Well, it’s always sad to say goodbye. Our wonderful little 1965 Amphicar that we completely restored in-house here at Bridge Classic Cars has gone off to its new home. The whole car was restored by our in-house restoration team, each playing a role in making this car not only look the absolute business but also […]
Our 1965 Amphicar that is currently up for auction with Car & Classic Auctions has found its way onto the Top Gear website! The team here at Bridge Classic Cars painstakingly restored this car over countless hours into a full working, fully certified Amphicar. Check out the article here or check out the auction with […]
It is now live! The auction of our 1965 Amphicar that was completely restored in-house by Bridge Classic Cars is live on the Car & Classic website. This car has had everything imaginable done to it. Not a single system hasn’t been made the best it can possibly be. To the point where it is […]
The 1965 Amphicar is already quite a unique and rare piece of automotive history. But, an original convertible hood cover? Slightly rare than hen’s teeth. However, after some research, we found a company in the States who make them! We had one shipped to us here for our 1965 Amphicar which was installed by our […]
The hen’s tooth that is our 1965 Amphicar. A lot of love and time has gone into making sure this half car/half boat is ship-shape and bristol fashion for its next lucky owner. On a glorious summers morning, our in-house marketing team headed to our favourite location at RAF Bentwaters to shoot this rare classic […]
The gearbox has been crunching in our 1965 Amphicar so we’ve removed it to try and address the issues with the syncro-mesh when changing down gears.
Our 1965 Amphicar had a dip in the pool to test its seals against the water. The result was small ingress of water and we’ve discovered that a few small holes we’d filled in thinking they were holes, actually happen to be integral to the water flow and buoyancy of the Amphicar as they allow […]
We’ve started repainting the floor on our 1965 Amphicar. Chris began by taking out the bolts and masking up the struts that would remain cream. We’ve applied a black sealant paint on the inside which is the same as the underside. This resin based paint provides better protection against water ingress and allows for easier […]
Our 1965 Amphicar has had a sudden issue with a carb fuel leak so we’ve taken it apart, cleaned it and rebuilt it, adding in some fresh sealant. We hope that it can now go for an MOT and then have its first water test.
Our 1965 Amphicar has had its brakes and suspension rebuilt recently to ensure that everything runs smoothly. Soon we will be carrying out a water test to test if the sealing around the doors is fully waterproof. If all goes well, we will see how it fairs out on the river.
Scott has been working on the engine of the Amphicar, converting the dynamo to an alternator to make the charge more reliable. Scott has also fitted and wired the fuel gage: The underside of the Amphicar has also been masked and painted to make it water-resistant and ready for the water. MarineWare came to assist […]
Our Amphicar has been taking a temporary back seat in our workshop whilst we wait for the gearbox to come back. Our plan moving forwards is to re-seal the underside with a resin seal, ensuring that this iconic car is watertight and water ready.
We’ve sent off a collection of our dials back to Speedograph to refurbish them. These all belong to our Lilac Jensen 541R, the Amphicar, the Peony Red Jensen and a Mercedes.
Just before Christmas, we discovered an issue with the Amphicar’s gearbox which had become noisy. We decided to take it out and inspect the elements. You can read about the diagnosis here. The gearbox has been sent to Last Transmissions to be overhauled and replace the bearings. Once this has been done and is back […]
Our Amphicar is having a few adjustments as we’ve discovered a gearbox issue whilst testing. We noticed a noise which we originally thought was linked to the thrust bearing however it turns out it’s due to the first motion shaft bearing that needs repairing. We’ve taken out the engine and gearbox, and will now begin […]
On Friday, we had our friend Sam come in to intricately paint on the word ‘Acrobat’ onto either side. The beautiful wording is done in red with a white shadow that makes the word stand out from the cream bodywork. This was a surprise for the owner, who had cleverly named the Amphicar ‘Acrobat’, an […]
We’re delighted to announce that our Amphicar has graduated to become a boat! After its previous inspection by Colin from Wherry Boat Yard, we got the final thumbs-up last week to confirm that the Amphicar passed its certificate to classify it as a boat! You can take a look at the official paperwork below to […]
Grey Jensen gets furnished Our trim team has been fitting the rear centre section in place, cutting out sound deadening and glueing it to bodywork behind where seats go. The rear squab section has also been fitted in place, the carpet has been cut to be placed in front of the rear seat base, the […]
Two bilge pumps have been added to the Amphicar. The original bilge pump remains in its original position in the engine bay and is still in working condition. The old pump still has its wires connected and can be connected at any point in the future, however, it is currently disconnected from the car. The […]
There’s been a lot going with week already and its only Wednesday! Take a look at what’s been going on s far. Range Rover Sport 2016 One of our directors, Gordon, had his Range Rover Sport’s tyres refurbished, ready for the cold winter months ahead. Now fully refurbished, Gordon’s Range Rover is ready to take […]
Our Electrics specialist, Adam, has recently replaced the fuse box and propeller control switch in our 1965 Amphicar. Here are the before and after shots:
Our trim technician Kath has made and fitted the convertible roof hood cover that can be placed over the roof when its collapsed down. Making this included measuring it up, attaching stud buttons, and finally fitting it in place. Our technician Tom has fitted a radiator surround, air filter and pipe as well as refreshing […]
The Amphicar is getting closer to being water worthy! We’ve installed a bow light with a stern light also optional, which can be taken on and off when needed. This means when the Amphicar is out on the water at night, other ships can see it! Adam, our electrical specialist has also redone the connection […]
We had Colin from Wherry boatyard on behalf of CC Marine and Industrial Supply come in to survey our 1965 Amphicar. As a BSS (Boat Safety Scheme) Examiner, its Colins job to tell us what is needed to make the Amphicar water worthy. It’s a bit like an MOT but for boats and it’ll allow […]
If you haven’t already, say hello to our Amphicar! Part boat, part car, this curious little vehicle can drive both on land and on water. Jovially referred to as ‘the fastest car on the water’. The Amphicar was only in production from 1961 to 1968, so our 1965 model is an incredibly rare find. We’re […]
Tom is currently working on our Amphicar restoration. He’s recently installed a new exhaust gasket, refitted the carburettors, refitted the air filter as well as custom fabricating and fitting new seat rails as the old rails had severely rusted. Lovely work, Tom.
Tom has been making progress on our rare Amphicar restoration. After installing the new floor he has fitted the rubber lining to the floor, vehicle sides and door cards. Being an amphibious vehicle, the interior needs to be waterproof should any spray enterer the vehicle cabin. Tom has also adjusted the handbrake to bite sooner […]
Kath, Bridge Classic Cars’ in-house trimmer has made a new double gear lever gaiter for our Amphicar. She started by dismantling the old, worn gaiter. Then Kath used the old components as a reference for the new materal to be cut to. She then stitched and re-assembled the fabric into shape. Wonderful work, Kath!
Tom has picked back up work on our 1965 Amphicar, a vehicle that can travel both on land and water. Tom has been busy fabricating new floorboards, using the original, rotten flooring as a template. He’s also refitted all the rubber seals and started assembling the rear seats.
Over the weekend Gordon and Craig were busy picking up two fantastic, unusual classics. Both cars will go up for sale in our showroom. The Studebaker Champion will be available for sale in its current, beautiful condition. The Amphicar concours restoration is almost complete and will be available for purchase upon it’s completion. Here is […]