classic car restoration near me

TR5 Trim Fits

Kath and Brian have both been working on our 1968 Triumph TR5 recently. Kath has fitted the door cards which could be placed in now

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Mauro’s VW Golf Mk1

Our engineers work 4 day weeks, meaning saturday through to monday is their time, but that doesn’t stop them bringing their own cars in to

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TR5 Next Steps

Our Triumph TR5 has had a bespoke bumper iron made in the workshop to fit underneath behind the front wheel. One of our technicians made

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New Cat On The Block

This morning, we welcomed a beautiful green 1970 Jaguar E-Type Series 2 (2+2) 4.2 in for a service to address MOT advisories. Jaguar E-Types are

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Meet The Team: Paul

Its that time of the week again! In this instalment of ‘Meet The Team’ we’re chatting to Paul, one of our classic car technicians. After

Read More »

VW Wheel Arch Welding

James has been working on the corrosion damage of our 1991 VW T4 Transporter Campervan. He’s been focusing on finishing off the sliding door and

Read More »

The Stag Arrives

Late this evening, two new motors arrived at Bridge Classic Cars HQ, a 1949 Morris Minor Lowlight and this 1971 Triumph Stag 3.0 V8. With

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Amphicar Progress

Our Amphicar has taken the back bench since Christmas whilst we waited for the gearbox to come back after we encountered a bushing stuck inside

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TVR Chimaera’s New Trim

Our trim department has been working hard to get the 1998 TVR Chimaera’s carpet, door panels and other pieces of fabric-to-metal trim stuck and bolted

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Another Jensen On Its Way Home

We’re steadily starting to part ways with our beloved Jensen collection as each project is finished and finds its way back to its owner. The most recent departure is our 1961 Jensen 541S that was collected today.

Although we’ve recently said goodbye to a handful of our Jensen’s, we’ve still got plenty to be getting on with as our Peony Red is progressing well, our Grey 1957 541R is almost out the door and its partner car, the black 1960 541R awaits it up at Bentwaters.

Classic Car Spotting

Out and about at weekends and after work, we often see classics parked up around Suffolk and try to make a habit of taking a quick snap of these beloved classics. Some are seen regularly as someones daily drive and others seem to be weekend nip-around.

Lotus Elan +2 S:

1973 VW T2

1969 Morris Minor Convertible 1000

MGB GT

Lotus 7 (possibly a replica but unknown) and a Land Rover Series 1

Morgan (Possibly Plus 4)

1971 VW Beetle

1963 Ford Thames

New In At The Workshop: Fiat 500 Abarth

Our 1969 Fiat 500 with Abarth styling has come in to have its steering column addressed as well as some other small mechanical faults. We look forward to working on this interesting little classic.

Classic Fiat 500’s were built and designed for small Italian roads. Made with practicality and reliability in mind, these tiny classics are a similar size to a modern-day smart car. James may describe it as a “potent symbol of Italian utilitarian chic, the Latin driving temperament and creative solutions to everyday parking problems.”

Live Draw Results Produce MGB Winner

Last night’s live draw was all focused around our delightful 1981 MGB GT LE that’s been won by Duncan Walker with his lucky ticket 1056. We’ll be delivering his new classic down to Hampshire as soon as we’ve run it through its PDI (pre-delivery inspection).

We’ve still got two other wonderful classics up for grabs so head over to our competitions website to check them out as tickets are selling fast!

Jaguar MKVII Shrinking, Shaping and Smoothing

James and James have been working on shrinking and re-shaping the panels for our 1954 Jaguar MKVII however they’ve taken to doing it the traditional way. Using heat, a hammer and cool air, they can effectively reshape anything they need to in a precise and neat manner. By heating up the metal, it balloons and softens the surface, allowing James to hammer it into shape and then use cool air to set it.

James is focusing on making the outside layer of the rear quarter panel, which is made by hand and hammered into place.

After finishing the re-shaping, James could then start with applying the lead primer and then the Tallow Medium and Nealetin, all of which are applied using heat. The tallow medium, traditionally made from goose fat, is heated up and melted so it resembles a spreadable ‘goo’ that can then be worked into shape to provide a flat finish.

We did some filming with James in the workshop where he explained to us what’s going on with the Jaguar in the fabrication bay. Here’s some behind the scenes.

