classic car restoration uk

This Just In – 2008 Bentley Continental GT Speed

Just arrived at the Bridge Classic Cars Suffolk HQ is this absolutely stunning 2008 Bentley Continental GT Speed.

The luxury GT car has come in for our various teams to look over, inspect, assess and report back any findings they have for the car. Once they have compiled their report, we will bring you an update very soon on the legendary Continental GT Speed.

The Continental GT Speed was the fastest and most powerful option that could be specified by Bentley for its original owner. The 6-litre twin-turbo W12 makes a shade over 600BHP with an earth shuddering amount of torque, which was able to push this Flying B all the way past the 200MPH mark.

Perfect Fit – Shaping and Trimming the Seats for Our 2022 Bridge C-Type Replica

The Bridge Classic Cars in-house trim shop has been working on a new set of seats for our incredible 2022 Bridge C-Type Replica.

Lydia and Brian, our in-house trim experts, have worked their magic on creating these replica buckets to exact specifications and shape for an early racing bucket seat. Finished in bright, vivid red, these seats will form the centrepiece of the cabin of the C-Type Replica and really show off just how good our trim shop really is.

There’s going to be a lot more on the C-Type Replica very soon here at Bridge Classic Cars.

Crossing Over – New Door Skin and More Roof Framework on the 1956 Jensen 541

The 1956 Jensen 541 has had some new parts and pieces fitted during its build-up in the Bridge Classic Cars workshop at our Suffolk HQ.#

The team have test fit a new door skin to the frame to make sure everything lines up and fits as it should before then fitting the door to the frame to check for any interference from the door to the bodywork or the various pieces of the framework on the classic 1950s GT car.

Once the door had been checked, Rob, could begin working on the roof frame on the other side of the car. This was offered up and any adjustments needed to make sure it had a correct tight fit up to the roof panel while still being squared and aligned to the other side of the car.

Update – Refitting the 1987 Daimler Double Six

The trim shop at Bridge Classic Cars has been working on getting some of the key trim pieces back into the 1987 Daimler Double Six while removing some smaller pieces to be refinished by the team.

To begin with, Brian fit the new bonnet insulation under the hood of the classic Daimler. This is a noise and heat protector which is cut to shape and rollered on to get the best contact and fit into the recesses under the bonnet.

From there, the team could get the headliner and sunroof for the car finished off. The edges of the opening were finished and glued back neatly into place before the necessary pieces of trim were fitted.

Finally, the team moved to the centre console of the classic Daimler in order to remove switchgear and fittings from the car. This was to then completely remove the weathered panel’s wooden veneer which is being worked on by the team as part of the restoration of the car.

Behind the Scenes – Shooting Our 1979 Porsche 911 Targa

There’s something about the sound and feel of an air-cooled 911. The throbbing, visceral soundtrack, the direct and poised steering and most of all, that iconic shape. This 1979 Porsche 911 is a Targa. It’s essentially a hardtop with a removable roof panel to let the outside in as you become one with the B-Road that lays before you.

That was what the team all took away from shooting this classic 911. Finished in iconic Guards Red with a unique tan and maroon interior, this sports car is certainly as striking as it is timeless. After being given a full check-over by the Bridge Classic Cars workshop, it was given the green light to head over to The Hangar, the base of operations for all of our filming.

The 3-litre Flat-Six pulled strongly across the ex-Airforce base. The car just wanted to run, its long gearing and sensational soundtrack make every occasion in the car special. The signature good looks of the 2nd generation 911 were perfect in the Suffolk summer sun as it made lap after lap of the base without any fuss, this is truly a car for all seasons.

And now, Bridge Classic Cars wants to give one lucky winner the chance of experiencing this magnificent piece of automotive design and engineering forever! That’s right. You could win this 1979 Porsche 911 Targa!

Head over to the Bridge Classic Cars Competitions website by clicking here and enter now for your chance to win this beautiful air-cooled 911.

