News

Refined – Perfecting the Bodywork on the 1987 Daimler Double Six

The Bridge Classic Cars body shop has been working on getting the 1987 Daimler Double Six into the best possible shape ahead of being moved back into the paint booth.

The team have begin body filler work, which as a rule is used as sparingly as possible and the vast majority of the filler put onto the car is sanded away. But, it is necessary to get each panel the right shape and curve flowing into the next piece.

With this, the team will sand away 99% of the filler and then the car will go back into the spray booth to have its next round of primer applied. The next stage of the process to getting this stunning classic Daimler back in the best shape possible.

This Just In – 1968 Morris Minor 1000 Van

Just arrived into the Bridge Classic Cars restoration workshop at our Suffolk HQ is this beautiful 1968 Morris Minor 1000 Van.

This classic Morris Minor will soon go into the workshops for restoration teams to inspect and assess while also carrying out a series of jobs for the car.

Keep an eye out on the Bridge Classic Cars news page for more updates on the 1968 Morris Minor 100 Van very soon.

Progress – Making the Parcel Shelf and Fixing Down the Carpets in the 1979 Arrow Ferrari Daytona

The trim team at Bridge Classic Cars have been working on making progress on the interior of the 1979 Arrow Ferrari Daytona.

Brain, one of our trimmer has handmade the brand new parcel shelf for the classic Ferrari replica to get the best fit possible into the car.

After that, he has begun the process of systematically fixing the carpets down into place. Because these pieces have been made specifically for the car, each has to be secured into place in a particular order in order to get the perfect fit and finish required for such a unique and bespoke project.

Like New – Continuing the Metal Work on the 1978 MG B GT

The workshop team at Bridge Classic Cars have been making good progress on the body shell of the 1978 MG B GT in with us for restoration at our Suffolk HQ.

Our restoration technician Rob has been working on cutting out any form of corroded metal from the car to make sure everything is structurally right and lining up properly. Firstly, he worked on getting the rear valance of the classic MG B sorted.

The old valance was heavily corroded and warped so our team sourced a replacement panel and began the process of carefully removing the old piece in such a way as to not damage any of the mounting surfaces behind it. All of the surfaces behind the valance were cleaned and prepared ahead of the new piece firmly welded into place.

Next, Rob finished the work needed to the bottoms of the A-pillars. This needed to be done before the team could begin fitting and placing the new sills. With the old sills cut out of the car and the new ones trimmed and clamped they could be welded into place taking into account the new A-Pillar and the mounted door to ensure there was no overlap or conflict between any of the pieces.

Finally, Rob could cut out the rear arch. This was heavily corroded and in need of replacement. So carefully the spot welds were cut out and the original piece taken out before offering up the replacement arch.

Blended – Paint Repairs on the 1974 Alfa Romeo Spider

The 1974 Alfa Romeo Spider has been in the Bridge Classic Cars in-house paint shop to have a couple of paint repairs completed ahead of its leaving for its new home.

The paint team noticed a couple of areas on the car which needed some small refining and readjustment work before being taken into the paint booth to be blended into the stunning red bodywork. The team carefully masked off the rest of the classic sports car to first primer and then lay down several coats of matching Red in order to seamlessly blend the paint in.

Lining Up – Fitting the Refinished Bonnet Brackets on the 1955 Aston Martin DB2/4

The paint and body at Bridge Classic Cars have been working on getting the various refinished brackets for the bonnet onto the 1955 Aston Martin DB2/4 MkI.

The team have expertly refinished the parts and pieces for the car all in-house to give them a uniform, clean look. The parts are now being installed onto the car as the team move toward getting the panels aligned and in place to check fitment and if any adjustments will need to be made to the hinges or latches.

Refinished – Repainting the Rocker Cover of the 1973 Volvo 1800ES

The 1973 Volvo 1800ES rocker cover has been refinished by the in-house paint and body shop here at Bridge Classic Cars.

The team carefully stripped back the part, meticulously cleaned and then shot in hardwearing silver.

Now with this part curing in the in-house paint oven.

Heavy Lifting – New Boot Strut for the 1979 Arrow Ferrari Daytona

The restoration workshop have been working on some of the smaller details of the 1979 Arrow Ferrari Daytona.

