Checking over our 1966 Daimler 250V8
June 14, 2024
Our 1966 Daimler 250 V8 has been in the Bridge Classic Cars workshop at our Suffolk HQ for our restoration technician Julian to have a
Projects
Working on our 1989 Daimler Double Six
June 14, 2024
Jon has been working on our 1989 Daimler Double Six recently to get it back into shape. To begin with, he’s been working inside the
Back for a Check Over – Our recently restored 1959 Jensen 541R back for a check up
June 13, 2024
Our 1959 Jensen 541R, which was delivered to its new owner a few weeks ago, has been collected by the Bridge Classic Cars transport team
Ready for the Road – Our 1962 Jaguar E-Type Series 1 Coupe heads off for storage
June 13, 2024
Our 1962 Jaguar E-Type Series 1 Coupe is ready to head off to our safe and secure storage facility, The Hangar, in preparation for its
Getting Ready for Paint – Our 1975 Jensen Interceptor gets ready for colour
June 13, 2024
Our 1975 Jensen Intercepter Mk3 has been making massive progress recently in the Bridge Classic Cars workshop. With the car being prepared to go into
Moving Forward – Working on our 1956 Jensen 541
June 13, 2024
The Bridge Classic Cars team have been making progress on our 1956 Jensen 541 which is being built up at our Suffolk HQ at the
Piece by Piece, Bit by Bit – Painting parts on our 1955 Aston Martin DB2/4 Drophead Coupe
June 13, 2024
The paintshop at Bridge Classic Cars are always busy! But recently, the booth was cleared for our painter Chris to get some parts for our
Checking Over – Taking a look at our 1957 Triumph TR3 before it heads home
June 13, 2024
Our stunning 1957 Triumph TR3, which belongs to our friend Karl, has made its way out of hibernation at our secure storage facility recently and
Welcome Back – 1964 Jaguar Mk2 3.8 back at our Suffolk HQ
June 13, 2024
We’ve welcomed back an old friend to our Suffolk HQ, this beautiful 1964 Jaguar Mk2 3.8. It’s come in for our workshop team to have
Nearly Ready – Fixing the speedo on our 1962 Jaguar E-Type Series 1 Coupe
June 13, 2024
The workshop team have been continuing on getting our 1962 Jaguar E-Type Series 1 Coupe back on the road after its decades long slumber. The
A New Arrival – 1974 Triumph TR6
June 13, 2024
We’ve welcomed this stunning, vibrant red classic Triumph TR6 into the Bridge Classic Cars Suffolk HQ for the team to take a look at.
Preparations – Getting the 1960 MGA Roadster ready for paint
June 13, 2024
Mauro has been continuing his work on getting our 1960 MGA Roadster ready to get back into colour! He first off finished several pieces of
Special Delivery – Transporting our 1977 Triumph TR7 to it’s new owner
June 13, 2024
After being won last week through Bridge Classic Cars Competitions, our 1977 Triumph TR7 was loaded into our enclosed trailer for its journey as far
A Jaguar Arrives
June 12, 2024
Earlier today, we welcomed our 2010 Jaguar XKR Supercharged into the Bridge Classic Cars workshop. Now that it is here, it will be thoroughly inspected
Ford Transit – a few more black bits
June 12, 2024
A few more bits to be treated in black. The steering wheel has also undergone a transformation too.
Austin Devon – repairing bonnet
June 12, 2024
Christian has been repairing the bonnet before fitting it up to ensure a good right panel gaps.
MG B Roadster Inspection and Repairs
June 12, 2024
Steve is very impressed with the floor and chassis on our 1971 MG B Roadster. “This is a very nice, clean and well protected floor
1954 Daimler Conquest Recommissioning and Repairs
June 12, 2024
Jon is working through some of the tasks required on the recommissioning of our 1954 Daimler Conquest. First things first, he has completed the assessment
Mille Miglia
June 11, 2024
Our 1939 Jaguar SS100 is currently taking part in the Mille Miglia 2024. We are tracking the car’s progress and, if you want to as
Mercedes SL 230 Engine Out
June 10, 2024
The engine has now been removed in preparation for the engine rebuild.
