News

Refitting the Spitfire

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Been a busy day in the workshops today with our 1971 Triumph Spitfire arriving back from the paint shop looking gorgeous. With a shelf full

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1967 Jaguar E-Type Series 1- the huge task of stripping

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Worked is now well underway getting our 1967 Jaguar E-Type stripped bare ready for the bodywork repairs to be assessed.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_gallery type=”image_grid” images=”6613,6614,6615,6616,6617,6630,6631,6632,6633,6634,6608,6607,6606,6605,6604,6603,6602,6601,6600,6599,6598,6597,6596,6595,6594,6593,6592,6591″][/vc_column][/vc_row]

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And away she goes…

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]We are excited to announce that this week saw the start of our next big restoration project, our 1967 Jaguar E-Type Series 1. As John

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Volkswagen T25 Camper near side front arch being repaired

1989 VW Near Side Front Arch Repaired

Today, Trevor and the team have been busy repairing the near side front arch of our 1989 Volkswagen T25 Camper, getting her ready for primer and paint.

Soonย we’ll see a dramatic change to this restoration project as the huge task of preparing the body will be complete and her new colour will soon be evident.

1989 VW Near Side Front Arch Repaired

 

1971 Triumph Spitfire, now on her way home

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]We had a fantastic few months with Mary, Bill and their Triumph Spitfire. Having originally come into our workshops for some re-upholstery to the front driver’s seat the car she has now been completely sympathetically rebuilt and ready to get back on the road.

[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_gallery type=”image_grid” images=”6982,6983,6984,6985,6986,6987,6988,6989,6990,6991,6992,6993,6994,6995,6996,6997,6998,6999,7000,7001″][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Here’s Mary and the Bridge Classic Cars team outside our Ipswich workshops.

Mary and the Bridge Classic Cars team

From left to right:ย Asa, John, Lauren, Mark and Mary

We take all sorts of payment here at Bridge Classic Cars; cash, cheque, cards, cakes…

Cakes at Bridge Classic Cars

Thank you so much to Mary and Bill, we look forward to many years working with you, looking after your lovely little Spitfire and we can’t wait to see your Rover![/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

Repairing the wheel arches

When you are faced withย a body panel that is clearly showing years of wear and tear, sometimes, the most cost effective and reassuring way to secure the longevity of the area is to replace the rotten panels with new.

As you can see, that is exactly what we have decided to do on our 1989 Volkswagen Camper T25. This way, Mrs L and the family can have years and years of happy driving knowing that the rust will not be creeping back in anytime soon…simply because it’s no longer there!!

1989 Volkswagen Camper T25

1989 Volkswagen Camper T25

1989 Volkswagen Camper T25

1989 Volkswagen Camper T25

Our Volvo P1800E enjoying the sunshine.

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Here’s our beautiful 1971 Volvo P1800 E outside Bridge Classic Cars HQ earlier today.

1971 Volvo P1800 E outside Bridge Classic Cars

1971 Volvo P1800 E outside Bridge Classic Cars

1971 Volvo P1800 E outside Bridge Classic Cars[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

Stephen Hawking gives inspiring talk in Martlesham, Suffolk

Stephen Hawking gives inspiring talk at Headway Suffolkโ€™s Neuro Conference at BT Adastral Park after overcoming illness.

Stephen Hawkins in Suffolk

Professor Stephen Hawking has survived a debilitating neurological disease for more than 50 years and overcome life-threatening pneumonia to become the most famous and celebrated scientist living today.

So he wasnโ€™t going to let a bout of morning illness prevent him from giving an inspirational talk in Suffolk yesterday.

The theoretical physicist and cosmologist was the headline guest speaker for brain injury charity Headway Suffolkโ€™s Neuro Conference at BT Adastral Park in Martlesham.

But the media was told upon arrival that he was ill and had been forced to cancel. This might have given the event its own black hole, although a live video talk was suggested.

However, rumours soon spread that there was an โ€œoutside chanceโ€ of him turning up after all. Rumours festered into unconfirmed fact before Headway Suffolk chief executive Helen Fairweather announced the u-turn on stage, causing a ripple of excitement among the 500 spectators.

Stephen Hawkins in Suffolk

Stephen Hawkins in Suffolk

Stephen Hawkins in Suffolk

And soon enough, professor Hawking, who was nicknamed Einstein by classmates and was born 300 years to the day after Galileoโ€™s death, appeared on stage.

