M3 Evo Air Con Fan
Technician Jonn has been working on our 1998 BMW M3 Evo. Here are his notes: Remove front bumper. Remove lower vents and ducting to gain
Technician Jonn has been working on our 1998 BMW M3 Evo. Here are his notes: Remove front bumper. Remove lower vents and ducting to gain
On Sunday 9th June we were delighted to open the doors of The Classic Lounge for the first time to welcome the local BMW club
Earlier this week, we delivered our 2007 BMW 335i to lucky winner, Stephen. After loading up the car into our covered trailer, Tony made the
As much as we love classic cars, sometimes, a more modern car comes into the workshop and we can’t help but admire it. The memories
Jonn has been continuing his repairs of our 2002 Alpina B10. He has fitted new screw bolts to the under shields and secured them on
As our 2002 Alpina B10 is new in the Bridge Classic Cars workshop, classic car technician Jonn has started work on its initial inspection and
Our 1989 BMW 325I has been undergoing a condition appraisal with Bridge Classic Cars workshop manager John. As you can see from the photos below,
A second new arrival has entered the Bridge Classic Cars workshop today in the form of another BMW 325i. This time though it is a
We have recently welcomed a new addition to the Bridge Classic Cars workshop in the form of our 2001 BMW 325i. While it is with
A 1999 BMW Z3 entered the Bridge Classic Cars workshop this morning. It may have only been here a few hours, but classic car technician
Classic car technician Jonn has been investigating some issues that our 1987 BMW 635 CSI has been having with its sunroof. His investigation began by
Our 1987 BMW 635 CSI has recently arrived in the Bridge Classic Cars workshop. While it is here with us, the workshop team will be
The rain had torn down throughout the night before. By the morning, the autumn air was fresh and moving as we pulled the 1984 BMW
As the 1990s saw Bond change yet again into the modern world, this time it would be portrayed by another iconic actor. Pierce Brosnan would
An icon of 1980s style and presence. The legendary BMW 635CSi. This particular example is a 1984 car. the E24 635CSi was (and still is)
Brian has finished creating the new headlining for the 1990 BMW 750 iL. After taking the original fabric off the board and cleaning the board
Brian has been getting on with renewing the headlining in the 1990 BMW 750iL. He started off by removing all the panels and parts that
Another new arrival into us is this 1990 BMW 750iL. It’s come in to have a new headlining made and fitted in our trim shop,
Our charming 1962 BMW Isetta has just launched and we’re already getting a lot of love for the micro sized car. Opening up the small
We’ve just welcomed this stunning 2000 BMW Z3 3.0 Widebody into our workshop. It needs very little attention which means we can photograph this very
German racing star Sabine Schmitz has passed away aged 51 after a long battle with cancer. Schmitz was best known for her trailblazing career in
Deimante has sent us these stunning portraits that her partner took when they came to visit our hanger last week. These stunning photos really do
We’ve been incredibly lucky to have Deimante aka @tomboy_a_bit down at our hanger at Bentwaters again to shoot with some of our cars! Deimante and
On a brisk winter’s morning, we headed out to Aurora in Ipswich to shoot our dazzling and understated Imola Red 1998 BMW Z3M. We had
Join us on the second instalment in our new series: Behind The Scenes. Although we give frequent behind the scenes updates on our workshop, we
Our 1998 BMW Z3 M Roadster has been sent to the Paint Shop to be stripped down for respray, primed, bumps, and scrapes fixed and
This quirky 2002 BMW belonging to our good friend the CarCrazedFool visited our Classic & Sports Car & Bike Show last year. It’s quite a
This exciting 1995 BMW 840 arrived at the workshop this week, ready to start an extensive restoration. The outer body certainly needs some attention. Our
This 2008 BMW 118 came for a consultation today to look at some extensive interior damage. A car of only 12 years old isn’t our
Here’s a sneak peak into a couple of classic cars we’ve been chatting about this week. First up, it’s this incredible 1990 BMW Alpina. A
Technician Jonn has been working on our 1998 BMW M3 Evo. Here are his notes:
Remove front bumper. Remove lower vents and ducting to gain access to air con fan. Remove fan. Clean out rads and coolers and hoover up mess.
