Mini roof face lift

Mini roof face lift

Chris prepped and primed our 1999 Rover Mini roof for paint.

Sanding

Chris continued the preparation work on our 1969 Audi 70L by sanding the polyfan to a 120-grit finish. He then reapplied the guide coat and began refining the surface further by sanding it to 180 grit, ensuring a consistent and even base for the next stages of the restoration.

Repairs

Greg built two new ground wires for our 1979 Reliant Scimitar SE6A.

Assessing and repairing

Jon assessed the customer’s list of reported concerns on our 1985 Mercedes 500SL, starting with an engine misfire. After confirming that the engine was indeed misfiring, he carried out a visual inspection of the ignition leads and related components. He noted that Pete had previously fitted new spark plugs during an earlier visit. Upon investigation, […]

Work continues on our Aston

Rob has commenced fitting up the chassis on our 1955 Aston Martin DB2/4 Drophead Coupé, marking the next phase in the reassembly process.

Repairs for our Daimler

Jon investigated a brake binding issue on our 1964 Daimler 250 V8 that had been occurring when the vehicle was hot. Upon inspection, all wheels were free now that the car had cooled. Research into similar issues indicated that the brake servo is often the source of the problem in such cases. Continuing with the […]

Welding work

Greg made further progress on our 1978 Mercedes 350SL by completing the welding work to the inner wing, which was then ground down and coated in primer. He continued by cutting out the driver’s side inner wing and also removed the rear quarter panel to advance the structural restoration.

Final fitting

Mauro carried out painting work on our 1976 Jensen Interceptor, applying a coat of DTM satin black to the relevant areas Ben focused on completing the final fittings to our 1976 Jensen Interceptor, installing the remaining components including the sun shades and the spare wheel. Alongside testing the car, he carried out a bolt check […]

Primer

Chris continued with the body preparation on our 1969 Audi 70L by applying a full guide coat and sanding the car to a 180-grit finish, bringing it to a stage ready for primer. He also removed the fabric lining from the boot, thoroughly cleaned away all remaining adhesive, and prepared the area for epoxy primer. […]

Collection of our MG TF

Tony collected our 1954 MG TF from the customer, as the car was not running, and transported it back to the workshop for further inspection and necessary work.

Repairs to our Mercedes

Jon carried out further adjustments on our 1987 Mercedes 500 SL, starting by removing the front bumper in order to correctly fit the trim and securely fasten the ends. He then removed the offside headlight to address an issue where the wing and bonnet were making contact. To create the necessary clearance, he drilled out […]

Competition delivery

Tony delivered our 1993 Ford Escort XR3I to its lucky winner and new owner Charles Holleyman with ticket number 2165.

PDI and repairs on our Frogeye

Jon completed the pre-delivery inspection on our 1958 Austin Healey Frogeye Sprite and resolved an issue with the wipers not functioning. During the investigation, he discovered a melted wire near the fuse box. After disconnecting and checking continuity to the fan, he confirmed the circuit was intact and not shorted to earth. The wire was […]

PDI and delivery for our Alpina

Jon completed the pre-delivery inspection on our 2004 BMW Alpina by topping up the engine oil and resetting the clock. He checked and adjusted tyre pressures and torqued the wheels to specification. The car was then taken out for a road test, stopping first at the fuel station before continuing on to FS in Melton […]

Preparation for epoxy

Chris removed the remaining fabric from the boot area of our 1969 Audi 70L and thoroughly cleaned away all traces of old adhesive. He then prepared the surface for epoxy primer and applied rust stabiliser to any pitted sections to ensure a sound base for the next stage of work.

More Repairs on our Mercedes

Jon began repair work on our 1985 Mercedes 500SL following the arrival of the required parts, starting with the replacement of both rocker cover gaskets. He first stripped down the nearside cover, then removed, cleaned, and prepared the mating surfaces. As the new gaskets had been folded in their packaging and were misshapen, he carefully […]

Interior work on our Jaguar

Lydia continued work on our 1965 Jaguar 340 Mk2, uncovering extensive damage caused by moths and a significant rodent presence. In response to the condition of the interior, she removed both the headlining and the carpets to begin addressing the affected areas.

