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From Our Director – Celebrating our Friendship with Stephen Norman

February 25, 2022

In 2018, I had one of the last 500 MG Midget rubber bumper cars to run off the assembly line for sale.

I was contacted by a gentleman from Luton who asked if he could come and look at it the following Saturday.

Having had a previous bad experience with a company in Luton we joked that before he came he had to admit that he wasn’t anything to do with that company and an appointment was set.

Saturday morning was dry, the car was clean and Stephen turned up. He loved the car but admitted immediately that it wasn’t the car for him. Hey ho, can’t win them all. Would you like a coffee?

Stephen was immediately drawn to the Etype series one rebuild under construction and was very complimentary of our work and attention to detail.

Stephen and I are similar ages although I look a lot younger. Coffee poured we talked about all the cars we had cut our teeth on and then he admitted that the reason he was looking at the midget was that he had in fact as a younger man owned an MGB roadster, rubber bumper in the famous Tundra Green and loved it. He then went on to say that the Etype in the shop was lovely but he didn’t consider rebuilding any more classic cars due to his previous bad experience with restorers.

I tried to impress on him that not all restorers can be tarred with the same brush and he said if I ever came across the infamous Tundra Green let him know as who knows he may chance another rebuild.

Liking a challenge I set straight out on a journey of MGB discovery.

He then asked about the other company in Luton that I had asked him if he was in their employ. I joked that they had done me harm but again not all of their trade can be tarred with the same brush.

What do you do then Stephen, I asked. Casually he said ”I am the Managing Director of Vauxhall Motors”. Wow!!!!

Bridge Classic Cars moved into new premises in Pettistree near Woodbridge and like all companies setting up a new plant buying as cost-effective as possible. We went on a Saturday morning to our local Auction as some Pallet racking was on offer and it was just what we needed.

Whilst waiting for the Auction to start I received a phone call, ”Are you looking for a Tundra Green MGB, rubber bumper as I have one?” My quest had at last been fruitful. ”Yes, how much?” ”Don’t you want to know the condition?” I really needed just the competitive cost as it was to be a Concours rebuild. ”£1000”. ”I need to make a call and I will get back to you”.

The call was made, the car was bought and suddenly I was going to build a car for the Managing Director of Vauxhall Motors.

The car we built can be seen on our completed Projects on our website as can all of our work.

During the build and the numerous visits that we had a couple of things happened. Stephens’s love of all things automotive shone through and our personal friendship grew.

During one visit he noticed a Senna Brown TR6 that I had bought for myself. I love those he said, could you build me that for the same sort of cost, I wouldn’t want it Brown I would want it in Magenta. The second build started and the friendship continued to flourish. Again the build can be seen on the website.

A call one evening from an excited Stephen said that he had been offered a new position and that he was to become “Senior Vice President Sales, Marketing and After Sales based in Ruesselsheim, Germany” and that would be it until his retirement.

Retirement, I think this has always played on his mind as did the Etype that he originally saw in our workshop.

”When I retire I would like to have a Series 3, V12, Etype, convertible, with a hardtop in Heather (pink) with cerise leather (nearly pink) God it’s the colour thing again. Tundra Green now Heather. Can you build me one but it has to be left-hand drive, a new twist. ”

I found a white car in America that was owned by a Hollywood film producer, fitted the bill perfectly but unfortunately, the cerise leather was somewhat harder to find and it had to be the exact colour as Stephen knows what he wants and he is a perfectionist.

The car was shipped and without doubt, it was the straightest, rust-free car we have ever had through the shop. Now we had to tackle the issue of colour. If it is not heather then it has to be Fern Grey (green again) with green leather (green again).

The car is nearing completion as is Stephens’s illustrious career as one of our automotive legends. As I write this Stephen will retire at the beginning of next week on the 28th February 2022 and all at Bridge Classic Cars wish him a happy retirement and a special thank you from me for the business, the trust you have put in my company and for the friendship that I know will continue for many years to come.

Happy retirement and I will see you on the 11th of March 2022 for some driving of some spectacular cars.

Moving Along – Working on the 1959 Austin Healey Frogeye Sprite

February 25, 2022

The 1959 Austin Healey Frogeye Sprite in the Bridge Classic Cars has been moving forward towards the goal of running and stopping perfectly.

First on the list of jobs was for our technician, Dave, to look into the cooling system on the iconic classic sports car. Dave began by looking at the radiator, which on inspection had a broken mount for which he fabricated a new replacement for. With the radiator out, the workshop could then work on replacing the water pump for the car.