Attempt to fit new fan but housing different and won’t align with fixings. Remove fan. Swap new fan into old housing and modify to fit. Fit to radiator and secure. Refit vents and ducting and refit bumper. Fixings for arch liners to bumper broken so secure offside as best as I can and move onto nearside.
Finish refitting nearside arch liner. Raise in the air and align and fit front lip. Refit mouldings. Test fan, a/c button illuminates but doesn’t work. Set radio code and reset clock.
On Sunday 9th June we were delighted to open the doors of The Classic Lounge for the first time to welcome the local BMW club for a takeover. They had a pre-launch preview of the brand new space! They were able to enjoy the facilities and refreshments set against the backdrop of a spectrum of cars.
About 13 BMW cars were in attendance and looked fabulous lined up in the sunshine. The group visited us en route to Snape Maltings and Dunwich. Lily gave them a tour of our workshops and current projects as well as an exclusive viewing of our brand new Atelier. This space is now an extension of our workshop and will be the re-assembly area for cars before hey are returned to their owners.
If you would like to bring your classic car club along like the BMW Club Takeover contact Lily at events@bridgeclassiccars.co.uk
Earlier this week, we delivered our 2007 BMW 335i to lucky winner, Stephen.
After loading up the car into our covered trailer, Tony made the trip to Stephens’s home and delivered the car straight onto his driveway!
Everyone here at Bridge Classic Cars would like to congratulate Stephen again and we hope he enjoys his new car.
As much as we love classic cars, sometimes, a more modern car comes into the workshop and we can’t help but admire it. The memories it brings, the stories it tells, the way it makes you feel!
Recently, Bridge Classic Cars Managing Director Craig added a 2007 BMW E93 335i to his collection and, so far, it seems to be proving quite popular with many members of the team.
Craig’s BMW 335i is certainly nice to look at but it is so much more than that.
It’s black exterior with the striking red interior makes a statement while also looking stylish and cool.
The 3.0-litre twin-turbocharged inline-six engine delivers 300bhp and 300 lb-ft of torque. As a daily driver, you get more than enough power to go along with the comfort this car offers. However, if needed, you can quickly turn the 335i into a performance car with very little drama.
The previous owner of Craig’s car purchased the car from a very well known (within the communities in Suffolk) car enthusiast with 45,000 miles on the clock. He has spent more than ยฃ3000 on preventive maintenance to bring it up to the condition it’s in today. He even took it on a week-long adventure in Snowdonia, and it handled like a dream.
As it is still in its original specification, it’s not very often a car like this becomes available to buy. It’s for that reason that Craig felt even more inclined to add it to his collection. Back in 2007, its original bill of sales stated a price of ยฃ47,000 and in today’s market, a 335 cabriolet is becoming harder and harder to find. making this one to watch in the future!
It has recently undergone following service, carried out at Cecil and Larter Volvo who have known the car for many years.
In July they carried out a major service including spark plugs, oil and filter, pollen filter, air filter, gearbox service including automatic box filter and sump replacement. Spark plugs replaced at same time. The diff oil was changed and a new input seal replaced as this is an area that is prone to leaks. The vacuum hoses in the engine bay have been replaced as these are prone to failure, as are the boost control valves. The coolant has been changed prior to this winter to ensure reliability in colder temperatures.
The real rarity of this car, other than the specification is that it is entirely stock, there are no modifications at all.
Specification as followsโฆ
Black Sapphire with Coral Red interior
Upgraded to M sport seats at factory with full electric, lumbar and memory.
Heated seats
Professional navigation
Parking sensors front and rear
Upgraded hifi system
19inch 5 spoke alloys with matching Bridgestone runflats, all north of 5mm of tread and replaced within the last 3 years.
All Brakes replaced circa 12,000 miles ago, just prior to my ownership.
The original bill of sale at ยฃ48,000 in 2007 is also included in the paperwork.
Jonn has been continuing his repairs of our 2002 Alpina B10.
