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Sanded Back – Preparing the 1969 Bentley T1 for Paint

March 24, 2022

The 1969 Bentley T1 has been in the paint preparation area of the Bridge Classic Cars restoration workshop to have the latest round of primer work sanded back.

The car has had the final stage of primer sanding done by hand in order to get the surface in perfect condition for the full respray of the classic Bentley. Mauro, one of our technicians, carefully worked his way around the entire car making sure to get into every curve and recess of the body.

With this now complete, the car could be cleaned down ahead of heading into the spray booth.

Featured – The Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal 1989 TVR S2 in the Car & Classic Email

March 24, 2022

The 1989 TVR S2 generously donated to the Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal which Bridge Classic Cars Competitions has been featured in the Car & Classic newsletter.

It’s absolutely incredible the amount of support across the industry and the community for this amazing cause where 100% of the proceeds are going weekly to help support the Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal by the DEC. These funds go directly to those on the ground helping the people affected by and displaced by the conflict.

You can enter the competition too and support this wonderful cause by clicking the link below.

Click here for Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal 1989 TVR S2 competition.

Preparations – Removing the Interior and Convertible Hood of the 1969 Morris Minor 1000

March 24, 2022

The 1969 Morris Minor 1000 Convertible, which is in the Bridge Classic Cars restoration workshop at our Suffolk HQ, has had its interior and convertible roof removed ahead of its move into the fabrication shop.

Brian worked methodically through the classic Morris Minor to make sure that all of the interior panels and piece were removed as safely as possible to avoid any unnecessary damage before their inspection by the Bridge Classic Cars trim team.

With the interior removed, Brian could then remove the convertible hood mechanism and covering.

In The Sun – The Team C Racing Classic Mini Painted

March 24, 2022

The Team C Racing Mini, which has recently been in the Bridge Classic Cars paint booth, has been in the paint shop curing overnight. So, with the weather looking perfect the team thought we’d grab some photos of it out in the sun.

This is the first stage of getting the classic Mini into colour. It still needs to be cut back and polished but it looks absolutely brilliant.

Adjustments – Getting the 1955 Austin-Healey 100 Running Right

March 24, 2022

The restoration workshop technicians at the Bridge Classic Cars workshop based out of our Suffolk HQ have been working on diagnosing and fixing the running issue on the 1955 Austin-Healey 100.

The car came into us to look into a running issue once the car got up to temperature or if the weather itself was hot. Our technician Jon began by looking into the various systems in the engine bay such as the fuel system and intakes. He noted that the classic Healey was idling rather quickly so he rolled back the idle speeds on the carburettors to give everything a good baseline to work from. However, the carburettors are not the throttle stops so were bought down to a safe speed achieved from the screw. He did notice that the car would ”run on” after being switched off when hot but would start up near enough straight away afterwards.

Upon inspection of the points inside the distributor, Jon discovered the car fitted with electronic ignition which helps with the diagnostic as it is one system that would not need adjustment and could be relied on as a baseline.

Along with that, Jon checked and read the spark plugs on the classic Austin-Healey. After very slightly adjusting the spark plug gapping, he installed them back into the car to move on to the timing. With the timing, Jon managed to slow down the idle speed a little more. Then, he could begin road testing the car.

After numerous tests and adjustments, Jon has got the car’s engine into a good place. Although he has noted that when coming to stop at a junction it will momentarily go towards stalling, the road performance of the classic Austin-Healey is exceptional and pulls very well through each gear. The car will continue to be road tested and adjusted to get it just right for its owner.

Teardown – Preparing the 1975 Jensen Interceptor Mk3 for Dipping and Blasting

March 24, 2022

The 1975 Jensen Interceptor Mk3 is in the Bridge Classic Cars workshops at our Pettistree HQ for body and paintwork.

The fabricator and restoration teams have been working together in order to strip apart and teardown the shell of the classic Interceptor. The shell and many of its associated parts from the suspension need to be completely dismantled in order to be sent off for either sand-blasting for some of the components and acid-dipping for the shell.

