Tag Archive: classic car repairs

Out & About – Meet-Up at Bentwaters & The Long Shop Museum Autojumble

This past Saturday, the 25th, was the planned Bridge Classic Cars Meet-Up and The Long Shop Museum Autojumble at Bentwaters Parks here in Suffolk. A coming together of classic cars and motorcycles with the world of vintage parts and automobilia.

The Bridge Classic Cars team arrived early at our storage facility, The Hangar. As we moved the cars from under the car covers, The Long Shop team began to arrive shortly before the first vendors got on site.

As the sun began to warm up the Suffolk air, the first classics came into sight. The plan was that Bridge Classic Cars would hold a free meet-up and the £5 Autojumble entry to The Long Shop Museum would go to help fund their restoration of a 1937 Buick at their Leiston workshops. As the sides of the airfield began to fill up with classics and modern cars alike, the steady flow of people back and forth from the Autojumble and into our Hangar grew.

We had put all of our projects and storage cars on display for everyone to see inside the hangar along with a host of our latest competition cars just outside, joining in with the growing crowd of vintage metal. The 1957 MG A Roadster and 1993 Land Rover Defender were in pride of place and were joined by a previous winner! The 1975 Ford Escort RS Mexico Recreation, which was won by Chris in November last year made its first outing of the year to come and meet up with us and everyone else.

The Autojumble was a mixture of parts and automobilia. From vintage garage signs to new shiny hardware, new motorcycle fairings to Victorian woodworking tools and everything in between. From one end to another, people trade parts for pieces and bought those rare gems that only come about with something like an Autojumble. Families came out to see, the older generation of petrolhead passing down the knowledge to those just beginning their journey into a bygone era.

The stream of cars into the classic meet-up was steady, with some leaving and immediately something was there to take its place. From classic Bentleys to a 1980s Nissan Micra. The wonderful part about all of this is the variety that you see and something like an open meet-up.

As the clock approached mid-day, the crowds began to thin. Other shows, other plans and other commitments saw the gatherings of classics disperse and it was time for the Bridge team to begin putting all of our project and storage cars back inside under their covers.

June 27, 2022 2:33 pm Published by

This Just In – 1958 Jensen 541R Arriving from Holland

The Bridge Classic Cars workshop welcomed the latest arrival to our Suffolk HQ recently, another very special Jensen.

This 1958 Jensen 541R is actually one of the prototype cars produced by Jensen as a proof of concept for the automatic gearbox option. It is also believed one of its original owners was part of the Lever family, which went on to become the global company behind Unilever.

It also features a custom, handmade grille which was made by the owner for the car that the team will incorporate into the reassembly for its owner but our team will be delivered to the customer with its signature radiator flap, a key element of the 541R.

This 1958 Jensen 541R has come to us from the Netherlands for our body and trim teams to work their craft on the classic GT car. The car will be fully assessed for any repairs that need to be made before it is refined and worked on by the body team while the trim shop begins work on the interior of the classic 541R.

The car will be finished in Ice Blue Metallic with a Lobelia Blue roof by the paint team with a complimenting dark blue interior and grey piping.

We’re always excited to welcome another 541 into the Bridge Classic Cars family and can’t wait to show you the progress very soon on this special 1958 Jensen 541R.

Have a look at the gallery below of the 1958 Jensen 541R as it arrived on its trailer from Holland!

June 27, 2022 11:17 am Published by

Behind the Scenes – Shooting the 1993 Land Rover Defender 90

Just launched over on the Bridge Classic Cars Competitions website is this! Our 1993 Land Rover Defender 90.

After a full check over by the Bridge Classic Cars workshop who gave it a clean bill of health after fitting the battery cut-off switch ahead of its date in front of the camera.

Recently the team took it out around our filming location near our Pettistree workshop to do the full video and photoshoot for the off-roader.

The beauty of the Defender was clear when as soon as we pulled off the beaten track, the truck felt at home. Uneven ground, changing surfaces and slow, steady progress across any type of terrain is the best place for a classic Land Rover. But then, as soon you put it back onto solid ground it became a pleasant cruiser. The updates done by the previous owner made the car far more civilised than one would imagine.

The quilted seats and upholstered armrests made driving the car an absolute delight on the road and made sure you had some comfort while the 4-wheel drive system did its work underneath you in the rough stuff. Although built in 1993, the truck was updated last year to a much more modern specification to use around town as a rugged, reliable daily driver or the perfect set-up for a weekend away in the country.

