to and from the tank, with no evidence of a leak anywhere to be found with all fittings tight and secure. Next, he looked into the issue of the fuel gauge not reading correctly, however for the team here the gauge worked correctly on test.

Moving on with the work we had been asked to carry out was a gearbox service on the classic Jaguar. For this, the team had to remove the gearbox drain and allow the entire casing to empty completely (the team also inspected the oil for any debris) before moving into the cabin of the XK120. Carefully they moved the carpets back and cover them. Then they could remove the inspection plate which allows the team to fill the gearbox from the top of the transmission. After that, the plate was put back on and secured, and carpets fitted back into place and hoovered throughout by the team.

Refinished – 1987 Daimler Double Six Parts in Satin Black

June 24, 2022

The Bridge Classic Cars in-house paint shop have been working on refinishing some of the final pieces for the 1987 Daimler Double.

Various brackets, panels and the fan shroud have all been stripped, cleaned and prepared before being taken into our paint booth/oven to be finished in Satin Black for the project.

Once these have completely cured, the workshop team can begin getting them fit back onto the classic Daimler in with us for restoration.

Behind the Scenes – Live Draw of the 1968 Morris Minor Van

June 24, 2022

Last night, Bridge Classic Cars Competitions found out who the lucky winner of the 1968 Morris Minor Van was and as always, we live streamed it on our Facebook page!

Moments before the live stream started, the classic Morris van sold out completely!

The night began with a walkaround of our new competitions building with Hayley and Freddie showing everyone watching along what we’ve got coming up and what is currently live on our Competitions website.

Then, Hayley handed over to our director Craig for a brief tour around our restoration workshop to show you a very special moment where we had 3 Jensen 541’s in for work, all in different stages of their build. From a bare chassis back from sandblasting to a full rebuilt frame and then a finished and complete 541R.

But, it was time to give the audience what they had been waiting for. Finding out just who had won the classic Morris Minor Van. So, using our random number generator and pre-published entry list the team began the process.

As Hayley input the numbers between 1 and 4199 in the number generator the anticipation built. Messages of luck were shared between total strangers on the internet wishing each other well. Then with one click of a button, the new owner had been found.

Robert Cargill had been allocated ticket 1124 – The number that had appeared on the random number generator and checked against our entry list.

After finding his details, Hayley gave him a ring live on the Facebook stream with possible the best reaction we have ever had to a competition. Robert and his wife were absolutely ecstatic with their new classic Morris Minor!

Remember, you could be getting that phone call too! There are always new dream classics going up on our Bridge Classic Cars Competitions website for you to enter, head over there now and get your tickets!

Full Set – Making the New Carpet Set for the 1970 Bristol 411

June 24, 2022

The trim team at Bridge Classic Cars have been working on carefully removing the original carpets from the 1970 Bristol 411 in order to template replacement pieces as part of its restorative works.

Brian, one of our trimmers, has been removing the pieces from the classic GT in order to separate them into their basic parts for pattern making and to work out the plan of how they all lay into the cockpit of the car.

Once out, the original pieces are laid onto new carpeting and carefully cut, test fit and then bound before being put back into the car over the top of the replacement sound deadening material.

Next Up – Sorting the Brakes and Sump on the 1951 Jaguar XK120

June 24, 2022

The workshop at Bridge Classic Cars have been working through the list of jobs on the 1951 Jaguar XK120 in with us.

Next up for our technicians is to sort out a binding front brake. Upon inspection, Jon found one of the wheel cylinders was in need of a rebuild, and looking closer discovered an issue with a brake hose. The cylinder was completely stripped down and thoroughly cleaned before reassembly. Then, once in place, Jon could remove the brake hose and replace it with a brand new piece before cleaning up the rest of the brake system and bleeding the brakes.

Next up was for Jon to sort out an oil leak from the sump. Assessing the sump area he found the inspection cover gasket had begun to weep so it was replaced with a brand new gasket before he turned his attention to the sump plug. Removing the sump bung, Jon found an issue with the threads which weren’t allowing the bung to be tightened down correctly and seal. So, the team carefully remove the threads and installed a Helicoil in its place for the sump bung to thread into and tighten down correctly.

Then, the engine could be refilled with oil and level checked.

As good as New – The Steering Wheel of the 1905 Riley 9HP Gets Laser Cleaned

June 24, 2022

Our 1905 Riley 9HP has had its steering wheel removed by the workshop team here at Bridge Classic Cars to be sent off for a new cleaning process specifically made for delicate or antique parts. The steering well was sent to Re-Go Auto Parts in Kent where the team could carry out the process.

The original steering wheel shows 117 years of ageing across the wooden and metal surfaces of the piece. With a new process of Laser cleaning, the team could be extremely precise with just where and how strong the laser was. They cleaned up the main spokes of the steering wheel with a relative high-powered pass to clean off the steel but made sure that the power was turned down when passing over any softer materials like the aluminium.

