[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]All mechanical aspects of our 1929 Hillman Fourteen recommissioning project are now complete. All levels have been monitored. Before we can let her back out
A big thank you to the guys at GP Products in West Sussex for producing a brand new set of Jaguar XJR door handle gaskets for us.
We love to see our classic cars return to the workshops but we’d always prefer to see them for their annual service and maintenance schedules. Unfortunately
A late finish tonight at Bridge HQ as we finally met the owner f this wonderful Bedford J Type. Since being here in Pettistree we
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]A couple of extra parts to get re-chromed, an over-rider, brackets and oil filler cap. A few weeks time we’ll have these back and ready
We are currently in the process of fitting up power steering to our 1960 Jensen 541S. Obviously not an original install when rolled out of
Work as begun on the re-commissioning of our 1928 Hillman Fourteen. She has been very well looked after over the years but as she has
The thick layer of external filler has now been successfully removed and a new door skin has been rebuilt and fitted. We are not too
Not as simple as it looks, the fuel tank is now successfully fitted and the pipework in position.
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]We were recently commissioned to source and restore a matching number MG B in Tundra Green. Being a very rare colour originally, Tundra Green proved
The original task was to install new, upgraded carbs to our 1979 Ford Escort but having seen the carbs that Mr B was hoping to
About the little ‘Redwinger’ Here we have some old cuttings relating to the origins of our little 1925 Riley Redwing.
The Riley Redwing (or Red Winger) was one of the most desirable light cars of its period. This particular model is believed to be 1
After a full interior detail and a deep clean of the carpets. the newly refurbished interior has now been refitted.
Having been stored locally in a garage in Ipswich for many years our latest addition is our 1968 Jaguar 240. At present she’s a non runner
New arrival to Bridge Classic Cars, our 1971 Bedford J Type Truck is in with us a future project. At this early stage we are
The order was placed at the back end of 2017 so it has been a long wait for the production of our Jensen 541S windscreen
Our wheels have returned fully refurbished thanks to the guys at Wheelworx in Bury St Edmunds. Now fitted on brand new Continental 225 45 17R tyres supplied by Ken
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]We had an amazing day at Sandown Park Race Course for Barons British Heritage, Classic and Sports Cars auction. In the auctioneer’s words the ‘star of the
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]The photo shoot of one of our most popular restorations was held on 23rd May 2018 at the stunning setting of The Ickworth Hotel. A huge
Tommy has successfully completed the welding repair of our 1996 Jaguar XJR seat. Once finished, he coated the brackets in gloss black ready for Pete
With the internal build still in progress at the new Bridge Classic Cars HQ and the sun beaming down it was a great opportunity to
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Our 1967 Jaguar 240 is in with us this week to investigate an issue with the clutch leaking. Upon further inspection the slave cylinder looks
A huge thank you to the guys down at Demand Engineering as we now have a brand new, custom made stainless exhaust system fitted to our
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Whilst preparing the body for paint we discovered that the car had a large quantity of filler in places (see previous article) This all needed
The ceiling cloth has been removed so that we can make up a brand new one. It is a common issue for the Jaguar XJR
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Tucked away, not too far away from our Ipswich workshops, is our gorgeous 1928 Hillman 14. As you can, the car is very well looked after
Today, we were greeted with the beautiful, raw tones of our 1992 Porsche 911 Carrera 4. A classic that appeals to everyone, our Porsche is
We see the return of our 1981 Triumph Tr7 today. A small stone chip on the bonnet needs address. Unfortunately the entire front panel will
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]It’s official, our 1966 Jaguar E-Type is now fully UK registered. The V5 has arrived and the new UK registration has been issued LKE354E. She left
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]All mechanical aspects of our 1929 Hillman Fourteen recommissioning project are now complete. All levels have been monitored. Before we can let her back out on the roads we’ve called upon our friends at Vintage Tyres for a new set of front tyres.
Graeme will soon be here from We Fit Any Tyres to fit them up and after one final test drive we can give her the all clear.
