This lovely, honest 1970 Land Rover Series III has just arrived at the Bridge Classic Cars workshop in Suffolk, UK to begin its restoration journey.
This particular Series III Land Rover will be given a full restoration for its devoted owner by our in-house restoration technicians. This wonderful little off-roader has been used and enjoyed for many years. But, now it’s time to get her back to her former glory if not better.
Keep a lookout on our News Page for more updates on this incredible 1970 Land Rover0 Series III.
September 23, 2021 11:41 amPublished by Craig Ranson
A lot of love and time has gone into making sure this half car/half boat is ship-shape and bristol fashion for its next lucky owner. On a glorious summers morning, our in-house marketing team headed to our favourite location at RAF Bentwaters to shoot this rare classic for Car & Classic Auctions.
After carefully laying the roof back into its hideaway, we set out across the historic airbase to shoot against the high sun. Carefully moving this unique and rare piece of automotive history into position, across the centreline of the runway, we could then begin.
Making sure every surface had been cleaned down to the best that we could, Freddie began to methodically move his way around the car frame by frame and angle by angle. This 1965 Amphicar has been at Bridge Classic Cars for a while now whilst we perfected its running and got it back into a condition for it to be sold by Car & Classic Auctions very soon hopefully to a very lucky and excited enthusiastic owner.
The sunlight radiated from this little white seafarer. The interior glowed against the harsh summer light as it beat down onto the tarmac. For the photos, it allowed Freddie just the right amount of diffused light to be able to accurately capture this rare treat for its auction.
If you would like the chance to own this amazing piece of history, then head over to Car & Classic Auctions to keep an eye out for this once in a lifetime chance to own the 1965 Amphicar.
September 23, 2021 11:32 amPublished by Craig Ranson
This 1967 Ford Mustang isn’t like many others. This is a right-hand drive 1967 Ford Mustang.
That does make refurbishing the suspension and steering systems a little bit trickier. But, it’s nothing our in-house restoration technicians can’t handle. The conversion was done on the car prior to its history with ourselves, apparently done during the vehicles life done in the Phillipines.
Our Technician, Paul, has been slowly taking apart the steering rack in preparation to be rebuilt along with its suspension set up.
We are currently sourcing replacement pieces for the vehicle thanks to the detailed nature of the assessment on each component of this unique Mustang.
September 23, 2021 8:02 amPublished by Craig Ranson
Sometimes a certain amount of delicacy must be taken to the approach of a job. Take for instance the framework for the convertible hood on a 1962 Morris Minor that we currently have at Bridge Classic Cars.
Over the years, this frame must have been shut thousands of times. That put stress into the metal as it is worked backwards and forwards. Unfortunately, a gust of wind happened to catch it at just the wrong moment for our customer. This caused the frame to bend and slightly tear in some crucial places near the hinges.
Not a problem for our in-house restoration technicians. A careful and methodical approach to the assessment had to be taken. Our technician Dave, discovered that it could be repaired sympathetically. To achieve this, he needed to remove some of the rivets which allow the whole mechanism to retract in and out of its cubbyhole.
With those pieces carefully removed piece by piece. Dave could begin to reconstruct the original stays rather than replace the entire hood assembly.
With some small cuts and a few areas sectioned, this Morris Minor Convertible and its owner will be back enjoying the open road.
September 22, 2021 12:40 pmPublished by Craig Ranson
The choice of colour on a classic car interior is a big part of any restoration.
Do you try and match as closely to the original as possible or do you personalise and make it unique to your own taste? Tough call. But, our in-house trim shop team will do either request to a world-class level.
This is the stage that we are at with the restoration of the interior of the 1956 Jensen 541 at Bridge Classic Cars. With the volumes of swatches that we carry for our clients to choose from, you can have almost any combination imaginable and always to the highest level of fit and finish.
This Jensen is starting from the ground up with its interior. So, while the choices are being made, Kath will be making the custom-fit handmade padding that will sit under whatever colour combination this very lucky client chooses.
Check-in on the News Page for more updates on this very exciting project.
September 22, 2021 8:04 amPublished by Craig Ranson
This stunning 1969 Bentley T1 will be in with us very soon for full paint restoration.
This wonderful example of late ’60s opulence and design will be stripped all the way back to bare metal so that our amazing team of in-house Bridge Classic Cars painters can assess the condition. After that, the careful and methodical process of preparation will begin for the T1’s paint.
Keep a lookout on our News Page for more updates very soon.
September 22, 2021 7:55 amPublished by Craig Ranson
Honda Type R’s always look fantastic when finished in Championship White. Clean, crisp and purposeful.
That is what the outcome will be on the 1998 Honda Integra Type R that we are currently working at Bridge Classic Cars will be by the end of the process.