He has fitted new screw bolts to the under shields and secured them on the offside. He has also removed the front undershield and cleaned it. Jonn then moved on and cleaned down the engine.
A nail was removed from the nearside rear tyre and, after an inspection. was found not to be punctured.
New rubber cotton reel mounts were fitted to the oil filter housing and the undershield was refitted. Finally, Jonn removed the front wheels and drilled out disc holes to clear. He then sanded down the disc edges to get rid of rust buildup.
The wheels were then refitted and torqued to 130nm.
As our 2002 Alpina B10 is new in the Bridge Classic Cars workshop, classic car technician Jonn has started work on its initial inspection and assessment.
Once Jonn is happy that the car is in good health, it will go on to be won through Bridge Classic Cars Competitions.
Our 1989 BMW 325I has been undergoing a condition appraisal with Bridge Classic Cars workshop manager John.
As you can see from the photos below, there are some areas that need attention. We look forward to the car coming back to us so we can get it looking as good as new again.
A second new arrival has entered the Bridge Classic Cars workshop today in the form of another BMW 325i. This time though it is a 1989 model to alongside our other 325i from 2001 which is also in the workshop.
This particular BMW 325i is in for a condition appraisal from our team of classic car technicians.
We have recently welcomed a new addition to the Bridge Classic Cars workshop in the form of our 2001 BMW 325i.
While it is with us, our interior trim team of Brian and Lydia will be working on the interior of this stunning car.
A 1999 BMW Z3 entered the Bridge Classic Cars workshop this morning.
It may have only been here a few hours, but classic car technician Brian has already been working on this fast-approaching modern classic by fixing the plastic trim around the edge of the rear window, which had come undone, and the edge of the hood cover that had lifted from under the plastic trim.
These were glued and fitted back in place and the car is already looking much improved since its arrival at the workshop.
Classic car technician Jonn has been investigating some issues that our 1987 BMW 635 CSI has been having with its sunroof.
His investigation began by stripping the sunroof. While doing this, it became apparent that the roof had been badly welded at some point in the past. Jonn believes this was probably when someone removed the old sunroof.
While working on our 635 CSI, Jonn fitted new fog lights. However, the multi-plugs on the new lights were different. To overcome this, the plugs were cut and rewired using bullet connectors.
Our 1987 BMW 635 CSI has recently arrived in the Bridge Classic Cars workshop.
While it is here with us, the workshop team will be fitting a new ceiling cloth as well as fitting new windscreens too.
This is a great-looking car and we are looking forward to having it with us.
The rain had torn down throughout the night before. By the morning, the autumn air was fresh and moving as we pulled the 1984 BMW 635CSi out of the hanger at RAF Bentwaters.
This iconic 1980s example of a German grand tourer is stunning. It drives like a dream with its automatic gearbox and light handling. Charlotte began the drive around the filming area of the airbase to let the car slowly come up to temperature, once everything was just right. We began to work on the film that you can see right here!
The E24 6 series is a legendary sportscar. It was the pinacle of luxury and performance for the Bavarian brand when first launched and all the way during its decade long production run.
As part of our photoshoots, there are a series of static photos on the base. Even stood still, the car looked like it was doing 100MPH such is the timeless styling of the E24.
You could win this very car though! Bridge Classic Cars Competitions is going to make one lucky winner the new owner of this 1984 BMW E24 635CSi by clicking the link below.
Click here to enter for your chance to win the 1984 BMW 635CSi
As the 1990s saw Bond change yet again into the modern world, this time it would be portrayed by another iconic actor. Pierce Brosnan would begin his career for MI6 in the 1995 film Goldeneye.
This film’s most famous Bond Car was actually a Russian T37 tank but towards the end of the film, the audience was given a glimpse of a new age of Bond. The BMW era.
Before the production of Goldeneye, EON productions had signed a 3 film deal with the Bavarian manufacturer to supply Bond with his own modes of transport. The first being the brand new Z3.
