A New Lease Of Life
November 24, 2023
It’s been a little while since our 1996 Nissan Patrol left the Bridge Classic Cars workshop. Since then, it has undergone quite a transformation. With
1996 Nissan Patrol
Ready for Home – Paint Repairs Complete on the 1996 Nissan Patrol
May 6, 2022
The paint repairs on the 1996 Nissan Patrol that the Bridge Classic Cars paint and body team have carried out on the classic off-roader are
Good as New – Blending in the Paint Repairs to the 1996 Nissan Patrol
May 5, 2022
The 1996 Nissan Patrol has been in the Bridge Classic Cars in-house paint shop for the team to carry out the colour match following the
Scraping the Surface – Paint Damage on the 1996 Nissan Patrol
May 4, 2022
The 1996 Nissan Patrol has arrived at the Bridge Classic Cars restoration workshop for our Paint and Body teams to have a look at some
New Vinyl For The Nissan
April 20, 2021
Brian has recently recovered the door capping’s of our Nissan Patrol in fresh vinyl to give them a new lease of life.
Patrol Painted
April 14, 2021
The painted panels have been fitted back on our 1996 Nissan Patrol. They’ve been flattened and polished, and are now ready for fitting up.
Nissan Patrol Prepped
April 13, 2021
Our adventurous 1996 Nissan Patrol has made its way into the paint shop to have its next stage of paint. Its currently been masked and
Nissan Patrol Sill Repairs
April 6, 2021
Our adventurous modern classic, the Nissan Patrol is currently sat in the fabrication bay with Pricey continuing his work restoring the sills and doors. The
Nissan Patrol Returns
April 1, 2021
Some months ago a well used and much loved Nissan patrol came in for a cosmetic respray and although we tried to purchase new bumpers
Back for more
November 5, 2020
Its always nice to get positive feedback from clients but even nicer when they send their vehicles back in for more refurbishments! The owner asked
Another Whirlwind Week Here At Bridge Classic Cars
October 30, 2020
From new projects and photoshoots to finished restorations, the workshop has been bustling this week. This week we’ve had lots going on in and out
Next up on the Nissan
October 30, 2020
Fresh paintwork and new tires are on the agenda for the Nissan. The 1996 Nissan Patrol arrived at Bridge Classic Cars needing a thorough once
Workshop Walkabout
October 28, 2020
This morning we took a walk around the workshop to take a peak at how our engineers are getting on with the current projects. 1996
Workshop Walkabout
October 23, 2020
We had a walkabout this workshop this afternoon to see what everyone’s up to. One of our classic car technicians Pete has the 1996 Nissan
Next Stage On The Nissan
October 23, 2020
Our 1996 Nissan Patrol is due for the next stage in our in-house paint shop. Now the primer stage is complete, the final coats of
Patrol’s On A Roll
October 20, 2020
Anthony in our in-house body shop has been spending time with our 1996 Nissan Patrol this week. He’s fabricated new seal panels and lower quarter
’96 Nissan Patrol now Adventure-proof
October 1, 2020
Antony has been toiling away, repairing every sight of rust that has plagued the underside of our 1996 Nissan Patrol chassis. With fresh metal now
1996 Nissan Patrol: Uncovering The Rust
September 18, 2020
Antony has been working on the first stage of our our 1996 Nissan Patrol restoration, getting on top of the rust! He’s been cutting out
New Arrivals!
September 10, 2020
We’re always excited to see fresh classics arrive at our workshop here at Bridge Classic Cars. So, here’s a first look at the new arrivals
Visiting Bridge Classic Cars this week…
August 26, 2020
Returning to the workshop in September for work to commence we have our 1996 Nissan Patrol in for a sympathetic respray. We are doing things
A New Lease Of Life
November 24, 2023
It’s been a little while since our 1996 Nissan Patrol left the Bridge Classic Cars workshop. Since then, it has undergone quite a transformation.
With a new engine and a whole host of modifications, it is now a very capable off-roading machine.
We were impressed with our Patrol’s all-terrain ability in its past form, so we can only imagine just how incredible it is now!
