Marketing Manager - Bridge Classic Cars
This morning was the live draw of our 1953 Land Rover Series 1, when Colin Murray was randomly selected as the lucky winner, with ticket number 2158. Our Land Rover will soon be heading off to its new home in
The Ford Escort RS Turbo holds a special place in the hearts of petrolheads, especially those who grew up during the 1980s and 1990s. This compact yet powerful hatchback combined the practicality of a family car with the sportiness of
Stephanie Penn was the lucky winner of our 1958 Austin Healey ‘Frogeye’ Sprite. This wasn’t her first experience with a Frogeye though as her husband had one when they first met. They ended up running away together with the car
Classic car technician Steve has been looking at another competition car in the form of our 1996 MGR R V8. He replaced the exhaust heat shields and fitted new number plate light holders and lenses.
Classic car technician Jonn has been working on our 1965 Morris Traveller 1000, getting it ready to go live on Bridge Classic Cars Competitions very soon. Jonn stripped the air intake pipe and fitted a new one in the cabin.
Classic car technician James has been working on the engine of our 1954 Bristol 405. The carburettors and refurbished/correct air filters arrived back at the workshop and were fitted to the engine. The three mounting brackets were cleaned thoroughly, and
Our Ford Transit Tipper MKII has continued its stay in the Bridge Classic Cars paintshop. It has been with technician Chris who has been applying polyfan to the doors. After he had finished working on the doors, the cab of
Our 1955 Aston Martin DB2/4 Mark 1 has been in the hands of classic car technician Steve. Steve soldered the original ignition advance control cable end to the new inner cable as the original was broken and we were unable
Classic car technician Brian has been continuing his work on the interior of our 1953 Aston Martin DB2/4. He has made several repairs such as the front window surround panels and the front side window surround panels. Brian also made
We recently welcomed a 1967 Suzuki TR250 into the Bridge Classic Cars workshop. Known for its rugged design and impressive performance, the Suzuki TR250 has all the power and torque you need for a successful race. The owner of this
We have recently welcomed two new arrivals into our secure hangar at Bentwaters Parks, a 1968 Triumph Spitfire and a 1963 Triumph TR4. These classics will be with us for a while until the Spitfire is ready to be recommissioned
Our 1969 Audi 70L has been kept safe and sound at our secure storage hangar for a little while. During its time with us, we couldn’t help but take a few photos of this very special car. It will likely
When restoring classic cars, it’s not unusual for our team of technicians to find some random items that have made their way into the vehicles over the years. However, from time to time, something a bit special catches their eye.
More progress has been made on our 1976 Triumph Spitfire. Classic car technician Rob fitted the left-hand rear wing and modified the rear wing door gap to give the correct clearance. The right-hand door gaps were achieved by cutting away
Classic car technician Alan has been polishing our 1964 Amphicar 770 and preparing the engine bay for raptor to be applied. Once his prep work was complete, Alan applied raptor and the engine bay is looking great. It is exciting
Our 1980 Volvo 245GL has been in the hands of classic car technician James as he prepares it to have its floor/sill area welded on both sides of the car. To do this, James stripped out the interior carpets and
Our 1972 Ford Transit Tipper has been in the Bridge Classic Cars paintshop with classic car technician Mauro. He has been refurbishing the window frames from the front doors and painting them black. Mauro also fitted new door cards and
The doors of our 1953 Land Rover Series 1, which is currently live on Bridge Classic Cars Competitions, have been in the paintshop with technician Chris. He has been rubbing the doors down before masking them up ready for epoxy
Classic car technician Jonn has been carrying out a further inspection of our 1970 Lotus Europa and carrying out any repairs that were needed. He drilled out the broken boot striker plate and flattened it before re-riveting it to the
Classic car technician James has continued to make great progress in getting our 1974 Volkswagen Beetle ready to leave the Bridge Classic Cars workshop and head home to its owner. The door pin switches were replaced to ensure the interior
Our interior trim team of Brian and Lydia have started their work on the interior of our 1953 Aston Martin DB2/4. A lot of the work that has been completed recently has been stripping down this impressive classic. Once the
The Club Triumph Round Britain Reliability Run has been an annual tradition since it first began in 1966. Since then, the event has raised more than £800,000 for multiple UK charities. In October of this year, a range of classic
Our 2005 Honda S2000 recently arrived at the Bridge Classic Cars workshop from its home in Gurnsey. It is currently in storage at our secure Hangar but, eventually, it will go into the paintshop to bring it back to its
Brian and Lydia from the Bridge Classic Cars interior trim team are going to be working on the ceiling cloth of a 2001 Aston Martin DB7 Vantage. The current cloth has come loose from the main board so it will
Our 2010 Land Rover Defender looks good on a campsite, on the road, or anywhere else really. To prove this point, we took the below photos when it was parked up at our storage facility at Bentwaters Parks. This impressive-looking
A little while after his classic Triumph Stag was stolen, presenter Jamie Theakston was reunited with his unique and much-loved car.