Piece by piece, the big Jensen was taken apart while being catalogued and boxed up ready to be sent off to the various specialists to get this project moving forward.

Finished in Colour – Painting the Team C Racing Classic Mini Shell

March 24, 2022

The Bridge Classic Cars in-house paint booth has recently had the body shell of the Team C Racing classic Mini in to begin the process of getting the car into colour.

Chris, along with the rest of the Bridge Classic Cars paint and body team, have been getting the body shell of the classic Mini into the best shape possible before it heads into the booth. Every surface on the car, from top to bottom, has been meticulously prepared and cleaned down before being moved into the booth.

Coat by coat, Chris built up the layers of deep brown on the inside and outside of the shell of the Mini. Then, he could turn his attention to the roof of the car. For this, he had to re-mask the rest of the car before re-priming and laying down the white which gives this Mini its classic look.

Visit – 1946 Chevrolet Pickup Drops By the Workshop

March 24, 2022

Yesterday at the Bridge Classic Cars Suffolk HQ we had an amazing visit from a rare sight around here.

A beautifully patina’d 1946 Chevrolet Pickup. Bought in Arizona and road tripped extensively throughout the US by its owner before being shipped back to the UK and used throughout the country towing all manner of classics and rock’n’roll bands.

It’s always a pleasure and exciting to see cars like these pop into the workshop for our team to look over and learn about them.

In-Place – Fitting the New Heater Matrix and Reinstalling the Dash on the 1969 Mercedes 280SL Pagoda

March 24, 2022

The brand new heater matrix has been installed into the 1969 Mercedes 280SL Pagoda by the workshop team at Bridge Classic Cars.

During testing, the original heater matrix was found to be leaking so the Bridge Classic Cars team sourced a new replacement. This was fitted in behind the dash by the workshop team and the various pieces of the dash assembly secured around it.

Now with the heater matrix in place inside the classic Mercedes, the workshop technicians can begin testing the car once again.

This Just In – 1969 Morris Minor 1000 Convertible

March 23, 2022

This beautiful 1969 Morris Minor 1000 Convertible has recently arrived at the Bridge Classic Cars restoration workshop at our Suffolk HQ to be assessed by the teams.

The restoration teams will each inspect and assess the car directly related to their areas of speciality. Once this is done, the technicians will report back with their findings on the car.

Keep an eye out on the Bridge Classic Cars news page for more updates on the 1969 Morris Minor 1000 Convertible very soon.

Behind the Scenes – Photoshoot with the 1957 MGA Roadster For Sale

March 23, 2022

The stunning 1957 MGA 1500 Roadster in with Bridge Classic Cars has been photographed by the team here at Bridge ahead of being put up for sale on our new online classic car sales platform MyClassics.

With the weather near enough perfect, Nick set out to shoot the classic MG Roadster at our secure storage facility The Hangar. The vintage Roadster was brought out of The Hangar and moved into position on the pad for its photoshoot.

The car is even more beautiful in person. Finished in vibrant red with its contrasting white hardtop and sitting on wire wheels with disc brakes on the front and drums on the back it looked perfect in the late winter sunshine. The interior is one of the most characterful we’ve come across. The seats show age cracks and the red has darkened over time to give a beautiful contrast against its exterior. The beige harnesses that drape across the leather make the car feel as racy as it looks and being fitted with a later 5-speed gearbox helps this MGA become a car for all occasions.

The car has been entirely inspected by our restoration workshops, where only a minimal carburettor set-up was required to have it running perfectly. The car was restored in the late 1990s and bought by its previous owner after searching for what he deemed to be the most perfect MGA in the UK, and was found at a Lotus Main Dealer in Henley. The optional white hardtop is in good condition and allows that extra level of confidence should the weather turn on a Sunday blast or to cut down the wind noise on a cross-continent jaunt however the beige soft top on the car is in fine condition with minimal marking and little to no tears or fraying.

The car is now for sale on the all-new Bridge Classic Cars online sales platform MyClassics. An online sales platform where there are no fees for buying and no fees for selling your classic inside a community of like-minded enthusiasts.

