Odd Jobs
December 1, 2023
Classic car technician Steve has been completing various tasks on our Ford Transit MKII Tipper. The hand brake pivot bolt and rear brake load valve
Restoration
More Zinc Plating
November 29, 2023
Steve has continued his zinc plating lately. He has been focussing on the front and rear suspension nuts, bolts, and washers. As well as the
Polyester Priming
November 24, 2023
Our 1976 Triumph Spitfire has been in the Bridge Classic Cars paint shop with technician Alan. Alan has been applying polyester primer to the doors,
Preparing For Zinc Plating
November 24, 2023
Classic car technician Steve has been getting various parts of our Ford Transit MKII Tipper ready for zinc plating. These parts included components from the
Getting Ready To Start
November 24, 2023
We currently have 3 Aston Martin DB2/4s in the Bridge Classic Cars workshop. Out of all of them, our 1955 Aston Martin DB2/4 Mark I
Jensen Front Suspension
November 24, 2023
Classic car technician Paul has been working on the front suspension of our 1956 Jensen 541. After removing the worn bearings, new parts were fitted.
Riley 9 Restoration Progress
November 22, 2023
The restoration of our one-of-a-kind 1905 Rilep 9HP has been something of a labour of love and dedication. With very little reference material to work
Ford Transit Mk2 In Paint
November 9, 2023
The bumper of our Ford Transit Tipper MKII is all painted and now finished in a satin clear. The rear suspension springs have also been
Mercedes Front Hubs
October 25, 2023
Jonn has been working on our 1987 Mercedes 500SL. He assembled the wheel bearings and hubs and fit them to the car. New discs were
Work Continues
October 19, 2023
Work on the interior of our 1953 Aston Martin DB2/4 has continued as Brian and Lydia have made new boards for the kick panels, as
Body And Running Boards
October 19, 2023
Our 1905 Riley 9HP has been with a friend of Bridge Classic Cars, Darin, from Ashbocking Joinery. While our one-off car is with Darin, he
Next Steps
October 18, 2023
Classic car technician James has been working on our 1972 Ford Transit Tipper. Since leaving the Bridge Classic Cars paintshop, it is now in the
More Paint Prep
October 13, 2023
Our Ford Transit Tipper MKII has continued its stay in the Bridge Classic Cars paintshop. It has been with technician Chris who has been applying
Carburettor Removal
October 9, 2023
Classic car technician Steve had to remove the carburettors from our 1955 Aston Martin DB2/4 recently as he noticed that one of the sliders was
A Bit More Time In The Paintshop
October 6, 2023
Our MKII Ford Transit Tipper has spent a bit more time in the Bridge Classic Cars paintshop. It has been with classic car technician Chris
Spitfire Progress
October 2, 2023
Our 1976 Triumph Spitfire has made some great progress in its restoration journey lately. The American spec chassis extensions have been removed and the lower
Getting Ready For Its New Owner
September 25, 2023
Our very special 1968 Jaguar E-Type Series 1.5 project is coming to the end of its time in the Bridge Classic Cars workshop. Classic car
Coming To The End
September 25, 2023
Brian and Lydia have been hard at work and making good progress on our 1974 Volkswagen Beetle as it moves towards the end of its
Nearly There
September 25, 2023
Classic car technician Rob has continued his work putting our 1959 Jensen 541R back together. The steering wheel has been stripped and a new rim
Stripping Spitfire Parts
September 25, 2023
Classic car technician Rob has been stripping parts from our 1976 Triumph Spitfire 1500. This is in preparation for them to be sandblasted before being
Painting A Classic Transit
September 25, 2023
Our 1972 Ford Transit Tipper MKI has been in the Bridge Classic Cars paintshop with classic car technician Mauro. After being primed, the vehicle was
Mark 2 Transit In The Paintshop
September 25, 2023
Our Ford Transit MkII Tipper has spent some time in the Bridge Classic Cars paintshop with classic car technician Chris. Chris has been prepping and
Stripping Down A Spitfire
September 7, 2023
Classic car technician Rob has been continuing his work on our 1976 Triumph Spitfire. He has been stripping down the chassis ready for it to
An Austin Pickup Arrives
September 7, 2023
There have been several new arrivals in the Bridge Classic Cars workshop over the last few days. The latest addition is our 1951 Austin Pickup.