The wood wasn’t touched by the laser. This was hand-cleaned by the team at Re-Go to bring it back to as close to the original as possible.

It looks absolutely incredible and we cannot wait to get it back to our Pettistree workshop to have a proper look at it.

Tailored to Suit – The Tonneau and Hood Cover on the 1932 Lagonda Tourer

June 24, 2022

The trim team at Bridge Classic Cars have carefully tailored the new tonneau and hood cover specifically for the 1932 Lagonda Tourer in with us.

Lydia, one of our trimmers, has worked on refining the patterns for both pieces and in terms of the hood cover revised the entire piece to envelope the entire hood frame within the piece. These have been checked and double-checked before being transferred onto mohair.

Once on the final material, Lydia could make tight-fitting pieces perfectly tailored to suit the pre-war convertible with a single zip running up the centre to close the interior once the clips are pressed onto the body.

Final Pieces – Final Metal Repairs on the 1969 Morris Minor Convertible

June 24, 2022

The fabrication shop at Bridge Classic Cars have been finishing off the final metal repairs to the 1969 Morris Minor Convertible before it is handed over to our paint and body team.

The team have finished up the repairs needed to the driver’s side rear quarter panel frame and sill before welding in the new patch panel into the body of the classic Morris. Once completed, the team could move on to getting the doors of the car repaired.

The door of the car required several new pieces to be welded in to remove any corrosion. The bottoms of the doors required a new piece from front to rear which was welded in to seal up the door ready for the body team to work on.

Next, the front valance and wings were then worked on with some small repairs done to fix a few areas in the valance and the replacement wings were trimmed and refined in order to get the best fit possible for the restoration of the classic Morris Minor Convertible.

Now, the car will be transferred from the fabrication shop over to our in-house paint and body department to be worked on.

Clean & Set Up – Sorting out a Running Issue on the 1963 MG B Roadster

June 24, 2022

Our friend Chris has brought his Iris Blue 1963 MG B Roadster in for the workshop team to have a look at a running issue on the classic convertible.

When out for a drive and trying to pull away from a junction, the car stalled and wouldn’t restart until the car had cooled down enough. At the moment, we’re experiencing very warm weather here in Suffolk so the team wanted to get the beautiful MGB back to Chris as quickly as possible for him to enjoy in the amazing Summer weather.

Jon, our workshop technician, test drove the car and confirmed the issue with the car near our workshop. From there, he began to inspect the car and found a cracked fuel hose which was replaced with a new piece and then began to look at the carburettors.

Jon removed the units from the car in order to strip them down on the bench after noticing an idle speed issue with the car and adjusting it while running. This helped the pulling away problem but didn’t resolve it. So, a thorough clean-up of the body and ports inside. He also cleaned up the carburettor piston and jets to make sure that no sediment or debris was blocking the fuel flow.

Then, the carburettors were fitted back onto the manifold of the classic MG B before Jon took it back out on a road test to check for the issue. All was ok on the road test while pulling away from a junction after the car was up to temperature and started multiple times while hot.

After that, the car was signed off and delivered back to Chris to enjoy the amazing weather!

Adjust and Inspect – Checking Over the Valvetrain of the 1951 Jaguar XK120 Roadster

June 24, 2022

The 1951 Jaguar XK120 Roadster in the Bridge Classic Cars workshop has had our technicians looking into the source of some noises believed by the team to be coming from the legendary straight-six engine.

For this, Jon removed the cam covers on the top of the engine to inspect the tolerances on the tappets which control the valves. After checking these against the spec, Jon did the necessary adjustments to each individual piece until all were within the original specifications for the car. Whilst there, Jon noticed some slack in the cam chain which controls the valves in the engine. On the Jaguar, this can be adjusted to either tighten or loosen the chain which was adjusted until the chain tension was also as close to the original specification as possible.

After everything was checked and double-checked, the cam-cover could go back on with brand new gaskets as well as new breather gaskets to ensure a tight seal for the straight-six. Then, it could be run up and tested and Jon reported no noises occurring in the engine bay.

Headed Home – 1980 Austin Mini Van & 1985 Jaguar Sovereign V12 Headed to Their New Homes

June 24, 2022

Recently, our 1980 Supercharged Austin Mini Van and 1985 Jaguar Sovereign V12 which were won by their new owners were loaded up by one of our transport specialists ahead of their journey north to their new homes from the Bridge Classic Cars workshop in Suffolk.

The classic cars are both bound for Scotland where they will be united with their new owners. As part of every competition, the cars are delivered directly to the winner’s driveways for them to enjoy and adore.

We’re excited to see the adventures they go on!

Preparations – Preparing the 1905 Riley 9HP Frame for Blasting

June 24, 2022

The workshop team at Bridge Classic Cars have been working on preparing the 1905 Riley 9HP for the next stage of its restoration journey.