Pre Mot Work On Our E-Type
June 10, 2024
Jonn has been looking after our 1962 Jaguar E-Type as it was prepared for an MOT. Here are his notes: Investigate charging issue and order
Featured On Car & Classic – Our Riley 9HP
June 10, 2024
Our one-of-one 1905 Riley 9HP has been featured on Car & Classic, one of the most well-known and popular platforms in the world of classic
Our Transit Moving On
June 10, 2024
Lots of progress has been made with our Ford Transit MKII Tipper lately. Not only is its restoration journey going well, it now finds itself
Calibrating the C-Type Brantz
June 8, 2024
John and Jon have been out this weekend calibrating the Brantz historic rally navigation unit, fitted to our C-Type replica. The unit installed on our
New washer pump on the 1981 Austin Allegro Vanden Plas
June 6, 2024
Steve has been working on our 1981 Austin Allegro Vanden Plas this afternoon, as part of his inspection of the classic he noted that the
Getting the cylinder head back on our 1971 MGB Roadster
June 6, 2024
Our 1971 MGB Roadster has been in the workshop of our Suffolk HQ for our technician Steve to begin work on getting the top end
Homeward Bound – Our 2009 Porsche Cayman S Sport heads to its new home
June 6, 2024
Our 2009 Porsche Cayman S Sport, which was won recently by Hugh, has been transported safely across the country right to his door step –
Primed and Ready – Getting the 1960 MGA Roadster ready for colour
June 6, 2024
Mauro has been continuing to work on getting the 1960 MGA Roadster ready for its colour by keeping up his diligent and obsessive pursuit of
Working on our 1956 Jensen 541
June 6, 2024
Interior: Our trimmer Lydia has been working on getting the interior pieces in place to our 1956 Jensen 541. At this point, she has installed
First step to getting our 1952 Austin A40 back on the road
June 6, 2024
Our technician Julian has been working on getting our barn-find 1953 Austin A40 back on the road after laying dormant for over 60 years. You
Checking over our 1966 Daimler 250V8
June 14, 2024
Our 1966 Daimler 250 V8 has been in the Bridge Classic Cars workshop at our Suffolk HQ for our restoration technician Julian to have a look over before it becomes a new dream classic on Bridge Classic Cars Competitions.
Julian noted a couple of items which needed his attention. Firstly, he had to replace a faulty brake light switch and also fitted new spade terminals before moving on to wiring up the horn. As part of his process, Julian pressurised the coolant system on the car and his words ” found every coolant hose leaking”. So, methodically he went round each one and resealed them tight before draining the system and replacing the cars antifreeze/coolant.
Next, he moved under the car to get more of the mechanicals in order. The car has been fitted with adjustable suspension by a previous owner, and these had been set to their absolute maximum in terms of stiffness. Julian set them all back to zero before testing the car and stiffening them until the ride quality of the car was just right. Then he could check all levels as well as service the grease points such as the ball joints and propshaft etc.
Working on our 1989 Daimler Double Six
June 14, 2024
Jon has been working on our 1989 Daimler Double Six recently to get it back into shape. To begin with, he’s been working inside the cabin of the V12 saloon car to do some work on the dashboard.
This is what he did: ”Disconnect battery. Strip dashboard and remove components to facilitate the removal of wooden dash. Take over to bench to separate metal frame from wooden dash. Place frame on wooden dash and screw together. Clean parts and fit to new dash.