Bond’s specific Z3 in Goldeneye was a 1.9 litre 1996 model which most famously appears on an airstrip in Cuba. The car in the film has been thoroughly gone through by Q-Branch, offering Bond ”the usual refinements” which can be best demonstrated in the lab during the walk around with Q (played by Desmond Llewelyn. It is apparently equipped with Stinger missiles behind each of the Z3’s headlights, a parachute deployed from the boot and radar displayed on an LCD screen inside the dash. There is a mention of an Ejector seat though… as well as a self-destruct system. References to earlier Bond cars from the franchise.
The Z3 in Goldeneye, which holds the title as the first non-British Bond car to ever be officially issued to him by Q Branch, was only a brief appearance. Because it was traded on the airstrip in Cuba for a plane (where it’s then seen fishtailing off into the trees with its new owner CIA Jack Wade at the helm) it also holds the title as one of only a handful of Bond cars that are not destroyed on screen. Even the DB5 doesn’t hold that accolade.
The Z3 had some serious kudos with potential owners after the launch of the film. The first year of production had sold out before the first cars had even been finished. But, some audiences felt the Z3 should have been given more of a role in the film considering the armaments bestowed on it by Q-Branch. for that they would have to wait until the release of The World is Not Enough a few years later with another BMW as Bond’s car of choice.
So, this concludes the end of our series on notable James Bond 007 Cars that we here at Bridge Classic Cars have had experience dealing with.
But there is still one more… Check in tonight to find out how you could have the chance of owning one!
An icon of 1980s style and presence. The legendary BMW 635CSi.
This particular example is a 1984 car. the E24 635CSi was (and still is) one of the most desirable classic cars for all ages.
This car is in with us at Bridge Classic Cars to have some paintwork and bodywork issues assessed by our in-house restoration teams and come up with a plan to get this wonderful long-legged luxury coupe back to its former glory.
But after all that has been completed. What’s going to happen with this stunning car?
Keep an eye out on our News Page for more updates on this legendary car.
Brian has finished creating the new headlining for the 1990 BMW 750 iL. After taking the original fabric off the board and cleaning the board up, a grey nyylon brushed headlining foam was used to re-cover the board, which was similar to the original. Brian gradually glued the new fabric on, pressing into the curves and contours to get a neat finish, and trimmed away where any holes were for attachments and panels. After he had re-covered the board, Brian then set about rejuvenating the sun visor switch panel. Once that was done, the headlining board was put back into place in the car, along with the sun visor switch panel and all the panels and pieces that were taken out of the car to get the board out. Another job finished!
Brian has been getting on with renewing the headlining in the 1990 BMW 750iL. He started off by removing all the panels and parts that went onto the headlining and were holding it in place. Once these were all taken off, the board with the headlining on could come out via the boot of the car. Brian could then start taking the original headlining fabric off the board.
Another new arrival into us is this 1990 BMW 750iL. It’s come in to have a new headlining made and fitted in our trim shop, to get it looking tip-top again.
Our charming 1962 BMW Isetta has just launched and we’re already getting a lot of love for the micro sized car.
Opening up the small front door, it teeters on its hinges in a fridge like fashion, revealing a steering wheel and gears attached to the inside of the door, which present themselves to you as you get in. Sitting on the front seats which are fashioned to look like a comfortable tartan bench, the seating area leaves little room for a passenger. Everything about this car is dainty and charming, and is set to trigger nostalgia in many.
The BMW Isetta offers a great solution to crowded cities and difficult parking but isn’t one you’d be pulling handbrake turns in. Certainly amid a pandemic, a bubble car seems suited to the days of socially distanced car meets.
Rumour has it, just after the war, BMW were struggling. They were making big saloons and high end sports cars in the hopes that they could attract wealthy buyers, but it came at a cost. A cost that almost finished one of the biggest brands in the world today.
They then discovered the Isetta. The Isetta was already in production by another company and BMW worked out that it was far cheaper to buy the rights to building this incredible car rather than try to produce something similar, so thatโs exactly what they did.
And here we have it, one of the quirkiest classic cars ever to have graced our roads, our 1962 BMW Isetta โBubbleโ Car.