This time, it was the boot lid prop/strut. Scott, one of our technicians, has carefully reworked the prop to make sure it extended and locked in place with the full weight of the decklid placed on it. Then, it was taken off and refinished to match the rest of the hardware on the classic Daytona replica.

Gone Through – Inspecting the 1958 Jensen 541R

The 1958 Jensen 541R ”Navy” has been into the Bridge Classic Cars workshop for our team to inspect and report back on a few bits and pieces for its owner.

First off, the team have noticed a small oil leak coming from the front of the classic Jensen. Looking closer, our technicians Paul believes that this slight weap is coming from the front oil seal on the engine.

Next, Paul looked at a strong smell of fuel from the engine bay and found there to be a leak coming from the carburettors.

Also as part of the inspection of the classic Jensen, it was noted that the rubber bushes which form an important part of the suspension, have been to degraded. These are rubber and exposed to the elements so they do perish over time.

Coming Soon – 1968 Morris Minor 1000 Van

Soon to be arriving at the Bridge Classic Cars restoration workshop in Suffolk is this gorgeous 1968 Morris Minor 1000 Van.

The car will be coming in for our restoration teams to inspect and assess the car but it will also have a service, some minor paintwork carried out and reinstalling some new trim pieces for the car.

Keep an eye out very soon here on the Bridge Classic Cars news page for more on the 1968 Morris Minor 1000 Van.

Closing Up – Replacing the Sill Straps and Closing Panels on the 1970 Bristol 411

After carefully opening up the sills of the 1970 Bristol 411 and thoroughly inspecting them, our technicians have begun the process of sealing them back up in the car.

The workshop at Bridge Classic Cars have hand fabricated new sills straps and new closing panels for the classic Bristol after inspecting the inner sills for any form of corrosion. The originals had to be cut out of the car and couldn’t be reused so our fabrication team made brand new, tight-fitting and durable panels to replace them.

The original flanges were cleaned up and straightened to give a good mounting surface for the workshop to weld the new panels back into place and seal up the underside of the classic Bristol.

Blocked – Getting to the Bottom of the Fuel Leak in the 1973 Jaguar E-Type V12 Series 3

The restoration technicians in the Bridge Classic Cars workshop have been looking into a fuel leak from the 1973 Jaguar E-Type V12 Series 3.

The team inspected all the hoses and couplers to do with the fuel system which upon inspection were all found to be okay. From that, the team decided to look inside the tank of the V12 E-Type and found the cause of the issue.

The tank filter had become clogged with stones. This caused fuel to back up in the filter and leak through the seal which was causing the reported issue.

Through the Lens – Fitting the Indicators on the 1979 Arrow Ferrari Daytona

The restoration team at the Bridge Classic Cars Suffolk HQ have made progress on the 1979 Arrow Ferrari Daytona. This time, they’ve been perfecting the fitment of the indicator lenses at the front of the classic Ferrari homage.

Our technician Scott has spent several hours getting the lenses just right for Daytona replica. The lenses had to be fixed into place on the car, which Scott made up some small and strong brackets for. These were carefully measured up and put into the car. Along with that, the back of the lens socket was masked up and painted so through the clear part of the lens, the cars stunning pale green cannot be seen.

Guarded – Raptorgaurding the Inner Wings and Bulkhead of the 1987 Mercedes 500SL

The inner wings and several pieces of the bulkhead from the 1987 Mercedes 500SL have been finished in thick durable Raptorguard by the Bridge Classic Cars in-house paint shop.

Alan, one of our painters, has been working on completing this task as part of the final paint stages on the classic Mercedes R107. This stage involved coating several key areas of the car with a thick, durable Raptorguard. This particular product seals the surface from any form of moisture that can find its way inside the metal. So, the team have finished the inside of the front wings and several key parts of the bulkhead and heater matrix.

With this done and now curing, the team can soon begin reassembly of the classic Mercedes 500SL.

The Finer Points – Rust and Wing Mirror Repairs on the 1973 Volvo 1800ES

The paint and bodywork team at the Bridge Classic Cars Suffolk HQ have been working several jobs on the 1973 Volvo 1800ES.