The owner of the car has very kindly sent us some photos to show what our 1996 Nissan Patrol is up to nowadays.
Ready for Home – Paint Repairs Complete on the 1996 Nissan Patrol
May 6, 2022
The paint repairs on the 1996 Nissan Patrol that the Bridge Classic Cars paint and body team have carried out on the classic off-roader are complete!
The paint and body team have worked their magic on repairing the damage caused by the roofing tile to the side of the Patrol. After any imperfections were sorted and the panels painted and clear coated, the team gently colour sanded and polished the paint work to get it all looking just right ahead of it going back home to its owner.
Good as New – Blending in the Paint Repairs to the 1996 Nissan Patrol
May 5, 2022
The 1996 Nissan Patrol has been in the Bridge Classic Cars in-house paint shop for the team to carry out the colour match following the preparations in the body shop.
The team carefully masked and sanded down the paint/body damage on the classic Nissan before filling any imperfections and flattening down the surrounding areas of the panel so the whole piece can be refinished allowing an even and seamless finish after the paint repairs.
The team then finished off the process of clear coating and then it will go out into the preparation area for sanding and polishing.
Scraping the Surface – Paint Damage on the 1996 Nissan Patrol
May 4, 2022
The 1996 Nissan Patrol has arrived at the Bridge Classic Cars restoration workshop for our Paint and Body teams to have a look at some damage caused by a falling tile to the classic Nissan off-roader.
Although there are some minor dents in the body, it seems to be mainly damage to the paint work. So, the team will begin preparing the areas ready for its appointment with the spray booth. The team will scan the colour of the car to make sure the paint match is exactly right as it’s been a little since we painted this particular car.
Keep a look out for more on the Patrol very soon.
New Vinyl For The Nissan
April 20, 2021
Brian has recently recovered the door capping’s of our Nissan Patrol in fresh vinyl to give them a new lease of life.
Patrol Painted
April 14, 2021
The painted panels have been fitted back on our 1996 Nissan Patrol. They’ve been flattened and polished, and are now ready for fitting up.
Nissan Patrol Prepped
April 13, 2021
Our adventurous 1996 Nissan Patrol has made its way into the paint shop to have its next stage of paint. Its currently been masked and primed and now awaiting its colour.
Nissan Patrol Sill Repairs
April 6, 2021
Our adventurous modern classic, the Nissan Patrol is currently sat in the fabrication bay with Pricey continuing his work restoring the sills and doors. The front sills have been removed and repaired with filler, the front wing is being sandblasted to remove the corrosion and the door sills are also being addressed and re-built due to rust. The inner sills have been attached to the outer sills and anti-corrosion will be applied.
Nissan Patrol Returns
April 1, 2021
Some months ago a well used and much loved Nissan patrol came in for a cosmetic respray and although we tried to purchase new bumpers we ended up repairing and rechroming the originals.
We also put the Bridge Classic Cars twist into the respray and colour coded the side fenders, side mouldings and wheels in a grey which looked superb against the new green paintwork. Carried out some minimal interior uplift and the customer was very happy.
Sadly after a period of time the owner convinced himself that the chrome was re rusting and returned the car to us for inspection.
After a close look we established that the rust staining to the bumpers was actually coming from underneath the car and high up in the inner wings and dripping on to the now lovely chrome bumpers and side steps.
James (Pricey) Price one of our body work technicians dug deep into the problem and the deeper he delved the more apparent it became that to help to stop any further rust giving a problem it would be necessary to take drastic action as you can be seen by these photos.
This has led to extensive removal and re-welding of parts that were never to be a part of the original scope of works.
Although we will never be able to capture all of the rust stain transferring areas we think here at Bridge that with what we have done and continuous cleaning from her proud owner will at least give longevity into what is a very usable SUV vehicle.
Back for more
November 5, 2020
Its always nice to get positive feedback from clients but even nicer when they send their vehicles back in for more refurbishments!
The owner asked for some extra alterations so we cracked on right away!
We created a custom made window wiper bracket for the Nissan as well as replacing a water pump.