Dave found the old water pump wasn’t in the best of shapes so it’s good that we had been asked to replace it with a customer supplied unit. During this time, he took the opportunity to completely flush out the cooling system and clean up the outlets. With this, it was found the thermostat was packed almost solid. The battery on the car has also been replaced and the battery tray rust treated.

After this had been completed, Dave could begin his inspection of the suspension and brakes as part of the car’s pre-MOT check. He found the driver’s side track control arm was loose and the bolts which held it were so corroded they couldn’t be tightened accurately. So, he removed the old bolts, cleaned the threads in the arm and replaced it with new hardware from our stores. Whilst inspecting the braking system on the Frogeye, Dave discovered that the master cylinder had become corroded internally from sitting which in turn had caused the wheel cylinders (which were recently fitted) to seize. Replacements were going to be needed to get the brakes on the Frogeye working correctly.

With this and waiting for several parts, Dave could now move on to the next jobs on the list…

Getting to the Bottom – Stripping the 1980 Saab 99 Turbo

February 25, 2022

As part of the assessment on the 1980 Saab 99 Turbo in with Bridge Classic Cars, our technicians wanted to know just how far the rest had set into the classic Saab.

The process began with our friends at Car, Glass and Trim pulling out the front, rear and side window of the car for our technicians to assess all the window channels for any corrosion. Then, the team began removing the body panels to inspect behind them.

After that, the team had a much better idea of the level of metalwork and bodywork needed to bring this classic Saab back to the best condition possible. As you can see, the rust runs deeper than first anticipated but it’s no problem for our restoration teams who will begin the process of getting this iconic early turbo car back to its best.

Ready for the Road – Alfa Romeo Spyder Now UK Registered

February 25, 2022

The beautiful Alfa Romeo Spyder in at Bridge Classic Cars has gone through the process to be UK registered after arriving from South Africa late last year.

With this now complete, we could order the number plates for the car and get them fitted to the stunning Italian sports car.

Now that the car is registered, very soon you’ll be able to see just what the future holds for the Spyder.

The Other Side – Rust Repairs to the Arches and Door on the Passenger Side of the 1987 Daimler Double Six

February 25, 2022

The fabrication shop at Bridge Classic Cars have begun work on the rear passenger side of the 1987 Daimler Double Six to fix any of the rust issues in this area.

Our fabricators have replaced several areas around the wheel arches and sill which had entirely rusted through. Monty, our fabricator, has hand made new patch panels for these areas to make sure that everything in that area is solid and rust-free.

The fabrication team have also had to make a new wheel arch edge for the classic Daimler. This had unfortunately been affected by rust and spread into the bottom of the rear door. Each of these pieces were then cut out, prepared and new pieces welded in to remove any trace of corrosion.

With the new metal in the rear quarters of both sides, Monty can keep moving rearwards on the Double Six to get the body completely rust-free before it goes into the Bridge Classic Cars paint shop.

Updates – Preparation and Discoveries on the 1987 Mercedes 500SL

February 25, 2022

The 1987 Mercedes 500SL in the Bridge Classic Cars body shop having its engine prepared has turned up some new discoveries.

Our body and paint technicians have been working on getting the engine bay of the classic Mercedes into the same shape as the outside of the car but upon further inspection during sanding, some areas have some rust issues and previous poor repairs.

These will need to be addressed before the rest of the engine bay is finished in primer ahead of its colour coat.

Alongside that our technician, Mauro, has removed several pieces of the suspension in order to get to the harder to reach areas of the classic Mercedes. This is is to make sure every area of the car is inspected, prepared and primered.

First Steps – 1969 Bentley T1 in Primer

February 25, 2022

The 1969 Bentley T1 has been moved from the Bridge Classic Cars body shop into the paint shop to begin its journey towards its full respray.

The team at Bridge Classic Cars have been working incredibly hard to carry out the rust repairs on this beautiful classic Bentley. With those now completed properly for the car, it was moved so our body shop could begin to prepare it for its appointment with the spray booth.

With the body prepared and cleaned down, our paint Chris wheeled the Bentley into position and began laying down the first coats of primer onto its newly reworked body. This layer will be used as a guide for the body shop technicians to see which areas need to be worked on to get the panels perfect before the full respray on the car.

Moving Forward – Work on the 1986 Ford Capri Wiring, Brakes, Suspension and Parts

February 25, 2022

The team in the Bridge Classic Cars workshop have been working on the 1986 Ford Capri to get everything working exactly as it should.

