Just Arrived – 1972 Rover P6 3500S

December 14, 2022

We recently welcomed another new arrival to the Bridge Classic Cars workshop in the form of our 1972 Rover P6 3500S.

This is the manual and most sought-after version of this classic car and it was truly advanced for its time.

With suspension and bodywork superior to anything else on the market at the time of its release, our P6 3500S really is an impressive vehicle.

Not only is it a luxurious car but it is also fast too so this is certainly one vehicle that is proving very popular in the workshop.

Our 1972 Rover P6 3500S takes its place as part of our collection of competition cars that will be won through Bridge Classic Cars Competitions very soon.

Before entry opens, it will go through a full inspection and assessment with our team of classic car technicians. Once they are satisfied, it won’t be long before a new owner is found at one of our live draws early next year.

Saying Goodbye To Our 1969 Morris Minor 1000 Convertible

December 14, 2022

The time has come when we have to say goodbye to our 1969 Morris Minor 1000 Convertible.

We have loved seeing this beautiful classic car progress through its restoration journey and we are extremely happy that it is now back with its owner being fully enjoyed as it should.

Our 1969 Morris Minor 1000 Convertible looks very different to how it did when it first arrived at the workshop and we are proud of what our team of classic car technicians achieved with this impressive restoration.

Everyone here at Bridge Classic Cars hopes the owner enjoys their restored classic and that they enjoy seeing it every day as much as we did.

Welcome Back To A Special Jensen

December 14, 2022

Everyone here at Bridge Classic Cars has spent a lot of time around Jensens. Considering how rare 541’s are, we have had several in the workshop over the last few years.

One very special Jensen is our 1960 Jensen 541S which has recently returned to us.

After having an award-winning summer, the owner of this stunning car has bought it to us for storage over winter. However, before it goes into hibernation, our team of classic car technicians will be looking to re-align one of the door windows as well as doing some work on the lights too.

We love this very special car and, after a summer of awards being won, it’s earned a rest with us.

Our E-Type Returns

December 14, 2022

As much as we love seeing restored classic cars leave our workshop to be enjoyed by their owners, we can’t deny that we love seeing them again too.

Our 1972 Jaguar E-Type Series 3 has come back to us to investigate a fault with the clutch.

Classic car technician Scott has already started work on this beautiful classic car and found the fault to be with the master cylinder. He has removed the clutch master and slave ready to install new ones that have been ordered.

While he was investigating the clutch issue on our E-Type, Scott also removed and flushed out the clutch reservoir before refitting it.

It probably won’t be too long before our 1972 Jaguar E-Type Series 3 leaves us again but we will certainly make the most of seeing it every day until the time comes to say goodbye once more.

Sold On MyClassics.co.uk – 1970 Land Rover Series IIA

December 12, 2022

Our 1970 Land Rover Series IIA recently sold on MyClassics.co.uk

Despite needing some restoration work, it still runs and, with a bit of care and attention, it will be a very impressive vehicle again in the future.

We will be sad to say goodbye to our Land Rover but we are pleased that a new owner has been found and we hope that the future is very bright for this great classic vehicle.

Coming Back To Life

December 12, 2022

Considering our 1905 Riley 9HP likely hasn’t been started since the 1940s, classic car technician Dave has been working extremely hard to get it back up and running.

At more than 100 years old, you’d be forgiven for thinking that the days of our ultra-rare Riley HP running are long gone, but we are incredibly excited to say that this is not the case!

With some help from workshop manager John, Dave was able to bring our Riley back to life and managed to start it up recently.

Starting a car like this isn’t as easy as turning a key in the ignition, a lot of effort is needed to turn the crank to get things fired up and running as they should.

Long before Dave knelt down next to the car and started his effort to ignite it back into life, he spent countless hours getting it into such a condition where starting it up was even considered a feasible option.

It may have only been running for a few seconds but, at more than 100 years old, after being sat in place since the 1940s, and with only 3 of these stunning cars thought to be left in existence – those few seconds of running were more than enough to get everyone here very excited about what the future holds for our 1905 Riley 9HP.

1975 Jensen Interceptor MK3 Progress

December 12, 2022

Classic car technicians Monty and Christian have continued their work on our 1975 Jensen Interceptor MK3.

