Moves like Jaguar
November 23, 2020
From purring to roaring, we’ve seen this Jaguar E-Type race car grow from start to finish. The project itself has been the epitome of Bridge
bridge classic cars
Meet The Team: Tom
November 23, 2020
Tom is our level 3 apprentice, studying classic car mechanics with the aim to graduate as a fully-fledged classic car technician. Growing up, Tamas enjoyed
New Addition
November 20, 2020
Our latest addition to the Bridge Classic Car family is this lorry! Although it looks rather plain and underwhelming now, when designed, it’s going to
Sitting Tight
November 20, 2020
More work has been done on our 1960 Peony red Jensen 541S. The latest instalments are the seat covers and pockets that have been made
Tweaks And Tidy Ups
November 19, 2020
Our new 1994 Land rover – Range Rover TDI has just joined the family but needs some TLC before its ready to go. These refurbishments
Centre Console Fitted In The Grey Jensen.
November 19, 2020
This week the centre console trims have been made and fitted in the 1960 Jensen 541R. The first step was to make the top piece,
Feeling Blue
November 19, 2020
We’ve welcomed another beautiful Jaguar E-Type for a check-up at Bridge Classic Cars, this week. This one is a 1973 Series 3 V12 E-Type. Upon
Recent Photoshoots
November 17, 2020
We’ve done two mini photoshoots recently up at the hanger at Bentwaters. Check out the photos below! 1998 Jaguar XJR Supercharged 1979 Mini Clubman Estate
Jensen Owners Magazine – November
November 17, 2020
We were featured in the November-December 2020 issue of Jensen’s Owners Club Magazine for a Jensen 541S we restored a few years back for Ronald
Watertight
November 17, 2020
The Amphicar is getting closer to being water worthy! We’ve installed a bow light with a stern light also optional, which can be taken on
The Jensen Reclaims It’s Voice
November 17, 2020
Black Jensen 541R has had its horns repositioned to ensure that they miss the radiator which has now been repositioned for the electric fan .
Peony Red’s new motor
November 17, 2020
The Peony Red Jensen 541S has had its engine rebuilt. Our engine specialist has been working to refurbish and rebuild the old engine. No one
Meet The Team: The Trim Shop
November 16, 2020
Our trim shop is not only incredibly unique but it is also relatively new! The trim shop, as a functioning entity has only really existed
TR6’s New Trim
November 13, 2020
The trim shop has made the centre console for the radio. This entails measuring each section, cutting out those sections from the leather, and then
Friday Snapshot
November 13, 2020
As ever, it’s been a busy week here at Bridge Classics. We’ve had new cars arrive like the Mini Clubman, we’ve had a new winner
MGB Blaze Orange’s New Trimming
November 13, 2020
Our trim experts have been focusing on making sure our new competition car, the 1972 MGB Blaze Orange Roadster, is all up to scratch. The
The Mercedes Has Blue Blood
November 12, 2020
Our 1987 Mercedes 500SL has had its colour transformation initiated with a prep mask being applied in the engine bay. It then continued to have
BMW Sees Red
November 12, 2020
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
Peony Red Jensen’s New Parts
November 12, 2020
Our specialist technicians have been working hard on the 1960 Jensen 541S restoration. The latest refurbishments include smoothing and correcting the doors by filling any
New In: 1979 Mini Clubman
November 12, 2020
We’ve got another new kid on the block and this time it’s a unique 1979 Morris Austin Mini Clubman with bespoke finishing! This beautiful Mini
1988 Ford Escort – Future Competition Car
November 12, 2020
This fully restored RS Turbo was being stored within our Vehicle Storage Hangar, however when the owner decided to offer the vehicle up for sale,
Another Jensen, Another Fan
November 10, 2020
One of our technicians, Paul, has made an aluminum mount for the fan in the black 1960 Jensen 541R. This has been handcrafted from a
Bits And Bobs
November 10, 2020
The parts for our 1968 Triumph TR5 have arrived and our technician Mauro has set them all out to assess what’s there and If anything more needs to be ordered.
