2 Competition Cars
December 14, 2023
Two of our competition cars have been under the care of classic car technician Jonn recently. First up is our 1984 Ferrari 308 GTSi, which
Projects
Suspension And Plating
December 14, 2023
Classic car technician Rob has been refitting the front suspension to our 1976 Triumph Spitfire. Rob has also cleaned, sandblasted, and replated all of the
MGB Roadster Engine Work
December 14, 2023
Classic car technician Jonn has carried out a diagnosis for number 7 valve clearance that keeps increasing on our 1970 MGB Roadster. He removed the
The Strip Down Makes Big Progress
December 14, 2023
The mechanical strip out of our 1953 Aston Martin DB2/4 has started at the rear of the car. The tailgate, lights, spare wheel carrier and
Distributor And Carburettor
December 13, 2023
Steve has been working on our Ford Transit MKII recently. After the distributor, carburettor, alternator mount thermostat housing, and inlet manifold were vapour blasted, Steve
Rebuilding Continues
December 13, 2023
Classic car technician Paul has been continuing the process of rebuilding our 1956 Jensen 541. He has fitted several more components as well as fabricated
A Change Of Plan
December 13, 2023
Work is well underway on our 1975 Cobra project. However, the plans have changed slightly as the owner of the car changed their mind about
A Very Happy Reunion
December 13, 2023
Today was a big day as the owner of our 1974 Volkswagen Beetle, affectionately known as Delilah, was reunited with her car after its time
A Classic Christmas Advert
December 11, 2023
A few weeks ago, I threw the idea out to the team here at Bridge Classic Cars that we should make our very own Christmas
Double Aston Martin Day For Brian
December 8, 2023
…and they say men can’t multitask! Brian’s day has been spent on 1953 Aston Martin’s today. He started off sorting out all interior parts, labelling
Jensen Boot Floor Plate
December 8, 2023
Rob is back into the swing of things now as he makes and fits an access plate to cover the fuel tank sender unit. He
Battery Box Framework
December 8, 2023
The battery box metal frame is almost complete and will eventually have an ash wood box for battery to sit in.
Triumph Spitfire mask and paint
December 8, 2023
Alan is busy masking up the body of our Triumph Spitfire ready for the new Java green colour. Wet on wet primer to cover over
Amphicar Trim Fitted
December 8, 2023
The side mouldings have now been fitted, this involved James making the tapered ends and ensuring they were a snug fit and secured in place
Aston Martin DB2/4 Drophead Coupe Stripdown
December 8, 2023
Brian has begun work on stripping down our 1955 Aston Martin Drophead Couple. He has removed the rear boot panels, the rear seat base and
MGC GT repair work…
December 8, 2023
Christian is assessing the corroded areas and getting the car prepared for the repairs.
Cobra Primed
December 8, 2023
The Cobra body, chassis and engine bay are now all primed.
Spitfire Seam Seal and DTM
December 8, 2023
Alan has applied a DTM gloss black to some of the suspension parts. DTM or Direct To Metal paints are created to provide your metal
Fabricating various small components for our Jensen 541
December 8, 2023
Rob returns to work this week, having taken a extended break to recover from some recent surgery. He gets straight back on to our Jensen
Lotus Europa Check Over
December 8, 2023
On, what we thought would be, our final drive of the Lotus Europa prior to it leaving us for its new home, John heard a
Steering rack bracket
December 7, 2023
Monty has made up a new steering rack bracket to replace the existing one on our 1956 Jensen 541.
