News

Remove and Repair – Fixing the Sunroof Mechanism on the 1986 Ford Capri Laser

Our recent arrival, the 1986 Ford Capri, has been inspected by the workshop who noted the sunroof on the classic Ford wasn’t working correctly. So, the whole mechanism was removed to be completely assessed by the team.

They found that one of the arms which control the tilt of the sunroof had broken, causing it to not load in and out of the roof correctly. After days of searching for this piece everywhere online, our fabrication team have expertly made a new piece to go back on the car.

With this installed back on the mechanism and the sunroof back in the car, it has been tested by the workshop and works correctly every single time.

This Just In – 1954 Jaguar XK120 Project

Bridge Classic Cars have recently acquired this beautiful 1954 Jaguar XK120 for sale as a project to be restored.

This XK120 was in the process of being restored by its previous owner who could not complete the project, unfortunately. This XK120 project comes with a full V5 as well as a spare chassis and boxes of spare parts to complete the project.

The previous owner managed to get hold of a correct 3.4-litre straight-six engine for the project, but the car itself is not numbers matching. The car if bought, however, could be restored by our workshops if required.

For more information have a look on the advert on our brand new sales platform, MyClassics!

Click here to see the 1954 Jaguar XK120 Project on MyClassics

Back Home – The 1971 Jaguar XJ6 Heading Home

The 1971 Jaguar XJ6 which had some engine work recently has gone back home to its owner after everything has been completed on the car.

The Bridge Classic Cars technicians worked on replacing both fuel tanks on this stunning light blue XJ6 late last year before discovering the engine also needed some work to be done in order to get it running 100%. The team cleaned out every coolant galley in the engine block while the cylinder head was being repaired.

With everything complete and tested on the XJ6, it was held out our secure storage facility, The Hangar, while it waited to go home. Just before, we pulled it out to take some final photos with this wonderful piece of Jaguar history.

Piece by Piece – Removing More Pieces of the 1970 Bristol 411

The Bridge Classic Cars workshop have been meticulously working their way through the dashboard of the 1970 Bristol 411.

Our technician Paul is going through each component and wire to carefully label and catalogue each piece that comes of the classic British GT before it’s removed from the car and put into storage. The wiring harness is being labelled and noted for when the left-hand drive conversion is complete and the car is reassembled. With this part of the removal, it’s crucial to be methodical and attentive to each and every component on the car.

We’re excited to bring you the next phase of this exciting and unique project very soon.

New Arrival – 1954 Jaguar XK120

The latest arrival into The Hangar, the Bridge Classic Cars secure storage facility is this legendary 1954 Jaguar XK120.

This car was acquired by ourselves due to the owner, unfortunately, passing away and therefore the project has been left incomplete. Tom and Brian went to pick up the car, the spare chassis and the numerous spare parts which had been sourced for the car by its previous owner.

This 1954 Jaguar XK120 will soon be up for sale on the new Bridge Classic Cars MyClassics website.

Roof Repairs – Fixing the Convertible Hood on the 1952 MG TD

The 1952 MG TD in the Bridge Classic Cars workshop has been having its convertible roof fixed by our in-house trim shop.

Brian, one of our trim experts, has been working on removing the original webbing straps before replacing them with all new pieces. For this, Brian has had to remove the convertible roof in order to properly remove the complete straps.

The straps themselves are attached to the body at the rear which Brian had to carefully undo so the new pieces could be put in. With the new pieces, Brian could put the whole roof back together and fitted up perfectly.

Getting Ready – Removing the Dash in the 1970 Bristol 411

The 1970 Bristol 411 in the Bridge Classic Cars workshop is continuing its journey on being converted to left-hand drive.

Our technician Paul has been removing the wiring and gauges from the wooden dash of the classic British GT. Along with this, is removing the metres of wiring from behind the dashboard as well. All of these have been labelled and catalogued for when the reassembly begins after the conversion to left-hand drive.

All of these parts from the dash have also been photographed, catalogued and put into storage for the car.

The Smallest of Details – Rust Repairs on the C Pillar of the 1969 Bentley T1

The 1969 Bentley T1 in the Bridge Classic Cars workshop for restoration, has had more metalwork done to get the car back into a better condition.

This time, our technicians found a small hole in the driver’s side C pillar which had to be filled properly. This had previously been filled with body filler and painted over but our team decided that it needed to be fixed properly before the project moves forward.

Dave, carefully filled the hole and ground it back to shape the weld into place so as to make it easier for the body team when it comes to the minimal filler work before the car is completely repainted.