They have been busy fabricating a range of different panels and parts for this beautiful classic car. Areas of focus have been the inner quarter panels, the inner wing, the rear heat shields, and the rear rail.

As you can see from the photos below, more and more of the car is coming together.

As work continues on our Interceptor, everyone here at Bridge Classic Cars is looking forward to it moving on to the next stage of its restoration journey very soon.

A New Fuel Tank

December 12, 2022

Our 1971 Jensen FF MKII recently had a new fuel tank installed. Workshop manager John has been modifying the breather pipes on the new fuel tank.

While he was working on this, he found that the reason why the tank sender was not working was that the metal strip had corroded away.

Our 1971 Jensen FF MKII is a beautiful car that certainly holds the attention of everyone here at Bridge Classic Cars. Work will continue on our FF until the workshop team is completely satisfied that it is ready to be returned to its owner and get back out on the road.

Ford Cortina Thermostat Housing

December 12, 2022

Our 1970 Ford Cortina MK2 1600 GT had its thermostat housing removed by classic car technician Paul recently.

Once Paul had removed the housing he was able to drill out a broken stud before reassembling everything with new parts where they were required.

Our MK2 Cortina will go on to be a competition car at Bridge Classic Cars Competitions. Following the success of our previous Cortina, we are expecting this incredible example to be a very popular car.

Leaking Gaskets

December 12, 2022

To gain access to the leaking rocker cover gaskets, classic car technician Scott had to remove various parts of our 1988 Jaguar XJS Convertible.

Once he had access to them, he was able to remove the old gaskets and replace them with new ones.

After fitting new rocker cover gaskets, Scott began work on putting everything back together again. As he had removed the inlet manifolds, injectors, pipework, wires, and more, he had to reassemble everything before he could double-check his work.

Once Scott started the engine of our classic Jaguar, he looked for any leaks or other issues and was satisfied that the initial leaks had been resolved.

Our 1988 Jaguar XJS Convertible hasn’t been with us for very long but it has already been the focus of our classic car technicians. We are looking forward to seeing it back with its owner and out on the road very soon.

Sandblasting, Repairs, And Painting

December 12, 2022

Our team of classic car technicians continue to work on our 1959 Jensen 541R.

Lydia has been stripping the old foam, leather, and vinyl off various interior pieces and prepping some of the metal work for repainting by sandblasting and sanding to remove rust, old paint, and glue.

While Lydia was working on the interior of our 541R, Al was continuing his work on the fibreglass bonnet. After his previous repairs on the underside of the bonnet, he cleaned the underside ready for the rest of his work to be completed. Once he had done this, he continued with his repairs. Al found some previous repair work that had been completed at some point in the car’s past. These repairs did not meet Al’s high standards so, despite making his repair work more challenging, he repaired the bonnet in full, including re-doing the previous bad repairs.

Mauro has also been working on our 1959 Jensen 541R. He has been refurbishing multiple components of this rare classic car. Alongside his refurbishing work, Mauro also painted the chassis too.

As work continues on our 541R, we look forward to seeing progress continue to be made as it moves through its restoration journey here at Bridge Classic Cars.

Preparing Our 1973 Triumph TR6

December 12, 2022

Our 1973 Triumph TR6 will soon be available to win through Bridge Classic Cars Competitions. Before it goes live though, a few points were highlighted in its initial assessment that need to be addressed.

Classic car technician Chris wasted no time in resolving the small areas of paintwork that needed attention.

After spending a bit of time in the Bridge Classic Cars Paintshop, our beautiful TR6 looks great and is one step closer to being ready to be won by whoever its lucky new owner will be.

New Manifolds For Our 1972 Jaguar E-Type

December 12, 2022

Our 1972 Jaguar E-Type V12 Series 3 has had new manifolds installed by classic car technician Jon.

There was lots of stripping and refitting to be done throughout the process but, the end result made all of the effort very much worthwhile.

While Jon was working to strip components to access the offside exhaust manifolds, there was a particular bolt that proved to be quite challenging. The problem was that the bolt was seized and, each time Jon tried to remove the bolt, it felt like it was going to snap. Fortunately, with lots of patience (and even more lubrication), Jon was able to successfully remove the bolt and continue his work on gaining access to the offside manifolds.