TR5 Trim Fits

Kath and Brian have both been working on our 1968 Triumph TR5 recently. Kath has fitted the door cards which could be placed in now that the door capping’s have been fit. Kath began by pushing in the panel clips into the back of the panel and aligning the clip with the hole in the door to push it into place. At first Kath noted that it wasn’t sitting straight forward so she had to adjust the panel by cutting off the piping from the top.

Once Kath had the clips in at the top, she could then go round the rest of the panel clips, cut out the holes for the window winder and door handle, fit the handles and move on to the other side to do the same thing again.

Kath also bolted the seat runners onto the floor and bolted in the centre console. This included fixing two bolts into the floor pan each side of tunnel section and one each side at the top.

The hood has also been fitted to check that the measurements align well. Kath laid the hood over the car ready to fit it later whilst she was waiting for the rubbers and header rail parts to arrive. By placing it over the frame, Kath could see if anything needed to be modified.

Brian has been fitting the chrome handle and lift up bar mechanism to the seats that allow the seat to move forward or back on the runners or from its hinges.

Jaguar MK VII Hides Hidden Time Capsule

Every now and then, these classic cars surprise with hidden treasures. Whether its personalised dashes, objects stashed down the side of seats or a pair of driving gloves in the glove box, its always a pleasant discovery. On this occasion, we found two embedded tool kits in the door cards of our 1954 Jaguar MK VII, containing original and well-used tools, including a grease gun, bulbs and brake fluid. The two hidden tool kits seem like time capsules to 1954. We had worked hard to loosen the bolts and catches to unlock the tool kit and we’re now glad we did!

The job in hand for the two James’ in our fabrication bay was to strip down the doors to bare metal, taking off all the fixtures and sand down the sides. With a lot of rust visible, we’ve applied a filler primer that tackles rust and prevents it from spreading.

The doors first had to come off before they could be dismantled and stripped.

Mauro’s VW Golf Mk1

Our engineers work 4 day weeks, meaning saturday through to monday is their time, but that doesn’t stop them bringing their own cars in to work on – the grind never stops!

Mauro has a lovely 1976 VW Golf MK1 that he’s bought over from his home in Portugal. The polo just needed some general TLC and a service. With fresh stone chip applied under the body and in the wheel arches, this charming VW is ready to go again.

Mauro has driven his VW all over Europe and fondly recalls his continental road trips in his beloved classic.

Corvette Jensen’s Last Tweaks

We’ve entered the finishing stages for our 1957 Jensen 541R. John is currently carrying out a thorough wiring check as we’ve had to modify the wiring to compensate for the V8 Corvette engine. We’re assembling the last bits such as the fuel pump which we’re waiting to arrive before we carry out a last service and test for teething problems.

Jaguar MKVII revival

Kath has been working on repairing the seat squabs on our 1954 Jaguar MKVII. She has repaired the rear seat squab as the vinyl had started to come away from the squab. She applied contact adhesive and stuck it back down in place, making sure that the vinyl was sticking neatly around the edges. Kath also had to rip underneath the seat to fit a piece of calico on to the material to stop it from getting any worse.

Ady has also been carrying out a thorough engine service which includes replacing the spark plugs and spark plug leads as well as the oil filter, oil and a new water hose.

VW T4 Full Steam Ahead

James has been working on removing the old tow bar on our 1991 T4 transporter as the owners don’t need it anymore. He aims to renovate the original bumper to neaten up that area. Chris has been working on sanding and smoothing down the body of the T4 in preparation for paint.

The seats have also been recovered and re-padded with new foam. Kath began by removing the cover, glueing splits foam back together to improve comfort and adding a piece of calico to stick over the top of the foam to reduce splits in the future. Kath also added 3mm of foam to the frames for added comfort on those long road trips.

Kath also discovered the centre of the seat foam has split so she added calico to it and stuck it around three sides. The next step was to stick the foam back in place before refitting the cover. To ensure the cover fit back on neatly, Kath had to push and mould the cover back into shape. She then needed to hook the bottom back into place, pull the back section through to front and hook it onto the same spikes as the front section. Once fitted, Kath could hammer the spikes back to secure the cover.

The doors and side panels have been masked, primed and repainted, ready to be fitted back onto the shell later down the line.

Something Old, Something New, Something Blue

Our 1970 Jaguar E-Type V12 is back in the workshop after its hiatus at Bentwaters whilst we waited for the chrome bumper to come back. Mauro has dedicated his morning to carefully applying the chrome bumper, making sure it fits and it’s perfectly cleaned.