Behind The Scenes – Shooting the 1973 MGB GT V8

The freshly rebuilt V8 burbled in the winter air outside of The Hangar. The Bridge Classic Cars team had been waiting a long time to shoot this particular car, the 1973 MGB GT V8.

With all of the work complete on the car, including the engine rebuild, a new clutch, new wheels and tyres, it was time for the car to go through its photo and video shoot. As the Bridge Classic Cars team set off across the airfield, the GT V8 looked incredible in the bright, low sun.

This particular car has some upgrades which really go to help the useability of the car. The car had previously been fitted with a 5-speed gearbox so the Bridge Classic Cars replaced the ageing clutch to help its next owner use the car more easily. That and the completely rebuilt all-aluminium V8 which ran faultlessly lap after lap during the filming thanks to the newly fitted electric fans.

As Hayley drove the car that morning, we could all tell this was going to be something very special for its next owner.

In the Booth – Priming the Panels on the 1987 Mercedes 500SL

The rest of the panels from the 1987 Mercedes 500SL which is in with Bridge Classic Cars for restoration have been in the in-house spray booth to be finished in bright white primer.

Chris, one of our amazing painters, has been getting the first layers of finishing primer onto the pieces of the classic Mercedes. This is all being done in preparation for the car to be completely refinished in the Mercedes Pagoda colour, Selenit Grau.

It’s all moving quickly now on the restoration of this beautiful Mercedes R107 and we can’t wait to show you the next step!

Remade – New Aluminium Wheel Arches and Boot Lid Stripped for the 1956 Jensen 541

The Bridge Classic Cars body shop have the wheels arches of the 1956 Jensen 541 on the workbench currently.

Our body shop have been forming the new aluminium wheel arch lines by hand for the classic sports car. All of these pieces have to be made by hand for the car due to each arch being slightly different to one another, so for the best fit, our team have made them individually for the car.

Along with that, our teams have finished stripping back the boot lid of the 541 ready for primer and filler work to be completed and ready for paint.

Preparations – Preparing and Inspecting Components for the 1987 Mercedes 500SL

The Bridge Classic Cars body team have been working on getting the parts and pieces from the doors of the 1987 Mercedes 500SL prepared and catalogued before being painted and put into storage.

Mauro has been working on checking each of the components before then carefully disassembling and refurbishing anything that needed to be reworked before final assembly on the classic Mercedes.

Change of Plan – New Discovery on the 1977 Honda GL1000 Goldwing

There’s now a slight change of plan to the recommissioning of the 1977 Honda GL1000 Goldwing project, it’s going to need a complete engine rebuild.

The bike has been getting recommissioned but after its first full test and run-up, it’s been found there’s damage to the engine. It’s believed to just be the pistons but for this classic motorcycle to be in the best health, it will have a full engine rebuild and be gone through meticulously.

As you can see, it looks as though it’s just the pistons and rings which have notable damage but with such an iconic and important part of motorcycle history, we want to make sure it is all 100% ok.

Expect to see more on the rebuild of the 1977 Honda GL1000 Goldwing soon on the Bridge Classic Cars news page.

This Just In – 1959 Austin Healey Frogeye Sprite

This beautiful 1959 Austin Healey Frogeye Sprite has arrived at the Bridge Classic Cars for our restoration technicians to give the car a complete inspection and carry out a list of jobs for its very lucky owner.

We’ve been asked to carry out a full service and pre-mot check on the classic sports car along with a new water pump and fan belt to make sure the plucky little 4 cylinder at its heart is happy and healthy for many years to come.

Expect to see more very soon on this wonderful 1959 Austin Healey Frogeye Sprite in with Bridge Classic Cars.

Up For Sale – Our Glastron SE 175 For Sale with Clarke & Carter

The 1998 Glastron SE175 recently in with Bridge Classic Cars for work is now listed for sale with yacht and boat broker, Clarke & Carter.

The Glastron SE had several crucial bits of work done by our workshop to both its engine and also its trailer to make sure the boat was safe and worked perfectly. Once that was completed, the decision was taken to put it up for sale with the best people we knew to handle its sale, Clarke & Carter.

If you’re interested in the SE175 or seeing what other boats they currently have in stock, click the link below:

Click here to see the 1998 Glastron SE175 for sale with Clarke & Carter

Nostalgia – Hayley Kay

This Nostalgia comes from Bridge Classic Cars very own, Hayley Kay

Hayley’s love and passion for cars stems all the way back to her childhood. As a kid growing up, she would go with her Dad and family to the Essex showgrounds for classic car shows and the bug bit. This would be her calling.

