Search
Close this search box.
My Account
My Account

News

Restoring the Riley

January 7, 2021

Our 1953 Riley RMS initially came in with some alignment issues with the bonnet and side panels however we discovered that the handbrake was sticking.

Read More »

Lada On The Road Back Home

January 6, 2021

Our lovely 1984 Lada 1200 is leaving today! We’ve completed all the work which included repairing and respraying the rusty floors, replacing the exhaust silencer,

Read More »

Kicking Up A Fuss

January 5, 2021

Just before Christmas, we discovered an issue with the Amphicar’s gearbox which had become noisy. We decided to take it out and inspect the elements.

Read More »

Sparking interest

January 5, 2021

The work on this beautiful silver 1959 Jensen 541R will be commencing in the coming weeks. It’s going to be a full re-wiring of the

Read More »

A Dashing Porsche 911

January 5, 2021

We’ve had the honour of working on a Porsche 911 interior recently. The dashboard needed to be refurbished, so our trim shop set out to

Read More »

2020 In Reflection

January 4, 2021

It goes without saying, 2020 has been tough for everyone but there have been some positives! Bridge Classic Cars turned 16, we welcomed in more

Read More »

Amphicar Tweaks

December 24, 2020

Our Amphicar is having a few adjustments as we’ve discovered a gearbox issue whilst testing. We noticed a noise which we originally thought was linked

Read More »

Christmas Clean Up

December 24, 2020

As we prepare to shut for Christmas, our workshop team are doing a thorough festive clean. Although we always keep our workspaces clean and sanitised,

Read More »

Meet The Team: Lydia and Scott

January 11, 2021

Here at Bridge Classic Cars, we’re a close-knit team and its not uncommon to have multiple family members, close friends and couples working together. Lydia and Scott are two of our talented technicians who also happen to be a couple. Like a snapshot from the 1940’s era, Scott and Lydia are fascinated by a vintage way of living. As very hands-on individuals, both have led careers in the trade.

Lydia, who only recently joined us, works in our Trim shop and has joined our team of specialist interior trim technicians. Lydia tells us she’s always been into sewing since she was a child, and has always enjoyed being creative, which she says is what she enjoys about working at Bridge. “I love the free reign and the creativity here, I’d never done any of the fitting before so being able to see the whole process is really interesting.”

“I started getting into classic cars when I began going to classic car shows as a teenager and I just ended up wanting one for myself. I’ve never bought a modern car because of it. My first car was a 1961 Morris Minor 1000, my second car was a 1952 Ford Prefect and now I own a 1953 Austin A40 Somerset.”

Not only is Lydia a talented seamstress and interior technician, but she also loves the classic lifestyle, that comes hand in hand with many of the cars that we work on. Lydia tells us that she really loves the challenge that comes with a restoration workshop as she learns the bespoke process of making and fitting each car’s interior, “I really love learning new and different skills” she tells us.

Lydia’s skills don’t just stop at car interiors as she tells us she used to make her own clothes and is currently in the middle of making home furnishings for their new house which is also a classic.

Scott is also a lover of classic and vintage lifestyles. He tells us that he grew up watching his father fix cars and picked it up from there, “I’ve always loved cars, I’ve never really cared about much else.”

Much like Lydia, Scott lives and breathes classic cars, with it not only his passion and career but also his personal hobby. Scott owns an artillery of classic cars including a 1940 Tudor Sudan and a Series 2 Land Rover, among various others. His Land Rover is his and Lydia’s current day to day, which he tells us he bought when in search of a run-around car whist we worked on his other projects, “You have to think of it as a tractor. Many people think its uncomfortable but I don’t, I’ve enjoyed driving it”

Scott used to work as a panel beater for cars caught in accidents but tells us that being at Bridge has allowed him to grow and learn much more about the overall process of renovating classics. Whilst Scott joined as a fabricator and general technician, he soon found his love for working in the main workshop where he had the ability to do a bit of everything. You can find Scott working on projects that range from fitting interior trims, fixing alignment issues in the fabrication bay or working over an engine in the main workshop, “I learn something new every day”.