The team found several small rust holes around the body which were carefully sanded back, plug welded and finished flat, along with that the team plug welded some wing mirror holes which were no longer needed.

The bodywork team then worked on finishing the panels to be perfectly smooth and then took the car into our in-house paint booth to primer the specific areas and be paint matched.

Details – Inspecting and Servicing the 1964 Morgan 4/4

The technicians in the Bridge Classic Cars restoration workshop at our Suffolk HQ have been busy inspecting and servicing the 1964 Morgan 4/4 in with us.

The team have begun the service on the classic Morgan, this also involved the inspection and adjustment of the drum brakes.

Then, the team began to look into a couple of issues noted on the car by its owner. Firstly, the team looked into an issue with the car starting. Although some of the connections were slightly loose from the battery, the team have put on order several new parts for the ignition system to try and fix the issue.

Along with that, the team found a split radiator hose in the car.

When the new pieces arrive and are fitted to the car, the team can begin the process of reinstalling and retesting the car to make sure it starts consistently and perfectly each time.

Stronger than Ever – Finishing the Drivers Side Sill and Inner Arch Repairs on the 1969 Morris Minor Convertible

The fabrication team at Bridge Classic Cars have finished up the crucial repairs to the inner arch and door sill of the 1969 Morris Minor Convertible.

These two pieces which make up the driver’s A-Pillar is used for not only the structure and mounting of the wings but also dictate the opening in the body for the doors. So, these need to be not only structurally sound and strong but very precise so our body shop technicians can get the panels aligned perfectly when the car is transferred into their department.

The fabrication team have carefully and precisely put the pieces back onto the classic Morris Minor in a particular order to build on the rigidity and strength needed in this particular area.

Now, it’s time to move onto the passenger side.

Service and Inspection – Servicing the 1967 Jaguar MkII and Looking for a Leak

The restoration team at Bridge Classic Cars have got to work on servicing the 1967 Jaguar MkII 3.4 which is in with us for service and inspection. The team carried out the service which also included the replacement of the points and condenser in the ignition system to make sure the classic big Jaguar was running at its absolute best.

Along with that, the owner has asked the team to investigate and find the source of a reported leak. Beginning the investigation, our technician Scott inspected all the axle seals as well as any other parts of the driveline. During that inspection, he noticed a weap coming from the rear differential with a suspected leak coming from the pinion seal of the classic Jaguar.

With this, the car will have this investigated further and rectified before being tested and given the all clear.

Primed & Read – 1987 Daimler Double Six in Primer

The 1987 Daimler Double Six has been taken back to bare metal in the places where the repairs were carried out by the Bridge Classic Cars fabrication team. Now, in the hands of our body shop technicians, the car has been refined and perfected before being thoroughly cleaned before going into the paint booth.

The classic Daimler is being finished in its first round of epoxy primer ahead of the team paint matching the reworked areas to the original dark blue paintwork. The team laid down the primer layer by layer carefully allowing it to settle flat and evenly across the luxury 4 door saloon. With this stage done, it will be transferred back into the preparation area for the team to begin sanding and finishing before it goes back into the paint booth for the next stage.

Piece by Piece – Metalwork Continues on the 1978 MG B GT

The bodyshell of the 1978 MG B GT in the Bridge Classic Cars in-house restoration workshop at our Suffolk HQ has had more metal work repairs.

Rob, one of our restoration technicians, has been working his way methodically through the repairs needed to the car. The team have been working their way from the bottom to the top to make sure that everything is square and secure to the chassis. The biggest job tackled recently was remaking and resecuring the bottom of the drivers-side A-pillar which was heavily corroded and was allowing a lot of flex through the inner wheel arch and many of the pickup points for the door.

Along with that, Rob has finished welding the new door skin to the repaired door frame for the passenger side of the car. And with that, could bolt the door up to the car to double-check fitment and alignment.

Moving Forward – Work on the 1973 Volvo 1800ES

The restoration team at Bridge Classic Cars have been working on the inspection and repairs on the 1973 Volvo 1800ES.