Once the manifolds were removed, Jon cleaned everything up in preparation for the new ones to be installed.

The new manifolds were put in place and secured before Jon reattached the engine to its engine mounts.

When the new exhausts were fitted and secured, the original front pipe was found to be too long. Classic car technician Monty stepped in to help at this point and shortened the pipe while Jon continued his cleaning and reassembling.

While Jon was putting our E-Type back together, he noticed that a small coolant pipe was completely blocked. He unblocked this and replaced the hose from the header tank to this pipe.

As they were disturbed during the process of installing the new manifolds, all of the fuel hoses going to the carburettors leaked. These were stripped and replaced, as was the braided fuel pipe as this had gone hard and leaked too.

Once everything was back together, Jon found no obvious leaks. He replaced the vac hoses before starting the car. It ran as expected and Jon was satisfied.

The coolant vac filled and held pressure as it should.

Jon wasn’t done with his work on our E-Type just yet though as he went on to fit a battery isolator. To do this, he removed the top pad of the dash to meet the criteria of the car owner who wanted this part to be hidden. The glovebox and trim were removed so Jon could make and install a bracket to hold the isolator behind the glovebox.

A safe route needed to be found to route the cables through the bulkhead. Once Jon had decided on the best route, he drilled the holes accordingly. The isolator was then wired up and secured before the glovebox and trims were refitted.

Jon has spent quite a bit of time with our 1972 Jaguar E-Type V12 Series 3 lately and lots of progress has been made. It won’t be too much longer before we have to say goodbye to this beautiful classic car as it returns to its owner to enjoy being back out on the road again.

Glovebox Radio Installed

December 12, 2022

Classic car technician Brian recently installed the glovebox radio in our 1979 Arrow Ferrari Daytona. He started by making the cardboard patterns for the inner section of the glovebox that would hold the radio.

He then cut out the base from mill board and the centre sections from plywood. To make sure everything was exactly the right size, Brian trial-fitted the front panel and radio before moving on to the next step in the process.

After a successful trial-fitting, Brian went on to fit the side panels of the glovebox as well as making and fitting the rear bracket. Once this was complete, he could cut and glue the Alcantara (a synthetic suede-like material that is referred to as a “material of the future”) to the front edge of the glovebox.

The radio was then put into the box and everything was ready to be installed in the car.

Once the glovebox and radio were in the car, Brian turned his attention to the glovebox lid. He first fit a piano hinge to the lid and screwed it in place before fitting this to the dashboard in the car.

The finished product of the glovebox and radio look very impressive and we are very pleased with the result.

Our 1979 Arrow Ferrari Daytona is getting closer and closer to being complete and we are extremely excited to see this beautiful car drive out of the workshop and back to its owner in the very near future.

Winners Of Our Bonus Draw

December 9, 2022

As our 1991 Maserati Bi-Turbo Spyder E sold out so quickly and was drawn a week earlier than scheduled, we thought we would host a bonus draw last night (8th December).

We all had a lot of fun at the impromptu draw and we gave away some very cool prizes.

The bonus draw was a bit different to our regular live draws. Everyone who had purchased a ticket for either our 1985 Ferrari Mondial or our 2005 Aston Martin DB9 were automatically entered into the bonus draw.

Everyone eligible to enter was given a unique ticket number and the winners were selected, as usual, by the Google random number generator.

The prizes on offer were:

Double your odds – however many tickets you have purchased for our current live competitions will be doubled.
A Bridge Classic Cars T-Shirt
£250 site credit which can be spent on any current or future competition

As it’s Christmas soon, we were extra generous and offered people watching the draw live on our Facebook page the opportunity to win a free 12-month VIP membership too. All they had to do was comment during the draw and tag a friend in order for them both to become Bridge Classic Cars VIPs.

The Winners

The double your odds winner was Roy Franklin with ticket number 10327

The winner of a Bridge Classic Cars t-shirt was Jonathon Shute with ticket number 13838

£250 site credit was won by Charles Murray with ticket number 14107

Our VIP memberships were won by Jof Harrison and his friend Charles Gumley who Jof tagged in his comment.

