Eulogy: Mike Colyer
June 29, 2021
We are saddened by the news that friend and client of Bridge Classic Cars, Mike Colyer has sadly passed away. We had been working on
Craig Ranson
Managing Director – Bridge Classic Cars
Richard Hammond Gears Up For Classic Resto-programme
June 29, 2021
Richard Hammond has been restoring his Jaguar XK150 with father and son duo, on a new tv show called The Smallest Cog, where Richard Hammond
Tesla Mini Running At London Classic Car Show
June 29, 2021
The Surf Blue Mini that we worked on with Ted from Team C Racing for Electric Classic Cars has been up and running at the
Jaguar’s Electricals And Holes
June 29, 2021
We’ve been fabricating replacement panels to cover the holes in the wheel arch of our 1958 Jaguar 240. Unfortunately, as with a lot of corrosion
Honda Integra Seats Cleaned
June 29, 2021
Just look at the difference after the Honda Integra Recaro seats have been cleaned! They came in looking a little worse for wear but now,
Ford Model T’s Rear Box Covers
June 29, 2021
Brian has made up some covers for the rear box pillars on our 1915 Ford Model T. He’s done this in the same style as
Basil The Beetle Broken Down At Bentwaters
June 29, 2021
This poor little 1972 Volkswagen Beetle named Basil broke down last week and was brought to our hanger on RAF Bentwaters to be stored until
Beach Street Open For Business
June 29, 2021
Beach Street in Felixstowe had its official opening event this weekend to celebrate the opening of Felixstowe’s new food and artisan centre, all made from
Extension to Bridge Classic Cars workshops…
June 29, 2021
Work is soon underway on the extension to our workshop which means our storage unit has been moved to the other side of the site
Two Special Classics Off Home Soon
June 29, 2021
We’re delighted to announce that two of our classics have been finished and will be sent off to their owner in Germany very soon. The
Continental Bentley gets a refresh!
June 28, 2021
One of the recent projects in the trim shop has been to make new seats for a Series 3 Continental Bentley. The old seats were
Sam Smith Spotted In Woodbridge
June 25, 2021
Sam Smith has been spotted in Woodbridge drinking at local bar, A Listers on the waterfront. The pop singer is recording their music at Decoy
Goodwood Festival Of Speed confirmed as a pilot event
June 25, 2021
In a statement released from Goodwood this evening, Festival Of Speed has been confirmed as one of the countries specially selected pilot events: “We are
Lada’s New Percussion
June 25, 2021
Scott has been fitting new rear drum brakes onto the Lada. We’ve been waiting for the new drums to arrive from Russia and now that
Ford Model T’s New Floor
June 25, 2021
We’ve recently recovered the floor of the 1915 Ford Model T in rubber rather than bare wood. Brian has done a fantastic job to make
Riley Monaco Adjustments
June 25, 2021
Scott has been working on our Riley Monaco to remove the brake shoes so that they can be sent off for relining with a softer
MGB V8 Blast From The Past
June 24, 2021
Various parts and components from our MGB V8 have gone off to the aqua-blasters to be cleaned up ready for preparation and paint.
Bristol Series 3 411 Completed
June 24, 2021
We’re delighted to see that our 1973 Bristol Series 3 411 has been completed, detailed and is now ready to go back to its owners,
Ford Model T Interior Completed
June 24, 2021
We’re delighted to see that our trim shop specialists, Kath and Brian have finished the interior trim for our 1915 Ford Model T. They’ve covered
Jaguar MKVII Engine Progress
June 24, 2021
We’ve taken apart the exhaust port and fitted new valves onto the cylinder head of our 1954 Jaguar MKVII.