“I’ve always loved cars, I’ve never really cared about much else.”

Scott’s own long term project is building a workshop at his house which will allow him to work on his collection of cars. The car that will take centre stage in his new workshop will be building a Ford Model A with a flathead V8 installed. This will be a full rebuild, starting with the Model A chassis and working up. He’s currently got a ‘hopped-up’ flathead V8 in his 1940 ford, meaning the Ford A project will come with some previous transferable skills.

The Cyan Volvo P1800 Restomod

January 11, 2021

Made between 1961 and 1973, the P1800 was Volvo’s lightweight sportscar of the 60’s. The original dual carburettor, inline 4 cylinder engine put out a respectable 115bhp.

Cyan have reimagined the classic P1800. The engine has been replaced with a Volvo 2.0L turbo 4 cylinder, putting out 414bhp.

Five speed manual Holinger gearbox, LSD, race suspension and upgraded brakes have all made this a real racecar for the road.

The P1800 is light… very light. Using carbon fibre to save weight, this car tips the scales at just 990kg.

All cars have already been spoken for and have set there new owners back £380,000.

Over 400bhp in a car weighing less than 1000kg sounds like a recipe for a lot of fun! What are your thoughts on Cyan’s resto-mod?

Ferrari Daytona’s Debut

January 8, 2021

We received the engine for our unique 1979 Arrow Ferrari Daytona Replica. This kit car is going to be a particularly large restoration with the process expected to take a while but we know for certain it will be worth it!

Ant, one of our fabricators has been working on stripping the body. It originally had a lot of stickers on the side which have now been taken off, allowing ant to prepare underneath for new paint. The current plan for this Daytona is to be painted Green – stay tuned!

This is what it looked like before we started the stripping process:

One of our technicians, Scott, has also been stripping down the Daytona by focusing on the doors and removing all chrome and lights.

Scott has also been working on the removal of the complete exhaust system and rear axle which will be refurbished.

Tom, another of our Classic Car Technicians has been sorting all the parts, which are a mix of new and old. He has ordered and filed all the components so we know what we have and if we need to get anything else. It also allows us to see which bits need refurbishing and cleaning.

Farewell Little Micra

January 7, 2021

We recently said goodbye to our little Micra that we’d all grown quite fond of. This 1994 Nissan Micra Dot, a future classic, went off to its new home earlier in the week.

As a versatile and nippy little car, its the perfect daily car whilst still being a possible future classic. We have known of our 1994 Nissan Micra Dot for many years as it belonged to Gordon (the Director’s) next door neighbour.

She has owned the car from new in 1994 and has covered just 19,000 miles in that time. Due to the fact that she very rarely used the car, she asked us whether we would consider selling it on her behalf.

Restoring the Riley

January 7, 2021

Our 1953 Riley RMS initially came in with some alignment issues with the bonnet and side panels however we discovered that the handbrake was sticking. To try and resolve this, Scott stripped the rear brakes, cleaned and greased where necessary and then cleaned up and re-greased the compensator as it was sitting too tight.

Scott also noticed that the handbrake cable had been routed different to the factory setting and was hard up against floor at an angle. To fix this, Scott took the cable off, regreased it and fitted it correctly.

We also noticed that the front right brake was binding slightly so Scott took the drum off and found that it was caked in dust and dirt. After giving it a clean, Scott then adjusted the brakes.

Triumphant Steps For The TR5

January 7, 2021

Mauro has been dedicated to the renovation of our beautiful 1968 Triumph TR5 that is slowly resembling more of a car now. With the engine now fitted in, Mauro has been diligently pouring over the engine bay to make sure everything is perfect.

Most recently Mauro has been working on refurbishing some of the smaller elements such as the heater box which has been stripped and serviced, and then reassembled with new matrix. The pedal box has also been refurburshed along with the dashboad, steering column and pedal box.

Once all these elements have been refurbished, they’ve been fitted back into the car.

