Projects

Inside Job – Repairing the Inner Arch of the 1969 Morris Minor Convertible

The Bridge Classic Cars fabrication shop has been working on the crucial repairs to the drivers side rear inner arch of the 1969 Morris Minor Convertible.

The inner arch is a cap for the frame rails on the classic Morris which had begun to heavily corrode in some key areas including the cross brace which holds the two rails together.

Along with that, several key mounts which form part of the inner arch were damaged/corroded and require replacements or repairs.

Behind the Scenes – Shooting our 1972 Lotus Elan +2

The saying attached to Lotus and it’s core DNA, Simplify, and then add lightness. That is what the Lotus Elan personifies.

The low slung, lightweight sports car looked incredible in the summer sun. Its bright red paintwork contrasted against the rich green of the pine trees that lined the south loop of our filming location. This is our 1972 Lotus Elan +2 and it’s the latest competition car from Bridge Classic Cars.

The legendary Lotus Twin Cam 4-cylinder provided the soundtrack for our days’ filming. The raspy billow found its way to every surface and bounced back for the world to enjoy. The nimble sports car is known for its characteristic handling and this example is no different. The small racing steering wheel feels directly connected to the front wheels which helps to perfectly place the slant nosed 70s sports car exactly where it is intended.

You can’t help but smile wildly while experiencing the Elan. It gives so much feedback to its driver that you truly become one with the machine, the intended purpose of all Lotus cars. The driver is at the centre of the world.

And now, Bridge Classic Cars wants you to experience this incredible machine and the theatre that surrounds it. It’s the latest competition car and it could be yours very soon.

Head over to the Bridge Classic Cars Competitions website and enter now for your chance to live and breathe this dream classic.

Or, check out the video of our 1972 Lotus Elan +2 below.

Like New – Rebuilding the Magneto for the 1905 Riley 9HP

The team at Bridge Classic Cars have been working on the restoration of the 1905 Riley 9HP at our Suffolk HQ.

The magneto is the next item to be worked on by our technicians. Although this particular component was not originally fitted to the car, it was installed by a previous owner to help with starting the classic pre-war touring car. For this piece, the team have installed new HT leads to the magneto which are made to the specific lengths needed for the car.

Then, the team could get it bench-tested to make sure it was producing a strong blue spark and then got it fitted into the chassis and its drive chain put into place.

Check out the video we have of our technician Dave testing the Bosch ZEV magneto on the bench!

Driving Forward – Driveshafts of the 1905 Riley 9HP in the Car

The team at Bridge Classic Cars have performed the first test fit of the new driveshafts in our 1905 Riley 9HP.

They have been fit into the antique, pre-world war 1 Riley to check for fitment and interference. Also, for the team to check the bearing clearances and ring-gear engagement.

There’s a fair bit going on at the moment with the vintage Riley at our Suffolk HQ so make sure to keep an eye on the Bridge Classic Cars news page for more.

Begin Again – Strip Down and Rebuilding the Seat Bases of the 1954 Bristol 405

The in-house trim team at Bridge Classic Cars have been working on stripping down the front seats of the 1954 Bristol 405, in our Suffolk restoration workshop, before rebuilding the bases.

The team always take care when removing the original covers so they can be preserved for reference or pattern making later down the line. The cores of the seats are then stripped back to their most basic features and sanded/cleaned down before the restorative work can begin.

With the bases completely stripped back, the first job was to remake the wooden inner backboards using the originals as a rough template to work from. Once these were cut and refined, the team could create the outer backboards before foaming work could begin.

Cut & Polish – Finishing Work on the Panels of the 1987 Daimler Double Six

The paint and body team at Bridge Classic Cars have been working on the final stages of the paint journey on the 1987 Daimler Double Six’s panels.

The team have gently cut back the paint and clear-coat on the panels with finer and finer abrasives in order to create a uniform finish for the pieces. Then, they can be machine polished and buffed to a mirror finish.

Working Together – Fitting the New Sills on the 1978 MG B GT

The workshop team have been getting the new inner and outer sills fitted to the 1978 MG B GT which is in for restoration with Bridge Classic Cars.