Check out the official gallery of the car and video below:

Underside – Painting the Sills on the 1970 Bristol 411

The 1970 Bristol 411 had some work done to repair some areas of corrosion on its sills. The Bridge Classic Cars team cut out any of the questionable areas and replaced them with hand-fabricated pieces which were then welded into the car.

Now, the whole car has moved in our in-house Paint Shop for the paint and body team to treat, prime and painted the sills on the classic GT car. The team were careful to mask off any areas where the paint was in perfect condition and only work on the bare metal areas.

Stronger Together – Roof and A Post Brackets for the 1956 Jensen 541

The workshop team have made new strengthening brackets for the roof and A-Pillar of the 1956 Jensen 541 which is in for restoration.

Rob, one of our restoration technicians, has handmade the brackets which are done specifically for each area of the car to tie the various pieces together. After shaping and test fitting, the A-Pillar support could be welded into the car and then the rear roof bracket was welded into the frame after being bolted to the roof.

All of this is part of the process of getting the classic Jensen body into perfect alignment before it is handed over to our in-house body and paint team.

Plumbed Up – Refitting and Plumbing in the Brakes and Fuel Tank of the 1955 Aston Martin DB2/4 MkI

The 1955 Aston Martin DB2/4 has been getting refit and plumbed up by our workshop here at the Bridge Classic Cars Suffolk HQ.

The team have refit and rebuilt the drum brake system for the car along with running the necessary linkages and cable for the handbrake. Along with that, our technician Scott has made up brand new brake hardlines which have been routed throughout the car and neatly tucked close to the body and rear axle not only for aesthetics but for fitment.

After all of the brakes were put together and plumbed in, Scott could turn his attention to the fuel system.

He fit the classic Aston Martins fuel tank, which was test fit and gently bolted down into place before making up the various fuel lines and again, routing them safely and neatly throughout the car.

The Next Stage – Priming the 1958 Jensen 541R

The paint and body team at Bridge Classic Cars have been working on getting the 1958 Jensen 541R into the next stage of its journey with the team at our Suffolk HQ.

Previously, the team finished masking up classic GT car ready for the first stage of primer to be laid down onto the car in preparation for its Ice Blue Metallic paint job.

The team made sure to cover the body evenly and thoroughly to get the best start to the paintwork as possible. And now with the car in primer, the team will sand it back to look for any adjustments that need to be made.

Faulty – Diagnosing a Faulty Rear Window Switch and Dial Circuit on the 1970 Jaguar XJ6

The workshop at Bridge Classic Cars has been working on diagnosing and fixing a couple of issues with the electrical system of the 1970 Jaguar XJ6.

Firstly, the team carried out a repair on the printed circuit for the instrument dials. Our technician John carefully repaired the circuit before testing the component and found all was working correctly.

Then, he could turn his attention to an issue with the rear heated screen. John traced the fault back to the switch which controls the circuit. The switch was stripped apart, cleaned up and retested. All was ok after the repair.

Changing Places – 1978 MG B GT Back in the Workshop

The 1978 MG B GT has been moved from the paint shop at Bridge Classic Cars to our main restoration workshop for the team to begin reassembly of the classic MG B.

As part of its restoration, the car was stripped back to bare metal and any areas of corrosion fixed before our paint and body teams worked on getting the sportscar into the best possible condition. Then, it went into our in-house paint booth/oven to be refinished in its beautiful Blaze Orange colour you see here.

Come Together – Bolting the Roof and Rear Bodywork to the 1956 Jensen 541

The restoration workshop at the Bridge Classic Cars Suffolk HQ have bolted the roof and rear bodywork to the new frame of the 1956 Jensen 541 for the first time!

After making the careful and delicate adjustments to the framework and chassis of the classic Jensen, the team could begin the process of mocking up the full rear bodywork onto the car to check for any interference or binding.

Stripped Back – Stripping Down the Bonnet and Windows on the 1959 Jensen 541R

As part of the restoration journey, the 1959 Jensen 541R has had its bonnet and windows stripped back by the Bridge Classic Cars workshop team.