Every week, Colin from Viper Auto Cleaning spends the day at the Bridge Classic Cars workshop making sure our vehicles look pristine for our customers and the winners through Bridge Classic Cars Competitions. This week, Colin shared our 1965 Morris
Classic car technician Jonn recently spent some time assessing a 1966 Jaguar S-Type that was brought into the workshop by its owner for a thorough assessment. The purpose of the assessment was to see what condition the car is currently
Soon to be arriving at the Bridge Classic Cars workshop is this Jaguar XK120. It is coming from overseas but we are very much looking forward to its arrival so work can begin on bringing this beautiful classic car back
Our 1969 Triumph Spitfire has recently entered the Bridge Classic Cars workshop. It has come to us for a full service and inspection, which classic car technician James has been doing. Overall, the car is in good condition, although it
This morning was the live draw of our 1953 Land Rover Series 1, when Colin Murray was randomly selected as the lucky winner, with ticket number 2158.
Our Land Rover will soon be heading off to its new home in Scotland where it will no doubt be very comfortable in the North of the UK.
The Ford Escort RS Turbo holds a special place in the hearts of petrolheads, especially those who grew up during the 1980s and 1990s. This compact yet powerful hatchback combined the practicality of a family car with the sportiness of a turbocharged engine.
In the early 1980s, Ford wanted to make a competitive rally car. In order to compete in the World Rally Championship, the company needed a compact car with an agile chassis and a powerful engine. The Ford Escort, which was already a popular model for the brand, seemed like the ideal candidate.
The first-generation Escort RS Turbo was launched in 1984. It had a 1.6-litre four-cylinder engine with a Garrett T3 turbocharger, producing a potent 132 horsepower. This turbocharged engine was paired with a five-speed manual transmission and a limited-slip differential, making it an exciting drive both on the road and on the rally circuit.
Its sporty design featured distinctive alloy wheels, a rear spoiler, and RS badging, giving it a bold and aggressive appearance.
The second-generation Escort RS Turbo retained the sporty design of the original, with a distinctive front grille and a rear spoiler. Ford’s engineers worked on the chassis and suspension to enhance handling, ensuring that the car remained usable on both the roads and rally circuits.
While the Escort RS Turbo continued to be popular among driving enthusiasts, it faced growing competition from other hot hatches of the era. Ford introduced the Escort RS Cosworth, a more powerful and sophisticated rally car, which overshadowed the RS Turbo in terms of performance and prestige.
Despite the arrival of the RS Cosworth, the Ford Escort RS Turbo retained its popularity as an affordable and accessible high-performance car. Owners appreciated its nimbleness, turbocharged power, and the ability to tune the engine for even more power.
Over the years, the Escort RS Turbo also gained a reputation as a “cult classic.” Many owners and collectors today hold a special place in their hearts for this little rocket. Its presence at car shows and rally events remains strong, showcasing its enduring appeal.
