TR5 Up And Running For The First Time
May 12, 2021
Our 1968 Triumph TR5 has been a total nut and bolt restoration, with it looking like just a chassis and some mechanics only 6 months
News
Ford Model T Gets New Brakes
May 12, 2021
We’ve been working on getting this 1915 Ford Model T up and running again, starting with refreshing the brakes. On this age car, the brakes
Charlotte Back On Two Wheels
May 12, 2021
Our talented presenter, Charlotte, recently got on our 1953 Francis Barnett and despite having little experience riding, she soon picked it up like a pro.
Spot The Difference
May 12, 2021
Notice anything about these two images? We were stunned to see the difference in colour once Colin for Auto Valet had cleaned the seats on
Behind The Scenes: Mercedes CL500
May 12, 2021
Take a look at the full photo gallery for our Mercedes CL500:
Mercedes Owners Wave Goodbye To Beloved Motor
May 12, 2021
Our electrician Tim recently sold us his late fathers beloved Mercedes CL500 with the hopes that someone else will take it on and love it.
First Coffee – Great Cars And Great Coffee
May 12, 2021
We noticed that a previous project of ours, this stunning 1973 Triumph TR6 had stopped in for a coffee at First Coffee in Clopton. We
Local Enthusiast Buys Rare Silver Mini
May 12, 2021
Friend of Bridge Classic Cars, Kieran Roper, has recently bought this rare 1977 Silver Mini that has gone on to get him featured in local
TVR Racing Grantura Update
May 12, 2021
Raymond bought our rare 1962 TVR Racing Grantura a while back and he’s now restoring it to its former glory. On The right you can
Diagnosed Dodgy Distributer
May 12, 2021
Scott has taken a look at our 1971 MG Midget. He began by investigating the poor running issue, which he identified as being a dodgy
Maroon Stag Paint Preparation
May 12, 2021
The 1973 Maroon Triumph Stag has its rocker covers and air box removed so that these could be painted.
Spitfire In For Service
May 12, 2021
Scott has been working on our 1971 Spitfire to identify the source of an oil leak. He discovered that it was the timing cover gasket
Peony Red Headliner Continues
May 11, 2021
Kath has continued on the 1960 Jensen 541S Peony Red headliner by bolting in the screws in the front header rail. She’s then covered the
The Ford Capri’s Run-In With A Ladder
May 11, 2021
This stunning 1971 Ford Capri has had an unfortunate run in with a ladder that has left some small cosmetic grazes on its rear quarter
1978 Mini 1275 – Team C Racing
May 11, 2021
This little brown 1978 Mini GT 1275 is in for some bodywork. We work closely with Ted from Team C Racing, who specialises in Minis
Lotus Elise S2 Ltd Edition
May 11, 2021
1 of 43 Ltd Edition Lotus Elise S2, with just 9 in red and only 6 in red with a grey cloth interior. Being 1
Austin Healey Sprite
May 11, 2021
We’ll hopefully be welcoming this little Sprite in soon for some work – keep your eyes peeled!
EADT – May 2021: Electric Classic Mini Set To Star On TV
May 11, 2021
Our Surf Blue mini that we helped restore with Ted from Team C Racing is now set to star on Vintage Voltage on tv. We’ve
1971 MG Midget In For Service
May 10, 2021
This little 1971 MG Midget has come in today for a service. It’s in need of its wheels being balanced, a general check over as
Jaguar XK8: More Rust Reveal
May 10, 2021
Our 1997 Jaguar XK8 has become somewhat of a snowball restoration. Originally in for just a touch of rust repair, we’re now revealing more rust
Lilac Jensen Fibreglass Repair
May 10, 2021
Our 1960 Jensen 541R is undergoing some fibreglass repair in our paint shop. Matt is currently working on the boot lid that needs to be
White E-Type Begins Its Paint Journey
May 10, 2021
Before we get the body and panels of our 1973 Jaguar E-Type Series 3 Roadster in for paint, we need to start painting the internal
Rebuilding the V8 engine
May 10, 2021
Having been in storage for many years with our friends at Brown and Gammons it’s time for the car to out and see the sunshine.
