News

Coming soon: 1991 Volkswagen Transporter

Coming soon, we have our 1991 Volkswagen Transporter in need of some rectifications to the body and a full re-paint. As with a lot of the VW campers rust has started to eat into the usual places so all of this will need to be removed and new metalwork will need to be shaped prior to paint preparation.

We are also considering a new bespoke interior but this will be stage 2 of project.

Stripping our 1960 MG A

Paul and Tamas have been busy stripping the MG A of all of it’s removable components. In order to get the chassis blasted there needs to be mothing left on the car. Everything has been removed, labelled, photographed and stored away for assessment. We will assess each and every components to decide on where it is repairable, recoverable or whether we need to be looking to source it new.

Jaguar E-Type – Welcome to the world’s first…

Introducing the world’s first Volcano Orange and Magnetic Grey Jaguar E-Type.

This one-off prototype race car has been built and designed in-house by us here at Bridge Classic Cars.

The colour is based on the McLaren Volcano Orange and is built up of a three-stage finish with a unique Diamondburst Tixo Clearcoat lacquer. The internal area and engine bay is finished in Ford’s Magnetic Grey.

Painting our Jaguar E-Type Race Car

Looking through the oven window as Darren carries out the long awaited but ridiculously exciting race car respray.

Work began on our 1967 Jaguar E-Type race car in January 2017 and now we can finally reveal the first look of our incredible colour combination; Volcano Orange and Magnetic Grey, most likely to be the only Jaguar E-Type in existence using this colour combination. A three colour combination makes up the Volcano Orange, we were first inspired by the colour on a McLaren parked up in a car park at Sandown Racecourse.

See story here…

One for the future: 1948 Triumph Roadster

Today, we had a visit from Alan and his 1948 Triumph Roadster. The hood is very much in need of some TLC. it really could benefit from a new hood and for the wood and metalwork to be restored whilst the material is off the frame.

Lots of holes in the hood mean it is open to the elements…

When Donna returns from her holidays we’ll sit down and have a look at the options. certainly an exciting project for the future.

S2000 arriving in our Woodbridge workshops

We have now arrived back in Suffolk after our long trip down from the Highlands. Our 1999 Honda S2000 is now with us in our Woodbridge workshops awaiting preparation. The car will soon be available to purchase and on display in our Classic Car showroom.

Have a great weekend from Bridge Classic Cars

As we put the broom down, dry out the mop machine and turn the lights off for another week at Bridge Classic Cars we look at the wonderful facilities we have here and the incredible work the whole team do to bring these classics back to life!

Our workshops are always packed with amazing classics, in the various stages of rebuild and our dedicated classic car showroom and photo studio displays various classics from all over the world.

If you would like to pay us a visit please feel free and if you would like any assistance in the world of classic cars we would love to hear from you.

1967 Jaguar Race Car – Paint Time

This is it, the final time you will see our 1967 Race E-Type free from colour. Tomorrow she’ll be painted in the brand new colour combination of Volcano Orange and Magnetic Grey.

1977 Ford RS2000 Repaint

We have decided to re-paint our 1977 Ford RS2000 due to a few too many paint imperfections on the body.

From a distance, the paint looked beautiful but upon closer inspection there were a number of orange-peel effects which we wanted to tackle.

We have opted to repaint the entire car as we feel this would give the best results.

Collecting our 1999 Honda S2000

Gordon and Mauro spent a few days out of the workshops this week collecting our 1999 Honda S2000 from Elgin, Scotland.

They stayed in the beautiful Knockomie Hotel in the Scottish Highlands which was on a stone’s throw away from the previous owner’s property.

The car has covered just 65000 miles with a fantastic history and maintenance schedule. These modern classics have always been good news and we are so pleased to have discovered one with such low miles and in such good, genuine condition.

Awaiting preparation…

Delivering our Riley Two Point Six

After a long 13hr trip we have successfully delivered our 1958 Riley Two Point Six to its new home in Prestwick, South Ayrshire. The car is now in the possession of a true Riley enthusiast who already has a handful of these rare Two Point Six cars. A very knowledgeable gentleman who we know will cherish and enjoy the car for many years to come.

Jaguar E-Type Race Car – Raptor

The Volcano Orange engine frames are now fitted into position, complimenting the Magnetic Grey engine bay perfectly.

The Magnetic Grey underside is also in colour and complete. We have applied a layer of Raptor to the underneath for extra protection. Raptor Tough and Tintable Protective Coating is a durable urethane coating that provides surfaces with a protective barrier that can withstand the toughest situations.

Developed to tolerate most climatic conditions, Raptor is U.V. resistant and wonโ€™t fade or โ€œchalkโ€ even after years in the sun. Raptor is also water resistant and helps to protect surfaces from rust, making it perfect for surfaces that are frequently exposed to water, including salt water.

Raptorโ€™s versatility makes it perfect for almost any application. Spray or roll Raptor on high traffic areas; itโ€™s scratch and stain resistant and easy to clean, simply hose it off. Its flexible formulation can handle impacts without cracking, making it perfect for its most popular application as a truck bed liner.