Our talented and experienced painter Chris has been working hard on getting the Integra prepped to have some paintwork retouch. As you saw in the last post, the engine bay had grown tired. It was time for a refresh on this future classic.
Chris, our in-house painter, began by stripping back the affected parts of the engine bay and core support along with a section of the rear quarter panel. This will of course be finished in that bold Championship White to match the rest of the car and to keep it to its original shade of white.
Keep a look out for future updates on the Integra Type R at Bridge Classic Cars by watching the News page.
September 21, 2021 3:30 pmPublished by Craig Ranson
After the overnight rebuild on the starter motor of their gorgeous 1961 Alvis TD21, Mr and Mrs Bradnum were able to make their appointment at Brize Fest 2021.
As you may know, it was Mr and Mrs Bradnum who had coordinated the display of Alvis’ cars built between 1935 and 1962 so their attendance was crucial at the event. Thankfully they made it to their destination safe and sound, and on their return home set us over some incredible photos of the TD21 in front of a rather impressive C17 Globemaster (just returned from Afghanistan) and its siblings.
We here at Bridge Classic Cars would like to wish the Bradnum’s many happy miles of motoring to come and thank them for their kind words.
September 20, 2021 1:11 pmPublished by Craig Ranson
There’s something really quite charming about a Morris Minor. There’s something even more loveable about a convertible Morris Minor.
This beautiful 1962 Morris Minor Convertible is coming into us to have its convertible hood frame repaired.
Due to an unexpected gust of wind whilst the customer was out driving this stunning little classic, the hood frame was damaged. Our in-house team of restoration technicians assessed what would be needed to make sure this classic was safe. But also as original as possible.
It will be coming into us at Bridge Classic Cars very soon to begin work. So keep an eye on our news page for more updates on this Morris Minor Convertible and all of our other projects.
September 20, 2021 10:05 amPublished by Craig Ranson
A rare sight on either side of the Atlantic, this vast and beautiful 1930 Packard Super 8 Convertible is in with us here at Bridge Classic Cars for an assessment of some work and some crucial maintenance.
As with all classic cars, routine maintenance is very important. This is even more important on cars such as the gorgeous Packard Super 8 Waterhouse Convertible.
This particular Packard has lived much of its life in the British Isles, since being imported into Ireland in 1944. The car was previously restored by a specialist in France with its previous owner but now we here at Bridge Classic Cars have the honour of caretaking such a unique piece of automotive history.
To begin with, our in-house technicians will begin work with a complete service on the 6.3 litre 8 cylinder. This will also include timing and spark plug checks as well as adjusting the valves to make sure this special machine idles with a near-silent whisper.
Keep a check on our news page for more updates on this fabulous example of pre-war American luxury here at Bridge Classic Cars.
September 20, 2021 9:20 amPublished by Craig Ranson
There is a simple beauty to old Daimler V8’s. This 1964 Daimler 2.5 V8 in at Bridge Classic Cars does have a bit of an issue though. There is a leak from the gearbox, but that’s nothing our amazing technicians John and Paul can’t fix.
After John and Paul had confirmed there was indeed a leak from the automatic gearbox, it then become a quest to find its source. Upon investigating, John found the culprit to be two rubber seals that had perished. Thankfully due to their location, these seals could be removed with the automatic gearbox in place.
Brand new seals were installed by our in-house technicians and the vehicle fired up for testing. The Results? No more leaks for this Daimler V8.
The next job to do on this particular car while it’s in here at Bridge Classic Cars is to look into some radio interference issues.
September 17, 2021 8:46 amPublished by Craig Ranson
When Charles Spencer King developed the Range Rover back in the late 1960s he intended it to be a particular, useful and utilitarian vehicle but with slightly more refinement than the Series II Land Rover.
Then in 1990 to commemorate the great man, Range Rover released the CSK (Charles Spencer King). 200 of these limited edition 2 door Range Rovers were released to the public in either manual or very rare automatic. This one you see here with us at Bridge Classic Cars in number 47 in the series and is one of the incredibly rare Automatics.
It has been stored at our Bentwaters facility awaiting workshop space to begin inspecting what this glorious old girl needs to be useable and splendid once more.
When it arrived for inspection, it was not under its own power. Our in-house technicians here at Bridge Classic Cars believe there to be an issue with the starter motor which will soon be replaced in order to make sure the 3.9-litre powertrain at the heart of this beast works as it should.
Meanwhile, there is quite a lot of corrosion on the underside of this 31-year-old beauty which is being looked at and thoroughly assessed by our amazing team.
Keep your eye out for updates on this incredible piece of 1990s luxury on our projects page.
September 17, 2021 8:34 amPublished by Craig Ranson
The 1990 Range Rover CSK is important in the history of the luxury 4×4. Built to honour the memory of its creator, only a limited number were built and even fewer still remain.