First, our technician Jon continued to work on the wiring under the dash of the classic Ford. He found a few repairs to the original wiring which were causing the original radio to not work correctly. So, with the repairs done to the harness and cleaning up unneeded wires, the original radio was now working just right.

Next up, he fitted the freshly repainted and refurbished engine bay pieces into the car. Several shrouds, the rocker cover and pipes were painted by our in-house paint shop for the Capri to give the engine bay a new fresh and clean look.

Finally, work could begin under the Capri. With the car up in the air, Jon had access to the suspension and brakes. First up was replacing the anti-roll bar bushes. These had perished over time and were allowing too much flex, so a new set of replacements were ordered and installed underneath. Whilst in the air, Jon could begin looking into an issue with the rear brakes.

Our other technicians on the car’s initial inspection noted a slight brake bind on the rear. So, Jon looked into the issue and found the rear drums were in need of a rebuild. Along with that, he replaced the hardline that runs across the rear axle to the new wheel cylinders. Then, after bleeding the brakes he reported that all was now OK and no more brake bind.

Now, it’s time to move on to getting the 1.6 litre 4-cylinder running properly.

Guided – 1965 Porsche 912 Body and Bonnet in Primer

February 25, 2022

The 1965 Porsche 912 in the Bridge Classic Cars body shop has been moved into the paint shop to go through the next stage of primer work and sanding along with the bonnet.

Alan, has been working on the classic Porsche to get the body and all the panels into perfect shape before the car has its next stage of primer. Once the air-cooled Porsche had been moved into the paint booth, our technicians could lay down the first of several coats of polyester primer onto the body and the top of the bonnet.

After several more coats of both Polyester primer and Epoxy primer across the Porsche, it was then taken back out into the body shop to have its final sanding process started before the trip back into the paint booth for its journey into final colour and clear coat.

Bringing Up the Rear – Tackling the Rust on the Rear of the 1987 Daimler Double Six

February 25, 2022

The Bridge Classic Cars fabrication department have been working their way towards the rear of the 1987 Daimler Double Six and ultimately towards the end of the fabrication work needed on this classic Daimler.

Monty, one of our fabricators, has been carefully working on cutting out the rear sill and rear arch to perform the necessary repairs. Each of the pieces has been made by hand to ensure the best fit and finish on the patch panels. Monty has only removed the affected areas to retain as much of the original metal as possible that is still in good shape. This included a section of the rear door which had rusted out, along with the leading edge of the arch/door jam.

Inch by inch, he welded the new pieces onto the bottom edges of the car until finally the job was completed. All of the pieces were formed and pushed/pulled to the best possible fit so when it is moved to our body shop, there will be as minimal filler work as possible before the car’s respray.

Strip and Clean – Rebuilding the Brakes on the 1958 Morris Minor 1000

February 24, 2022

The Bridge Classic Cars workshop have been working on servicing and refurbishing the front and rear drum brakes on the 1958 Morris Minor 1000 currently in with ourselves for some work.

Our technicians have taken apart the drums all the way back to the carriers and hubs to be able to fully inspect and assess each part of the drum. The shoes and wheel cylinders needed to be changed as the customer had noted the brakes were very poor even after a recent master cylinder was fitted. After every piece was cleaned and prepared, Rob began to put the whole system back together before testing.

After testing and adjusting, all 4 drums on the Minor 1000 were working perfectly and when the time comes, ready for the road ahead.

Remove and Repair – Fixing the Sunroof Mechanism on the 1986 Ford Capri Laser

February 24, 2022

Our recent arrival, the 1986 Ford Capri, has been inspected by the workshop who noted the sunroof on the classic Ford wasn’t working correctly. So, the whole mechanism was removed to be completely assessed by the team.

They found that one of the arms which control the tilt of the sunroof had broken, causing it to not load in and out of the roof correctly. After days of searching for this piece everywhere online, our fabrication team have expertly made a new piece to go back on the car.

With this installed back on the mechanism and the sunroof back in the car, it has been tested by the workshop and works correctly every single time.

This Just In – 1954 Jaguar XK120 Project

February 24, 2022

Bridge Classic Cars have recently acquired this beautiful 1954 Jaguar XK120 for sale as a project to be restored.

This XK120 was in the process of being restored by its previous owner who could not complete the project, unfortunately. This XK120 project comes with a full V5 as well as a spare chassis and boxes of spare parts to complete the project.

The previous owner managed to get hold of a correct 3.4-litre straight-six engine for the project, but the car itself is not numbers matching. The car if bought, however, could be restored by our workshops if required.