โ€œI would like to thank Headway Suffolk and Mrs Fairweather for inviting me to talk about my journey with motor neurone disease,โ€ the 74-year-old said.

โ€œAs some of you may have seen from the film, in which Eddie Redmayne played a particularly more handsome version of me in my third year at Oxford, I noticed that I seemed to be getting clumsier.

โ€œI fell over once or twice and couldnโ€™t understand why. I was somewhat disgruntled at the time and was told to lay off the beer, but that is understandable when talking to a student.โ€

Prof Hawking has a rare early-onset, slow-progressing form of motor neurone disease. He was diagnosed at the age of 21 in 1963 and given two years to live, but has defied medical experts.

โ€œIt has been a glorious time to be alive and I am happy if Iโ€™ve added to our understanding of the universe,โ€ he said.

โ€œI feel lucky my disability has not been a serious handicap in my work or preventing me from leading a full and active life.โ€

He now communicates using a single cheek muscle attached to a speech-generating device. โ€œI identify with this voice and have no intention of changing to a more accurately sounding one,โ€ he joked.

And while his physical condition has deteriorated over the past five decades, his intellectual brilliance, humility and humour has captivated audiences of increasing size around the world.

He said of his international bestseller A Brief History of Time in 1988: โ€œThis broke all records. It was in the Sunday Times bestsellers list for four years. Thankfully the Bible and Shakespeare do not count.

โ€œIndeed, the book was originally meant to be called From a Big Bang to Black Holes: A Short History of Time. The title was shortened and changed to โ€˜briefโ€™ and the rest is history.

โ€œIt has been imitated many times, most recently as the title of a Radio Three programme about a sleeping clock, called A Brief History of Tim.

โ€œBut imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.โ€

He said the birth of his three children โ€“ Robert, Lucy and Tim โ€“ gave him โ€œenormous helpโ€ during the 1960s and 70s.

โ€œI felt lucky,โ€ he said. โ€œI never imagined we would be able to have three beautiful and accomplished children. They are the best achievements in my life โ€“ if you can call children achievements.

โ€œIt was a few days after the birth of Lucy in 1970 when I had a Eureka moment. While getting to bed one evening, I realised that black holes were not really black. They had a temperature and would glow red like hot coals.

โ€œI had discovered a concept which is named after me: Hawking Radiation. The theory took my research down new avenues and also proved that motor neurone disease is no barrier to thinking, achieving and getting on with life. We just had to find new ways of doing things.โ€

He described how he caught pneumonia while in Switzerland in 1985 and had a tube inserted into his windpipe in hospital. Medical staff considered disconnecting his ventilator but his then wife, Jane, railed at the idea and he was brought back to England where he underwent lifesaving surgery.

He ended his talk, which was interrupted by software issues and finished with a previous recording of his speech, with this: โ€œWe are entering a new space age and it seems we are able to co-operate more between nations in space in a way that we can only envy on Earth.

โ€œPioneering space travel will help us all to recognise our place and our future in the cosmos, which is where I believe our future lies. Space: here I come. Thank you for listening.โ€

Afterwards, Mrs Fairweather said: โ€œHis talk was very inspirational, especially as he was poorly.

โ€œIt would have been quite easy to stay in bed, but I think it proves that if you are in the right place at the right time, you can get the help you need, and that was the message we gave during the day: we are here to help. I hope the talk will raise our profile and show people living with neurological effects that there is light at the end of the tunnel.โ€

The conference, sponsored by solicitors Irwin Mitchell, also included three other eminent speakers: Professor John Pickard, director of the Wolfson Brain Imaging Centre at Addenbrookeโ€™s Hospital, Cambridge; Dr Trevor Powell, consultant clinical psychologist and author; and Dr Muhibbur Rahman Chowdhury, stroke consultant at Ipswich Hospital.

After his speech Prof Hawking visited Kesgrave Community Centre, which was hosting a secondary Headway Suffolk event for those unable to get tickets for the sold-out conference. He received a standing ovation on entering but could only give a brief address due to technical issues.

Stephen Hawking in Suffolk

Stephen Hawking in Suffolk

Stephen Hawking in Suffolk

Stephen Hawking in Suffolk

Stephen Hawking in Suffolk

Brand new rear tyres have now been fitted

Fitted with a brand new pair of 156/80 R13 tyres on the rear, our little Spitfire is now complete.

One final test drive and a thorough clean and she’ll be ready to go home!