Mini’s New Boot Trim
June 24, 2021
Lydia has been working on making a new boot liner for our 1989 Austin Mini. She started by making the paper pattern and then taped
Alfa Romeo Trim
June 24, 2021
We’ve received some footwell carpet for a 1989 Alfa Romeo Spider which Lydia has sewn vinyl sides on. Before: After:
Spotted: American Camper
June 23, 2021
Craig recently spotted this fantastic American classic camper in Woodbridge. We’re loving classic campers at the moment with our VW T2 Westfalia that’s up on
DB9 Completion
June 23, 2021
We’ve now almost finished working on Craig’s 2005 Aston Martin DB9 which alongside its paint and trim work, needed the power steering addressing, the rear
Peony Red Paint Perfections
June 23, 2021
Chris has been neatening up one of the side panels to correct some imperfections that have happened whilst assembling the car. It’s very common for
Rolls Royce Up For Auction At Silverstone
June 23, 2021
Our 1973 two-door Rolls Royce Corniche is up for sale at Silverstone Auctions where we hope it’ll find its new owner. The live auction is
Honda Integra’s Dismantling Begins
June 23, 2021
Pricey has begun to strip down our 1998 Honda Integra so that we can address the request for a re-spray. Pricey has also begun correcting
DB2/4 Interior Swabs
June 23, 2021
We’re currently working through the process of selecting the interior trim with our client for our rare Aston Martin DB2/4. The choice is between the
Behind The Scenes: 1976 VW T2 Westfalia Campervan
June 23, 2021
The team set out for Bawdsey to shoot their recent competition vehicle, a delightful VW T2 Westfalia, a particular favourite of Ellie’s. With Freddie capturing
Jaguar MKVII Air Flow Alterations
June 23, 2021
Ady has been working on our 1954 Jaguar MKVII and has recently turned to address the air flow. He has opened up the throat on
Eulogy: Mike Colyer
June 29, 2021
We are saddened by the news that friend and client of Bridge Classic Cars, Mike Colyer has sadly passed away. We had been working on his beloved 1960 MG A and had recently sent it back to him. We are happy that Mike got to enjoy his MG A before he passed.
His very special MG A was his first car which he bought in 1970. After going through a handful of other owners, the car found its way back to Mike who decided to restore it with us. We have many happy memories with Mike, including his touching poem and reaction when he first picked up his MG A from us, fondly addressing the team and telling them ‘You’re worth your weight in gold.”
Our condolences go out to his family and loved ones.
Richard Hammond Gears Up For Classic Resto-programme
June 29, 2021
Richard Hammond has been restoring his Jaguar XK150 with father and son duo, on a new tv show called The Smallest Cog, where Richard Hammond and the team will endeavour to restore multiple classics. He’s working with a father and son restoration duo, Neil and Anthony Greenhouse.
The show will come to Discovery+ soon so keep your eyes peeled!
Tesla Mini Running At London Classic Car Show
June 29, 2021
The Surf Blue Mini that we worked on with Ted from Team C Racing for Electric Classic Cars has been up and running at the London Classic Car Show.
We’re delighted to see it up and running after its long restoration story.
Jaguar’s Electricals And Holes
June 29, 2021
We’ve been fabricating replacement panels to cover the holes in the wheel arch of our 1958 Jaguar 240. Unfortunately, as with a lot of corrosion issues, the more you remove, the more you discover.
Now is very much a good time to be tackling this issue on our Jaguar before it gets any worse.
And the electrical issues discovered were due to corrosion in the fuse box.
Honda Integra Seats Cleaned
June 29, 2021
Just look at the difference after the Honda Integra Recaro seats have been cleaned! They came in looking a little worse for wear but now, after a thorough wash, they’re looking good as new again!
Ford Model T’s Rear Box Covers
June 29, 2021
Brian has made up some covers for the rear box pillars on our 1915 Ford Model T. He’s done this in the same style as the seats, making it out of leather and buttons to create this luxurious effect.
He began by making up buttons for the rear box covers, marking out the button holes and drilling them into the wood. He then fit wooden sections to the shelf so that it will stay in place and fit neatly onto the pillar. He then glued the foam to the wood and proceeded to cover the foam and board in the leather. Once that was done, he could then fit it to the Model T.
Basil The Beetle Broken Down At Bentwaters
June 29, 2021
This poor little 1972 Volkswagen Beetle named Basil broke down last week and was brought to our hanger on RAF Bentwaters to be stored until it comes into the workshop to be fixed.
We have now transported the car over to our workshops for work to commence.
Beach Street Open For Business
June 29, 2021
Beach Street in Felixstowe had its official opening event this weekend to celebrate the opening of Felixstowe’s new food and artisan centre, all made from shipping containers and decorated with fairy lights. Mike, our finance wiz, went down to the opening at the weekend and captured these lovely photos.
Extension to Bridge Classic Cars workshops…
June 29, 2021
Work is soon underway on the extension to our workshop which means our storage unit has been moved to the other side of the site in preparation for the grounds work to take place.
We’re eagerly awaiting this building work to start so that we can have a new exciting workshop with even more space.
Two Special Classics Off Home Soon
June 29, 2021
We’re delighted to announce that two of our classics have been finished and will be sent off to their owner in Germany very soon. The Tundra MG B was finished a while ago and has been sitting in storage whilst we completed the TR6 but now is the first chance we’ve had to have them both finished and side by side.