Here is our 1929 Hillman standing outside our new Woodbridge workshops in the sunshine waiting for the new tyres to arrive.
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A big thank you to the guys at GP Products in West Sussex for producing a brand new set of Jaguar XJR door handle gaskets for us. Amazingly, these gaskets are almost impossible to find as spares (like a lot of spares for the XJR) so our only option was to commission a new set using a bespoke template.
Softcut
Our production plants produce ‘soft-cut’ gaskets from every conceivable type of flexible gasket material. Utilising the most modern methods of production we are able to supply special one-off and short run work on a variety of presses, including conventional hydraulic presses, CNC operated Milling cutters, Laser-Jet, Water-Jet cutting machines and just as importantly, from our hand-fabrication department. Using automatic presses, we also produce parts in multi-millions from all types of tooling. These parts can include simple washers for plumbing installation or insulators used in electrical switches. Larger components produced in bulk tend to go to industries such as Automotive or Domestic Appliance, where demands for today’s laboursaving devices are forever increasing. Soft-cut is a general term for gaskets produced in any material that is flexible – ranging from inexpensive gasket papers, through to Corks, Rubbers, Fibre based materials, Felts, Foams, Plastics etc., – all of the materials in our stock range are converted. Production is not limited to straightforward flat cut parts, we can also form parts into shapes. Material such as Leather is still used to produce cup washers for valves for instance and electrical insulation materials are often produced with bends and creases to give a continuous electrical resistant barrier inside many pieces of equipment.
Spiralwound
Spiral Wound gaskets are supplied world-wide to reliably seal flanges which are subject to arduous pressure and temperature conditions. This type of gasket is able to accommodate pressures from high vacuum to over 700 bar (10000 psi) and seal at temperatures from cryogenic to 1650°C. They are available in all metals and fillers, either to International standards, (ANSI B16.5, BS1560, BS10, BS4504,MSS SP44, DIN and AP1605) or custom made to individual sizes.
Flange
Tooling to produce pipe-flange gaskets for every conceivable table including BST, ANSI, JIS and ASA is used to make flat gaskets for industries including Petrochemical, Water, Gas and Sewage! With standard sized gaskets certain series are kept on the shelf for ex-stock deliveries, although many of our products are in stock materials that can be produced immediately for dispatch, often on the same day!
Metalic
Corrugated gaskets: Corrugated gaskets are ideal for irregular shapes and low pressure applications. They are available in a wide range of thin sheet materials. The gaskets can be faced with many different sealing materials such as PTFE, Non-Asbestos, Graphite, Rubber etc, to enhance their performance. Laminated with mineral boards and encased in a PTFE envelope they provide the standard sealing system for glass lined vessel flanges.
Metal clad gaskets: Metal clad gaskets can be manufactured in any specified combination of metal and filler material. Complex shapes are no problem. Heat Exchanger gaskets can be made in a one-piece construction or with welded-in pass bars to suit the application. Various different styles of gasket are available, the metal cladding around the softer core giving great strength and versatility to the gasket. With Rubber, Woven Ceramic, Non-Asbestos millboard, PTFE and Graphite available as fillers inside outer cladding made from Soft Iron, Soft Steel, Copper, Monel, Brass, Stainless Steel, Chrome Aluminium, Incoloy, Titanium, Inconel or Nickel a huge selection of sealing conditions can be met.
Solid metal gaskets: All types of solid and expanded metal gasket materials are used to produce items from simple flat washers and shims to specialised lens rings and grooved profiles. These can also be supplied with flexible sealing materials bonded or vulcanised to the surface where required to give more sealable surfaces (especially useful on damaged flange faces). Special expanded rubber faced metals are produced (mostly for automotive applications) that exhibit high sealing properties at extended temperatures. These materials are particularly suited to high temperature operating conditions where parts need to meet exacting tolerances and guaranteed working lives.