1971 Triumph Vitesse Tyres

1971 Triumph Vitesse Tyres

Age related issues – checking the hoses

Age can often take it’s toll on the engine; upon further inspection, things that look and function perfectly fine can often be showing signs of wear and tear.

Take the cooling hoses for example. The engine runs and functions as you’d expect but as you’ll see from the images they can be just a fraction away from causing longer lasting damage.

Here is one of the hoses from our 1971 Triumph Spitfire.

1971 Triumph Spitfire Hoses

Another one of the hoses had lost its flexibility entirely, this is not a good sign. When rubber no longer flexes it is time to renew. What makes this example worse is that the tube has expanded too.

1971 Triumph Spitfire Hoses

1971 Triumph Spitfire Hoses

Preparing our 1968 MGBGT Bodyshell

Work is well underway on preparing our 1968 MGBGT body shell ready for paint.

Not a huge amount is required on the body shell as it arrived to us in very good condition.

By the end of this week we should see her finished in Snowberry White.

1968 MGBGT

1968 MGBGT

1968 MGBGT

1968 MGBGT

1968 MGBGT

1968 MGBGT

1968 MGBGT

1968 MGBGT

Back on the road, the 1962 Volvo driven by Roger Moore in The Saint which was found rotting away on a farm 22 years ago

It was found rotting away 22 years ago with the engine on the back seat. Today it looks as good as when The Saint last stepped out of it.

The iconic original Volvo P1800 coupe driven by Roger Moore as Simon Templar in the 1960s TV series has been fully restored by car enthusiast Kevin Price.

Mr Price found the car on a farm in North Wales in 1991 and persuaded the owner to sell it to him in 1997. He spent ten years collecting parts and another six on the restoration.

The Saint 1962 Volvo

The Saint 1962 Volvo

In The Saint, which featured Moore as a suave modern-day Robin Hood-style adventurer and was screened by ITV between 1962 and 1969, the car bore the number plate ST1.

Although four more P1800s, one of which was usedย  by Sir Roger personally, were laterย  supplied by Volvo, Mr Priceโ€™s vehicle โ€“ registered as 71 DXC โ€“ is the original.

It was displayed at the Footman James Manchester Classic Car Show.

Mr Price, 57, who founded the Volvo Enthusiasts Club, drove it there from his home in Bewdley, Worcestershire.

He said: ‘I fell in love with the shape of the car and it became a quest to find one.

‘After Iโ€™d set up the club I was approached by a guy from North Wales who said he had the original car from the The Saint.

‘I went to have a look and it was just sat next to the barn covered in brambles and nettles with the engine on the back seat.

‘But when he finally agreed to sell and I got it home it was in surprisingly good shape considering it had been there so long.

‘As much of the original car was retained as possible and it drives beautifully. You wouldnโ€™t think it was a 1962 car.’

The Saint 1962 Volvo

Show organiser Andy Rouse said: ‘The Saint car is a project weโ€™ve been aware of over the years and itโ€™ll be great to see the final results of Kevinโ€™s incredible hard work and dedication.’

The car needed extensive rust removal to its panels, wheels and front axle and itโ€™s body shell had to be rebuilt.

Further work to the gear box, rear axle and engine, which included a conversion for unleaded fuel, was also undertaken to make it roadworthy.

Once asked to name his favourite movie cars, Sir Roger said: ‘I have a great affection for the Volvo P1800, as, of course, I owned one as well as used one in the series. Itโ€™s a beautiful car and I still drive a Volvo to this day.’

But Sir Roger and The Saint producers had initially wanted to feature a Jaguar E-type.

But Jag were inundated with offers and declined to take part so the P1800, which was first-built at the Jensen Motors factory in the West Midlands before production was switched to Sweden, was used instead.

Sir Rogerโ€™s performances as Templar pre-dated his role as James Bond as he was reportedly asked to play 007 at least twice during the series but had to turn the role down both times due to his television commitments.

Ipswich Airport remembered 20 years after closure

Ipswich Airport

An airport that “refused to close” is being remembered this weekend, 20 years after flying eventually stopped.

Campaigners fought to save Ipswich Airport after it was earmarked for housing by Ipswich Borough Council, with some occupying the terminal building for about four months.

The anniversary of the closure is being marked with an exhibition.

Organisers said: “There is now a generation that probably doesn’t even know Ipswich had its own airport.”

