Our 1967 Jaguar E-Type back axle cradle which houses the refurbished “Limited Slip Diff”, new discs, calipers and stub axles. As you can see, the unit has been totally stripped, blasted and repainted to compliment the refurbished and new parts fitted.
The sun is shining over Bridge Classic Cars HQ and here we have our 1960 Jensen 541S bodyshell back in the workshop ready for it to be temporarily fitted to the chassis to ensure that all dimensions are accurate in looking perfect!
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]We’ve managed to successfully tackle the main tasks of our 1960 Jensen 541S prototype chassis rebuild. As you can see, we have had to replace one side of the chassis with new but we have managed to save certain areas of the other side which is great news. The rear tube has also been replaced, […]
With the hood removed from the car we are planning to repair the areas that require attention. When this work is carried out we’ll clean up the entire frame to remove all grit, dirt and grime that has built up over the years before finishing in a beige.
Work is now underway on our 1984 Mercedes 300TD. We first looked at the car back in October 2016 in a view to carrying out a sympathetic restoration. To freshen up the paintwork, improve the overall appearance and protect the exposed areas for many more miles and years to come. As we reported back in […]
Here we have Carl and Ryan working on the final few areas of the body of our 1967 Jaguar E-Type 2+2. The next stage will be getting it ready for primer before the full black respray. Strange that as soon as the camera comes out, Carl and Ryan seem to disappear, it’s like they have […]
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]In the Bridge Classic Cars workshop this afternoon we welcomed a stunning 1974 De Tomaso Pantera for an insurance valuation assessment. Quite often insurance companies require advise from an independent valuer, this can be a Car Club Official, Restorer, Valuer or Specialist Dealer. With the classic car market changing so rapidly it is important for […]
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Previously owned by Bridge Classic Cars back in 2012, we are very pleased to reveal that our stunning 1924 Riley 10.8HP 11/40 Sports Tourer will be returning later in the month. A brief history of the Riley 10.8HP 11/40 Sports Tourer ‘Blue Belle’: from H&H Classics website Riley’s sporting 11/40 model was introduced at the […]
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]All of the chrome and bright work has been completely removed from the car and gathered together ready for assessment. A lot of the items can be replaced with new, however some components are better to have re chromed, to keep the originality. Others are very difficult or very expensive to source new. [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_gallery type=”image_grid” […]
We’ve had an amazing weekend at Olympia Historic Automobile Fair and Auction. With our 1956 Jensen 541 taking pride of place beside the auction area, our 1972 Jaguar E-Type V12 attracting the largest crowd, our 1972 Fiat 500L seemed to get the most photographic attention and our 1959 Austin Healey Sprite getting the best feedback from auctioneer Guy, the weekend […]
This week, the task of removing the paint from our 1971 Jaguar E-Type roadster didn’t come without its dramas. With the car in position, the compressor all set up and ALL of the correct PPE in place ? Lauren got to work on he job of painstakingly removing every inch of the excess paint from […]
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Apologies to anyone on Norwich Road in Ipswich this morning as we unexpectedly slowed down the traffic whilst loading our fantastic classics ready for the trip to Olympia, Kensington for this weekend’s Olympia Historic Automobile Fair and Auction. It was lovely to see so many people come out of their homes to take a look […]
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]We’ve just had confirmation from SNG Barratt that our missing headlight diaphragm is now in stock and will be shipped to us very shortly. Once this has arrived the bonnet preparation will be complete and ready for paint preparation. This is a very unique project as we are pushing the boundaries of design. A lot of […]
I couldn’t resist posting a few pictures of our ‘almost’ complete Maserati Merak door cards. I’m sure there’s not many cars on the road today with red leather stitched in green but then again, there’s not many cars on the road today with both a Maserati and a Merak badge.
As we wait for the final touches to be made to the body preparation, Tommy has turned his attentions to rebuilding the front and rear suspension components. The original Dunlop calipers were removed and handed over to specialists at Past Parts in Bury St Edmunds who have cleaned them down, tested and rebuilt them.