Congratulations to all of our lucky winners! If you didn’t win anything in our bonus draw last night, entry for our 1985 Ferrari Mondial and our 2005 Aston Martin DB9 is still open so make sure you get your tickets and you could win one of these stunning cars in time for Christmas.

Welcoming Our 1959 Austin Healey 3000

December 8, 2022

Our 1959 Austin Healey has only been here at the Bridge Classic Cars workshop for a few days but it has already been the focus of classic car technician Steve.

As the car is with us for recommissioning in preparation for its owner to drive it back home to Hampshire in the coming weeks, Steve has been thoroughly assessing its condition. Prior to arriving with us, it was being stored locally to us, so we are fortunate enough to have it in the workshop for a short while before it heads back out on the road again.

Steve noticed that the front anti-roll bar bushes were worn and needed to be replaced. He also spent some time greasing the various grease nipples to ensure these were exactly as they should be.

The front brakes were cleaned and checked before Steve reassembled them. When it came to the rear of the car, the rear wheel cylinders had seized and were corroded. Surface rust on the drums was also found so these needed to be cleaned too.

Classic car technician Mauro refurbished the rear brake drums in our paint shop and the difference this made to their overall look was quite dramatic.

After looking at the brakes, Steve continued his checks and found that the fuel cap seal was cracked. He also noticed that the fuel pipe was loose and rubbing on the chassis so he fitted a new bracket to resolve this issue.

Another issue identified was that the correct amount of fuel was not showing on the gauge. Steve removed the fuel sender unit and freed off the float which made the fuel gauge accurate.

Our 1959 Austin Healey 3000 will likely only be with us for a short time but it is a beautiful car that we will certainly enjoy having in the workshop while it is here.

A Special Project Is Firing Up Again

December 8, 2022

Our 1940 Morris Gun Tractor has been at the Bridge Classic Cars workshop for a little while now. As this is such a special (and interesting) vehicle to work on, it’s always exciting to see progress being made on this historic machine.

The engine of this mammoth vehicle has begun the process of being stripped ready to be rebuilt.

During the stripping of the engine, heavy scoring was found on the pistons. This was due to the piston ring seizing in the bore.

As you can see from the photos below, the score marks are clearly visible on the piston as is some damage to the spigot bush. This type of issue can cause clutch misalignment as well as transmission damage if not rectified so it’s important that this is resolved.

2023 is fast approaching and we are very excited to see how our 1940 Morris Gun Tractor progresses through its restoration journey in the last few weeks of this year and into next.

For Sale – 1998 Mercedes E240

December 7, 2022

Our 1998 Mercedes E240 is for sale!

This is a beautiful car that has only covered 34,000 miles from new. Very little work was needed but we have painted the off-side rear door as the lacquer was slightly faded.

We originally purchased our E240 from a good friend of Bridge Classic Cars to be part of our own personal collection. However, it is such an impressive car that we feel it needs to be enjoyed by a new owner who will get more use out of it.

It has been extremely well cared for with no rust and the interior looks to be in the condition it would have been in when it first left the factory.

Our 1998 Mercedes E240 is available on eBay.

Ready To Win – Entry Is Now Open!

December 7, 2022

Our 1985 Ferrari Mondial is now ready for its brand-new owner.

It has been thoroughly checked and has been given the go-ahead from our workshop team that it can be put live on Bridge Classic Cars Competitions.

Entry is now open so you can get your tickets to be in with a chance of winning your very own Ferrari at Bridge Classic Cars Festive Live Draw.

The draw has already been guaranteed for Thursday 22nd December so someone will win our 1985 Ferrari Mondial before Christmas.

Good luck!

Our 2005 Chrysler Crossfire Delivered

December 5, 2022

The lucky winner of our 2005 Chrysler Crossfire recently took delivery of his new car.

Stephen Paul was randomly selected as the lucky winner of this Dr Who related car with ticket number 525 in our live draw held on Thursday, 24th November 2022.

Everyone at Bridge Classic Cars would like to congratulate Stephen again on winning this special car.

As this was a special competition with our best-ever odds, we had a great time during the live draw and, as you can see from the pictures below, the whole team was excited to be a part of it.

Our 1957 Jensen 541R Returns (Briefly)

December 5, 2022

We recently welcomed our 1957 Jensen 541R back into the Bridge Classic Cars workshop.