Ipswich Airport

The site was formerly a World War Two airfield and home to RAF Blenheim light bombers, Hurricanes and – for short periods – Spitfire squadrons.

During its 66-year history, the airport launched a daily flight to Clacton with a journey time of just 15 minutes in 1938 and it later handled flights carrying royal passengers and sports stars.

In the 1980s, Suckling Airways started operating flights to Amsterdam and Manchester and by 1990 the airport housed flying schools, a helicopter school, parachute centre and various support firms.

But in 1996 the borough council, which owned the airport, announced the site would close later that year, to be turned into what is now the Ravenswood housing estate.

Ipswich Airport

Saturday’s exhibition at the town’s Transport Museum has been put together by Ipswich Airport Association (IAA) whose members will be on hand to answer questions.

The reunion and exhibition will also feature press cuttings, photos and memorabilia to mark 20 years since the airport officially closed on 31 December 1996.

Martyn Steggalls, a director of the IAA, who worked part-time at the airport, said: “It’s a time when a lot of people involved in the airport can get together and reminisce.

“It’s a focal point to people who used to fly from there, work there and lived nearby.”

Ipswich Airport

Ipswich Airport

Ipswich Airport Ravenswood

Ipswich Airport Ravenswood

Ipswich Airport

Refitting the Spitfire continues…

Refitting our 1971 Triumph Spitfire

This is the fun part of a restoration; piece by piece, day by day the car starts to take shape. Everything has been cleaned up and all looking fresh and shiny.

Today Asa, John and Mark have all been getting stuck in to our 1971 Triumph Spitfire rebuild.

1971 Triumph Spitfire Engine

If you’d been running around for 45 years you’d too probably start to look a little tired and that’s exactly what we found under the bonnet, a tired looking engine.

Mechanically, she run’s like a dream but after a little bit of cleaning and painting in places she also looks wonderful too.

1971 Triumph Spitfire Engine

1971 Triumph Spitfire Engine

We have resprayed underneath the bonnet and arches with a very hard wearing coating. Being finished in black really finishes it off. Not only does it look great but is a useful technique to help hide any future dirty and grime that starts to build.

Refitting our 1971 Triumph Spitfire

Refitting our 1971 Triumph Spitfire

Today, we also resprayed the newly refurbished shocks, springs and discs. It’s the smaller detail that makes a big difference to the overall appearance. Why spend all this time and effort on a fantastic outer body and then leave the smaller visible components thinking that they are not worth doing…everything is worth doing!!

1971 Triumph Spitfire Wheelarch

Refitting our 1971 Triumph Spitfire

Moving on to the interior, John has been busy fitting the brand new Triumph Spitfire door cards.

Speaking from experience, if you are restoring your own classic vehicle and your door cards look perfectly fine then please do not be too hasty at deciding to keep them. We very rarely have cars come in to us with horrible door cards. Door cards are more option that not still in good working order but when you have gone to all the effort stripping, respraying and rebuilding, the door cards you thought looked perfectly fine will most probably look tired next to a freshly painted exterior.

It’s absolutely worth that extra thought…

1971 Triumph Spitfire Door Cards

1971 Triumph Spitfire Door Cards

Here we are nearing the end of the day; the brand new handles have been fitted, the rear chrome surround trim is also in place, the rear lights are looking lovely and one of the rear black strips is also in position.

Refitting our 1971 Triumph Spitfire

Refitting our 1971 Triumph Spitfire

Refitting our 1971 Triumph Spitfire

Refitting our 1971 Triumph Spitfire

Refitting our 1971 Triumph Spitfire

Soon be time to head home, get a good night’s sleeps so we can crack on for day 3 of the rebuild. Before the team leave off for the night we refitted the original chrome bumpers and badges.

The refurbished chrome bumpers have come up like new..but the great thing is that they are all original. This was one objective that Mrs King was really hoping we could achieve, from day 1 the original bumpers were always the preferred choice over a set of new and we couldn’t have asked for a better result.

Refitting our 1971 Triumph Spitfire

Refitting our 1971 Triumph Spitfire

Refitting our 1971 Triumph Spitfire

 

 

Refitting the Spitfire

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Been a busy day in the workshops today with our 1971 Triumph Spitfire arriving back from the paint shop looking gorgeous.

With a shelf full of new, polished and re-chromed parts Asa, Mark and John have been hard at work re-fitting her back up, getting her ready to be back on the road.

The brand new light fittings have been positioned, the door handles are back in play and the rear chrome strips have been added to.

