Mr Deans
November 2, 2023
“I love classic cars and perusing Bridge Classic Cars site. I grew up in the sixties when iconic cars were manufactured so I appreciate what
Craig Ranson
Managing Director – Bridge Classic Cars
Final stages of our Beetle rebuild
November 2, 2023
Jon is going through the final few tasks on our VW Beetle before we can take the car back home within the next couple of
Ford Transit Mk2 Door Seals
November 2, 2023
Brian has fitted up the Transit Mk2 with new rubber seals. Help in today’s Storm Ciaran weather!
Reliant Scimitar Gear Linkages
November 2, 2023
Steve has removed the gear linkage, stripped it down and cleaned. He is now for new bushes to arrive to be fitted. He has then
Rover 216 Cabriolet Roof Fitting Continued…
November 2, 2023
The new roof is progressing well on our 1995 Rover 216 Cabriolet. Brian has been busy glueing headliner to the front edge of the roof
Morris Minor Pickup Inspection
November 2, 2023
Jon is now carrying out repairs whilst inspecting our beautiful 1968 Morris 1000 Pickup. This is all in preparation for Molly and the competition team
Firing up the paint gun for our Spitfire
November 2, 2023
Alan is now on the exciting stage of preparing the car with epoxy primer. The doors, bonnet, boot lid and body of car are now
Fitting hood – Rover 216 Cabriolet
November 1, 2023
Brian and Lydia are busy fitting the hood, headliner and inner pad to the rear bar.
Amphicar – reassembly commence
November 1, 2023
James has started to reassemble our 1964 Amphicar. Starting with electrics, wiring and lighting units he has had to tidy and check all wiring behind
1905 Stop Start Technology
November 1, 2023
Alright, I am not referring to the start-stop technology of today, it’s not quite the completely automatic system that works by detecting a lack of
Colour Changing The Wheels
November 1, 2023
Jon has removed the spoked wheels in preparation for the colour change. From red to silver.
Possible puncture…
November 1, 2023
It’s not everyday we get a modern in but today we have a quick in and out… Our 2016 Land Rover Sport may have a
Rover 216 Cabriolet – New Hood Time!
November 1, 2023
Lydia and Brian have welcomed in our Rover 216 Cabriolet for a new hood to be fitted. The hood comprises of an outer layer, middle
RS Turbo Pre Delivery Inspection
November 1, 2023
Jon has carried out the Pre Delivery inspection on yesterday’s competition prize, our 1991 Ford Escort RS Turbo. Another trip to Scotland for us; 2
Ford Transit Door Cards
November 1, 2023
The old door cards had been finished to a poor standard and Lydia felt were not fit for purpose. She has cleaned off the old
Ford Transit Mk2 Prime and Paint
November 1, 2023
Chris has been working tirelessly in the paint shop on the final preparation of prime and paint on our Mk2 Ford Transit. The next stage
Installing new output shaft seal
October 31, 2023
James has been working on the finishing touches to our Mk 1 Ford Transit. The gearbox has been removed, the engine sump and rear main
Volkswagen Beetle Quality Control
October 31, 2023
Final stages of our 1974 Volkswagen Beetle restoration and Jon is giving the car a thorough assessment to make notes of all aspects of the
Scimitar sees a few improvements from Steve
October 31, 2023
Steve has stripped down the boot lock mechanism to get to a broken bolt. He has removed the lock clean and replaced with clean tumblers
Strap in, our Series 1 is off!
October 31, 2023
Today’s the day we say goodbye to our Land Rover Series 1 for it’s new adventures in the Highlands of Scotland with competition winner Colin.