And now, it could be yours! Head over to the Bridge Classic Cars Competitions website right now and get your tickets to win our 1993 Land Rover Defender 90.

To see the full gallery and video, see below:

June 24, 2022 2:18 pm Published by

First Steps – The 1959 Jensen 541R Begins its Inspection

After arriving this morning at the Bridge Classic Cars Suffolk HQ, the 1959 Jensen 541R has already made its way onto the ramp for the team to begin assessing and inspecting the 1950s GT car.

As with all of our restorations and projects, the car will go through a full inspection and assessment by the various departments (both aesthetic and mechanical) to compile a report and come up with a plan for the restoration of the unique British grand tourer.

Keep an eye out on the Bridge Classic Cars news page very soon for more updates on the 1959 Jensen 541R.

June 24, 2022 1:55 pm Published by

A Rare Sight – 4 Jensen 541’s in the Bridge Classic Cars Workshop

It’s a rare and unique occurrence which seems to only happen here but, at the Bridge Classic Cars Suffolk HQ this afternoon we have 4 individual Jensen’s in our workshop!

Each of these cars are at different stages of their restorations. Some just starting such as the 1959 541R, and some are completely stripped and ready for rebuild like the chassis of a 1956 541 at the back in the centre while our finished 1962 Jensen 541S Peony Red which is on the ramp for the team to check a few things over for its owner.

It’s a rare sight even for us!

June 24, 2022 1:40 pm Published by

Double Checked – Checking the Fuel Sender on the 1951 Jaguar XK120 Roadster

As part of the checks on the reported fuel gauge issue with the 1951 Jaguar XK120 Roadster, Jon has checked some wiring on the classic Jaguar.

Jon has been in the boot of the Roadster to check the wiring for the fuel tank sender which also controls the fuel gauge. He checked the overall condition of the connections as well as performing a continuity test on the circuit.

All came back completely clear and showing a good ground.

June 24, 2022 12:42 pm Published by

Sealed Up Tight – Fixing the Rear Cam Seal on the 1951 Jaguar XK120 Roadster

Our technician Jon has been looking into an oil leak at the back of the engine on the 1951 Jaguar XK120 Roadster.

After inspecting the engine once it had been run up to temperature, he found the offside rear cam cover was weeping past its seal. After removing it, he found the seal was not the correct arrangement for the back cover on the cylinder head. Comparing it to the resource materials we have for these engines as well as several other freshly built Jaguar straight-sixes from the era we have in our workshop, Jon could come up with a solution to fix the oil leak once the cover was reinstalled.

After the test, there was no longer an oil leak from the back of the cylinder head. However, the rear mains eal in the engine does leak and out the bottom of the bell-housing of the gearbox.

June 24, 2022 11:10 am Published by

Bound – Binding the Carpet Edges of the 1970 Bristol 411

The new carpet set for the 1968 Morris Minor Van has been taken up from the workshop to the trim shop in order for the team to finish off the pieces for the car.

Lydia, has taken the individual pieces which were made Brian to create the neat hand-bound edges which run all the way rough each carpet panel that make up the entire set. Now with these finished, they can go back down into the workshop to be installed into the car.

June 24, 2022 10:59 am Published by

This Just In – 1959 Jensen 541R

The 1959 Jensen 541R which has been up for sale and stored at our secure storage facility, The Hangar, has been transferred over to our Pettistree restoration workshop to begin its journey.

The classic Jensen has been commissioned to be built by our workshop from the ground up for its new owner.

Keep an eye out on the Bridge Classic Cars news page for more updates very soon on the 1959 Jensen 541R.

June 24, 2022 10:45 am Published by

Refresh – Gearbox Service and Checking a Fuel Issue on the 1951 Jaguar XK120

The Bridge Classic Cars team have been working on the Jaguar XK120 with this round of work comprising of a gearbox oil change and looking into a fuel issue.

To begin with, the team began to look for a reported fuel leak at the rear of the car. Jon inspected all pipework to and from the tank, with no evidence of a leak anywhere to be found with all fittings tight and secure. Next, he looked into the issue of the fuel gauge not reading correctly, however for the team here the gauge worked correctly on test.

Moving on with the work we had been asked to carry out was a gearbox service on the classic Jaguar. For this, the team had to remove the gearbox drain and allow the entire casing to empty completely (the team also inspected the oil for any debris) before moving into the cabin of the XK120. Carefully they moved the carpets back and cover them. Then they could remove the inspection plate which allows the team to fill the gearbox from the top of the transmission. After that, the plate was put back on and secured, and carpets fitted back into place and hoovered throughout by the team.

