We recently received a great email from one of our customers. We are currently restoring their 1958 Jensen 541R and a lot of work has been completed on this classic car over the last few weeks.
At Bridge Classic Cars, we do our best to keep everyone up to date with everything that is happening in our Suffolk workshop through our regular blog posts, our social media channels, and by meeting people face-to-face at classic car events throughout the year.
The team work extremely hard to restore all of the cars they work on to the highest of standards. That’s why it always feels so good to get some very positive feedback from our customers who want to let us know that they appreciate what we do.
Receiving a testimonial like this is the reason we do what we do, so thank you for the great feedback – it will be shared with the team.
“I’m enjoying every update. I’m impressed with what Lydia and Brian are doing. I like the leather and vinyl combo very much. So pleased with the rear seat now. The paintwork looked great as well and I’m sure when it gets its final touch-up, alignment and the few flaws attended to that it is a real work of art.
I would appreciate it if you can complement the staff that is doing this great work for me.”
September 30, 2022 12:51 pmPublished by Craig Ranson
Our 1956 Jensen 541 has been the target of our classic car technician’s attention as of late.
Over the past few days, the bonnet has been repaired so that it now lines up beautifully with the doors, some body panels have been gapped and aligned, and a new layer of fibreglass has been added to the roof to fix the cracks that were present.
September 30, 2022 7:53 amPublished by Craig Ranson
If you want to get technical about it, then a car becomes a classic car somewhere between the age of 15 and 40 years old (depending on who you ask!) However, classic cars are more than just old cars. They are special cars. Classic cars are timeless cars, and it seems unfair to label them purely based on their age.
They Were Designed With Greater Freedom
You only have to look at classic vehicles such as our 1987 Lotus Excel or our 1970 MG C Roadster to see how impressive they are to look at. It doesn’t take an expert to see that they look quite different from some of the modern cars we see on the roads today too.
A big part of this is because classic cars were designed and built in a time when there was less of a focus on safety, emissions, and alike. Instead, it was all about making the car look good and giving the driver an experience they would hold on to anytime they got behind the wheel.
Modern car manufacturers have to compete with other leading car manufacturers. As a result, you get a lot of similar-looking cars. Back when classic cars were built though, designers could break the mould and let their imagination and creativity run wild.
You Can Look After Them Yourself (Sometimes)
This isn’t always true as, sometimes, you will need the assistance of a classic car technician. This is particularly the case if you are trying to restore a classic car. If this is something you are thinking about, it’s well worth working with the highly trained and highly skilled technicians at Bridge Classic Cars to give you a helping hand with your latest restoration project.
However, If you have some level of mechanical knowledge, you might be surprised at how much you can repair, replace, or improve on a classic vehicle. Modern cars tend to be full of complicated electrics, and manufacturer-specific parts. This usually means that nothing can be replaced without plugging the car into a laptop first. Classic cars don’t need any of that.
With traditional tools, a skilled classic car technician can strip and rebuild most components of a classic car. They will be able to do this without a laptop or specialist tool in sight.
They Were Built By Hand
Perhaps one of the most important factors to consider when deciding if a car is a classic or not is whether it was built by human hands or by a machine.
True classic cars would have, at least in part, been built by hand. This is something that can never be replicated by machines. As every hand-built car will have minor differences, each one will be as unique as the people who own them.
When we are working on restoring classic cars, our technicians don’t just rely on made-to-order parts. They fabricate their own to make sure everything fits perfectly and things look exactly how they should.
What Makes A Car A Classic Car?
Sometimes, a car will be deemed a classic or not based on its age (for insurance purposes, etc). However, true classic car enthusiasts know that there is much more to it than that.
Classic cars feel different, look different, and give you an entirely different driving experience. Some modern cars are great. There’s just something about classic cars that makes you want to get back behind the wheel time and time again.
September 29, 2022 10:28 amPublished by Craig Ranson
Our 1958 Jensen 541R has been seeing lots of progress recently. This has continued with Clinton making new air vent shutters and runners for the car.
In addition to Clinton’s hard work, Brian has been making the dash pad metal rail and covering this in foam and vinyl.
Brian has also made the metal brackets for the rear seat and painted these too. He didn’t stop there though as he went on to make the metal brackets for the headliner front pad, fitted brackets to the front squab, fitted the rear window top trim panels, fitted the side window top trim panels, installed the rear quarter panels, and fitted the rear squab.
As you can see from this long list of completed tasks, our 541R is coming along nicely and our classic car technicians will continue to work hard until it is fully restored and back on the road where it belongs.