For more information have a look on the advert on our brand new sales platform, MyClassics!

Click here to see the 1954 Jaguar XK120 Project on MyClassics

New Arrival – 1954 Jaguar XK120

February 23, 2022

The latest arrival into The Hangar, the Bridge Classic Cars secure storage facility is this legendary 1954 Jaguar XK120.

This car was acquired by ourselves due to the owner, unfortunately, passing away and therefore the project has been left incomplete. Tom and Brian went to pick up the car, the spare chassis and the numerous spare parts which had been sourced for the car by its previous owner.

This 1954 Jaguar XK120 will soon be up for sale on the new Bridge Classic Cars MyClassics website.

Roof Repairs – Fixing the Convertible Hood on the 1952 MG TD

February 22, 2022

The 1952 MG TD in the Bridge Classic Cars workshop has been having its convertible roof fixed by our in-house trim shop.

Brian, one of our trim experts, has been working on removing the original webbing straps before replacing them with all new pieces. For this, Brian has had to remove the convertible roof in order to properly remove the complete straps.

The straps themselves are attached to the body at the rear which Brian had to carefully undo so the new pieces could be put in. With the new pieces, Brian could put the whole roof back together and fitted up perfectly.

Getting Ready – Removing the Dash in the 1970 Bristol 411

February 22, 2022

The 1970 Bristol 411 in the Bridge Classic Cars workshop is continuing its journey on being converted to left-hand drive.

Our technician Paul has been removing the wiring and gauges from the wooden dash of the classic British GT. Along with this, is removing the metres of wiring from behind the dashboard as well. All of these have been labelled and catalogued for when the reassembly begins after the conversion to left-hand drive.

All of these parts from the dash have also been photographed, catalogued and put into storage for the car.

The Smallest of Details – Rust Repairs on the C Pillar of the 1969 Bentley T1

February 22, 2022

The 1969 Bentley T1 in the Bridge Classic Cars workshop for restoration, has had more metalwork done to get the car back into a better condition.

This time, our technicians found a small hole in the driver’s side C pillar which had to be filled properly. This had previously been filled with body filler and painted over but our team decided that it needed to be fixed properly before the project moves forward.

Dave, carefully filled the hole and ground it back to shape the weld into place so as to make it easier for the body team when it comes to the minimal filler work before the car is completely repainted.

Behind The Scenes – Shooting the 1973 MGB GT V8

February 22, 2022

The freshly rebuilt V8 burbled in the winter air outside of The Hangar. The Bridge Classic Cars team had been waiting a long time to shoot this particular car, the 1973 MGB GT V8.

With all of the work complete on the car, including the engine rebuild, a new clutch, new wheels and tyres, it was time for the car to go through its photo and video shoot. As the Bridge Classic Cars team set off across the airfield, the GT V8 looked incredible in the bright, low sun.

This particular car has some upgrades which really go to help the useability of the car. The car had previously been fitted with a 5-speed gearbox so the Bridge Classic Cars replaced the ageing clutch to help its next owner use the car more easily. That and the completely rebuilt all-aluminium V8 which ran faultlessly lap after lap during the filming thanks to the newly fitted electric fans.

As Hayley drove the car that morning, we could all tell this was going to be something very special for its next owner.

In the Booth – Priming the Panels on the 1987 Mercedes 500SL

February 22, 2022

The rest of the panels from the 1987 Mercedes 500SL which is in with Bridge Classic Cars for restoration have been in the in-house spray booth to be finished in bright white primer.

Chris, one of our amazing painters, has been getting the first layers of finishing primer onto the pieces of the classic Mercedes. This is all being done in preparation for the car to be completely refinished in the Mercedes Pagoda colour, Selenit Grau.

It’s all moving quickly now on the restoration of this beautiful Mercedes R107 and we can’t wait to show you the next step!

Remade – New Aluminium Wheel Arches and Boot Lid Stripped for the 1956 Jensen 541

February 22, 2022

The Bridge Classic Cars body shop have the wheels arches of the 1956 Jensen 541 on the workbench currently.

Our body shop have been forming the new aluminium wheel arch lines by hand for the classic sports car. All of these pieces have to be made by hand for the car due to each arch being slightly different to one another, so for the best fit, our team have made them individually for the car.

Along with that, our teams have finished stripping back the boot lid of the 541 ready for primer and filler work to be completed and ready for paint.