Our technician Dave has been capping off any openings in the engine block or gearbox case after removing the entire rear axle and differential from the pre-war antique Riley. Then, Dave could move on to removing any small fixings and cappings which are too delicate to withstand the media blasting process.

The choice of blasting shot material is going to be plastic as this has been selected for the nearly 117-year-old metalwork due to not being as extreme or harsh on the material.

We can’t wait to see the frame and all the metal parts return for the car! So, keep an eye out here on the Bridge Classic Cars news page for more updates very soon.

Fixed Up – Replacing the Front Brakes and Rear Bushes on the 1972 MG Midget

June 23, 2022

The 1972 MG Midget has been in the Bridge Classic Cars workshop to have a few jobs carried out on out as part of its recommission.

The team have replaced the front discs, callipers and pads to brand new replacement pieces sourced by the team. Along with that, the cracked and perished rear bushes were removed from the car in order to also be replaced and set back into the leaf springs.

All of this has been done ahead of the car being collected very soon!

Full Service – Servicing and Fixing the Bonnet Stays on the 1958 Jensen 541R

June 22, 2022

The workshop team at Bridge Classic Cars have carried out a full service on the 1958 Jensen 541R which is in at our Suffolk HQ.

Dave, one of our restoration technicians, has carried out the service to the classic Jensen which also involved some work in the distributor to make sure this beautiful 1950s GT car runs smoothly and perfectly every time.

While in the workshop, Dave took the opportunity to carry out a repair to the bonnet stays of the car to make sure the bonnet stays open and does suddenly drop on whoever is working on it.

Going Back Together – Refitting the Bumpers and Adjusting the Sunroof of the 1987 Daimler Doube Six

June 22, 2022

The workshop team at Bridge Classic Cars are working on refitting and adjusting various parts to the 1987 Daimler Double Six as part of its restoration with us.

The team have worked on getting the sunroof of the classic Daimler back into the car following the adjustments needed to the rails and to fit a new seal for its final installation back into the car.

Then, the team could turn their attention to the rear bumper of the Double Six. The bumpers have been stripped down and cleaned up including the brackets which were carefully ground back and then refurbished to be reused on the car as they were in good condition after removing the surface rust. The only new pieces needed for this part of the restoration were the bumper inserts which were sourced and fitted to the car.

Blend In – Paint Repairs on the 1970 Jaguar XJ

June 22, 2022

In between the workshop technicians working on the engine and running of the 1970 Jaguar XJ, the paint and body team took the chance to carry out a few paint repairs to the classic Jaguar.

In some places, the paint had become very thin in a few areas of the wing on the Jaguar and also had a few dents in nearly the same area. So, the team carefully prepped thewing of the car in order to do minimal filler work before priming the area. Once primed, our body shop knocked back the whole area methodically using finer and finer abrasives to achieve a perfect finish before it went back into the paint booth.

Our painter, Al, carefully scanned an area of the car to get an exact match for the rest of the classic Jaguar before it is colour sanded and polished to match the finish on the rest of the car.

Out & About – Revo British Motorcross at Blaxhall

June 22, 2022

Last weekend, our director Craig took a trip out to a local Motorcross track with the next generation of Bridge Classic Cars, his son Loick, for a road of the REVO British Motorcross Championship.

Motorcross is a massive sport here in Suffolk because of us being so rural, with a wealth of national grade tracks within the county. With the world beginning to get back to normal in a post-covid world, getting out and enjoying motorsports, cars and supporting the petrolhead community is a perfect way to spend a weekend.

This Just In – 1979 Porsche 911 Targa

June 22, 2022

The Bridge Classic Cars team at our Suffolk HQ have welcomed this stunning 1979 Porsche 911 into our workshop for the team to inspect and assess.

The classic Porsche is a Targa model, having a removable roof panel as opposed to a full convertible. The team will be both mechanically and aesthetically inspecting the entire vehicle and compiling their report.

Keep an eye on the Bridge Classic Cars news page for more on the 1979 Porsche 911 very soon.

Up For Sale – 1969 Morris Minor 1000

June 21, 2022

The 1969 Morris Minor 1000 which arrived at the Bridge Classic Cars workshop recently is now up for sale on eBay and MyClassics!

The classic Moggy has been checked over by our workshop technicians who carried out a full service on the car as well as a full inspection and brake rebuild. The car’s frame was carefully checked over and passed with flying colours, previous repairs were present but were in good shape and the team were happy to release it for sale.

It could be yours! Head over to eBay or MyClassics and get it now!

Coming Soon – 1979 Porsche 911 Targa

June 20, 2022

This stunning Guards Red 1979 Porsche 911 Targa is coming into the Bridge Classic Cars workshop at our Suffolk HQ very soon.

