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Jensen’s been dipped

Our Jensen Interceptor has returned having been chemically dipped. It was sent to Pro-Strip. The car arrived with us a few weeks ago completely stripped

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Hard and Fast – Fitting the Bulkhead Cover to the 1970 Bristol 411

The interior trim team at Bridge Classic Cars have finished the brand-new bulkhead cover on the 1970 Bristol 411.

The team have handmade this piece to work alongside the work the restoration technicians have done as part of the car’s custom left-hand drive conversion. The edged bulkhead cover had to have its fasteners accurately placed onto the piece and then lined up with the pre-installed locks that hold the cover down.

Progress – Updates on the 1979 Arrow Ferrari Daytona

The workshop team at Bridge Classic Cars have been working on making progress on the beautiful 1979 Arrow Ferrari Daytona in our Suffolk HQ.

The team have completed the final installation of the fuel pump into the classic Daytona replica. This was a key part of the project as the team worked towards the first fire up and testing. Along with this, the team have worked on securing the centre console into the car and bolting it down with the new carpet sets.

The team also worked on fitting the new reverse lamp, which required accurate and precise cutting into the rear valance of the GT car. Alongside this, the windscreen and rear glass have been installed into the car.

Coming Soon – 1932 Lagonda

Arriving soon to the Bridge Classic Cars workshop at our Suffolk HQ is this stunning 1932 Lagonda.

Once it arrives with us, we can’t wait to show you more on this stunning pre-war tourer so make sure you keep a look out on the Bridge Classic Cars news page for more updates.

Good as New – 1905 Riley 9HP Radiator Refurbished

The original radiator for the 1905 Riley 9HP has been with our friends at Newquay Radiators to be completely refurbished and rebuilt for the project.

This is an important part of the restoration project being down by our in-house team at Bridge Classic Cars. It looks absolutely incredible and we love to see the craftsmanship that goes into jobs like this by the best specialists we know.

This Just In – 1962 Humber Hawk

A recent arrival at the Bridge Classic Cars restoration workshop deep in the heart of Suffolk was this awesome 1962 Humber Hawk.

This particular classic Humber is owned by our painter Chris’s dad. Chris’s dad has owned the car since before Chris was born and was always destined to become a British street rod. In recent years, it lay dormant at a body shop awaiting its journey but it has now been moved to our site for the team here to keep an eye on it and keep it safe.

In the 1970s and 1980s, the Humber Hawks were popular with British hot rodders and drag racers alike. Fitting more powerful Rover V8s and occasionally the odd American small-block. With their styling akin to the ”shoebox” Chevys of the mid-1950s, they hold a certain appeal to those into nostalgic drag racing and street rodding here in the UK.

It’s always nice to see something different and with such a connection a member of our close-knit team.

Inspection – Assessing the 1986 Daimler DS420

The 1986 Daimler DS420, which arrived recently at the Bridge Classic Cars workshop from America, has been up on the ramp for our teams to begin inspecting and assessing the classic limousine.

As part of its inspection, the team will build up a report on the overall condition of the vehicle along with any areas which need further assessment and a plan for repair or refurbishment. This time, the team were focusing on the underside of the classic Daimler to make sure it was structurally sound and safe before any further work is carried out.

The team turned their attention to suspension pickups and mounts, sections of frame, substructure mounts as well as the all-important body shell sills.

The Suffolk Military Show

The Suffolk Military Show is set to become the best military event to visit within the East Anglian region. The family friendly 2 day extravaganza will showcase the very finest selection of static military vehicles, multi-period living history re-enactment, arena live stage entertainment, military and vintage traders market, and quality food stalls.

All the awesome stuff to make this a perfect day out. The County Show Ground known as Trinity Park has a ‘second to none’ road network for accessibility.

Whilst Suffolk remains a key area for international active military bases within the UK which boasts both a depth and wealth of military history. Purpose built for top quality events the show ground will provide a fantastic backdrop to the range of multi-period military exhibitors from all over the United Kingdom and Europe which will include British, German, Russian and American re-enactment groups.

The Show will be the newest and freshest in the Military Show Annual events calendar and contain everything from Heavy Military Vehicles, Spontaneous Re-enactment, Explosive Battles, period specific display and RAF flypast. Not to mention the stage performances and guest star appearances by Herr Flick and Helga from the iconic hit series ‘Allo, Allo’!

Displaying all eras from modern day warfare, to way back in history, the Suffolk Military Show will take you on a journey through military history. This Show will be the whole military package to experience.