We’ve kept the original bumpers but have had them re-chromed and polished. They will be arriving with us tomorrow, thanks to Tony and the guys at Wyatt Polishing in Thetford for working hard on them for us. Sometimes cost plays a big role in whether to keep original parts or opt for brand new. As much as brand new is lovely and is often the cheapest option, where we can rescue the original parts for a reasonable price we will do that.

In this case, the bumpers have been restored which is a fantastic result![/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_gallery type=”image_grid” images=”6781,6782,6783,6784,6785,6786,6787,6788,6789,6790″][/vc_column][/vc_row]

Strengthening the shell prior to cleaning

Our 1966 Jaguar E-Type shell is now completely stripped of all removable components. Before we can proceed with the blasting process or chemical immersion clean we firstly need to strengthen the frail body shell to prevent any further weakness’ appearing.

The cleaning process is a fantastic method for removing all debris, rust, dirt and any fillers that have been applied to the vehicle over it’s lifetime. As the process is very tough and our body shell is relative weak in it’s current state Asa has built a bespoke strengthening frame that he has attached internally to the shell. This will prevent any weakness’ getting any worse.

Jaguar E-Type Strengthening Framework

Jaguar E-Type Strengthening Framework

Jaguar E-Type Strengthening Framework

Jaguar E-Type Strengthening Framework

 

1956 Ford Popular 103E – just arrived, awaiting preparation

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]We’ve just received delivery of our latest addition to the Bridge Classic Cars collection, our 1959 Ford Popular 103E.

This lovely little car has been owned locally since 2007. If you are a regular visitor to the local shows no doubt you’ll already be familiar with this little beauty.

With only 2 owners from new this is a fantastic classic car to own and cherish.

We’ll be running her through our workshops over the next couple of days and she’ll be available to view and purchase soon after that.

For anymore information please feel free to call the office on 01473 742038.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_gallery type=”image_grid” images=”6765,6766,6767,6768,6769,6770,6771,6772,6773,6774,6775,6776,6777″][/vc_column][/vc_row]

Tony from Wyatt Polishing reminiscing

Here’s our good friend Tony from Wyatt Polishing in Thetford looking back at the good times he’s had in his MG Midget.

MG Midget Racing

“It’s been 19 years this month since I purchased a wreck of a Midget, that wreck became Taz! Once again, this coming weekend we’ll be out on track and giving it the beans!! Happy days :-)”

MG Midget Racing

MG Midget Racing

Coming soon to Bridge Classic Cars; a very rare 1949 MG Y Type, currently en route from Cyprus

Wikipedia

In 1948 several (currently believed to be 9) “YA” Types (consisting of chassis, engines and some body parts) were imported into Switzerland and given cabriolet bodywork by various coachbuilders, such as Reinbolt & Christรฉ. The idea of the open four-seatย tourerย had been popular before the war, and in theory there was still a market. As a result a “TC” specification of the XPAG engine was married to a pressed-steel open body with fully folding hood and coach-built doors.

A production tourer, the MG “YT”, was launched at the Motor Show in 1948. It was available for export only in both right- and left-hand-drive models. Only 877 of these cars were produced when production ceased in 1950โ€”it was not the success that MG had hoped for, and indeed other British manufacturers were also having problems selling open-tourer versions of their saloons.

The “YT” Tourer did not benefit from โ€˜displayedโ€™ woodwork but had the same standard of seat trim. It did have more instrumentation, in that there was a tachometer (or rev counter) in front of the driver, the speedometer was positioned in front of the passenger with a central bank of subsidiary dials in the centre, giving a similar sporting appearance to the TC with a “double scuttle” dash.

1949 MG Y Type

A childhood dream for Mr MacDonald to own one of the 877 that were produced.

This incredible MG Y Type is due to leave Cyprus this Friday and after a few weeks at sea she’ll be arriving in Felixstowe before being delivered directly to our Ipswich workshops for assessment.

At Bridge Classic Cars we offer anything that your classic car desires.

We’ll give this wonderful little MG a fully check over and along with it’s new owner, we’ll decide on the best course of action to get her up and running.

In no time at all she’ll beย out and about for all to see and enjoy.

1949 MG Y Type

1949 MG Y Type

 

Save up to 17% in the Moss Europe Autumn Sale.

Moss Europe Autumn Sale

Save up to 17% on restoration parts, accessories, tools and consumables for all models.

Click here to order online, or order by phone, e-mail or visit a branch.