This particular example has been stored with us at Bridge Classic Cars in preparation for its move over to our workshop but when that day arrived, unfortunately, it would not start under its own power. This was no problem. Some manpower and our vehicle transportation team in the closed vehicle transporter, the CSK was on its way to our workshop.
Once safely at the Bridge Classic Cars workshop, our technician Mauro clambered under the 1990s icon to check over each component of the starting system methodically and carefully. First starting with the battery, which was indeed flat. Putting it on our Sealey battery charger was simple to get some power back into the black beauty. However, this didn’t change the issue.
Checking that the engine was free became Mauro’s next job. Carefully and precisely barring the 3.9 litre V8 over several times to check that it span freely, which happily it did. With the key in the ignition in the second position, Mauro gently clicked it over to the third point on its cycle. Again nothing.
With this information and his experience, Mauro recommended changing the starter motor on number 47 of the 200 Range Rover CSK’s built.
With this crucial part on order. Mauro enlisted the help of the other in-house Bridge Classic Cars technicians to get the considerable car on our 4 post ramp to begin its inspection.
September 17, 2021 8:00 amPublished by Craig Ranson
Our incredibly talented in-house trim expert Brian has been working on the roof of the 1989 TVR SII. The old roof had begun to look quite tired and had sun-bleached in places.
Brian worked his magic on the material of the roof and the removable panels to give this convertible a new lease of life.
Find out more about the TVR SII on our News Page for updates.
September 10, 2021 1:15 pmPublished by Craig Ranson
After the client came to see his two Jensen’s, he’s asked for some small modifications which has included changing the yellow Jensen badge to blue, adding mesh grills into the front side vents and we’ve noticed a few places where we wanted to touch up the paint. This Jensen will be leaving us very soon after its long restoration journey with us.
Our 1934 Austin Seven Nippy has been completed as of today and we’re delighted to see it up and running! Gordan and Craig took it out for a test ride and it ran perfectly. With the engine and bonnet back on and all issues resolved, this little Nippy is set to go!
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.
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.
February 16, 2021 12:48 pmPublished by Craig Ranson
We’ve been contacted by someone with a unique Honda S800 who was enquiring about getting some bodywork repair done. We’re looking forward to seeing where this enquiry takes us so keep your eyes peeled!
Brian has begun to strip down the interior of the 1979 Arrow Daytona in at Bridge Classic Cars.
Carefully Brian and the trim team have removed all of the carpeting and necessary trim panels to get access to both the dash and centre console which will be removed and stored before their restoration starts.
Along with the interior trim pieces, the wiring for the cabin has also been removed and catalogued for future reference once the car is back in the workshop to be reassembled.
Back in 2020, we lost an iconic 007. Sir Sean Connery sadly passed away last year but his 1986 BMW 635 CSI is now up for auction with estimations of its sale going for between £30,000 to £60,000. The current bid, (at the time of this article – 10:15 am) is sat at £31,250 but we expect that figure to continue to rise until bidding closes at 19:30 tonight.
This stunning BMW 635CSI would be the ideal motor so someone wanting to test the waters of the high performance modern classic car world.
It is believed that Sean Connery owned this BMW 6 series 1989/90 and then sold it in 1998 and the low mileage could be attributed to the fact that Mr Connery was rather busy staring in multiple Hollywood blockbusters during that time. Since then, the car has been stored in several storage units and made brief appearances under different dealerships.
We will continue to follow this auction so keep an eye out on our website and check the auction site linked below.
Although we haven’t worked on the exact same model, we have worked on this 1988 BMW 635CSI that came in back in 2018 for an interior trim freshen up!
The post-1982 BMW 6 series adopted the E28 chassis from the previous BMW 5 series which lead to improvements in the mechanics of the car as well as enhancements to its interior and exterior. This model also suits anything from the school run to tackling winding country roads. The reliability and graceful ageing of this car is all down to the solid and reliable engineering that the older models offer.
January 15, 2021 10:15 amPublished by Craig Ranson
2020 has been a challenge for us all. Nobody has been able to avoid the immense challenges that Covid-19 has presented. So how could we not only adapt, but thrive during a Global pandemic?
This year we’ve seen 11 Jensen’s pass through our Classic Car workshop. Having built up a superb reputation for Jensen 541 restorations, we are now one of the most prolific Jensen 541 restorers worldwide. Our expert team of classic car technicians have continued to uphold our incredibly high standards for quality, even with so many disruptions this year.