Raptor is unlike other bed liners or protective coatings. Itโ€™s less expensive and faster than powder coating. And in case it does scratch (which is tough to do!), Raptor can easily be repaired. You canโ€™t do that with most of the other bed liners and protective coatings!

Raptor protects the roughest industrial surfaces as well as the smaller surfaces we rely on every day. Itโ€™s durable, looks great and it lasts a long time.

U-POL is a World leader in automotive refinishing products specialising in fillers, coatings, aerosols, adhesives and paint related products.

Recognised globally with sales in over 100 countries, U-POL is committed to consistently providing customers with high quality products that professional technicians demand. Their heritage and experience of nearly 70 years in the industry, coupled with our continued investment in state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities and reputation for innovation, ensures that your U-POL experience is nothing less than world class.

Re-covering our Ford RS2000 interior

Donna has stripped the existing seats and re-covered using brand new, age related material. The style is exactly the same as the original factory specification but the seats are now tightened and looking beautiful once again.

Coming soon: 1964 Cadillac

We are aiming for the 1964 Cadillac to arrive in our trim shop some time in the very early new year. Our objective is to perfect the bolsters that have worn over time. If we can rescue them without affecting the centre material then we will be very happy, however, the current owner has some of the original centre material if required.

Restoration begins on our 1960 MGA

Our team grew by one this week as we welcomed Paul to the Bridge Classic Car family. Paul brings with him a wealth of knowledge and skills that he has gathered working alongside classic cars and motorcycles for many years.

Paul has started as he means to go on here at Bridge Classic Cars by getting stuck in to his first full restoration on day 1. Our 1960 MG A is now in our workshops being stripped bare and our project is now fully underway.

Our Jensen chrome work arrives…

Our heavily pitted hinges Jensen 541R hinges made their way down to London to be assessed with a view to repair by the guys at Douglas Metal Finishing . The results are outstanding…

Douglas Metal Finishing is one of the leading UK Chrome Platers with their established factory set up in South East London. They have the ability to Chrome pretty much anything you can think of.

Whether you want to chrome your classic car or your old scooter we can do the lot. With over 80 years experience we have a wealth of knowledge and expertise in chroming to ensure a top quality end result.

Massive investment in the latest technology enables Douglas Metal Finishing to offer a wide range of finishes. Their up to date satin plant means they can offer satin or bright finishes in nickel, chrome or any of their four shades of Gold.

Pantera engine running issues

Our 1974 De Tomaso Pantera seems to be weeping around the rocker cover. We have discovered that the rubber gasket has slipped due to it being slightly ill-fitting. This is the only option for gaskets in the UK so we have broadened our search to Australia where they are producing the gaskets in cork which should give a better seal.

Work commences on our 1965 Amphicar

After other work commitments and a busy work diary taking priority over our 1965 Amphicar it was time to give the project a new lease of life. We are now on with the rebuild process, the start once again, of our full restoration of this iconic car. We have drafted in a good friend of ours, with years of experience in the restoration game for assistance. Garry now has the body shell. All of the replacements parts have been waiting on the shelf, the parts not replaced have all be refurbished and stored away so now with everything down off the shelves and a good man working full time on her, the car will start to take shape very rapidly.

Removing our RS2000 interior

The front and back seats of our 1977 Ford RS2000 have now been removed and are in the hands of Donna in the Trim Shop to be re-covered.

@benjohnson_12 – September 2019

Ben shared new vs old images of his 1972 Jaguar E-Type restoration project to his followers on his Instagram page. Thank you for the share Ben, glad you like the journey with us…

Building our cutting and glue room

The new addition to our Trim Shop is the cutting and glue room.

This ventilated room has been purpose built to segregate the clean from the ‘dirty. As you may be aware if you have visited our Woodbridge workshops, cleanliness, is so important to our day to day activities. Now being able to reduce the dust in the air whilst cutting wood within our Trim Shop means that this task no longer needs to be carried within our other building opposite.

Our trimmers have the cutting and gluing tools within an arms reach. When complete, the room will house the new jigsaw and vacuum tooling and the glues can remain away from the brand new interior until required.

Francis Barnett exhaust issues

Slight problem with the exhaust. The silencer needs a modification to allow it to pass the rear shock. The mod requires a scallop section to be cut out and a replaced a with a concave plate. Itโ€™s the only way to fit the exhaust giving the correct clearance to shock, frame and rear guard.

Recently Spotted: Trains, Planes and Automobiles

A few recent spots by the guys at Bridge Classic Cars.

During a recent trip from Manchester back down to Suffolk we spotted a very unusual site on British roads.

Next up, we found our 5.0 Ford Mustang GT whilst on a recent trip to Switzerland.

On a recent trip to Southwold, just outside Adnams we also spotted this stunning Mexico parked up.

Two Corvettes in very different conditions spotted here in Ipswich; a 5.7l Corvette parked up at Makro this weekend and the 1970s Corvette very much in need of some TLC…and an engine!