Bridge Classic Cars visit Wales Capital
October 30, 2023
The Times voted it ‘One of the top UK city breaks’ and we at Bridge Classic Cars 100% agree. This weekend, I ventured out with
A streak of Tigers
April 24, 2023
We’ve all been there; when you’re driving along the road and someone comes passed you driving the same car as you. Do you smile and
Dodge DA – summer ready
April 18, 2023
With the amazing news that the DVLA have finally registered our 1929 Dodge DA, we have transported the car from The Hangar back to the
Biking into the sunset…
April 18, 2023
Last weekend felt like the first weekend of summer. The sun was shining, the roads were dry and everywhere I went I saw the groups
The DB9 returns…
April 18, 2023
Just before Christmas 2022, Molly made a call to Nick Jones with the amazing news that he was now the very proud owner of our
A New Home for Our Defender
March 31, 2023
Our 2015 Land Rover Defender, formerly owned by TV Adventurer Ed Stafford, has been safely delivered to its new home with its excited new owner
New Arrival
March 31, 2023
Just arrived at the Bridge Classic Cars workshop is this 2000 Toyota Revius camper. The workshop technicians will be carrying out a full inspection on
March Mini Madness – Behind the Scenes of our 1979 Austin Morris Mini 850 Live Draw
March 31, 2023
Last night, we invited all of our Mini friends to come over to our Pettistree workshops for the live draw of our 1979 Austin Morris
Coffee & Classics
January 24, 2023
Come join us on the second Tuesday of every month 9.30 am-11.30 am for a coffee and a catch-up. Have a sneak peek inside our
Coffee & Classics
January 24, 2023
Come join us on the second Tuesday of every month 9.30 am-11.30 am for a coffee and a catch-up. Have a sneak peek inside our
Mr Deans
November 2, 2023
“I love classic cars and perusing Bridge Classic Cars site. I grew up in the sixties when iconic cars were manufactured so I appreciate what Bridge Classic Cars do. They are restoring and keeping these fantastic cars from disappearing and giving the opportunity to own one for little money, well done.”
Final stages of our Beetle rebuild
November 2, 2023
Jon is going through the final few tasks on our VW Beetle before we can take the car back home within the next couple of weeks.
Ford Transit Mk2 Door Seals
November 2, 2023
Brian has fitted up the Transit Mk2 with new rubber seals. Help in today’s Storm Ciaran weather!
Reliant Scimitar Gear Linkages
November 2, 2023
Steve has removed the gear linkage, stripped it down and cleaned. He is now for new bushes to arrive to be fitted. He has then moved on to cleaning up and fixing the headlamp wiring connectors where they have corroded and worn away.
Rover 216 Cabriolet Roof Fitting Continued…
November 2, 2023
The new roof is progressing well on our 1995 Rover 216 Cabriolet. Brian has been busy glueing headliner to the front edge of the roof frame.
Morris Minor Pickup Inspection
November 2, 2023
Jon is now carrying out repairs whilst inspecting our beautiful 1968 Morris 1000 Pickup. This is all in preparation for Molly and the competition team to take control for filming and marketing.
Having been previously restored by the experts at Charles Ware Restoration, the world renowned Morris Minor specialists we don’t expect to find anything too serious to rectofy.
All levels are ok.
We have stripped, cleaned and inspected the brakes. The nearside rear has now been freed off, de-lipped the drums, refitted and adjusted.
All points have been greased and Jon has fitted new nipples to the nearside front trunion.
Strip and fit new nearside track rod end rubber. Glued the scuttle panel rubber seal in place. The grommets have been fitted to the wiring through the nearside bulk head.
The air filter have been removed so we can look into the rich running issue. Jon found the choke cable caught up not allowing the jet tube to return fully. We have remove piston and cleaned along with the needle. We have also fitted a new choke mechanism before operating a few times via choke lever. Tested and it all runs ok.
New tyres to come and a good road test.
Firing up the paint gun for our Spitfire
November 2, 2023
Alan is now on the exciting stage of preparing the car with epoxy primer. The doors, bonnet, boot lid and body of car are now all primed and ready for the Java Green finished to be applied.
