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Refit – Putting the Windows on the 1969 Bentley T1 Back Together

April 6, 2022

The windows in the 1969 Bentley T1 have been getting built back up and refit into the doors by the restoration team at Bridge Classic Cars.

With the car freshly out of paint, the team very carefully have begun the process of getting everything back onto the car.

The mechanisms, glass and brightwork have all been reattached in place and tested to make sure they’re perfectly aligned with no issues binding or grabbing.

Prepped and Ready – Engine and Parts from the 1969 Morris Minor Convertible Ready for Paint

April 6, 2022

The restoration technicians in the Bridge Classic Cars workshop have been preparing and getting the engine and parts ready to be taken into our in-house paint shop.

Rob has worked on sealing up any openings in the classic 4-cylinder for our painter Chris to start work on. Each part has been steam cleaned and then hand finished in order to remove any grease or dirt which can affect the finish on the parts. Then, each individual piece is thoroughly cleaned down with spirits to get any form of grease or oil off and taken into our paint booth.

Piece by Piece – Painting the Bonnet and Boot on the 1987 Mercedes 500SL

April 6, 2022

The bonnet and boot of the 1987 Mercedes 500SL have been into the Bridge Classic Cars paint shop to be finished in the matching Selenit Grey to the rest of the bodywork.

Alan has been carefully preparing and readying the panels before they went into the booth to get the perfect finish identical to the rest of the classic Mercedes.

Taking Stock – New Parts and Trims Arrive for the 1969 Morris Minor Convertible

April 5, 2022

The new rubbers, parts and trims for the 1969 Morris Minor Convertible in with Bridge Classic Cars for restoration have arrived at our Suffolk HQ.

As part of the restoration, all of the perished and tarnished pieces will be replaced with the highest quality replacements that our team can source which we do with all of our restoration projects. The classic Morris Minor will be fitted with new rubber seals throughout and a series of new hoses to replace the stiff and brittle pieces that come of the car during teardown.

Along with the rubbers, the team have ordered several new pieces of brightwork to compliment the Minor once it is finished and looking just as it should do. This includes new bumpers, new over-riders, headlight surrounds and a series of new badges and handles.

The team also ordered brand new wings for the Morris Minor project to replace the originals which were removed and assessed by the fabrication and restoration teams.

Stripped Back – Preparing and Priming the Rear Bumper of the 1995 BMW 850CSi

April 5, 2022

The rear bumper of the 1995 BMW 850CSi has been taken off the car and is being prepared by the in-house restoration team in the Bridge Classic Cars paint and body shop.

Mauro has been carefully stripping, sanding and cleaning up the bumper of the 1990s GT car for the team in the paint shop to prime it. The clear coat on the piece was flaking and the colour had begun to change so the team are refinishing it to the same colour as the body thanks to our state of the art paint scanner.

After Mauro had finished preparing the bumper, it was taken into the paint booth where our painter Alan shot the piece in plastic primer and then high build primer to finish.

All in the Details – Preparing the 1987 Daimler Double Six

April 5, 2022

The paint and body team at Bridge Classic Cars have been working on preparing the 1987 Daimler Double Six for paintwork to begin.

The body team have been carefully and meticulously sanding and working each panel ahead of its appointment with our in-house paint booth.

While the team were working on each individual panel to get them perfect, they also welded up and finished off some of the small pinholes to get that flawless finish when it comes time to paint.

Each of the welds then had minimal filler work carried out just to flatten any low points caused by the finishing work.

This Just In – 1980 Porsche 924 Turbo

April 5, 2022

The restoration workshops at Bridge Classic Cars Suffolk HQ have welcomed this amazing 1980 Porsche 924 Turbo for our restoration teams to carry out some work on the classic sports car.

The car’s main reason for coming in is for an engine rebuild. The engine will be carefully inspected and assessed by the team and put together their report on the overall health and condition of the engine.

Along with that, the team have been asked to look into the fuel system, brakes, coolant system, intakes and suspension.