As the years passed, the Ford Escort RS Turbo continued to influence the world of compact performance cars. Its legacy can be seen in the many high-performance hatchbacks and hot hatches that followed, including models like the Ford Focus RS, which continued the tradition of blending practicality with performance.
In 2000, Ford released the Ford Focus RS, a model that combined the practicality of the Focus with a high-powered engine, directly inspired by the Escort RS Turbo’s philosophy. This modern successor to the Escort RS Turbo featured a turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine with 212 horsepower, proving that the spirit of the RS Turbo still lived on.
The Ford Escort RS Turbo may have been a compact car, but its impact on the world of high-performance vehicles was far from small. With its rally success, accessible turbocharged power, and iconic design, it has certainly left its mark.
With fast Fords like this continuing to increase in value, it is highly likely that these memorable cars will become even more desirable and collectable.
You can win our 1991 Ford Escort RS Turbo through Bridge Classic Cars Competitions. Entries close at 10.00 pm on Monday, 23rd October 2023 so make sure you enter the draw before then.
All the information you need can be found here.
Stephanie Penn was the lucky winner of our 1958 Austin Healey ‘Frogeye’ Sprite. This wasn’t her first experience with a Frogeye though as her husband had one when they first met.
They ended up running away together with the car and even lived in it for a couple of weeks!
Stephanie recently reached out and said that she thought we might like to see the Frogeye her husband had when they first met. No wonder it was love at first sight!
“He got 100mph out of it down Telegraph Hil near Exeter with three of us on board!”
The story of Stephanie and her Sprite is a beautiful one and one that should be heard in her own words.
If you have memories of a special vehicle, we’d love to share them. Simply email rob@bridgeclassiccars.co.uk with some photos and why your vehicle means so much to you.
Classic car technician Steve has been looking at another competition car in the form of our 1996 MGR R V8.
He replaced the exhaust heat shields and fitted new number plate light holders and lenses.
Classic car technician Jonn has been working on our 1965 Morris Traveller 1000, getting it ready to go live on Bridge Classic Cars Competitions very soon.
Jonn stripped the air intake pipe and fitted a new one in the cabin. He then cut off the old pipe and secured the new one with a jubilee clip at the heater.
A new regulator was wired up and the car was run up to temperature. It was charging at 14.2v which Jonn was happy with. He noticed that the temperature gauge was not working. Upon investigation, he found a blown fuse under the bonnet. This was replaced and tested and everything was working as it should.
The spare wheel was fitted back into the rear of the car and a road test was carried out.
Classic car technician James has been working on the engine of our 1954 Bristol 405.
The carburettors and refurbished/correct air filters arrived back at the workshop and were fitted to the engine. The three mounting brackets were cleaned thoroughly, and then fitted with the carbs using new gaskets. Then, the linkages were added and adjusted, and finally the air intake pipe and air filter housing.
James also tidied the ignition leads and secured them.
Our Ford Transit Tipper MKII has continued its stay in the Bridge Classic Cars paintshop. It has been with technician Chris who has been applying polyfan to the doors.
After he had finished working on the doors, the cab of our classic Transit Tipper also had polyfan applied.
Our MKII Tipper will stay in the paintshop for a little while longer before it moves on to the next stage of its restoration.
Our 1955 Aston Martin DB2/4 Mark 1 has been in the hands of classic car technician Steve.
Steve soldered the original ignition advance control cable end to the new inner cable as the original was broken and we were unable to source a new one.
Whilst also fitting the refurbished dials, it was noticed that a locating bracket stud was missing so this was replaced before fitting
Classic car technician Brian has been continuing his work on the interior of our 1953 Aston Martin DB2/4.
He has made several repairs such as the front window surround panels and the front side window surround panels.
Brian also made new boot side panels by using the originals as patterns before he removed the sides of the door pockets so the old material could be removed.
We recently welcomed a 1967 Suzuki TR250 into the Bridge Classic Cars workshop.
Known for its rugged design and impressive performance, the Suzuki TR250 has all the power and torque you need for a successful race.
