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This Just In – 1979 Pontiac TransAm

May 23, 2022

The Bridge Classic Cars workshop has had another new arrival recently, this iconic 1979 Pontiac TransAm for the restoration workshop to carry out several jobs on.

The teams will be getting this classic muscle car back in solid mechanical order while the paint and body team have a few small, sympathetic jobs to carry out on the car.

Keep a look out on the Bridge Classic Cars news page very soon for more on the 1979 Pontiac TransAm.

Devil in the Detail – Detailing the 2013 Porsche Boxster

May 23, 2022

The 2013 Porsche Boxster has been in the capable hands of our go-to valeter Viper Auto Valet.

The front end of the Boxster is being polished and cleaned before it goes into our in-house paint team to have its minor imperfections worked on to get it looking absolutely perfect for its owner.

Out & About – The Long Shop Pre-’60s Rally at Bentwaters

May 23, 2022

On Sunday the 22nd of May, the Bridge Classic Cars team welcomed The Long Shop Museum Pre-’60s Rally to our secure storage facility, The Hangar, as part of their tour.

It was an absolute pleasure to have so many classic and vintage cars, motorcycles and buses at our site and to learn more about the stories of each of the cars and their owners. Everything from the very early turn of the century European touring cars to 1950s American classics and everything in between.

During the stop at our site, Craig and Freddie did a walk-around to show all of our audience this amazing event which you can rewatch here:

To see the entire gallery have a look below!

In Colour – The 1987 Daimler Double Six Now in Colour

May 23, 2022

The 1987 Daimler Double Six has been taken into the in-house paint booth at Bridge Classic Cars once again to carry on its journey into full colour.

The team have spent countless hours making sure that each process and stage of the paint and bodywork for the classic Daimler is flawless and smooth. Each layer of paint is inspected and assessed even on the inside of the panels. With the inner panels now painted, the team masked up the bodyshell and could begin the process of laying down the dark blue onto the Double Six.

Patiently and methodically, the paint team swept layers of the deep blue across the body and wings of the car. One after another, the layers were built up to give the car its glossy and bright finish but to also build up the depth and contrast in the colour.

With this stage done, the Daimler is now curing before the paint and body team begin colour sanding.

Winners Circle – Our 1989 TVR S2 at Home with its New Owner

May 23, 2022

The 1989 TVR S2, which was donated by previous winner Jar Joyce, has been delivered to its new owner Brian Swain.

This classic TVR was donated by Jar back to Bridge Classic Cars Competitions to help support the DEC Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal. Through everyone’s kindness and generosity, we managed to raise over £38,000 which was donated weekly directly to the DEC in order to help those first-hand affected by the invasion and subsequent destruction and displacement.

All of us here wish Brian many happy miles and years with the classic TVR and again, thank you to everyone for taking part in this amazing charity appeal.

This Just In – 1993 Land Rover Defender 90

May 23, 2022

Recently, this imposing 1993 Land Rover Defender 90 arrived at the Bridge Classic Cars Suffolk HQ.

The classic Land Rover will soon be headed through our various restoration workshops and their teams to be completely inspected and assessed aesthetically and mechanically. The Land Rover has had some tasteful and well-installed upgrades to modernise the 1990s off-roader that set it apart from its rivals.

Keep a look out here on the Bridge Classic Cars news page for more updates very soon on the 1993 Land Rover Defender 90.

Out & About – Cars & Caffeine at Type 2 Detectives

May 23, 2022

Our friend Mark headed over to air-cooled Volkswagen specialists, Type 2 Detectives, over the weekend for their Cars & Caffeine event.

The guys over at Type 2 Detectives opened their doors to friends and visitors on Sunday for a meet up of not just Volkswagens but Porsches, BMWs, Lotus and many many more. Type 2 Detectives are known for their sensational builds specialising in classic air-cooled Volkswagen’s and it’s always a pleasure to see their work and the pride they take in it!

Check Over – Coltec Inspecting the 1940 Morris Gun Tractor

May 23, 2022

Our friends at Coltec came over to the Bridge Classic Cars workshop at our Suffolk HQ to inspect and assess the engine for the 1940 Morris Gun Tractor.

The engine is reportedly running rough and has a few issues so we invited Coltec to come and cast their expert eyes and ears over the classic military transporter.

They will be coming back again soon to carry out a few more tests and try to get to the bottom of the issues which are affecting the classic Morris.

Full Glass – Fibreglass Repairs on the 1956 Jensen 541

May 23, 2022

The Bridge Classic Cars body team have turned their attention to some all-important fibreglass repairs to the rear section of the 1956 Jensen 541.

The entire rear clamshell of the classic Jensen had developed a few issues with the material, so the body team carefully re-glassed the area in order to strengthen the piece and add material in for correcting the shape of the piece.

