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Removing the interior

January 17, 2018

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]This weekend we’ll need our overalls at the ready as we take on the dirty task of removing all of the contents from inside the

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1971 Mini Wheel Arch Improvements

February 5, 2018

The doors were open all weekend at Bridge Classic Cars as Asa started work on fitting up the sports-pack wheel arch kit to our 1971 Mini.

He made fantastic progress on the fit and managed to complete the task over the weekend. The arches are now in our paint shop and we should be expecting them back some time very soon.

 

Repairing our Jensen bonnet for paint

February 2, 2018

All repair and preparation work has now been completed on our 1960 Jensen 541S bonnet. Next step will be to spray the bonnet in pearl grey to match the bodywork before returning it back to our workshops for re-fit.

Repairing the Jensen’s fuel tank

January 31, 2018

Having blasted the exterior of our 1960 Jensen fuel tank ready for paint it revealed a couple of tiny pin holes that go unnoticed to the eye but a pressure test reveals that something is not quite right. These holes need correcting prior to paint.

We have called upon the skills of our colleagues at Sheldrake & Wells, Ipswich to repair the original tank. A brand new tank is available but for a slightly lesser price we can strip and completely overhaul the existing fuel tank. The treatment required is very specialist and needs to be carried out by a company who knows how to complete the works properly because once repaired and coated both internally and externally this treatment will come with a long guarantee.

It may be easier to purchase a new tank but more often than not it’s best to keep original.

We are expecting to see the tank returned to us in 2 weeks time so I will update you with more pictures of it looking shiny and new.

Removing the seats for refurbishing

January 31, 2018

We’ve removed the front and rear seats in preparation for the colour feed treatment.

The seats will be cleaned up and carefully fed with new colour before being imprinted with the leather pattern. This process is a fantastic way to freshen up the look of the interior without having to strip and re-cover.

Behind the scenes of our 1980 MG Midget photoshoot

January 30, 2018

We picked a great day for our first indoor photo shoot (forgetting our 4am 1966 Jaguar E-Type Series 1 shoot as that was done in our workshops), it was pretty nippy but at least it was dry.

Our shoot took place early morning inside the newly built barn within the Suffolk Plant Centre complex in Pettistree.

William allowed us access into his building whilst it was empty so we had lots of space to play around to get some great shots.

As always, the main images will soon be arriving from Jason at Sugar and Spice Photography but for now I (Craig) took some ‘behind the scenes’ images for you to see.

Building up the Jensen 541S dashboard

January 30, 2018

John’s continuing to progress very well on ‘Project Prototype’ as he fits up the Jensen 541S dashboard. The top has now been re-covered, the newly refurbished dials are now back in to position and the interior mirror is securely fitted up.

Assortment of parts ready for paint

January 29, 2018

In preparation for the return of our Amphicar body shell from the paint shop, we have started to go through the parts to decide whether to renew, replace or refurbish existing components.

We have put together a selection of parts that require a clean and paint. This will keep Pete busy on the project whilst we wait for the return of the car.

Refurbishing and Converting the E-Type Wiper Motor

January 29, 2018

To convert the wiper motor from left hand drive to right hand drive we’ve called in the assistance of our good friends and world renowned Jaguar specialists SNG Barratt. They’ll look to refurbishj the unit as well as carrying out the conversion.

1981 Alfa Romeo Spider 2000 Barn Find

January 29, 2018

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Today, we are in the highlands of Scotland on a trip to see a 1981 Alfa Romeo Spider.

We are in the stunning setting of the Tigh An Eilean Hotel where we believe the car has been dry stored for over 15 years.

It is very difficult to see at this stage the extent of work that will be required, certainly to the underneath, but once out of the garage we’ll be able to get a better idea.

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Sealing under the arches

January 25, 2018

With the underside almost complete Pete has sealed up the arches before building back up the suspension components.

 

 

Cleaning and repainting the Amphicar engine

January 25, 2018

With only the rocker box cover a different colour, the Amphicar engine is actually one of the simplest engines to paint as it is all black.

Before removing the engine from the car we had it all up and running as it should.

Pete has since been busy stripping it off it’s loose components before cleaning and painting the bulk of the engine ready to be built back up again.

Jaguar E-Type V12 Engine Re-fitted

January 25, 2018

The day has come where I will no longer be seeing this beautiful piece of V12 engineering out side my office window but will soon have to view her further down our workshops sitting proudly inside the car.

Today’s the day we re-fit the newly rebuilt V12 engine back where she belongs, sitting within our Jaguar E-Type roadster shell.

…and the operation was a huge success with the engine now safely inside the car ready to be built back up.

Repairing the inside of the bulkhead

January 24, 2018

The inside of the bulkhead was in desperate need of repair so having cut out the affected area we have now replaced with new before sealing back up. Although this is a section that will not be clearly visible it is always out intention to complete the work correctly.

Coming in soon – Daimler Super V8 and Mini Clubman

January 24, 2018

Looking forward into February we have our 1998 Daimler Super V8 coming into the Bridge Classic Cars workshops. Currently securely stored in East Suffolk and has been for some time she is coming in to have the entire carpet set replaced and to what work we can carry out on the leather to freshen up.

And straight after we complete our works on the Daimler we’ll welcome in our Mini Clubman for a general MOT inspection and get her back on the road.

