Capri gets stripped!
August 20, 2021
Chris has started to strip the 1983 Ford Capri 1.6 LS, in preparation for re-painting.
bridge classic cars
Fern Grey E-Type goes into the workshop!
August 20, 2021
Matt has finished sanding and polishing the lacquer on the 1973 Jaguar E-Type Roadster Series 3 body shell, so it’s now been transported over to
New rubbers for the white MG B.
August 20, 2021
Work has started on the 1976 white MG B. The windscreen rubbers have been replaced after it was found that the original ones had perished.
New in, 1976 MG B.
August 20, 2021
This white 1976 MG B has come in for a list of reasons. It needs to have an inspection service, there’s a leaking sump and
Engine rebuild for the MG B V8.
August 20, 2021
Ady has been working on the total engine rebuild for the 1973 MG B GT V8. He’s rebored the engine to suit the pistons, refaced
Play in the wheel bearings…
August 19, 2021
Dave has been inspecting the 1975 Magenta Triumph TR6 and found that there was play in the two near-side wheel bearings. You can see this
Carpet re-fresh continues for the DB 2/4.
August 19, 2021
Kath has been continuing her work on the 1955 Aston Martin DB 2/4’s carpet. This time, she’s re-made the left-hand footwell carpet, right-hand boot side
E-Type MOT day!
August 19, 2021
Both the Jaguar E-Types pictured had their MOT’s done yesterday. The gold 1971 Jaguar E-Type V12 Series 3 is currently with us for storage at
New in, 1976 Jaguar XJ6!
August 19, 2021
New into the workshop is this 1976 Jaguar XJ6. It’s got issues with its carburettors, meaning the engine isn’t running right. Ady will be in
Mustang gets a thorough inspection.
August 19, 2021
Paul has been giving our 1967 Ford Mustang 350 a thorough check over and noting down any issues he does find. So far, he’s found
New in, Citroen C6.
August 19, 2021
New into us is this 2010 Citroen C6. It’s come in for a full valet and for all the wheels to be refurbished.
Brake trouble on the Jaguar.
August 19, 2021
The 1968 Jaguar E-type Series 1.5 4.2, unfortunately, failed on its MOT test this week. The front brake piston and rear brakes weren’t working so
Work begins on the red MG TF.
August 19, 2021
Dave has been working on the red 1954 MG TF. The door wasn’t fitting properly, so he’s sorted adjusted that. The rubber seal around one
Ferrari Daytona’s peeling steering rack…
August 19, 2021
We’ve found that the paint was flaking off the steering rack of the 1979 Arrow Ferrari Daytona, so it was taken into the paint shop.
Flaky Lancia lights.
August 19, 2021
Lydia has been helping Matt with the headlights for the 1978 Lancia Beta. After the paint was found to be flaking off them, they were
Headlining work begins on the BMW.
August 19, 2021
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
Polish time for the green Jaguar
August 18, 2021
Matt has been sanding and polishing the lacquer of the 1973 Jaguar E-Type Roadster Series 3 body shell after it got painted last week. This
Ferrari gets modified
August 18, 2021
Scott has been doing modifications and fittings on the 1979 Arrow Ferrari Daytona. He’s fitted the rear bumpers, modified the number plate lamp because the
Honda starting to look fresh…
August 18, 2021
The painting has started on the 1998 Honda Integra Type R. Now that all the different panels have been prepped with sanding, filler, priming and
New headlining, please!
August 18, 2021
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,
A bright new arrival
August 18, 2021
This 1954 red MG TF has arrived at our workshop today! It’s come in because of engine running issues, so Ady, our engine specialist, will
Ford Capri needing TLC
August 17, 2021
Our 1983 Ford Capri 1.6 LS that we bought last week has arrived! Unfortunately, it needs some TLC, so it’s going to be heading into
No underseal, please!
August 17, 2021
We had a 1995 Mercedes E220 come into us today because the owner of it wanted the underneath of the car undersealed. Our technicians had
Storage solutions.
August 17, 2021
This 2015 yellow Caterham has come in for storage into our Bentwaters hangar. Some people may not know that this is a service that we
A heartwarming story…
August 17, 2021
Here’s a little story that’ll be sure to warm even the coldest of hearts! One of our recent competition winners, Coby Morton, has struck up
Front squab fitting for the Lilac Jensen!
August 13, 2021
In the trim shop, Brian has been fitting the front squab seats of the 1960 Jensen 541R to their foams and frames. These seats were
Protecting the Jaguar MK VII.
August 13, 2021
Chris has recently put a layer of black protective coating on the underneath of the 1954 Jaguar MK VII. This does exactly what it says
New in, 1999 Jaguar XJR!
August 13, 2021
New in the workshop is this 1999 Jaguar XJR. It’s come in for a valet, for an assessment to be carried out to get it
Repair work continues on the Daimler.
August 13, 2021
James has been continuing his repair work on the corroded areas of the 1977 Daimler Double Six. The right-hand side front inner wing has been
Starting on the Aston Martin carpets!
