[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Here we have more images to demonstrate the extent of the corrosion we are finding and more importantly, tackling. The rear valance has now been
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Our 1949 MG YT arrived to us from Cyprus looking like this: Last week we revealed the car looking fresh in it’s new Clipper Blue body.
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]We’ve been blessed with the presence of renowned race engine builder Don Warman today in our workshops as he spent a second day testing the
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]With the new bonnet underside repair kits now with us, Laura has been able to remove the corroded areas around the bottom edging of the
Our 1973 Jaguar E-Type V12 has arrived at Felixstowe docks. After connecting it up with some jump leads to give it a bit of energy
Our 1960 Jensen 541S chassis tube has now been successfully removed on one side. This will soon be replaced with brand new tubing to make
With the rear cross members and leaf hangers in place it was time for Asa to focus on the rear wheel arches which are in
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Laura has been busy all week working on the bonnet of our 1967 Jaguar E-Type Series 1, the racing car! The bonnet headlamp diaphragms on
The newly formed bonnet air-duct for our Jaguar E-Type roadster has now been fitted.
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]With the replacement panels now Laura has started work on repairing the bonnet of our 1967 Jaguar E-Type. The rotten front under-pan has now been
Assuming entire system to be dry but connected and engine ready to run, add fresh LHM fluid to the reservoir. Also, prime the LHM pump
The corroded rear cross members and leaf hangers have now been cut away from the chassis of our Jensen 541S to be replaced with new.
Our next attempt on the 1976 Maserati Merak wheels have been a success. Having stripped them all back we have managed to further improve the
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]It’s been a solid task for Tommy since returning from his Christmas break but what a fantastic job he is doing. He’s managing to transform
Work has started today on our 1967 Jaguar E-Type 2+2 body shell. We are hoping to reveal some exciting news very soon on this 2017
When clearing out the glove box of our 1972 Jaguar E-Type we came across some old photographs taken of the car in 1998. It’s great
The repair work continues on our 1965 Jaguar E-Type as we get it prepared for paint. The corroded areas on the bonnet’s edge have now
Now that the car has undergone a full valet Lauren has refitted the newly covered front seat.
It’s a real pity that both the driver and passenger’s front seat has small rips in them when we picked the car up. We contemplated
Mechanically, our lovely little 1972 Fiat 500L is spot on but as with everything in life that has been used and enjoyed, the engine could
To ensure we keep some of the originality of the car we decided to freshen up the look of the existing fuel tank. From new
Our 1959 Austin Healey Frogeye Sprite (Sebring) arrived at the Bridge Classic Cars workshops bright and early this morning, having travelled down through the night from
One of the biggest and most exciting transformations to any car is a full ‘colour change’ body respray. At the back end of 2016 we
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Our 1972 Jaguar E-Type V12 Series 3 arrived at the Bridge Classic Cars workshops bright and early this morning, having travelled down through the night
We’ve now signed off our 1989 Ford Granada. This was work that was needed to carry her through an MOT. As she had been sitting
The completed V12 engine of our 1971 Jaguar E-Type roadster. Steve at Rushton Engineering has carried out an amazing job on the engine. It has been completely
More images from the paint shop as we continue to tackle the magnesium wheel refurbishment.
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]As work continues on our 1965 Jaguar E-Type we are unfortunately revealing more and more areas that require immediate attention. We have discovered a number
As Bobbie works his way round the car he’s revealing various areas that need attention. All in a days work for our team of exceptionally
As Tommy is nearing completion on the repair work on the existing body we have been eagerly awaiting the arrival of the newly built body
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Here we have more images to demonstrate the extent of the corrosion we are finding and more importantly, tackling.
The rear valance has now been removed in the rotten areas as well as the nearside rear arch panels.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_gallery type=”image_grid” images=”9572,9578,9577,9576,9575,9574,9573″][/vc_column][/vc_row]
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Our 1949 MG YT arrived to us from Cyprus looking like this:
Last week we revealed the car looking fresh in it’s new Clipper Blue body.
Now we can reveal a full series of images of the body shell, the panels and the wheels all finished in Clipper Blue.
The next stage for us at Bridge Classic Cars is to fit the body shell back onto the chassis. Once this has been married up accurately the refit process will commence.