With fibreglass, its important the layers are built up flat and evenly to make sure it perfectly followed the shape of the panel underneath but also around the area.

This Just In – 2013 Porsche Boxster

May 23, 2022

The stunning 2013 Porsche Boxster has arrived at the Bridge Classic Cars for our paint and body teams to work their magic on the modern sports car.

The Boxster has got some very minor stone chipping and a few blemishes in its otherwise flawless paintwork which the team will be addressing.

Keep an eye out on the Bridge Classic Cars news page for more updates on the 2013 Porsche Boxster.

Behind the Scenes – Shooting our 1973 Triumph TR6

May 20, 2022

The Bridge Classic Cars Competitions teams have been out at our filming location to shoot our latest competition car, a 1973 Triumph TR6.

The team picked a perfect day for it. A series of delicate clouds against the pale blue sky above the Suffolk countryside was the perfect backdrop for the Saffron Yellow classic Triumph. Before this, the Bridge Classic Cars restoration workshop went over the car from head to toe in order to give it the green light to be driven around our filming location.

As the Suffolk air filled with the raspy sounds of the straight-4, the bright yellow drop-top whipped around with an air of excitement and freedom. A tool purely for the joy of driving. And now, we want you to experience this wonderful feeling.

Just head over to the Bridge Classic Cars Competitions now and enter for your chance to win this absolutely stunning 1973 Triumph TR6.

Prepared – Readying the 1987 Daimler Double Six for Colour

May 20, 2022

The paint and body team have been working to get the 1987 Daimler Double Six ready for the first coats of dark blue paint to be laid on the panels of the classic saloon car.

To begin, the Bridge Classic Cars in-house team painted the bonnet and boot lid of the classic Daimler. Once these had begun to dry, they were moved into the preparation area to fully cure while the body and wings were moved into the booth.

Then the team could begin to mask up the car ready to lay down the first coats of colour onto the body of the Double Six…

In Place – Fitting the Oil Filter, Power Steering Pump and Servicing the Brakes on the 1970 Bristol 411

May 20, 2022

The workshop team have completed the next round of jobs on the classic Bristol 411 in for a left-hand drive conversion at Bridge Classic Cars.

The first stage was to mount the oil filter housing to the opposite side of the engine bay after the conversion. The team have made sure that each component will not interfere with each other and also have enough space to be able to be safely worked on during the service of the car in the future.

Then, the team have carried out the final test fit of the power steering pump to the engine of the classic Bristol using the specially fabricated brackets. These will be taken off the car and finished in matching black to the other bracketry in the engine bay.

Next up, the team will be performing a full brake service on the classic GT car with a full inspection of seals, lines and pistons.

Final Pieces – Replacing the Wiper Motor and Repairing the Rear Cover of the 1980 Porsche 924 Turbo

May 20, 2022

The workshop team at Bridge Classic Cars have been working on the classic 1980 Porsche 924 Turbo.

The first job was to fit the new replacement wiper motor under the scuttle panel. The team carefully undid and removed the mechanism and then pulled the old motor out of the car to check against the new piece. With the piece verified, the team could then work in reverse getting the new motor hooked up and in the car.

Then, the team turned their attention to the rear boot cover. This piece retracts and rolls up normally, but it had developed a bind which caused it to not roll back into the cartridge. Our technician Jon carefully took apart the piece to free it and then carefully reloaded the cover into the cartridge and put it back into the car where when tested worked correctly multiple times over without hesitation.

Pulled Apart – Removing the Door Cards of the 1986 Daimler DS420

May 20, 2022

The Bridge Classic Cars in-house trim team have been working on the doors of the 1986 Daimler DS420 which arrived into our workshop from the USA recently.

The doors are being carefully taken apart so the panels themselves can be repainted. This involved the careful cataloguing and noting of each individual piece that came off the door from the small screw head cover to the large leather wrapped panels. The doors will then be taken into our paint and body team who will carry out a full assessment and then get to work on making the doors of the classic Daimler limo matching the rest of the car.

Back to Basics – Stripping Back the Seats of the 1955 Jensen 541

May 20, 2022

The interior team at Bridge Classic Cars have worked their way through the teardown of the front seats on the 1955 Jensen 541

With the seats in such a delicate condition, the team had to approach this task with a meticulous and thorough approach to get the classic Jensen’s bucket seats stripped all the way back to the fibreglass cores. The team made careful note of every fixing location and took detailed measurements and notes for the seats reconstruction later down the line.

Taken Apart – Stripping Back the Hood Frame of the 1969 Morris Minor Convertible

May 20, 2022

The interior trim team at Bridge Classic Cars have carefully stripped back the convertible hood frame for the 1969 Morris Minor Convertible.