Another Whirlwind Week Here At Bridge Classic Cars
October 30, 2020
From new projects and photoshoots to finished restorations, the workshop has been bustling this week.
This week we’ve had lots going on in and out of the workshop. Most notibly, our 1996 Nissan Patrol has been completed. We have worked on the full restoration from start to finish, we cannot wait for it’s owner to see her looking her very best once more.
Before
After
We’ve had a 1977 Triumph Spitfire come in from our friend Lee at Auto shack that’s in need of a new hood. There’s no task too big or small for our classic car technicians. This Spitfire will enter the Trim Shop next week to have it’s new hood fitted.
We’ve also had two requests to value cars, one of which being a 1969 Mercedes 280SL and another being a 1986 Toyota Celica GT. We offer valuation services to inform customers on what their car is worth, be that for personal or insurance reasons.
There’s an exciting opportunity coming up with an Alfa Romeo Montreal that we’ve been asked to restore. Keep an eye out for updates on that when it comes in!
We’ve also got a 1980 MGB GT coming in soon. We took a look at it recently and replaced the adjusted the distributor as it was getting too hot but it seems to need some more TLC which we’re looking forward to doing!
Here at Bridge Classic Cars, we’re all about family and community. That’s why Gordan and Craig’s 2008 Range Rover Sport has been bought and passed onto our technician Pete. He took it out for its first spin earlier in the week to Milsoms in Ipswich. We’re glad to see it still lives on in the Bridge family.
We’ve had a gentleman enquire about us restoring his 1947 Norton motorbike which has been 50% built but just needs finishing. We don’t get many bikes in but its a real treat when we do!
This morning we went to our hanger at Bentwaters to do some filming. Our marketing team Freddie and Ellie shot some content which you will see going up on our website soon! In the meantime, take a look at some behinds the scenes shots below.
You can see the rest of the works done this week on our Triumph, Jensen, and Jaguar, here.
Next up on the Nissan
October 30, 2020
Fresh paintwork and new tires are on the agenda for the Nissan.
The 1996 Nissan Patrol arrived at Bridge Classic Cars needing a thorough once over to restore its adventurous spirit.
Last week it had its primer completed, allowing the next stages of paintwork to commence. The Nissan has now had its DH6 Safari Nissan Green and Volkswagen Zing Grey paint applied as well as having its chrome bumpers completed.
The front and rear disks and pads required checking when the Nissan arrived. These have since been replaced.
During its restoration, the gears had been removed to allow for a full check-up. As detailed here, Pete added red paint to the pieces which allowed him to carefully assemble and realign the gears, making for a perfect and careful re-installation.
The Nissan has also had its tires refurbished, making it one stage closer to being road ready.
The next step in this Nissan’s journey is to receive its trim work for new carpets.
Workshop Walkabout
October 28, 2020
This morning we took a walk around the workshop to take a peak at how our engineers are getting on with the current projects.
1996 Nissan Patrol
The Nissan Patrol is almost ready to be set free on adventures again. Pete has given it a general ‘health check’ and service to ensure its exploration spirit is still intact.
The last stage on the Nissan is to ‘blacken’ the underside to protect it from rust and erosion, which is all the more important for adventurous vehicles like this Patrol!
1972 MGB Blaze Orange
Tamas has been working hard on the latest refurbishments to the MGB which has recently included a new radiator as the old one had developed some rust and holes.
The thermostat has also been refurbished along with its housing and the grill. Tamas has also installed new reversing lights as well.
The Rosytle wheels are currently in the hands of our paint specialist Darren who’s just finished applying the first layer of paint to neaten them up.
1960 MGA
The Red MGA has had a seasonal refurbishment with a heater being added to accommodate for the cold months approaching!
Paul tells us that “the car originally never had a heater in, so the parts have been shipped in from America.”
Its not uncommon to see our classic cars fitted with modern creature comforts such as heaters and radios.
1972 Peugeot 504
Scott has been working on fitting the doors, making sure the latches catch and shut efficiently.