The sills are being replaced by the team due to areas of corrosion and damage to the shell which had found their way into the sills of the classic sports car. The inner and outers were carefully cut out of the car before the high quality replacements were offered up and the area trimmed to accept them before being welded in.

Headed Home – 1985 Porsche 911 & 2007 Jaguar XKR Off to Their New Homes

The 2007 Jaguar XKR and 1985 Porsche 911 have left the Bridge Classic Cars workshop at our Suffolk HQ bound for their new homes with their excited new owners.

The cars were collected and delivered straight to the doorsteps of the winners.

We want to wish both of them many happy miles and years with their dream classics.

Behind the Scenes – Live Draw of the 1980 Supercharged Mini Van

Last night, Bridge Classic Cars went to find out who the lucky new owner of our 1980 Supercharged Mini Van was.

At 7PM live on our Facebook page, we welcomed our followers watching along to our competition build which houses all of our competition cars and a couple of our personal cars and finished restoration projects. To begin with, we began our live stream from the inside of our new 1993 Land Rover Defender 90.

Then, Hayley and Freddie took everyone around the various cars which are held inside the building at our Suffolk HQ. Including the beautiful Saffron Yellow 1973 Triumph TR6 and the 1972 Lotus Elan +2. Of course, we couldn’t miss out on the car everyone was there for, the 1980 Supercharged Mini Van.

After the look around, it was time to find out who the new owner of this tiny terror was. The competition had sold out the day before so the entry list, as with all of our entry lists, is pre-published on our website for all to see. With 4999 tickets, we fired up the Random Number Generator.

With the parameters set, with one click of a button the fate of the Mini was sealed.

Its new owner was Peter with ticket 4529.

The team will give the Mini its pre-delivery inspection and one final check over before it is delivered straight to Peter.

Check out the live draw below:

Final Piece – New Dust Covers on the 1985 Porsche 911

Whilst our friends at Tyre Assist changed the tyres on the 1985 Porsche 911, the Bridge Classic Cars workshop team installed the new dust covers.

The team had previously replaced the corroded dust covers which sit behind the brake discs on the classic 911. The new replacements are a direct change over from the original set taken off the car and bolt straight back onto the hub.

With this now done the discs can be refitted onto the car, brakes reinstalled and adjusted before the wheels are torqued down and it is finally on its way to its new home.

All Change – New Tyres for the 1985 Porsche 911

The Porsche 911 is having new tyres fitted before it leaves us here at Bridge Classic Cars and makes its way to its new owner.

For all of our tyres, we use our friends over at Tyre Assist. They’re mobile tyre fitters and come to our workshop when any of our projects.

The old tyres were removed and replaced with brand new replacements before being reinflated and perfectly balanced by the onboard computer. With this done, there’s just one last job…

Deeper Dive – Inspecting the Front Seats of the 1954 Bristol 405

The interior team at Bridge Classic Cars have been inspecting the condition of the front seats from the 1954 Bristol 405 that is in for restoration.

Each seat is broken down to its base parts and each bolt and hinge is inspected along with the various materials found inside the covers to learn more about their shape and form. The team methodically go through the seats inch by inch making note which parts of them will need to be refurbished or replacements handmade by the team.

Taken Apart – Stripping Back the 1986 Daimler DS420

With the workshop team focusing their attention on the teardown of the 1986 Daimler DS420, the team have begun the process of stripping down the internals of the doors and the wiring in the classic Daimler.

The team began by removing the lights and trims of the car so as to disconnect the wiring to these particular pieces for the purpose of removing the wiring harness from the car. Once these pieces were clear, the team could turn their attention to removing the door jam mechanisms and bonnet/boot latches.

Stripped Back – Teardown of the 1954 Bristol 405 Interior Begins

The interior team at Bridge Classic Cars is starting the journey of stripping back the interior on the 1954 Bristol 405 as it begins its restoration across our various departments.

Brian, one of our trimmers, has been working on carefully picking apart the hundreds (if not thousands) of small brass tacks which hold the material to the frames of the classic Bristol seats. Inch by inch, the material is freed from its bindings and once it has been completely undone, it is folded and stored ready to be catalogued and stored for reference.