A few years passed and eventually, Hayley would be involved in shows with her 1984 Mk1 Golf GTI Cabriolet. This car was Hayley’s pride and joy for over 8 years.

Finished in perfect white with 6 spoke, 3 piece Gotti wheels imported from Japan especially for the car. Hayley spent a long time putting the car back to Mk1 specs as the previous owner had tried to update the car but, that wasn’t what Hayley wanted so she rolled up her sleeves and got to it.

The plan: All white with a burgundy interior. But it didn’t stop there, the accent colour for the wheels, engine and interior was going to be burgundy too. With real Porsche handles and a full chrome kit for the Mk1.

This Just In – 1987 Volvo 240GL

The newest addition to the Bridge Classic Cars collection is this iconic 1987 Volvo 240GL. This particular car is going to live at our secure storage facility, The Hangar and be kept as somewhat of a survivor car.

We acquired the car locally from the sons of its original owner who bought the car brand new in 1987. In its lifetime, the car has only covered a shade over 78,000 miles which when looked at in the context of normal Volvo mileages is just about broken in. It retains all of its original features, which included heated seats, as well as the optional seat covers which are believed to have been fitted to the car the day it was bought.

We think this car is going to be a keeper for Bridge Classic Cars as part of our collection…

Massive Thanks – Photos of a Finished 1905 Riley 9HP Sent to Us

We are hugely grateful every time we get help with the restoration of our 1905 Riley 9HP here at Bridge Classic Cars. This time, it’s a massive boost to the project.

Emma from Historics Classic and Sportscars Auctioneers has very kindly sent over hundreds of reference photos for a 1905 Riley 9HP that they recently sold at auction. These photos are invaluable to the restoration team to use for reference on our car as the project begins to pick up momentum.

This car is believed to be the only other car in private hands along with our 1905 Riley so the photos taken of this car are massively in-depth and detailed which is exactly what the team need to work from on our restoration.

Again, we are so grateful and thankful to Emma from Historics Classic and Sportscars Auctioneers for these!

From Scratch – New Cubbies for the 1955 Jensen 541

The Bridge Classic Cars in-house trim shop has been continuing to work on the interior of the 1955 Jensen 541. This time, Brian has been handcrafting new storage boxes for the rare and unique sports car.

Bridge Classic Cars have become the go-to for Jensen 541 restorations which include our hand-made interiors. Brian, has been working on the new cubbies for the 1955 Jensen 541. These have been entirely made from scratch by hand specifically for this car by Brian and trimmed in brand new black vinyl for the finishing touch.

These are being made as part of the interior that the Bridge Classic Cars in-house trim shop are making specifically for the car.

Removal Continues – Removing the Steering Idler on the 1970 Bristol 411

The 1970 Bristol 411 is currently in the Bridge Classic Cars restoration workshop for a left-hand-drive conversion.

The next step in the conversion is removing all of the steering components on the classic Bristol. Our technician Paul has been working on methodically removing, cataloguing and storing any and all parts that have come off the car in case the car should ever want to be returned to right-hand-drive. The next piece to come out was the steering idler, which can only be removed after the steering box had come out of the car.

The steering idler will be inspected and catalogued like the other pieces from the car and put into storage.

On Top – Making a New Dash Cover for the 1986 Ford Capri Laser

The 1986 Ford Carpi Laser in the Bridge Classic Cars workshop has got some pretty serious cracks in the original dashboard. Our in-house trim shop has filled these but our trimmer Brian decided to go one step further.

Brian used the original dash pad as a template to make a new black vinyl cover for the top of the dash in the 1980s icon. He hand-cut and hand-stitched the edges to give the best finish to the piece and fit the overall finish of the interior of the Capri.

Once in the car, it went well with the rest of the dash and helped to cover the cracks in the dash.

Coming Soon – 1954 Jaguar XK120 Project

Bridge Classic Cars will soon be welcoming this 1954 Jaguar XK120 to our secure storage facility, The Hangar.

This XK120 is an incomplete project with numerous spare and replacements parts in boxes, including a complete spare chassis for the car. The car, all the spares and the V5 have been acquired by us so while its future is decided it will be kept at our safe, dry storage facility.

Second Coat – 1965 Porsche 912 Parts in Primer

Some of the panels and pieces from the 1965 Porsche 912 have been into the Bridge Classic Cars in-house paint booth for their first coats of primer.

Alan has been working on getting these panels ready for the polyester primer in the previous days which has involved hours of careful sanding and reworking of the metal. Now, it was time for the panels to go in for the first round of primer for the classic Porsche.

Now with the panels currently curing in the paint shop, Alan will begin getting the other parts of the 912 ready to go into the paint booth.