The team will be carrying out a full inspection and assessment on the classic air-cooled 911 and will report back with any findings after a road test and visual investigation.

Keep an eye out on the Bridge Classic Cars news page very soon for more on the beautiful 1979 Porsche 911 Targa.

Nostalgia – Photos of the 1968 Austin Morris Minor Van’s Restoration by its Previous Owner

June 20, 2022

The simple van is both humble and proud. It’s a reliable workhorse which has transported generations of trade and ferried countless numbers of people into their automotive journey. This 1968 Austin Morris Minor Van is much the same.

Beloved by its previous owner, its intention in life was to go and join its owner in their new life in France but as is much the way, things changed. The car was due to have a left-hand drive conversion carried out ahead of its family relocating who wanted to take the classic Moggy with them. But, it never ended up happening.

Previous to this, however, the car was given a full restoration in what appears to be the late 1990s/early 2000s. Included in the history file which accompanies the classic Austin Morris Minor Van are these series of photographs taken when all the work was carried out. Showing it in its previous colour of pale blue, the owner had the car changed over to the Sage over Old English Cream that we see the car in today. The panels were stripped back and reworked to make the classic Moggy as close to perfection as possible.

The car was obviously adored by its owner. The classic van performed both its uses though, being used as a way for its owner to transport their artwork from place to place while simultaneously partnering with them on their journey through life, as is much the way with the classic we bring into our lives.

Whether it be sentimental or a long-held adoration, we bring these classic cars into our own stories and their stories cross over into another pathway, and another, and another throughout their lives. But, each holds a place in so many hearts and minds.

Like New – Painting the Bumper Brackets on the 1987 Daimler Double Six

June 20, 2022

The bumper brackets for the 1987 Daimler Double Six have been worked on by the Bridge Classic Cars paint shop.

The pieces have been carefully cleaned and prepared to then go into our in-house paint booth in order for the team to finish them as part of the reassembly of the classic Daimler.

Finer Details – Rebuilding the 1905 Riley 9HP Rear Differential and Swing Arm

June 20, 2022

The 1905 Riley 9HP has had its rear differential and suspension pulled off the chassis to be moved to the workbench for the Bridge Classic Cars workshop to rebuild/refresh.

After testing last week, the team pulled the pieces from the chassis to pull apart and rebuild. The rear differential has had new ball bearings and races put in and everything cleaned up and regreased. The rear swing arms were also pulled out to be inspected and the mounting holes redrilled and cleaned for the new shackle bolts to slip through with no binding.

Finally, the team have been working on the spark plugs for the car and inspecting the correct gaps and spacing on the new adapter.

Under the Surface – Stripping the Doors of the 1986 Daimler DS420

June 20, 2022

The doors on the 1986 Daimler DS420 have been stripped back by the paint and body team in preparation to be handed over to the Bridge Classic Cars fabrication team.

The doors had to be stripped back in certain areas in order for the team to assess the corrosion in each piece and come up with a repair plan for the doors.

There are a few areas which will need significant repairs by the fabrication team so keep an eye on the Bridge Classic Cars news page for more updates very soon.

Underfoot – New Rear Carpets on the 1970 Bristol 411

June 20, 2022

The trim team have been working on making the brand new carpet set for the 1970 Bristol 411 which is in the Bridge Classic Cars workshop for light restorative work and left-hand drive conversion.

Brian, one of our trimmers, has carefully taken the carpet set under the rear seats out of the car and up to our in-house trim shop in order to template and remake the pieces.

After they had been cut out of new material, the pieces were taken back down to be fitted into the car. The carpet panels need to go into the car in a specific order to sit correctly and fit perfectly inside the cabin of the classic V8 British GT car.

Piece by Piece – Putting the 1987 Daimler Double Six Back Together

June 20, 2022

The restoration journey of the 1987 Daimler Double Six is moving ahead with the workshop team at Bridge Classic Cars. The team are in the process of putting the classic Daimler back together piece by piece.

Scott and Paul have worked together, to begin with reinstalling all the necessary trims back into the panel work of the car. Along with that, they have installed the new back boxes into the car around the heat-shielding.

Coming Soon – 2005 Suzuki Every

June 19, 2022

Coming soon to the Bridge Classic Cars workshop is this 2005 Suzuki Every for the team to have a look into.

Keep an eye out very soon for updates on the 2005 Suzuki Every.

Coming Soon -2018 Ducati Scrambler Cafe Racer

June 18, 2022

Arriving soon into the Bridge Classic Cars workshop is this absolutely beautiful 2018 Ducati Scrambler 800 Cafe Racer.

The modern motorcycle will come in for the team to inspect and assess the bike before it is put into use daily by a member of the team.

Keep an eye out on the Bridge Classic Cars news page for updates on the 2018 Ducati Scrambler 800 Cafe Racer.

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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