In the traders market place, a large range of goodies and charity stands will provide an interesting variety of shopping.  The military merchandise on offer will provide you with great deals and information, whilst a comprehensive offering of local catering stands, fresh coffee, snacks, soft drinks, ice cream and a licensed bar will be easily to hand. Taking the hassle out of your day, the Suffolk Military Show also includes added extras to make your experience even more enjoyable; free on-site parking, lost children point, disabled access, informative show commentary, show programme and opportunities to meet the guest stars.

Offering fun for all the family, the Suffolk Military Show will take place at on Saturday 30th (09.00-17.00) and Sunday 31st July (10.00-16.00) 2022 at the Suffolk Show Ground, Trinity Park, Felixstowe Road Ipswich IP3 8UH. Tickets available to purchase now.

ALLO ALLO’S HERR FLICK & HELGA

Pay attention peasants! Herr Flick and Helga (the real ones!) are available for you to meet at The Suffolk Military Show 2022.

Kim Hartman and Richard Gibson are best known for playing Herr Flick and Helga in the wonderfully popular ‘Allo! ‘Allo! throughout the world, which, all though finished filming in 1992, is still highly regarded as one of the best British sitcoms ever!

For The Suffolk Military Show, Richard and Kim will be attending on both show days and will be showcasing on our main stage a 25-minute sketch, with laughter, music and magic, followed by question-and-answer sessions and anecdotes around the making of the series and the artists’ experiences in the entertainment world.

Kim and Richard will also make themselves available to be photographed in costume with members of the public.

This Just In – 1979 Pontiac TransAm

The Bridge Classic Cars workshop has had another new arrival recently, this iconic 1979 Pontiac TransAm for the restoration workshop to carry out several jobs on.

The teams will be getting this classic muscle car back in solid mechanical order while the paint and body team have a few small, sympathetic jobs to carry out on the car.

Keep a look out on the Bridge Classic Cars news page very soon for more on the 1979 Pontiac TransAm.

Devil in the Detail – Detailing the 2013 Porsche Boxster

The 2013 Porsche Boxster has been in the capable hands of our go-to valeter Viper Auto Valet.

The front end of the Boxster is being polished and cleaned before it goes into our in-house paint team to have its minor imperfections worked on to get it looking absolutely perfect for its owner.

Out & About – The Long Shop Pre-’60s Rally at Bentwaters

On Sunday the 22nd of May, the Bridge Classic Cars team welcomed The Long Shop Museum Pre-’60s Rally to our secure storage facility, The Hangar, as part of their tour.

It was an absolute pleasure to have so many classic and vintage cars, motorcycles and buses at our site and to learn more about the stories of each of the cars and their owners. Everything from the very early turn of the century European touring cars to 1950s American classics and everything in between.

During the stop at our site, Craig and Freddie did a walk-around to show all of our audience this amazing event which you can rewatch here:

To see the entire gallery have a look below!

In Colour – The 1987 Daimler Double Six Now in Colour

The 1987 Daimler Double Six has been taken into the in-house paint booth at Bridge Classic Cars once again to carry on its journey into full colour.

The team have spent countless hours making sure that each process and stage of the paint and bodywork for the classic Daimler is flawless and smooth. Each layer of paint is inspected and assessed even on the inside of the panels. With the inner panels now painted, the team masked up the bodyshell and could begin the process of laying down the dark blue onto the Double Six.

Patiently and methodically, the paint team swept layers of the deep blue across the body and wings of the car. One after another, the layers were built up to give the car its glossy and bright finish but to also build up the depth and contrast in the colour.

With this stage done, the Daimler is now curing before the paint and body team begin colour sanding.

Winners Circle – Our 1989 TVR S2 at Home with its New Owner

The 1989 TVR S2, which was donated by previous winner Jar Joyce, has been delivered to its new owner Brian Swain.

This classic TVR was donated by Jar back to Bridge Classic Cars Competitions to help support the DEC Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal. Through everyone’s kindness and generosity, we managed to raise over £38,000 which was donated weekly directly to the DEC in order to help those first-hand affected by the invasion and subsequent destruction and displacement.

All of us here wish Brian many happy miles and years with the classic TVR and again, thank you to everyone for taking part in this amazing charity appeal.

This Just In – 1993 Land Rover Defender 90

Recently, this imposing 1993 Land Rover Defender 90 arrived at the Bridge Classic Cars Suffolk HQ.

The classic Land Rover will soon be headed through our various restoration workshops and their teams to be completely inspected and assessed aesthetically and mechanically. The Land Rover has had some tasteful and well-installed upgrades to modernise the 1990s off-roader that set it apart from its rivals.