August 13, 2021
Kath has been starting on the carpet for the 1955 Aston Martin DB 2/4 this week. The list of carpet pieces she’s made includes the
Capri gets stripped!
August 20, 2021
Chris has started to strip the 1983 Ford Capri 1.6 LS, in preparation for re-painting.
Fern Grey E-Type goes into the workshop!
August 20, 2021
Matt has finished sanding and polishing the lacquer on the 1973 Jaguar E-Type Roadster Series 3 body shell, so it’s now been transported over to the workshop, where work can begin on putting everything back together in it.
New rubbers for the white MG B.
August 20, 2021
Work has started on the 1976 white MG B. The windscreen rubbers have been replaced after it was found that the original ones had perished.
New in, 1976 MG B.
August 20, 2021
This white 1976 MG B has come in for a list of reasons. It needs to have an inspection service, there’s a leaking sump and sump plug gasket, the heat’s not coming through the heater vents, the starter motor is sticking, the windscreen is leaking water, a new cigarette lighter needs to be fitted, new number plate lights are required, new electronic ignition needs to be sorted out, a new off-side rear indicator brake light reflector is needed and an MOT is to be carried out. We’re also going to give quotes for a few other issues.
Engine rebuild for the MG B V8.
August 20, 2021
Ady has been working on the total engine rebuild for the 1973 MG B GT V8. He’s rebored the engine to suit the pistons, refaced the engine block, refaced both the cylinder heads and cut all the valve seat and the lap in the valves. There are all new valve springs fitted, the crankshaft has been re-ground, there’s a new camshaft with new cam followers, he’s up-rated the camshaft and crankshaft, there are pulleys with a new timing chain and a new front cover is on, including an oil pump. The engine has been built re-built with new bearings, gaskets, seals and a water pump.
Play in the wheel bearings…
August 19, 2021
Dave has been inspecting the 1975 Magenta Triumph TR6 and found that there was play in the two near-side wheel bearings. You can see this in the two videos in this blog post. He also found that there were a few threads ripped out, due to just being worn out by people taking the car apart over the years. You can see in one of the photos that bits of aluminium have got stuck on the thread and are coming off. The threads are going to get helicoiled.
Carpet re-fresh continues for the DB 2/4.
August 19, 2021
Kath has been continuing her work on the 1955 Aston Martin DB 2/4’s carpet. This time, she’s re-made the left-hand footwell carpet, right-hand boot side panel, right-hand rear floor, right-hand rear under-seat, right-hand rear corner, right-hand rear sill, rear quarter panel (which needs the wood in still) and rear scuttle panel.
E-Type MOT day!
August 19, 2021
Both the Jaguar E-Types pictured had their MOT’s done yesterday. The gold 1971 Jaguar E-Type V12 Series 3 is currently with us for storage at our Bentwaters hangar. The green 1968 Jaguar E-Type Series 1.5 4.2 came to us for MOT preparation. If you are looking for storage for your classic vehicle or need it prepared for its MOT, please don’t hesitate to contact us!
New in, 1976 Jaguar XJ6!
August 19, 2021
New into the workshop is this 1976 Jaguar XJ6. It’s got issues with its carburettors, meaning the engine isn’t running right. Ady will be in charge of looking over this one for us, being our engine expert.
Mustang gets a thorough inspection.
August 19, 2021
Paul has been giving our 1967 Ford Mustang 350 a thorough check over and noting down any issues he does find. So far, he’s found that the wheels aren’t sitting quite right and there’s a leak coming from the underside that needs further investigation work.
New in, Citroen C6.
August 19, 2021
New into us is this 2010 Citroen C6. It’s come in for a full valet and for all the wheels to be refurbished.
Brake trouble on the Jaguar.
August 19, 2021
The 1968 Jaguar E-type Series 1.5 4.2, unfortunately, failed on its MOT test this week. The front brake piston and rear brakes weren’t working so it’s come back into the workshop to have these problems fixed.
Work begins on the red MG TF.
August 19, 2021
Dave has been working on the red 1954 MG TF. The door wasn’t fitting properly, so he’s sorted adjusted that. The rubber seal around one of the dials on the dash had disintegrated so a new one was put in its place. And Dave’s put in a new engine solenoid.
Ferrari Daytona’s peeling steering rack…
August 19, 2021
We’ve found that the paint was flaking off the steering rack of the 1979 Arrow Ferrari Daytona, so it was taken into the paint shop. There, Lydia blasted as much paint off as she could with an air gun and then took the rest off with a combination of a blade, a grinder attachment on a drill and thinners with a red scotch pad. The steering rack is now clean and masked up, ready to go in the spray booth.
Flaky Lancia lights.
August 19, 2021
Lydia has been helping Matt with the headlights for the 1978 Lancia Beta. After the paint was found to be flaking off them, they were taken into the paint shop, where Matt removed the existing paint completely and then primed them. Lydia then sanded down the primer to obtain a smooth finish for the final painting stage. They’re now all masked up again and ready for the spray booth!
Headlining work begins on the BMW.