Fitting hood – Rover 216 Cabriolet
November 1, 2023
Brian and Lydia are busy fitting the hood, headliner and inner pad to the rear bar.
Amphicar – reassembly commence
November 1, 2023
James has started to reassemble our 1964 Amphicar. Starting with electrics, wiring and lighting units he has had to tidy and check all wiring behind the dashboard as a previous wire had melted. All of the wiring has been checked for condition and security before refitting any parts.
We are now fitting the engine bay along with the radio and bonnet lights, a new horn was fitted into the housing and mounted to the bonnet.
1905 Stop Start Technology
November 1, 2023
Alright, I am not referring to the start-stop technology of today, it’s not quite the completely automatic system that works by detecting a lack of vehicle motion.
Instead, check out the beautifully crafted hatch that has been made up for our 1905 Riley 9HP. When opened, the vehicle’s engine can be run by simply turning the handle but when the hatch is closed, the handle fits perfectly inside a grove that has been cut out especially for the handle. Doesn’t it look amazing?
What is start-stop technology in modern cars and how does it work?
You probably have it on your modern car right now; start-stop technology detects when your car comes to a halt and stops the engine automatically. It then starts the engine again for you when you press the accelerater. This technology was developed to reduce the amount of pollution caused by vehicles, specifically emissions released into the atmosphere when cars and vans are idling or stuck in slow-moving traffic.
Colour Changing The Wheels
November 1, 2023
Jon has removed the spoked wheels in preparation for the colour change. From red to silver.
Possible puncture…
November 1, 2023
It’s not everyday we get a modern in but today we have a quick in and out…
Our 2016 Land Rover Sport may have a possible puncture so Jon has it up on the ramp to get the tyres and inflate where necessary.
Rover 216 Cabriolet – New Hood Time!
November 1, 2023
Lydia and Brian have welcomed in our Rover 216 Cabriolet for a new hood to be fitted. The hood comprises of an outer layer, middle section and roof lining which will all be replaced as part of the project.
So far, the front section of the hood cover and headliner have been removed, as well as the rear roof metal sections and padded inner lining.
RS Turbo Pre Delivery Inspection
November 1, 2023
Jon has carried out the Pre Delivery inspection on yesterday’s competition prize, our 1991 Ford Escort RS Turbo.
Another trip to Scotland for us; 2 Scottish winners in the 3 weeks, lucky times!
Ross will soon be accepting delivery of his new (old) car. Having owned various Fast Fords over the years, Fiestas mainly but up until now has not owned the Mk2 RS Turbo. He’s really excited and we can’t wait for him to see the car.
Ford Transit Door Cards
November 1, 2023
The old door cards had been finished to a poor standard and Lydia felt were not fit for purpose.
She has cleaned off the old door cards and removed foam that had been incorrectly and poorly stuck down. New vinyl was cut and laminated onto scrim foam. This meant that the stitched design now stood out well from the rest of the vinyl , without looking garish like the previous design.
She then applied the new vinyl to the panels and cleaned off my pencil marks.
Ford Transit Mk2 Prime and Paint
November 1, 2023
Chris has been working tirelessly in the paint shop on the final preparation of prime and paint on our Mk2 Ford Transit.
The next stage is to flatten and polish the shell and when he’s 100% happy with the finished results he will pass back over to the workshops for the fit up.
Installing new output shaft seal
October 31, 2023
James has been working on the finishing touches to our Mk 1 Ford Transit. The gearbox has been removed, the engine sump and rear main oil seal plate have also been removed.
All parts were fully cleaned and decreased, then reassembled with new gaskets.
New oil was added and the gearbox refitted with a new output shaft seal installed correctly.
Then it was run up and checked for leaks.
All OK.
Volkswagen Beetle Quality Control
October 31, 2023
Final stages of our 1974 Volkswagen Beetle restoration and Jon is giving the car a thorough assessment to make notes of all aspects of the refit that require attention.
His findings will be reported to the individual departments or he will look to carry out the work himself.