Happy Camper
November 10, 2020
Our beautiful 1973 VW T2 had its primer applied post acid bath. Unfortunately, the process of removing the rust revealed a bigger than expected project underneath
ITV This Morning – November 2020
November 10, 2020
Our 1974 De Tomaso Pantera features in Alison Hammond’s recreation of Kylie Minogue’s iconic music video ‘Can’t get you out of my head’. Last week
There’s A New Cat On The Block
November 9, 2020
Our new competition car is a smart 1998 Jaguar XJR Supercharged in a moody navy blue and could be yours for under £10. Don’t let
Meet the team: Darren
November 9, 2020
It’s another Meet The Team Monday! This Monday we’re pleased to introduce our Paint Shop Manager, Darren! Darren started his career with cars in a
Peugeot 504
November 6, 2020
Our trim experts have taken apart the 1972 Peugeot 504’s back seats in order to make the new ones. Kath, one of our trim experts
Anything But Minor
November 6, 2020
Our 1963 Morris Minor has had its oil seal removed and refurbished, engine rewired, new clutch added and an engine stabilizer installed.
Custom Trim
November 6, 2020
Whether it’s a specific design or a certain fit, we can make it. All of the work done in the trim shop is made by
Moves like Jaguar
November 23, 2020
From purring to roaring, we’ve seen this Jaguar E-Type race car grow from start to finish. The project itself has been the epitome of Bridge Classic Cars, to prove what we can do.
This 1967 Jaguar E-Type 2+2 Series 1 came in in 2016 as nothing more than a beaten up shell that had been sat in a barn. After a full nut and bolt restoration, a lot of hard work and planning from the whole team, it now resembles a beautiful custom race car.
You can read its full story here.
Then:
Now:
The underbelly of the beast:
The significance of the number 17 on the side is that the project started in 2017. Its been a long road but we’re excited to see this stunning car come to life.
Now the car is finished, it will have a full photoshoot and will be auctioned off to be sold. Keep your eyes peeled for its official photoshoot!
Meet The Team: Tom
November 23, 2020
Tom is our level 3 apprentice, studying classic car mechanics with the aim to graduate as a fully-fledged classic car technician.
Growing up, Tamas enjoyed restoring modern classics with his brother. From there, his fascination with engineering and classic restorations began.
“I’ve always been around cars and interested in how they work.”
When Tom came to the UK, he started a course in Classic Car Restoration in Leeds which set the foundations for a growing career in the classic car world.
In 2018, Tom then took up a job at a classic car restoration company that specialised in Porches and took up a level 2 apprenticeship in mechanics at the Colchester Institute. When Tom came to work at Bridge Classic Cars in September 2019, he started on his level 3 apprenticeship with the Colchester Institute.
Tom has the interest to further his career in electric cars which is becoming increasingly more prevalent in the world of engineering.
One of the biggest cars the year Tom was the McLaren F1. Celebrities such as Elon Musk, Rowan Atkinson and the Sultan of Brunei have owned the famous car. In 2017 Top Gear Magazine, listed it as one of the fastest naturally aspirated cars currently available in the world.
New Addition
November 20, 2020
Our latest addition to the Bridge Classic Car family is this lorry! Although it looks rather plain and underwhelming now, when designed, it’s going to look great as our new transporter!
We still have our covered vehicle transporter trailer however it can only fit one car in at a time whereas this new lorry will be able to transport multiple cars and equipment!
Alongside using the lorry for our own vehicles, we aim to offer our own transportation services for other companies.
We can’t wait to get this lorry designed!
Sitting Tight
November 20, 2020
More work has been done on our 1960 Peony red Jensen 541S. The latest instalments are the seat covers and pockets that have been made by our trim shop. This involved marking out the leather for the seats, sewing the piping and side bands on, making and sewing on the skirt, and then creating the pockets. Once all these elements have been carefully created, that can be put together.
Our engine specialist, Ady is in the process of rebuilding the engine. So far the bottom end is done and its awaiting the cylinder heads to be attached.