Nissan 300ZX Completion

January 7, 2021

Our lovely Nissan 300ZX is almost finished. We’re just waiting on an Alternator Belt to arrive, which we will fit once its arrived.

We solved the running issues which we originally thought were linked to the cold start motor but were in fact linked to the air filter taking in too much air. Once the alternator belt has been fitted, one of the technicians will take the Nissan for a spin to see how it runs and as long as it passes its road test without any snags, it’ll be sent up to our hanger to be stored until the owner is ready to pick it up.

DB7 In For A Service

January 7, 2021

This stunning 1997 Aston Martin DB7 has been sat in storage up at our specialist hanger at RAF Bentwaters. Today it came in for a general service and check up.

This model is particularly rare as its a manual transmission whereas most of these models are automatic. The car was passed down to the current owner after previously belonging to the customers late father.

Our specialist classic car technician Tom has started the check-up today by replacing the oil, oil filter and spark plugs. Tom will also be checking the gearbox, differential and brakes among other elements. We aim to carry out a thorough service and refurbishment of this Aston Martin, leaving it healthy and new afterwards.

Calm Indian Cow – Beastmag London Feature – December 2020

January 7, 2021

Our Bedford J-Type truck restoration is being put to good use. Owner of Calm Indian Cow, a traditional Indian takeaway restaurant, Mahesh tasked us with restoring his 1971 Bedford Truck, fully loaded and ready for food preparation and service.

Based in Shoreditch, Mahesh is cooking up a storm, serving delicious Indian cuisine from the converted truck.

Beastmag London have recently featured Mahesh and Calm Indian Cow on their Instagram page. It was a pleasure to be tasked with such a special project. If you’re ever in the Leonard Street, Shoreditch area, we would thoroughly recommend paying Mahesh a visit.

Paint corrections for the Triumph TR6

January 6, 2021

We’ve been focusing on perfecting the paintwork for our Triumph TR6, making sure the metal bodywork sits perfectly.

Currently its sitting in a filler spray awaiting a high build primer before its painted for the final time.

Peugeot 504 Is All Done

January 6, 2021

We’re delighted to announce our beautiful 1972 Peugeot 504 is ready to finally leave us! We just need to do a few final road checks but it’s otherwise completed and will be returned to its owner very soon.

Peony Red Jensen Developments

January 6, 2021

Our 1960 Peony red Jensen 541S is making good progress in the workshop. Here are the latest developments.

Fabrication Bay

Our technician Chris has been working on the Jensen body in the fabrication bay. He’s been ‘gapping’ the doors so they look and fit the same around the sides. He’s also cut and ground both sides, added fibreglass to the bonnet to close the gap up and made a boot catch plate. Finally, Chris has marked the holes and tapping them up to make sure all the bolts fitted.

Trim Shop

Brian has been making a new door panel board from hardboard in the trim shop. This has been done by removing the armrest from the pocket section, removing the metal trim and old cover from the armrest and then making a new pattern for the cover.

Once a pattern has been made, Brian can cut it out from leather, sew on the new cover and fit it to the armrest by glueing and stapling it in place. Brian has also added metal trim to the armrest and cut leather out to make a pocket section. This was then glued in place.

The edges have been turned around to neaten the cover and new piping has been sewn in. Brian then needed to glue the inner metal to the foam, and fit the metal in place. The next step was to then glue the rest of the foam to the inner side of the pocket and fit the armrest to the pocket section. Once fitted, the armrest has been secured with screws and riveting support bar to the back.

Kath has also been working on the Jensen. She’s taken off the old cover from the dashboard and removed the old glue as well, ready to the rub down the front and back in preparation for new material.

Once cleaned down, Kath can mark out the new material and glue both surfaces to stick the material in place. To neaten it up, the material is turned over the edges and the dash holes are trimmed around so that the new cover sits comfortably. Once both sides were done and had followed the same process, Kath then glued along where the two pieces of material meet.

The dash top also needed to be refurbished. For this, Kath removed the two old covers and cut out new material ready to cover the dash top element. Once the material had been marked around the top, it could then be glued along one edge, the material turned over and the corners neatened up.