A huge hit in the 50โs with over 160,000 units sold, ours being one of the later models, a 1962, means it has the upgraded high displacement engine, pumping out a massive 298cc, producing a colossal 13bhp. With a recommended top speed of 46mph and achieving an impressive 63 miles per gallon.
The Isetta was not popular in the UK until a three-wheeled version was introduced. Although three-wheeled vehicles are more prone to rolling over, there was a financial advantage: they could evade automobile legislation and taxation by being classed as three-wheeled motorcycles and could be driven with a motorcycle licence.
In 1962, Isetta of Great Britain stopped production of the little cars so ours being from the final year makes this very rare classic even more special. A very collectable classic, this lovely Isetta would be a welcome addition to any garage. Pick up your tickets today for a chance of winning this fun little classic.
We’ve just welcomed this stunning 2000 BMW Z3 3.0 Widebody into our workshop. It needs very little attention which means we can photograph this very soon, stay tuned to find out more about this BMW’s future…
German racing star Sabine Schmitz has passed away aged 51 after a long battle with cancer. Schmitz was best known for her trailblazing career in motorsports and gained the nickname of the Queen of the Nurburgring. In more recent year shes worked on Top Gear and first appeared on the BBC show in 2004.
Following her withdrawal from a race, she said in a statement issued last July:
“Dear friends of professional motor sport.
“Many of you have probably wondered why I was on the list of participants on our Porsche in the NSL and then didn’t drive after all.
“I would like to provide enlightenment here, I think I owe it to my/our fans! Since the end of 2017, I have been fighting an extremely persistent cancer that has not been eliminated with the resources so far.
“It got a little better – but now it’s come back with full force.
“Now I have to draw all the strength and nerve to master the next powerful therapies โฆ hoping something [good] will happen.
“So I say goodbye ‘probably’ for the first time this season. In addition, I would like to thank everyone for their help and support in my everyday life, and encouragement in writing!”
One of Schmitz’s legacies was becoming one of the two BMW M5 “ring taxi” drivers around the Nรผrburgring; where its estimated that she had completed more than 20,000 laps of the ring over the course of her career.
Her familiarity with the track allowed her to drive faster than other drivers, bringing a certain thrill ride for the daring fans in the passengerโs seat.
Credit: Alamy Stock Image
Deimante has sent us these stunning portraits that her partner took when they came to visit our hanger last week. These stunning photos really do justice to just how stylist this BMW is!
Don’t forget the live draw is tomorrow night, so get those tickets whilst you can!
We’ve been incredibly lucky to have Deimante aka @tomboy_a_bit down at our hanger at Bentwaters again to shoot with some of our cars! Deimante and her partner took some time to shoot with our beautiful BMW last week and produced some stunning shots!
You can check out her post here or view them below!
On a brisk winter’s morning, we headed out to Aurora in Ipswich to shoot our dazzling and understated Imola Red 1998 BMW Z3M. We had the help of our friend and model, Zey, who helped us out on the shoot as our talented model and driver.
This car is now up for grabs as part of our competition draw, for which you can find out more here.
Join us on the second instalment in our new series: Behind The Scenes. Although we give frequent behind the scenes updates on our workshop, we wanted to show you some of the processes that go into our visuals.
With every competition car and for sale car, we arrange a full photo shoot to capture our beloved classics in the best possible light. Some of these shoots include models and locations and some include members of the Bridge Classic Car team hopping in and helping out at Bentwaters. No matter the setup, the aim is always the same. To tell a story and capture the car in the best way.
We recently had a photoshoot for our Imola Red 1998 BMW Z3M outside Aurora in Ipswich, Suffolk. It was a particularly cold day and our hands clutched at our cameras, frozen on the buttons. Our plan was for Freddie to film the BMW driving past the Willis building, capturing the red reflection in the sleek black glass architecture. We then took the car down to the waterfront where we met our friend Zey who was the model for the shoot.