Triumph Stag Interior Finished
May 10, 2021
Brian has recently added the finishing touches to our Maroon 1973 Triumph Stag. This car has gone from looking rather sad at Bentwaters, with an
Life On Two Wheels
May 10, 2021
On these sunny Sunday afternoons we don’t just jump in our cars here at Bridge! Two of our technicians, Mauro and Tom spent Sunday enjoying
Lotus In For Service
May 7, 2021
Our Lotus has come back in for a service before the owner takes it out on a road trip. We’ve attended to the engine cooling
Tr4 Goes Camping
May 7, 2021
We love receiving updates from winners about what they’re getting up to with their cars. Adrian has gone camping with his campervan and Tr4. What
Jaguar XK8
May 7, 2021
Pricey has discovered a rotten left hand subframe mounting point/chassis leg. To deal with this, Pricey cut out the outer layer to reveal a rotten
Toyota TLC
May 7, 2021
James has been using the original spot-weld marks on our Toyota Hilux to realign the drivers door skin. James has made a spacer for the
Jaguar E-Type Handbrake Stripped
May 7, 2021
Scott has stripped the handbrake callipers and sandblasted the parts so they could be painted. Scott then started to put the rear axle together.
TR5 Up And Running For The First Time
May 12, 2021
Our 1968 Triumph TR5 has been a total nut and bolt restoration, with it looking like just a chassis and some mechanics only 6 months ago. Today it was started for the first time and it ran as expected with no series issues. The expected teething issues of a brand new engine have occurred, including a large amount of smoke as the new components are run for the first time. The next step is to road test it to see how it runs.
Ford Model T Gets New Brakes
May 12, 2021
We’ve been working on getting this 1915 Ford Model T up and running again, starting with refreshing the brakes. On this age car, the brakes are drum and steel which are only located on the back. We’ve taken the wheels off the back right hand side to find they’re totally dry and looking well. We’ve refreshed the grease on the hand brake pivot point and reassembled it. On the opposite side at the back the brakes were full of oil, which is as expected as the oil in the axel runs to the left hand side. We’ve taken it apart and replaced the outer race on the bearing as well as fitted an oil seal inside. At the front we’ve refreshed the grease in the hubs as well as noted some wear in the king pin.
Charlotte Back On Two Wheels
May 12, 2021
Our talented presenter, Charlotte, recently got on our 1953 Francis Barnett and despite having little experience riding, she soon picked it up like a pro. At the weekend, Charlotte went out as a passenger on the back of this classic motorbike, owned by a friend. This beastly classic is a stunning 1998 Honda Valkyrie 1520 Six Cylinder.
It seems we may have sparked Charlotte’s interest for bikes now!
Spot The Difference
May 12, 2021
Notice anything about these two images?
We were stunned to see the difference in colour once Colin for Auto Valet had cleaned the seats on our Mercedes CL600! The line across each photo shows the before and after of the leather seats in our Mercedes.
We can’t wait to see how it all looks once clean!
Behind The Scenes: Mercedes CL500
May 12, 2021
Take a look at the full photo gallery for our Mercedes CL500:
Mercedes Owners Wave Goodbye To Beloved Motor
May 12, 2021
Our electrician Tim recently sold us his late fathers beloved Mercedes CL500 with the hopes that someone else will take it on and love it. We’ve recently put this up in our competition where someone will be able to win it and love it as well.
Thank you Tim for passing on such a special motor.
First Coffee – Great Cars And Great Coffee
May 12, 2021
We noticed that a previous project of ours, this stunning 1973 Triumph TR6 had stopped in for a coffee at First Coffee in Clopton. We hear that First Coffee seems to be a popular place to stop off for coffee in your beloved motor! We’ll need to check it out soon…
Local Enthusiast Buys Rare Silver Mini
May 12, 2021
Friend of Bridge Classic Cars, Kieran Roper, has recently bought this rare 1977 Silver Mini that has gone on to get him featured in local news papers. This silver classic has only 5501 miles on the clock after being won by a school teacher in 1977 who couldn’t drive. This Mini is one of just 25 that was given the special colour to celebrate the Queen’s Silver Jubilee.
We can’t wait to see what he gets up to with this rare classic and we hope to see him soon!