Images supplied to us from the owner, new images to follow.

Re-working the body of our bespoke E-Type racing series

January 23, 2018

Work is progressing nicely on the re-shaping and alterations of our 1967 Jaguar E-type race replica. We expect the weld work to complete within the next two weeks ready for the paint shop to do their magic.

Colours are yet to be confirmed as we have changed our minds a good few times but for now it is great to see the car being de-seamed, the replacement floors and the fuel filler being removed.

 

Ready for the photoshoot

January 19, 2018

Our 1980 MG Midget is now complete and with the photo shoot arranged for Friday 26th January we took a trip to Shine Supply UK for the full and final detail.

They are currently in the process of renovating their new premises but were good enough to fit in our car.

Ford Capri off to paint

January 18, 2018

The big task of welding up and repairing our 1983 Ford Capri is now complete and today we deliver her to the paint shop to be prepared for re-paint.

 

New Exhaust Now Fitted On Jensen

January 17, 2018

The brand new, bespoke exhaust system is now complete and fitted to our Jensen.

A fantastic job by our good friends at Demand Engineering who told us of having a very special visit from a journalist who loved seeing our car.

Removing the interior

January 17, 2018

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]This weekend we’ll need our overalls at the ready as we take on the dirty task of removing all of the contents from inside the vehicle.

The vehicle has been sitting in the same position of a working workshop for the passed 8 years so although she is 100% dry she is not 100% clean free.

Our task this weekend is to bring back the contents to our workshops on Deben Road in Ipswich so we can start to clean up and store or create a kitting list of items that require replacements.

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Welding up the racing car

January 17, 2018

Our main objective, at this stage in the build, is to de-seam the car and weld up the boot area. The bonnet shaping needs attention as does the doors. Once we are happy that we’ve completed the task to the standard required we will start to prepare the body ready for the respray.

Fitting up the Jaguar V12 Roadster’s front frame

January 16, 2018

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]We are now days away from being able to marry up our V12 engine to our 1971 Jaguar E-Type so with Dave busy rebuilding the suspension components Tommy and John are refitting the front frame and bonnet to ensure everything fits as expected.

And it does…

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Having the Shine Supply treatment

January 16, 2018

We were out bright and early this morning with our 1980 MG Midget as we delivered her to Shine Supply UK for the full and final detail.

Being a 14000 mile car and working within our impeccably clean workshops the guys have a good base to work on as she is very clean and tidy as is.

All of our projects undergo a full detail once complete for the reassurance that she’s looking the best she can be.

Source: Shine Supply UK. Auto Detailing is the process of thoroughly cleaning, restoring and finishing a vehicle’s exterior and interior. Cleaning and polishing every accessible part and applying the correct and relevant protection where applicable.

​This service aids the important purpose of rust prevention, corrosion and chipping.

The processes used on the exterior of the vehicle, will not only restore and protect, but it will inevitably increase the longevity of the paint. You will increase the life of the wheels and tyres.

Proper maintenance and protection for your wheels is obvious, but doing the same for your tyres is something that is nearly always overlooked. And as above, it will extend the life of both.

 

We arrived a little early but it was a great opportunity to make use of the empty car park and get some pictures pre-clean, seeing as the sun was shining.

1980 MG Midget project complete and ready for the final clean

January 12, 2018

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]The MG project is now complete and ready to find a new home. Before she goes too far she’s booked in for a full detail before the Bridge Classic Cars photo shoot.

Someone will soon own one of the best, low mileage MG’s on the road today.

Watch this space as this could be a future museum piece.

 

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Work is now underway on our Cadillac

January 11, 2018

Work is now underway on our 1971 Cadillac Eldorado. First things first we need to empty the car of all loose and removable components. As she has been sitting in the corner of a working barn for the passed 8 years everything is covered in a thick layer of dust and grime.

Before we can get too involved it is best to remove everything we can see and clean up so we can fully assess the extent of the work required on this restoration.

Building up the Halfshafts

January 11, 2018

We are now into the rebuild stage of our 1971 Jaguar E-Type V12.

The half-shafts have been built up ready to be fitted back up and part of the full front end re-assembly.

Identifying our Cadillac

January 11, 2018

From the chassis plate under the engine bay we can now officially identify the car and get an insight into it’s origins.

According to an online source the meaning of the Cadillac chassis plates are as follows:

First Digit:

Code – 6

GM Division – Cadillac

Second Thru Fifth Digits:

8169 – Fleetwood Sixty Special Brougham

8247 – 2 dr. Calais Coupe

8249 – 4 dr. Calais Sedan

8347 – 2 dr. Coupe DeVille

8349 – 4 dr. Sedan DeVille

9347 – 2 dr. Fleetwood Eldorado Hardtop Coupe

9367 – 2 dr. Fleetwood Convertible

9723 – 4 dr. Fleetwood “75” Sedan

9733 – Fleetwood Limo

9890 – Commercial Chassis

Sixth Digit:

Code – 1

Model Year – 1971

Seventh Digit:

Q – Detroit, MI

E – Linden, NJ

Last Six Digits:

Production Numbers – 100001/^ 421298

So the origins of our car are as follows:

6 – Cadillac

9367 – 2 door Fleetwood convertible

1 – 1971

Q – Detroit MI

421298 – Production number

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