New Water Pump On The Jaguar
We’ve just fitted a new water pump on our 1959 Jaguar MKI meaning it is now ready to photograph. Keep an eye out for where this iconic Jaguar will end up…
Tag Archive: classic car restoration
Maroon Stag’s Oil Leak
We’ve identified a long standing oil leak under our 1973 Triumph Stag that is due to faulty and damaged parts. The exhaust pipes have been rubbing on the prop shaft and show signs of a previous poor weld repair. The pipes are showing obvious signs of damage and long standing oil drips due to the build up of oil residue on the metal. The oil cooler is also damaged and in desperate need of repair.
DB2/4 Stripping
Scott has been stripping down the 1955 Aston Martin DB2/4 Mark I in preparation for the rest of its restoration. This is a time consuming but integral part of a restoration but allows the rest of the mechanical work and bodywork to be done.
A Visitor From Germany
Our friend and client has had both of his Jensen’s with us for the last 3 years as we’ve been tackling the mighty project of their full restorations. He flew over with his son to finally see his finished beauties; a 1957 Jensen 541 RS and a 1960 Jensen 541R. We’re delighted at how happy he was when he saw them. After a thorough inspection and a test drive of each, we got the verdict and the small list of one or two minor tweaks. Once complete, they can be shipped over to Germany to start a new life overseas.
Both of these Jensen’s have been made with a keen eye for detail and the owner has had a strong involvement over getting both original and bespoke parts for these two classics, which will be added to his ever-growing Jensen collection.
Our client has a large collection of Jensen’s including this Interceptor which is undergoing restoration elsewhere.
Jaguar XK8 Painted
Our 1997 Jaguar XK8 has been prepped and readied for primer and then followed up with its final paint stage.
Matt also masked up for stone chip on the sill and arch lips before applying the final paint. Matt explained that “we check for colour coverage by turning the booth lights off and using a special torch to make sure base coat has covered”. This allows the team to ensure that the paint is sat as it should do. Once the base coat had been applied, Matt could then add the clear coat and finish the car.
It now looks good as new – you’d never know the rear quarter had been taken apart!
MG B GT Finished
We have finished our 1968 MG B GT which needed the brakes taken apart, cleaned, adjusted and bled, as well as setting up the pointers gap and timing for the carburettors, which were also stripped cleaned and adjusted. We also addressed the scraping noise which turned out to be the drum hitting the back plate.
MG Midget Finished
Our 1971 MG Midget has been completed and sent back off. We replaced the faulty distributer cap and set up the timing for the carburettors and points gap. We then road tested it and found it ran perfectly.
Ford Capri Bumps And Scratches Healed
Our 1971 Ford Capri has been into the paint book where, in the capable hands of our painter Chris, its paint chips and scratches have been corrected.
Chris begun by apply primer and filler which he smoothed and flattened before masking it up and painting over.
Now finished, you’d never have known there were scratches and chips on the rear quarter panel.
Rare Aston Martin Restoration Begins
We have now officially begun the exciting restoration process of our rare 1955 Aston Martin DB2/4 which is being restored back to original in preparation for its entry into the Mille Miglia. The original race took place between 1927 and 1957 and ran its course across 1000 miles over Italy. There are strict rules over who can enter and which cars can be driven in the modern reenactment of the race however one thing is for certain, cars must be in original spec.
You can read more about the history of the iconic Italian race here.
Scott and Brian have made the first impression into this project by stripping the chrome and removing the interior so that the body is ready to be repainted.
Brian has been tackling the interior strip as he has removed the seats, carpet, pedal box, interior panels and the window trim. He has also removed the rear squab and base seats however these were tricky to remove as there were interior beams holding them in place. He has also removed seat pockets, door capping chrome trim, end plates, door cards and straps as well as the door pockets
Good As New
Look at the difference in these seats before and after they’ve been cleaned! Colin, from Viper Auto Valet set out to bring out 1959 Ford Anglia back to life. After sitting in a barn for a while, this poor little Ford was riddle with cobwebs and dust. Yet despite this, the car is still in fantastic condition and there’s nothing a little clean can’t help with! After Colin had spent a few hours cleaning up our Ford, its now looking sparkling clean and brand new!
Next step – photoshoot.
Amphicar’s Spillage
Our 1965 Amphicar has had a sudden issue with a carb fuel leak so we’ve taken it apart, cleaned it and rebuilt it, adding in some fresh sealant. We hope that it can now go for an MOT and then have its first water test.
MGB’s New Distributer
Our 1963 MGB GT is in need of a new distributer as the old one was broken and causing serious issues. We’ve ordered a new one (see below) which is ready to fit.
White Jaguar E-Type Inner Parts Painted
More inner components have been painted for the 1973 White jaguar E-Type Series 3 Roadster. Parts have been had air box primer applied and then painted silver. Other parts have been painted black.