June 24, 2022 10:03 am Published by

Refinished – 1987 Daimler Double Six Parts in Satin Black

The Bridge Classic Cars in-house paint shop have been working on refinishing some of the final pieces for the 1987 Daimler Double.

Various brackets, panels and the fan shroud have all been stripped, cleaned and prepared before being taken into our paint booth/oven to be finished in Satin Black for the project.

Once these have completely cured, the workshop team can begin getting them fit back onto the classic Daimler in with us for restoration.

June 24, 2022 9:52 am Published by

Behind the Scenes – Live Draw of the 1968 Morris Minor Van

Last night, Bridge Classic Cars Competitions found out who the lucky winner of the 1968 Morris Minor Van was and as always, we live streamed it on our Facebook page!

Moments before the live stream started, the classic Morris van sold out completely!

The night began with a walkaround of our new competitions building with Hayley and Freddie showing everyone watching along what we’ve got coming up and what is currently live on our Competitions website.

Then, Hayley handed over to our director Craig for a brief tour around our restoration workshop to show you a very special moment where we had 3 Jensen 541’s in for work, all in different stages of their build. From a bare chassis back from sandblasting to a full rebuilt frame and then a finished and complete 541R.

But, it was time to give the audience what they had been waiting for. Finding out just who had won the classic Morris Minor Van. So, using our random number generator and pre-published entry list the team began the process.

As Hayley input the numbers between 1 and 4199 in the number generator the anticipation built. Messages of luck were shared between total strangers on the internet wishing each other well. Then with one click of a button, the new owner had been found.

Robert Cargill had been allocated ticket 1124 – The number that had appeared on the random number generator and checked against our entry list.

After finding his details, Hayley gave him a ring live on the Facebook stream with possible the best reaction we have ever had to a competition. Robert and his wife were absolutely ecstatic with their new classic Morris Minor!

Remember, you could be getting that phone call too! There are always new dream classics going up on our Bridge Classic Cars Competitions website for you to enter, head over there now and get your tickets!

June 24, 2022 9:30 am Published by

Full Set – Making the New Carpet Set for the 1970 Bristol 411

The trim team at Bridge Classic Cars have been working on carefully removing the original carpets from the 1970 Bristol 411 in order to template replacement pieces as part of its restorative works.

Brian, one of our trimmers, has been removing the pieces from the classic GT in order to separate them into their basic parts for pattern making and to work out the plan of how they all lay into the cockpit of the car.

Once out, the original pieces are laid onto new carpeting and carefully cut, test fit and then bound before being put back into the car over the top of the replacement sound deadening material.

June 24, 2022 8:33 am Published by

Next Up – Sorting the Brakes and Sump on the 1951 Jaguar XK120

The workshop at Bridge Classic Cars have been working through the list of jobs on the 1951 Jaguar XK120 in with us.

Next up for our technicians is to sort out a binding front brake. Upon inspection, Jon found one of the wheel cylinders was in need of a rebuild, and looking closer discovered an issue with a brake hose. The cylinder was completely stripped down and thoroughly cleaned before reassembly. Then, once in place, Jon could remove the brake hose and replace it with a brand new piece before cleaning up the rest of the brake system and bleeding the brakes.

Next up was for Jon to sort out an oil leak from the sump. Assessing the sump area he found the inspection cover gasket had begun to weep so it was replaced with a brand new gasket before he turned his attention to the sump plug. Removing the sump bung, Jon found an issue with the threads which weren’t allowing the bung to be tightened down correctly and seal. So, the team carefully remove the threads and installed a Helicoil in its place for the sump bung to thread into and tighten down correctly.

Then, the engine could be refilled with oil and level checked.

June 24, 2022 8:00 am Published by

As good as New – The Steering Wheel of the 1905 Riley 9HP Gets Laser Cleaned

Our 1905 Riley 9HP has had its steering wheel removed by the workshop team here at Bridge Classic Cars to be sent off for a new cleaning process specifically made for delicate or antique parts. The steering well was sent to Re-Go Auto Parts in Kent where the team could carry out the process.

The original steering wheel shows 117 years of ageing across the wooden and metal surfaces of the piece. With a new process of Laser cleaning, the team could be extremely precise with just where and how strong the laser was. They cleaned up the main spokes of the steering wheel with a relative high-powered pass to clean off the steel but made sure that the power was turned down when passing over any softer materials like the aluminium.