[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_gallery type=”image_grid” images=”9521,9522,9523,9524″ title=”1949 MGYT Body Panels – Clipper Blue”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_gallery type=”image_grid” images=”9525,9526,9527,9528″ title=”1949 MGYT Body Shell – Clipper Blue”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_gallery type=”image_grid” images=”9529,9530″ title=”1949 MGYT Wheels – Clipper Blue”][/vc_column][/vc_row]
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]We’ve been blessed with the presence of renowned race engine builder Don Warman today in our workshops as he spent a second day testing the engine of our 1960 Jensen 541S.
The engine is running beautifully and has been for the majority of the afternoon and with the gearbox soon to be arriving back after a full rebuild we now need to get started on thoroughly cleaning and tidying up the engine’s components.
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[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]With the new bonnet underside repair kits now with us, Laura has been able to remove the corroded areas around the bottom edging of the bonnet and replace with brand new panels.
A lot of the slightly damaged areas have also been corrected.
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Our 1973 Jaguar E-Type V12 has arrived at Felixstowe docks.
After connecting it up with some jump leads to give it a bit of energy she powered up no problem at all.
Gordon decided to drive her back to our Ipswich workshops to give it a run.
Our 1960 Jensen 541S chassis tube has now been successfully removed on one side. This will soon be replaced with brand new tubing to make up the chassis frame once again.
With the rear cross members and leaf hangers in place it was time for Asa to focus on the rear wheel arches which are in desperate need of repair.
It is a common issue we’ve found with the Jensen 541 chassis’, they rot…and unfortunately it is often not until you remove the sills do you find how badly they have been affected.
Removing the sills and body from the chassis on a Jensen 541 is not an easy task but it is one that must be carried out, and must be carried out delicately and with confidence. A lot of technicians would not even attempt the procedure as the thought alone is scary but when you are looking at the 1960 Jensen 541S prototype, one of only three that were made and the only one to hold the automatic gearbox you are looking at a special car. And the history of this car alone is enough to ensure the work is carried out right!
Here we have the rear arches cut away at the affected areas. Upon exposing the chassis tubing it is evident that these will also need to be removed and replaced with new tubing too.
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Laura has been busy all week working on the bonnet of our 1967 Jaguar E-Type Series 1, the racing car!
The bonnet headlamp diaphragms on both sides are badly corroded as are the mudguard panels so we have decided to purchase a new set to work with rather than spending time and money correcting the existing ones.
If you are looking for these parts yourself then they are readily available from any of the main Jaguar stockists and the SNG Barratt part numbers you need are:
BD16422 Bonnet Diaphragm Right Handed
BD16423 Bonnet Diaphragm Left Handed
BD16382 Mudguard Bonnet Right Handed
BD16382 Mudguard Bonnet Left Handed
Be aware that different suppliers us different part numbers but you tend to find they all recognise each other’s part number. The same numbers above from Martin Robey are MRE84CLH, MRE84CRH, MRE84RH and MRE84LH.
Many of the key classic car vehicle suppliers have fantastic diagrams on their websites, they are hugely beneficial as they help to pin point the exact component that you require.
Here’s an example:
There are so many classic Jaguar parts stockists available to choose from. We find the prices are very similar to one another but if time is on your it is often a good idea to phone around to check on stock availability as well as costs.
As we all know, restoration costs can easily run away with if we are not careful…[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_gallery type=”image_grid” images=”9474,9475,9476,9477,9478,9479,9480,9481″][/vc_column][/vc_row]
The newly formed bonnet air-duct for our Jaguar E-Type roadster has now been fitted.
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]With the replacement panels now Laura has started work on repairing the bonnet of our 1967 Jaguar E-Type.
The rotten front under-pan has now been removed and the arches have been cut away where necessary. The pair of replacement arch panel repair kits have now been tacked up ready to be secured.
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This information has been provided to us from the Maserati Club.
The corroded rear cross members and leaf hangers have now been cut away from the chassis of our Jensen 541S to be replaced with new. The new components will be fabricated and refitted in our Ipswich workshops.
A new component has now been manufactured and fitted to replace the rear cross member and leaf hangers.
Asa has now turned his attention to the arches, having already cut out the offside arch, again, he is having to fabricate them from nothing…in house.
Creating and re-manufacturing body panels is never a problem but it is often good to check whether panels are readily available before attempting to do this, for no other reason than time.
