The 1972 Chevrolet El Camino is back with Bridge Classic Cars following a small leak from its automatic gearbox.
The El Camino recently had work done to its transmission by our trusted automatic gearbox specialists so when the owner called to say he had discovered a small leak we got the classic American muscle car booked back in to have the transmission revisited by Automatic Transmissions in Essex.
The team loaded up the car onto the trailer and strapped it down ahead of its journey south.
The Lotus Elan – An iconic piece of British design which has inspired and helped to form its competition since its introduction in 1962.
Lotus is known for lightweight, nimble and beautifully handling sports cars which the Elan has come to personify. Beginning production in the early 1960s, the Elan became a favourite of enthusiasts and racers alike. Its single-minded approach to pure driving enjoyment is what has stood the test of time for generations of drivers.
The early cars were built at the old Cheshunt factory before the move to the birthplace of our 1972 Elan +2, the legendary Hethel. The base of operations for Lotus since 1966 where everything from the Elan to the brand new Emira and all-electric Evija hypercar is built.
The Elans were built deep in the Norfolk countryside in the earliest iteration of the Hethel facility. The cars, which were assembled in then modern workshops, were tested in and around Hethel to make sure they are up to the driving standards that were set for a Lotus, and that still remains true to this day. Each Lotus is taken out from final assembly to be driven around the in-house test track which also served as the test track of Formula 1 and GT racers all the way back to the 1960s.
But what makes the Elan so special and have a following which spans across the globe? With cars being recorded in over 30 different countries.
The fibreglass body sat atop a steel backbone which formed its chassis. This process, which began with the Elan, would be the order of business for the next 30 years in Lotus road car production. This simple but effective way of creating a driving platform, allowed its creators (including the legendary Colin Chapman) to work on developing what many have claimed to be the benchmark of sports car handling.
The Elan’s 4-wheel independent suspension was paired with a 4 wheel disc brake set up to keep the beautiful twin-cam engined sports car settled and confident. The steering on the Elan was so legendary in fact, it has been set as the standard against which some truly incredible machines have been measured. Light and talkative, the steering in the Elan is just what you would want in a small, fun British sports car.
Such a machine has to be experienced to be understood. The lightness of touch, the purpose of expression and the visceral feeling of being at one with a car.
The restoration workshop at Bridge Classic Cars has been continuing with the metal repairs to the 1978 MG B GT in with us for restoration.
The team have been working on the right-hand side of the car to remove the areas of corrosion to key parts of the bodyshell. This begun with cutting out the corrosion at the rear of the car in the valance. These were cut out of the car to create new templates for replacements, so the team could make the new pieces as close as possible to the originals.
Then the team could move on the car’s windshield pillars which had areas of corrosion at their base. This was peeled back to expose just how in-depth it had gone into the piece before the team replaced it.
Along with this, some pieces at the top of the inner wing was also replaced due to corrosion and to allow for the best fitment of the new wings which have been test fitted to the body to check alignment.
The 1963 Morris LD which has been at Bridge Classic Cars for our workshop team to do carry out some mechanical reconditioning work, is having the final few jobs ticked off its list.
The team have been working underneath the classic Morris van to fit up all the new hydraulic lines to the wheel cylinders and installed the new clutch slave cylinder before hooking the metal pipework to that component to complete the circuit. The whole system was then bled and checked before the team could move on to another job.
Next, the team made new mounts for the wiper motors. These were installed in place with the switch hooked back up and tested.
Finally, before taking the classic van on a road test the team noticed the speedometer cable wasn’t working as it should. Upon inspection, the team noted an internal break in the cable itself. The original speedo cable was coiled up and on the customers request, not replaced.
With all of this work now complete, it was time for the wonderful Morris LD to head back home with its owner.
This is the latest Bridge Classic Cars Competitions car! This stunning 1985 Jaguar Sovereign V12.
It all began on a beautifully sunny day out in the Suffolk countryside.
Hayley, Freddie and Nick all loaded up their gear and headed out to the filming location with the beautiful long-legged Jaguar after the car had been completely inspected and assessed by the Bridge Classic Cars in-house restoration team. The only work needed was a small leak from the radiator of the classic Jaguar which was repaired and thoroughly rested.
