News

1987 Mercedes SL500 – Repairing the bodywork

Correcting the bodywork of our 1987 Mercedes SL500 was not on the immediate agenda, however, with the engine out and being rebuilt it made perfect sense to look at addressing the rotten areas and get the car ready for paint. One very noticeable and bizarre finding is the pool of water that was sitting within the engine bay. Upon closer inspection it looks as though someone, in the car’s previous life, has welded up one of the main sink holes where any water built up whilst driving would have been able to drain away. This build up of water has not help preserve the surround areas so this will certainly need looking at.

The corroded areas will be cut out and new metalwork will be introduced.

There is a fair amount of work required and once completed the car will be put away once again until we can free up some space in the paint shop for the preparation and paint work to commence.

Hopefully, in time for late summer! We are aiming to have the car ready for our Classic & Sports Car & Bike Show on 28th July 2019.

Brightwork away for polishing

More chrome and brightwork heading over to Tony at Wyatt Polishing for a re-chrome and polish.

In our collection today we have parts for our Jensen 541R, Jaguar E-Type and TVR Griffith.

1955 Austin Healey in paint

Darren has now put our 1955 Austin Healey through the paint shop to give her a new and fresh look. The shell and loose body panels are now looking stunning in vibrant red. We are now ready to progress with the next stage of the restoration which will be to refit.

1963 Jaguar SS100 Engine Rebuild

We have now completed the rebuild of our 1963 Jaguar SS100 engine. The vehicle has been tested and the engine is now running beautifully. We have re-faced the cylinder head and block, re-faced the inlet manifold on both sides. The bores have been honed out and new piston rings have been fitted. We have also ground the crankshaft on mains and crank for rear seal conversion. We have fitted new bearings, re-assembled engine and successfully refitted. The car is now ready to go home.

Marrying our Jensen 541R bodyshell to the chassis

The final fit of our 1960 Jensen 541R body shell to the chassis. The body has been fixed back on to the metal framework and the complete unit has now been bonded back on to the chassis ready for paint preparation to begin.

Assessing work required on our 1980 Porsche 911

Our 1980 Porsche 911 has been dry stored and off the road for 4 years now and unfortunately it is evident that it has suffered in areas and most certainly requires attention.

Our original plan was to run her through an MOT to pick up any areas that would deem her to be un-roadworthy but raising her on the ramp we can see immediately the areas that will require welding.

Some decisions will need to be made as to the future of the car and when work is likely to start but this may end up being a full restoration.

Although it may not seem good news right now, once restored, this stunner will be back on the road and admired by everyone!

1957 Mercedes 190SL Ready For Sale

We are currently preparing our 1957 Mercedes 190SL for resale. This very rare and unique car has been sitting for a little while and although in great mechanical order she is not running perfectly so we are spending some time getting her back to her best and ready to find a new home.

As you can see, we have dropped the fuel out as it is very dirty and old so the system will be cleaned out followed by new fuel being added.

The system was flooding so we have removed the air filter set up, free’d up the needles and adjusted the carbs.

The car is once again running beautifully and ready to impress at any show this summer.

This incredibly rare, original and award winning 190 SL was first registered on 11th November 1957. Purchased for the sum of ยฃ1957.00 by Violet Dorothy Mills, part of the Bertram Mills Circus family who’s residence in Knightsbridge is present on the original registration book.

The car comes with a huge file of history, original documentation, family-trees, newspaper clippings, awards, MOT’s, service files and receipts.

This beautiful example comes un-restored, un-touched and totally original. The car has aged wonderfully and it’s rarity in this form makes this a fantastic investment opportunity for collectors and enthusiasts alike.

Our MGB Roadster is in paint

The last few images of the car in final prime ready to be painted

Chris has now started on the top coat paint of our Tundra Green 1975 MGB roadster. Later this week we’ll be able to reveal the new look and get ready for the rebuild to then commence.

MGB Roadster ready for paint


The preparation of the body shell is now complete and today we are ready to enter the spray booth to have the first coat of Tundra Green stone chip applied to the underside.

MGB Windscreen Arrives

Thanks, as always, to the guys at Moss Europe for their fantastic service. Our brand new MGB roadster windscreen has arrived along with a huge assortment of parts for various projects we have running.

Reinstating our SS100 Engine

The engine from our 1963 Jaguar SS100 is now complete and currently being re-fitted.

All being well, we are days away from being able to release the vehicle back to the owner but before this we will carry out many test to cover a number of miles to ensure the original issues have been resolved.

Restoring more parts of our 1972 Jaguar E-Type

We have now stripped our Jaguar E-Type heater box of all of its individual components. Parts of this will have to be purchased new due to how badly corroded they have become.

Once the new parts are in we can then look to rebuild the box and store away ready for refit.

1955 Austin Healey in primer

Our Austin Healey 100M is now in final stages of primer. The shell has been coated in a red primer before being flattened down once more and guide coated. At this stage, all of the panels will be removed ready for final paint to begin.

1968 Triumph Vitesse in for a new hood

New arrival into our workshops today we have our 1968 Triumph Vitesse Mk 2 convertible with overdrive.