The restoration technicians have got everything back to its core components in order to evaluate their condition and operation. Anything that can be refurbished will be worked on to make the pieces as good if not better than new.

Everything removed from the car has been carefully catalogued and put into storage for later in the restoration process.

Good As New – Restored Radiator for the 1905 Riley 9HP

Friend of Bridge Classic Cars, Carl, has been down to pick up the restored radiator for our 1905 Riley 9HP from Newquay for the project.

The radiator, which was found during a house clearance, was taken to Newquay Radiators to be restored and reworked so it’s as good if not better than new. This is a massive piece of the restoration journey for 117-year-old Riley and we’re excited to start getting everything back together!

This Just In – 2017 Ducati Scrambler 800 Cafe Racer

There’s a new arrival to the Bridge Classic Cars fleet! It’s our director, Craig’s, 2107 Ducati Scrambler 800 Cafe Racer.

This stunning neo-classic will be checked over by the team and a few subtle and personal changes made to the bike. We’re excited to see the upgrades to the bike which Craig has chosen for the bike!

Keep a look out on the Bridge Classic Cars news page for more on the Ducati Cafe Racer soon!

This Just In – 1971 MG B Roadster

Just arrived at the Bridge Classic Cars Suffolk HQ is this beautiful dark green 1971 MG B Roadster.

The restoration teams at the Pettistree workshops will go through the car aesthetically and mechanically to put together their report on the MG B.

Keep a look out on the Bridge Classic Cars news page for more on the 1971 MG B Roadster very soon.

First Stage – 1969 Morris Minor Convertible in Primer

The body team at Bridge Classic Cars have taken the 1969 Morris Minor Convertible from the preparation area to the spray booth to have its first coats of primer as part of its restoration journey with Bridge Classic Cars.

After cleaning off any dust or debris from the car, the team pushed the classic Morris into the booth in order to get the entire car masked off before laying down the first stage – epoxy.

The epoxy primer was then followed by several coats of polyester primer which will be reworked and sanded back by the team to get the Morris Minor Convertible looking the absolute best it can.

Behind the Scenes – Live Draw of the 1957 MG A Roadster & 1997 Rover Mini

Last night the live draw of the 1957 MG A Roadster and the 1997 Rover Mini from Bridge Classic Cars.

The Mini was so popular it had sold out by Wednesday morning!

Going into the live draw though, there were still quite a few tickets remaining on the classic MGA. But, as the live stream began at 7pm on our Facebook page people were still getting their last-minute tickets before the competition closed at 7:10.

As always, the team gave all of our viewers a look around the other classic cars in our new competition building. Including some very special upcoming competitions… make sure to sign up to our mailing list to get the inside scoop on what’s coming!

But, it was time to find out who our very lucky winners were!

As always the entry lists are published beforehand on the website. The Mini list had been up for several days, so as we waited for the MGA list to go live, the team ran the draw for the 1997 Rover Mini.

We use a google random number generator to pick a winner. Hayley at the controls of the laptop, made sure that everything was working just as it should do with a few tests and the commenters gave the team that the stream was coming through nice and clear. So, the team set the numbers between 1 and 3999.

And just like that, the winner had been decided. 2228 – A ticket which had been allocated to David Renn.

As the fate of the Mini was being decided, the entry list for the MG A went live.

Next, we had to find out who had won our amazing 1950s sports car. Not all of the 6666 tickets had sold when the competition closed, so as the team again used the random number generator to find a winner – it took a couple of tries to land on a number which had been allocated to one lucky person.

That happened to be Stephen Walton with ticket number 6294.

We want to wish both winners congratulations on their new dream classics.

The Winners Circle – David Takes Delivery of His 1993 Land Rover Defender 90

It’s only been a couple of days since the live draw of our 1993 Land Rover Defender 90 but the Bridge Classic Cars transport team have already delivered the car to its new owner, David, in Scotland.