To view the beautiful 1957 MGA 1500 Roadster for sale by Bridge Classic Cars on our MyClassics platform, simply click the link below.

Click here to view the 1957 MGA 1500 Roadster for sale on MyClassics.

Test Fit – Trial Fitment of the New Steering Rack on the 1970 Bristol 411

March 22, 2022

The all-new steering rack for the 1970 Bristol 411 has been test fit into the car by the Bridge Classic Cars restoration workshop.

As part of the cars left-hand drive conversion, the technicians have specced a brand new power-steering rack. Previously, the workshop has been busy making new plates and brackets for this moment.

With the new rack in place, the technicians can take measurements and double check tolerances for any interference which may happen.

Careful Cutting – Working on the Clock & Radio Panel of the 1968 MGC Roadster

March 22, 2022

The trim shop at the Bridge Classic Cars Suffolk HQ have been working on finishing up the interior of the 1968 MGC Roadster.

Brain, one of our trimmers, has been carefully cutting out a new hole to fit up the new clock into the dashboard of the classic and rare MGC. The panel had to be clamped down and the new wood veneer laid over the top to use as a template to mark out the piece.

Once the piece had been marked out, Brian carefully drilled out the new clock opening and finished it by hand. Now that this was complete, he could begin to secure the veneer to the panel.

After the adhesive had cured completely, he could fit the panel into the car and secure everything down into the car.

Piece by Piece – Body Repairs on the 1978 MGB GT

March 22, 2022

The bodywork on the 1978 MGB GT which is in for restoration with Bridge Classic Cars continues while the rest of the car is being worked on by the various other restoration departments.

The bodywork on the car has been worked on piece by piece, with any remnants of corrosion or rust completely removed from the shell of the classic sports car.

Using replacement patch panels, the areas were carefully cut out and the metal replaced piece by piece.

Refinished – Painting and Refinishing the Block and Parts of the 1978 MGB GT Engine

March 22, 2022

Once the engine and parts had been thoroughly cleaned by our restoration workshop for the 1978 MGB GT in with Bridge Classic Cars for restoration, they could be transferred over to the paint shop to be refinished.

Chris and the paint team worked on getting each piece cleaned and prepared before being taken into the paint booth. Each piece was individually painted whether in the maroon heavy-duty paint or the deep, silky black for some of the accessories.

Once everything had correctly cured, they were taken back into the restoration workshop for the engine to be reassembled ready for when the time comes to be reinstalled into the restored body.

This Just In – 1955 Austin-Healey 100

March 22, 2022

This gorgeous 1955 Austin-Healey 100 has just arrived at the Bridge Classic Cars restoration workshops at our Suffolk HQ for our technicians to look into a slight issue with the car.

The team at Bridge have been asked to look into a running issue with the car. The car had an intermittent fault where starting from particularly hot it would struggle. So, the team will be going through the various systems to check this over and diagnose the issue.

Expect to see more very soon on this incredible 1955 Austin Healey 100 on the Bridge Classic Cars news page.

RaptorGuard – The Underside of the Team C Racing Mini Shell RaptorGuarded

March 22, 2022

The paint shop inside of Bridge Classic Cars have sealed the bottom of the classic Mini for Team C Racing.

The underside of the Mini was hand sanded to make sure the surface was perfect before it was handed over to the paint team. Chris has tinted the RaptorGuard to match the colour intended for the rest of the body but is much harder wearing and more durable than normal paint.

Fitted Up – Fitting the Heater/AC Unit and Handbrake to the 1979 Arrow Ferrari Daytona

March 22, 2022

The workshop at Bridge Classic Cars has worked on getting the AC/Heater Unit fitted into the interior of the 1979 Arrow Ferrari Daytona.

Scott has made brackets to adapt the mounts on the AC/Heater unit to the dash structure in the Daytona. The piece was carefully test fit into the car and bolted down before the freshly retrimmed dashboard was placed over it to make sure the fit and finish were perfect on the car.