Refit dashboard to car. Reconnect components and rebolt dash to car. Refit components removed before dash removed. Fit new glovebox wooden trim and adjust catch. ”
”Continue dashboard replacement. Like out holes for switches in centre panel and fit switches. Original rheostat came apart upon removal but managed to find old one from stock to fit instead. Fit centre panel. Connect battery and test all switch functions. Solder terminals onto stereo speaker wires and connect stereo and test. Bend tangs on stereo to hold in place and fit to centre panel. Tighten battery terminal. Fit new horn relay but horn still not working via steering g wheel centre push. Use power probe to check horns and switch . No earth from switch. Check via column contact under dash. Horn works from here so fault with horn push. Remove steering g wheel centre and test. Adjust steering wheel and horn earth now ok. Reassemble and test, ok. Secure loom I engine bay. Check levels and carry out road test. Couple of issues to address. Raise in ramp and jack in. Nearside binding. Strip caliper and order new seal kit. Attend to gearbox mount, strip and remove.”
”Get exploded view of gearbox mount and with John’s (workshop manager) help reassemble in correct order and bolt back up securely. Remove nearside front caliper ready for new seals to be fitted.”
Back for a Check Over – Our recently restored 1959 Jensen 541R back for a check up
June 13, 2024
Our 1959 Jensen 541R, which was delivered to its new owner a few weeks ago, has been collected by the Bridge Classic Cars transport team to make its way back to our Suffolk HQ for a routine check up.
As with all of our ground-up builds, we like to see the cars back after completion to double check everything is as it should be. The car will make its way back to our Pettistree workshop for the team to take a look at the car.
Ready for the Road – Our 1962 Jaguar E-Type Series 1 Coupe heads off for storage
June 13, 2024
Our 1962 Jaguar E-Type Series 1 Coupe is ready to head off to our safe and secure storage facility, The Hangar, in preparation for its excited new owner to meet it for the first time in the metal.
Before then, our transport driver Tony spent the morning cleaning the classic E-Type to get it ready to be put into its protective carcoon. But, before it leaves the workshops we had to take one last look at this stunning automotive icon.
Getting Ready for Paint – Our 1975 Jensen Interceptor gets ready for colour
June 13, 2024
Our 1975 Jensen Intercepter Mk3 has been making massive progress recently in the Bridge Classic Cars workshop. With the car being prepared to go into the spray booth for the final time, our fabrication team have cut the body from the frame jig so it can be more easily moved around before it heads into the spray booth. But before that, Chris has some more sanding to do…
Chris applied a thin layer of Polyfan to the car before sanding which acts as a guide coat to ensure that every surface is flat and even. When it is, the whole car should be a matte white finish and then it is ready to go into the spray both for its final coat of primer.
Moving Forward – Working on our 1956 Jensen 541
June 13, 2024
The Bridge Classic Cars team have been making progress on our 1956 Jensen 541 which is being built up at our Suffolk HQ at the moment.
First off, our painter Chris painted the door hinges on the car as soon, the doors will be test fit onto the car and the team begin to align the pieces onto the car to get the best fit possible. Meanwhile in the mechanical workshop – Paul has been working on getting the various systems in places and working properly with eachother.
This includes fitting up the fuel line to the carburetors and running the new throttle cable from the carburetors to fabricate the throttle cable mount and removing the dash in order to measure for the new speedo cable.
Piece by Piece, Bit by Bit – Painting parts on our 1955 Aston Martin DB2/4 Drophead Coupe
June 13, 2024
The paintshop at Bridge Classic Cars are always busy! But recently, the booth was cleared for our painter Chris to get some parts for our 1955 Aston Martin DB2/4 Drophead Coupe project painted.
These are running gear/suspension/chassis parts so Chris has sprayed them in a glossy, thick and hard wearing black.
Checking Over – Taking a look at our 1957 Triumph TR3 before it heads home
June 13, 2024
Our stunning 1957 Triumph TR3, which belongs to our friend Karl, has made its way out of hibernation at our secure storage facility recently and back to our Pettistree workshop for the team to take check it over and get it running properly before it heads back out on the road for the summer.
Our technician Julian checked over every inch of the underside of the classic sports car and inspected each individual line for any corrosion or defect as well as inspecting the brakes thoroughly. When it came out of The Hangar, it was noted as to not be running as it should. So, Julian stripped down the carburetors to clean them out thorough as well as adding fresh fuel before setting up the car to run like a champ.