The next step is to run the E-Type through a general service and send it back home!

Along with the bumper, we also received other chrome parts back for our Jaguar such as the front grill surround which Mauro has also fitted.

Mauro has also installed the steering rack tie rod ends which had been replaced as well as a new clutch slave cylinder.

Twenty Twenty: The Year Of The Jensen

Some of you may remember we mentioned our busy Jensen workshop last year, and it hasn’t slowed down in 2021. We’ve become the Jensen Specialists of the UK with a constant set of Jensen 541R and 541S projects passing through our doors on a regular basis. With projects ranging from full nut and bolt restorations to small fixes and services, we’ve been inundated with Jensen’s, and we love it!

2020 saw 8 Jensen’s in at the same time, which led to this amazing shot of them all lined up. Our technicians are now well versed in Jensen mechanics, electrics and bodywork as we’ve still got 6 of them in the workshop plus another stored at Bentwaters waiting to find a new home.

With only 193 Jensen 541R’s ever made and 127 541S’s made, and even fewer still on the road, we’ve had a large quantity of them in the workshop.

Silver Jensen Wiring Issues Diagnosed

Pictured below is the Silver 1959 Jensen 541R recent wiring ammends. John had found that when wiring up, the overdrive didn’t engage. After an investigation, John found it was because the solenoid had overheated and melted the terminals, meaning a new solenoid was fitted.

A new stoplight switch has also been fitted because the old stoplight had seized and wouldn’t turn off.

VW Camper welding continued

James has been sanding and smoothing the door frame window sill using the wire wheel on the grinder.

Four out of five doors have been prepared and are now ready for primer. James has discovered that the 5th door doesn’t need such extreme work meaning its ready to go to Chris tomorrow after its been lined up on the van to make sure it still fits straight.

Mercedes and Rolls Royce Live Draw: Behind The Scenes

Another live draw and two more winners! Last night we announced two more winners to add to our growing collective of lucky classic car winners! Our 1996 Mercedes 320SL and 1992 Rolls Royce Silver Spirit II found their new owners during our live draw that we hosted at our HQ in Pettistree.

Charlotte and Craig took us around the workshops to show off our current restoration projects and upcoming vehicles. With lots of exciting cars soon to be released, the live draw was jam-packed with exclusive news.

A big congratulations to Russ Warman who won our classic Rolls Royce with his lucky ticket number 499 and Steven Lambe who won the characterful Mercedes with his ticket number 950!

Charlotte also helped us move the cars around before the draw and had a go in our MGB GT LE, which she agreed is a pleasant drive! Keep an eye out for the release of our MGB, which is set to be our next competition car.

TR5 Next Steps

Our Triumph TR5 has had a bespoke bumper iron made in the workshop to fit underneath behind the front wheel. One of our technicians made a template based off a similar car’s bumper iron and once he was happy, then made up the final design.

The TR5 has also entered the trim shop where our trim team are fitting the interior fabric. On this occasion, the client ordered a pack of TR5 interior pieces meaning we’re just fitting the sections rather than making them from hand. Although these sets are designed to fit perfectly, sometimes they need to be modified as every classic is unique. The majority of the work will include sticking and bolting each piece in place and ensuring that it all fits perfectly.

Kath began by adjusting and cutting around the corners of the panels so they fit well when applied later. The Kath glued the foam in place under the wheel arches and trimmed the excess material off along the seam of the wheel arch trim. Once done, she could glue in place the wheel arch cover and glue in the triangle piece down near the bottom door seal.

Kath also fitted the sound deadening and glued it in place throughout the vehicle. Once fitted in place, Kath then begun to trim along the sides of the sills to remove any extra deadening fabric.

Once complete, the passenger footwell carpet could be laid and the sill fitted to the drivers side.

Behind The Scenes At Our Storage Hanger

Here at Bridge Classic Cars, we like to give you all an incite into what goes on behind closed doors. We often show you the main workshops and restorations, as well as a sneak peak into the production process for live draws with Charlotte, but we rarely take a look at our hanger itself. Our hanger is an unsung hero with an interesting past…

Up at RAF Bentwaters, we’ve got our own hanger. Originally a military base, Bentwaters run as an active American airbase from 1942 until 1993. Now home to multiple businesses and a museum, Bentwaters is a functioning business park with a very visible history. It is home Europe’s longest air strip and feels like a step back in time with many old fighter jets and military vehicles dotted around the base.

