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Who wants first dibs…

August 4, 2018

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Who wants first dibs at testing our Amphicar when the restoration is complete later this year? In a couple of weeks time our 1965 Amphicar

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Giving the Riley’s exterior a freshen up

August 4, 2018

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_gallery type=”image_grid” images=”21378,21379,21380,21381,21382,21383,21384,21385,21386,21387,21388,21389,21390,21391,21392,21393,21394,21395,21396,21397,21398,21399,21400,21401″][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]We had Paul Johnson Valeting in at the weekend to clean and detail a number of our cars and whilst here we asked

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1965 Jaguar E-Type service

July 27, 2018

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Today we see the return of our beautiful 1965 Series 1 Jaguar E-Type. She’s on wedding duties next week so we have a bit of

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Refit after paint

July 26, 2018

Our 1983 Mercedes 230E has returned from the paint shop having had the welded areas blended  back in. The loose components have also returned so

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Arriving soon: 1976 MG B V8

August 12, 2018

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Due for arrival very soon we have a 1976 MG B GT V8 requiring a very sympathetic restoration.

MG began offering the MG B GT V8 in 1973.

The aluminium cylinder block and heads of the used Rover V8 engine weighed approximately 40 pounds less than MG’s iron four cylinder

Unlike the MGC, the V8 that provided the MGB GT V8’s increased power and torque did not require significant chassis changes nor sacrifice handling.

Both chrome and rubber-bumper GT versions of the V8-powered MGB were produced by the factory with production ending in 1976.

MG never attempted to export the MGB GT V8 to the United States. It chose not to develop a left-hand-drive version of the MGB GT V8 although the Rover V8 engine was offered in US-bound Rover models.

The P6 3500 was withdrawn after 1971 from the USA and the Rover 3500 SD1 only introduced in 1980 (its engine equipped with power-sapping emissions equipment) so that during the lifetime of the MGB GT V8 the engine was not being built in a federal version.

Abingdon built seven LHD models, sent them to America to achieve certification, and brought them back to the UK to be sold to mainland European countries.

Our MG BGT V8 is the third car built in 1976 and the 180th car from the end of production, which is why it is Black as the last 500 of the range were always Black.

The cars original owner bought the car in 1986 and had the car until he passed away and left it to a family member of the same name in March 2018.

There is mountains of paperwork for many thousands of pounds with the car and it has been kept tip top regardless of cost.

It had a brand new Rover engine 22000 miles ago when it had about 98000 on the clock in 2008. At that time a new speedo was fitted.

The car was totally restored many years ago and at that time had a brand new black interior piped in red with a wood dashboard.

She has a full length Webasto roof.

When we got her the car she was still in lovely condition considering when it was last painted, but there were age related marks.

She sits on Minilite wheels and the spare is its original V8 wheel. The other V8 wheels did not come with the car.

Although MOT exempt it will have an MOT as we feel it is the best way to fully evaluate the vehicles safety.

The car drives superbly. It is fast, smooth and a real drivers car.

[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_gallery type=”image_grid” images=”22045,22044,22043,22042,22041,22040,22039,22038,22037,22036,22035,22034,22033,22032,22031,22030,22029,22028,22027,22026,22024,22023,22022,22018″][/vc_column][/vc_row]

Coming Soon – 1972 Jaguar E-Type Series 3

August 8, 2018

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]We are very excited to announce one for the future here at Bridge Classic Cars. Here we have our 1972 Jaguar E-Type which has been partly restored many many years ago but has sat in storage ever since.

Ben has been in touch with us asking for some assistance to complete the work on his uncle’s car and get her back on the road.

The paintwork is in fantastic condition considering how long ago it was painter. We love the colour and once a few of the imperfections and blistering have been addressed we’ll have a great base for the rebuild and refit.

The car will be in our workshops later in the year.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_gallery type=”image_grid” images=”23230,23231,23232,23233,23234,23235,23236,23237,23238,23239,23240,23241,23242,23243,23244,23245,23246,23247,23248,23249,23250,23251,23252,23253,23254,23255,23256,23257,23258,23259,23260,23261,23262,23263,23264,23265,23266,23267,23268,23269,23270,23271,23272,23273,23274,23275,23276,23277,23278,23279,23280,23281,23282,23283,23284,23285,23286,23287,23288,23289,23290,23291,23292,23293,23294″][/vc_column][/vc_row]

Who wants first dibs…

August 4, 2018

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Who wants first dibs at testing our Amphicar when the restoration is complete later this year?

In a couple of weeks time our 1965 Amphicar will be returning to our workshops for the re-build. Now back in it’s original colour the red is no more. Surprisingly, a large quantity of the parts are still available over in the US so once we have her back we’ll be able to put together a full kitting list of parts that are required and hopefully call upon the assistance of Gordon Imports.