Back To The Farm
Our 1996 Toyota Hilux has been finished and sent back to the farm for its owners to finish themselves. Our task was only to correct and replace the doors and side panels as this is set to mostly be a home restoration. Hilux’s are often a favoured agriculture vehicle thanks to their reliability and classic indestructibility.
New Ford Anglia In
We’ve just welcomed this quirky barn find 1959 Ford Anglia into the Bridge Classic Car family. It’s looking rather dusty at the moment however for a car that hasn’t been driven in years, it’s looking amazing. Many of the original details are still intact such as the interior which is pristine for a 62 year old car that has been used well throughout its life. The previous owner never liked over-restoring cars and instead preferred to leave his Ford as untouched as he could but kept up well enough to be frequently used.
We’ve got some body work and tidy ups to do with this vehicle before we can photograph it, but stay tuned to see where this Ford ends up….
TR5 Up And Running For The First Time
Our 1968 Triumph TR5 has been a total nut and bolt restoration, with it looking like just a chassis and some mechanics only 6 months ago. Today it was started for the first time and it ran as expected with no series issues. The expected teething issues of a brand new engine have occurred, including a large amount of smoke as the new components are run for the first time. The next step is to road test it to see how it runs.
Ford Model T Gets New Brakes
We’ve been working on getting this 1915 Ford Model T up and running again, starting with refreshing the brakes. On this age car, the brakes are drum and steel which are only located on the back. We’ve taken the wheels off the back right hand side to find they’re totally dry and looking well. We’ve refreshed the grease on the hand brake pivot point and reassembled it. On the opposite side at the back the brakes were full of oil, which is as expected as the oil in the axel runs to the left hand side. We’ve taken it apart and replaced the outer race on the bearing as well as fitted an oil seal inside. At the front we’ve refreshed the grease in the hubs as well as noted some wear in the king pin.
First Coffee – Great Cars And Great Coffee
We noticed that a previous project of ours, this stunning 1973 Triumph TR6 had stopped in for a coffee at First Coffee in Clopton. We hear that First Coffee seems to be a popular place to stop off for coffee in your beloved motor! We’ll need to check it out soon…
Spitfire In For Service
Scott has been working on our 1971 Spitfire to identify the source of an oil leak. He discovered that it was the timing cover gasket so we’ve ordered a new part to fix it. Scott then had to fix the heater vent control lever as it was jammed and then look at a poor starting issue. Scott tried turning the idle speed up as it was very low. In doing so he noticed that some fuel lines had perished so he has replaced those too.
The Ford Capri’s Run-In With A Ladder
This stunning 1971 Ford Capri has had an unfortunate run in with a ladder that has left some small cosmetic grazes on its rear quarter panel. We’ve taken it into the capable hands of our paint shop to have a touch up so that it can leave looking brand new.
We’ve all been ogling at this stunning bronze example. The paint, a golden bronze, is otherwise spotless and the interior is well preserved and well-loved.
EADT – May 2021: Electric Classic Mini Set To Star On TV
Our Surf Blue mini that we helped restore with Ted from Team C Racing is now set to star on Vintage Voltage on tv. We’ve recently been mentioned in an EADT article about it which you can read here.
The car has spent the 6 months in Wales at Electric Classic Cars undergoing a Tesla conversion.
Owner Simon Benton, has had the mini in his family its whole life. Originally purchased for him and his sister to learn in, the car then became their mother’s daily before retiring to their garage where it sat untouched for many years.
The characterful mini gained the name ‘OBie’ after its number plate and the release of Star Wars the summer they bought it.
May 11, 2021 7:48 am
1971 MG Midget In For Service
This little 1971 MG Midget has come in today for a service. It’s in need of its wheels being balanced, a general check over as it hasn’t been driven in a while and an oil check.
These MG Midgets are a particularly popular and charming classic which are quickly appreciating in value. As a simple classic roadster, it is the perfect every day classic or someone’s first classic. Fun to drive, easy to work on and cheap to fix, there’s not much you can’t love about it.
Triumph Stag Interior Finished
Brian has recently added the finishing touches to our Maroon 1973 Triumph Stag. This car has gone from looking rather sad at Bentwaters, with an empty interior and flat tyre, to now starting to resemble a usable car!
He has fitted the tonneau cover in place by bolting the brackets into the car and fitting a catch to lock the hood in place. Brian then checked that the rear bar of the frame fits well into the cover lock and then laid the hood cover over the frame and glued the rear flap to the rear bar.
The next step was to clip the front edge in place and glue it to the front bar, followed by gluing the side and roof flaps in place. Brian then fit metal channels and rubbers in place and then trimmed the front edge of the cover, and then rivetted the metal channel and rubber in place.
After this, the rear and front seats could also be fitted. The interior now looks perfect.