Removals – Removing the Suspension and Steering from the 1970 Bristol 411

The workshop at Bridge Classic Cars has been working on getting the suspension and steering system out of the 1970 Bristol 411.

Paul has removed the springs and dampers from the classic British GT ready for its left-hand-drive conversion. Along with that, he has removed the steering box out of the car. All of these pieces are being carefully inspected and put into storage to go along with the car after its conversion.

It’s exciting to see this project moving forward on such a unique but more frequently requested job.

The Kindest of Gestures – Winner of the 1976 Mercedes 350SL Donates to Local Charity as a Thank You

We recently welcomed the winner of our 1976 Mercedes 350SL, Zhuman Zamiri, to our Suffolk workshop to show him around and take delivery of his new classic.

As he toured the workshops with the Bridge Classic Cars staff, he kept remarking just how impressed he was with the wide range of cars that our team work on in-house. Then, it was finally time for us to unveil his 1976 Mercedes 350SL to him in our brand new workshop extension surrounded by the other competition cars.

Zhuman was speechless and so excited to get his hands on his first real classic. And what a perfect first classic this car really was. The team here at Bridge Classic Cars took him round the car and gave him the run through of everything to do with running and driving the car.

This week, Zhuman sent us a message to say that as a show of thanks to the team here at Bridge Classic Cars he donated to a local charity near to our hearts, East Angliaโ€™s Childrenโ€™s Hospices. An amazing gesture and one which will go to help a very worthy cause.

Thank you Zhuman and we wish you many happy miles of motoring with your 350SL from the whole Bridge Classic Cars team.

The Smallest Details – Repainting Parts for the 1956 Jensen 541

The paint team at Bridge Classic Cars have had some of the parts and pieces from the 1956 Jensen 541 in the paint booth.

With the restoration of the 1956 Jensen 541 moving ahead with the body panels and pieces being worked on by our paint and body teams, it was the turn of some of the parts to go into our in-house paint booth to be refinished in heavy-duty black and looking as good as new.

The pieces for this restoration will be going into the booth in various stages in preparation for the final assembly of the car but until then they will be wrapped up and put into storage after being catalogued.

Primed and Ready – The 1987 Mercedes 500SL in Primer

The stunning 1987 Mercedes 500SL which has been in the Bridge Classic Cars body shop getting prepared for its paint job has been transferred into the spray booth for the first layers of finish primer to be laid onto the iconic classic Mercedes.

Chris, one of our paint technicians, has taken the R107 into the booth and thanks to the hours of preparation on the body by our body team, flawlessly laid down the first in a long process of getting the car into its final colour of Selenit Grau.

Chris treats every coat of primer like it is a final layer of colour or clear and all the paintwork that comes out of the Bridge Classic Cars paint shop is held to the same exacting standards.

We’re excited to show you the next step in the restoration of the 1987 Mercedes 500SL very soon here on the Bridge Classic Cars news page.

Blackout – Refinishing Trim Pieces for the 1978 MGB GT

The paint team at Bridge Classic Cars have some of the trims and pieces from the 1978 MGB GT in the paint booth to be refinished.

Whilst the body of the MGB is having its metalwork completed, the paint team took the opportunity to refinish several of the trims and fixings in a new heavy-duty black finish for the classic sports car. This not only is aesthetic but also will help protect the pieces, which were taken back to bare metal, while they’re in storage until reassembly begins.

Filler Work – Body Work Continues on the 1965 Porsche 912

The paint and body team at Bridge Classic Cars have been working on getting the body of the 1965 Porsche 912 currently in with us absolutely perfect before it goes into the paint booth.

Alan has been working on getting each and every panel just right with hours of sanding and manipulating each piece. One of the front wings had shown evidence of repairs in the past which had changed the shape of the panel quite drastically, so Alan removed this from the car and went through the process of shrinking the metal in very specific places along the panel to get it to fall back into the correct shape.

With that process completed, he could then begin refining the filler work needed to smooth out any surfaces on the classic Porsche.

Final Checks – Retorquing the Cylinder Head of the 1969 Mercedes 280SL Pagoda

The engine for the 1969 Mercedes 280SL Pagoda has begun its final phase of testing at the Bridge Classic Cars workshop in Suffolk.

As part of the process, after the engine has been run up to temperature and left to cool several times, the cylinder head on the 2.8-litre straight-six. This is retorqued in the correct sequences and settings to make sure that the newly rebuilt cylinder head is sitting flat and even to the top of the engine block and the gasket is fitting correctly.

With that done and rechecked, the testing of the 1969 Mercedes 280SL Pagoda can continue.