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classic car restoration uk

Safe and Sound

May 24, 2024

A selection of our private classic motorcycle collection have been moved to their new home at our secure storage facility, the hangar. the team have

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Repairing the Chassis of our 1972 Ferrari 246GTS

May 24, 2024

The fabrication team at the Bridge Classic Cars HQ have been working their magic underneath the Ferrari 246.

Several spots in the cars space frame had rusted and deteriorated to the point where they were no longer supporting the structure of the car how they should do. So, our fabricator Chris has worked his magic to sympathetically repair this handmade sports car with individually fabricated gussets to get the strength back into the car.

Work on our 1972 MGB Roadster

May 24, 2024

Our 1972 MGB Roadster has been getting a few bits and pieces to do before the car could be yours through Bridge Classic Cars Competitions.

First off, the car has been fully inspected by the team to determine what needs doing the classic roadster.

After the inspection, Steve got his list of jobs together to get this classic back on the road. First up – Steve replaced the fuel pump.

Next up, Steve inspected some of the rubber mounts which hold the subframe to the car. After checking them thoroughly, he found they had perished and will require replacement.

Upon inspection, Steve found that they coolant hoses on the car had gone hard and begun to crack. Because of this, he ordered replacements and got them fitted up to the car before testing can begin.

Parts painted on the 1955 Aston Martin DB2/4 Drophead Coupe

May 24, 2024

The paint and body team at the Bridge Classic Cars Suffolk HQ have been working on getting many of the suspension and chassis components for our 1955 Aston Martin DB2/4 Drophead Coupe.

Finished in heavy duty black and silver, the parts will cure and then be wrapped up and put into storage awaiting the cars reassembly.

Safe and Sound

May 24, 2024

A selection of our private classic motorcycle collection have been moved to their new home at our secure storage facility, the hangar.

the team have been busy recommissioning our two-wheeled wonders to get them back running and roadworthy before our transport team loaded them up and took them over to their new home in the ‘bike room’ at the hangar.

Our 2002 Ducati 900SS finds its new home!

May 24, 2024

Our 2002 Ducati 900SS has made its way to its new home with its lucky new owner, Nic.

Nic recently won our limited edition superbike last week and we wish him many happy miles with this incredible machine.

Work on the 1980 Talbot Sunbeam Lotus

May 24, 2024

The Bridge Classic Cars team have welcomed back a previous project into our Suffolk HQ to carry out a couple of bits on this beautiful classic.

Our technician Julian has removed all fuel lines and the fuel tank in order to carry out work on the fuel system. Whilst the fuel tank was out, he could replace the filler neck seal and gaskets before beginning to fit the new fuel lines underneath the car and then refit the tank back into the car. With the new fuel lines in the car, Julian could route them up to the carburettors around the front of the engine, this required a small custom bracket to be made to keep them away from the alternator pulley and safe from any damage.

While there, Julian also removed and resealed the temperature sensor in the inlet manifold and replaced the alternator belt as it was showing signs of wear.

Working on our 1977 Triumph TR7

May 24, 2024

The Bridge Classic Cars team have been working on carrying out a few jobs on our classic TR7 ahead of its live draw and eventual delivery to its lucky new owner.

First up, Julian worked on the rear suspension of the classic sports car. He replaced the upper and lower trailing arm bushes before removing the prop shaft in order to replace the input seal which he noticed had a slight weep. After this, all components were fitted back up to the car and it was road tested ahead of it being handed over to our other technician Jon for final sign off.

The car then was handed over to our other technician Jon, who carried out the cars pre-delivery inspection ahead of the cars live draw on Tuesday.

Body on and progress with our 1975 Cobra Replica

May 24, 2024

Our technician Julian has been hard at work with the rebuild of our 1975 Cobra Replica.

With the engine back in the newly painted frame, he could begin to get the various system test hit and then fully placed into the car such as the cooling system, as well as some of the various brackets and braces needed to support the bodywork and driveline. Then, the team carefully lowered the fibreglass body onto the frame making sure everything fit up as it should.

Brakes are on our 1953 Aston Martin DB2/4

May 24, 2024

Our technician Steve has been working on fitting up the brakes to our 1953 Aston Martin DB2/4.