With just a few final touches to be made to the Magenta TR6, these two stunning classics will soon be ending their time with us. Watch this space…
Continental Bentley gets a refresh!
June 28, 2021
One of the recent projects in the trim shop has been to make new seats for a Series 3 Continental Bentley. The old seats were getting a bit tired looking so it was time for a cleaner look!
Lydia was behind taking off the old covers and making the new ones. She started by taking the base seats and removing the old covers off, before moving onto the front squabs and then the rear seats… All were held in place using various methods.
The new base seats were the first to be made. These were a simple construction of a large piece of leather cut to shape with a piped skirt sewn around the sides.
The front squabs were created next. These had an armrest in the side of each one. The “faces” of the front squabs were fluted, with a surrounding piece of leather sewn around it, with piping, and then a piped “skirt” around that. The armrest comprised of a main piece that wrapped around the middle of the armrest form, and then two piped sides. There was a tab that was sewn in and formed the purpose of being able to pull the armrest out of the seat. The back of the front squabs had a backboard, covered in the leather, and then a binded carpet below it.
The rear squab seat was next. This was a similar design to the front squabs, consisting of fluted faces and an armrest in the middle of them. The armrest this time was a large blockish design, which came out on a screwed mechanism. Their was a covered backboard on the top half.
The rear base was the final one to make. This was a similar design to the front bases, comprising of plain design “faces”, with a piped “skirt” wrapped around the sides and sidebands. The other end of the “faces” was French-Seamed.
Once all the new covers were sewn up, it was time for Brian to fit them back on the original frames, using similar methods to the original ones, to attach them. All the seat frames were spring-based and in great usable condition.
Sam Smith Spotted In Woodbridge
June 25, 2021
Sam Smith has been spotted in Woodbridge drinking at local bar, A Listers on the waterfront. The pop singer is recording their music at Decoy Sound, local studios.
One of Sam Smiths more notable songs, ‘Writings on the wall’ featured in the James Bond film Spectre.
Spectre included a bespoke Aston Martin DB10 to celebrate the manufacturers 50 year relationship with the Bond Franchise. Here’s some James Bond like Astons that we’ve worked on:
In order: 1995 DB2/4, 1965 DB5, 1997 DB7, 2005 DB9 and a AMV8
Goodwood Festival Of Speed confirmed as a pilot event
June 25, 2021
In a statement released from Goodwood this evening, Festival Of Speed has been confirmed as one of the countries specially selected pilot events:
“We are delighted to announce that the 2021 Goodwood Festival of Speed presented by Mastercard will go ahead on the 8th to 11th July as planned.
After the announcement that the easing of Covid-19 restrictions had been pushed back by four weeks from 21st June, Goodwood entered into discussions with the government to join the Events Research Programme (ERP) as a pilot event, allowing the Festival to go ahead in as normal a manner as possible.
We’re pleased to say that the Festival will now form part of the ERP, and will go ahead with all tickets that have been sold to date. That means the Festival is now sold out for Friday, Saturday and Sunday, and anyone with general admission, hospitality and grandstand tickets will be able to attend as expected.
As a pilot, all people on site will need to agree to the conditions of entry set out by the Events Research Programme in order to enjoy the event safely. This will include either having had both doses of the vaccine at least 14 days before the event, or proof of a negative Lateral Flow Test, which can be taken at home or at a recognised centre free of charge, within 48 hours of the event.
We will announce further details around conditions of entry, consent required from all fans to opt into the Event Research Programme and NHS Test and Trace requirements shortly.
At this stage there is still no requirement for you to contact us, but we encourage you to regularly visit goodwood.com/fos which will host all the latest information you need to know about the Festival.
This year’s Festival of Speed will celebrate “The Maestros – Motorsport’s Great All Rounders”, highlighting those drivers, teams and manufacturers that transcended the boundaries of motorsport. These true greats leapt across the divides the separate single-seaters from touring cars, rallying from sportscar racing, showcasing their skills across multiple disciplines.
We will celebrate icons of multi-talented motorsport and Goodwood friends who can no longer be with us. John Surtees, still the only man in history to be world champion on both two and four wheels. Jim Clark, the great Scot who raced in anything that had wheels, conquering the RAC rally and British Saloon Car Championship, and even finding time to win two F1 titles and the Indy500 before his life was so tragically cut short.
If you haven’t secured your tickets for the Festival, don’t worry, you will be able to watch the whole event live and in full right here on GRR!”