September 28, 2022 3:13 pmPublished by Craig Ranson
Classic Car Technician Scott has been busy building up the dash in our 1969 Morris Minor 1000 Convertible. Once he had finished this, he moved on to stripping the brakes so he could check they were in full working order.
After cleaning, greasing, readjusting, and reassembling the brakes, he was happy with them all apart from the off-side front brakes. It was here that Scott found one of the cylinders was seized and another was leaking. A new set of cylinders has been ordered to rectify the issue.
While removing the brake line, the flexi hose was found to be corroded to the point where it broke away from the body of the car as the brake line was removed. Scott repaired the inner wing section and rewelded the bracket in place.
He also began making new front brake lines while the front braking system was apart.
September 28, 2022 7:43 amPublished by Craig Ranson
Our 1987 Volvo 240GL has been spending some time being prepared for painting.
It will ultimately be painted its original white colour. This will make it look almost identical to how it would have looked when it left the factory back in 1987.
Restoring a classic car like this, so it ends up looking brand new again, is something that our classic car technicians are highly skilled at. With this in mind, it shouldn’t be too long until this classic car is looking like it’s just been driven out of the factory for the very first time.
September 27, 2022 12:55 pmPublished by Craig Ranson
Our 1978 MG B GT is starting to look more and more like a complete car.
Not only have our classic car technicians finished fitting the interior carpet, but technician Rob has also fitted the rear seat into the car. With the interior of the car starting to look more recognisable (with the exception of a few missing key components), now is the time when you can really see how cool this classic car will look when its restoration is fully complete.
September 27, 2022 8:44 amPublished by Craig Ranson
In order to carry on getting our 1986 Daimler DS420 restored, classic car technician, Dave, has had to remove the front crossmember.
This is an important component of the car as it helps maintain stability (among other things) so the repair and replacement is something only skilled technicians, like those at Bridge Classic Cars, should consider doing.
September 26, 2022 2:49 pmPublished by Craig Ranson
Our classic car technicians are always busy working on restoring classic cars.
Every now and again, we are able to get a few photos of them doing what they do best, and the below photos of Paul working on parts for our 1970 Bristol 411 are great examples of this.
September 26, 2022 2:22 pmPublished by Craig Ranson
The interior of our 1958 Jensen 541R is beginning to make some good progress. In addition to the interior carpets and the interior leather that has already been installed, work has started on the kick panels, door panels, and rear quarter panels.
September 26, 2022 1:50 pmPublished by Craig Ranson
Our 1969 Morris Minor 1000 Convertible has been getting some attention in the workshop lately.
Brian has been making the hood frame and cover for this incredibly cool looking classic car.
From the photos below, you can see how he began by screwing the wooden front rail, which would make the hood frame, together before fitting the rail to the frame of the roof.
He then made a new cover for the rail from vinyl which was glued, wrapped, and stapled securely in place.
September 26, 2022 1:17 pmPublished by Craig Ranson
The finishing touches of any classic car restoration are always extremely exciting. It’s these details that can bring a car to life and back to all of its former glory.
Our 1981 MG B GT LE is now at a stage where the finishing touches are beginning to be added. One example of this is the great job that our friends at the Window Film Centre did with the decalling of the vehicle.
We recently picked up the car after the decalling had been completed and, as you can see from the photos below, the final product looks incredible!
September 26, 2022 10:33 amPublished by Craig Ranson
There are quite a few Jensens being restored in our workshop at the moment (7 at the last count including 541s, 541Rs, and an Interceptor MK3).
As there is a lot of work to get done on these classic cars, it’s usually very beneficial to bulk produce some of the smaller parts so they are always available if and when our classic car technicians need them.
Clinton has been busy handcrafting several components that will eventually go on to be part of several of our Jensens. As you can see from the photos below, he has been making bonnet hinges and rear seat location pins. Even small parts like this play a big role in classic car restoration.
September 26, 2022 7:22 amPublished by Craig Ranson
More repair work was needed on the subframe of our 1955 Jensen 541.
This work has been undertaken and completed. The finished subframe will now be able to offer the support it needs to, in order to keep the classic car running smoothly and safely when it is fully restored.
September 23, 2022 2:52 pmPublished by Craig Ranson
Dave has spent a lot of time lately working on our 1954 Jaguar MKVII. During one of his inspections of the vehicle, he noticed that there appeared to be some damage to the engine.
As his investigation went deeper, he discovered grit in the oil and some damage to the big end. The result was the engine having to be removed from the car and sent to our partners at Coltec for a rebuild.
Removing the engine from this classic car is a big job but, as an experienced and skilled classic car technician, Dave was able to get the job done and he hopes to receive the rebuilt engine back soon.