Final Look – Photo Shoot with our 1974 Volkswagen Beetle 1303
December 7, 2023
As our 1974 Volkswagen Beetle nears the end of its restoration, with only a few small bits to do, we though we would take it
MG C GT – exposing the rust areas
December 7, 2023
Chris is currently stripping back our MG C GT to expose all of the rust and corrosion areas that will need addressing. As we find
Cobra strip down and preparation
December 7, 2023
Mauro is continuing to strip down the Cobra project in preparation for the primer stage. Whilst Terry is stripping down the front suspension and front
This Just In – 1974 Mini 850 Van
December 7, 2023
This morning, along with a few other new deliveries, we welcomed this gorgeous 1974 Mini 850 Van! As we mentioned with our 1982 Bedford HA,
Ring Ring – 1982 Beford HA Panel Van arrives
December 7, 2023
Here at Bridge Classic Cars, we love a panel van. A solid, dependable and utilitarian workhorse for generations, the humble van at some point has
Riley 9HP work continues
December 7, 2023
Steve is still working through the few final pieces on the 1905 Riley 9HP restoration. A new final drive chain has been fitted, new fabric
A Special Delivery and a Unique Collection
December 7, 2023
This morning we took delivery of a collection of new cars destined to be won by lucky winners for our competitions as well as our
New Arrival – 1972 Morgan Plus 4
December 7, 2023
Today, we welcomed a few newcomers to our Suffolk HQ including this beautiful 1972 Morgan Plus 4. Shortly, it will be assessed and worked on
Tom Higgins – winner of our Austin 7 Ulster
December 7, 2023
Just in time for Christmas, here we have Tom Higgins, proud winner of our 1932 Austin 7 ‘Ulster’ accepting his car.
2 Competition Cars
December 14, 2023
Two of our competition cars have been under the care of classic car technician Jonn recently.
First up is our 1984 Ferrari 308 GTSi, which is currently live on the Bridge Classic Cars Competitions website. Jonn has now fitted the new front and rear number plates in preparation for our classic Ferrari to be won in the new year.
Jonn has also been completing the pre-delivery inspection of our 2015 Jaguar F-Type which will soon be delivered to the lucky winner and new owner, after winning this beautiful car on Tuesday.
Suspension And Plating
December 14, 2023
Classic car technician Rob has been refitting the front suspension to our 1976 Triumph Spitfire.
Rob has also cleaned, sandblasted, and replated all of the parts for the steering and suspension that were initially plated. These are now ready for reassembly.
MGB Roadster Engine Work
December 14, 2023
Classic car technician Jonn has carried out a diagnosis for number 7 valve clearance that keeps increasing on our 1970 MGB Roadster. He removed the inlet manifold to gain better access to the engine side covers. He then removed the rear side cover.
Jonn slackened the tappets for number 7 and removed the push rod. He was unable to remove the cam follower from the block. He suspected that the follower was worn and “mushroomed”, making it impossible to remove from the top. As a result, Jonn decided to remove the engine to ease the removal of the follower from the underside of the engine. Fluids were drained and the engine was removed and mounted on an engine stand.
The sump was removed and Jonn found small fragments of metal inside. He continued to strip the engine so he was able to remove the camshaft and access the worn follower. He removed the distributor, removed the oil pump and the cam locking plate. The camshaft and number 7 follower were removed and, as Jonn suspected, the cam follower was badly worn and the number 7 cam lobe was also badly worn. New cam and followers are required.
Jonn cleaned parts ready for refitting. Due to the metal fragments in the sump, he thought it prudent to strip the oil pump and clean it. He then inspected the inside for scoring etc. The oil pump looked fine.
The engine was packed with build grease and rebuilt. The block and mating surfaces were cleaned and the cam bearings were inspected. Number 1 cam bearing was showing slight scoring. Jonn will check the tolerance when the new camshaft arrives. In the meantime, Jonn has blown out the oilways and covered the engine until the required parts arrive.
Jonn finished cleaning engine parts in preparation. He also cleaned the engine bay and inner wings/cross member. The gearbox bell housing was cleared out and Jonn visually inspected the thrust bearing, which looked ok.
The Strip Down Makes Big Progress
December 14, 2023
The mechanical strip out of our 1953 Aston Martin DB2/4 has started at the rear of the car. The tailgate, lights, spare wheel carrier and fuel tank have all been removed. Classic car technician James actually found some of the original black paint on the car too!
The dashboard and clocks have also been stripped out ready for refurbishment. James made sure that the wiring was labelled for reference and pictures were taken to aid in reassembly later on.
Brian and Lydia have also been working on the interior of our rare Aston. They removed the old covers from the front seats before going on to remove the foam and runners as well. The seats from this vehicle were in fairly bad condition and did not want to come apart easily. Lydia ended up grinding away a lot of the screw heads to be able to remove the seat back from the base. She then cleaned up the interior dash cubby boxes and the door pockets too.