The first step in the process is for Steve to make up the new metal pipework and fit the necessary flexi-hoses to the system.

Final Checks of our 1991 Jaguar XJS Le Mans

May 16, 2024

Our 1991 Jaguar XJS Le Mans is soon to be honest way to its lucky new owner after being through Bridge Classic Cars Competitions just over a week ago.

Jon, one of our restoration technicians, has been going through the car to check everything over. Before carrying out the final road tests, Jon a loose connection in one of the headlights before correctly torquing all wheels and making sure the tyre pressures were at spec. Then, it was a case of filling up the car with 10-litres of petrol so its new owner can enjoy the car straight away.

Then it was handed over to Tony from our Transport team to get it safely loaded into our covered trailer ahead of its journey in the morning.

Carburettor Strip and Set Up on the 1955 MG TF

May 16, 2024

Steve has been working on the 1955 MG TF in the workshop of our Suffolk HQ.

To begin with, Steve stripped down the carburettors on the 1500cc 4-cylinder as the front unit was leaking and had a sticking piston. With a new set of seals and gaskets, Steve worked his magic to get both units rebuilt and back on the car to begin setting them up to get this 1950s sports car running better than ever.

Once back on the car and going through visual checks, Steve discovered that the top of the piston in the front unit was not sitting central and causing it to stick and because of this will require replacement.

Rear Seats Installed in the 1985 Citroen CX25 GTi

May 16, 2024

The Bridge Classic Cars trim team have been working on finishing up the interior of our 1985 Citroen CX25 GTi.

Lydia has installed the recovered rear seats in place, and at the same time changed over the armrests and and centre console to match the rest of the interior in the correct fabric.

A Special Delivery – Our Alfa Romeo Spider Winner

May 10, 2024

Last week, the Bridge Classic Cars transport team loaded up our 1989 Alfa Romeo Spider and headed off to its new owner – Lee.

Lee won our Alfa Romeo Spider a couple of months ago but the car has been in our safe and secure storage facility, The Hangar, whilst Lee organised a space for his new pride and joy. Previously, Lee won a Mercedes SL63 AMG from us but this is his first classic!

We wish Lee many happy miles with this stunning Italian droptop.

Valance Repairs on the 1951 Austin Devon Pickup

May 10, 2024

The fabrication team have been working on repairing the valance on our 1951 Austin Devon Pickup.

Our fabricator Chris has worked his magic on the front end of this classic British pickup in order to get it fitted up perfectly. Each section has been carefully templated and made by hand specifically for that section and then welded into place making sure to let each area cool and shrink back before continuing with the welds.

Preflight Checks – Getting our 1962 Jaguar E-Type Series 1 Coupe Started

May 10, 2024

Jon has been working on getting our stunning 1962 Jaguar E-Type Series 1 Coupe fired up for the first time in nearly 20 years!

Working through each of the systems, Jon has meticulously checked and double checked each part of the classic Jaguar. To begin with, Jon fit the new oil filter to the straight-six and topped off all fluids in the car before turning his attention back to he carburetors.

Jon has finished cleaning up the carburettors, freeing up any sticking points to make sure they operate as they should. Then removing the old spark plugs, Jon installed a fresh set after gapping them correctly and then adding a new battery which meant the team had to modify the original battery hold down bracket to fit.

After getting the new battery installed into the car, Jon could then begin the process of waking up the straight-six. The first step was to crank the engine over for around 20 seconds to build oil pressure and make sure it had worked its way all through the block and into the heads, reaching around 20psi.

After making sure the oil pressure was ok and that every surface had been lubricated, Jon could move on to compression tests. All 6-cylinders were ok, with readings between 150-180psi and well within spec. Jon then set the base timing for the distributor and then could work on filling up the carburettor float bowls with fresh petrol (as the tank is not yet plumbed in) and with a bump of the starter motor, the straight six burst into life and ran perfectly, in Jon’s report ”Attempt to start. Started and ran ok. Sounded ok.”

Diving Deeper Into our 1962 Jaguar E-Type Series 1 Coupe

May 8, 2024

Our technician Jon has been diving deeper into the 1962 Jaguar E-Type Series 1 Coupe currently in our care for its new owner.