Our technician Dave began this round of work by removing the rear bumper of the classic Volvo in preparation for it to be moved into our body and paint shop. After that had been removed, catalogued and stored the team could get on with the list of work.

Part of the work needed was for Dave to do some welding at the rear end of the car. Part of the rear spring hanger had cracked and needed to be rewelded to make sure everything was safe and secure in the car.

Next was a few issues with the wheels interfering with several components of the running gear. At the rear, Dave found that the set screws on the disc were not fitted all the way into the threaded insert and were contacting the back of the wheel not allowing it to be tightened down flush to the hub.

On the front, Dave found the front tyres had been contacting both the frame rail and anti-roll bar (as seen by the witness marks on both pieces).

Flawless Finish – Painting the Final Parts of the 1987 Mercedes 500SL

The final parts and panels for the 1987 Mercedes 500SL have been finished in the Bridge Classic Cars in-house paint shop ready for reassembly on the car.

The team have taken their time to make sure each individual piece has been properly prepared, cleaned and primed before being taken back into the booth to be finished in matching Selenit Grey to the rest of the classic 1980s Mercedes.

Part of the process involved also painting several key parts of the car in a deep black before being masked off and finished in the glossy grey.

Ready for Business – Completing Work on the 1934 MG PA

All of the works on the 1934 MG PA have been completed by the Bridge Classic Cars restoration teams just in time for the beautiful pre-war sports car to be used over the summer.

The team at Bridge Classic Cars have worked on this classic MG from front to back. The first updates are the new spotlights that adorn the beautiful chrome lightbar between the front wings which now have its all-important touring badges. These were wired into the car to make the car more useable and keep to the era, our director Gordon sourced these period-correct pieces specifically for the car.

The next changes to the classic MG PA happen in the cockpit. The team have worked on fitting the new dials and gauges into the car. The new temperature dial is connected to the new temperature sender to make sure the overall health of the car is easily visible. Along with that, the Breitling stopwatch has been fitted to the dash. This is an important part of the cabin as this style of stopwatch would have been used in classic rallying. To improve the useability and safety of the car, the team have fitted the PA with modern lap belts. A key safety component for any vintage car is to make sure the seat belts are made of the latest tear-resistant fabrics to make sure that even with the fun of driving, it’s still safe.

With all of these bits now finished on Gordon’s 1934 MG PA, it’s ready to be used over the summer. Keep an eye out for updates on this wonderful car’s travels.

Progress – Working on the 1973 Volvo 1800ES

The 1973 Volvo 1800ES has been in the Bridge Classic Cars workshop for our restoration team to begin working through the jobs requested by the classic Volvo’s owner.

Our technician Dave has worked on replacing the air filter as part of its service along with a full oil change. The team also inspected and adjusted the valves while the rocker cover was taken into our paint and body shop to be refinished.

The team also drained the car of both oil and coolant as part of the service and while the engine was empty replaced both the oil temperature sensor and the coolant temperature sensor for the customer. After these had been fitted, Dave could refill both the oil and coolant in the engine to spec.

Dave also worked on replacing a ball joint on the classic Volvo due to excessive play in the component which can affect both the handling and tyre wear but is deemed to be a safety component for the car.

In-Place – Reinstalling the Engine and Gearbox of the 1933 Austin 7

The Bridge Classic Cars restoration workshop has been working on getting the engine back into the front of the 1933 Austin 7.

Our restoration technician, Tom, has been working on refitting the new clutch and ring gear onto the engine and gearbox of the classic Austin before carefully putting it into place between the frame of the car and making sure everything cleared without fear of damaging any other component. With the engine in place, the team could begin hooking up the various cables and wires that have to be hooked up in order for the team to begin testing the pre-war Austin.

Back Together – Reassembling the 1969 Morris Minor Convertible Engine

The refinished engine of the 1969 Morris Minor Convertible has begun to be reassembled by the Bridge Classic Cars restoration team.

Rob, one of our restoration technicians, has been working on refitting the rebuilt and refinished pieces to the newly painted engine block in our workshop. Each piece before it is put back on the car has been inspected, rebuilt and then reinstalled with new seals or gaskets.