Welcome Back – 1964 Jaguar Mk2 3.8 back at our Suffolk HQ
June 13, 2024
We’ve welcomed back an old friend to our Suffolk HQ, this beautiful 1964 Jaguar Mk2 3.8.
It’s come in for our workshop team to have a look at a few issues reported by the owner so keep an eye out on the Bridge Classic Cars news page for more updates very soon.
Nearly Ready – Fixing the speedo on our 1962 Jaguar E-Type Series 1 Coupe
June 13, 2024
The workshop team have been continuing on getting our 1962 Jaguar E-Type Series 1 Coupe back on the road after its decades long slumber. The final piece of the puzzle was for Jon to diagnose and repair a fault with the speedo in the car.
Jon discovered that the drive from the gearbox (which goes through a 90 degree converter) was not spinning the cable. So Jon found another one we keep in stock and modified it to fit the car and tested the cable operation by hand, which began to work the clock inside of the speedometer. With that, he could get everything connected back up and test thoroughly before signing the car off.
A New Arrival – 1974 Triumph TR6
June 13, 2024
We’ve welcomed this stunning, vibrant red classic Triumph TR6 into the Bridge Classic Cars Suffolk HQ for the team to take a look at.
Preparations – Getting the 1960 MGA Roadster ready for paint
June 13, 2024
Mauro has been continuing his work on getting our 1960 MGA Roadster ready to get back into colour!
He first off finished several pieces of trim with a light skim of filler before getting them into primer to be ready to shoot colour with the rest of the car.
With the trims and smaller panels in primer, Mauro could turn his attention to getting the larger panels and the body ready to head back into our spray booth to bring the MGA back to life in colour!
He carefully applied a sanding coating to show any possible low spots on the panel work, but after sanding each individual piece had gone back to the flat white colour which shows that the car is nearly ready for paint.
Special Delivery – Transporting our 1977 Triumph TR7 to it’s new owner
June 13, 2024
After being won last week through Bridge Classic Cars Competitions, our 1977 Triumph TR7 was loaded into our enclosed trailer for its journey as far north as we could go.
Tony, our amazing transport driver, was tasked with safely delivering the classic sports car to its lucky new owner Andy. Not only was a trip all the way up England, but all the way through Scotland where Tony met up with Andy in the town of Thurso where Andy picked up the car before taking it home.
We want to wish Andy many happy miles with his new TR7 and a big thanks to our driver Tony for getting Andy’s pride and joy there safe and sound.
A Jaguar Arrives
June 12, 2024
Earlier today, we welcomed our 2010 Jaguar XKR Supercharged into the Bridge Classic Cars workshop.
Now that it is here, it will be thoroughly inspected and assessed before being cleaned. Its wheels will likely be refurbished too before it becomes a competition car through Bridge Classic Cars Competitions.
Ford Transit – a few more black bits
June 12, 2024
A few more bits to be treated in black. The steering wheel has also undergone a transformation too.
Austin Devon – repairing bonnet
June 12, 2024
Christian has been repairing the bonnet before fitting it up to ensure a good right panel gaps.
MG B Roadster Inspection and Repairs
June 12, 2024
Steve is very impressed with the floor and chassis on our 1971 MG B Roadster.
“This is a very nice, clean and well protected floor and chassis.”
The brakes have been cleaned and checked and are in very good condition. Good news!
And a slight smart repair has been carried out on the body.
1954 Daimler Conquest Recommissioning and Repairs
June 12, 2024
Jon is working through some of the tasks required on the recommissioning of our 1954 Daimler Conquest. First things first, he has completed the assessment on the ramp and took the car out on a road test drive. We have compiled a list of parts required so now we begin to work on the tasks at hand.
The brakes have now been stripped; the front require cylinders, the rear is mechanical. We have stripped and cleaned the rear and removed the brake linkages from the rear axle.
We have drilled out the rear brake linkage and fitted 10mm bolts in place of worn pin.
The hose and sleeve brake actuating rod has been cut so not to hit the gasses. We have disconnected the poorly routed brake light wire from the switch and pulled through to the boot.