Work is now underway removing the seams on our 1967 Jaguar E-Type Racing Series bonnet. Breaking the mould of a traditional Jaguar E-Type we are building a racing specification model. All of the chrome that you would normally find on the exterior will be removed. Here’s one we prepared earlier, our 1966 Jaguar E-Type in […]
A task that would be made a whole lot harder if the interior was already installed. Here we are applying rivets to the outer shell of the fuel tank compartments. This is a view from behind the seats prior to the fuel tank insulation and tanks themselves being fitted later this week. A view from […]
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]She’s out of hiding and today, we welcome into the Bridge Classic Cars workshops our 1956 Jensen 541. A quick once over to make sure she’s tip top ready for the trip to Kensington for this weekend’s Olympia Historic Automobile Fair and Auction. Wherever she goes she draws quite the crowd and today is no […]
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]The body work reshaping is now been completed on our 1971 Jaguar E-Type V12 roadster. The body will now be prepared for the new black finish to be applied. It was a huge task correcting the body of this roadster because of the alterations that had been made previously but Tommy has done an incredible […]
Received an email this afternoon from Alan Zafer of Zafer Associates Portfolio Creations, London. Having seen our ad on eBay Alan kindly sent us a link from Internet Movie Cars Database with the image of The Beatles departing Heathrow Airport for New York City in February 1964 in one of the four Austin Gipsy’s owned by Heathrow airport.
We have had a visit today from Peter with a collection of Land Rover Series 1 body panels in need of repair. The panels are manufactured using Birmabright, one of the toughest materials to work with. We accept the challenge…
Marriage of the rebuilt limited slip diff to the rear axle cradle, ready for the installation of the new discs and calipers.
We posted earlier this week images of the bumpers finished in copper. They have now been polished ready for the chrome plating process.
The final few sections of the bright-work have now gone off to be chromed at Wyatt Polishing in Thetford The front grille has been completely stripped back to individual sections. This is best way to achieve the ultimate results. If someone tells you they can re-chrome something like this as one piece be very cautious. […]
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]The first glimpse of our 1965 Jaguar E-Type fresh out of the paint shop. Bob was busy working on it as I took the photos so I didn’t want to distract him too much. The first panel to paint was under the number plate section at the back. We still have the front valance to […]
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Arriving in with us today, our 1966 Austin Gipsy. Spent many years right here in Ipswich with original receipts from Firman’s Garage on Norman Crescent dating back to 1982. This 4×4 utility vehicle was originally manufactured in 1962. It is one of four that were originally built for Heathrow Airport to transport VIP’s to and […]
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]The front underpin is now fitted, as is the front light diaphragms. Just a few more welding issues to tackle and Laura will be done with our bonnet. The styling for our racing series will be seamless. The chrome bonnet trims will be removed and the bonnet will have a completely smooth finish.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_gallery type=”image_grid” images=”9936,9937,9938,9939,9940,9941,9942,9943,9944,9945,9946,9947,9948,9949,9950″][/vc_column][/vc_row]
The first site of our newly formed 5″ Jensen 541S chassis, moments before it was fitted to the beautiful 1960 Jensen 541S prototype that we are currently restoring. Asa has been busy fabricating the piece to replace the rotten component that unfortunately we had little option but to remove. I am hoping tomorrow that I […]
Our 1971 Jaguar E-Type V12 roadster finally got given some fresh air today as we let her outside for a bit. Here we are outside the Bridge Classic Cars headquarters on Deben Road in Ipswich. It was a little nippy out but the sun was shining. The Jaguar E-Type, one of the most admired classics. […]
We get asked this a lot, is it best to buy new or re-chrome original parts? Let’s look at the facts: Buying New Who is the supplier of the new products? Are they a reputable company and do they specialise in your particular vehicle? I guess the last part isn’t crucial but it is something we […]