Preparations – Preparing and Inspecting Components for the 1987 Mercedes 500SL

February 22, 2022

The Bridge Classic Cars body team have been working on getting the parts and pieces from the doors of the 1987 Mercedes 500SL prepared and catalogued before being painted and put into storage.

Mauro has been working on checking each of the components before then carefully disassembling and refurbishing anything that needed to be reworked before final assembly on the classic Mercedes.

From Scratch – New Cubbies for the 1955 Jensen 541

February 21, 2022

The Bridge Classic Cars in-house trim shop has been continuing to work on the interior of the 1955 Jensen 541. This time, Brian has been handcrafting new storage boxes for the rare and unique sports car.

Bridge Classic Cars have become the go-to for Jensen 541 restorations which include our hand-made interiors. Brian, has been working on the new cubbies for the 1955 Jensen 541. These have been entirely made from scratch by hand specifically for this car by Brian and trimmed in brand new black vinyl for the finishing touch.

These are being made as part of the interior that the Bridge Classic Cars in-house trim shop are making specifically for the car.

Second Coat – 1965 Porsche 912 Parts in Primer

February 18, 2022

Some of the panels and pieces from the 1965 Porsche 912 have been into the Bridge Classic Cars in-house paint booth for their first coats of primer.

Alan has been working on getting these panels ready for the polyester primer in the previous days which has involved hours of careful sanding and reworking of the metal. Now, it was time for the panels to go in for the first round of primer for the classic Porsche.

Now with the panels currently curing in the paint shop, Alan will begin getting the other parts of the 912 ready to go into the paint booth.

Removals – Removing the Suspension and Steering from the 1970 Bristol 411

February 18, 2022

The workshop at Bridge Classic Cars has been working on getting the suspension and steering system out of the 1970 Bristol 411.

Paul has removed the springs and dampers from the classic British GT ready for its left-hand-drive conversion. Along with that, he has removed the steering box out of the car. All of these pieces are being carefully inspected and put into storage to go along with the car after its conversion.

It’s exciting to see this project moving forward on such a unique but more frequently requested job.

The Smallest Details – Repainting Parts for the 1956 Jensen 541

February 18, 2022

The paint team at Bridge Classic Cars have had some of the parts and pieces from the 1956 Jensen 541 in the paint booth.

With the restoration of the 1956 Jensen 541 moving ahead with the body panels and pieces being worked on by our paint and body teams, it was the turn of some of the parts to go into our in-house paint booth to be refinished in heavy-duty black and looking as good as new.

The pieces for this restoration will be going into the booth in various stages in preparation for the final assembly of the car but until then they will be wrapped up and put into storage after being catalogued.

Primed and Ready – The 1987 Mercedes 500SL in Primer

February 18, 2022

The stunning 1987 Mercedes 500SL which has been in the Bridge Classic Cars body shop getting prepared for its paint job has been transferred into the spray booth for the first layers of finish primer to be laid onto the iconic classic Mercedes.

Chris, one of our paint technicians, has taken the R107 into the booth and thanks to the hours of preparation on the body by our body team, flawlessly laid down the first in a long process of getting the car into its final colour of Selenit Grau.

Chris treats every coat of primer like it is a final layer of colour or clear and all the paintwork that comes out of the Bridge Classic Cars paint shop is held to the same exacting standards.

We’re excited to show you the next step in the restoration of the 1987 Mercedes 500SL very soon here on the Bridge Classic Cars news page.

Blackout – Refinishing Trim Pieces for the 1978 MGB GT

February 18, 2022

The paint team at Bridge Classic Cars have some of the trims and pieces from the 1978 MGB GT in the paint booth to be refinished.

Whilst the body of the MGB is having its metalwork completed, the paint team took the opportunity to refinish several of the trims and fixings in a new heavy-duty black finish for the classic sports car. This not only is aesthetic but also will help protect the pieces, which were taken back to bare metal, while they’re in storage until reassembly begins.

Filler Work – Body Work Continues on the 1965 Porsche 912

February 18, 2022

The paint and body team at Bridge Classic Cars have been working on getting the body of the 1965 Porsche 912 currently in with us absolutely perfect before it goes into the paint booth.

Alan has been working on getting each and every panel just right with hours of sanding and manipulating each piece. One of the front wings had shown evidence of repairs in the past which had changed the shape of the panel quite drastically, so Alan removed this from the car and went through the process of shrinking the metal in very specific places along the panel to get it to fall back into the correct shape.

With that process completed, he could then begin refining the filler work needed to smooth out any surfaces on the classic Porsche.

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