The owner of this bike is a keen racer and bike owner, as you can see from the images below, and has bought the seat into us so Lydia can put a new cover on it.
We have recently welcomed two new arrivals into our secure hangar at Bentwaters Parks, a 1968 Triumph Spitfire and a 1963 Triumph TR4.
These classics will be with us for a while until the Spitfire is ready to be recommissioned and the TR4 is potentially going to be restored in the future too.
In the meantime though, they are safe and secure surrounded by other beautiful classics.
Our 1969 Audi 70L has been kept safe and sound at our secure storage hangar for a little while.
During its time with us, we couldn’t help but take a few photos of this very special car. It will likely be leaving us at some point in the future so we thought we would share how it looks in its current condition now before it’s too late!
When restoring classic cars, it’s not unusual for our team of technicians to find some random items that have made their way into the vehicles over the years. However, from time to time, something a bit special catches their eye.
Lydia and Brian have been busy stripping the interior of our 1953 Aston Martin DB2/4 and, while doing so, they discovered part of a newspaper under the footwell carpet mats.
While the newspaper was not really in readable condition (it had moulded itself into the mats), there were still some parts that gave us a glimpse into the world at the time. Based on the stories and the parts we can read, we believe the newspaper Brian and Lydia found is from around May 20th 1957.
One of the most intriguing stories that we can see in the newspaper was about the visit of Soviet Union President, Nikita Khrushchev, to Indonesia. In the midst of the Cold War, such a visit was undoubtedly a significant diplomatic event. Khrushchev, a key figure in Soviet politics, had led the Soviet Union since the death of Joseph Stalin in 1953. His visit to Indonesia was part of the broader geopolitical struggle between the United States and the Soviet Union for influence in the Asia-Pacific region.
The newspaper detailed Khrushchev’s arrival in Jakarta, the Indonesian capital, where he was welcomed by President Sukarno. The visit marked an attempt to strengthen ties between the Soviet Union and Indonesia, both of which had recently gained independence from colonial powers.
Aside from the Khrushchev visit, the newspaper contained various other stories and advertisements that provided insight into this bygone era. It was a time of societal change, with the dawn of the Space Age and the rapid expansion of consumer culture.
Although a few pages of an old newspaper may not sound like much, I think it is a perfect example of how classic cars are more than just machines. They can be home to moments in time that have existed nowhere else other than inside the car itself for decades.
Finds like this add to the story of the car being restored. When we restore classic cars, it’s not just about making them look good and drive well, it’s about preserving history, keeping memories alive, and reminding ourselves how things are constantly changing.
Since this newspaper was purchased, the Soviet Union has gone, man has walked on the moon, we’ve cured previously incurable diseases, and technology has advanced beyond what anyone from the time could likely imagine.
Work on our 1953 Aston Martin DB2/4 continues and is making good progress. We are very much looking forward to seeing this car come back to life and eventually drive out of the Bridge Classic Cars workshop and make its way back out onto the road.
In the meantime, we will keep our eyes open for any other interesting historical finds!
More progress has been made on our 1976 Triumph Spitfire. Classic car technician Rob fitted the left-hand rear wing and modified the rear wing door gap to give the correct clearance. The right-hand door gaps were achieved by cutting away the edges, rewelding and then grinding to get even shut lines. The front quarter valances were fitted to check the fit.
Rob found that the sill front closing panels didn’t fit correctly so these were removed and correct panels welded in.
Classic car technician Chris also had our Spitfire in the Bridge Classic Cars paintshop. He masked up the inner wings and painted them before they were put on the car.
Classic car technician Alan has been polishing our 1964 Amphicar 770 and preparing the engine bay for raptor to be applied. Once his prep work was complete, Alan applied raptor and the engine bay is looking great.
It is exciting to see our Amphicar getting ready to move on to the next phase of its restoration with us.
Our 1980 Volvo 245GL has been in the hands of classic car technician James as he prepares it to have its floor/sill area welded on both sides of the car.
To do this, James stripped out the interior carpets and trim.