After working each angle of the car, in both stills and film clips, we packed up our kit and departed ways. All of our on-set photoshoots are treated in the same way, with the aim to cast a creative and editorial light on the car, often taking the majority of the day. However, for the BMW, we managed to work extra fast, wanting to beat the cold weather that day.
You can keep up to date with our behind the scenes videos on our Instagram page under โBTSโ highlights! Keep an eye on our Instagram and Facebook stories as well as we often put up sneak peaks on there too!
We also offer photoshoots as a service, so if youโd like your beloved motor photographed by the team at Bridge Classic Cars, click the linkย here.
Our 1998 BMW Z3 M Roadster has been sent to the Paint Shop to be stripped down for respray, primed, bumps, and scrapes fixed and rust removed.
Once the dents had been corrected and the body sanded and stripped, it was time for the BMW to receive a high build primer coat which allows the paint to stick. The next stage will be for the BMW to go back to the spray booth for masking and respray.
This stunning car will soon be up for grabs in one of our competitions! Keep your eyes peeled for a smart red modern classic coming your way!
This quirky 2002 BMW belonging to our good friend the CarCrazedFool visited our Classic & Sports Car & Bike Show last year. It’s quite a striking looking car isn’t it? It’s certainly hard to miss!
You can imagine our surprise when the pictures below were sent through. Look closely, the car you see is a miniature version of the unmistakable 2002 BMW from our car show. Positioned in a tiny replica workshop.
The model has been made by the extremely talented Steph Corzani of Steph-Replicars. The business was established in 2012. Since then they’ve been creating incredibly accurate replicas of cars, at but an eighteenth of their original size. This model has taken three years to get to this stage. The detail on it is just phenomenal, but it’s not finished yet…
Steph started with the 2002 BMW base model, but all other unique features including the splitter and bonnet has been moulded independently using 3D printing. Amazingly, Stephen does this all by reference photos and not measurements.
How would you like to see your pride and joy as an exact miniature model? There’s certainly no need to worry about creating space in the garage for these beauties! Head to Steph-Replicars to learn more.
This exciting 1995 BMW 840 arrived at the workshop this week, ready to start an extensive restoration.
The outer body certainly needs some attention. Our in-house paint shop will be preparing the car for a full re-spray. This is to rectify all the scratches and marks in the paintwork. There’s also a fair amount of rust that’s been spotted. This will be sorted by our in-house body shop team before paint.
Along with external work, the interior will also be receiving some TLC from the Bridge team. The drivers seat is worn, so there are plans to visit our in-house trim shop to have this seen to. Along with a fair amount of electrical and mechanical work. The sunroof, aircon, the boot and door handles, the alarm system and the wing mirrors all needs looking at.
Until we inspect further, it’s always difficult to judge what else we may uncover. Any engine work is yet to be diagnosed. But, what we do know is that the under panel is missing from the engine.
We’ll be following this exciting restoration closely with lots of updates on our progress. Head to the Bridge Classic Cars current projects page to keep up to date.
This 2008 BMW 118 came for a consultation today to look at some extensive interior damage. A car of only 12 years old isn’t our usual ‘classic’, but we’re always up for a challenge! And this job is no different.
Looking at all the rips in the fabric and cigarette burns we suggest to change the panels like-for-like with new fabric. Check back in to see our progress once we begin the work.
Here’s a sneak peak into a couple of classic cars we’ve been chatting about this week.
First up, it’s this incredible 1990 BMW Alpina. A very rare car indeed, Alpina are a Baverian based manufacturer in Germany who specifically develop high performance BMW’s.
We’ve been chatting about this beauty this week as the owner is looking for a buyer and we’re all ears for it.
We’ve also been chatting about about this lovely little sports car- a 1961 MGA 1600 MK1 ‘Deluxe’. Acclaimed to be one of only nine other genuine RHD cars left.
Whilst much of the MGA is sound, other parts are in need of some attention. So we hope to be welcoming this little beauty into our workshop soon to give her some well earned TLC.
Bridge Classic Cars are award winning Classic Car Restoration and Maintenance specialists. Your pride and joy is in safe hands with our expert Classic Car Technicians. Take a look at our awards here.
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