Up and Over – New Headliner on the 1979 Arrow Ferrari Daytona

The in-house trim team at Bridge Classic Cars have been working on getting the headliner sorted on the 1979 Arrow Ferrari Daytona.

The team began with a basic paper template so they could make sure the final piece had the best possible fit and finish to match the rest of the bespoke interior going into the classic Daytona replica. From there, the whole piece was transferred to fabric. The original headliner was used as inspiration as it had metal strips welded in to give the vertical lines in the padding, this new headliner has the same pattern but is stitched.

We’re excited about the progress on the Arrow Daytona and look forward to showing you what’s happening next on the classic Ferrari replica.

Finishing Up – Paintwork Complete on the 1969 Bentley T1

The 1969 Bentley T1 which has been in with the Bridge Classic Cars paint and body team has now been completed!

What started as a pretty standard respray on the classic Bentley quickly evolved into repairing and perfecting some previous repairs to the car which did not have the car’s best interests at heart. So, the team got to work.

After stripping down the classic Bentley in our preparation area, the team discovered a huge amount of body filler had been used on the rear quarter panels of the car to regain the shapes needed for the panel. Chris, one of our technicians, spent multiple hours just getting rid of the layers of filler to expose the raw metal buried underneath. Then, as they moved forward on the car, the front driver’s wing gave up its secret. An enormous dent/crack in the metal itself had been hidden under thick layers of filler. Before the car could be repainted, this had to be addressed.

The team managed to source a replacement wing for the iconic car. This needed some finessing and repairs but was a better starting point than the original. With this now on the car and lined up, it was back over to the paint and body team to finesse and perfect the panels and lines of the car before heading into our in-house paint booth for its first coats of primer.

Several rounds of primer, minimal filler and sanding work were done over several weeks to get the glorious Bentley back into shape. Then, it was time for colour.

The paint team perfectly matched the original Sage Green colour of the car in our mixing shop before laying it carefully and precisely across the body as it would have been done when the car was originally built. Taking the same care and attention to detail, if not more, than her original builders to ensure this T1 looked perfect. Colour sanding, polishing, more sanding, more polishing. All necessary to give the deep richness needed for a colour as synonymous with a classic Bentley as Sage Green.

Then, the team began the meticulous and precise task of masking up the Bentley to have its signature Coach Line applied down the lengths of the car. With that final piece done and the car put back together, it will soon be time for her to head home.

So, we’ve put together a gallery to show the evolution of the project in the Bridge Classic Cars paint and body shop:

In Print – Our 1990 Porsche 944 Turbo in Modern Classics April 2017

As part of the giant history across three A4 ring binders that accompany our 1990 Porsche 944 Turbo, is a magazine. The April 2017 issue of Modern Classics features our very own 1990 944 Turbo!

The well-written and complimentary article regarding the underrated 1990s GT car is a lovely thing to read and features a lot of details about what had been done on the car in regards to its engine and running gear and how that added to the experience of the car. The write up on the car is based on whether or not the 944 (and 944 Turbo) were at the time a good investment for enthusiasts, to which we can confirm that this one especially is very much a drivers car!

They noted the handling on our 944 Turbo was made all the better by the M030 handling pack retrofitted onto the 944 and the wider Design 90 wheels allowing more grip in the corners than was achievable of standard S2 wheels.

The photos are also stunning taken for the article, they show just how vibrant the Guards Red paintwork is across the arrow-straight bodywork of the car and compliment the dark black interior.

We’re always interested to hear what writers in the industry have to say about our cars and especially when it’s a car that will soon be heading to its new owner through Bridge Classic Cars Competitions.

This Just In – 1964 Morgan 4/4

This beautiful 1964 Morgan 4/4 has just arrived at the Bridge Classic Cars restoration workshop at our Suffolk HQ. We’ve previously worked on this classic Morgan late last year, fitting a new exhaust manifold and before that fitted a new wiring harness to the car.

This time, the car has come to our technicians for them to complete a list of jobs on the classic sportscar. Firstly, the team will complete a service on the car whilst looking into a couple of issues. The owner has noted the car has been struggling to start occasionally and the temperature gauge seems to not be working correctly either. The team will get this completed to make sure this stunning classic Morgan is in the best shape possible.