Jon has already attended to the rear opening quarter windows. He has adjusted the rubber seals to allow offside to close fully and space out nearside rubber seal to allow window to seal gap.
The lights and levels have been checked and he has confirmed the operation of the fuel gauge by adding 20ltrs petrol. The door catches have been adjusted, fitted rubber blocks to the B pillars to seal gap at the door to window edge. The bonnet catches have been adjusted.
The paint-shop have touched up chips in the paintwork.
Grommets have been fitted to all A and B pillar holes.
The operation of the washers have been checked, the exhaust heat exchange pipes and tailpipes have been tightened Jon has eliminated the slight vibration/rattle at certain resonance.
We have checked for oil leak and found a slight drip from rear main/gearbox area. Oil quite dark but engine oil is fresh and clear so we suspect a minor gearbox oil leak.
Scimitar sees a few improvements from Steve
October 31, 2023
Steve has stripped down the boot lock mechanism to get to a broken bolt. He has removed the lock clean and replaced with clean tumblers ready for refit.
Whilst working on the Scimitar Steve has gone ahead and fitted a new fuel filter too.
Strap in, our Series 1 is off!
October 31, 2023
Today’s the day we say goodbye to our Land Rover Series 1 for it’s new adventures in the Highlands of Scotland with competition winner Colin.
One final adjustment to the project is for Brian to make up the new door straps in colour matching leather.
Bridge Classic Cars visit Wales Capital
October 30, 2023
The Times voted it ‘One of the top UK city breaks’ and we at Bridge Classic Cars 100% agree.
This weekend, I ventured out with the family to spend a long weekend in the incredible city of Cardiff.
Admittedly there weren’t many classic cars to see, nor were there any unusual cars either but the scenery and character certainly didn’t disappoint.
I didn’t know really what to expect from a weekend in Cardiff but it left me wanting more.
Incredible places to visit, eat, shop and explore…the streets were a hive of activity all day and all night.
We took a trip to Techniquest for an afternoon. ‘Set on the waterfront in the heart of Cardiff Bay, Techniquest has over 100 hands-on exhibits that let you experience science, technology, engineering and maths in a fun and exciting way.’
Thank you Cardiff for a wonderful weekend and we will most certainly be seeing you again. We just need a few classic cars to see too!
A streak of Tigers
April 24, 2023
We’ve all been there; when you’re driving along the road and someone comes passed you driving the same car as you. Do you smile and acknowledge the fact it’s the same car or do you pretend you haven’t seen it?
Well imagine pulling up at the hotel for the night in your Sunbeam Tiger and you’re greeted with an ambush of them.
Sadly, what you don’t see in the photo is parked the opposite side is two more. If only the SLK had been given the memo not to park there.
Taken outside Ufford Park Hotel and Spa, Woodbridge the morning after Drive It Day 2023. This looks to be one of the Sunbeam driver’s clubs enjoying a good catch up.
Dodge DA – summer ready
April 18, 2023
With the amazing news that the DVLA have finally registered our 1929 Dodge DA, we have transported the car from The Hangar back to the workshops ready for the new plates to be fitted and the full recommission to commence.
We already have a diary packed full of amazing summer shows so we look forward to taking our very special Dodge out and about very soon.
Biking into the sunset…
April 18, 2023
Last weekend felt like the first weekend of summer. The sun was shining, the roads were dry and everywhere I went I saw the groups of bikers out enjoying some fresh air.
So I took the opportunity for my first solo ride out of 2023 to one of my favourite destinations.
Here is my Ltd Edition 2017 Ducati Scrambler Cafe Racer. A bike I have owned for a couple of years now.
It was a Saturday evening, around 6pm and the sun was starting to fall over the stunning Bawdsey coastline. Other than a couple that had pitched up for the night with their VW camper I was all alone…it was simply beautiful.