The wood wasn’t touched by the laser. This was hand-cleaned by the team at Re-Go to bring it back to as close to the original as possible.

It looks absolutely incredible and we cannot wait to get it back to our Pettistree workshop to have a proper look at it.

June 24, 2022 7:45 am Published by

Tailored to Suit – The Tonneau and Hood Cover on the 1932 Lagonda Tourer

The trim team at Bridge Classic Cars have carefully tailored the new tonneau and hood cover specifically for the 1932 Lagonda Tourer in with us.

Lydia, one of our trimmers, has worked on refining the patterns for both pieces and in terms of the hood cover revised the entire piece to envelope the entire hood frame within the piece. These have been checked and double-checked before being transferred onto mohair.

Once on the final material, Lydia could make tight-fitting pieces perfectly tailored to suit the pre-war convertible with a single zip running up the centre to close the interior once the clips are pressed onto the body.

June 24, 2022 7:40 am Published by

Final Pieces – Final Metal Repairs on the 1969 Morris Minor Convertible

The fabrication shop at Bridge Classic Cars have been finishing off the final metal repairs to the 1969 Morris Minor Convertible before it is handed over to our paint and body team.

The team have finished up the repairs needed to the driver’s side rear quarter panel frame and sill before welding in the new patch panel into the body of the classic Morris. Once completed, the team could move on to getting the doors of the car repaired.

The door of the car required several new pieces to be welded in to remove any corrosion. The bottoms of the doors required a new piece from front to rear which was welded in to seal up the door ready for the body team to work on.

Next, the front valance and wings were then worked on with some small repairs done to fix a few areas in the valance and the replacement wings were trimmed and refined in order to get the best fit possible for the restoration of the classic Morris Minor Convertible.

Now, the car will be transferred from the fabrication shop over to our in-house paint and body department to be worked on.

June 24, 2022 7:26 am Published by

Clean & Set Up – Sorting out a Running Issue on the 1963 MG B Roadster

Our friend Chris has brought his Iris Blue 1963 MG B Roadster in for the workshop team to have a look at a running issue on the classic convertible.

When out for a drive and trying to pull away from a junction, the car stalled and wouldn’t restart until the car had cooled down enough. At the moment, we’re experiencing very warm weather here in Suffolk so the team wanted to get the beautiful MGB back to Chris as quickly as possible for him to enjoy in the amazing Summer weather.

Jon, our workshop technician, test drove the car and confirmed the issue with the car near our workshop. From there, he began to inspect the car and found a cracked fuel hose which was replaced with a new piece and then began to look at the carburettors.

Jon removed the units from the car in order to strip them down on the bench after noticing an idle speed issue with the car and adjusting it while running. This helped the pulling away problem but didn’t resolve it. So, a thorough clean-up of the body and ports inside. He also cleaned up the carburettor piston and jets to make sure that no sediment or debris was blocking the fuel flow.

Then, the carburettors were fitted back onto the manifold of the classic MG B before Jon took it back out on a road test to check for the issue. All was ok on the road test while pulling away from a junction after the car was up to temperature and started multiple times while hot.

After that, the car was signed off and delivered back to Chris to enjoy the amazing weather!

June 24, 2022 7:18 am Published by

Adjust and Inspect – Checking Over the Valvetrain of the 1951 Jaguar XK120 Roadster

The 1951 Jaguar XK120 Roadster in the Bridge Classic Cars workshop has had our technicians looking into the source of some noises believed by the team to be coming from the legendary straight-six engine.

For this, Jon removed the cam covers on the top of the engine to inspect the tolerances on the tappets which control the valves. After checking these against the spec, Jon did the necessary adjustments to each individual piece until all were within the original specifications for the car. Whilst there, Jon noticed some slack in the cam chain which controls the valves in the engine. On the Jaguar, this can be adjusted to either tighten or loosen the chain which was adjusted until the chain tension was also as close to the original specification as possible.

After everything was checked and double-checked, the cam-cover could go back on with brand new gaskets as well as new breather gaskets to ensure a tight seal for the straight-six. Then, it could be run up and tested and Jon reported no noises occurring in the engine bay.

June 24, 2022 7:13 am Published by

Headed Home – 1980 Austin Mini Van & 1985 Jaguar Sovereign V12 Headed to Their New Homes

Recently, our 1980 Supercharged Austin Mini Van and 1985 Jaguar Sovereign V12 which were won by their new owners were loaded up by one of our transport specialists ahead of their journey north to their new homes from the Bridge Classic Cars workshop in Suffolk.