Once it’s back with us, work will continue to restore the classic Jaguar.
September 23, 2022 1:23 pmPublished by Craig Ranson
The classic car technicians at Bridge Classic Cars can turn their hand to many jobs. One job that you might not expect them to excel at though is carpet fitting! However, that’s exactly what they have been doing with our 1978 MG B GT.
The exterior of this classic car is enough to catch many people’s eye but, for its owner, the interior needs to be equally as well finished too.
That’s why new carpet and interior trim have been fitted recently. Installing carpet in a classic car takes a steady hand, a keen eye, and a good amount of patience. Luckily the team in the workshop have a whole load of experience (and skill) in these areas and, as you can see from the photos below, the interior of this stunning car is coming together nicely as a result.
September 23, 2022 11:32 amPublished by Craig Ranson
It’s always an exciting time when we see the arrival of a new car into our workshop. One of the most recent additions is our 2000 TVR Chimaera 450 in blue.
Once we have finished lovingly staring at this beautiful classic car, our classic car technicians will take control of it in order to inspect and assess its current condition.
While this classic car is with us, it will undergo a full MOT and service, have a new induction hose fitted, and our classic car technicians will investigate an issue with the radiator fan that is causing it to run continuously.
This looks to be an exciting project for Bridge Classic Cars, so expect plenty of updates very soon.
September 23, 2022 10:48 amPublished by Craig Ranson
The team of classic car technicians at Bridge Classic Cars found some areas of corrosion on our 1986 Daimler DS420 a little while ago.
In order to fully inspect all of the corrosion areas, the team have had to gain access to some tricky parts of the car.
Recently, the servo was removed to give our classic car technicians better access to specific areas of corrosion. Once removed, work could begin to resolve some of the corrosion issues as the Daimler continues its journey of restoration.
September 22, 2022 3:15 pmPublished by Craig Ranson
Scott, one of our classic car technicians, has been hard at work on the restoration of our 1979 Arrow Ferrari Daytona.
From having his head under the bonnet to being under the car itself (and everywhere else in between), Scott continues to restore this incredible car so it can be back on the road where it belongs.
September 22, 2022 1:44 pmPublished by Craig Ranson
There has been a lot of work completed on our 1978 MG B GT to get it into its current state.
As it continues to be beautifully restored here at Bridge Classic Cars, our classic car technicians, like Rob, can always be seen working hard to lovingly bring this classic car back to all of its former glory.
September 22, 2022 1:02 pmPublished by Craig Ranson
Our 1978 MG B GT has taken another big leap forward on its restoration journey.
With the fitting of its propshaft and radiator, real progress has been made to get this classic car back on the road, where it rightfully belongs.
In addition to the propshaft and radiator, the MG B GT’s headlamps, front spoiler and bumper have also been fitted. This has made it even more recognisable as the truly stunning car that it is!
September 22, 2022 10:14 amPublished by Craig Ranson
Monty and Christian are working together on our Daimler project. We are hoping that the body repairs will be completed within the next week or so. The front arch lips and rear bottom sections have now been shaped and welded into position.
September 16, 2022 9:24 amPublished by Craig Ranson
Scott has now freshened up the carbs and refitted them. He has successfully run up the car and fitted in new spark plugs.
He has continued to work on building up the bonnet and now fitted it to the car. The doors are also now built up and all of the electrics have now been completed.
September 16, 2022 9:11 amPublished by Craig Ranson
Little Eva is the name given to our charming 1961 Morris Mini Deluxe.
Since its restoration, Little Eva has joined our personal collection of classic cars. As this lovely little classic has not had the use we had anticipated, we have decided to let her go for someone else to enjoy.
Restored in collaboration with Team C Racing, our Mini was restored to the very highest of standards. To read our full write-up and for your chance of winning Little Eva, enter the draw here.
September 15, 2022 11:06 amPublished by Craig Ranson
On testing Dave noticed that the brakes on our 1968 Mini 850 were locking. Upon closer inspection we can see that the offside was made up of a different compound so we have replaced all brake shoes to give an even consistency and compound.
September 14, 2022 2:43 pmPublished by Craig Ranson
Another lovely classic car has been sold through our new classic car sales platform, MyClassics.co.uk . MyClassics is a completely free sales platform designed for the classic car enthusiast by classic car enthusiasts.
It’s easy to see why this classic Land Rover sold so quickly. The chassis is in amazing condition and the vehicle has a warm, charming patina fitting for that of the original go-anywhere, do-anything workhorse.
If you are in the market to either buy or sell a classic car, be sure to head to MyClassics.co.uk .
September 14, 2022 1:21 pmPublished by Craig Ranson
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