I am very lucky to call Suffolk my home…
The DB9 returns…
April 18, 2023
Just before Christmas 2022, Molly made a call to Nick Jones with the amazing news that he was now the very proud owner of our 2005 Aston Martin DB9 with ticket number 1643.
In front of a live studio audience the Bridge Classic Cars Christmas party saw us give away not only my personal (Craig) Aston Martin but our 1985 Ferrari Mondial Cabriolet.
Soon after Nick was handed the keys to his Aston he became a fully-fledged member of the Aston Martin owner’s club and had a special set of bespoke Aston Martin colour-coded luggage commissioned too.
Unfortunately due to personal reasons, Nick contacted us with the sad news that he would need to let the car go but had thoroughly enjoyed his time with her. Originally planned to head to an online classic car auction Nick notified us out of courtesy to let us know of these plans. I gave it some thought (not for too long) and decided to make him an offer to have the car back.
The car is now back with me and I’m looking forward to another summer full of shows with my DB9 back!
A New Home for Our Defender
March 31, 2023
Our 2015 Land Rover Defender, formerly owned by TV Adventurer Ed Stafford, has been safely delivered to its new home with its excited new owner Jamie.
We wish Jamie many happy miles (on and offroad) with his new Defender!
New Arrival
March 31, 2023
Just arrived at the Bridge Classic Cars workshop is this 2000 Toyota Revius camper.
The workshop technicians will be carrying out a full inspection on the camper as with all of our new arrivals here at our Suffolk HQ.
Take a look at this awesome campervan:
March Mini Madness – Behind the Scenes of our 1979 Austin Morris Mini 850 Live Draw
March 31, 2023
Last night, we invited all of our Mini friends to come over to our Pettistree workshops for the live draw of our 1979 Austin Morris Mini in our Atelier building.
With the weather holding off, we opened the doors for everyone to come in with incredible woodfired pizzas from Picollo Pizza Box and the Atelier Bar serving everything from our Rijo42 Coffee to the always popular Adnams 0.5% range – Our friends had something in hand to listen to the amazing set by Annika Rands.
As the clock struck 7PM and the sun began to dip lower across the Suffolk countryside, it was time for us to find out who the lucky winner of our 1979 Austin Morris Mini was! Would it be someone in the room…
Molly and Freddie took our virtual friends are the Atelier through our Facebook live stream, going through some of the upcoming competition cars as well as some other exciting news about a very special Jaguar which you’ll find out more about very soon.
At 10 past 7, as always, the competition closes. This marks the point where fate and luck collide as we find a new home for a dream classic somewhere in the UK. With only a couple of hundred tickets remaining, Molly gathered everyone in the room a little closer and beckoned those behind a screen to edge forward on their seats.
As with every live draw, we wait until everyone (both in the room and on the web) can clearly see our screen loaded up with the Google Random Number Generator. After a quick test outside of the 1-4999 tickets, everything was in place to find the classic Mini a new home.
Molly carefully and precisely put the numbers in, 1 and 4999 for the generator to search through. With a drum roll and a countdown by everyone in the audience, Molly clicked the fateful button which has led to over 130 people winning through Bridge Classic Cars Competitions.
4027.
Those were the exact numbers that showed up bold and resolute on the screen.
That particular ticket had been part of a handful of tickets bought by Anthony Wardley – The new owner of our 1979 Austin Morris Mini 850.
Coffee & Classics
January 24, 2023
Come join us on the second Tuesday of every month 9.30 am-11.30 am for a coffee and a catch-up.
Have a sneak peek inside our workshop to see our projects this week, bring your classic along and meet with like-minded individuals. The Atelier bar will be open for refreshments.
Coffee & Classics
January 24, 2023
Come join us on the second Tuesday of every month 9.30 am-11.30 am for a coffee and a catch-up.
Have a sneak peek inside our workshop to see our projects this week, bring your classic along and meet with like-minded individuals. The Atelier bar will be open for refreshments.