Time costs money and if it can be saved then everyone is happy. It’s always beneficial to explore the options.
Our next attempt on the 1976 Maserati Merak wheels have been a success.
Having stripped them all back we have managed to further improve the magnesium finish to the wheels before applying a new coat of light gloss wheel paint.
It was a lot of effort and intricate detailing but the results on this attempt have very much improved.
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]It’s been a solid task for Tommy since returning from his Christmas break but what a fantastic job he is doing.
He’s managing to transform the body of our 1971 Jaguar E-Type roadster from a drag car back into the beautiful iconic classic it should be.
The arches have now been cut out ready for the new arches to be reshaped. The new floor pan is fitted and this afternoon he will be tackling the front air duct area…which is a big area to tackle.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_gallery type=”image_grid” images=”9378,9383,9382,9381,9380,9379,9389,9384,9385,9386,9387,9388″][/vc_column][/vc_row]
Work has started today on our 1967 Jaguar E-Type 2+2 body shell.
We are hoping to reveal some exciting news very soon on this 2017 project but until we have our plans confirmed, all of our I’s dotted and our T’s crossed then work must still commence on the body-shell.
The bonnet is the first and probably the most time consuming area to cover so we’ve enlisted a little help from our friends at Hutson Motor Company.
World renowned Jaguar specialist, the Hutson Motor Company are one of the foremost manufacturers of ‘E’ -Type spares.
Rather than the Bridge technicians having to build the panels required we thought it was best to see if Hutson had them on the shelf and luckily they did.
Typically the panels we required were probably the most expensive panels on the bonnet but nevertheless, the cost in parts and labour for us to build would have been greater.
Here we have the front under-pan which, as you can see, makes up a huge portion of the front nose. This is a very important piece.
And then we have right-hand and left-hand wing repair panels. This saves having to buy or replace an entire wing.
When clearing out the glove box of our 1972 Jaguar E-Type we came across some old photographs taken of the car in 1998.
It’s great to keep old documentation of the vehicle, however minor you feel it is at the time it all helps to build the history of the car.
We love taking lots of photographs here at Bridge Classic Cars.
These were taken over 18 years ago, here is our 1972 Jaguar E-Type sitting proudly on someone’s driveway, looking lovely!
The repair work continues on our 1965 Jaguar E-Type as we get it prepared for paint.
The corroded areas on the bonnet’s edge have now been removed and replaced with new steel
Work has also been carried out on the offside sill to repair more corrosion.
Now that the car has undergone a full valet Lauren has refitted the newly covered front seat.
It’s a real pity that both the driver and passenger’s front seat has small rips in them when we picked the car up.
We contemplated repairing the existing holes but in the end we thought it was best to strip and recover the seats with new seat covers and it was very much the right decision once we had completed the task.
The rear seats have now been fitted back in to position but as we have Paul Johnson Valeting coming on Monday to give the car a full valet we thought it was best to leave the front seats out until after Monday.
Mechanically, our lovely little 1972 Fiat 500L is spot on but as with everything in life that has been used and enjoyed, the engine could benefit from a little attention…cosmetically that is!
Lauren has spent the day cleaning, polishing and repainting the engine to freshen up the look.
We’ve kept to the existing colours but after a thorough clean we’ve added a couple of new coats to bring back the shine.
To ensure we keep some of the originality of the car we decided to freshen up the look of the existing fuel tank.
From new back in the 70’s, and also if you were to purchase a new tank today, it would be finished in black so we decided to clean up our red tank and give it a coating of satin black before re-fitting with some new bolts.
Not only did we refurbish the fuel tank but whilst we were tidying the boot area we re-lined the entire area with brand new black carpet. Lauren has done an incredible job, not only is all of the wiring neatened up underneath but they are all hidden away to give a really clean and uninterrupted look.
As you can see, the originality remains the same, we have not tried to hide the imperfections, we have simply tidied and made a more appealing finish to the overall look.
Our 1959 Austin Healey Frogeye Sprite (Sebring) arrived at the Bridge Classic Cars workshops bright and early this morning, having travelled down through the night from the highlands along with our 1972 Jaguar E-Type
Now awaiting preparation she will soon be available for sale. This Beautiful 1959 Austin Healey Sprite, has modifications of the type carried out in period by “The Donald Healey Motor Co”(DHMC) it has never been welded, making it an excellent basis for a concours restoration. For more information and to view our full range of cars visit our for sale section.