It was only a short visit but our team of classic car technicians was still able to resolve a couple of issues the owner was experiencing.

Classic car technician Dave turned his attention to resolving a rattle coming from the driver’s door of this rare classic car as well as investigating and resolving an oil leak.

Dave resolved both issues and, as quickly as it arrived, our 1957 Jensen 541R was leaving us once more. As you can see from the photos below though, its owner, Jeorg, was very happy with the quick turnaround.

Having any Jensen in the workshop is something we thoroughly enjoy, but having one as beautiful as this one is extra special and we hope to keep updated with its adventures in the future.

Another New Arrival – 1973 Triumph TR6

December 5, 2022

We have recently welcomed yet another classic car to the Bridge Classic Cars workshop in the form of our 1973 Triumph TR6.

As with all cars that come to us, our team of classic car technicians will give it a thorough inspection and assessment before making a plan of action for its future.

This will ultimately be a competition car through Bridge Classic Cars Competitions but, before that, we will certainly enjoy having it with us until a new owner is found in the very near future.

Just Arrived 1975 MG B GT V8

December 5, 2022

Everyone knows that we love a classic MG here at Bridge Classic Cars. With that in mind, it should come as no surprise that one of the latest additions to our workshop is our 1975 MG B GT V8.

This will eventually be a competition car that will be won through Bridge Classic Cars Competitions. However, before that happens, our team of experienced and skilled classic car technicians will put it through a thorough inspection and assessment.

We love an MG and this looks to be a great example of why we do.

Throttle Cable Adjusted

December 5, 2022

Our 1985 Ferrari Mondial is going to be a big part of our Bridge Classic Cars Festive Live Draw. With one lucky person going to win this beautiful classic car in time for Christmas, our workshop team are working hard to make sure everything is working as it should be.

Classic car technician Steve has been giving our Ferrari Mondial a thorough inspection and assessment. While he was doing so, he adjusted the throttle cable as he wasn’t satisfied with its current performance.

With our 1985 Ferrari Mondial going live on the Bridge Classic Cars Competitions website very soon, you can be sure that it will be ready to go for its new owner to win on Thursday 22nd December at our Festive Live Draw.

A New Ignition Coil

December 5, 2022

Classic car technician Dave has been continuing his work on our extremely rare 1905 Riley 9HP.

After recently trial-fitting the wooden bodywork, Dave has, once again, turned his attention to getting our Riley 9HP up and running.

Dave has installed a new (and much improved) ignition coil set up into this very special classic car. With this latest addition, our 1905 Riley 9HP continues to move closer to being started up and ready to drive once more.

The Restoration Continues – 1959 Jensen 541R

December 5, 2022

Our workshop team have been hard at work with the restoration of our 1959 Jensen 541R.

Lydia has been stripping various interior parts ready for them to be re-covered and fully restored to their former glory. Brian has also been working on the interior of our Jensen 541R. He repaired the rear quarter panel top wood section. He did this by first marking out the side window surround panels and rear window top panel. He then cut out the new panels and the new rear quarter panel wood.

These wood sections were screwed together to form the rear quarter top panels. Brian then cut out the rear quarter side panels from mill board before bending the panel to shape. He then glued and stapled the side panels to the top panels.

The kick panels were then marked and cut out as were the glovebox end panels. Brian then went on to cut out the footwell panel and rear boot trim panel.

While Lydia and Brian were working on the interior of this rare classic car, Al was repairing and rebuilding the underneath of the bonnet.

Classic car technician Paul prepared the front upright bearing spindle for crack testing too.

Chirs has also been working on our Jensen 541R. He has been completing fibreglass work, filler work and panel gapping. Chris also removed the panels from the chassis so that it can be sent away for sandblasting.

Some components of our 1959 Jensen 541R have been refurbished and will soon be ready to be re-installed in the car as it continues to make good progress through its restoration journey.

Progress Continues On Our 1971 Jensen FF MKII

December 5, 2022

Our 1971 Jensen FF MKII has had the attention of classic car technician Jon recently.

The first job Jon completed was to remove the old distributor and replace it with a new one. He also re-routed the speedo cable and fitted a new fuel filter too.

Jon went on to strip, clean, and inspect the brakes of this very impressive-looking classic car.