August 19, 2021
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.
Polish time for the green Jaguar
August 18, 2021
Matt has been sanding and polishing the lacquer of the 1973 Jaguar E-Type Roadster Series 3 body shell after it got painted last week. This process will give the car its final finish.
Ferrari gets modified
August 18, 2021
Scott has been doing modifications and fittings on the 1979 Arrow Ferrari Daytona. He’s fitted the rear bumpers, modified the number plate lamp because the car is made of fibreglass, whereas the number plate lamp is made to go on a metal car, the position of the headlamp mechanism has been adjusted and the headlamp motor has been fitted, he’s rewired the motor and checked that it functions properly, the horn has been fitted and it’s got new wiring, and the front grill has been fitted. Scott is now starting to modify the side lamp covers because they’re genuine Ferrari lenses and so they won’t fit in their original state.
Honda starting to look fresh…
August 18, 2021
The painting has started on the 1998 Honda Integra Type R. Now that all the different panels have been prepped with sanding, filler, priming and more sanding, they’re filtering through into the paint booth. They’re having a fresh new coat of white to revive the car to its former glory.
New headlining, please!
August 18, 2021
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.
A bright new arrival
August 18, 2021
This 1954 red MG TF has arrived at our workshop today! It’s come in because of engine running issues, so Ady, our engine specialist, will be taking a look at it. Keep your eyes peeled for updates.
Ford Capri needing TLC
August 17, 2021
Our 1983 Ford Capri 1.6 LS that we bought last week has arrived! Unfortunately, it needs some TLC, so it’s going to be heading into the spray booth soon to get re-painted. It’s also going to get a full mechanical check and service in our workshop. Stay tuned for the progress!
No underseal, please!
August 17, 2021
We had a 1995 Mercedes E220 come into us today because the owner of it wanted the underneath of the car undersealed. Our technicians had a good look over it and assessed the area. Unfortunately, there was a lot of corrosion that was uncovered, meaning undersealing would be pretty much pointless. So we decided it would be best to leave putting any on and advised the customer not to go ahead.
Storage solutions.
August 17, 2021
This 2015 yellow Caterham has come in for storage into our Bentwaters hangar. Some people may not know that this is a service that we offer. If you have a vehicle that needs to be stored away for a bit, please don’t hesitate to contact us, and we’d be happy to help!
A heartwarming story…
August 17, 2021
Here’s a little story that’ll be sure to warm even the coldest of hearts! One of our recent competition winners, Coby Morton, has struck up a friendship with one of our mechanics, Mauro! Mauro delivered his 1979 MG Midget 1500 to the pub that Coby owns earlier this month and the pair got along swimmingly! So much so, Mauro went back to the pub on his way to vacation, where the two enjoyed some drinks together.
Front squab fitting for the Lilac Jensen!
August 13, 2021
In the trim shop, Brian has been fitting the front squab seats of the 1960 Jensen 541R to their foams and frames. These seats were created and sewn by Lydia a little while back. You can read about the process here and here.
Brian started the fitting process by glueing and stapling the front squab “faces”/fronts to the frames, making sure the leather was nice and tight with no wrinkles. The staples went around the back of the wooden frame. The back of each seat was then attached with staples that went into the piping flange. 3mm plywood was cut out to the correct shape using a paper template for the bottom of each seat, this was wrapped in the white leather/glued onto the wood. This plywood was nailed onto the bottom of the seats with tacks and does the job of hiding the staples and raw edges of the leather.
Protecting the Jaguar MK VII.
August 13, 2021
Chris has recently put a layer of black protective coating on the underneath of the 1954 Jaguar MK VII. This does exactly what it says on the tin, helps protect the underneath of the car from the elements of the road.
New in, 1999 Jaguar XJR!
August 13, 2021
New in the workshop is this 1999 Jaguar XJR. It’s come in for a valet, for an assessment to be carried out to get it through an MOT, a full service to be carried out with fluids being changed as well and there’s a knocking on the back of the vehicle which needs investigating.
Repair work continues on the Daimler.
August 13, 2021
James has been continuing his repair work on the corroded areas of the 1977 Daimler Double Six. The right-hand side front inner wing has been more work than the left-hand side. Keep up the good work James!
Starting on the Aston Martin carpets!
August 13, 2021
Kath has been starting on the carpet for the 1955 Aston Martin DB 2/4 this week.
The list of carpet pieces she’s made includes the front tunnel carpet, the rear under-seat carpets, the carpet that goes underneath the front of the gearbox, the top gearbox carpet, the gearbox tunnel carpets, the right-hand and left-hand foot well carpets, the carpet that goes around the throttle peddle, the rear foot well carpet and the rear boot-side panel carpet.
Each piece of carpet has got binding around some or all of the edges. This is made from the dark grey leather that was chosen, and is sewn on, right-side to right-side of the leather and carpet. It’s first stitched along the edge, and then the leather gets folded over to the under-side of the carpet and gets sewn again. The new carpet is grey to match the leather binding, whereas it was green and white carpet originally, with green binding.