As part of the appraisal process, he has drained the engine of oil and all fluids along with removing the oil filter to inspect. As part of removing the fluids, the team remove drain the fuel tank to inspect the fueling side of the car.

Because of the car being sat for an extended period of time (multiple decades it would appear by the paperwork) the corrosive nature of the fuel left in the tank has wreaked havoc. When Jon removed the sediment filter, which also allows the fuel tank to drive, it became apparent that the fuel had spoiled whilst in there. In Jon’s own words ”Fuel more like paraffin”. With the tank drained, it could then be removed and allow Jon to strip down the tank of its sender unit and pump. After inspecting these components, his opinion is that these components will need complete replacement and cannot be recommissioned, as he reports ”All fuel system items require replacement”.

Then, Jon could go under the bonnet to remove the fuel sight glass and blow through the fuel lines with compressed air to clean through any sediment or debris which could be lurking inside the fuel system.

Jon then began work on tearing down the carburettors on the Jaguar’s straight-six. Beginning with cleaning out the float bowls and then could clean out all of the jets and bridges to make sure that again, no sediment or debris had found their way into the carburettors.

Jon then went through his check lists of resealing the engine with all its various sumps and bungs before cleaning down and continuing on with the carburettor rebuilds.

Once completely stripped down and cleaned, Jon then used vernier gauges to set the static depths of the carbs to their base specifications, and reusing components where possible, in preparation for the team to begin testing ignition and compression once the fueling system has been resolved.

Fixing the Lights and Transporting Our C-Type

May 8, 2024

With our C-Type getting closer and closer to being completed every day, the team have had a few jobs to do before the car was due to be transported to a local specialist to protect the Seafoam Green paintwork for many years to come.

First up, the team had some repairs to do on the headlights of the Le Mans homage. Jon, one of our restoration technicians, had swap over some of the wiring for the car on the offside before refitting the covers back on. In putting the covers back on for the final team, the team head up the perspex covers and then fix them into place with the tapped holes with the shape also taped to the car to ensure they fit perfectly.

After that, the car was loaded into our enclosed trailer to be transported to a local paint protection company for the next phase of its journey.

Mille Miglia Prep for our 1939 Jaguar SS100

May 8, 2024

As part of our stewardship of the 1939 Jaguar SS100, our transport team have been to pickup a very important crate.

This crate contains all of the spare parts and sundries needed for our vintage Jaguar to take part and charge on in the Mille Miglia. Even though the event is now more of a formality, the mileage and weather takes its toll on the priceless classics that take part, so a wealth of specific and known extras are an essential part of being involved.

Our workshop manager John will be meticulously going through every item to double check its condition and its usability on the car.

1960 MGA in Epoxy

May 8, 2024

With the exterior panels such as the front and rear wings being worked on in the prep area of our Suffolk HQ, the body shell of our 1960 MGA has been into the paint booth for its date with the spray gun.

Our technician Mauro, who has been working on this project, has laid down the first coats of Epoxy primer onto the classic British sports car in the next step of getting this car to look the best it possibly can.

Repairs on our 1989 Daimler Double Six

May 8, 2024

The workshop team are continuing their work on recommissioning our 1989 Daimler Double Six to get back on the road.

Jon, one of our amazing restoration technicians has been working on the car to get through the list of jobs needed to bring this car back to its former glory.

One of the first jobs was to adjust the handbrake on the car. In doing this, Jon found that the original handbrake had partially seized. This led to him having to drill out some of the rivets from the cover and heat up the pivot bolt to remove it from the car, after that he could completely clean up the original mechanism and repaint it before reassembling and putting back into the car, whilst adding a return spring to help with the action.

Next, Jon had a few electrical jobs to cover on the car such as investigating why the horn didn’t work. After diving deep, Jon discovered that their were wires broken to the relay, so after some repairs he could continue to test and troubleshoot. This led him to freeing the engine bay loom to trace the harness further and found a connective issue alongside a faulty relay. With all of these either repaired or replaced, Jon could then work on some of the other electrical jobs on the car such as fixing the window switches.