The classic cars are both bound for Scotland where they will be united with their new owners. As part of every competition, the cars are delivered directly to the winner’s driveways for them to enjoy and adore.

We’re excited to see the adventures they go on!

June 24, 2022 7:05 am Published by

Preparations – Preparing the 1905 Riley 9HP Frame for Blasting

The workshop team at Bridge Classic Cars have been working on preparing the 1905 Riley 9HP for the next stage of its restoration journey.

Our technician Dave has been capping off any openings in the engine block or gearbox case after removing the entire rear axle and differential from the pre-war antique Riley. Then, Dave could move on to removing any small fixings and cappings which are too delicate to withstand the media blasting process.

The choice of blasting shot material is going to be plastic as this has been selected for the nearly 117-year-old metalwork due to not being as extreme or harsh on the material.

We can’t wait to see the frame and all the metal parts return for the car! So, keep an eye out here on the Bridge Classic Cars news page for more updates very soon.

June 24, 2022 7:00 am Published by

Full Service – Servicing and Fixing the Bonnet Stays on the 1958 Jensen 541R

The workshop team at Bridge Classic Cars have carried out a full service on the 1958 Jensen 541R which is in at our Suffolk HQ.

Dave, one of our restoration technicians, has carried out the service to the classic Jensen which also involved some work in the distributor to make sure this beautiful 1950s GT car runs smoothly and perfectly every time.

While in the workshop, Dave took the opportunity to carry out a repair to the bonnet stays of the car to make sure the bonnet stays open and does suddenly drop on whoever is working on it.

June 22, 2022 3:10 pm Published by

Going Back Together – Refitting the Bumpers and Adjusting the Sunroof of the 1987 Daimler Doube Six

The workshop team at Bridge Classic Cars are working on refitting and adjusting various parts to the 1987 Daimler Double Six as part of its restoration with us.

The team have worked on getting the sunroof of the classic Daimler back into the car following the adjustments needed to the rails and to fit a new seal for its final installation back into the car.

Then, the team could turn their attention to the rear bumper of the Double Six. The bumpers have been stripped down and cleaned up including the brackets which were carefully ground back and then refurbished to be reused on the car as they were in good condition after removing the surface rust. The only new pieces needed for this part of the restoration were the bumper inserts which were sourced and fitted to the car.

June 22, 2022 2:43 pm Published by

Blend In – Paint Repairs on the 1970 Jaguar XJ

In between the workshop technicians working on the engine and running of the 1970 Jaguar XJ, the paint and body team took the chance to carry out a few paint repairs to the classic Jaguar.

In some places, the paint had become very thin in a few areas of the wing on the Jaguar and also had a few dents in nearly the same area. So, the team carefully prepped thewing of the car in order to do minimal filler work before priming the area. Once primed, our body shop knocked back the whole area methodically using finer and finer abrasives to achieve a perfect finish before it went back into the paint booth.

Our painter, Al, carefully scanned an area of the car to get an exact match for the rest of the classic Jaguar before it is colour sanded and polished to match the finish on the rest of the car.

June 22, 2022 1:58 pm Published by

Out & About – Revo British Motorcross at Blaxhall

Last weekend, our director Craig took a trip out to a local Motorcross track with the next generation of Bridge Classic Cars, his son Loick, for a road of the REVO British Motorcross Championship.

Motorcross is a massive sport here in Suffolk because of us being so rural, with a wealth of national grade tracks within the county. With the world beginning to get back to normal in a post-covid world, getting out and enjoying motorsports, cars and supporting the petrolhead community is a perfect way to spend a weekend.

June 22, 2022 1:33 pm Published by

This Just In – 1953 Hillman Special

Sometimes we get the wildest cars to work on! This 1953 Hillman Special has just arrived at the Bridge Classic Cars workshop for the team to work on.

This Special belonged to the grandfather of one of our customers. It apparently hasn’t been run in several years and was taken off the road due to a clutch issue. The team here will begin by inspecting and assessing the car first of all to highlight any potential issues as well as investigate the concern of the clutch problem.

We actually don’t know a lot of information about the car and the history of the particular car. From the tiny amount of information we have managed to get, it is believed by our team to be a very early kit car of some kind. If you do know anything about this unique car, please get in touch! We would love to know.

June 22, 2022 11:44 am Published by