Darren has also been working on the Peugeot, painting the engine bay. This needed two sets of paint, one for the inner parts and a separate colour for the outer parts to match the body of the car.
1957 Jensen 541R
The Jensen is still in the trimming shop where Brian is installing the leather padding that sits just above the windscreen. This piece followed the original design but still had to be cut and made by hand.
Brian tells us ‘It’s quite a fiddly job to fit this panel’.
We can’t wait to see the Jensen completed with its smart new leather from our trim experts.
1965 Amphicar
Our classic car electrician Adam has been working on tidying up the Amphicar’s wires and installing a second pump to ensure enough water is removed from within the vehicle. This means a custom made pump bracket will have to be designed and fitted when the second pump is installed.
1987 Mercedes 500SL
Our engineer Anthony is currently applying a filler to the engine bay to smooth out any bumps.
A keen eye for detail from Anthony is needed to ensure that the Mercedes doesn’t leave the fabrication bay with any imperfections.
Workshop Walkabout
October 23, 2020
We had a walkabout this workshop this afternoon to see what everyone’s up to.
One of our classic car technicians Pete has the 1996 Nissan Patrol up on the ramp. “I’m working on the front disc brakes” he explains “the inner seal on the hub has gone.”
Pete’s lined up the front-wheel-drive axel, marking out exactly where each component goes, so it can go back together the exact same way.
The seats on our 1972 MGB Roadster are back from Kath in our in-house trim shop. Tamas is now fitting the seats back into car. “I’m also removing the wheels ready to go into paint” Tamas tells us “as well as refitting the luggage rack back onto the boot”.
Another MG also in the workshop, is our stunning 1960 MGA. Keen to modify the car, her owner is opting for heating to be installed. Some classics would have these modern ‘essentials’ as optional extras back in the day.
“We had to order the heater box from America” our expert Paul explains. “We’re also doing some minor improvements on the gearbox and pistons.” Paul’s also added another mirror that the customer’s asked for. Along with changing the rubber trim around the boot and bonnet from grey to black.
Classic car technician Scott’s continued fitting various bits and pieces onto our 1957 grey Jensen 541R. “I’ve been making the cable ends for the grill flap mechanism” he tells us. The front grill on the 541R opens to act as a cooling aid for the engine. The driver controls this mechanism from the front seat.
Scott’s also fitted the new windscreen washer system this week. Including new washer bottle, pipework and washer jet system.
Our impressive 1967 Jaguar E-Type Race Car has reached a milestone moment today! Our Director Gordon and workshop manager John got her engine roaring and even got flames firing out the exhausts!
This is a very exciting moment here at Bridge. After quite an exhaustive restoration, it’s a beautiful thing to finally have a car up and running again.
Gordon even managed a quick test drive round the car park!
In the trim shop our interior experts Kath and Brian are making great progress on our 1960 Black Jensen 541R. The back seats, front seats and centre console all now in position.
Rosie the dog even came to say hello!
Our car electrician Adam has been working on the 1965 Amphicar’s wiring. “I’ve been tidying up the engine bay wiring” Adam explains. “All the engine accessories and wiring wasn’t waterproof. Which for an Amphicar- is pretty important!”
Interestingly, the Amphicar’s engine is in the boot, much like boat engines are. Whereas under the bonnet, is where the fuel tank and storage space is.
Our engine expert Ady’s is getting ready to put the engine back in our 1972 Peugeot 504.
He’s also done some engine work on the 1953 Ford Taunus Transit Van. “It was running a bit rough. So, I’ve done a few engine tweaks and am hoping to do an oil and filter change next.”
Last but certainly not least, our body shop expert Anthony has been working on our 1987 Mercedes 500SL. “We need to get the underseal off the metal shell” explains Anthony. “It’s really tough to remove so we use a method of literally burning it off, it’s almost like melting it.”
Phew! What a busy week we’re having here at the workshop. As we fast approach the weekend I think everyone earned a well deserved break. Well done Bridge Class Cars team!
Next Stage On The Nissan
October 23, 2020
Our 1996 Nissan Patrol is due for the next stage in our in-house paint shop. Now the primer stage is complete, the final coats of her original green can be applied.