We have now started to re route the wire and securing as we go.
Finish securing brake light wire to battery cable inside offside chassis rail and secure other end from fuse box to switch.
Clinton has made up an exhaust pipe so Jon has fitted this up. The joints have been secured and the mounts have been tightened. We have replaced the fuel hose at nearside inner wing and fitted new inline filter.
A new fuel cap lock and key has been fitted and modified to get cap to secure shut. Fit foam buffers on underside. Sand down moulded large o’ring and used as a seal for fuel cap.
We have mounted a new cooling fan into grill, drilled and made up brackets to secure.
The terminals have been changed to spades, connected and tested. All ok.
Mille Miglia
June 11, 2024
Our 1939 Jaguar SS100 is currently taking part in the Mille Miglia 2024.
We are tracking the car’s progress and, if you want to as well, you can do so here (look for car number 117).
Mercedes SL 230 Engine Out
June 10, 2024
The engine has now been removed in preparation for the engine rebuild.
Pre Mot Work On Our E-Type
June 10, 2024
Jonn has been looking after our 1962 Jaguar E-Type as it was prepared for an MOT. Here are his notes:
Investigate charging issue and order new regulator. Remove auxiliary belt sprung tensioner and fit smaller belt from stock. Run up. Drain coolant and replenish with anti freeze.
Bleed brakes with pressure bleeder. Carry out pre mot check over. Nearside number plate light not working and stripped and traced fault to poor earth. Clean contacts and refit, ok. Fit new grommet to throttle shaft. Remove throttle rod, clean and free off and refit and secure.
Fit new washer pump and test. Blow out offside jet. Clean out washer bottle. Test, ok. Remove steering wheel and align steering and refit wheel loosely until road tested.
Remove old voltage regulator. Clean all connections. Fit new regulator but slightly bigger than original and touches body. Remove and grind down for clearance and remount. Connect and test. Ignition light now goes out and charging at 13.1v. Carry out 1st proper roadvtst. Stop and tune carbs roughly by ear. Return to workshop. Adjust steering wheel to straight ahead position and secure. Lube throttle linkages. Adjust nearside binnetvcatch. Adjust handbrake. Tighten fuel connections to carbs.
Featured On Car & Classic – Our Riley 9HP
June 10, 2024
Our one-of-one 1905 Riley 9HP has been featured on Car & Classic, one of the most well-known and popular platforms in the world of classic cars. Dale Vinton, head of content, has written a fantastic article that highlights the importance and uniqueness of this incredible car.
I’ve spoken about our Riley 9HP a lot and I love the story it comes with, and Dale’s article does a wonderful job of explaining just how special it is.
A big thank you goes to Car & Classic and Dale for sharing the story of 1905 Riley 9HP.
Read the full article here.
Our Transit Moving On
June 10, 2024
Lots of progress has been made with our Ford Transit MKII Tipper lately. Not only is its restoration journey going well, it now finds itself in a new home of sorts.
Now that The Classic Lounge is almost finished and ready to open, the building formerly known as The Atelier is becoming an extension of our very busy workshop.
As you can see from the photos below, our Transit looks great and will continue to look better and better as it spends more time in the new workshop.
Calibrating the C-Type Brantz
June 8, 2024
John and Jon have been out this weekend calibrating the Brantz historic rally navigation unit, fitted to our C-Type replica.
The unit installed on our car has the remote speedo and distance indicator. Sensors on the prop shaft and front wheel ensure that the greatest speed accuracy occurs.
The calibration process involves driving the vehicle on a long straight and setting the markers at various points in the journey. The process is then replicated a number of times to set up the distance accuracy.
New washer pump on the 1981 Austin Allegro Vanden Plas
June 6, 2024
Steve has been working on our 1981 Austin Allegro Vanden Plas this afternoon, as part of his inspection of the classic he noted that the washer pump wasn’t working. So, he easily replaced the unit and cleaned out the washer bottle and checked everything worked correctly.