The supple and wonderfully smooth ride helped the team glide down the rough roads of the former airbase we use for filming. As the classic Jaguar floated across the airbase, we all knew this was going to be an amazing experience for the team.
The V12 providing the soundtrack for the team and the weather giving us the best background in which to shoot this classic icon of luxury against. The team had an absolute blast driving the classic Sovereign in the early summer sun – and now, we cannot wait for you to experience the power, the prestige and the purpose of this classic Jaguar.
Bridge Classic Cars have received our new tow vehicle! It’s a beautiful 2010 Jeep Grand Cherokee.
The car was prepared for us by local dealership John Banks who also fitted the new tow bar for our transport team to help collect and deliver either restoration projects or delivering dream classic cars around the country.
The car is in absolutely stunning condition inside and out, and the team are looking forward to putting it to work.
We’ve been sent some incredible photos by the owner who commissioned our 1975 Tunda Green MG B Roadster of the car in France.
The owner has had 3 cars built by the Bridge Classic Cars team. Along with the 1975 MG B Roadster is the 1973 Magenta Triumph TR6 and the soon to be completed 1973 Jaguar E-Type Roadster ‘Fern Grey’.
Soon, the E-Type will be joining the stable which spend their time between here in the UK and France, where they will get to enjoy and experience these absolutely stunning views!
With the competition selling out just before the draw time of 7PM, the Bridge Classic Cars team got together to find out who the lucky new owner of our 1973 Triumph TR6 was.
The gorgeous Saffron Yellow TR6 was front and centre in the new Bridge Classic Cars building, surrounded by upcoming and some previous competition cars while a few of our personal collection are dotted throughout.
As the team fired up the random number generator, and the entry list (published ahead of time due to the competition selling out early) up on the screen. It was time for the magical click, as the numbers whirred passed on the screen the last few messages of luck flashed up on the live comments. And there it was, 3999. A ticket number which was allocated to Valerie Bale. The new owner of the 1973 Triumph TR6.
Afterwards, during our live stream we tried to ring Valerie but couldn’t get through so left a message but she did ring back later and is over the moon with her new dream classic!
The bodyshell of the 1975 Jensen Interceptor Mk3 has arrived back at our restoration workshops after being sent away for ProStripping.
After a series of chemical treatments, the bodyshell has been stripped off all loose corrosion and any fillers or sealants for the team to inspect and assess the pure condition of the classic Jensen GT car.
ProStripping is the best way to safely remove any damaged areas as it does not have the impact or abrasion of media-blasting and allows the liquids to get into every area of the bodyshell to work its magic.
The interior technicians at Bridge Classic Cars have recreated several key parts for the interior of the 1954 Bristol 405.
To begin with, the team have made brand new foam pieces for the front seats of the classic Bristol as part of its restoration.
Then, the team could keep stripping down the rear seat base of the car to get to the frame that lay beneath. The next part for the trim shop to look into was the foldable armrest. Stripped back to its core, the hinge and piece itself could be assessed and then remade.
From there, the team could use the baseboard as a template to make a new piece entirely from scratch. Transfering the main shape to new wood, the trim shop soaked the ends in water so as to allow the wood to bend into place without snapping or cracking in any way before being pinned to the framework to rest and dry into the needed shape.
The trim team at the Bridge Classic Cars restoration workshop have worked with our body team to remove the collapsible roof on the 1986 Daimler DS420.
The team needed to remove this as part of the vehicle’s restoration as to inspect and assess the condition of each component as well as the inner and out coverings to use as templates.
Each piece had to be removed gingerly and extremely carefully so as to not damage any of the pieces or mechanisms to best assess each part of the roof.
The workshop team have been working on making progress on the 1979 Arrow Ferrari Daytona that is in our workshop.
The team began work on making the new instrument panel for the classic Daytona replica. This started as a card template which could be refined further and further until it was the perfect shape to fit behind the dash cluster. From there and using reference photos, the team could begin laying out the various dials and lights needed for the Daytona. Then, it was transferred to the aluminium sheet and carefully cut out and cleaned up before being put into the car with its dials in place.
The next job took our technicians to the engine bay of the Daytona replica, and more specifically the AC pump. The team had to create a new handmade bracket to orientate the AC bump for the belt system to work and also to allow for the unit to line up better with the other pulleys in the engine bay. Once in place, the team could then make up the crucial high-pressure lines which will hold the coolant.