Keep an eye out on the Bridge Classic Cars news page for more updates on this fantastic 1980 Porsche 924 Turbo.

Changes – Modifying the Doors, Door Cards and Centre Console on the 1979 Arrow Ferrari Daytona

April 5, 2022

The 1979 Arrow Ferrari Daytona in the Bridge Classic Cars workshop has been having its doors, door cards and centre console modified to have several key authentic Ferrari Daytona pieces worked into the interior of the car.

The first part to be installed was the door lights. This involved very carefully measuring up the pieces as a template and drilling out a perfect hole to fit them.

Next, the door cards for the Daytona had to be heavily reshaped and modified to fit the new Daytona pieces. This involved the team stripping back the door card coverings for the fibreglass backing to be cut and reshaped, using minimal body filler in order to be smoothed out underneath its leather coverings.

The centre console had been reshaped and refined to more accurately replicate the original Daytona piece and match the level of detail in the interior of the 1979 Arrow Ferrari Daytona.

Remade – Making a New Window Sill for the 1969 Bentley T1

April 5, 2022

The team in the Bridge Classic Cars paint and body shop has been working on refitting the trims to the 1969 Bentley T1 after its respray.

Whilst fitting the window retainers/sills, the team found that one was heavily corroded and damaged. So, the team made a new piece using the original as a template to work from and fit into the handmade classic car.

With this piece now done and fitted into the car, the team can carry on getting the 1969 Bentley T1 back together.

Finished Up – Fitting up the Cover onto the Squab Seat of the 1955 Jensen 541

April 5, 2022

The in-house trim shop at the Bridge Classic Cars restoration workshop has been working on finishing up the rear squab seat on the 1955 Jensen 541.

Lydia and the trim team have made the new red leather covering for the squab seat from scratch specifically to fit the new foam and base intended for the interior of the classic Jensen 541.

Using what was left of the original material, Lydia created templates that she could then refine further to get the best fit and finish for the piece. After each piece had been sewn together, Lydia finished the edging for the seat in matching bright red for the final touch.

Once wrapped around the foam and base, Lydia could systematically staple the covering down to the piece carefully stretching and pulling it for the final shaping.

Adjustments – Adjusting the Carburettors on the 1968 MGC Roadster

April 5, 2022

The 1968 MGC Roadster is being worked on by the Bridge Classic Cars in-house restoration team to get the classic sports car running just right.

After road tests, the car was running slightly off so Jon set about adjusting the carburettors to get the 6-cylinder running perfect. Upon inspection, he found that 2 out of the 3 carburettors were flooding and allowing too much fuel into the chamber. After adjusting the rest floats, Jon could then work on adjusting and synchronising all 3 carburettors together and ran the car to check the issue had been rectified.

New Pieces – New Clutch and Ring Gear for the 1933 Austin 7

April 5, 2022

The brand new ring gear and clutch for the 1933 Austin 7 has arrived at the Bridge Classic Cars restoration workshop at our Suffolk HQ.

These pieces have been machined for us to install into the classic Austin. Our technicians confirmed the customer’s concern of the clutch being burnt out.

These pieces will be fitted back up to the car soon so keep an eye out on the Bridge Classic Cars news page for more on this amazing vintage Austin.

Fresh & Clean – 1957 MG A Gets a Viper Valet

April 5, 2022

The 1957 MG A Roadster has been treated to a full silver valet by the amazing team at Viper Auto Valet here at our Suffolk HQ.

Colin, the owner of Viper, carefully washed down the car to remove any contaminants from the paint before meticulously machine polishing to enhance the beautiful gloss of the vibrant red paintwork.

Viper Auto Valet handles the cleaning of our classics and makes them look absolutely stunning. Check them out by clicking here!

Secured – New Engine Mounts for the 1972 Lotus Elan

April 5, 2022

The 1972 Lotus Elan +2 which arrived from South Africa recently at the bridge Classic Cars workshop has had its full inspection completed and now, the work can begin on the classic sports car.