Tweaks And Tidy Ups
November 19, 2020
Our new 1994 Land rover – Range Rover TDI has just joined the family but needs some TLC before its ready to go.
These refurbishments include carpeting the floor, replacing the ceiling cloth, refurbishing the back quarter panels, re-painting the body work and servicing it.
So far, our technician Tom has replaced the carpets and ceiling cloth.
The back quarter panels have been removed and placed in the trim shop to be refurbished once we decide on a paint colour for the rest of the body.
Centre Console Fitted In The Grey Jensen.
November 19, 2020
This week the centre console trims have been made and fitted in the 1960 Jensen 541R. The first step was to make the top piece, which was sewn and piped by our interior trim technician Kath, before passing it over to Brian.
Once the leather top piece had been passed to Brian, our other interior trim technician, he added foam padding and made the rest of the centre console.
Now assembled, it can now be fitted into the Jensen.
Feeling Blue
November 19, 2020
We’ve welcomed another beautiful Jaguar E-Type for a check-up at Bridge Classic Cars, this week. This one is a 1973 Series 3 V12 E-Type.
Upon further inspection, our technician Pete discovered that both the Clutch Slave Cylinder and the Power Steering are both leaking fluid and will need to be replaced.
“It’ll fail its MOT if this isn’t addressed” Pete told us, standing underneath the car which had been raised onto one of our ramps.
Although the car is technically drivable, these issues would not only cause the car to fail its MOT, but could also lead to more series issues such as loosing control and access to the gears.
The next step to address these issues is to completely replace both the Power Steering and the Clutch Slave Cylinder.
The front bumpers are also going to be removed and replaced to give the Jaguar an extra shine.
Recent Photoshoots
November 17, 2020
We’ve done two mini photoshoots recently up at the hanger at Bentwaters. Check out the photos below!
1998 Jaguar XJR Supercharged
1979 Mini Clubman Estate
Jensen Owners Magazine – November
November 17, 2020
We were featured in the November-December 2020 issue of Jensen’s Owners Club Magazine for a Jensen 541S we restored a few years back for Ronald Everaert who recently wrote a piece for the magazine about his Jensen.
One of our favourite parts of restoring cars is being able to see the owners enjoy their pride and joys again, ready to make more memories in. It’s particularly lovely to hear from them via photos and articles such as this!
Watertight
November 17, 2020
The Amphicar is getting closer to being water worthy! We’ve installed a bow light with a stern light also optional, which can be taken on and off when needed. This means when the Amphicar is out on the water at night, other ships can see it!
Adam, our electrical specialist has also redone the connection block. This has been refurbished to make them easier to access if any repairs or tweaking has to be done in future!
With these fixes made, the Amphicar is steadily getting closer to completion after its recent boat MOT. You can see the check list we were provided below:
The Jensen Reclaims It’s Voice
November 17, 2020
Black Jensen 541R has had its horns repositioned to ensure that they miss the radiator which has now been repositioned for the electric fan .
Then a new bonnet safety catch was fitted.
Peony Red’s new motor
November 17, 2020
The Peony Red Jensen 541S has had its engine rebuilt. Our engine specialist has been working to refurbish and rebuild the old engine.
No one ever claimed that rebuilding engines were easier, nor pretty… Ady cleared out this huge sludge ball from the Peony Red’s engine. This rather dubious-looking ball of sludge is made from hard water and dirt caught up in the engine. Its all part of the job…
Meet The Team: The Trim Shop
November 16, 2020
Our trim shop is not only incredibly unique but it is also relatively new! The trim shop, as a functioning entity has only really existed since this year. Although we’ve had a trim specialist before, we never had a specific team and workshop dedicated to it until 2020! Both Kath and Brian have joined the Bridge Classic Car family this year and have been invaluable.
It’s rare to have an in-house trim shop at a classic car restoration workshop as many companies prefer to outsource, which comes with its own problems and communications. We, however, are very lucky to have ours in-house which not only saves time and miscommunications but also means everything is made to fit and can be fitted and tested immediately. This makes for swifter restorations and ultimately a better workflow. Anything that’s needed can be made and modified as needed.