The team made the trip north from our Suffolk HQ with the off-roader strapped down onto our open trailer, this is only used very rarely when a car physically will not fit in our enclosed transporter. But, the team made the driver to a very excited and expectant David who was thrilled to receive his new Defender.

Colour Correct – Painting the New Front Callipers on the 1998 Honda Integra Type R

The paint shop at Bridge Classic Cars have got some new parts in the in-house paint booth.

Our paint technician, Mauro, has cleaned down and repainted the front brake callipers on the 1998 Honda Integra Type R. The team have sprayed them in the colour coded hard-wearing red to match the other callipers on the car as a finishing touch.

Refurbished – Refurbishing Pieces from the 1958 Jensen 541R

The Bridge Classic Cars trim shop have been working on more pieces of the 1958 Jensen 541R.

Lydia first worked on the seats of the 541R with stripping down the backrests and beginning to re-foam the piece.

Then, it was time to strip down and completely refurbish the centre-console cubby for the interior of the classic Jensen. Stripping everything back to its base components, remaking some parts and cleaning up others in order to get all the parts ready to be retrimmed.

Masked Up – Bodyshell of the 1958 Jensen 541R Ready for Primer

The bodyshell of the 1958 Jensen 541R has been moved into the Bridge Classic Cars in-house paint booth.

The team carefully cleaned off any dust, debris or dirt from the classic GT before it was then masked up and cleaned down once more in preparation for the team to begin laying the epoxy primer on the fibreglass shell.

Behind the Scenes – Shooting the 1969 Sunbeam Rapier

The Bridge Classic Cars Competitions team have just launched this! Our 1969 Sunbeam Rapier.

The team took the fully inspected Rapier fastback to our filming location to begin getting the necessary photos and videos to bring you the latest competition car.

The bright red coupe looked incredible in the summer sun. Its paintwork is only complemented further by the exceptional black interior and black/silver wheels.

The 1.7-litre 4-cylinder engine pulled strong as it made its way across the ex-airfield. The twin Weber carburettors gave their signature snarl with every blip of the throttle much to the delight of the team. It was a perfect machine for the best time of year. A low-slung and sleek fastback. A micro-muscle car with strong, chiselled looks but on a delicate and nimble scale.

And now, all of this could be yours. Bridge Classic Cars Competitions wants you to win this 1969 Sunbeam Rapier! Head over to the website and get your tickets now!

Or, to check out the official gallery and video, see below:

Smallest of Changes – Adjusting the Body Framework on the 1956 Jensen 541

The workshop team at Bridge Classic Cars have worked on the fine alterations to the framework of the 1956 Jensen 541 in for restoration at our Suffolk HQ.

The team have test fit the rear fibreglass clamshell and with that, they could make small changes to the framework which gives the body panels structure and helps to align them. These were carefully cut, trimmed and reframed to get each section of the rear bodywork line up just right onto the new chassis.

First Step – 1958 Jensen 541R Body Panels in Epoxy Primer

The first panels from the 1958 Jensen 541R have been moved into the in-house paint booth/oven here at Bridge Classic Cars for its next step into colour.

After numerous hours perfecting the panels and body of the classic Jensen, the pieces were handed over to the paint team for their work to begin. Beginning, with epoxy primer. Each of these parts had several coats of the hard wearing base coat for the team to rework and then repeat the process with several different primers in order to have a perfect base to lay down the Ice Blue Metallic soon.

Keep a look out on the Bridge Classic Cars website very soon for more on the incredible 1958 Jensen 541R.

On the Inside – Inner Arches of the 1978 MG B GT Painted

As part of the paint side of its restoration, the 1978 MG B GT has had its inner arches sprayed.

The paint team cleaned down the insides of both the front and rear arches on the classic MG before applying the raptorguard to help protect the metal from any form of moisture which may find its way into the newly refurbished shell.

The team do this on nearly all of our restoration as we’ve found it is the best process to securing the longevity of the inner wings on classic cars.