Lotus In For Service
Our Lotus has come back in for a service before the owner takes it out on a road trip.
We’ve attended to the engine cooling fans which are working correctly, we’ve found no oil leaks, we’ve checked over the vehicle to identify any other faults, which we have not found and replaced the oil and filter.
1915 Ford Model T Up And Running
Our 1915 Ford Model T took a bit of encouragement to start, but when it did, it ran perfectly!
Having sat in a barn for a while, this Ford needed some help to start up, from being towed behind the van and being pushed, but once the engine turned over, it ran really well. Our next step is to make sure it starts every time without its driver and passengers having to push it.
MGB GT Brake Issues
We welcomed in this 1968 MGB GT last week which is having some brake and running issues.
Firstly, the brake have been bled however the pedal doesn’t seem to be reacting correctly. We assume there is an issue with the Servo.
We have also noticed that the distributor is broken and the car will not turn off, meaning the only way to stop the engine from running is to stall it. This may be connected to a fuel issue.
Lada In For A Service
We recently had this classic Lada in for a restoration and now its back for a health check. We’ve run a service on it and are now beginning to replace the front wheel bearings and the dust covers on the callipers.
Austin Healey’s Engine Troubles
This Austin Healey 1000 has come in with some engine troubles. We identified a water leak and oil in the water. We’ve removed the head to investigate.
Lilac Jensen Seats And Fibreglass
Lydia has been working on the 1960 Lilac Jensen that our director, Gordon, is having restored.
She has perforated the leather which arrived and then made fluted faces for the front squab and base seats with it. Then, she marked out the lines on the back of the leather and onto scrim foam to use as guides. Next up, Lydia could sew in the flute lines to complete the front squab and base flutes. Lydia had to create a seam in the base of the flutes as well as attaching calico to the seams. The seam and calico then get pulled tight on the foam. Lydia’s next challenge was to sew in sidebands onto the front base seat as it wasn’t in the original design. Once confident with the patterns, Lydia could cut them out. She sewed piping down the sidebands before attaching to the sides of one of the fluted base “faces”. Then she piped around the outside of the whole thing and checked to see if the foam would still fit. Lydia then worked out the front squab seat next. She piped the sides of the fluted “face” again. She then lay it on the frame because she had to mark where to trim the sidebands, these had to be adjusted slightly because of the new design.
Lydia then made cuts in the foam for the piping to sit into and to give a good shape. She then glued the piping down into them. She then stapled around the back and the bottom of the frame to hold the front squab in place.
Next up, she marked out the leather for the back pieces for one of the front base seats that she started on before. She then clipped them around the piping of the “face” to check the fit before sewing on.
Below you can see the original foam for the seats. Lydia took this off as the old wadding that was falling apart. She then covered the front and sides of the original foam in new scrim foam. The back has a wooden and calico frame attach to it so she didn’t need to put any on there.
Lydia then moved one to making the second front base seat. She did this in the same way as the other one. She made a fluted face with a seam in the middle, then piped the sides, attached the sidebands and piped around all that. Then she marked out the notches to match the back pieces on.
Matt has been working to repair the fibreglass side panels by applying glass matt repair. Once repaired, the wings, panels and sills can be prepped for primer. They also need to be shaped up after each stage of filler.
Lydia has continued to make the base of the seats on the Jensen. She has marked out the leather and foam with flute lines as a guide for sewing. She has then sewn the flute lines and attached them to the foam. The fluted are now faces finished. Next up, Lydia is set to work out the middle section as this needs to be altered from the original. She began by making a paper pattern on the new middle shape and making it longer and wider. Lydia then sewed the seams across the middle of the fluted faces and made paper patterns for the top sides to attach to the fluted faces. Then she cut leather versions out from the pattern as well as cutting out the middle section using the new middle section pattern she made.
Lydia then piped the sides of the middle section and sewed the fluted faces to this. She followed by piped the other sides of the fluted faces and attached the top side pieces. Next up Lydia marked out and cut out all the pieces for the skirt and sides. She then measured, marked out and cut out strips of calico and sewed all the pieces together for the sides and skirt. She then sewed a strip of calico to the curved piece and sewed calico to the inside seams of the faces. This helps when fitting on the foam. Then Lydia clipped the skirt and sides piece to the main face piece to check the fit.
Lydia has continued to make the rear squab by cutting strips of leather for piping, clipping the pieces together for the sides and bottom and then sewing them together. She used the piping she’d made before and sewed them around the outside of the face. Lydian then sewed the sides and skirt onto it to finish.
1969 Mini Arrives At Winner’s Home
We’re delighted to announce that Matthew Evans has received his new 1969 Mini MKII 850 Super Deluxe safe and sound. Matthew won with his lucky ticket number 1532.
Matthew bought only one ticket with us which happened to be his first ever ticket he’d bought with us – and as fate would have it, it happened to be his winning ticket.