It’s very simple

Save 11% when you spend over ยฃ80 (inc VAT).

Save 13% when you spend over ยฃ400 (inc VAT).

Save 17% off when you spend over ยฃ800 (inc VAT).

See exclusions and conditions online.

Behind the scenes at today’s MGTD Competition photoshoot…

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]With our incredible 1951 MGTD Competition now complete there is only one thing left to do…

A stunning Suffolk shoot!

As this little beauty is believedย to be the only one left in the world it was only right for her to have a very special Suffolk shoot.

Priory Hall, Hadleigh, Suffolk, Weddings

Firstly, we must say a huge thank you to Cyndy at Priory Hall in Hadleigh, a truly stunning setting and so accommodating. Thank you also for showing us your lovely MG, (just let me know when you’re ready to get her back on the road and we’ll take care of her for you.)

Here are some ‘behind the scenes’ photos taken by the non professional (Craig) on the non professional device (phone).

“I’mย sureย you’ll agree, these are by far the best photos of the day. I mean a photo of a photo on a camera, so artistic!!”

MGTD Competition at Priory Hall, Hadleigh

Here’s Hayley and Lauren from 1940’s Harmony trioย The Bombshells, looking absolutely gorgeous in the car.

[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_gallery type=”image_grid” images=”6686,6687,6688,6689,6690,6691,6692,6693,6694,6695,6696,6697,6698,6699,6700,6701,6685,6718,6717,6716,6715,6714″][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_text_separator title=”The Bombshells from Halo Entertainment”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]The Bombshells 1940's Harmony Trio

‘The Bombshells’ offer a fantastic nights worth of entertainment, featuring all time classics from a time a gone by. They recreate musical history with their incredible harmonies, similar to the Andrew’s Sisters. With this Trio you should expect full live vocals accompaniedย with their fun loving, bubbly personalities, which will only make you want to move your feet. Bringing old time classic songs from the 1940’s and present day hits in theย boogie woogieย style, makes The Bombshells perfect for all ages. The easy listening nature to theirย selected songsย makes this trio perfect for a range of venues and style of events.

With such a buzz around this act, you need to get the bookings in fast, so not be disappointed! Click here for more information, videos, photos and contact details.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_separator][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Just a few more days until we see the wonderful creations that photographer Jason from Sugar and Spice Photography in Felixstowe has put together for us…[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

Stripping and Removing the Axles

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]With the engine now running and removed, it’s time for the projectย to begin!

And it didn’t take the team long to discover the enormity of the task in hand. Our black 1967 Jaguar E-Type Series 1 is, without a doubt, one of our biggest projects to date.

But what a fantastically busy day we’ve had.

The car is well into being stripped, the axles have been removed ready to be stripped and we’ll soon be ready for Asa to step in to assess the bodywork, remove as much of the body waste as possible and get her ready for sandblasting.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_gallery type=”image_grid” images=”6727,6728,6729,6730,6731,6732,6733,6734,6735,6736,6737,6738,6739,6740,6741,6742,6743,6744,6745,6746,6747″][/vc_column][/vc_row]

Our 1971 Triumph Spitfire is now resprayed

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Here she is looking absolutely stunning with her new re-spray.

Trevor worked late into the night and all day Saturday to ensure we have her back at the beginning of next week. Sometimes, due to unforeseen circumstances projects and tasks over-run. We have a very solid record of managing our time and budgets on restorations but unfortunately due to holidays we are a few days behind on this one.

…it’ll be worth it though!

What a huge transformation to this little gem. All that’s left to do is the refurbishment of the wheels and then back she comes to our Ipswich workshop be re-fitted.

[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_gallery type=”image_grid” images=”6670,6671,6672,6673,6674,6675,6676,6677,6678,6679,6680,6681″][/vc_column][/vc_row]

Mr Good – Henley On Thames, Oxfordshire

eBay Sale – 1976 Rolls Royce Silver Shadow 1 – Restoration Project

“Again thank you and I thought you might appreciate this note, good to deal with honest people! Note from my mechanic:ย The old girl is on a ramp, nothing really bad to report ๐Ÿ™‚ย A nice buy and for its age in good shape, a good service and change all fluids, attend to the leaky rocker covers and hose and it should give good service for some time to come.”