This piece has been carefully taken apart for the interior team to inspect and assess the hood and trim itself but also for the frame to be sent away for media-blasting.

The team unpicked each seam and fold to remove the hood as intact as possible and also so they could gain access to the wooden spars. Most importantly, the front wood beam which the team noticed was damaged. Once they have had a chance to inspect and assess just just damaged it is, they can begin to work on getting the hood pieces ready for the frame to come back.

Mounted – Securing the New Power Steering Pump on the 1970 Bristol 411

May 20, 2022

The restoration team in the Bridge Classic Cars workshop at our Suffolk HQ have begun to fix the position of the new Power Assisted Steering Pump as part of the carts left-hand drive conversion by our workshop.

With the pump in place, the team could begin to inspect and assess the areas around the pump to make sure that the all-important belt isn’t interfered with or is in the way of anything else. For this, the team have made a custom set of brackets to hold the pump on the engine and perfectly in line with the other pulleys which will drive it.

Behind the Scenes – Live Draw of the 1985 Porsche 911, TAG Heuer Carrera & 2007 Jaguar XKR at Beach Street Felixstowe

May 19, 2022

With the weather getting better and better, the Bridge Classic Cars Competitions team decided to change things up a little bit. For this, we took our latest competition cars down to Beach Street in Felixstowe to find out who the lucky winners were of our amazing 1985 Porsche 911, TAG Heuer Carrera and the 2007 Jaguar XKR.

The setting was perfect by the coast as the late spring sun began to move back towards the horizon. The team set up the cars ready to show everyone online and everyone at Beach Street to look around, including a newly launched 1980 supercharged Mini Van.

After the usual walk around, it was time to find out who’s lucky day it really was. The team input the numbers for the Google Random Number Generator to choose from and then with a single click, it was done.

The winners:

  • 1985 Porsche 911 – Gareth Evans with Ticket Number 4541
  • 2007 Jaguar XKR – William Pearson with Ticket Number 3102
  • TAG Heuer Carrera – Andrew Parry with Ticket Number 2367

It was a brilliant evening for all and we, at Bridge Classic Cars Competitions, want to say a big thank you to Beach Street Felixstowe for inviting us down and we cannot wait to come back soon!

To rewatch the live draw, please see below:

First Colour – First Coats of Colour on the 1987 Daimler Double Six

May 18, 2022

The paint and body team at Bridge Classic Cars have had the 1987 Daimler Double Six in our in-house paint booth for the first layers of colour to be laid down.

The team have begun the process of colour by first painting the inner sides of panels, doors and also inside the door jams and inner arches of the classic Daimler. Each of these pieces has gone through the same process as the rest of the car in the run up to this huge milestone in the restoration.

Once this stage of paint has cured and hardened, the car will taken out and remasked ahead of its full repaint.

Back Together – Rebuilding the Brakes on the 1937 Austin Seven

May 18, 2022

After the strip down and inspection of the brake system on the 1937 Austin Seven, the team have been the process of getting it all back together.

The team began by reassembling the wire and arm system which control the whole set-up checking their action and regressing or tightening anything needed. The team also replace a set of brake shoes on the car which then were adjusted out to where they needed to be for the best brake feel. Once everything is back together and tested, the team will make any last minute adjustments for the classic Austin.

Covered – New Rear Matting in the 1980 Austin Mini Van

May 18, 2022

The interior team at Bridge Classic Cars have been busy making new rear matting for the load bay of the 1980 Austin Mini Van.

The team begun by making a paper template to ensure the matting would fit up tightly to the rear arches and meet perfectly in the centre of the classic Mini. Once each side have been marked out and cut from paper, it could then be transferred onto the matting and cut to size.

The next step involved gently keying the load floor inside the car to give it the best surface to adhere to. Then, very carefully it was put into place with the adhesive and left to cure.

Out Back – Trimming the Rear Floor Boards and Fixing the Dash Shelf of the 1968 Morris Minor Van

May 18, 2022

The Bridge Classic Cars trim team have been working on the interior of the 1968 Morris Minor Van at our Suffolk HQ.

The team began by removing the shelf underneath the dashboard of the classic Morris in order to carry out some much needed repairs and revisions. The team retrimmed and reformed certain areas of the shelf to make it as good as new for the beautiful classic van and then revised the brackets and fixings so it held into place perfectly.

After that, the team turned their attention to the back of the car. The rear compartment has hardwood boards which make up the floors in the van. These were removed by the team and taken up to our in-house trim shop to be refinished in matching black coverings.

Unseen – New Hardura for the Firewall of the 1970 Bristol 411

May 18, 2022

The interior team at Bridge Classic Cars have been working on finishing the firewall/bulkhead on the 1970 Bristol 411 which is having its left-hand drive conversion done at our Suffolk HQ.