Lydia has also been working on the Peony Red Jensen interior. She’s been focusing on rear squab by measuring out all the leather, assembling the pieces together and sewing it all up. Lydia then prepared for the fitting of the cover on to the foam and board. She marked out new plywood to replace old worn out original. The next step was to then add wadding to the original foam so it maintains a nice shape. After all this was done, it was time to fit the cover over the squab.

Lada On The Road Back Home

January 6, 2021

Our lovely 1984 Lada 1200 is leaving today! We’ve completed all the work which included repairing and respraying the rusty floors, replacing the exhaust silencer, fitting rear seatbelts, adjusting the rear brakes and adjusting the handbrake cable. This soviet classic is now ready to get back on the road.

It was another crisp and dreary morning this morning as our technicians loaded the Lada into our new lorry, ready to make its way back to its owner.

With fewer than 200 on the roads in the UK, the Lada is now a rare vehicle. Originally manufactured and popular in Russia, around 134,000 were licenced for UK roads in the 1990s. After a sharp decline over the years, you’d typically struggle to find a classic Lada in the UK however those figures are slowly rising as the value and rarity of these motors increase.

Here’s some photos of when the Lada first came in:

Refurbishments On Speed Dial

January 5, 2021

We’ve sent off a collection of our dials back to Speedograph to refurbish them. These all belong to our Lilac Jensen 541R, the Amphicar, the Peony Red Jensen and a Mercedes.

Motoring Events Bucket List

January 5, 2021

For car lovers and adventure chasers, there’s a tonne of events that are well worth adding to your motoring bucket list. They’re a step up from a relaxing car show or road trip but whether you’re a spectator or competitor, they will all give you a unique experience you won’t be forgetting any time soon. Here’s a selection of some of the world’s greatest motoring events off the beaten track.

The Mongol Rally

The Mongol Rally is one of a handful of charity events set up by the kings of chaos and exploration: The Adventurists. This 10,000-mile adventure from the UK to Mongolia only has three rules; a small car under 1.2 litres, no back up/support, raise £500 for the chosen charity. The rules encourage you to spend very little on your car, but do not specify which cars you should choose, meaning many do them in old run-down cars, so there’s nothing stopping you from picking up an old classic for this trip! The rally also encourages you to throw your GPS and planned routes out the window and venture into the unknown. There’s no set route although many competitors take a route that leads them through the Stans, however the more inventive the better. Lasting on average of 3-4 weeks, the Mongol Rally starts in July and can end any time from August to September, depending on your route.

This rally isn’t for the faint-hearted and whilst it’s a serious adventure, it is run with a light-hearted spirit and encourages escapades and chaos.

Rickshaw Run

The Rickshaw Run is another wacky event organised by The Adventurists. Although strictly not a car, this is motoring event packs a punch. The event takes place in India, the Himalayas or Sri Lanka, each one varies in length. The original event is held in India and lasts on average of 16 days, the Himalayan event is around 13 days and the Sri Lankan event is 9 days. Much like the Mongol Rally, there are only a few rules. You race in a Rickshaw, you raise £500 for the chosen charity and you have no road support or back up; if you break down, you fix it yourself! Although far simpler than a car, the Rickshaw has its own tricks to learn in terms of fixing it. Nevertheless, you’re in for the adventure of a lifetime.

The Monkey Run

Another event organised by The Adventurists and I’m sure you get the idea by now – it’s going to be ridiculous and adventurous. The Monkey Run is a race done on monkey bikes, which are essentially children’s motorbikes. They’re nippy bundles of metal and gusto, with only 2.1 BHP, 48cc of 4 stroke engine and weighing 69kg, there’s not far to fall when you inevitably do take a tumble. The route starts in a secret location near Merzouga, Morocco, venturing through deserts and mountains, and ends in another secret location near Marrakech.