Keep a look out here on the Bridge Classic Cars news page for more updates very soon on the 1993 Land Rover Defender 90.

Out & About – Cars & Caffeine at Type 2 Detectives

Our friend Mark headed over to air-cooled Volkswagen specialists, Type 2 Detectives, over the weekend for their Cars & Caffeine event.

The guys over at Type 2 Detectives opened their doors to friends and visitors on Sunday for a meet up of not just Volkswagens but Porsches, BMWs, Lotus and many many more. Type 2 Detectives are known for their sensational builds specialising in classic air-cooled Volkswagen’s and it’s always a pleasure to see their work and the pride they take in it!

Check Over – Coltec Inspecting the 1940 Morris Gun Tractor

Our friends at Coltec came over to the Bridge Classic Cars workshop at our Suffolk HQ to inspect and assess the engine for the 1940 Morris Gun Tractor.

The engine is reportedly running rough and has a few issues so we invited Coltec to come and cast their expert eyes and ears over the classic military transporter.

They will be coming back again soon to carry out a few more tests and try to get to the bottom of the issues which are affecting the classic Morris.

Full Glass – Fibreglass Repairs on the 1956 Jensen 541

The Bridge Classic Cars body team have turned their attention to some all-important fibreglass repairs to the rear section of the 1956 Jensen 541.

The entire rear clamshell of the classic Jensen had developed a few issues with the material, so the body team carefully re-glassed the area in order to strengthen the piece and add material in for correcting the shape of the piece.

With fibreglass, its important the layers are built up flat and evenly to make sure it perfectly followed the shape of the panel underneath but also around the area.

This Just In – 2013 Porsche Boxster

The stunning 2013 Porsche Boxster has arrived at the Bridge Classic Cars for our paint and body teams to work their magic on the modern sports car.

The Boxster has got some very minor stone chipping and a few blemishes in its otherwise flawless paintwork which the team will be addressing.

Keep an eye out on the Bridge Classic Cars news page for more updates on the 2013 Porsche Boxster.

Behind the Scenes – Shooting our 1973 Triumph TR6

The Bridge Classic Cars Competitions teams have been out at our filming location to shoot our latest competition car, a 1973 Triumph TR6.

The team picked a perfect day for it. A series of delicate clouds against the pale blue sky above the Suffolk countryside was the perfect backdrop for the Saffron Yellow classic Triumph. Before this, the Bridge Classic Cars restoration workshop went over the car from head to toe in order to give it the green light to be driven around our filming location.

As the Suffolk air filled with the raspy sounds of the straight-4, the bright yellow drop-top whipped around with an air of excitement and freedom. A tool purely for the joy of driving. And now, we want you to experience this wonderful feeling.

Just head over to the Bridge Classic Cars Competitions now and enter for your chance to win this absolutely stunning 1973 Triumph TR6.

Prepared – Readying the 1987 Daimler Double Six for Colour

The paint and body team have been working to get the 1987 Daimler Double Six ready for the first coats of dark blue paint to be laid on the panels of the classic saloon car.

To begin, the Bridge Classic Cars in-house team painted the bonnet and boot lid of the classic Daimler. Once these had begun to dry, they were moved into the preparation area to fully cure while the body and wings were moved into the booth.

Then the team could begin to mask up the car ready to lay down the first coats of colour onto the body of the Double Six…

In Place – Fitting the Oil Filter, Power Steering Pump and Servicing the Brakes on the 1970 Bristol 411

The workshop team have completed the next round of jobs on the classic Bristol 411 in for a left-hand drive conversion at Bridge Classic Cars.

The first stage was to mount the oil filter housing to the opposite side of the engine bay after the conversion. The team have made sure that each component will not interfere with each other and also have enough space to be able to be safely worked on during the service of the car in the future.

Then, the team have carried out the final test fit of the power steering pump to the engine of the classic Bristol using the specially fabricated brackets. These will be taken off the car and finished in matching black to the other bracketry in the engine bay.

Next up, the team will be performing a full brake service on the classic GT car with a full inspection of seals, lines and pistons.

Final Pieces – Replacing the Wiper Motor and Repairing the Rear Cover of the 1980 Porsche 924 Turbo

The workshop team at Bridge Classic Cars have been working on the classic 1980 Porsche 924 Turbo.

The first job was to fit the new replacement wiper motor under the scuttle panel. The team carefully undid and removed the mechanism and then pulled the old motor out of the car to check against the new piece. With the piece verified, the team could then work in reverse getting the new motor hooked up and in the car.