[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_gallery type=”image_grid” images=”21209,21225,21224,21223,21222,21221,21208,21220,21219,21218,21217,21216,21215,21214,21213,21212,21211,21210″][/vc_column][/vc_row]

Giving the Riley’s exterior a freshen up

August 4, 2018

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_gallery type=”image_grid” images=”21378,21379,21380,21381,21382,21383,21384,21385,21386,21387,21388,21389,21390,21391,21392,21393,21394,21395,21396,21397,21398,21399,21400,21401″][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]We had Paul Johnson Valeting in at the weekend to clean and detail a number of our cars and whilst here we asked him to give the chrome work of our stunning 1935 Riley Kestrel a quick polish.

What a difference a good polish makes, she’s now looking absolutely beautiful and once we’ve carried out the necessary re-commissioning works she’ll be back on the road, now looking even more shiny![/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_gallery type=”image_grid” images=”21402,21403,21404,21405,21406,21407,21408,21409,21410,21411,21412,21413,21414,21415,21416,21417,21418,21419,21420,21421,21422,21423″][/vc_column][/vc_row]

Re-producing the spare wheel carrier

August 3, 2018

Our Jensen 541S has been bare due to the missing spare wheel carrier and like most items on the Jensen they are almost impossible to source.

Thanks to David at the Jensen Owner’s Club we now have exactly what we need and the spare wheel is now securely in position.

Finishing off the brakes and clutch system

August 3, 2018

We are now making the final few touches to our 1971 Jaguar E-Type brake and clutch system. Next week we aim to run her up for the first time in situ to see how we get on and what tweaks may be needed.

We should be expecting the final part of the interior back any day now which means we can then concentrate our efforts on fitting up.

 

Recommissioning our 1935 Riley

August 3, 2018

We’ve been out today to collect our 1935 Riley for the recommission to commence. Currently not running at all but has been some time ago so we do not envisage any huge issues to contend with. First things first; get her back to the Woodbridge workshops to have a good look over.

When arriving on site we were greeted by a lovely selection of classics including this beautiful little Rover with a true British number plate.

Coming soon: 1973 Ford Cortina 2000GT

August 1, 2018

We are very pleased to say we are now the new and very proud owners of this beautiful 1973 Ford Cortina 2000GT with tombstone seats. Completely original with just 40,000 miles from new. She has been dry stored in a ‘personal’ showroom for many years and will soon be on her way to Suffolk.

We now have the keys and whilst we wait for Ronnie from KARR logistics to collect for the long trip to Suffolk we have the Cortina with us for a few nights in the Knockomie Hotel in the Scottish highlands.

Change of approach to our 1974 Audi 100 Coupe Restoration

July 31, 2018

When you start out with a full restoration you have all good intentions to stick to the plan and stay within the schedule but inevitably incidents and issues arise that are not expected. Your plans therefore have to change.

This is definitely the case with our 1974 Audi 100 Coupe. We started off the week flying. Having the car almost stripped within days we were left with a car that looked relatively solid.

Once we started the welding stage this is where we began to uncover lots of hidden nasties, mainly with rotten panels and holes appearing from nowhere.

Before we continue with the project we have decided to arrange for the car to chemically dipped to ensure all areas are uncovered so we know exactly what we are dealing with.

Prostrip automotive restoration specialise in removing paint, rust and other contaminants from all types of vehicles and substrates involving steel and aluminium, ranging from classic cars to vintage motorcycles. Our vast in house facility ensures we have the correct and most cost effective process to suit your application.

Prostrip Ltd. has developed Phos-Strip™ a chemical dip process for the removal of paint, rust and underseal from complete car shells or individual panels. Its chemical formulation strips away contaminants from all internal and external areas.

As a company we are pleased to offer a complete service and are proud to have access to a body shop housed within a modern factory within a few 100 yards of the stripping facility. Dedicated to automotive refinishing we can offer customers a complete package from start to finish.

So we continue to strip the car of ALL components now as what’s left the car probably won’t be once the chemical process is complete.

 

Jensen door cards are now in place

July 31, 2018

The beautiful door cards are now fitted back into place on our 1960 Jensen 541S.

John is now on the final stages of the build with only small, concentrated areas to focus on now. The final parts of the chrome-work will be back with us early next week.

1965 Jaguar E-Type service

July 27, 2018

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Today we see the return of our beautiful 1965 Series 1 Jaguar E-Type. She’s on wedding duties next week so we have a bit of work to do to get her ready.

Firstly we need to carry out a full service and to check over everything. We have reports of a slight over run when moderately warm. Finally, the rev counter has an intermittent fault.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_gallery type=”image_grid” images=”21005,21004,21003,21002,21001,21000,20999,20998,20997,20996,20995,20994,20993,20992″][/vc_column][/vc_row]

Our 1957 Jensen 541R is now en-route

July 27, 2018

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]We have just received confirmation of our Jensen leaving the US for the UK and photographs of it being loaded up. ]

At this stage we do not have a due date but we are very excited for the arrival.