Dumball Rally

The Dumball Rally changes route each year. In 2020, the event took place in Mexico, with a bunch of old VW Beetle’s travelling 2000km from Mexico City to Acapulco, raising money for Teenage Cancer Trust. Much like the Mongol Rally, its an event in the spirit of adventure, however, The Dumball Rally is a bit less ruthless as they offer you accommodation, road support and meals. This event encourages beat up and cheap cars to join the road trip. From Morris Minors to old Toyota’s, this road trip event is perfect for road trip lovers and classic car fanatics.

Gumball 3000

2021’s Gumball 3000 rally is set to take place from Toronto to Havana in May. Since 1999, its taken routes through a selection of different countries and continents. For those who haven’t heard of Gumball 3000, its an adventure road trip for rockstars.

“Gumball is about challenging tradition and taking a non conventional approach to exploring and pushing cultural and creative boundaries.”

Baja 1000

Starting in 1967, the Baja 1000 rally is not for the faint-hearted. It strikes through the heart of the Mexican desert. It holds the title of the longest non-stop point-to-point race in the world and lasts just 5 days.

Any and all vehicles and bikes are welcomed, but depending on your steed of choice depends on when you start. For example, motorbikes and buggies start first and different classifications of cars then follow in segments.

24 hours Le Mans

24 Hours Le Mans is a little more exclusive to enter, filled with some of the worlds best drivers and teams. Its an incredibly popular spectator event as the worlds oldest sports car endurance races. The race itself has been going since 1923 and is held near Le Mans in France and is one of three races in the Triple Crown of Motorsport, with the other two races being the Indy 500 and the Monaco Grand Prix. The race is measured by how far each car can go in 24 hours without mechanical failure, making it different from fixed distance races. Spectators tend to camp out by the track and tickets for the campsite are available on their website.

Monaco Grand Prix

The Monaco Grand Prix is a Formula One motorsport race that’s been running since 1929 and is held on the Circuit De Monaco. The race is held on a narrow course laid out in the streets of Monaco, with many challenging elements such as tight corners and a tunnel, making it one of the most demanding and dangerous tracks in Formula One. Much like 24 Le Mans, its a more exclusive event to enter than rallies like The Mongol Rally, making it more of a spectator event rather than an open race.

Indy 500

500 miles, 200 laps, 33 drivers and a bottle of milk. This exciting event is held at the Indianapolis Speedway track in the USA. The Indy 500 was set up in 1911, this event has gone on for over 100 years, with two breaks during World War One and World War Two. The unique milk-drinking celebration was started in 1936 after three-time winner Louis Meyer was seen drinking Butter Milk in the Victory lane. ‘An executive with what was then the Milk Foundation was so elated when he saw the moment captured in a photograph in the sports section of his newspaper the following morning that he vowed to make sure it would be repeated in coming years.’ Although from 1947-55 milk no longer offered, the tradition returned in 1956 and has been a tradition ever since.

Italian Job Rally

The Italian Job Rally is loosely based around the Michael Caine film and takes place across Europe with each year the route being different. Mini’s of any generation or any other car featured in the Italian Job film can enter, and its run to raise money for a selected charity.

Morris Minor Is Ready To Go

January 5, 2021

We’re delighted to announce that our 1963 Morris Minor 1000 is ready to go! All we need to do now is do a road test to ensure everything is in working order when running for an extended period of time.

This is a vital part of every restoration as there’s a huge difference between turning over in the workshop and actually running soundly on the road. It isn’t uncommon for teething snags to appear after the road test but fingers crossed the Morris Minor will pass with flying colours!

We’ve had this Morris Minor in for almost exactly a year now, so it would be ideal if we can see it off exactly a year later!

Suspension Building For The Jensen

January 5, 2021

Our 1958 Jensen 541R is currently having its suspension fixed and rear suspension bolts replaced as the previous bolts had no locking facilities, meaning they could come loose.

The rear axel straps also need to be fitted but these will be made in our workshop first and then added. We like to make our own elements for the cars as much as we can to make sure the parts fit perfectly onto each vehicle. This ensures that every classic goes away with parts especially made for them.