Meet Kath
Vibrant and talented, Kath is one of our Trim Shop Trio.
Kath describes herself as arty and crafty, with always having a creative background. Kath holds a selection of qualifications from Interior Design to Spatial Design and history in painting and decorating as well as previous car trim work. Kath then joined the team in January 2020.
“I’ve always enjoyed making things and being creative. I like being hands-on.”
Kath loves VW’s and has always had a soft spot for them. She’s done up her own VW campervan before but currently owns a beautiful red VW Beetle which is her pride and joy.
Kath says she enjoys working in an in-house trim shop rather than outsourcing it as she did before, as you get more of a personal connection with the projects, “You’re never doing the same thing twice!” Kath tells us, “I love everything here, it’s so satisfying learning where everything fits and seeing it being installed.”
Meet Brian
Brian was the second Trim Shop specialist to join Bridge Classic Cars who started in March 2020.
Brian originally started working on Micralite planes but later moved to trim work and interior car design. Brian also worked with Kath at their previous workplace outsourcing interior trim, so made the perfect team when they both moved to Bridge Classic Cars!
Brian has always worked with interior trim and really enjoys being a part of the team.
“It’s great to see cars go from parts to being roadworthy. You have such a big part in keeping these old cars going.”
Brian says he’s always loved hot hatches but currently has a new mini but has his sights set on buying an original mini to do up too. “Working with cars like these, at some point you want to get your own!” Brian tells us.
Meet Rosie
The third and final member of the Trim Shop is Cockerpoo puppy, Rosie!
As an invaluable member of the team, Rosie offers morale and team spirit for not only the trim shop but for the whole of the Bridge Classic Cars team!
Rosie is now 9 months old as she was born on Valentine’s day. She certainly has a talent for spreading the love!
Rosie’s favourite part about being in the trim shop is getting visits from other members of the Bridge team who frequently give her cuddles and attention, she’s a real team player!
TR6’s New Trim
November 13, 2020
The trim shop has made the centre console for the radio. This entails measuring each section, cutting out those sections from the leather, and then from those pieces, creating a gaiter for the gear stick and an outer shell for the radio console.
The next step was to make and fit the carpets which includes bolting them down and adding deadening to the tunnel.
The speaker panel was next to be made and fitted. As well as the leather, the speaker panels also needed foam padding adding to it.
Once again, the trim shop has done an amazing job fitting the new interior to the TR6. With the seats added back in, it’s looking really smart!
Friday Snapshot
November 13, 2020
As ever, it’s been a busy week here at Bridge Classics. We’ve had new cars arrive like the Mini Clubman, we’ve had a new winner announced yesterday and lots of new developments with our current projects. Here’s what’s gone on throughout the week!
Peugeot 504
Our engine specialist Ady has been working on the 504’s engine by fitting the flywheel and couch before fitting it back into the Peugeot.
The Peugeot has also had a recent trim shop appointment, with new carpets being made and fitted by our expert, Brian.
1960 Black Jensen 514R
The Black Jensen has had new sills made and fitted to give the finishing touch to the bottom of its driver’s door.
1994 Nissan Micra Dot
The Nissan Micra has now been finished! The paintwork has been completed, bumps and scrapes were taken out and it’s pretty much ready to go again! This endearing little Micra would make the perfect first car for someone learning to drive!
1988 Nissan 300ZX
The Nissan 300ZX has come in recently and appears to have some rather severe rust issues on the lower door sills. Among other restorations, that rust and those holes will have to go! You can see the rest of the work here.
1963 Morris Minor 1000
One of our technicians, Scott has been working carefully on the Morris Minor’s dazzling red interior. The door cards, handles, and carpets have all been fitted.
1960 Lilac Jensen 541R
This Jensen actually belongs to Bridge’s director and founder, Gordon Ranson, and is now starting its restoration journey with us! There’s a lot to do but we can’t wait to see the final product!
One of our technicians Anthony has been working on the body, hand making a lot of the elements such as the boot floor.