Suzuki Wagon R Hits 10 Million Global Sales

Suzuki’s Wagon R has officially sold 10 million units worldwide as of June 2025. Launched in Japan back in September 1993, the compact Wagon R has spent nearly 32 years as a practical, city car. Originally designed as a semi-bonnet style mini wagon, it quickly became popular on Japanese roads and has since spread across […]

Festival Of Classic And Sports Cars

On Sunday 3rd August 2025, the Bridge Classic Cars team attended the Festival of Classic and Sports Cars at Helmingham Hall as the headline sponsor. We were excited to return again to the event, which, as always, had well over 1,000 classic and sports cars on display. As the event’s headline sponsor, we welcomed visitors […]

Filming our TVR Chimaera

The second shoot of the day today was our TVR Chimaera. It’s such a fun quirky car and will be hitting the Bridge Classic Cars website soon.

Behind the scenes of our Porsche 944

Nick and I headed to Pettistree House early today to catch that morning sunshine for our Porsche 944 shoot. This car is special and a delight to drive! The winner of this competition is going to be in for a treat.

Car Admin Costs UK Drivers 565 Hours Over a Lifetime

A new survey commissioned by BMW suggests that UK motorists are losing up to 565 hours of their lives to car-related admin and maintenance planning. 2,000 drivers across all makes and models were surveyed, and the research found that the average motorist spends the equivalent of a full day each year just thinking about service […]

UK New Car Market Drops in July as EV Growth Slows

The UK new car market dropped by 5% in July 2025, with 140,154 vehicles registered. This is the weakest July since 2022, and is nearly 11% below pre-pandemic 2019 levels. According to new figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), the drop comes after two months of growth, highlighting the sector’s ongoing […]

Lots Of New Arrivals

We recently had several new arrivals at the Bridge Classic Cars workshop. All from the same collection, we welcomed our 1992 Lotus Elan SE, 1995 Lotus Elan S2, 1999 Aston Martin DB7 Vantage, and our 1996 Mercedes-Benz SL600. Some of these will go on to be competition cars, so make sure you keep an eye […]

Jaguar Land Rover CEO Adrian Mardell Steps Down

Adrian Mardell, the Chief Executive Officer of Jaguar Land Rover, is stepping down from his role after more than three decades with the company, including three years as CEO. JLR have confirmed Adrian’s departure and has said that a successor will be named in due course. Mardell’s exit comes during a huge chapter for the […]

Weekly Workshop Photo Gallery – 1st August 2025

This week I thought I would try something a bit different for the workshop photo gallery – I actually aimed the camera and the incredible group of people who make the magic happen, our technicians. Each one of them holds experience, knowledge and skill beyond their years it would seem and behind each and every […]

Self-Driving Shuttles Could Arrive in Suffolk Soon

Suffolk County Council recently received £75,000 to study whether self-driving shuttles could become part of how people get around in Suffolk. This study is called “ADASTRA.” Lots of areas in Suffolk are rural or near the coast, and they don’t have many buses or trains. This makes travel slow and sometimes tricky, especially for older […]

Suffolk County Council Explores Self-Driving Shuttles for Future Public Transport

Suffolk County Council is making plans to trial self-driving electric shuttles across the region. Backed by £75,000 in government funding, the council’s ADASTRA feasibility study will explore how connected and automated mobility (CAM) can increase accessibility, sustainability, and inclusivity, particularly in areas where traditional public transport falls short. Named after BT’s innovation hub at Adastral […]

Paint preparation

Mauro has now completed the filler work on our 1969 Audi 70L. The next stage in the process will be the application of polyfan. Chris removed the doors, boot and bonnet from our 1969 Audi 70L, masked them up and placed them into the booth. He then applied epoxy primer to the bare metal surfaces, […]

New brake’s for our Jensen

Rob made and fitted the brake vacuum pipes on our 1960 Jensen 541R.