Kicking Up A Fuss

January 5, 2021

Just before Christmas, we discovered an issue with the Amphicar’s gearbox which had become noisy. We decided to take it out and inspect the elements. You can read about the diagnosis here.

The gearbox has been sent to Last Transmissions to be overhauled and replace the bearings. Once this has been done and is back with us, we hope to get it back together again and put on the water.

Sparking interest

January 5, 2021

The work on this beautiful silver 1959 Jensen 541R will be commencing in the coming weeks. It’s going to be a full re-wiring of the harness, meaning all the electrics are needing to be replaced and rewired.

A Dashing Porsche 911

January 5, 2021

We’ve had the honour of working on a Porsche 911 interior recently. The dashboard needed to be refurbished, so our trim shop set out to fix it up.

Kath drew around the old dash in vinyl to create a template. This template was test fitted to the trim and tweaked to ensure the perfect fit. Once Kath was happy with the vinyl she marked out the various trim pieces onto leather, before cutting out, and sewing together. The top stitching has been done in a grey thread to ensure the trim looks neat.

By working the cover around the dash, the new leather starts to fit. Fitting the stitched side first and gradually pulling and fitting the rest around the dash. The last step is to trim around the edges and turn the ends under for a perfect finish.

Is your interior looking a bit tired? There’s no job too big or too small for our talented Trim team! Get in touch with us today to see how we can help. 

Electric Forecourt Opens In Essex

January 4, 2021

The UK’s first all-electric car charging forecourt opened in Essex in December 2020. It comes equipped with super-fast wifi and a selection of shops such as WHSmith and cafes to keep drivers entertained whilst they recharge their vehicle.

The forecourt offers 350kW of charging power which is enough to top up 200 miles in 20 minutes. There is space for 36 cars to be charging at the same time too, so no chance of a shortage of stations.

Gridserve, the company who has built the forecourt hopes to build more than 100 sites such as this in the next 5 years. The Braintree site is powered by clean energy from one of the UK’s first subsidy-free solar farms at Clayhill in Bedfordshire as well as overhead solar canopies.

“As we accelerate towards cleaner and greener transport, I’m delighted to see the future of service stations being brought to life with the opening of the UK’s first all-electric forecourt.” Rachel Maclean, Transport Minister commented.

You can see the blog about our friends from Ransome Van Centre who visited it, here.

2021 Sees Changes To Classic Car Numberplates

January 4, 2021

DVLA have made changes to the legalities of black and silver number plates as of 1st January 2021. In their statement, they’ve said; “The change seeks to prevent any vehicle constructed after 1 January 1980 from the ability to display the black and silver number plate despite being recorded in the DVLA’s historic tax class. Those vehicles with a construction date prior to 1 January 1980 will continue to be able to legally display black and silver number plates to avoid any undue costs of replacement.”

From “1st January it will no longer be permissible to fix a new number plate displaying a Euro symbol. Number plates already fixed to vehicles are unaffected. We will also be introducing a new British Standard for number plates produced from 1 September 2021 which will mean all current style number plates that are first fixed to a vehicle from that date must meet the technical requirements contained in that standard.”

You can find out more here.

2020 In Reflection

January 4, 2021

It goes without saying, 2020 has been tough for everyone but there have been some positives! Bridge Classic Cars turned 16, we welcomed in more unique and interesting cars, expanded the team and took new ventures.

2020’s Winners

This year we introduced our competitions back in May. With an uncertain year ahead of us, we wanted to provide some excitement to our followers, and what better way than to offer the chance of winning a car for less than £20! It wasn’t easy at first, but now with over 21 winners and up to 4 competition cars running at the same time, we’re doing better than ever. So far we’ve given away £561,197.00 worth of classic cars!

This week we’re delivering our latest winning cars, our 1974 VW Beetle that was won by Colin Knight and our 1995 Jaguar XJ6 who was won by Nick Nicola just before Christmas! We’re being careful to make the delivery as safe as possible, complying with tier 4 guidelines but we can’t wait to see Colin and Nick’s reactions!