You may have also heard of RAF Bentwaters thanks to a mysterious UFO sighting in 1980 which has made the location popular with tourists and alien enthusiasts. The sighting took place in the surrounding forest and is known as the Rendlesham Forest incident which has gone down in history as the UK’s most famous UFO sighting and is known worldwide.

With the base commanding its place in British history, what better spot to store and film classic cars. We offer storage solutions for clients who need a secure and dry location to store their beloved motors. We offer Carcoons, plug-in batteries and regular cleaning.

We also store our own cars in here as they wait to come in for restorations or have been completed and need photographing and storing before finding their new home. We host our live draws from the Hanger but we also use Bentwaters as the regular backdrop to our photoshoots and videos. You might recognise the familiar pine-clad backdrop and clear open roads.

You may also notice a certain rare Francis Barnett which we currently have up for sale. This bike was originally Craigs so we’ve had it safely tucked away at the hanger for a few months however he’s decided to part ways with it and let someone else enjoy the timeless beauty of this bike.

New Cat On The Block

This morning, we welcomed a beautiful green 1970 Jaguar E-Type Series 2 (2+2) 4.2 in for a service to address MOT advisories. Jaguar E-Types are among the most popular classic cars we receive, with a large majority of our projects being E-Types. These classic motors are well recognised and well-loved, with their value increasing every year.

With iconic styling and excellent road manners, the Jaguar E-type design was perfected by aerodynamics of Malcolm Sayer and the keen eye of Sir William Lyons. Series 2 coupes are among the rarest of the bunch, with fewer than 5000 being built.

Breathing New Life Into The T4

Our 1991 VW T4 Transporter is making progress! Our technicians James and Chris have been working together to ensure bit by bit, we fight the rust that’s appearing on this beloved camper.

Chris has worked on the front panel which has been placed in the ‘oven’ ready for DTM satin black after being sandblasted. This will give it the new lease of life that it very much needs!

James has continued focusing on the wheel arch and busting the rust on other elements of our 1991 VW T4 transporter campervan. The front cross member came was sandblasted and James applied a rust repair replacement on one end.

Meet The Team: Paul

Its that time of the week again! In this instalment of ‘Meet The Team’ we’re chatting to Paul, one of our classic car technicians. After joining in 2019, Paul is usually found doing what he fondly refers to as ‘spanner work’, “I enjoy the hands-on mechanical work, I’m more of a spanners man”.

His expertise with cars comes from a long history in engineering and the motor trade. After he left school, Paul tells us he did an apprenticeship in Engineering at what was then Garretts and from there, he progressed through various forms of mechanical engineering. With experience in everything from modern MOTs to restoring classic cars, Paul’s real love lays with motorbikes.

“I prefer mechanical things, that’s my preference, I’m more of a spanners man than power-plyers and electrical plyers.”

His fascination with bikes started as a child. He tells us that he’s worked on hundreds of bikes through his life, “My parents owned a few acres of land and we lived at the bottom of this valley. We made sand tracks for the bikes and created our own tracks!”

Paul tells us his first car was a Riley Elf that he bought shortly after passing his test. Although he’s always loved his bikes, Paul tells us “It had a walnut dash and leather seats! It was a bit like a Mini with a boot!”

Pauls first road bike was Yamaha RD250 but says his dream bike has always been a BSA Rockett or Triumph Hurricane. On the topic of cars, Paul said he’s always loved Triumph TR5’s as he already has a 1979 Triumph Dolomite Sprint.

The Oldest Jensen’s Door fix

Our oldest Jensen, the 1957 541R has had some issues with its left side front passenger door. We’ve been working to modify it to allow it to sit more comfortbly in line with the rest of the body. With the alignment sorted, we also needed to address the ill fitting door car before it could be dressed.

One of our engineers has worked on making the inside of the door frame deeper so that the door car could fit inside.

VW Wheel Arch Welding

James has been working on the corrosion damage of our 1991 VW T4 Transporter Campervan. He’s been focusing on finishing off the sliding door and rear left door repairs. He’s cut out the right-hand side rear wheel arch, repaired the inner arch and tacked the new outer arch in place to make it ready for welding.

Austin Nippy Seven Is Getting Nippy Again

We’ve received our 1934 Austin Seven Nippy engine back and can now begin reinstalling the engine back into the Austin. This little motor will be nippy in no time!