Metal reinforced gaskets: Various materials and configurations are utilised to manufacture flat gaskets used for many different applications. Using reinforcement layers made from wire strand, thin sheet, tanged (metal sheet pierced with a special hole design and configuration) and expanded metals the British Gaskets Group manufacture gaskets using material bases from Non-Asbestos to Graphite and Mica.
We love to see our classic cars return to the workshops but we’d always prefer to see them for their annual service and maintenance schedules. Unfortunately on this occasion we welcome back our 1978 Triumph Stag, one of the amazing collection from Big Sky Classic Car Hire with a potentially big issue. Having been out on a recent rental the car developed a smoking and over heating issue.
We have managed to look over the engine with it still in situ and discovered some hoses being perished. There are also signs that these perished hoses may then have gone on to develop a larger issue of essentially ‘cooking’ the engine.
To truly diagnose the problem and hopefully rectify we have decided to remove the engine from the car and it looks to be a possible engine rebuild.
We will know more once the engine is out and we have full access to it.
As you may well know, the Triumph Stag engine is notoriously difficult to remove but with a little elbow grease and hard work we have managed to successfully remove ready for diagnosis.
A late finish tonight at Bridge HQ as we finally met the owner f this wonderful Bedford J Type.
Since being here in Pettistree we have stirred up a huge amount of interest with the truck without actually undertaking any serious work.
Having a good look over the truck we had a good idea of the necessary tasks that would have to be carried out (refurbishing the radiator, over-hauling the brakes) but we needed to get a better understanding of the final objectives and now we have that information we have a good foundation to start the process.
At this stage, we will not divulge the final intentions for the truck but let’s just say we are all very excited to be able to have a big part in bringing her back to life.
…and no, she’s not for sale!!!!! haha
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]A couple of extra parts to get re-chromed, an over-rider, brackets and oil filler cap. A few weeks time we’ll have these back and ready to be fitted.
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We are currently in the process of fitting up power steering to our 1960 Jensen 541S. Obviously not an original install when rolled out of the factory in 1960 but an excellent addition to the restoration.
EZ Power Steering specialise in power steering for classic vehicles. Their main offices are in Holland where they manufacture the items but they have represntation here in the UK in
An EZ Electric Power Steering system is completely hidden underneath the dashboard. The existing steering rack or box remains unchanged and thus retains the standard steering ratio and setup. The amount of assistance is fully adjustable and is sensitive to speed and load. They use CNC laser cut bespoke brackets designed to fit the original mounting points of your car. As no holes are drilled, with no cutting or welding to the chassis or body, the car can always be converted back to its original steering column. Under the bonnet there are no changes, everything remains as original. The advantages of an electrical system opposed to a hydraulic system are numerous. The electric motor only uses power when steering assistance is necessary whilst a hydraulic pump is continuously operating when the engine is running. A hydraulic setup generally uses around 4 bhp and therefore consumes extra fuel, even when driving straight ahead.
Because the electric power steering system is truly speed sensitive, it will steer light at low speeds and not become lighter at high speed. The amount of assistance can be selected by turning a potentiometer, so that the driver can select the desired feel (i.e. more assistance with wider tires and/or a smaller sports steering wheel’. With a classic hydraulic system there is usually little feel and no possibility to adjust this at all.
In the unlikely event that the electric power steering system has a defect, the car would steer exactly like it did prior to power steering conversion. If a car fitted with an hydraulic system would have a fault the car would steer extremely heavy.
The EZ Electric Power Steering works without making a sound. It can not leak and is completely maintenance-free.
EZ Power Steering are no strangers to the Jensen 541S but ours happens to be a unique one. Unbeknown to everyone, when the new power steering system arrived is wouldn’t fit eaxctly where it needed to which left both us and them a little confused.
It turns out that the automatic transmission makes a difference to the install and only having experienced a manual Jensen they are having to rebuild the system. This means the old column and new column have been returned to Holland and we await its arrival.
Work as begun on the re-commissioning of our 1928 Hillman Fourteen.