Barn find Mercedes
Barn finds are like hidden treasures and we love them when they come in. Currently, we’ve got two prospective projects that need cleaning up and assessing before we know what needs to be done. We really hope we’ll be able to work on these two cars!
Over the Pond Austin Healey
This Austen Healey 100 BN1 is currently residing in America but could be ours soon! Keep an eye out on our website and social media pages for updates!
Craig’s new Gastron
When you work with classic cars all the time, sometimes you want to mix it up a bit. That’s exactly what our Director Craig has done! He’s recently acquired this 3 litre speed boat. Fingers crossed for nice weather soon then!
Red Jaguar E-Type
Another prospective project has been viewed recently and it’s a beautiful red e-type that needs some TLC!
MGB Blaze Orange’s New Trimming
November 13, 2020
Our trim experts have been focusing on making sure our new competition car, the 1972 MGB Blaze Orange Roadster, is all up to scratch. The latest fine detail that’s been tweaked is the trimmings in the boot.
Firstly Kath made a tool bag by marking out the pieces on the leather, sewing Velcro on, sewing the two pieces together, and finally, turning them over.
The next task was to make the boot carpet. This was done by cutting out the pattern from the material, binding the edges, and fitting it.
After all this is done, it leaves the MGB with a neat interior, reader for anything the world has to throw at it, or in it.
The Mercedes Has Blue Blood
November 12, 2020
Our 1987 Mercedes 500SL has had its colour transformation initiated with a prep mask being applied in the engine bay. It then continued to have prime and topcoat added.
Soon it’ll have a whole body of fresh paint.
BMW Sees Red
November 12, 2020
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!
Peony Red Jensen’s New Parts
November 12, 2020
Our specialist technicians have been working hard on the 1960 Jensen 541S restoration. The latest refurbishments include smoothing and correcting the doors by filling any holes, taking out rust and installing custom made metal pieces.
Our engine specialist Ady carried out a full engine rebuild and has modified the piston holes by making sure the edges are bevelled at an angle rather than a sharp 90 degrees angle. This ensures the pistons fit in neater.
The rest of the engine rebuild has included the rocker fingers being refaced and re-boring with bigger pistons
New In: 1979 Mini Clubman
November 12, 2020
We’ve got another new kid on the block and this time it’s a unique 1979 Morris Austin Mini Clubman with bespoke finishing! This beautiful Mini is set to be an upcoming competition car, so keep your eyes peeled for its release!
The mini had been with Roger Moorhouse from Roger Moorhouse Classic Car Repairs in Norwich for 15 years where no expense had been spared in its restoration.
This beautiful forest green Mini Clubman holds bespoke details such as the gold alloy wheels, wood vinyl interior, and pristine green and cream interior furnishings. A fun yet practical drive for family outings and roadtrips!
It’s had to have a few interior touch-ups to get the leather looking perfect. Our Trim Shop specialists Kath and Brian have been handling those refurbishments which include a new gear stick gaiter, gluing vinyl back onto the rear board pannels, and fixing any loose material.
1988 Ford Escort – Future Competition Car
November 12, 2020
This fully restored RS Turbo was being stored within our Vehicle Storage Hangar, however when the owner decided to offer the vehicle up for sale, we had to buy it.
Expect to see this car live on www.bridgeclassiccarscompetitions.co.uk within the coming weeks.
Another Jensen, Another Fan
November 10, 2020
One of our technicians, Paul, has made an aluminum mount for the fan in the black 1960 Jensen 541R.
This has been handcrafted from a sheet of aluminum in our workshop. The mount allows for the fan to sit in the engine bay and be supported.
The metal sheet was then painted and fitted to the back of the fan. Paul drilled in an extra set of holes to allow for more ventilation as seen below.
Bits And Bobs
November 10, 2020
The parts for our 1968 Triumph TR5 have arrived and our technician Mauro has set them all out to assess what’s there and If anything more needs to be ordered.
Within this pile of goodies, you can find brake parts, clutch, seat belts, chrome parts such as door handles, rubber for the windscreen, injector pump, radiator, fan, headlights, copper fuel, and brake lines as well as a huge host of other bits that will go towards making our TR5 whole again!