Next, he turned his attention to the handbrake on the car. The lever has been fitted with a genuine Daytona cover and then the bracketry fitted onto the transmission tunnel, painted and bolted down. Then the necessary cables could be run to the rear brakes.

Handmade Details – Details for the Seatbase and Rear Quarters on the Interior of the 1955 Jensen 541

March 22, 2022

The trim shop at Bridge Classic Cars has been working on the interior of the 1955 Jensen 541.

Brian, one of our trimmers, has handmade a lot of these details for the interior of the car. Including the rounded bases of the rear quarter panels finished with hand-formed aluminium brackets. These pieces have been entirely made by the trim team and will be recovered.

The seat bases have also been worked on by the team and the wooden spars carefully cut by hand to give the best fit and finish needed for the bottoms of the seats.

Fabrication – Brackets and Mounts Fabricated for the 1970 Bristol 411

March 22, 2022

The Bristol 411 left-hand drive conversion is moving forward with new mounts and brackets being fabricated by the restoration team in the Bridge Classic Cars workshop.

Paul has made new glovebox brackets to reinforce behind the dashboard now the dash has rotated.

The biggest change has been underneath the car. Paul has made new plates that will be used to attach the all-new steering rack for the conversion. The pieces were cut to shape and then carefully refined to fit into the car.

Underside – Sanding the Underneath of the Team C Racing Mini

March 22, 2022

The underside of the Team C Racing Mini shell has been worked on by the Bridge Classic Cars body shop ahead of its appointment in the in-house paint booth.

Mauro, our paint and body restoration technician, has been painstakingly sanding the underneath of the classic Mini. Each and every inch of the car’s top and the bottom has been worked on to ensure the work done by the paint shop is perfect.

The underside of the car is due to be raptor guarded to give the best durability to the bottom of the car against the elements.

Rebuilt – Rebuilding the Distributor and Carburettors of the 1978 MGB GT

March 22, 2022

The restoration technicians in the Bridge Classic Cars workshop at our Suffolk HQ have been busy rebuilding and cleaning up the distributor and carburettors of the 1978 MGB GT.

Rob began by carefully disassembling the distributor on the classic MGB. The internals of the distributor was assessed and inspected, with the decision being to entirely rebuild the whole component and clean up the casing.

The next job was to work on stripping down the SU carburettors and manifolds to assess them. Once the assessment was complete, our technician Rob cleaned up each and every piece of the carburettors before beginning the process of rebuilding and recommissioning the vital intake components.

With these jobs complete, Rob could begin to prepare the engine block for refurbishment and paint.

Second Donation – Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal 1989 TVR S2

March 22, 2022

The 2nd round of proceeds has been donated by Bridge Classic Cars Competitions to the DEC Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal to go directly to those who are on the ground helping the people of Ukraine affected and displaced by the invasion.

Every week, we send 100% of the proceeds taken to the Humanitarian Appeal to help them carry on their amazing work in the area.

Featured – Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal 1989 TVR S2 in East Anglian Daily Times & Ipswich Star

March 22, 2022

The 1989 TVR S2, which was generously donated to the DEC Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal by its owner Jar Joyce, has been featured in both the East Anglian Daily Times and the Ipswich Star.

It’s amazing to see more and more exposure is given to this incredible cause and the Bridge Classic Cars Competitions prize. Remember though, 100% of all proceeds go to directly help those affected and displaced by the invasion which has turned so many people’s lives either into chaos or completely upside down.

You can read the EADT article here and the Ipswich Star article by clicking here.

But you can also enter the competition yourself by clicking here for the Bridge Classic Cars Competitions website.

Up and Running – Getting the 1969 Sunbeam Rapier Started

March 22, 2022

The restoration team at Bridge Classic Cars have got the engine running on our 1969 Sunbeam Rapier since it arrived in with us from South Africa recently.

With some fresh fuel, top-up of levels, a jump start from our director’s car and a check over the little 4-cylinder sprang into life, happily idling in our storage facility, The Hangar. So, we decided to take it out for a drive up and down the runway to make sure everything worked just as it should.