Inspecting Our 1962 Jaguar E-Type Series 1 Coupe

May 8, 2024

Since arriving at the Bridge Classic Cars Suffolk HQ, this stunning 1962 Jaguar E-Type Series 1 Coupe has been waiting its turn on the ramps in the workshop.

Well, over the last couple of days the classic Jaguar has been under the careful eye of our restoration technician Jon.

Jon will be carrying out a full and detailed inspection of the car, which according to paperwork has been stood for the better part of 2 decades, and reporting back with his findings for the cars new owner.

New Arrival – 1971 MGB Roadster

May 7, 2024

The Bridge Classic Cars Suffolk HQ welcomed a fair few cars last week! The last one to arrive just before the bank holiday was this stunning 1971 MGB Roadster.

The car will soon be making its way into the workshop for the teams to carry out a complete assessment on the car and start to formulate a plan of getting this stunning British sports car back to its full potential.

Valance Repairs on the 1960 MGA

May 2, 2024

The fabrication shop have been working their skills on the rear valance and wing of the 1960 MGA.

Chris, one of our fabricators, has been working on getting the new rear valance to fit onto the car. After the original had been removed from the car, and the new piece test fitted, Chris discovered a conflict between the rear valance and the right-hand rear wing.

The right hand rear wing shows signs of previous repairs and this had distorted the panel, making the finish of the new panel challenging. Chris used his skills to manipulate and gently reshape the panels to work together and a new flange area on the valance to work with the wing and make the cars profile flow perfectly.

Recommissioning our 1958 Austin-Healey 100/6

May 1, 2024

Julian has been hard at work recommissioning our 1958 Austin-Healey 100/6 for the road.

The 100/6 is on the ramp at our Suffolk HQ after being off the road for several years. To begin with, Julian carried out a full service on the classic sports car which involved a full fluid, filter and plug change along with several new hoses which had deteriorated whilst the car had stood. Whilst the hoses were off the car, it was the perfect opportunity to flush out both the radiator and engine block before fitting the hoses and then renewing the antifreeze.

After that, Julian could turn his attention to the underside of the car. New front brake pads were fitted and then the rear brakes were cleaned and adjusted after the fluid had been flushed and changed. Whilst the car was up on the ramp, the team could take the opportunity to replace perished bushes in several areas such as the front anti-roll bar and the rear panhard bar, whilst also replacing the inner and out track rod boots.

We could also then go through the process of draining any old fuel out of the petrol tank before inspecting and refilling with a few fresh litres and then begin the process of waking the car back up before beginning to remove and align parts of the bodywork and trim ahead of its transfer to the body shop.

Workshop Walkaround – A Few Projects

May 1, 2024

With the team here at Bridge Classic Cars always working on something, whether that be the restorations technicians in the various departments, the marketing team or the leadership teams, we are all focused around our incredible workshop.

We’re all incredibly lucky to be able to be surrounded by these cars on a daily basis and every day is different as each project is unique and individual.

For example, the cars which are currently in the workshop – span nearly 115 years between them. From our 1905 Riley 9HP which Steve has been preparing ahead of its first drive all the way up to our 2022 Bridge C-Type which is also being readied for its maiden voyage in its period-correct trim. In between those extremes, is our 1939 Jaguar SS100 which Julian has been working on reassembling after a spring change and our 1958 Austin-Healey 100/6 (which was recently removed from a local barn) is being recommissioned and shown a bit of TLC.

New Arrival – 1962 Jaguar E-Type Series 1 Coupe

May 1, 2024

We’ve just had several new arrivals at the Bridge Classic Cars Suffolk HQ, one of them is this truly stunning 1962 Jaguar E-Type Series 1 Coupe.

This one has a funny connection to us! We recently were at H & H Auctions for there most recent auction and actually saw this car. As it went across the block, it had been bought by an enthusiast overseas. Well, the very next day when the team got in the office – the owner had contacted us to recommission the car ready for road use.

It’s always a pleasure to work on these automotive icons, and we’ve recently been doing a lot of them but thankfully with our world class restoration teams – we’ll have this early back on the road in no time!