1967 Jaguar E-Type Series 1 Race Car Replica Completion

Its been a long restoration, but we were delighted to announce the completion of our very own project, our 1967 Jaguar E-Type Series 1 Race Car Replica. Its come a long way from the decrepit shell we started with in 2017. Every detail, right down to the colour has been custom made and designed. This truly is a Bridge Classic Car. You can see it’s story here.

The Year Of The Jensen

We love every and any classic car and are in turn, we’re equipped to fix and restore any classic too, but 2020 for us was the year of the Jensen. We’ve had eight 541R/541S’s in this year, some of which are still with us being completed. With only 193 Jensen 541R’s and 127 541S’s ever made worldwide, to have so many in at all really is outstanding, let alone all at the same time.

The 541R models were manufactured between 1957 and 1960 when they were later replaced by the 541S that ran from 1960 to 1962. Whilst each car is incredibly unique with its story and bespoke restoration, they are also very similar, and as you can imagine, with 8 very similar cars in at the same time, it took a while to get our heads around which was which when referring to them.

Expanding the team

2020 saw the birth of the Trim Shop. Whilst we’d had individual trim specialists working with us before, we were yet to dedicate a department to it! Last year saw the creation of the Trim Shop, giving the speciality its own workshop and team which continued to grow throughout the year. Originally just Kath and Brian, we have welcomed a new face to the team recently. Lydia has now joined us and is another much-valued member of the trim shop. Having our own trim department allows us to continue keeping all our restorations under one roof, limiting the outsourcing as much as we can.

We’ve also had Ellie join this year, adding to the marketing department. Previously we had just Freddie, and briefly Charlotte doing our marketing, but as the company started to grow, we found the need to take on another set of hands for our marketing and visuals.

One of a kind – Chevron B20

We’ve had some very unique cars in this year, including this original 1972 Chevron B20. Its seen top racing drivers, international races and a big crash in its lifetime and nowWe’re selling this on behalf of the owner but in the meantime, we’re enjoying housing this incredible special car. You can find out more about its history on our blogs.

Introduction of editorial shoots

The latter part of this year saw us start shooting some of our cars in a more editorial and creative style. Whilst we’ve always organised high-quality shoots of all our competition and for sale cars, we decided to add models to some of the shoots to make them a bit different.

Now we have both Freddie and Ellie on shoots, it means we can also get behind the scene insights into our shoots.

Bespoke restorations; A tribute

Another interesting and heartfelt restoration this year was our 1972 Jaguar E-Type Series 3 that we restored. In memory of their late uncle, the owner paid to have a commemorative plaque fitted by the handbrake. We also embedded one of their Uncle’s favourite cufflinks above it as well. As we always say, each restoration is special and every car carries its own stories, but this one was particularly special.

Car Show 2020

Last January, we had our open morning car show that proved to be incredibly popular. After having to cancel our 2021 January open morning show, we hope to organise one for later this year.

How Bridge Classic Cars Thrived In 2020

January 4, 2021

2020 has been a challenge for us all. Nobody has been able to avoid the immense challenges that Covid-19 has presented. So how could we not only adapt, but thrive during a Global pandemic?

This year we’ve seen 11 Jensen’s pass through our Classic Car workshop. Having built up a superb reputation for Jensen 541 restorations, we are now one of the most prolific Jensen 541 restorers worldwide. Our expert team of classic car technicians have continued to uphold our incredibly high standards for quality, even with so many disruptions this year.

Formerly specialising solely in the sale and restoration of classic cars, we have had to adapt to an increasingly challenging economic landscape. With 90 percent of our workforce unable to work. Craig and Freddie fast-tracked the launch of Bridge Classic Cars Competitions. Fortunately the launch of our competitions couldn’t have come at a better time. In preparation since January 2020, we were planning to launch a completely new division to the business, for quite some time. We seized the extra time we suddenly have an with the first national lockdown on the 16th March began work on the new division of Bridge Classic Cars.