She has been very well looked after over the years but as she has been standing for some time without a lot of use the owner has agreed for us to have her in the workshops for a full health check ready for the summer.
The Hillman Fourteen is a medium-sized 4-cylinder car announced by Hillman’s managing director Spencer Wilks, a son-in-law of William Hillman, at the end of September 1925. This new Fourteen substantially increased Hillman’s market share and remained on sale into 1931. During this time it was the main product of the company.
The thick layer of external filler has now been successfully removed and a new door skin has been rebuilt and fitted. We are not too far away now from having the body shell ready for paint.
Not as simple as it looks, the fuel tank is now successfully fitted and the pipework in position.
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]We were recently commissioned to source and restore a matching number MG B in Tundra Green.
Being a very rare colour originally, Tundra Green proved to be a very difficult find but having searched the country high and low we eventually found an abandoned matching number car suiting our criteria perfectly.
We now have the car back in our new workshops in Pettistree and will be future restoration for us at Bridge Classic Cars.
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The original task was to install new, upgraded carbs to our 1979 Ford Escort but having seen the carbs that Mr B was hoping to have fitted we advised that this would not be a suitable choice.
Whilst in, we decided to correct the running issues that had occurred. We carried out a cylinder leakage test and adjusted the valve clearance. we replaced the spark plugs and the gaskets.
We were also informed of a stop light issue on the rear so whilst in our workshops we fixed the fault.
About the little ‘Redwinger’
Here we have some old cuttings relating to the origins of our little 1925 Riley Redwing.
The Riley Redwing (or Red Winger) was one of the most desirable light cars of its period.
This particular model is believed to be 1 of only 4 ever produced. Currently en-route to join the Bridge Classic Cars family, this very special car will soon be with us and available to buy.
After a full interior detail and a deep clean of the carpets. the newly refurbished interior has now been refitted.
Having been stored locally in a garage in Ipswich for many years our latest addition is our 1968 Jaguar 240.
At present she’s a non runner with the brakes completely seized but after a little TLC we’ll have her back up and running in no time.
Due to our current workload we are considering selling her on as a restoration project but we’ll see.
New arrival to Bridge Classic Cars, our 1971 Bedford J Type Truck is in with us a future project. At this early stage we are unsure what the end result could be as the owner has many ideas for her new life.
All we know is that she has spent the majority of her life in New Zealand before landing on UK shores a few years back and has since been stored with little to no use.
The order was placed at the back end of 2017 so it has been a long wait for the production of our Jensen 541S windscreen but the wait is over.
Due to the rarity of the car itself there are very few, if not any, brand new screens still in existence. We therefore commissioned for a brand new screen to be manufactured in Finland and due to complications in the factory a 4 week lead time ended up being 7 month lead time but the wait is finally over.
The screen has arrived and along with the brand new rubber is now fitted and in position.
Our wheels have returned fully refurbished thanks to the guys at Wheelworx in Bury St Edmunds.
Now fitted on brand new Continental 225 45 17R tyres supplied by Ken and the team at Fast-Fit next door.
We are now on the final stages of the restoration with just the finishing touches to complete. The paint imperfections are now being completed and then it’ll be a trip back to Demand Engineering for the exhaust tailpipes to be fitted and then we are looking at a final once over before she heads back home.
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]We had an amazing day at Sandown Park Race Course for Barons British Heritage, Classic and Sports Cars auction.
In the auctioneer’s words the ‘star of the show’ was our stunning 1975 Maserati Merak, generating a huge amount of attention on the day with many admirers speaking to us personally to learn about the journey we took with the restoration of this car.
With a guide price of between £65000 and £80000 someone got themselves a fantastic deal when the hammer dropped at £69000. Not the result we were looking for with our expectations being more in the region of £95000 but the deal has been done. She’s now off to enjoy her new life with her new owners.
Having loaded her up the day before from our new Pettistree premises, we set off on the road early and it was great that we did as we got a fantastic position within the auction hall on the day.