One of the biggest and most exciting transformations to any car is a full ‘colour change’ body respray.
At the back end of 2016 we revealed our exciting plans to change our 1949 MGYT from it’s current colour of white back to it’s original colour of Clipper Blue.
Whoever had change this beautiful machine from blue to white had done an incredible job of it. Whilst stripping the car we couldn’t help but question it’s history as we were struggling to find any signs at all that this car was originally blue. A credit to the previous paint shop
however…
…on November 11th 2016 ‘We Found Blue’
Now, after a full strip down of every single removable item and a few months in the paint shop we had our first glimpse today of the new Clipper Blue look.
With only 2 more panels to paint it will soon be time to refit back to the chassis.
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Our 1972 Jaguar E-Type V12 Series 3 arrived at the Bridge Classic Cars workshops bright and early this morning, having travelled down through the night from the highlands.
Now awaiting preparation she will soon be available for sale. For more information and to view our full range of cars visit our for sale section.
Here we are having taken her out on a little spin to make sure she feels and runs as she should.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_gallery type=”image_grid” images=”9250,9251,9252,9253,9254,9255,9256,9257,9258,9259,9260,9261,9262″][/vc_column][/vc_row]
We’ve now signed off our 1989 Ford Granada.
This was work that was needed to carry her through an MOT. As she had been sitting around for some time she had suffered the effects of the ever changing UK weather.
The suspension component mountings, where they had corroded have now been repaired. It was also brought to our attention in the MOT test that the vehicle’s structure had corrosion around the nearside and offside rear so this has been corrected. The drive shaft coupling gaiter which forms part of the suspension had also deteriorated so was no longer preventing the ingress of dirt. This has now been dealt with also.
The car arrived in to our workshops at the end of last year with running issue. Nothing too serious but it seemed to have developed a flat spot which we needed to investigate.
We also carried out a full service as well as carried out a few minor jobs that needed doing.
Due to the worked carried out on the new sills and a few blemishes on all of the panels Mrs and Mrs Johnson decided that they would like her to be fully re-sprayed. We happily obliged.
Here she is, now back on the road.
Shame about the weather, especially as Rich from Suffolk Detailing had made a special trip over today to give her a full valet…then the heavens decide to open!!
The completed V12 engine of our 1971 Jaguar E-Type roadster.
Steve at Rushton Engineering has carried out an amazing job on the engine. It has been completely stripped, chemically cleaned and meticulously rebuilt.
We have renewed, as standard, crank shells, timing chain and tensioner, piston rings, valves and springs.
Both heads have been skimmed, bores honed and carburetors stripped and rebuilt. The fasteners have been electroplated, pulleys, brackets etc have all been powder-coated. The heads, carburetors and many all other parts have been vapour blasted.
We have modified the oil distribution head and sump with remote oil filter housing and oil cooler.
More images from the paint shop as we continue to tackle the magnesium wheel refurbishment.
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]As work continues on our 1965 Jaguar E-Type we are unfortunately revealing more and more areas that require immediate attention.
We have discovered a number of unexpected rotten areas whilst stripping and preparing the bodywork. The areas in questions are not large and are most definitely manageable but its great that we have found them now rather than letting them deteriorate even further.
They will now be removed and repaired to ensure that the same issues will not arise again.
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As Bobbie works his way round the car he’s revealing various areas that need attention.
All in a days work for our team of exceptionally talented mechanical and bodywork technicians.
She’ll be looking as good as new in no time.
As Tommy is nearing completion on the repair work on the existing body we have been eagerly awaiting the arrival of the newly built body panels.
Before arriving here at Bridge Classic Cars, sometime in it’s life our 1971 Jaguar E-Type had been altered to what we believe was going to be a drag vehicle.
But after a huge operation carried out by Tommy to repair the body it has now been converted back to it’s original state. In order to complete the task in time and within budget it was more cost effective for us to have new panels produced.
The Martin Robey group of Companies is the largest and most comprehensive source of spares and services for classic to modern Jaguar motor cars. They own a lot of the original castings and templates used by Jaguar.
Due to the Martin Robey brand being internationally recognised the lead time on particular items can be a number of weeks and months so do ensure you manage your build effectively to limit your down time.
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.