The technicians noted that the engine mounts had begun to deteriorate and were moving around too much for our liking. So, the team sourced a new set of replacements to be fitted to the car. Putting the car up on the lift and carefully undoing the old mounts, Jon was able to support the engine from underneath and move the car slightly up and down to free the old mounts.

With these out, he could install the new pieces between the engine and subframe and tighten them down correctly. But before then, Jon had to make some modifications to the mounts as it now made the engine sit around 5mm higher in the engine bay. So, Jon removed the mounts and elongated the holes towards the top of the opening in order to give some adjustability and drop the engine down away from the bonnet.

Along with this, he also adjusted the bonnet catches to line up perfectly and take some of the stress away from the piece and fitted a new bitumen sheet to the underside.

This Just In – 1994 BMW 650CSi

April 5, 2022

The beautiful 1995 BMW 850CSi has recently arrived into the Bridge Classic Cars workshop to be worked on by our in-house paint and body team.

The team will prepare and repaint the rear bumper and front scuttle panel on this iconic 1990s GT car for its owner as well as do the full inspection and assessment of the car.

Keep a look out here on the Bridge Classic Cars news page for more updates on the 1995 BMW 850CSi.

This Just In – 1973 Volvo 1800ES

April 4, 2022

This beautiful 1973 Volvo 1800ES has just arrived into the Bridge Classic Cars restoration workshops at our Suffolk HQ.

The car has come in for a series of jobs to be carried out by the in-house restoration teams but the car will also be fully inspected and assessed by the teams to make sure everything is tip-top on this classic unique Volvo.

Updates – Fitting New Warning Lights, Fuel Pump and Washer Pump to the 1968 MGC Roadster

April 1, 2022

The workshop team at Bridge Classic Cars have been working on getting through the list of jobs on the 1968 MGC Roadster.

The latest work to be completed on the car is the new addition of hazard lights fitted into the lower centre console of the classic convertible before specifically made blanks were installed in order to cover up any previous holes.

Along with that, Jon has run the wiring to change the switch for the washer pump from the original stork style to the newest switch style and fitted a new washer pump along with it.

At the back of the car, the team have installed a new fuel pump onto the car to sort out some fueling and idling issues with the car. Also, this has been installed as a matter of course to help with the longevity and ease of use of the car.

Gone Through – Servicing the 1981 Triumph TR7 V8

April 1, 2022

The team at Bridge Classic Cars have finished up the service on the 1981 Triumph TR7 V8 at our restoration workshops in Suffolk.

The car will also be given a mechanical check over by our restoration technicians who will report back any of their findings.

Changes – Modifying Dash Trim and Making the Glove Box Insert on the 1970 Bristol 411

April 1, 2022

The trim team at Bridge Classic Cars have been working on modifying and creating parts for the dash of the 1970 Bristol 411 for a left-hand drive conversion.

The dash cover and panel have been modified and stripped in order to work with the new placement of the ignition barrel and steering column. The ignition barrel also needed several small brackets made to reattach it to the column after the change over from right to left which after this was completed, meaning the whole piece could be recovered.

The team also handmade a new glovebox insert to work around the different bracketry and supports which now lay behind it.

Overhauled – Overhauling the Brakes on the 1952 MG YB

April 1, 2022

The 1952 MG YB in the Bridge Classic Cars workshop has come into our restoration team for a brake service.

Rob carefully took apart the brakes on the classic MG saloon to inspect all the shoes, seals, cylinders and hardware. Upon inspection of the front brakes, he discovered the wheel cylinders to be leaking and had soaked into the shoe material. So a new set of shoes and cylinders were installed into the front and adjusted out.

At the rear, the cylinders, shoes and hardware were all in good order and just required a rebuild and adjustment. After this, the brake system was bled ahead of it beginning road tests and adjustments if needed.