The Patrol’s not keeping her original textured black wheel spats. Instead, they’re being smoothed off and painted in Zinn Grey.
Once the shell and the grey painted parts are dried, it’ll be time to fix them back into place on the car. The car will undergo reassembly, including work on the disc brakes and four-wheel-drive components.
Patrol’s On A Roll
October 20, 2020
Anthony in our in-house body shop has been spending time with our 1996 Nissan Patrol this week. He’s fabricated new seal panels and lower quarter panels. “The bumper has also been repaired” he tells us “that’s now been sent away for re-chroming”. Which is done by our good friends at Douglas Metal Finishing.
Darren in our in-house paint-shop has now started getting the car ready for paint. “The whole body’s been sanded over in prep” Darren describes. “I’ve done some minor filler correction work and put it into 2k primer.”
The Patrol’s returning to its original green. However, its wheel spats are going to be smoothed over and finished in ‘Zinn Grey’ instead of its original textured black.
Here’s Darren in the paint shop with the Patrol, its starting to return to its former glory now. Check back for more updates on this project soon!
’96 Nissan Patrol now Adventure-proof
October 1, 2020
Antony has been toiling away, repairing every sight of rust that has plagued the underside of our 1996 Nissan Patrol chassis. With fresh metal now let in, this superb off-roader will be ready to tackle many years of punishment from the elements.
After it’s stay in the fabrication bay, the vehicle has now made its way into our paint-shop. Pete has noticed a major leak from the front offside hub seal and has notified the workshop team. Once the Nissan leaves the paint shop it will have a full workshop inspection to correct any issues needed to get this car back at it’s best.
Being a rare left hand drive model, our Patrol came with chrome bumpers. Now incredibly difficult to find a replacement, the team will be repairing and re-chroming the original bumper.
1996 Nissan Patrol: Uncovering The Rust
September 18, 2020
Antony has been working on the first stage of our our 1996 Nissan Patrol restoration, getting on top of the rust!
He’s been cutting out any rotten or rusted metal and been welding in fresh steel. Frustratingly, the further inside the car we look, the more rust we’ve found. There is unfortunately quite a lot of rust within the sills and around all four arches.
New Arrivals!
September 10, 2020
We’re always excited to see fresh classics arrive at our workshop here at Bridge Classic Cars. So, here’s a first look at the new arrivals joining us this week.
First up, it’s our 1996 Nissan Patrol. In for a paint job, re-chroming and body preparation.
Our 1958 Jensen 541R has arrived with us with gearbox issues. The specialist technical team are on hand to diagnose the faults and get her back up and running.
These Ford Escorts are both sitting comfortably at the Hanger in Bentwaters.
The light blue Ford Escort RS Turbo belongs to a customer, she’s being kept with us in our secure storage facility where we watch over many of our customers prized possessions.
The other is our very popular 1979 Ford Escort RS2000 that believe it or not, is a competition prize where one lucky winner will be handed the keys to this beauty! For more information on our competitions click here.
Lastly, this stunning 1971 Triumph Spitfire has come to us to sort a couple of problems out. Firstly, to investigate a strange noise coming from the engine along with fixing some oil leaks.
It’s great to follow a classic cars journey from their first day with us, to when we say goodbye.
Make sure you check back on our current projects page for all the latest updates on everything we’re working on at Bridge Classic Cars.
Visiting Bridge Classic Cars this week…
August 26, 2020
Returning to the workshop in September for work to commence we have our 1996 Nissan Patrol in for a sympathetic respray.
We are doing things a little differently with this one with a slight colour alteration.
More information to follow in September.
A very rare little find, our 1994 Nissan Micra has covered just 19000 miles and has been in the hands of just one, yes one, lady owner since new. This would make a perfect first car or someone lucky enough to have the space, a great little future classic that could be tucked away and be one of those amazing stories of the future.
1962 MG A having engine running issues. The owner had heard about us and wanted to pay us a visit to see whether we could assist him in a possible engine rebuild.