Bridge Classic Cars Competitions has been hugely successful. We’ve harnessed the power of social media as our primary marketing source and increased our monthly social media impressions from a few thousand users to over 1.4 million unique users every month, reaching classic car enthusiasts across the UK with industry leading innovative digital media advertising campaigns. This has allowed us to move our physical face-to-face car sales into an online space.

Charlotte, friend of Bridge Classic Cars, talented presenter and face of Bridge Classic Cars competitions has connected with classic car enthusiasts across the country in regular live videos. She’s brought an incredible warmth and energy to our brand.

Our customers have won their dream cars by purchasing tickets which cost just a few pounds, changing their lives forever. Here is the moment Colin, winner of our 1966 Ford mustang Competition saw his car for the first time

https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=643554456248570

Global Automotive Awards - Corporate Vision Magazine

Our success has been recognised by industry professionals, having recently been named Classic Car Restoration Specialists of the Year at the London and South East Prestige awards from Corporate LiveWire.

We have also been awarded both Best Classic Vehicle Restoration and Maintenance Company and Innovation in Automotive Marketing 2020 at Corporate Vision’s Global Automotive Awards.

We would like to thank you, the classic car community reading this. Our successes are nothing without this community. We are so immensely proud of the wonderful group of enthusiasts we have following our journey and it is with great excitement we anticipate the re-introduction of in-person meetings. But until we meet again, we hope you all stay safe, stay well and we look forward to a brighter future.

Peony Red Jensen Update

December 24, 2020

We’ve taken apart the old rear quarter panels on our 1960 Peony Red Jensen 541s, ready to make new ones. This is done by cutting out new mill board panels, cutting out new plywood panels, fitting new plywood panel to original top wood, glueing & stapling mill board panel to plywood panel, riveting brackets to edge of the panel, adding foam padding to cover panel and then glueing & stapling the leather cover to the panel.

A newly fabricated bonnet has been fitted too.

Jensen glove box door in mushroom interior has been made by Brian in the trim shop. This involved removing old vinyl, cutting new vinyl, sticking it onto the door, trimming around the edge.

The dash has also been renovated. Brian has removed the old cover, sanded it down to remove the old glue and leather, mark out the new material, and glue up the parts. Once the glue had dried it was stretched and the ends trimmed.

Amphicar Tweaks

December 24, 2020

Our Amphicar is having a few adjustments as we’ve discovered a gearbox issue whilst testing. We noticed a noise which we originally thought was linked to the thrust bearing however it turns out it’s due to the first motion shaft bearing that needs repairing.

We’ve taken out the engine and gearbox, and will now begin the process of fixing the gearbox.

Christmas Clean Up

December 24, 2020

As we prepare to shut for Christmas, our workshop team are doing a thorough festive clean. Although we always keep our workspaces clean and sanitised, spending extra time on Friday afternoons, we know it’s essential to give our workshop a deep clean before we head home.

We couldn’t forget to share with you Rosie looking very festive! There’s no need for reindeer here as we’ve got plenty horsepower between all our cars, but we do have the important edition of a Christmas pup who provides festive cheer whilst we prepare the workshop for Christmas closure. You can see our opening times here.

Peugeot 504 Almost Ready To Go

December 24, 2020

We’re currently diagnosing an engine issue with our 1972 Peugeot 504. After going for its test drive, we discovered what we think to be an injector pipe leak. With everything else completed, the final job to do is to repair this pipe by taking the components apart and remanufacture the part.

Last week the 504 also had some new headlights fitted by our electrical specialist Adam. After rewiring and installing the lights, the 504 is ready to tackle those dark winter mornings.

Suspension Concluded On The Navy Jensen

December 24, 2020

The front suspension is back together on our 1958 Jensen 541R. The modifications have concluded with the brake flex pipe has been relocated to avoid touching the wheel.

The suspension spring strength had to be reduced to allow work to be done on it to ensure the component wasn’t under too much pressure.

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.

As seen on
As seen on the Daily Mail
© Bridge Classic Cars Holdings Ltd, T/ as Bridge Classic Cars. Registered in England and Wales with company number 5047706.