Lada’s New Percussion
June 25, 2021
Scott has been fitting new rear drum brakes onto the Lada. We’ve been waiting for the new drums to arrive from Russia and now that they are here, we are able to fit them.
Ford Model T’s New Floor
June 25, 2021
We’ve recently recovered the floor of the 1915 Ford Model T in rubber rather than bare wood. Brian has done a fantastic job to make it look smart.
Riley Monaco Adjustments
June 25, 2021
Scott has been working on our Riley Monaco to remove the brake shoes so that they can be sent off for relining with a softer material. He’s also fitted a lager rubber block to the clutch pedal to make it more easily accessible for the driver.
MGB V8 Blast From The Past
June 24, 2021
Various parts and components from our MGB V8 have gone off to the aqua-blasters to be cleaned up ready for preparation and paint.
Bristol Series 3 411 Completed
June 24, 2021
We’re delighted to see that our 1973 Bristol Series 3 411 has been completed, detailed and is now ready to go back to its owners, looking good as new.
Mauro spent this morning tightening the wheel bearings as Mauro felt some play so made some adjustments.
Ford Model T Interior Completed
June 24, 2021
We’re delighted to see that our trim shop specialists, Kath and Brian have finished the interior trim for our 1915 Ford Model T. They’ve covered the bench seats and battery box in the back and the bench seat in the front with this delicate and luxurious button pattern in a black leather.
Jaguar MKVII Engine Progress
June 24, 2021
We’ve taken apart the exhaust port and fitted new valves onto the cylinder head of our 1954 Jaguar MKVII.
Mini’s New Boot Trim
June 24, 2021
Lydia has been working on making a new boot liner for our 1989 Austin Mini. She started by making the paper pattern and then taped it onto cardboard. She then double-checked that the pattern would fit, by fitting it into the boot. She then cut out the plywood to get the shape for the middle and used the template to cut the fabric out. Lydia also cut out black strips of vinyl for the binding. She then laid the carpet out over the top of the wood and fitted it.
Alfa Romeo Trim
June 24, 2021
We’ve received some footwell carpet for a 1989 Alfa Romeo Spider which Lydia has sewn vinyl sides on.
Before:
After:
Spotted: American Camper
June 23, 2021
Craig recently spotted this fantastic American classic camper in Woodbridge. We’re loving classic campers at the moment with our VW T2 Westfalia that’s up on our competition website currently.
DB9 Completion
June 23, 2021
We’ve now almost finished working on Craig’s 2005 Aston Martin DB9 which alongside its paint and trim work, needed the power steering addressing, the rear light replacing due to a leak, the driver’s door rubber seal replaced and the inside door handle mounts refurbishing.
The interior door handle mounts were previously worn and exhausted so we took them apart, cleaned them and repainted them so that now that look good as new.
Peony Red Paint Perfections
June 23, 2021
Chris has been neatening up one of the side panels to correct some imperfections that have happened whilst assembling the car. It’s very common for scratches and knocks to occur when building a car back together and luckily Chris is on hand to correct any accidental damage.
Rolls Royce Up For Auction At Silverstone
June 23, 2021
Our 1973 two-door Rolls Royce Corniche is up for sale at Silverstone Auctions where we hope it’ll find its new owner. The live auction is scheduled to be on the 31st July.
Take a look at the full shoot:
Honda Integra’s Dismantling Begins
June 23, 2021
Pricey has begun to strip down our 1998 Honda Integra so that we can address the request for a re-spray. Pricey has also begun correcting a rusty rear arch and made a note that a sill also needs addressing. We’ve also noted some accident damage on the front right hand corner that we will address at the end of our process.
DB2/4 Interior Swabs
June 23, 2021
We’re currently working through the process of selecting the interior trim with our client for our rare Aston Martin DB2/4. The choice is between the red leather trim and a selection of grey tones for the carpet and piping. It’s important we select the correct shades to not only look good but to resemble the original interior.
Behind The Scenes: 1976 VW T2 Westfalia Campervan
June 23, 2021
The team set out for Bawdsey to shoot their recent competition vehicle, a delightful VW T2 Westfalia, a particular favourite of Ellie’s. With Freddie capturing the video and Ellie on the photography, the team set up their own camp on the sand with Charlotte featuring as the ever talented star of the visuals.
Take a look behind the scenes:
Exclusive portraits with charlotte:
Full product photo gallery:
Jaguar MKVII Air Flow Alterations
June 23, 2021
Ady has been working on our 1954 Jaguar MKVII and has recently turned to address the air flow. He has opened up the throat on the inlet side to gain 2mm for more air flow and done the same on the exhaust.