The Pursuit of Perfection – The 1987 Mercedes 500SL in Colour

April 1, 2022

The 1987 Mercedes 500SL has been moved from the preparation area at Bridge Classic Cars into the paint shop and then, into our in-house paint booth/oven.

The paint and body team, along with the fabrication shop, have spent a lot of time getting the classic R107 ready for its date with the paint booth making sure each part, panel and piece was perfect before beginning the painting process.

The car is being finished in a classic Mercedes colour, Selenet Grey. Most notably seen on the classic 280SL Pagodas, it was chosen to compliment the beautiful burgundy red interior that the trim team have made for the car.

So, with the car ready it was time for Alan and Nick to go into the booth with the car and lay down the first coat onto the body of the SL. Starting with the engine bay.

Alan began under the transmission tunnel and worked his way up and across the firewall making sure every inch was covered to give each coat an even and flowing look. The inner wheel arches and front core support finished off the first stage. Then, Alan began to work getting the scuttle panel and windscreen surround shot in the dark, deep grey and worked his way back towards the boot on the classic Mercedes.

The rear quarter panels and rocker panels were coloured line by line. Each gently overlapping on the previous to give the consistent and uniform look needed to achieve the flawless finish that comes with Selenet Grey. But with the car having its first coat complete, it was time to let it settle and get the paint mixed for the next round.

The 2nd coat was done in the same order as the first. Alan making sure to get every exposed piece of bodywork coated properly for the uniform look. Again, it was all about consistency and movement in order to achieve the finish on the classic R107. And once the 2nd layer had flashed off, Alan waited for the prescribed time and then shot the 3rd coat to finish off the car.

With that, it was left in the ovens to completely cure and harden. Once it has completely hardened, it will be carefully transferred back to the preparation area in order for polishing and preparation for the next stage.

Handmade – New Glovebox for the 1970 Bristol 411

April 1, 2022

The 1970 Bristol 411, which is having a LHD conversion carried out, has had a brand new glovebox insert made by our incredible trim shop.

Because of the change around in placement, the original insert conflicts with several brackets behind the glovebox itself. So, Brian has made one entirely from scratch built specifically for the car by hand. He took measurements from the car in our workshop to get the best fit possible and also keep it the same volume inside as the original.

It’s a beautiful piece for this unique and special project.

Update – Bracing the 1969 Morris Minor 1000 Convertible

April 1, 2022

The bodyshell of the 1969 Morris Minor Convertible has been braced by the Bridge Classic Cars fabrication team in preparation of the repairs to begin.

The team have braced and strengthened the bodyshell to ensure that not of the panels move out of alignment when they’re removed and to allow our fabricators to measure them up correctly and accurately to get the best possible fit and finish.

Behind the Scenes – Live Draw of the 1966 Jaguar MkII & 1970 Morris Minor

April 1, 2022

Last night, the 31st March 2022, the Bridge Classic Cars Competitions team welcomed our largest ever studio audience to find out who the lucky winners of the 1966 Jaguar Mk2 and 1970 Morris Minor 100 were.

We had put out an open invitation to attend this live draw, as we have done in the past, and the response was amazing. Lots of classics braved the unpredictable weather to make the journey to the Bridge Classic Cars Suffolk HQ to watch the draw and some to find out if they were going home in the same classic they turned up in!

With everyone in, we could begin the live stream to the Bridge Classic Cars Facebook page where the rest of our guests had virtually joined us.

Hayley and Freddie took everyone on a tour around the competition building where we store mostly our competition but also a few personal projects as well as certain customer restorations. Working their way around, giving all those watching a few clues as to what is coming up next with Bridge Classic Cars Competitions.

Then, it was time for the main event. Finding out who had been assigned the winning numbers. As always, the entry lists to each competition are published at 630pm the day of the draw before the live stream at 7pm sharp. The number is decided at random using a Google Random Number Generator.

To begin, we always do a test run to make sure that the generator is working correctly. Everything was working just as it should, so now it was time to spin the wheel and see who the lucky pair were.