Engine Out
September 4, 2023
After classic car technician Tom catalogued the components of our Cobra Project, he got to work removing the engine from this classic car. Now that
Bodywork Begins
September 1, 2023
Now that our Ford Transit MKII Tipper has come to the end of its time in the fabrication bay, it has been moved over to
The Restoration Begins
September 1, 2023
The restoration of our 1976 Triumph Spitfire 1500 has begun. This is another exciting project for us as it is for a returning customer who
Coming Soon
August 31, 2023
Soon to be arriving at the Bridge Classic Cars workshop is our 1965 Mercedes 300SE Fintail for a full restoration. As you can see from
Cataloguing Components
August 30, 2023
Classic car technician Tom has been going through the long process of cataloguing the components of our AC Cobra project. His main focus has been
Painting Our Transit Bed Frame
August 30, 2023
The bed frame of our Ford Transit MKII Tipper has been in the Bridge Classic Cars paintshop with Mauro, as he has been giving it
Odd Jobs
December 1, 2023
Classic car technician Steve has been completing various tasks on our Ford Transit MKII Tipper.
The hand brake pivot bolt and rear brake load valve adjuster were both seized and had to be cut off and removed using oxygen and acetylene torch. A new hand brake pivot bolt was fabricated using a high tensile bolt.
While Steve was doing this, Mauro was painting various components of our classic Transit in the paint shop.
More Zinc Plating
November 29, 2023
Steve has continued his zinc plating lately.
He has been focussing on the front and rear suspension nuts, bolts, and washers.
As well as the zinc plating, Steve has also fitted the front springs as well as the front and rear axles.
Polyester Priming
November 24, 2023
Our 1976 Triumph Spitfire has been in the Bridge Classic Cars paint shop with technician Alan.
Alan has been applying polyester primer to the doors, boot lid, and bonnet. The first stage of this was to reapply epoxy primer to give them corrosion protection. Then all of the parts were sprayed with polyester primer.
Preparing For Zinc Plating
November 24, 2023
Classic car technician Steve has been getting various parts of our Ford Transit MKII Tipper ready for zinc plating.
These parts included components from the suspension and the brake wheel hub nuts. To prepare them for zinc plating, Steve made sure each part was clean and ready to go.
Getting Ready To Start
November 24, 2023
We currently have 3 Aston Martin DB2/4s in the Bridge Classic Cars workshop. Out of all of them, our 1955 Aston Martin DB2/4 Mark I is the furthest along its restoration journey.
In fact, it is coming to the end of its time in the workshop, and preparations have already begun to complete road tests and alike ready for it to go home to its owner very soon.
Before we can fire it up though, classic car technician Paul fitted a new starter motor as well as making and fitting a new main cable.
The video of our Aston Martin DB2/4 firing up for the first time is coming soon…
Jensen Front Suspension
November 24, 2023
Classic car technician Paul has been working on the front suspension of our 1956 Jensen 541.
After removing the worn bearings, new parts were fitted. The components that make up the suspension were then checked and cleaned ready to be assembled.
Paul then put the front suspension and brakes back together.
Riley 9 Restoration Progress
November 22, 2023
The restoration of our one-of-a-kind 1905 Rilep 9HP has been something of a labour of love and dedication. With very little reference material to work from, bringing this piece of automotive history back to life has been challenging, to say the least. However, the project has made even more progress recently, as its wooden body has been trial-fitted to the 118-year-old chassis.
Our 1905 Rilep 9HP is a great example of the craftsmanship and innovation of early automobile engineering. Its uniqueness lies not only in its design but also in its rarity as a prototype for the first car to ever have fully removable wheels. The workshop team has worked extremely hard to find any kind of record of how this one-off car should be put back together to honour its legacy throughout the restoration process.