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Deciding on the new trim colours

July 26, 2018

The green piped in yellow will soon be disappearing from the interior of our 1971 Bedford, to be replaced with a classier looking brown vinyl.

Vinyl gives the same overall appearance of leather but at a fraction of the cost this can often be the preferred option.

Replacing the alternator on our 2008 Range Rover Sport

July 26, 2018

The battery light has come on on the Range Rover so it’s in our workshops having the alternator replaced.

It’s a fiddly job on the Range Rover with some reporting that it is a full ‘body off’ task. We’ve managed to gain access without having to carry out anything too dramatic.

Refit after paint

July 26, 2018

Our 1983 Mercedes 230E has returned from the paint shop having had the welded areas blended  back in. The loose components have also returned so we are now on the final stages of fitting up. The internal arches have been stone guarded too to help fight against the debris that comes off the roads during a drive. This will help also to prolong the life of the paintwork.

 

Building up the E-Type’s front end

July 26, 2018

The front end of our E-type is almost complete with the lights and surround now in position. The front grill surround just requires tightening and it’ll be ready to be fitted.

The Jensen 541S Fuel Tank

July 26, 2018

With the new flooring now in position we are now able to re-install the fuel tank to our 1960 Jensen 541S.

Fitting up the power steering

July 26, 2018

I won’t lie to you, fitting up the power steering hasn’t been ‘EZ’ (sorry, couldn’t resist), through no fault of anyone in particular but simply due to the fact that this may be the only Jensen 541S of it’s kind to have one in.

We called upon the assistance of EZ Electric Power Steering, the market leaders in the manufacturing of classic car power steering. Luckily they had experience in the Jensen 541S having produced one before but unfortunately it turns out that the one before happened to have a manual gearbox.

Upon arrival we quickly noticed that the new system built for us was not going to fit correctly so back to Holland it went, along with the old rack for a new system to be made.

Stripping our Audi 100 Coupe

July 25, 2018

Our Audi 100 Coupe S is well on the way to be completely stripped.

We’ve hit the ground running with this project and have managed to strip all major components from the car within a couple of days.

We have uncovered a couple of areas of rot that will need attention during the welding process and I’m sure there will be more to come as we progress with the restoration.

For now, the running gear is off and currently being blasted and refurbished and more of the interior and exterior is being removed, wrapped and stored.

Mercedes 500SL – The very first clean

July 25, 2018

So before arriving to us here at Bridge Classic Cars our 1987 Mercedes 500SL had been stored for some time under a tree.

With her now up and running and all levels checked our first trip was to drop her off with Mike down at Shine Supply UK to give her a good clean and find out to what extent the restoration may or may not be.

Removing our Audi interior

July 24, 2018

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]The strip down of our 1974 Audi 100 Coupe S is now in full swing. Andy has been set the task of removing our the interior today ready for the trimmer to take control.

At the minute, it has still not been decided on whether the colour change will be red with black interior or silver with red interior.

With the seats still to strip and the frame work to be refurbish we still have a little time until a decision needs to be made but for now, the work must commence as we have lots to do.

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Lada Riva running issues

July 23, 2018

In our workshops this week we have a 1987 Lada Riva with some running issues. The car looked and felt to be starving of fuel so we needed to look into what could have been the cause.

Firstly, the air filter is severely clogged up so a replacement air filter was ordered.

With the top removed we also noticed that the recently fitted carb had a perished gasket so whilst everything was out of the space we looked at rebuilding the carb with new gaskets.

She’s running much better but still has a flat spot when pulling away so more work is needed to diagnose the underlying problem.

The Bedford radiator is now refurbished

July 23, 2018

Our 1971 Bedford J Series truck arrived in with us in desperate need of a radiator overhaul. Thanks to the guys at Sheldrake & Wells in Ipswich the radiator is now fully refurbished, looking lovely, working as it should and now back on the car.

Repairing the loose runners on the TF seats

July 23, 2018

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]We had an issue to resolve on our 1954 MGTF, the seat was permanently stuck in position and would not move forward or back.

Upon closer inspection the runners were actually loose but this gave the opposite affect when weight was on the seat. The runners had positioned themselves like skies, pointing in different directions so the seat was essentially seized.

Having removed the seats and securing the runners back into position we are now able to move freely forwards and back.

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Fitting up the new Capri brakes

July 23, 2018

The new brakes have arrived today for the Capri so we are one step closer to having her back on the road looking gorgeous.

 

Railton is suffering from a leaky sump

July 20, 2018

Just as we were ready to return this beauty back to her owner we discovered a slight weep from the sump. The gasket has deteriorated and needs replacing.

Mike from Railton Owner’s Club has one on the shelf which is on its way to us as we speak.

Fo now, she’ll stay put looking pretty.

Bridge Classic Cars are award winning Classic Car Restoration and Maintenance specialists. Your pride and joy is in safe hands with our expert Classic Car Technicians. Take a look at our awards here.

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