First up was the 1970 Morris Minor 1000. Hayley input the criteria of numbers for the generator to choose between and with a click of a button and a flurry of numbers rushing past on the big screen, the new owner of the Morris Minor had been chosen. 1250 – the ticket allocated to Neil Brinson.

Next was the turn of the 1966 Jaguar MkII. Again, the ticket number was to be selected from one of the tickets published on the entry list. This competition had entirely sold out several hours before the draw, so after resetting the Random Number Generator it was time to find out who had won this classic Jaguar. Hayley input the numbers to be selected from and just like that, we found the Jaguar’s new owner. Ticket 3500 which belonged to Anthony Roberts.

Fit and Finish – Finishing the Interior of the 1969 Sunbeam Rapier

March 31, 2022

Our in-house trim shop at Bridge Classic Cars has finished the interior overhaul on the 1969 Sunbeam Rapier that arrived from South Africa a couple of months ago.

We believe the interior to have been redone at some point in its life but there were a few details on the car which the team just weren’t happy with so the plan was hatched to redo them. The trim team have been working on both the dash and the centre console to get the perfect fit for the car.

Along with that, Brian has made a new glovebox liner entirely from scratch to fit perfectly into the existing dashboard.

Soundtrack – Fitting the Stereo and Speakers to the 1968 MGC Roadster

March 31, 2022

The 1968 MGC Roadster in the Bridge Classic Cars restoration workshop has had its new stereo and speakers installed into the interior of the classic convertible.

Jon has been working on carefully running the wiring throughout the car from the rear pillars under the carpets and inside of the centre console to the new head unit for the stereo. With all of the wiring run, Jon could work on getting the head unit into place and wired up to the speakers to begin testing it.

Before and After – New vs Old Carpets in the 1952 MG TD

March 31, 2022

With the brand new carpet set fitted into the 1952 MG TD, we thought we would show you a comparison of the original carpets and the hand-made set made by the Bridge Classic Cars in-house trim shop.

Each of these pieces was individually cut and finished by our team and fit into the car to get the best fit and finish possible, as we have with all of our interior work.

Home Time – The 1965 Porsche 912 Paint Finished Ahead of It Heading Home

March 30, 2022

The paintwork of the 1965 Porsche 912 in the Bridge Classic Cars Paintshop is now complete!

With our part of this fantastic restoration project complete, it’s time for the classic air-cooled Porsche to head off for final assembly. The car arrived at the Bridge Classic Cars restoration workshop a few months ago, with a mismatch of different coloured panels which our in-house paint team have spent many hours correcting and perfecting. Alan, one of our painters, headed up the project and saw the car from its first steps into the preparation area to it being rolled out to be loaded into our enclosed transporter.

To mark this amazing project, we’ve put together a small gallery showing everything from the very beginning.

Headed Home – Team C Racing Mini Shell Heading Back for Final Build

March 30, 2022

The Team C Racing Mini has been completed by the Bridge Classic Cars in-house paint shop and is headed back home to Team C for final assembly.

The Innocenti Mini arrived at our workshops a few weeks ago and has had many hours of work put into it in order to get it looking absolutely perfect for the project. The car has even had the underside of the shell completely prepared and treated with tint matched Raptor Guard to protect it from the elements.

It’s sad to see some of our projects leave us but this one has been a pleasure. And, there’ll be a new Team C Racing Mini for the Bridge Classic Cars team to start work on soon.

First Colour – 1969 Bentley T1 has First Round of Colour

March 30, 2022

The beautiful and elegant 1969 Bentley T1 has been in the Bridge Classic Cars in-house paint booth to have its first layers of paint applied.

Chris and the paint team have worked hard to get the body of the classic Bentley into perfect shape before it headed into our paint booth. The Bentley is being repainted in the original Sage Green, which has been hand-matched by our paint department to get the colour just as it would have originally been done back in the late 1960s.

With this round of painting complete, the car will be taken into the preparation area and prepared to be finished.

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