The freshly painted 1987 Daimler Double Six has been in the paint preparation area for the Bridge classic Cars paint and body team to begin getting the car into bright, gleaming condition.
The team began by gently and evenly cutting back the freshly cured paint with progressively finer abrasive pads to safely remove any nibs or other pieces caught in the clear coat of the car. After this had all been taken back to an even ”flat” state, the team could begin bringing back its shimmer.
Using various compounds and polishes, the team built up the beautiful sheen across the body of the classic Daimler until it was like a deep blue mirror.
The restoration workshop at Bridge Classic Cars has been working on completing the repairs to the bodyshell of the 1978 MG B GT in with us for restoration.
The team have been carefully removing all areas of corrosion on the classic MG from front to back in order to get it into the best condition possible before it heads to our body shop for further refinements ahead of paint.
Each piece that has been removed from the car was used to template some of the handmade pieces which had to be created in order to fill the gaps caused by the corrosion. These were then welded into the car delicately so as to not create any warpage or movement in the surrounding areas.
Bridge Classic Cars welcomed this 1997 Rover Mini to our Suffolk HQ.
The classic Mini will be inspected and assessed by the various restoration teams here at our workshop. This is a later version of the Rover Mini with a fuel injected 1275cc engine and has been modified both inside and out but the team will go through the entire car to check over and compile their report.
Keep an eye out on the Bridge Classic Cars news page for more on the wonderful 1997 Rover Mini.
The paint and body team at Bridge Classic Cars have got the 1955 Aston Martin DB2/4 MkI into the in-house paint booth for some of the final stages before colour begins.
The team sanded down the body and bonnet for the final time before it was prepared and pushed into the paint booth. There, the team laid down the final coat of primer onto the car before the colour is laid down onto the panels of the classic Aston Martin.
After the primer had settled and cured, the team brought the bonnet of the DB2/4 back into the paint booth to prepare and begin work on the underside. The team reprimed the underside before applying the hardwearing and durable Raptorguard to the bonnet of the DB2/4.
The trim team at Bridge Classic Cars are continuing their work on the interior of the 1954 Bristol 405 which is in for restoration by the team at our Suffolk HQ.
The trim team have been carefully dismantling the interior of the classic Bristol in order to inspect and assess its condition and a plan for its restoration.
Once the team had stripped back the entire piece, they could see the condition of the framework underneath and support brackets. While the wooden frames will need attention, the metal brackets were in good enough shape for the team to sandblast and paint them in gloss black to renew them for the project. The foam will also be replaced along with the coverings which are being catalogued and stored for reference later in the project.
The Bridge Classic Cars fabrication shop has been working on the crucial repairs to the drivers side rear inner arch of the 1969 Morris Minor Convertible.
The inner arch is a cap for the frame rails on the classic Morris which had begun to heavily corrode in some key areas including the cross brace which holds the two rails together.
Along with that, several key mounts which form part of the inner arch were damaged/corroded and require replacements or repairs.
The saying attached to Lotus and it’s core DNA, Simplify, and then add lightness. That is what the Lotus Elan personifies.
The low slung, lightweight sports car looked incredible in the summer sun. Its bright red paintwork contrasted against the rich green of the pine trees that lined the south loop of our filming location. This is our 1972 Lotus Elan +2 and it’s the latest competition car from Bridge Classic Cars.
The legendary Lotus Twin Cam 4-cylinder provided the soundtrack for our days’ filming. The raspy billow found its way to every surface and bounced back for the world to enjoy. The nimble sports car is known for its characteristic handling and this example is no different. The small racing steering wheel feels directly connected to the front wheels which helps to perfectly place the slant nosed 70s sports car exactly where it is intended.
You can’t help but smile wildly while experiencing the Elan. It gives so much feedback to its driver that you truly become one with the machine, the intended purpose of all Lotus cars. The driver is at the centre of the world.
And now, Bridge Classic Cars wants you to experience this incredible machine and the theatre that surrounds it. It’s the latest competition car and it could be yours very soon.
The team at Bridge Classic Cars have been working on the restoration of the 1905 Riley 9HP at our Suffolk HQ.