Brian removed the metal runners from the base of the seats, and the base foams. He then removed the carpet from the back of the squab seat, removed the old cover & foams, removed all side wood sections, removed frames, and cut out new side wood sections & new backboards.
Perhaps the most obvious change to our DB2/4 is that the body has now been removed. This is a big step in the strip down and the whole team is excited to see this beautiful car continue to make progress.
Distributor And Carburettor
December 13, 2023
Steve has been working on our Ford Transit MKII recently.
After the distributor, carburettor, alternator mount thermostat housing, and inlet manifold were vapour blasted, Steve zinc plated the parts required ready for assembly.
The carburettor and distributor have been reconditioned and reassembled ready to be fitted back to the engine.
Rebuilding Continues
December 13, 2023
Classic car technician Paul has been continuing the process of rebuilding our 1956 Jensen 541.
He has fitted several more components as well as fabricated steering box mounts and the pedal box.
A Change Of Plan
December 13, 2023
Work is well underway on our 1975 Cobra project. However, the plans have changed slightly as the owner of the car changed their mind about what colour they want their car finished in.
While, originally, our Cobra was going to be painted blue, its final colour will now be Candy Apple Red. Chris, from the Bridge Classic Cars paintshop, will now make a spray-out card and work will continue on the restoration of this incredible classic.
Mauro has also been looking at our Cobra as he has been removing the gearbox.
A Very Happy Reunion
December 13, 2023
Today was a big day as the owner of our 1974 Volkswagen Beetle, affectionately known as Delilah, was reunited with her car after its time here at Bridge Classic Cars came to an end.
Delilah looked incredible in her very special, roped-off area of The Atelier. Her paint shone under the lights and the full scope of the work completed by the workshop team was clear to see. The restoration of this classic Beetle took several months but, as you can see from the photos below, it was well worth the wait to see it in its finished state and ready to go home.
Since entering the Bridge Classic Cars workshop, our 1974 Beetle has been stripped, had areas of rust repaired, it has been repainted, rebuilt, a new interior fitted, and lots of other tasks that have brought the car back to its former glory.
Gordon spent some time going through all the changes made and was very proud to show off the work of our team.
In a few days, we will deliver the car back to its owner and, although we will be sad to see it go, we are all very excited to see Delilah back home and ready for many more years on the road!
A Classic Christmas Advert
December 11, 2023
A few weeks ago, I threw the idea out to the team here at Bridge Classic Cars that we should make our very own Christmas advert. With the likes of John Lewis, Aldi, Coca-Cola, and numerous other big names putting out some incredible festive ads over the last few years, I thought we had the capability to do the same.
As great as the popular Christmas Adverts are, we felt that there was one thing missing from pretty much all of them – a classic car. After a bit of time brainstorming, our 1968 Morris 1000 Pickup caught our eye and, alongside Molly, was chosen to be the star of our festive film.
The Story Of Our Christmas Advert
In our Christmas advert, Molly goes on an adventure into a wintery forest to find the perfect Christmas tree for The Atelier at Bridge Classic Cars.
As Molly walks through the forest, she explores her surroundings, searching for that one special tree that would stand amongst our classic cars throughout December. Once she finds one that fits her criteria, she calls upon the help of our classic Morris Pickup.
After loading the tree into the back of our Morris 1000 Pickup, Molly drives away from the forest on her way back to the workshop, where we were all patiently waiting for her arrival so we could officially start our Christmas celebrations.
Classic Cars At Christmas
Beyond the stunning visuals of our Christmas advert lies the love and passion we all have for classic vehicles. We believe that Christmas is about family and spending time with those that you love. We thought we would show you how, to us at least, a car isn’t just a machine to get you from A to B; it can be a big part of your family and they can have their very own personality.
With the release of our festive film, Christmas has begun at Bridge Classic Cars. There are only a couple of weeks left before the big day, so the entire team would like to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and we look forward to seeing even more of you in 2024.