TVR Racing Grantura Update
May 12, 2021
Raymond bought our rare 1962 TVR Racing Grantura a while back and he’s now restoring it to its former glory. On The right you can see a progress photo of the Grantura he bought from us and on the left is another rare racing Granture he’s recently bought – what a fantastic collection!
This is what the racing Grantura looked like when Raymond bought it:
Diagnosed Dodgy Distributer
May 12, 2021
Scott has taken a look at our 1971 MG Midget. He began by investigating the poor running issue, which he identified as being a dodgy distributor cap. After finding a cap off another car to try, Scott got it running. By played with timing and fuel mixture, Scott managed to get the MG started so that it was running nice and all seems well now. He then started doing a general check over as the customer has told us that it has sat for a while. Scott found that the diff-fill plug was really damaged and hard to remove so he had to weld a bar to it to remove and check the oil.
Maroon Stag Paint Preparation
May 12, 2021
The 1973 Maroon Triumph Stag has its rocker covers and air box removed so that these could be painted.
Spitfire In For Service
May 12, 2021
Scott has been working on our 1971 Spitfire to identify the source of an oil leak. He discovered that it was the timing cover gasket so we’ve ordered a new part to fix it. Scott then had to fix the heater vent control lever as it was jammed and then look at a poor starting issue. Scott tried turning the idle speed up as it was very low. In doing so he noticed that some fuel lines had perished so he has replaced those too.
Peony Red Headliner Continues
May 11, 2021
Kath has continued on the 1960 Jensen 541S Peony Red headliner by bolting in the screws in the front header rail. She’s then covered the B posts in leather and added 3mm of foam to the rear. Kath has then covered the back parcel shelve in the same headliner leather and then followed it up by fitting the panels along the top of the head liner.
Next up, Kath made a pattern for the rear pocket sections and then glued it in place. She then removed the seat belt to fit the rear quarter panel. She then modified the rear quarter panel to make it fit better. Kath then attached the rear door capping and rear panel as well as fitting the seat belt back in place. She then repeated this process on the driver’s side.
Once everything was covered and fit, Kath could lay the rear seat in place to make sure it all fits. Next up is the sound deadening and carpet.
The Ford Capri’s Run-In With A Ladder
May 11, 2021
This stunning 1971 Ford Capri has had an unfortunate run in with a ladder that has left some small cosmetic grazes on its rear quarter panel. We’ve taken it into the capable hands of our paint shop to have a touch up so that it can leave looking brand new.
We’ve all been ogling at this stunning bronze example. The paint, a golden bronze, is otherwise spotless and the interior is well preserved and well-loved.
1978 Mini 1275 – Team C Racing
May 11, 2021
This little brown 1978 Mini GT 1275 is in for some bodywork. We work closely with Ted from Team C Racing, who specialises in Minis as he will often send his projects our way for paintwork and bodywork, such as this Mini.
Lotus Elise S2 Ltd Edition
May 11, 2021
1 of 43 Ltd Edition Lotus Elise S2, with just 9 in red and only 6 in red with a grey cloth interior.
Being 1 of the 6 and being a beautiful, low mileage example, the current owner would like to re-trim the seats, door cards and centre console close to original factory specification.
Austin Healey Sprite
May 11, 2021
We’ll hopefully be welcoming this little Sprite in soon for some work – keep your eyes peeled!
EADT – May 2021: Electric Classic Mini Set To Star On TV
May 11, 2021
Our Surf Blue mini that we helped restore with Ted from Team C Racing is now set to star on Vintage Voltage on tv. We’ve recently been mentioned in an EADT article about it which you can read here.
The car has spent the 6 months in Wales at Electric Classic Cars undergoing a Tesla conversion.
Owner Simon Benton, has had the mini in his family its whole life. Originally purchased for him and his sister to learn in, the car then became their mother’s daily before retiring to their garage where it sat untouched for many years.
The characterful mini gained the name ‘OBie’ after its number plate and the release of Star Wars the summer they bought it.
1971 MG Midget In For Service
May 10, 2021
This little 1971 MG Midget has come in today for a service. It’s in need of its wheels being balanced, a general check over as it hasn’t been driven in a while and an oil check.
These MG Midgets are a particularly popular and charming classic which are quickly appreciating in value. As a simple classic roadster, it is the perfect every day classic or someone’s first classic. Fun to drive, easy to work on and cheap to fix, there’s not much you can’t love about it.