After the wooden body recently returned to the workshop, following its time with Ashbocking Joinery, classic car technician Steve temporarily put the body back onto the chassis in a trial fit to make sure everything goes together as he would like it to. As well as the body going back on the chassis, the impressive radiator has also taken its place on the front end of this incredible classic car.
The Restoration Of Our Riley 9 Isn’t Done Yet
While our Riley 9HP may look much more car-like than it has since it first arrived at the Bridge Classic Cars workshop, it will still need to be stripped down again once Steve is happy that the trial-fitting has been a success. Once stripped, it will then be painted before going back together for the final time. The next big milestone to reach though is getting the car to start. Although we have seen that it can start (we fired up the engine for a very short period of time last year), it has never been run without assistance and in its current configuration.
If all goes to plan, our 1905 Riley 9 restoration will be complete and the finished car will drive out of the workshop in the early part of 2024. Until then though, we are very excited to see it continue to make great progress in its restoration.
Ford Transit Mk2 In Paint
November 9, 2023
The bumper of our Ford Transit Tipper MKII is all painted and now finished in a satin clear. The rear suspension springs have also been in the paintshop and have had black dtm applied.
Chris has also fixed and painted the grill.
Mercedes Front Hubs
October 25, 2023
Jonn has been working on our 1987 Mercedes 500SL. He assembled the wheel bearings and hubs and fit them to the car.
New discs were also fitted before the wheels were refitted. Jonn checked and adjusted the bearings. The bearing nut needed to be tightened, which Jonn did as well as fitting a dust cap.
Work Continues
October 19, 2023
Work on the interior of our 1953 Aston Martin DB2/4 has continued as Brian and Lydia have made new boards for the kick panels, as well as removing the seat frames and the old covers from the dash top panels and dashboard trays.
Our DB2/4 is a very special car so it is great to see things progressing very well on it already.
Body And Running Boards
October 19, 2023
Our 1905 Riley 9HP has been with a friend of Bridge Classic Cars, Darin, from Ashbocking Joinery.
While our one-off car is with Darin, he has been starting the first phase in the process of mounting the front body and running boards.
Before the running boards are fitted to the car, Darin has been shaping them and it already looks like great progress is being made.
Next Steps
October 18, 2023
Classic car technician James has been working on our 1972 Ford Transit Tipper. Since leaving the Bridge Classic Cars paintshop, it is now in the main workshop where the next phase of its restoration will take place.
James repaired the wiring to the rear chassis earth, replaced the unsafe and incorrect fuel hoses under the bonnet, and replaced the split vacuum pipework from the carb to the distributor.
He also tightened the fixings for the bottom front panel and replaced one missing bolt. Our classic Ford Transit Tipper was then checked for oil leaks, and James noticed that the output shaft seal at the rear of the gearbox/propshaft was misaligned and leaking.
The overflow pipe to the top of the radiator was also repaired and re-secured.
More Paint Prep
October 13, 2023
Our Ford Transit Tipper MKII has continued its stay in the Bridge Classic Cars paintshop. It has been with technician Chris who has been applying polyfan to the doors.
After he had finished working on the doors, the cab of our classic Transit Tipper also had polyfan applied.
Our MKII Tipper will stay in the paintshop for a little while longer before it moves on to the next stage of its restoration.
Carburettor Removal
October 9, 2023
Classic car technician Steve had to remove the carburettors from our 1955 Aston Martin DB2/4 recently as he noticed that one of the sliders was sticky and the paint was starting to flake.
The removed carbs will now be rebuilt to make sure they are in the condition we expect them to be when the finished car drives out of the Bridge Classic Cars workshop.
A Bit More Time In The Paintshop
October 6, 2023
Our MKII Ford Transit Tipper has spent a bit more time in the Bridge Classic Cars paintshop. It has been with classic car technician Chris who has been priming the classic transit ready for it to be painted in the very near future.
This vehicle has already undergone quite a transformation so we are looking forward to seeing it continue to make good progress through its restoration.
While our Transit Tipper was in the paintshop, technician Tom picked up the freshly rebuilt gearbox and rear axle from AST Transmission and bought them back to the workshop.