Small Details – Fitting Pieces Back into the 1970 Bristol 411

The Bridge Classic Cars workshop have been fitting back and wiring up some of the smaller features in the cabin of the 1970 Bristol 411.

The team have wired up the headlight switch on the floorboard of the classic GT car and all of its wiring carefully routed beneath the carpet set.

Then, the team could fit the beautiful wooden glovebox back into the dashboard

Coming Together – Progress on the Gearbox Tunnel and Rear Wings of the 2022 Bridge C-Type Replica

The fabrication shop at Bridge Classic Cars are making progress on the sheet metal parts of our C-Type Replica.

The C-Type Replica’s gearbox tunnel has had its final shape finished and set, so with that Clinton could then line up each piece and drill the carefully measured holes ready for all of the pieces to be riveted together.

Along with this key piece, he has begun working on securing the inner rear wings to the rear tub of the C-Type Replica. These have to be laid accurately into the rear tub to then have the rear tub line up perfectly with the spaceframe chassis it lays on top of.

What’s the Story? – Why the MG A is a Sports Car Icon

Seeing as how our 1957 MG A Roadster is going to be won tomorrow, we thought we would take a look at some interesting facts about the MG A and why it is so important in the world of sports cars.

Firstly, the MG A was born with motorsports at its heart. In the years following WWII, MG wanted to be more involved in competition and gain a presence across the world at every level of motorsport. So, they began to develop sportscars with racing in mind which would ultimately lead to the creation of the MG A.

Another fact about the MG A’s past, it was always intended to be exported. Since the MG TD & TF’s, MG wanted more of a foothold in the American sports car market. Post-WWII, the Americans had experienced these new adventures in speed and handling thanks to the lightweight, nimble and progressive sportscars they had been exposed to during their time in Europe.

The MG A would be a new and radical departure from the pre-war and immediate post-war sports cars. Gone were the days of archaic and traditional handling, only to be replaced by new, modern ways of thinking. Fully independent suspension at the front for better control, and a new sleek and stylish body. Its chassis was an all-new affair, gone were the days of up-right and ‘traditional’ drivers positions – replaced with low-slung bucket seats for better feel.

Even the looks of the MG A are based in motorsport. The styling of the MG A was based on a 1951 Le Mans car. People were so taken aback by this new way of thinking and styling by MG that the car was green-lit for development.

So, in 1955 MG took the decision to debut its new sports car in full competition. 3 MG A 1500 Roadsters were entered into the 24 hours of Le Mans. 2 of the 3 cars would finish, proving their endurance and competitiveness.

From there, the legend of the MG A would only grow further. Beloved by club racers, speed junkies and back-road warriors throughout the generations. The MG A sits in a special place in a petrol-fuelled Shangri-La.

Now, it could be yours to experience all of this history, engineering and beauty rolled into one incredible bright red package. Enter now and you could win our 1957 MG A Roadster live at 7pm tomorrow night here on our Facebook page!

Starting Point – Rust Repairs Begin on the 1986 Daimler DS420

The fabrication shop at Bridge Classic Cars have been starting on the rust repairs to the classic 1986 Daimler DS420.

The team have spent some time assessing and inspecting the corrosion on the bodywork of the classic limo before beginning the intricate metal work.

Work began around the rear window frames which saw quite heavy corrosion around the channels. These areas were cut out and replaced with handmade pieces to perfectly fit the size and contour of the car. Carefully they were welded in to avoid any warping of surrounding areas which are heavy with trim.

Then, work could begin on the bottoms of the doors. These had seen quite substantial corrosion, with a whole new bottom lip having to be made by our fabricators and grafted onto the doors itself. Because of the corrosion in the bottoms of the door, the door jam area of the large rear doors also needed work by the team. This area was cut out and then taken back to fresh metal, the surround being used as a template for our fabricator Monty to make a one-off, handmade piece that fit perfectly into the gap.

Keep an eye out on the Bridge Classic Cars News Page very soon for more updates on the 1986 Daimler DS420.