The cooling system of our Jensen FF was drained by Jon too. So he could gain access to the water pump and thermostat, he had to remove some of the components surrounding them. This gave Jon the opportunity to thoroughly inspect each component and replace any that were no longer in full working order.

All hoses were removed and all mating surfaces were cleaned.

Jon continued his work on our 1971 Jensen FF MKII by making a new gasket for the thermo housing. The cooling system was flushed and blown out too.

The grill was removed so Jon could access and remove the a/c fan.

The coolant pipe was found to be badly corroded so this needed to be cut and modified to resolve this issue. Once the new pipe was cut and painted, the whole system was refitted to the car.

Jon’s work on the cooling system of our 1971 Jensen FF MKII carried on with a new fan switch being fitted, rewiring the fans, and filling the system vacuum with the old coolant that was saved earlier in the process.

Work on the car wasn’t done yet though as Jon went on to remove the fuel tank. He did this to investigate the leak that the owner of the car says happens when the tank is full. Jon’s investigation began by pressure testing the fuel tank. A hole was found in the tank seam once the rust was removed.

Classic car technician Jon cleaned and prepared the new parts that will be needed to fit the new fuel tank. The tank straps were sanded and painted and a new filler neck hose was shaped ready to be fitted.

A new electric fuel pump was installed in our 1971 FF MKII. For this to happen, Jon prepped the area by removing the rear seat so he could secure the new mounts through the floor. The mechanical fuel pump was removed and a blanking plate and gasket were made, painted, and fitted.

Jon’s attention then turned to the wiring that leads to the new fuel pump. The fuel pipes were replaced and joined at the front while armouring was used in places to make sure the wiring was properly protected.

Jon has put a lot of time, effort, and skill into our 1971 Jensen FF MKII lately. Lots of progress has been made and work will continue until this beautiful classic car is ready to drive out of the workshop and get back on the road with its owner.

More Work On Our 1975 MGB GT V8

December 5, 2022

Classic car technician Steve has continued his work on our 1975 MGB GT V8. As this will soon be a competition car on Bridge Classic Cars Competitions, the workshop team are making sure it is working as it should and is ready to be won by its new owner in the near future.

Steve noticed a dent in the sump which he removed and repaired before reinstalling back onto this beautiful classic MG. As well as fixing the dent in the sump, Steve also fitted a new timing cover and water pump rear housing. This was to replace the corroded and leaking housing that Steve found on the car during his initial inspection and assessment.

The engine of this classic car has been put back together now too which has given the car a big leap forwards toward being ready to leave us and get back out on the road.

Steve wasn’t done yet though as he went on to fit a new exhaust mount and clamp as well as new rear shackle bushes too.

Work continues on our 1975 MGB GT V8 and it won’t be long before it goes live on the Bridge Classic Cars Competitions website ready for someone to win. This will no doubt be a very popular competition but, until then, our workshop team will continue getting it ready for its new owner.

Checking Over Our 1988 Jaguar XJS Convertible

December 5, 2022

It may have only been in the Bridge Classic Cars workshop for a short while but classic car technician Scott has already been busy getting his assessment and inspection of our 1988 Jaguar XJS Convertible underway.

Scott noticed an oil leak during his checks so he spent some time looking for the source of the leak. He also gave the car a thorough looking at to look for any areas of corrosion. Any areas found have been reported and will be resolved while the XJS Convertible is in the workshop.

The diff and gearbox oil were also checked. Scott replaced the diff oil before replacing the broken grease nipple on the drive shaft.

Scott then went on to remove and clean the coolant level sensor before continuing his checks on the rest of the car.

Our 1988 Jaguar XJS Convertible will continue undergoing its checks and assessment as well as having any issues found resolved by our team of classic car technicians. Classic Jaguars like this are always enjoyable to have in the workshop so we will certainly make the most of having this one with us.

1988 Jaguar XJS Convertible in for a service

November 30, 2022

Arriving earlier this week, our beautiful 1988 Jaguar XJS Convertible is in with us for a general check over underneath but more importantly it’s service is due.

The car has been undersealed so the owner is interested to see the integrity of the sealant and whether any additional work is required.

The car will also undergo a full service with an overhaul of the brake fluid too.

Projects

The Winners