Spitfire Progress
October 2, 2023
Our 1976 Triumph Spitfire has made some great progress in its restoration journey lately. The American spec chassis extensions have been removed and the lower chassis rails have been repaired. The rear of the chassis has been converted to European spec and various chassis brackets are in the process of being straightened. New chassis outriggers have also been welded into place.
Classic car technician Rob has mounted the body of our classic Spitfire back onto the chassis. The right-hand side floor, inner sill, and floor cross-member have been cut out. From there, the right-hand floor pan, inner sill and cross member were welded into the shell.
Rob repeated this on the left-hand side before cutting off the battery box and rear valance.
Getting Ready For Its New Owner
September 25, 2023
Our very special 1968 Jaguar E-Type Series 1.5 project is coming to the end of its time in the Bridge Classic Cars workshop.
Classic car technician Brian has been working on the interior of this beautiful classic, that will soon be on its way to its new owner who was lucky enough to win our E-Type through Bridge Classic Cars Competitions.
Brian made the dash side tray supports and fitted them to the side of the radio panel. The radio panel was then put back in the car.
The metal front edge of the dash trays was trial-fitted before the covered trims were fitted to the dash trays and bolted together. The under-dash tray was then installed making the interior of this very special competition car look beautiful and almost ready to go to its new home.
Coming To The End
September 25, 2023
Brian and Lydia have been hard at work and making good progress on our 1974 Volkswagen Beetle as it moves towards the end of its time in the Bridge Classic Cars workshop.
Once the headliner was installed, foam was glued to the rear bar before the wires for the heated rear window were fitted. The roof material was then put on and tension wire was fitted.
The hole for the rear window was cut out and rubber seals were put in all of the windows. New seatbelts have been ordered as the ones that were in the car did not match. Once the rear carpet was fitted, all of the seats were put back into the car. Now that this project is gradually coming to a conclusion, it’s great to see it looking as good as it does.
Nearly There
September 25, 2023
Classic car technician Rob has continued his work putting our 1959 Jensen 541R back together.
The steering wheel has been stripped and a new rim has been fitted to the refurbished hub. The rear screen is also back in the car and there has been great progress made in the engine bay.
Rob also fitted the clutch slave cylinder and he made up and fitted the pipework before bleeding the clutch.
Stripping Spitfire Parts
September 25, 2023
Classic car technician Rob has been stripping parts from our 1976 Triumph Spitfire 1500. This is in preparation for them to be sandblasted before being painted or sand-coated.
Once the chassis and parts return from the sandblasters, the next phase of the restoration process can begin.
Painting A Classic Transit
September 25, 2023
Our 1972 Ford Transit Tipper MKI has been in the Bridge Classic Cars paintshop with classic car technician Mauro. After being primed, the vehicle was ready for Mauro to begin the painting process.
As you can see from the photos below, with a new coat of paint, this classic commercial vehicle is already looking good, so we are excited to see it continue to progress through its restoration.
Mark 2 Transit In The Paintshop
September 25, 2023
Our Ford Transit MkII Tipper has spent some time in the Bridge Classic Cars paintshop with classic car technician Chris.
Chris has been prepping and priming the vehicle ready for it to be painted in the near future. This classic work vehicle continues to make good progress through its restoration with us.
Before entering the paintshop, our Mark 2 Transit spent some time in the fabrication bay with other Chris who made some repairs to the metalwork.
Stripping Down A Spitfire
September 7, 2023
Classic car technician Rob has been continuing his work on our 1976 Triumph Spitfire. He has been stripping down the chassis ready for it to be sandblasted.
The underseal was scraped off the underbody to ensure the best results possible are achieved during sandblasting. The doors of our Spitfire were also stripped down and the US spec side impact bars were removed and the doors were returned to European spec.
Finally, the rear wings were removed before the car left the workshop heading to the sandblasters.
An Austin Pickup Arrives
September 7, 2023
There have been several new arrivals in the Bridge Classic Cars workshop over the last few days. The latest addition is our 1951 Austin Pickup.
It’s obvious that it needs to go through a restoration and the workshop team will be having a closer look at the vehicle to determine the level of work required to bring it back to its former glory.
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