Our 1972 Ford Transit Tipper has been in the Bridge Classic Cars paintshop with classic car technician Mauro.
He has been refurbishing the window frames from the front doors and painting them black. Mauro also fitted new door cards and put the seats back into our classic Transit.
New air pipes were also fitted before Mauro put the headlights, indicators, and front bumper back onto the vehicle.
The doors of our 1953 Land Rover Series 1, which is currently live on Bridge Classic Cars Competitions, have been in the paintshop with technician Chris.
He has been rubbing the doors down before masking them up ready for epoxy primer to be applied. Once this was done, Chris painted the doors a matching green.
Classic car technician Jonn has been carrying out a further inspection of our 1970 Lotus Europa and carrying out any repairs that were needed.
He drilled out the broken boot striker plate and flattened it before re-riveting it to the boot lid and fitting new screws to catch and secure. Upon testing, the boot locks work as expected.
Jonn then went on to tighten the front suspension bolts before greasing all points. He then stripped the brakes and cleaned and checked them. He then delipped the drums, refitted and adjusted them. Once the wheels were re-fitted and torqued up, all the tyres were pumped up, including the spare.
The connections to the horn were repaired and new rear light lenses were fitted. Jonn investigated why the reverse lights were not working and, after tracing back to the loom, he was unable to find reverse light wires from the loom and the gearbox doesn’t have a reverse light switch anywhere.
Jonn then looked at the choke cable fitment and routing and ordered a long cable. The nearside door panel was removed to find out why the passenger door didn’t lock via the key. Jonn freed the locking mechanism and worked it back and forth. He tried to lock the car with the key and it now locks.
The fuel tank was drained and the return hose was replaced with new clips. The tank was then refilled and checked for leaks – none were seen.
Jonn is now waiting on parts to finish the prep work for this beautiful classic going live on Bridge Classic Cars Competitions.
Classic car technician James has continued to make great progress in getting our 1974 Volkswagen Beetle ready to leave the Bridge Classic Cars workshop and head home to its owner.
The door pin switches were replaced to ensure the interior lamp works when the doors are opened and a new bumper trim was fitted to the front, along with the external door mirrors (both sides). A new quarter light catch was fitted to the driver’s side front window, then both front wheel bearings were replaced.
Both front wheels and brake callipers were removed and the discs and bearings were taken off. It looked like the bearings had been replaced before, but the outer races were not in good condition. They were knocked out and new inner and outer bearings fitted, they were greased and refitted along with the brakes and wheels.
James also fitted new front seat belts and stalks. There are only a few minor jobs left to address before Delilah goes home.
Our interior trim team of Brian and Lydia have started their work on the interior of our 1953 Aston Martin DB2/4.
A lot of the work that has been completed recently has been stripping down this impressive classic. Once the front seats were removed, Brian and Lydia removed the front floor carpets, the driver’s side dash tray, the kick panels, the cover from the headliner centre panel, and the old covers from the tailgate window trim panels were also removed.
While stripping the interior, there were a lot of rusty and solid screws and bolts that took a long time to remove. To remove the rear seat tray, Brian and Lydia had to cut the bolts out as they were stuck in and rounded off, making it impossible to get a socket on them to undo.
The side window trim panel was repaired ready for more interior work to get underway soon.
The Club Triumph Round Britain Reliability Run has been an annual tradition since it first began in 1966. Since then, the event has raised more than £800,000 for multiple UK charities.
In October of this year, a range of classic Triumph cars, spanning from the 1950s to the 1980s, once again embarked on a mammoth journey across the UK. Their mission: to generate much-needed funds for the Huntington’s Disease Association, the sole national charity offering support to individuals and families affected by Huntington’s disease – a genetic condition impacting approximately 55,000 people in the United Kingdom. While there is no cure for this devastating condition, the charity provides invaluable support and information to those grappling with the disease.