Formerly specialising solely in the sale and restoration of classic cars, we have had to adapt to an increasingly challenging economic landscape. With 90 percent of our workforce unable to work. Craig and Freddie fast-tracked the launch of Bridge Classic Cars Competitions. Fortunately the launch of our competitions couldn’t have come at a better time. In preparation since January 2020, we were planning to launch a completely new division to the business, for quite some time. We seized the extra time we suddenly have an with the first national lockdown on the 16th March began work on the new division of Bridge Classic Cars.
Bridge Classic Cars Competitions has been hugely successful. We’ve harnessed the power of social media as our primary marketing source and increased our monthly social media impressions from a few thousand users to over 1.4 million unique users every month, reaching classic car enthusiasts across the UK with industry leading innovative digital media advertising campaigns. This has allowed us to move our physical face-to-face car sales into an online space.
Charlotte, friend of Bridge Classic Cars, talented presenter and face of Bridge Classic Cars competitions has connected with classic car enthusiasts across the country in regular live videos. She’s brought an incredible warmth and energy to our brand.
Our customers have won their dream cars by purchasing tickets which cost just a few pounds, changing their lives forever. Here is the moment Colin, winner of our 1966 Ford mustang Competition saw his car for the first time
Our success has been recognised by industry professionals, having recently been named Classic Car Restoration Specialists of the Year at the London and South East Prestige awards from Corporate LiveWire.
We have also been awarded both Best Classic Vehicle Restoration and Maintenance Company and Innovation in Automotive Marketing 2020 at Corporate Vision’s Global Automotive Awards.
We would like to thank you, the classic car community reading this. Our successes are nothing without this community. We are so immensely proud of the wonderful group of enthusiasts we have following our journey and it is with great excitement we anticipate the re-introduction of in-person meetings. But until we meet again, we hope you all stay safe, stay well and we look forward to a brighter future.
The Morris Minor 1000’s indicator stalk had some soldering that our technician Adam found to have perished with age. It was originally covered in tape which had begun to unwind.
To fix the issues, Adam re soldered and covered the wires with heat shrink covering to ensure no liquids or debris can interrupt the solder joints.
November 24, 2020 2:44 pmPublished by Craig Ranson
On Monday shot the 1988 Ford Escort RS Turbo with our friend and talented model, Carnell Cook at Bentwaters. We were incredibly lucky with the weather as it managed to stay dry and clear throughout the afternoon and with the addition of some artistic smoke grenades, our marketing team shot some stunning visuals. You’ll begin to see the photos and videos appear throughout our social media pages.
New Mustang In The Stable
This beautiful 5 litre 2015 Mustang GT is the newest addition to our Hanger storage collection. We’re looking after this customers car for the winter so it’ll be tucked away as part of our storage services. It really is a stunning modern car.
New Arrivals
This week we’ve welcomed a selection of new vehicles into the Bridge Classic Car family including the 1974 Lime Green VW Beetle, the 1994 Land Rover Range Rover TDI, our new Mercedes transportation lorry and an original Chevron B-20. The Range Rover and Beetle are set to be competition cars however we are yet to decide the fate of our exciting and rare Chevron.
Competition Winner Delivery
This week we also delivered the Triumph TR4 to the lucky winner Adrian Harcus and wife, Aileen, in Aberdeen. We’re excited to see what plans they have for their new TR4!
Chrome parts and guest cars
Our friend and trust chrome specialist visited Bridge Classics HQ today to drop off some beautifully crafted chrome pieces for our recent blue Jaguar E-Type series 3. Tony Wyatt from his self titled polishing company works on providing us with the best and shiniest chrome parts for our restorations. Today when we arrived, we came in his stunning 3 litre Rover which itself has his handiwork on the front.
November 20, 2020 5:10 pmPublished by Craig Ranson
Craig’s Suzuki GSX400 Custom has come back from Demand Engineering where the exhaust was being fitted. It was a tough decision between a short or long exhaust but the choice was made to go for the shorter option.
It is now ready to be reassembled and the rest of the refurbishments made!
November 19, 2020 4:05 pmPublished by Craig Ranson
Our Morris Minor 1000 has had its convertible roof repaired meaning the customer will now be able to enjoy the open sky or the comfort of a closed top.
Our specialist electrical engineer, Adam, has also been working on the Morris Minor with a fresh loom installation.
It’s great to see our iconic Morris Minor making such big improvements, all thanks to our talented team of technicians!
November 17, 2020 9:41 amPublished by Craig Ranson
The parts for our 1968 Triumph TR5 have arrived and our technician Mauro has set them all out to assess what’s there and If anything more needs to be ordered.
Within this pile of goodies, you can find brake parts, clutch, seat belts, chrome parts such as door handles, rubber for the windscreen, injector pump, radiator, fan, headlights, copper fuel, and brake lines as well as a huge host of other bits that will go towards making our TR5 whole again!
November 10, 2020 12:00 pmPublished by Craig Ranson
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