Jaguar XK8: More Rust Reveal
May 10, 2021
Our 1997 Jaguar XK8 has become somewhat of a snowball restoration. Originally in for just a touch of rust repair, we’re now revealing more rust than previously thought. Scenarios like this is very common as rust repair is often like opening a can of worms and we believe its better to bite the bullet and sort it out rather than wait for the rust to get to an unmanageable and fatal point.
Pricey has started working on the rotten right hand front subframe point where he has removed the outer layer, then cleaned and removed the inner layer and zinc sprayed it all. He has then welded the inner layer and zinc primed that, before doing the same with the outer layer. Pricey has then rust treated the surrounding areas and epoxy primed, undersealed and cavity waxed the area. After this, he refitted the subframe bracket and bolts.
Lilac Jensen Fibreglass Repair
May 10, 2021
Our 1960 Jensen 541R is undergoing some fibreglass repair in our paint shop. Matt is currently working on the boot lid that needs to be repaired with filler, shaped up and smoothed down.
White E-Type Begins Its Paint Journey
May 10, 2021
Before we get the body and panels of our 1973 Jaguar E-Type Series 3 Roadster in for paint, we need to start painting the internal parts in black epoxy. The majority of these parts will be totally or partially hidden either under the car or within it, however, it is important to have them all looking uniform and neat.
Rebuilding the V8 engine
May 10, 2021
Having been in storage for many years with our friends at Brown and Gammons it’s time for the car to out and see the sunshine.
We have been commissioned to rebuild the engine and marry up the gearbox.
Work will commence very soon.
Triumph Stag Interior Finished
May 10, 2021
Brian has recently added the finishing touches to our Maroon 1973 Triumph Stag. This car has gone from looking rather sad at Bentwaters, with an empty interior and flat tyre, to now starting to resemble a usable car!
He has fitted the tonneau cover in place by bolting the brackets into the car and fitting a catch to lock the hood in place. Brian then checked that the rear bar of the frame fits well into the cover lock and then laid the hood cover over the frame and glued the rear flap to the rear bar.
The next step was to clip the front edge in place and glue it to the front bar, followed by gluing the side and roof flaps in place. Brian then fit metal channels and rubbers in place and then trimmed the front edge of the cover, and then rivetted the metal channel and rubber in place.
After this, the rear and front seats could also be fitted. The interior now looks perfect.
Life On Two Wheels
May 10, 2021
On these sunny Sunday afternoons we don’t just jump in our cars here at Bridge!
Two of our technicians, Mauro and Tom spent Sunday enjoying a day out on two wheels in Great Yarmouth.
Lotus In For Service
May 7, 2021
Our Lotus has come back in for a service before the owner takes it out on a road trip.
We’ve attended to the engine cooling fans which are working correctly, we’ve found no oil leaks, we’ve checked over the vehicle to identify any other faults, which we have not found and replaced the oil and filter.
Tr4 Goes Camping
May 7, 2021
We love receiving updates from winners about what they’re getting up to with their cars. Adrian has gone camping with his campervan and Tr4. What a great opportunity to take it out on a new adventure now that camping is back on the cards!
Jaguar XK8
May 7, 2021
Pricey has discovered a rotten left hand subframe mounting point/chassis leg. To deal with this, Pricey cut out the outer layer to reveal a rotten middle section.
He then cut out the middle section to reveal rotten inner reinforcement. He’s also taken to cleaning up some of the corroded parts before building the reinforcements. Once these have been made, the chassis leg panels can be welded back into place, grounded down and a middle section can be fitted in. Once all the elements have been grounded and welded in place, Pricey then covered the underside in Epoxy primer so that its ready for an underseal.
Toyota TLC
May 7, 2021
James has been using the original spot-weld marks on our Toyota Hilux to realign the drivers door skin. James has made a spacer for the same door to rectify the owner’s previous repair and has also rust repaired the passenger side door frame ready to refit door skin in the same way.
Jaguar E-Type Handbrake Stripped
May 7, 2021
Scott has stripped the handbrake callipers and sandblasted the parts so they could be painted. Scott then started to put the rear axle together.