Starting at Knebworth House on Friday, October 6th, the drivers headed in a northerly direction, en route to John O’Groats where they could enjoy Saturday breakfast. They then took a southern course to Lands End for breakfast on Sunday morning, before concluding the epic journey back at Knebworth House on Sunday, October 8th. This incredible journey spanned roughly 2,000 miles, all covered in just 48 hours, showcasing the endurance (and reliability) of these classic cars.
There are several checkpoints that drivers need to pass through during the Club Triumph Round Britain Reliability Run. These are staffed by dedicated Club Triumph marshals in England, Scotland, and Wales, all in the pursuit of raising funds for charity. Over the last three decades, the Round Britain Reliability Run has supported various national charities, raising over £800,000 for well-known organisations like the RNLI, BLISS, MNDA, and Guide Dogs. In 2022 alone, the event managed to raise over £110,000 for the MNDA.
Friend of Bridge Classic Cars (and competition winner), Karl successfully completed the 2000-mile drive last weekend and was kind enough to speak to Molly during our recent Coffee and Classics event.
If you’d like to support the Huntington’s Disease Association, you can donate on Karl’s Just Giving page.
Our 2005 Honda S2000 recently arrived at the Bridge Classic Cars workshop from its home in Gurnsey.
It is currently in storage at our secure Hangar but, eventually, it will go into the paintshop to bring it back to its full beauty.
When it first arrived at the workshop, workshop manager John and technician Jonn assessed the car and found some corrosion. They also removed quite a lot of dirt from the rear arches. The condenser was also found to have deteriorated and detritus was found in and around the roof.
Brian and Lydia from the Bridge Classic Cars interior trim team are going to be working on the ceiling cloth of a 2001 Aston Martin DB7 Vantage.
The current cloth has come loose from the main board so it will need to be removed, and new foam fitted before the cloth gets put back on and ready to go back into the car.
Our 2010 Land Rover Defender looks good on a campsite, on the road, or anywhere else really.
To prove this point, we took the below photos when it was parked up at our storage facility at Bentwaters Parks.
This impressive-looking car will soon be available to win through Bridge Classic Cars Competitions.
A little while after his classic Triumph Stag was stolen, presenter Jamie Theakston was reunited with his unique and much-loved car.
Every week, Colin from Viper Auto Cleaning spends the day at the Bridge Classic Cars workshop making sure our vehicles look pristine for our customers and the winners through Bridge Classic Cars Competitions.
This week, Colin shared our 1965 Morris Traveller on his Instagram showing the results of his hard work.
Classic car technician Jonn recently spent some time assessing a 1966 Jaguar S-Type that was brought into the workshop by its owner for a thorough assessment.
The purpose of the assessment was to see what condition the car is currently in and whether any work will need to be done in the future.
Soon to be arriving at the Bridge Classic Cars workshop is this Jaguar XK120.
It is coming from overseas but we are very much looking forward to its arrival so work can begin on bringing this beautiful classic car back to life.
Our 1969 Triumph Spitfire has recently entered the Bridge Classic Cars workshop.
It has come to us for a full service and inspection, which classic car technician James has been doing.
Overall, the car is in good condition, although it looks like it may have been stood for some time. The engine oil and filter have been replaced along with the brake and clutch fluid. Then the brakes were stripped, cleaned and checked, again, there was some rust build-up, potentially from a lack of use.
A new distributor cap and rotor arm, along with points and condenser have been ordered, and the fuel filter was replaced as it was heavily contaminated. All fluid levels were checked and topped up where necessary, and grease points on the chassis and transmission were serviced.
Both the front seat mounting fixings were loose so James tightened these up, and the car had a good checkover in preparation for an MOT test. The only thing left to do now is the cooling system flush and new antifreeze needs to be added.
There are a couple of small issues that James identified such as the tyres which, even though they are still looking okay, are 10 years old now. The rear hub seals are weeping slightly and there appears to be some evidence of a brake fluid leak around the master cylinder area (cleaned off). There are also some minor oil leaks, possibly from the sump and gearbox casing, but otherwise, the car seems to have had new brake pipes and cylinders at some point so these are in good condition.
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