Happy Camper
November 10, 2020
Our beautiful 1973 VW T2 had its primer applied post acid bath.
Unfortunately, the process of removing the rust revealed a bigger than expected project underneath so the owner took the decision to store the VW and resume its work next year.
We’re excited to re-start work on this in 2021 as we know this T2 is going to look amazing when restored to its former glory!
ITV This Morning – November 2020
November 10, 2020
Our 1974 De Tomaso Pantera features in Alison Hammond’s recreation of Kylie Minogue’s iconic music video ‘Can’t get you out of my head’.
Last week the team took our restored De Tomaso Pantera up to the ITV studios to meet director, Harry Bott. Harry went to great lengths to find the same model and colour De Tomaso that featured in the original music video. Fortunately, we had restored this iconic Pantera, and the owner was happy to help out.
If you’re looking for a certain car for your production, whether it be an old classic or a more modern vintage number, we can help you out! As a company, we’ve had a number of our cars feature in TV and Film.
The full video will air on This Morning on 12th November so keep your eyes peeled.
You can see the car’s history with us here.
Here is the final edit played out on ITV’s This Morning…
There’s A New Cat On The Block
November 9, 2020
Our new competition car is a smart 1998 Jaguar XJR Supercharged in a moody navy blue and could be yours for under £10.
Don’t let the Jaguar’s elegant styling fool you, this performance machine packs a hell of a punch. The 4.0L Supercharged V8 engine catapults you to 60mph in just 5 seconds! The 380bhp XJR will pull hard, all the way to its limited top speed of 155mph.
These Jaguar’s were built to a very high standard and feel every bit a quality heritage British performance car
Full service in July 2020 at Jaguar Land Rover Stratstone Service Centre.
In February 2020, the XJR had the following new components: drive belt, water pump, rear shock absorbers, front disks and pads, brake fluid and rear wheel bearings. No expense has been spared on this car’s maintenance.
The current MOT expires in December 2020, however, we will be putting a fresh 12 month MOT on the vehicle before delivery to the winner.
You can enter this by heading over to the competition website or clicking here.
Meet the team: Darren
November 9, 2020
It’s another Meet The Team Monday! This Monday we’re pleased to introduce our Paint Shop Manager, Darren!
Darren started his career with cars in a similar way to many of our technicians did, by studying an apprenticeship, “I’ve always been into vehicles since I was a teenager” Daren tells us.
Darren studied his apprenticeship at the formerly known Potters Ford dealership in Framlingham, Suffolk, and has kept it local ever since. Darren joined our team in January 2019.
During his time studying general mechanics, Darren was given the choice to specialise and took the option to focus on Strip Fitting. From there he progressed to working with the paintwork.
“I still prefer doing body and paintwork because you get to see the rewards at the end.”
As our Paint Shop Manager, it’s down to Darren to ensure that the paintwork on each of our cars is matched, made, and added, as well as overseeing all the work that goes on in our Paint Shop.
Fun fact: one of the most popular cars in Darren’s birth year was the Ferrari 1973 Berlinetta Boxer. When launched, it competed with the Lamborghini Countach to be the fastest supercar you could buy.
Peugeot 504
November 6, 2020
Our trim experts have taken apart the 1972 Peugeot 504’s back seats in order to make the new ones.
Kath, one of our trim experts has unstitched the old seats and measured up the old parts onto new leather. Once this is done, the new parts are stitched together and flute lines added.
The flute lines need to be carefully added so that they line up with the ones on the back squab cover as seen here:
Anything But Minor
November 6, 2020
Our 1963 Morris Minor has had its oil seal removed and refurbished, engine rewired, new clutch added and an engine stabilizer installed.
Custom Trim
November 6, 2020
Whether it’s a specific design or a certain fit, we can make it. All of the work done in the trim shop is made by hand and designed perfectly for your motor.
One of our clients is making the hard choice between these 4 designs for the interior of their 1982 Porsche 911.