1967 Jaguar E-Type Series 1- the huge task of stripping

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Worked is now well underway getting our 1967 Jaguar E-Type stripped bare ready for the bodywork repairs to be assessed.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_gallery type=”image_grid” images=”6613,6614,6615,6616,6617,6630,6631,6632,6633,6634,6608,6607,6606,6605,6604,6603,6602,6601,6600,6599,6598,6597,6596,6595,6594,6593,6592,6591″][/vc_column][/vc_row]

And away she goes…

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]We are excited to announce that this week saw the start of our next big restoration project, our 1967 Jaguar E-Type Series 1.

As John was busy stripping the E-Type bare, our engine man Mark decided to see whether he could get it running, from first impression you’d think this was an almost impossible task. How could something that has been sitting around for so many years possibly start and run?

…enter Mark and John!

Mark and John started the E-Type engine

First he checked all ofย electrics to ensure that they were safe to power up.

Then, (and these are his words) he used the skills he gained as a teenager to break into the ignition lock so he could get it to crank.

The next task was to test for a spark.

John then downed his tools for a few minutes and helped Mark build a temporary fuel tank so they could fill theย carbs with fuel.

A few minor adjustments and she burst into life!

At first, she didn’t run very well which was kind of expected so mark pulled the carbs apart, cleaned all of the rubbish and gunk out and started her up once more.

We now have a running engine…it won’t be staying in the car but it’s still great to see something this neglected jump back into life.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_video link=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=86y8wMDzH1Y”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_gallery type=”image_grid” images=”6592,6593,6594,6595,6596,6597,6598,6599,6600,6601,6602,6603,6604,6605,6606,6607,6608,6591″][/vc_column][/vc_row]

1971 Triumph Spitfire in primer

Mrs K, we decided your car would look pretty in pink! Hope you like…

(haha don’t panic, it’s not, it’s primer)

1971 Triumph Spitfire in primer at Bridge Classic Cars

Was a bit of late night for Trevor in our paint shop tonight as he caught up on the Triumph Spitfire project.

The great news is that the bodywork is all done and as you can see, the car is primed and ready for paint.

Hopefully by this time tomorrow she’ll have a fresh new coat. The next time we see her will be Saturday morning and we can’t wait.

1971 Triumph Spitfire in primer at Bridge Classic Cars

1971 Triumph Spitfire in primer at Bridge Classic Cars

1971 Triumph Spitfire in primer at Bridge Classic Cars

1971 Triumph Spitfire in primer at Bridge Classic Cars

1971 Triumph Spitfire in primer at Bridge Classic Cars

1971 Triumph Spitfire in primer at Bridge Classic Cars

1971 Triumph Spitfire in primer at Bridge Classic Cars

1971 Triumph Spitfire in primer at Bridge Classic Cars

1971 Triumph Spitfire in primer at Bridge Classic Cars

1971 Triumph Spitfire in primer at Bridge Classic Cars

1972 Jaguar E-Type Series 3 Roadster is ready to go

With the leaking master cylinder now replaced, the running problems have been resolved, all of the brakes have been bled and assessed and as mentioned previously, the new shocks have been fitted shes ready to go back home.

1972 Jaguar E-Type Roadster Series 3

1972 Jaguar E-Type Roadster Series 3

1972 Jaguar E-Type Roadster Series 3

Freshening up the tired interior

A trip down the A12 for Craig today as he takes the Triumph Spitfire interior to Bridge Classic Car’s upholsterer Kim.

In a past life, Bridge Classic Cars repaired the driver’s seat of our little Spitfire so we know, first hand, that the majority of the interior is still in a sound working order. As they say ‘if it ain’t broke don’t fix it’…in this case, the interior is great so why mess around with it?

A bit of a clean to bring it back to life wouldn’t hurt but generally the seats are all good and ready to be refitted.

One thing to consider when you are restoring a car, when you strip a body and freshen up the paintwork it is only then you realise what parts of the interior are looking tired…in this case, what you see in the picture is exactly that!

But when you have a upholstery genius like Kim, this pile on the floor is nothing! Within a few weeks all of these components will be brought back to the workshops looking wonderful once again.

1971 Triumph Spitfire upholstery requiring a refurb

As for the boot mat, I’m afraid to say that this one has gone.

Unfortunately there’s no going back here but as we have the original on hand, remaking this is a piece of cake.

1971 Triumph Spitfire boot mat being remade

Not long now til we see her back from the paint shop. Everything is waiting on shelves, ready to be refitted. Tomorrow I have arranged a visit to the paint shop to inspect the work that has been carried out so far.