Then, the team turned their attention to the rear boot cover. This piece retracts and rolls up normally, but it had developed a bind which caused it to not roll back into the cartridge. Our technician Jon carefully took apart the piece to free it and then carefully reloaded the cover into the cartridge and put it back into the car where when tested worked correctly multiple times over without hesitation.

Pulled Apart – Removing the Door Cards of the 1986 Daimler DS420

The Bridge Classic Cars in-house trim team have been working on the doors of the 1986 Daimler DS420 which arrived into our workshop from the USA recently.

The doors are being carefully taken apart so the panels themselves can be repainted. This involved the careful cataloguing and noting of each individual piece that came off the door from the small screw head cover to the large leather wrapped panels. The doors will then be taken into our paint and body team who will carry out a full assessment and then get to work on making the doors of the classic Daimler limo matching the rest of the car.

Back to Basics – Stripping Back the Seats of the 1955 Jensen 541

The interior team at Bridge Classic Cars have worked their way through the teardown of the front seats on the 1955 Jensen 541

With the seats in such a delicate condition, the team had to approach this task with a meticulous and thorough approach to get the classic Jensen’s bucket seats stripped all the way back to the fibreglass cores. The team made careful note of every fixing location and took detailed measurements and notes for the seats reconstruction later down the line.

Taken Apart – Stripping Back the Hood Frame of the 1969 Morris Minor Convertible

The interior trim team at Bridge Classic Cars have carefully stripped back the convertible hood frame for the 1969 Morris Minor Convertible.

This piece has been carefully taken apart for the interior team to inspect and assess the hood and trim itself but also for the frame to be sent away for media-blasting.

The team unpicked each seam and fold to remove the hood as intact as possible and also so they could gain access to the wooden spars. Most importantly, the front wood beam which the team noticed was damaged. Once they have had a chance to inspect and assess just just damaged it is, they can begin to work on getting the hood pieces ready for the frame to come back.

Mounted – Securing the New Power Steering Pump on the 1970 Bristol 411

The restoration team in the Bridge Classic Cars workshop at our Suffolk HQ have begun to fix the position of the new Power Assisted Steering Pump as part of the carts left-hand drive conversion by our workshop.

With the pump in place, the team could begin to inspect and assess the areas around the pump to make sure that the all-important belt isn’t interfered with or is in the way of anything else. For this, the team have made a custom set of brackets to hold the pump on the engine and perfectly in line with the other pulleys which will drive it.

Jensen’s been dipped

Our Jensen Interceptor has returned having been chemically dipped. It was sent to Pro-Strip. The car arrived with us a few weeks ago completely stripped as a stalled restoration. We will now embark of the re-installation of all metalwork to produce a concours car.

Continual development of our Bristol LHD conversion

More images have made their way over to Gary and the guys at Re-Go Autoparts as we continue with the development works on our 1970 Bristol 411. Faced with a lot of challenges so far, Gary has been paramount at assisting with our needs and working alongside us to achieve the desired outcome.

A brief history of Re-Go Autoparts – established in 1985, Rego Autoparts is synonymous with high-quality remanufactured steering components. The Lenco brand carried by the owners of Rego Autoparts has been trading since the 1970’s.

Specialists in the left-hand-drive market, Lenco has comprehensive catalogues listing models of every car manufacturer from Alfa to Volvo, for steering racks, steering boxes and steering pumps.

Lenco is a Certified TecDoc Data Supplier. Since 2004 we have continued to uphold the standards for ISO9001 with incorporation of TS16949, ISO14001 and ISO18001.

Lenco reconditions steering components made by all O-E-manufacturers, e.g. TRW, Koyo, Saginaw, ZF, SMI, Mando, Atsugi, Hitachi, Young-Shin etc.

Specializing in supply to large distributors who in turn service buying groups, wholesalers and garages, Lenco has an extensive range of reconditioned stock in mainland Europe enabling supply of orders quickly and efficiently.

Lenco has a vast stock of ‘old core’ units covering the majority of its catalogue applications, enabling us to supply rare and high-demand applications without hassle. In the unlikely event that we do not have an old unit to recondition, we can recondition the customer’s unit.

Lenco has remanufacturing facilities in the UK and Belgium. In addition to the factories there is a logistics warehouse in Belgium handling the stock and distribution of the combined factory outputs.

Every unit produced by the factories is tested and warranted with a 2-year unlimited mileage.