Once each piece is stripped back, the team can assess the condition of the foam and adhesives, also inspecting any of the delicate frameworks which make up the seats for the rare saloon car. Every single piece of the interior is being carefully looked at and noted to build up the best picture for the plan moving forward during the car’s restoration.

Inside Out – Raptorguard on the Inner Wings of the 1987 Daimler Double Six

The paint and body team at Bridge Classic Cars have sealed the inner wings of the 1987 Daimler Double Six which is in for restoration.

The team sealed the inner wings using a product called Raptorguard. This is a hard wearing urethane which will protect the inner arches and wing of the car from absorbing moisture from any dirt collected inside the panel. This is something we do on most of our restorations to protect the longevity of the pieces and ultimately the car itself.

The Once Over – PDI and Work on the 1985 Porsche 911

The 1985 Porsche 911 has been in the Bridge Classic Cars workshop to have the last small bits and pieces done on the car before it is delivered to its new owner.

The workshop team have gone through the process of removing the original dust covers from the back of the brakes on the classic 911. These had corroded and begun to split, and are not a safety-related item for the car so the team have worked on getting them removed from the car. Replacement dust covers have been ordered and will be fitted to the car before it leaves our workshop bound for its new home.

Headed Out – Our 1995 Dodge Viper R/T10 on Its Way to Silverstone Auctions

The Bridge Classic Cars 1995 Dodge Viper RT/10 has been collected from our secure storage facility, The Hangar, on its way to Silverstone Auctions at Supercar Fest this weekend.

Our 1995 Dodge Viper is due to go across the block as part of the auction event at the weekend long festival of iconic cars.

Check out what they have had to say about our stunning red and white Viper by clicking the link below:

Click here to check out the Silverstone Auctions write up of our 1995 Dodge Viper

Areas of Interest – Finding Corrosion on the 1986 Daimler DS420

During the inspection of the 1986 Daimler Double Six, the Bridge Classic Cars workshop team have found some corrosion areas that they would like to look more in-depth at.

The team noticed a few areas on the underside of the classic Daimler during the process of inspecting the trims, this pushed the team to begin getting to the root cause and seeing just how far the corrosion goes into the sills and several substructures.

With that, the team began to carefully take apart the sills and loose corrosion on the underside of the car to then start to formulate a plan for repairs.

For Reference – Carefully Removing the Trim from the 1986 Daimler DS420

The workshop team at Bridge Classic Cars have begun the process of removing the trim and brightwork from the 1986 Daimler DS420.

As part of the inspection and assessment of the classic Daimlers restoration, the team take hundreds of reference photos involving the trims for every classic car which comes into our workshops. This is important to log and catalogue the condition and fitment of each piece that has come off the car.

Also, it allows us to use these photos to check against parts diagrams and other reference materials to see if anything is missing or misaligned.

Bolted Down Tight – Seatbelts Installed on the 1959 Jensen 541R

The workshop team have fitted and secured the new seatbelts into the mounts for the beautiful 1959 Jensen 541R at our Suffolk HQ.

Dave, one of our technicians, has been busy preparing the classic Jensen to have the brand-new seatbelts fitted into the 1950s GT car. Before, the team worked on replacing the threaded amounts throughout the car to make sure that the fixings that secure them can be properly tightened and torqued down to spec.

With this completed, the team ran the various belts through the openings in the interior pieces of the car and check their latching to ensure everything operated smoothly and properly for the car’s owner.

Trimmed – Foaming the Seat Base of the 1955 Jensen 541

The trim team at Bridge Classic Cars have been working on completely revamping the seats for the 1955 Jensen 541. Beginning with the bases…

Lydia, one of our trimmers at Bridge, has carefully wrapped the stripped back and refurbished seat base for the 541 ahead of the team making the new leather covers.

Touch Up – Paint Repairs on the 2013 Porsche Boxster

The Bridge Classic Cars paint team have carried out the paint repairs to the 2013 Porsche Boxster in with us at our Suffolk HQ.