The firewall and under dash area of the classic Bristol has been finished off, for the most part, which means the interior team can begin its finishing work. The finishing touch for the modified firewall is the hand-cut and edged hardura panel. This, has been templated and made specifically for the Bristol to work around the various changes which have been made by the restoration workshop.

Progress – Continuing Work on the Interior of the 1955 Jensen 541

May 18, 2022

The Bridge Classic Cars interior team have been making progress on the interior of the 1955 Jensen 541.

Each part of the interior of the car has been entirely made by hand by our trimmers. The team have taken each individual pieces from the kick-boards to the seat bases and turned their skill to not only the strip down but also the evaluation and rebuild. The team carefully strip everything back to their core components before any need repairs are made or wether they will need to be entirely remade for the classic Jensen.

The finish that the Bridge Classic Cars interior trim team can achieve is because of this care and skill from the earliest stages to the final product.

Stopping Power – Freeing the Brakes and Replacing the Handbrake Shoe on the 1980 Porsche 924 Turbo

May 18, 2022

The restoration workshop at Bridge Classic Cars have been working on freeing and fixing the brakes on the 1980 Porsche 924 Turbo.

The car had a concern of the front nearside brake binding on while driving. The team stripped back the calliper and freed it loose. From there, the team inspected the rest of the brakes and began work on the handbrake of the classic Porsche.

Upon inspection, the team found the handbrake shoes were in need of replacement so a new set was ordered and fitted then adjusted to spec.

This Just In – 1973 Triumph TR6

May 18, 2022

This beautiful 1973 Triumph TR6, finished in striking Saffron Yellow, has just arrived at the Bridge Classic Cars Suffolk HQ.

The classic Triumph will go through our workshop for our in-house restoration teams to assess and inspect before reporting back on the condition of this wonderful classic sports car.

Keep a look out here on the Bridge Classic Cars news page for more on the 1973 Triumph TR6.

Finer Points – Repairs Continue on the Rear Arch and Valance Panel on the 1969 Morris Minor Convertible

May 17, 2022

The Bridge Classic Cars fabrication team have been continuing with the metal repairs to the rear arch and valance panel of the 1969 Morris Minor Convertible.

The fabrication team have been working on thoroughly removing the corrosion from around the body shell of the classic Morris. This meant removing panels and closures to be able to inspect, assess and evaluate the condition of the metal structures underneath.

The first stage was to remove the corroded piece at the top of the rear arch. This was meticulously cut out of the car so the team could hand-fabricate a replacement piece that would perfectly fit the car and try to retain as much of the original car as possible.

Once this was in place, the team turned their attention to the rear valance panel. A corner of the piece had become corroded and needed replacement. This piece, like the arch was hand-fabricated to ensure the best fitment and to preserve the originality of the car.

Key Points – Progress on the 1970 Bristol 411

May 17, 2022

The restoration team in the Bridge Classic Cars restoration workshop at our Suffolk HQ have been making progress on the 1970 Bristol 411 in for its left hand drive conversion.

The team have begun the work by rebuilding and fitting out the modified firewall/bulkhead with the necessary systems moved from one side of the firewall to the other. This has been done for the next stage where the team have fitted up the heater hoses and pipes from the heater box under the dashboard of the classic Bristol.

After this, the team moved to the underside of the car to begin work on several jobs that need to be completed. The first, was to fit the newly fabricated jacking plates onto the car. These could now be fitted after the repairs carried out to the sills of the car and everything being structurally sound.

Next, was a quite badly corroded area in the battery compartment of the classic Bristol. This was cut out with a new plate welded in its place to strengthen the floor of the area.

Whilst under the car, the team noticed some corrosion to boot floor support which had been filled with fibreglass but corroded through to the boot floor on the near side rear of the car. This area was carefully marked and cut out of the car in preparation for the new piece to be templated and welded into the car making the boot floor stronger and sealed.

Stripped Back – Stripping and Inspecting the Brakes on the 1937 Austin Seven

May 17, 2022

The workshop team at Bridge Classic Cars have turned their attention to the brake system of the 1937 Austin Seven which arrived recently at our Suffolk HQ.

The team began by first inspecting each of the drums of the classic Austin for any leaks, cracks and the overall condition of the wheel cylinders and adjusters. All of the mechanical linkages were also stripped down and inspected for any sort of binding or rubbing which may cause the braking system to not be as effective as it could be.

Each of the drums were individually stripped back and inspected on the work bench and their conditions noted.

© Bridge Classic Cars Holdings Ltd, T/ as Bridge Classic Cars. Registered in England and Wales with company number 5047706.