Below you can see the re-conditioned engine with its new crank case from Ian R Bancroft Restorations:

Jaguar MKVII Brake Repair

Paul has taken a look at our 1954 Jaguar MKVII and made sure all the brakes are stripped down and ready to be overhauled. The rear brake pipes have been removed and replaced with new components.

The Stag Arrives

Late this evening, two new motors arrived at Bridge Classic Cars HQ, a 1949 Morris Minor Lowlight and this 1971 Triumph Stag 3.0 V8.

With a few tweaks and fixes needed, this Stag will be worked on in our workshop for a short time before being photographed and released as a new competition vehicle.

Amphicar Progress

Our Amphicar has taken the back bench since Christmas whilst we waited for the gearbox to come back after we encountered a bushing stuck inside the gearbox which needed the entire element to be taken apart and re-built.

Now with the gearbox back, we can start to reassemble the gearbox and engine.

Ady has also cleaned the floor of the Amphicar engine bay and Chris has painted it black. The engine can now be placed back in.

Jaguar MKVII Chrome Removal

Our team has begun removing the chrome on the 1954 Jaguar MKVII in preparation for bodywork and paint. For the majority of the chrome, its a realtivily simple removal, for example, the pieces on the windows are easy to remove however some are more difficult and need extra components removed to get to the chrome.

Following the fuel tank renovation, Ady has fitted the oil sump back underneath the car.

TVR Chimaera’s New Trim

Our trim department has been working hard to get the 1998 TVR Chimaera’s carpet, door panels and other pieces of fabric-to-metal trim stuck and bolted down.

Brian and Kath stripped the TVR out ready for fitting. They started by fitting the carpet to the rear side section where the seat belts fit. Next, they fitted the side sill carpets, wheel arch sections, and cut out the foam to go in rear cockpit section.

Once they had glued the foam into rear cockpit section, the team carefully fitted the back carpet to the rear section of the TVR. They then cut the speaker holes out, glued the bottom carpet to rear cockpit section and glued the carpet to the side of the tunnel. After this was completed, the team could complete the rear section and tunnel section. The speakers and air vent could then be refitted.

After fitting the console back in, Kath and Brian could cut and fit some plywood for the rear compartment covers. Once cut, the pieces could be glued to the carpet. Next up was fitting the underlay to the front footwell section and securing the front and rear carpets.

One of the more challenging parts of this trim restoration was removing the old carpet from the door panel as the bolts were particularly stiff on the door cards. The team glued the new carpet to the door panel and fitted it into to door, as well as fitting the outer section of the door panel to the door. The final touch was to refit the speakers.

We’ve also fitted the seat belts.

Kath identified some rust but we discovered that its only surface rust which can be treated on the surface by filling the holes with rubber flanges and flange sealant to then be primed and painted.

All of the old foam has been replaced with new fresh foam, carpet has been laid in the passenger footwell, the centre console has been cleaned and repaired where needed and the trim has been cut and fitted for the upper footwell.

The board surrounding the battery in the footwell has been modified to fit better and the trim has been replaced with the new fabric. Velcro was then carefully attached so that the board can be easily removed.

The rear carpet has been fitted as well as the door cards and door trim. The leather around the door car was also cleaned before re-fitting.

The boot carpet needed to be re-fit, as did the foam on top of the fuel tank.

Kath has worked on re-lining the TVR’s boot too. She’s taken out the old carpet and fitted a new one in as well as replacing the carpet around the fuel tank and spare tyre section. The boot lid carpet has also been replaced with fresh lining. The next step is to bolt in the seats and service the car.

Classic Land Rover Arrival At HQ

We’ve had a new arrival at HQ and it couldn’t have arrived in more fitting weather! This iconic 1964 Land Rover Series IIa has only 60,000 miles on the clock, 2 previous owners, recently restored with chassis and bulkhead in perfect condition.

Known for their iconic styling and character, these Land Rovers were the perfect farm yard work-horse, could tackle all weathers and terrain and were easy to fix with their simple parts. The Land Rover Series 2 soon gathered momentum for the go-to British exploration vehicle as it was proved to be largely indestructible. Now a quickly appreciating car, a Land Rover Series 2/2A is becoming a sought after collectable that is no longer just a workhorse vehicle.

This beautiful British green classic Land Rover will need a service and then it will be handed over to the marketing team to photoshoot and release, keep your eyes peeled…

Here’s our lovely noew eiditon being loaded inot our lorry to make its way down south to its new home with us.