The small stone chips and minor marks have been filled with colour matched dark grey paint to make them less conspicuous when looking at the car. Although, still lightly visible they are less obvious than before and a more cost-effective solution than an entire sand-down and respray of the panels.

The team have also refinished the calliper bolts to a stunning glossy black at the customer’s request.

Boots On – Replacing the Steering Rack Boots on the 1959 Triumph TR3

The Bridge Classic Cars workshop have welcomed back this beautiful 1959 Triumph TR3 to our Suffolk HQ to carry out a series of small jobs on the classic sports car.

Firstly, the team have replaced the cracked and split steering rack boots from the car. Whilst the old boots were removed, the team took the opportunity to inspect and regrease all the necessary parts and to check the full operation of the rack in the car. Then, the new boots were put into place and the system rechecked for any binding or interference.

Lastly, the team gave the beautiful TR3 a full check over for the customer before we sent it on its way back home to its owner just in time for summer.

Closer Look – Fibreglass Repairs on the 1956 Jensen 541

The paint and body team at Bridge Classic Cars have given us a closer look at the fibreglass repairs on the 1956 Jensen 541 in for restoration.

In these photos, you can see the thinness of the material in areas which had developed some severe checking and in some areas, cracks had begun to appear. So, the team not only strengthened the outside face of the panel but also reset the inside of the piece with modern hard-lasting resins and glass sheets. Carefully, these were built up in specific areas before being left to cure and harden.

Metalwork – Further Body Repairs to the 1978 MG B GT

The restoration teams in the Bridge Classic Cars workshop have been carrying on with the metal repairs to the bodyshell of the 1978 MG B GT.

The team have methodically been cutting out any form of corrosion from the classic sports car for it to be replaced with high-quality panels that we have sourced for the project. Each piece of the car is carefully inspected and assessed to see just how far the corrosion has gone into the bodyshell which is then removed and replaced.

Perfect Fit – Retrimming the Rear Seat of the 1969 Morris Minor Convertible

The Bridge Classic Cars interior trim team have worked on refurbishing the rear seat of the 1969 Morris Minor Convertible.

The team stripped the original seat base all the way back to its metal springs in order to rebuild it from the ground up. The team have made brand new foam sections which were glued to the underlays and wrapped around the spring bases.

Then, it was ready to be refinished in glorious bright red.

Hard and Fast – Fitting the Bulkhead Cover to the 1970 Bristol 411

The interior trim team at Bridge Classic Cars have finished the brand-new bulkhead cover on the 1970 Bristol 411.

The team have handmade this piece to work alongside the work the restoration technicians have done as part of the car’s custom left-hand drive conversion. The edged bulkhead cover had to have its fasteners accurately placed onto the piece and then lined up with the pre-installed locks that hold the cover down.

Progress – Updates on the 1979 Arrow Ferrari Daytona

The workshop team at Bridge Classic Cars have been working on making progress on the beautiful 1979 Arrow Ferrari Daytona in our Suffolk HQ.

The team have completed the final installation of the fuel pump into the classic Daytona replica. This was a key part of the project as the team worked towards the first fire up and testing. Along with this, the team have worked on securing the centre console into the car and bolting it down with the new carpet sets.

The team also worked on fitting the new reverse lamp, which required accurate and precise cutting into the rear valance of the GT car. Alongside this, the windscreen and rear glass have been installed into the car.

Coming Soon – 1932 Lagonda

Arriving soon to the Bridge Classic Cars workshop at our Suffolk HQ is this stunning 1932 Lagonda.

Once it arrives with us, we can’t wait to show you more on this stunning pre-war tourer so make sure you keep a look out on the Bridge Classic Cars news page for more updates.

Good as New – 1905 Riley 9HP Radiator Refurbished

The original radiator for the 1905 Riley 9HP has been with our friends at Newquay Radiators to be completely refurbished and rebuilt for the project.

This is an important part of the restoration project being down by our in-house team at Bridge Classic Cars. It looks absolutely incredible and we love to see the craftsmanship that goes into jobs like this by the best specialists we know.