Pre 60’s Vehicle Run and Gathering – Sunday 22nd May 2022

Bridge Classic Cars are very pleased to welcome The Long Shop Museum for their Pre 60’s Vehicle Run and Gathering this Sunday.

Starting from the Bridge Classic Cars Hangar at RAF Bentwaters, Rendlesham, IP122TW, the run will take in a circular route with a half way halt at the Long Shop Museum, Leiston, IP164ES.

Light refreshments and cakes will be available from Carmello’s Coffee before the run begins.

Open to all classes of Pre 60’s vehicles, both running and static!

Vehicles will be arriving from 8am with the run commencing around 10am.

Whether you wish to participate or spectate we very much look forward to seeing you all.

Route information below:

Behind the Scenes – Live Draw of the 1985 Porsche 911, TAG Heuer Carrera & 2007 Jaguar XKR at Beach Street Felixstowe

With the weather getting better and better, the Bridge Classic Cars Competitions team decided to change things up a little bit. For this, we took our latest competition cars down to Beach Street in Felixstowe to find out who the lucky winners were of our amazing 1985 Porsche 911, TAG Heuer Carrera and the 2007 Jaguar XKR.

The setting was perfect by the coast as the late spring sun began to move back towards the horizon. The team set up the cars ready to show everyone online and everyone at Beach Street to look around, including a newly launched 1980 supercharged Mini Van.

After the usual walk around, it was time to find out who’s lucky day it really was. The team input the numbers for the Google Random Number Generator to choose from and then with a single click, it was done.

The winners:

  • 1985 Porsche 911 – Gareth Evans with Ticket Number 4541
  • 2007 Jaguar XKR – William Pearson with Ticket Number 3102
  • TAG Heuer Carrera – Andrew Parry with Ticket Number 2367

It was a brilliant evening for all and we, at Bridge Classic Cars Competitions, want to say a big thank you to Beach Street Felixstowe for inviting us down and we cannot wait to come back soon!

To rewatch the live draw, please see below:

1986 Daimler DS420: London-Los Angeles-Suffolk

They said it themselves; Vintage Car Collector with their ever growing inventory impresses everyone from professional and serious car collectors to beginners. Their digital presence attracts car enthusiasts and professionals alike every day.

And that is true of our journey with them so far. A few months back a good friend of Bridge Classic Cars was drawn to a beautiful 1986 Daimler DS420 on offer over in California.

We hastily reached out to the guys and girls at Vintage Car Collector and no sooner had we done that were we informed that the car had left the US and was making it’s way over to us here in sunny Suffolk.

Description from Vintage Car Collector: “The Daimler DS420, also known as the Daimler Limousine, is a limousine made by The Daimler Company Limited between 1968 and 1992. The car was designed for official use and it was popular with chauffeur services, hoteliers and undertakers. It was used as an official state car in many countries. No other limousine model has been delivered to more reigning monarchs than the DS420, and the car is still used by the royal houses of the United Kingdom, Sweden, Denmark, and Luxembourg.

Originally, the cars were built at the Vanden Plas works in Kingsbury Lane, London, from body shells made by Park Sheet Metal Company, assembling panels supplied by Motor Panels of Coventry, and by Pressed Steel Fisher. Early limousines bore the “Daimler Vanden Plas” designation on tread plates and workshop manuals. The Kingsbury plant was closed in 1979 and production moved to Jaguar in Coventry, where it continued until 1992. The move to Coventry also brought the second and most extensive face lift in the car’s life, when larger bumpers and a revised rear number-plate frame were fitted.

The DS420 had a fascia very similar to contemporary Mark X and 420G Jaguars retaining the old-fashioned steering column and pencil-thin steering wheel. Two cars were built in landaulette bodywork by the factory. Apparently neither have survived

• CLEAN TITLE 
• ODOMETER SHOWS 58,261 MILES 
• 6 CYL. ENGINE 
• AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION 
• 90% TIRE TREAD 
• NICE CHROME AND INTERIOR 
• MAINLY USED FOR WEEKEND DRIVES 
• WELL MAINTAINED, GARAGE KEPT 
• RUNS AND DRIVES

On Tuesday 17th May we received the exciting call from Schumacher Cargo Logistics to confirm the safe arrival of our Daimler to Felixstowe.

Gordon, John and Dave set off to Felixstowe with a handful of tools, jump leads and fuel but unfortunately a big fuel leak hindered their plans for a successful drive down the A14.

Not to worry, the car is now back in our workshops ready to start it’s exciting new adventure here in the UK. Welcome home!!