The magneto is the next item to be worked on by our technicians. Although this particular component was not originally fitted to the car, it was installed by a previous owner to help with starting the classic pre-war touring car. For this piece, the team have installed new HT leads to the magneto which are made to the specific lengths needed for the car.
Then, the team could get it bench-tested to make sure it was producing a strong blue spark and then got it fitted into the chassis and its drive chain put into place.
Check out the video we have of our technician Dave testing the Bosch ZEV magneto on the bench!
The team at Bridge Classic Cars have performed the first test fit of the new driveshafts in our 1905 Riley 9HP.
They have been fit into the antique, pre-world war 1 Riley to check for fitment and interference. Also, for the team to check the bearing clearances and ring-gear engagement.
There’s a fair bit going on at the moment with the vintage Riley at our Suffolk HQ so make sure to keep an eye on the Bridge Classic Cars news page for more.
The in-house trim team at Bridge Classic Cars have been working on stripping down the front seats of the 1954 Bristol 405, in our Suffolk restoration workshop, before rebuilding the bases.
The team always take care when removing the original covers so they can be preserved for reference or pattern making later down the line. The cores of the seats are then stripped back to their most basic features and sanded/cleaned down before the restorative work can begin.
With the bases completely stripped back, the first job was to remake the wooden inner backboards using the originals as a rough template to work from. Once these were cut and refined, the team could create the outer backboards before foaming work could begin.
The paint and body team at Bridge Classic Cars have been working on the final stages of the paint journey on the 1987 Daimler Double Six’s panels.
The team have gently cut back the paint and clear-coat on the panels with finer and finer abrasives in order to create a uniform finish for the pieces. Then, they can be machine polished and buffed to a mirror finish.
The workshop team have been getting the new inner and outer sills fitted to the 1978 MG B GT which is in for restoration with Bridge Classic Cars.
The sills are being replaced by the team due to areas of corrosion and damage to the shell which had found their way into the sills of the classic sports car. The inner and outers were carefully cut out of the car before the high quality replacements were offered up and the area trimmed to accept them before being welded in.
The 2007 Jaguar XKR and 1985 Porsche 911 have left the Bridge Classic Cars workshop at our Suffolk HQ bound for their new homes with their excited new owners.
The cars were collected and delivered straight to the doorsteps of the winners.
We want to wish both of them many happy miles and years with their dream classics.
Last night, Bridge Classic Cars went to find out who the lucky new owner of our 1980 Supercharged Mini Van was.
At 7PM live on our Facebook page, we welcomed our followers watching along to our competition build which houses all of our competition cars and a couple of our personal cars and finished restoration projects. To begin with, we began our live stream from the inside of our new 1993 Land Rover Defender 90.
Then, Hayley and Freddie took everyone around the various cars which are held inside the building at our Suffolk HQ. Including the beautiful Saffron Yellow 1973 Triumph TR6 and the 1972 Lotus Elan +2. Of course, we couldn’t miss out on the car everyone was there for, the 1980 Supercharged Mini Van.
After the look around, it was time to find out who the new owner of this tiny terror was. The competition had sold out the day before so the entry list, as with all of our entry lists, is pre-published on our website for all to see. With 4999 tickets, we fired up the Random Number Generator.
With the parameters set, with one click of a button the fate of the Mini was sealed.
Its new owner was Peter with ticket 4529.
The team will give the Mini its pre-delivery inspection and one final check over before it is delivered straight to Peter.
Whilst our friends at Tyre Assist changed the tyres on the 1985 Porsche 911, the Bridge Classic Cars workshop team installed the new dust covers.
The team had previously replaced the corroded dust covers which sit behind the brake discs on the classic 911. The new replacements are a direct change over from the original set taken off the car and bolt straight back onto the hub.
With this now done the discs can be refitted onto the car, brakes reinstalled and adjusted before the wheels are torqued down and it is finally on its way to its new home.
The Porsche 911 is having new tyres fitted before it leaves us here at Bridge Classic Cars and makes its way to its new owner.
For all of our tyres, we use our friends over at Tyre Assist. They’re mobile tyre fitters and come to our workshop when any of our projects.
The old tyres were removed and replaced with brand new replacements before being reinflated and perfectly balanced by the onboard computer. With this done, there’s just one last job…
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