Double Aston Martin Day For Brian
December 8, 2023
…and they say men can’t multitask! Brian’s day has been spent on 1953 Aston Martin’s today. He started off sorting out all interior parts, labelling up, bagging up all of the small parts of the Aston martin DB2/4 Drophead Coupe.
Swiftly followed by work on our other 1953 Aston Martin DB2/4. He’s a little further forward with the interior of this one as he fits new clips to the door panels, cutting out foam, gluing the foam to boards, trimming the foam to size, cutting and gluing the leather to the door panels, gluing and trimming onto the back of the boards as well as turning the leather around the pocket holes.
Jensen Boot Floor Plate
December 8, 2023
Rob is back into the swing of things now as he makes and fits an access plate to cover the fuel tank sender unit.
He has fitted up the interior door handles to both doors, repainted motif on gear knob and fitted to car.
The fuel tank breather pipe has been fitted to the tank and run out of boot floor.
He’s made up and fitted an alloy bracket to hold a new charging socket. Wire up and fit inside glove box.
Battery Box Framework
December 8, 2023
The battery box metal frame is almost complete and will eventually have an ash wood box for battery to sit in.
Triumph Spitfire mask and paint
December 8, 2023
Alan is busy masking up the body of our Triumph Spitfire ready for the new Java green colour.
Wet on wet primer to cover over the seam sealer. He has painted inside the boot, cabin area and bulkhead.
Amphicar Trim Fitted
December 8, 2023
The side mouldings have now been fitted, this involved James making the tapered ends and ensuring they were a snug fit and secured in place to the back of the trims before being fitted to the car. Then the centre seats were cut to length and fitted after all the fixings were checked and sealed.
Aston Martin DB2/4 Drophead Coupe Stripdown
December 8, 2023
Brian has begun work on stripping down our 1955 Aston Martin Drophead Couple. He has removed the rear boot panels, the rear seat base and door panels. The cappings and door pockets have been taken out and the sill carpets. The carpets under the dash, the dash top panels and window surround panels are all now out.
The project will be a big part of our diary for 2024 but heading up to Christmas we have a few weeks to really get started on the strip down.
MGC GT repair work…
December 8, 2023
Christian is assessing the corroded areas and getting the car prepared for the repairs.
Spitfire Seam Seal and DTM
December 8, 2023
Alan has applied a DTM gloss black to some of the suspension parts. DTM or Direct To Metal paints are created to provide your metal substrate with protection from corrosion, yet provide a good cosmetic finish at the same time.
The internal joints have also been seam sealed and are now ready for colour.
Fabricating various small components for our Jensen 541
December 8, 2023
Rob returns to work this week, having taken a extended break to recover from some recent surgery.
He gets straight back on to our Jensen 541R as we finish off this fantastic restoration. He has fabricated a bracket for mounting a battery cut off switch in the boot. Fitted a bracket and switch to car. Made new earth leads to run from the battery to the switch and the switch to the chassis. Make up a wire to connect the horn button to the steering column. Fit steering wheel and horn push and test. Fit an extra throttle return spring and make and fit a bracket to attach the spring to the engine.
Lotus Europa Check Over
December 8, 2023
On, what we thought would be, our final drive of the Lotus Europa prior to it leaving us for its new home, John heard a slight knocking noise coming from the front so he now needs to do some further investigations to diagnose and repair what is creating this noise.
Steering rack bracket
December 7, 2023
Monty has made up a new steering rack bracket to replace the existing one on our 1956 Jensen 541.
Final Look – Photo Shoot with our 1974 Volkswagen Beetle 1303
December 7, 2023
As our 1974 Volkswagen Beetle nears the end of its restoration, with only a few small bits to do, we though we would take it into the Atelier and set up a photo shoot for the car before it leaves our Suffolk HQ to head back home to its excited owner.
‘Delilah’, as the car is affectionately known, came to us at the beginning of 2023 to begin its restoration journey. This wonderful piece of automotive sentiment has received the love and car from each and every department here at our Suffolk HQ like any of our restorations to make sure that we deliver a car which will last well into prosperity for its owner to enjoy and Delilah is one of those. The team have also tried to preserve her unique and personal history with the retention of the window stickers and other original pieces which make ‘Delilah’ a one-off to her owner.