Getting the cylinder head back on our 1971 MGB Roadster
June 6, 2024
Our 1971 MGB Roadster has been in the workshop of our Suffolk HQ for our technician Steve to begin work on getting the top end of the engine back together.
The car came into us with a blown head gasket so the team stripped down the engine to remove the cylinder head and inspect for any damage. Thankfully it was minimal to none so the cylinder head was packaged up and sent off to a trust engineering works to be checked, skimmed and rebuilt. Whilst it was away, the team have cleaned up the mating surface for the gasket to ensure the best seal possible for when the head returned.
Once it was back with us, after also having hardened valve seats installed to be used with unleaded fuel, Steve got the cylinder head back onto the engine and then began the process of getting everything back together before the car begins road tests shortly.
Homeward Bound – Our 2009 Porsche Cayman S Sport heads to its new home
June 6, 2024
Our 2009 Porsche Cayman S Sport, which was won recently by Hugh, has been transported safely across the country right to his door step – which is where we delivered our Bentley Turbo R several months ago as Hugh is now part of a very small member of our double winners!
Tony, our incredible transport driver, cleaned and loaded the sports car into our covered trailer yesterday before setting off this morning to bring Hugh his new pride and joy. We wish him many happy miles with his new car.
Primed and Ready – Getting the 1960 MGA Roadster ready for colour
June 6, 2024
Mauro has been continuing to work on getting the 1960 MGA Roadster ready for its colour by keeping up his diligent and obsessive pursuit of perfection when it comes to the bodywork of the classic sports car.
With the car wearing a coat of polyfan, Mauro has painstakingly hand sanded every single inch of the car to make sure that each angle of the car is as good as it could possibly be. With the polyfan completely sanded off the car, it is a visual indication that each panel is exactly as it should be which means its time for the car to head into the paint booth for final primer.
Once the car had been carefully moved from the prep area at our Suffolk HQ, it was put into our booth for Mauro to lay down several coats of final primer on the car. All of the prep work on the car leads up to this moment, and as you can see the primer laid down near enough perfectly on each of the panels of the car.
Working on our 1956 Jensen 541
June 6, 2024
Interior:
Our trimmer Lydia has been working on getting the interior pieces in place to our 1956 Jensen 541. At this point, she has installed the bespoke carpet set into the car which has been made specifically to fit the contours of this particular chassis to make sure that it fits perfectly. So well in fact, that it is held in place with press studs which have to be aligned to make sure that each piece sits perfectly in the car.
Mechanical:
Alongside Lydia in our trim shop, our technician Paul has been handling the mechanical side of the classic GT car. Continuing his work under the bonnet, Paul has installed the wiring harness and secured it in place before routing the connectors and wires to the specific areas, such as the headlight buckets and other lighting. Paul has also fabricated and installed the mounts and brackets to hold the horns in place.
With the core of the interior now in place and the wiring loom ran to the headlights, Paul could fit the foot operated high beam switch into the footwell of the Jensen and wire it into the harness. From there he began work on modifying the exhaust heat shields, fabricating support bars for the radiator and fitting up the carburettor overflow pipework in the engine bay.
First step to getting our 1952 Austin A40 back on the road
June 6, 2024
Our technician Julian has been working on getting our barn-find 1953 Austin A40 back on the road after laying dormant for over 60 years. You can see the short film we did here of releasing the car from its hiding place.
To begin with, Julian worked on freeing up and rebuilding the entire brake system with new wheel cylinders and replacing any lines which had corroded or cracked. The previous owner had done a sterling job at preserving the cars bodywork and also its mechanicals, but over time rubber will perish and degrade regardless of its upkeep.
Next, Julian began to work on getting the original engine to fire up. This involved gently adding oil to the bores over a period of time and applying gentle pressure to the crank shaft to free off the pistons which had become corroded to the cylinder walls. Once it span over freely, he could check for spark and ignition which required a replacement coil and the little engine fire straight back into life. We couldn’t run it up for too long as Julian noted that the water pump and thermostat had been packed solid with corrosion and debris, so these were removed along with the radiator to be recommissioned.