The car has come in for a new hood to be fitted due to the clear windows becoming very cloudy. Overall, the car is a wonderful example and is very much ready to drive and enjoy this summer. Perfect for the summer shows!

The current owner is looking to sell her but before we market the car we will fit a brand new hood under the owner’s instructions and should be ready for sale later this week.

Daisy is now naked…

Daisy is currently back with us and available for sale and as part of the re-marketing campaign we have removed the Daisy decals from the exterior. Some, I’m sure, prefer the originality of the car now in it’s ‘almost’ bare form but others will miss the daring graphics.

As we quite often say, any thing can be changed and re-applying the graphics to Daisy will be a relatively straight forward exercise.

1965 Jaguar E-Type preparing for Goodwood

Having recently been in our workshops for a full interior re-trim it has been a hectic Saturday here at Bridge Classic Cars getting our 1965 Jaguar E-Type ready for this Monday’s CKL Track Day at Goodwood Motor Circuit.

The re-trim is almost complete, the car is mechanically sound and the car’s owner has just arrived to fit up the racing decals ready for Monday.

The car will be leaving our workshops in our Bridge Classic Cars trailer so if you see it on the way down to Goodwood make sure you give them a waveh.

Jaguar E-Type Re-Trim

The re-trim of our 1965 Jaguar E-Type has now been completed and although a relatively late finish we have successfully managed to hand the car back to the owner in time for Monday’s track day at Goodwood.

A few alterations will need to be made once Monday has passed but for now, the car is ready for the track…

New Arrival: 1991 Alfa Romeo Spider

Available for sale…

1991 Alfa Romeo, 2.0 Spider S4

This beautiful Alfa has only come to market due to the necessity for the current owner having to relocate back to the UK and loss of storage.

The car comes with all of her 3 year Euro Cert paperwork to be driven in France where the current owner resided as well as the current V5 and MOT to be driven in the UK.

Finished in high gloss Black with beige half trim.

Mohair roof and covers, Nardi steering wheel and complimenting wooden gear knob.

Having covered only 123,000KM (76500 miles) this S4 must be one of the nicest Spiders available today.

Currently it is set up to be driven in the UK but with the car is the parts required to drive within Europe.

Extensive service history and old MOTโ€™s come with the car.

Viewing by appointment only. Office hours are Monday to Friday (Saturdays and Sundays can be arranged) 8am to 5pm.ย To arrange a viewing please call Craig on 01473 742038 or emailย info@bridgeclassiccars.co.uk

1965 Jaguar E-Type Re-Trim

Tight deadlines on this project as we carry out a full re-trim of our 1965 Jaguar E-Type. Work needed to be completed in time for the Goodwood track day on Monday 11th March.

Kim and Tommy have worked tirelessly on this one and the results are fantastic.

Restoring our MGBGT seats

The original 1977 MGBGT seats have survived 30 years of being in storage. Although very dirty and tired looking, the seats are in remarkably good condition so we decided to remain with the originality and look to restore them to their former glory

The results are amazing. Other than one small tear to the passengers back support the seats have been completely transformed. The runners and chrome still require a paint and polish but we are very happy with the results so far.

Recruitment: Trimmer/Upholsterer

Bridge Classic Cars are recruiting.

As part of the Bridge Classic Cars expansion, we are now seeking a full time car trimmer/upholsterer to join the team.

The successful applicant will work with the owners to set up a complete new division to the business.

Equipment and materials will be agreed and purchased to ensure that our exacting standards are met.

Package will include a generous salary, good holidays and subsidised health scheme.

If you think you have the talent to compliment our team then email your CV to info@bridgeclassiccars.co.uk or call us on 01473 742038 for a chat.

MG B Roadster: Final Primer

The final primer before paint has now been applied to our 1975 MG B roadster. The body shell has now been seam sealed and is ready to see some green action.

A Deep Brunswick Green high build mix has been applied.

The body shell is now ready for the Tundra Green re-spray which will be carried out next week.

A lot of time and effort has gone into correcting the bodywork of our shell and this is the moment when all the hard work pays off as this original, matching number Tundra Green MG B roadster will be undergo a complete transformation as we bring the body back to life, respecting the original specification.

1963 Jaguar SS100 Engine Rebuild Complete

The engine rebuild of our 1963 Jaguar SS100 is now complete. We’ll aim to re-fit into the car at the beginning of next week and once in, the car will undergo a full trial period to be tested for performance and to make any minor adjustments that we see fit.

Rebuilding our Jaguar SS100 engine.

The alterations and machining work has now been completed on our 1963 Jaguar SS100 engine. The rocker covers have been re-polished and Ady is currently rebuilding the engine.

Whilst stripped, the engine has been completely overhauled with all seals and gaskets being replaced. The block and exposed components have also been treated to a new paint job and she’ll be refitted into the car looking beautiful once again.

1956 Ford Consul Re-Paint

In our workshops today we have our 1956 Ford Consul. The floor requires attention with some welding work needing to be carried out. We will then look to prepare the body and undertake a full re-spray. Work will commence very soon…

Our Jensen 541R body stone chipped

Our 1960 Jensen 541R (#493) is now in the paint shop having the underside stone chipped.

Once this task is complete the bodyshell will be married up to the newly built chassis before being secured into position.