From the sympathetic and careful metalwork done by Chris and Monty in the fabrication shop, to the fastidious and meticulous preparation and execution of Chris, Alan and Mauro in the paint department. Brian and Lydia turning their expert skills and attention to detail on the bespoke cream leather interior and handmade roof in the trim workshop all the way down to James getting the engine set up to run just how it should, Little Jon working on getting each system working correctly in the cabin and Big John installing the wonderfully subtle RetroSounds stereo unit into the original dash. Each department has proudly worked on Delilah to bring her back to life and back to being able to be enjoyed by her owner for many many years to come.
Now, it was up to me to try and capture in photos what the team here at Bridge Classic Cars have worked so hard on over the past 11 months – I hope I managed to show just how beautiful this Beetle turned out from the talented and skilled work our amazing team have put into this classic Volkswagen.
Take a look at the full gallery here:
MG C GT – exposing the rust areas
December 7, 2023
Chris is currently stripping back our MG C GT to expose all of the rust and corrosion areas that will need addressing. As we find more often than not, the areas we initially see upon first inspection is not able to reveal the true extent of work required. It is only when you start to strip a car do you see a true picture of corrosion that has developed and what work will be required to put it right before we even look to repaint.
Cobra strip down and preparation
December 7, 2023
Mauro is continuing to strip down the Cobra project in preparation for the primer stage.
Whilst Terry is stripping down the front suspension and front brakes. He’s blasting off the dirt ready for paint.
This Just In – 1974 Mini 850 Van
December 7, 2023
This morning, along with a few other new deliveries, we welcomed this gorgeous 1974 Mini 850 Van!
As we mentioned with our 1982 Bedford HA, we love a panel van here at Bridge Classic Cars and this is one of the nicest ones we’ve seen. Like the others, soon this pint sized workhorse will be headed into our workshop were our skilled technicians can inspect and assess the car to make sure it is ready for its lucky new owner.
Ring Ring – 1982 Beford HA Panel Van arrives
December 7, 2023
Here at Bridge Classic Cars, we love a panel van. A solid, dependable and utilitarian workhorse for generations, the humble van at some point has played a role in everyone’s life.
This one though, is a 1982 Bedford HA Panel Van. And its previous owner has had commissioned to look like one of the original early 1980s British Telecom work vans.
The team will be bringing this into our workshop very soon to assess and inspect the entire car so keep an eye out on the Bridge Classic Cars news page for more updates very soon.
Riley 9HP work continues
December 7, 2023
Steve is still working through the few final pieces on the 1905 Riley 9HP restoration. A new final drive chain has been fitted, new fabric body prop, new fabric exhaust has been temporarily fitted to help with routing of coolant pipes.
A Special Delivery and a Unique Collection
December 7, 2023
This morning we took delivery of a collection of new cars destined to be won by lucky winners for our competitions as well as our 1938 Vauxhall Wingham Cabriolet being brought back to us safe and sound.
The new cars included a Morgan Plus 4, a Mini 850 Van and a very yellow 1982 Bedford HA Panel Van safely tucked away in the trailer of our friends at EM Rogers.
One by one, these classics were unloaded and taken round to our usual photography spot for us to capture them before they begin their journeys. But, we do like to grab photos of the action!
Along with delivering our classics back to us, EM Rogers were also here to collect a very special car destined for its new owner.
The team have been readying the Riley Stelvio ahead of its journey and today was the day where it would leave our Suffolk HQ bound for a new life since arriving from South Africa earlier in the year.
New Arrival – 1972 Morgan Plus 4
December 7, 2023
Today, we welcomed a few newcomers to our Suffolk HQ including this beautiful 1972 Morgan Plus 4.
Shortly, it will be assessed and worked on by the team to make sure everything is up to scratch and looking the best it possibly can.
Tom Higgins – winner of our Austin 7 Ulster
December 7, 2023
Just in time for Christmas, here we have Tom Higgins, proud winner of our 1932 Austin 7 ‘Ulster’ accepting his car.
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