[/vc_column_text][vc_gallery type=”image_grid” images=”19894,19892,19891,19890,19889,19888,19881,19874,19875,19882,19883,19884,19885,19886,19887,19880,19879,19878,19877,19876,19871,19872,19873″][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]She even made the front cover, looking lovely outside Priory Park.
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[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]The photo shoot of one of our most popular restorations was held on 23rd May 2018 at the stunning setting of The Ickworth Hotel.
A huge thank you to Viv, Faye and the team down at the hotel for welcoming us so warmly on the day.
The perfect back drop for one of our most beautiful restorations. We couldn’t have asked for a better time to complete the project, just one week after the famous pictures of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle on their wedding day driving away in a Series 1.5 roadster.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_gallery type=”image_grid” images=”19939,19938,19937,19936,19935,19934,19933,19932,19931,19930,19929,19928,19927,19926,19925,19924,19923,19922,19921,19920,19919,19918,19917,19916,19915,19914,19913,19912,19911,19910,19909,19908,19907,19906″][/vc_column][/vc_row]
Tommy has successfully completed the welding repair of our 1996 Jaguar XJR seat. Once finished, he coated the brackets in gloss black ready for Pete to refit.
With the internal build still in progress at the new Bridge Classic Cars HQ and the sun beaming down it was a great opportunity to bring out some of our old friends to enjoy the fresh Woodbridge air.
Our 1949 MGYT and 1975 Maserati Merak.
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Our 1967 Jaguar 240 is in with us this week to investigate an issue with the clutch leaking.
Upon further inspection the slave cylinder looks to be almost new, however, the master cylinder is in need of replacing.
Thanks to SNG Barratt as always for supplying us with a brand new master cylinder and now that it’s fitted up its time for a few test runs.
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A huge thank you to the guys down at Demand Engineering as we now have a brand new, custom made stainless exhaust system fitted to our 1996 Jaguar XJR Supercharged.
The mufflers and tailpipes are yet to be fitted as the rear bumper need to be attached. Once attached we will be able to line up the rear of the exhaust system.
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Whilst preparing the body for paint we discovered that the car had a large quantity of filler in places (see previous article)
This all needed to be removed so we could fully investigate the extent of the work required.
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The ceiling cloth has been removed so that we can make up a brand new one. It is a common issue for the Jaguar XJR ceiling cloth to drop as a result of the adhesive that was originally used not functioning as it should.
A new ceiling cloth is being produced as we speak and will be reinstall later in the week.
We can then look to refit the interior and finish off the final parts of the rebuild.
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Tucked away, not too far away from our Ipswich workshops, is our gorgeous 1928 Hillman 14. As you can, the car is very well looked after but unfortunately, to the owner’s own admittance, she is not used half as much as she should be but it may be time to find a new home.
In with us for a general check over and re-commission, the car will go through a series of checks to ensure the engine is running right and all levels are accurate. Replacement seals and gaskets will be fitted all round. The braking system will be assessed fully, stripped, cleaned and replaced where necessary.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_gallery type=”image_grid” images=”19808,19809,19810,19811,19812,19813,19814,19815,19816,19817,19818,19819,19820,19805″][/vc_column][/vc_row]
Today, we were greeted with the beautiful, raw tones of our 1992 Porsche 911 Carrera 4.
A classic that appeals to everyone, our Porsche is in our workshops today for the annual MOT.
We’ll also need to look into a slight oil leak that has developed. This will be a future project and one that will take a little more time to rectify.
For now, she’s MOT’d and ready to go home for the summer.
We see the return of our 1981 Triumph Tr7 today. A small stone chip on the bonnet needs address. Unfortunately the entire front panel will need to be re-painted in Persian Aqua to blend in the tones.
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]It’s official, our 1966 Jaguar E-Type is now fully UK registered.
The V5 has arrived and the new UK registration has been issued LKE354E.
She left us for the states in 1967 and remained property of the USA up until recently.
Welcome home!!
With the new plates fitted up she’s ready to get back out on the road. Next stop…Harwich…her new home.
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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.