Fit Up – Wiring Up and Checking the Fitment of the Bonnet on our C-Type Replica

April 3, 2024

The workshop and paint team have been working on getting the bonnet of our C-Type replica fitted up onto the car and adjusted along with the wiring beginning to take shape underneath this homage to the glory years of Le Mans.

Along with the wiring, the paint team have also gone through and marked small blemishes in the paintwork only found once under new lighting which will be address once the bonnet is removed for final fitment.

Along with the work under the bonnet, the team have been working on getting underneath the dash wired up with the new timing equipment and odometer in place for the project to move forward along with starting to reinstall the switchgear,

John then went on to make the brackets for the Brantz before fitting and writing up the fog light in the grille.

Best Classic Car Restoration Service

March 13, 2024

Bridge Classic Cars has won the Best Classic Car Restoration Service award from the UK Business Awards.

We take great pride in all of the work that is completed in the workshop so winning an award like this shows that we are doing things properly.

With this award comes added motivation to continue to grow and offer our award-winning restoration services to current and new customers alike.

A Recent Photoshoot with our 1975 MGB GT V8

March 4, 2024

A cornerstone of the British sports car world. A car recognised and loved by so many for its usability, practicality, and it’s gorgeous looks. We are proud to offer for sale our 1975 MGB GT V8.

The most sought after of the MGB GT’s. Its elegant, sophisticated looks paired with the glorious rumble of the small block V8 are a recipe for a thrilling driving experience.

Our 1975 example is one of the 2591 V8 cars produced by MG between 1973 and 1976 and is one of the very best MGB’s we’ve had through our workshop. Finished in vibrant Maroon Red with Black accents, it is a classic and classy colour combination. The Rover sourced small-block V8 delivers 137BHP which was more than enough to get this small, nimble, and iconic sports car on the move quickly.

Interestingly, the V8 used in the MGB GT was the lightest V8 engine available at the time, so the V8 took 20 kilograms off the nose of these wonderful British cars compared to the 4-cylinder engine.

This car has a well-documented history with invoices from parts specialists as well as extensive MOT histories dating back to the early 1990s. The file also includes photos from its bare metal rebuild in the early 2010s with photographs of its journey for its next owner to pour over.

This car also features a fold back sunroof for those warm summers days where you can roll back the top and go out for a blast to enjoy that intoxicating V8 rumble and the playful dynamics of the MG’s handling.

One look at its famous slender grille and you can’t miss that glorious badge staring straight back at you with the simple “V8”. The car also features the multi-piece wheels which were a signature of the V8’s and special editions that came out during the cars production run.

This car was recently sold through our good friends over at Car & Classic.

La Dolce Vita – Our 1989 Alfa Romeo Spider is now live!

February 12, 2024

As one of the last iterations of the iconic Spider, the 1989 model held true to Alfa Romeo’s legacy. With its classic Pininfarina-designed body, the 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine gave a spirited driving experience while the stylish interior offered a sense of comfort and luxury.

Our 1989 Alfa Romeo Spider is a rare find thanks to its right-hand drive configuration and is the fuel-injected Series 3 model. This Italian sports car benefits from a recent repaint, and has been well-maintained both inside and out. Finished in an eye-catching red exterior paired with a tasteful black-trimmed interior, you certainly get the Italian luxury you might expect. This is further complimented by its wood-rimmed Nardi steering wheel.

This example was originally registered overseas before acquiring its UK registration later on. Our Spider shows 55,976 kilometres (34,781 miles) over its 6 previous owners – the most recent being since 2017.

The accompanying history file contains MoTs dating back to 1994, receipts, original sales brochures, tax discs, the owner’s manual, and spare keys.

  • Rare right-hand drive Series 3 model
  • Recent repaint
  • 2-litre twin-cam four-cylinder engine
  • Less than 35,000 miles
  • Extensive History file
  • Bridge Classic Cars Pre-Delivery Inspection

Enter here to win our 1989 Alfa Romeo Spider!

Full gallery and video:

Bridge Classic Cars are award winning Classic Car Restoration and Maintenance specialists. Your pride and joy is in safe hands with our expert Classic Car Technicians. Take a look at our awards here.

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