And finally we are now the very proud owners of an original aircraft propeller which will soon be in pride of place within our Classic Car Showroom which doubles up perfectly as an aircraft hangar!

Emily Scott – September 2019

The car that gets everyone talking!

International DJ and model Emily Scott appeared in our news feed recently having liked our re-post of Aston Martin Cambridge’s Aston Martin DBS59 up for sale.

Emily boasts an impressive 32,400 followers on Instagram @emilyscottofficial so thank you so much for the appreciation.

About Emily

Australian DJ Emily Scott has carved out a dynamic House music journey, with soul-driving house and tech beats. Her worldwide reputation has grown from the time she was a lighting technician at Quest (one of Australia’s leading House venues) to this year being selected to play at DEFECTED Sydney 2019โ€™s sell out event. Em has always always had a sixth sense for what the dance floor needs, thanks to her time as a dancer, honing in on to when build tension and when to hold it. With these skills refined, Emily made a natural progression into Djing; “I love the energy of House and Tech house, their effect on the dance floor, that hypnotic need to move”.

Australian venues have been given her energetic treatment as sheโ€™s crossed the country and internationally sheโ€™s built hype in Europe and Asia and India on each of her extensive tours. Emilyโ€™s shared stages alongside elite DJโ€™s including Eric Morilo and Defectedโ€™s Sam Divine. Her talent is recognised by some of the worldโ€™s most respected venueโ€™s and she was chosen to work with Pioneer Australia early in her career as a Pioneer sponsored pro DJ.

Emโ€™s skill with design (Bachelor of Design graduate) have enabled her to adapt to the ever evolving opportunities of modern DJing and production, “I enjoy using the latest technology as it means I have a much wider spectrum for creativity” she states. “I can sample, layer and loop faster than ever before which means new sounds and a more energetic performance from me at my shows and new ideas in the studioโ€. Her first productions, the tribal infusion, EP โ€˜Boom Bauโ€™ on Olivier Giacomottoโ€™s Definitive Recordings secured attention from house music heavy weights, after gaining support it was selected as track one for a compilation alongside records from Monika Kruse, Christian Smith and Tiefschwarz.

Colour process begins on our Jaguar E-Type Race Recreation

Since 2017 we have been revisiting the preparation of our 1967 Jaguar E-Type project car.

It started with an idea between Gordon and Craig, to create a project car that not only highlights what we do here at Bridge Classic Cars but is also a fantastic tool we could use to give back to the community around us. Our intention was and still is to work alongside local charities who do amazing work and help them in whatever way we can.

Many designs have been drawn up, many colours have been tried and tested and last week we were able to take the project a huge step forward by applying our new colour combination.

We are pleased to reveal our one-off design, our 1967 Jaguar E-Type Series 1 Race recreation will be finished in the outrageously beautiful colour combination of Volcano Orange and Magnetic Grey.

The inside of our body shell and the underside of our bonnet and engine area will be finished in Magnetic Grey, similar to what you find on modern Fords. The seamless and chrome-less exterior will proudly show the bespoke three colour Volcano Orange system, similarly found on the McLaren.

The three colour Volcano Orange system consists of a ground coat (almost pink) metallic finish which we then apply a bespoke Volcano Orange dye to over the top. Once applied, we then coat in our very unique Diamondburst Tixo Clearcoat which is essentially a glass lacquer to create even more sparkle in direct sunlight.

Diamondburst Tixo Clearcoat is an acrylic clear coat with diamond effect for multi-coat systems. Diamondburst has been formulated with special transparent pigments producing a highly sparkling effect in direct sunlight or artificial light.

Future projects: MGB’s and Mini Cooper

A couple of exciting open discussions taking place at the moment with over some possible future classic car restoration projects:

We have 2x MG B’s in need of some attention. 1967 MGB Roadster, owned since 1983 and 1969 owned since 1993.

The MGB Roadster has remained untouched since purchased back in 1983.

It has been kept in a garage and hasn’t suffered any further damage during that time.

The owner, however, started working on the MGB GT as soon as acquired but unfortunately the work was stopped by an order from local authorities due to the complaints from my neighbours. The car has been kept under cover and hasn’t been touched since.

We also have our Mini Cooper 1.3 that requires body work repair and a general re-commission.

Mercedes 220 cracked Flywheel

Whilst cleaning up our original flywheel we have discovered a very small crack through the moulding. This has resulted in the flywheel being unacceptable to refit. Having searched online for some time and speaking to some very useful contacts we have been unable to source a suitable replacement.

We have therefore called in the services of a company that can re-manufacture to the original specification so are now awaiting the new item to arrive before we continue with the final stage of rebuild.

Undersealing our 1986 Volkswagen Golf Cabriolet

We have now masked and covered up the exterior areas of our our VW Golf ready for the under-seal application to commence.

The underside has been stripped, tidied and cleaned up and we have coated in a Schultz based application. This treatment not only looks fantastic but preserves and prolongs the life of the car. All exposed parts that would inevitably be open to the elements now have an extra coating of pretection.