A Unique Opportunity – 1959 Jensen 541R

March 22, 2022

Bridge Classic Cars are excited to announce the latest Jensen 541 to be joining our stable. This 1959 Jensen 541R was previously owned by Neil Hepburn, an engineer with a passion for his 1959 541R.

Neil had owned the car since 1974 but unfortunately passed away several years ago leaving his beloved Jensen to his family. The details that are known of the car is that during its life it had several upgrades done such as a disc brake conversion as well as a chassis rebuild.

All of this work had been done to a very high standard under the guardianship of Mr Hepburn and the small number of custodians of this 541R.

Across its 63 years, the car is reading as covering just 40,000 miles which is believed correct. The engine has not run for several years but previously, although put away into storage and up on stands, the car was run regularly with the carburettors fed by tube using premium fresh petrol.

The car also comes with its original V5 logbook which shows previous owners including several members of the Palmer-Tomkinson family.

Barbra Hepburn, the wife of Neil, would like her late husband’s car brought back to its former glory as she has many happy memories and photographs of the car being used by herself and her late husband in years gone by.

This 1959 Jensen 541R is coming to join its sisters here at Bridge Classic Cars to await the commissioning of its full concours restoration. This 541R is offered for sale with the condition of a restoration carried out in full by our restoration workshop who have extensive experience restoring Jensen 541’s to the very highest of standards which these special cars deserve.

Featured – Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal 1989 TVR S2 in Hagerty UK and Car & Classic.

March 21, 2022

The amazing people over at Car & Classic and Hagerty UK have shared our Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal 1989 TVR S2 with their followers.

The response to the charity appeal has been absolutely incredible for the TVR with 100% of the proceeds going to the DEC Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal with over £15,000 raised to go directly to those affected by the invasion of Ukraine.

To check out the Hagerty UK article, click here. And to read the Car & Classic article, click here.

And you too could enter to help this amazing cause. Head over to the Bridge Classic Cars Competitions website and enter now!

Coming Soon – 1976 Aston Martin V8

March 21, 2022

Bridge Classic Cars have acquired this absolutely stunning 1976 Aston Martin AMV8 for a client of ours.

The car will soon arrive at our Suffolk HQ to be thoroughly and completely inspected by the in-house restoration technicians. After this, there are some amazing plans ahead for the car which we’re excited to let you know about soon once the classic 1970s GT car is safely in our workshops.

Keep a look out here on the Bridge Classic Cars news page very soon for more on the 1976 Aston Martin AMV8.

Out & About – Bridge Classic Cars at the Imperial War Museum Duxford for the H&H Auction

March 21, 2022

Last week the Bridge Classic Cars team loaded up our 1995 Dodge Viper RT/10 and headed out to the H&H Auctions at the Imperial War Museum Duxford.

Although the Viper was entered into the auction, it also gave the team a chance to look around this amazing venue and the incredible machinery on display waiting to head over the auction block. Everything from the remnants of a very rare AC Ace to a stunning Jaguar C Type, an Audi Quattro Rally Car to a new Lamborghini Aventador.

The cars on display were truly breathtaking and all displayed inside the former RAF hangar, like a giant version of our own secure storage facility, The Hangar. There was something for everyone at the H&H Auctions, but the car that caught our eye was the 1990 Porsche 944 Turbo.

As the day progressed and the proceedings began, the cars crossed the auction block one by one. Some amazing machinery was sold that day like the Bentley Speed 6 which sold for £300,000+ and the stunning Austin Healey 3000 nearly identical to our own Big Healey for sale on MyClassics.

When the time came for the Porsche to be sold, we had to get hold of it. This beautiful example finished in Guards Red with recent work carried out and a remap of the ECU generously adding more power to the turbocharged engine.

Unfortunately, our 1995 Dodge Viper RT/10 didn’t sell. But, it just means it’s waiting to go to the right home.

As the hammer fell, we had won the bidding. So at the end of the day, we loaded up our new 944 Turbo into our trailer to bring it home to our Suffolk HQ.

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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