Mauro’s recent adjustments to our 1968 Triumph Tr5 include added fittings to the dashboard and many small mechanisms added throughout the vehicle. It’s the small details that make a big difference.
His recent work includes cleaning the wiper engine mechanisms and restoring the hand brake, gearbox lever and sun visor brackets.
The rev tachometer has been fitted meaning that the dash is almost finished.
The glovebox lock, door handles and door locks have also been fitted.
Saturday dawned as a beautiful (and nippy) sunny day, and what better weather for a long-awaited delivery! Mauro drove the lorry over to drop off our charming 1963 Morris Minor 1000 which was received by its delighted owners.
We offer car transportation, logistics and delivery, so if you’re in need of a helping hand to pick up, drop off or transport your car, you can get in touch on 01473 742038 or email us on info@bridgeclassiccars.co.uk
This delightful 1963 Morris Minor 1000 came to us back in December 2019 and has undergone and fantastic transformation within the last year. It has had rust correction, bodywork, new paint, new interiors, engine restoration, new wiring and a chassis rejuvenation during its time with us.
Morris Minor convertibles have always been seen as a premium touring car of that generation. Morris Minors, in general, are full of charm and instantly recognisable. From an engineering and mechanics side, they’re also built extremely well and make a reliable classic that is also suitable for everyday use. The Morris Minor was the first car built in the UK to sell more than one million vehicles.
Now that the restoration has been completed, its time for us to wish this Morris farewell as we send it back to its owner tomorrow. We hope this delightful vehicle will be enjoyed for many years to come.
Tom has aligned the steering wheel in our Morris Minor, meaning this treasured Morris Minor 1000 will be ready to leave on Saturday. Centralising a steering wheel is done after a car has been test-driven to see where the steering wheel naturally returns to, making sure that the car doesn’t drift off to the side when the wheel sits in a neutral position.
As much as we love sending of our cars, it’s always a little sad to see a long term project leave the workshop.
Brian has begun to strip down the interior of the 1979 Arrow Daytona in at Bridge Classic Cars.
Carefully Brian and the trim team have removed all of the carpeting and necessary trim panels to get access to both the dash and centre console which will be removed and stored before their restoration starts.
Along with the interior trim pieces, the wiring for the cabin has also been removed and catalogued for future reference once the car is back in the workshop to be reassembled.
January 21, 2021 8:50 am
Its Jensen central here in the workshop! Our other Navy Jensen is currently undergoing some more work after the owner gave us the go-ahead to continue their restoration.
Paul has cleaned the brake discs, removing existing grease sat on the elements. Paul has also taken apart the disks and taken out some other debris that had sat in there. We’ve also fitted new brake lines and callipers on the back. The brake pipes have been redone, as well as the kingpins and bushes replaced. The front brakes have be been upgraded and the new brake lines have been fitted.
This lovely 1958 Jensen 541R will soon be up for sale with us however there are a few issues that need attending to first.
First of all, the Dynamo needs to be refurbished as although it technically works fine, there’s a small charging fault with it.
There’s an issue with the water pump which has a severe leak meaning it will need rebuilding.
Our 1960 Jensen 541R is currently in the final, final stages. It is currently sat in the paint shop for some minor corrections as we believe that perfection is the only option when it comes to our restorations.
On its road test, our Jensen performed well and only showed small teething issues but otherwise its ready to go!
The Grey Jensen is having some small alterations made to its doors. Currently, as they sit, the doors are slightly too wide to fit into the B-post, so we have managed to make some subtle alterations to the door and the aluminium trim to allow the door itself to fit more comfortably into the body.
Our lovely Grey 1967 541R Jensen has had some alterations done to the doors. We have cut the lip of the nearside and outer-side doors so that the door cards will fit. We’ve then re-welded and re-fitted the outer-side door chrome and made sure the door closes and opens, and the windows slide up and down.
“Your competitions are very transparent, all info upfront, well organised. Plus like your website to follow the in depth restorations on the various cars you have. Have done Trustpilot few months ago for you, as you are probably one of the best of this type of competitions on Facebook”
January 17, 2021 8:54 pm
Back in 2020, we lost an iconic 007. Sir Sean Connery sadly passed away last year but his 1986 BMW 635 CSI is now up for auction with estimations of its sale going for between £30,000 to £60,000. The current bid, (at the time of this article – 10:15 am) is sat at £31,250 but we expect that figure to continue to rise until bidding closes at 19:30 tonight.
This stunning BMW 635CSI would be the ideal motor so someone wanting to test the waters of the high performance modern classic car world.
It is believed that Sean Connery owned this BMW 6 series 1989/90 and then sold it in 1998 and the low mileage could be attributed to the fact that Mr Connery was rather busy staring in multiple Hollywood blockbusters during that time. Since then, the car has been stored in several storage units and made brief appearances under different dealerships.
We will continue to follow this auction so keep an eye out on our website and check the auction site linked below.
Although we haven’t worked on the exact same model, we have worked on this 1988 BMW 635CSI that came in back in 2018 for an interior trim freshen up!
The post-1982 BMW 6 series adopted the E28 chassis from the previous BMW 5 series which lead to improvements in the mechanics of the car as well as enhancements to its interior and exterior. This model also suits anything from the school run to tackling winding country roads. The reliability and graceful ageing of this car is all down to the solid and reliable engineering that the older models offer.
We often get approached with enquiries about valuing, buying and selling cars as well as our usual restoration services. Some end up in business and others go their separate ways. We’ve had quite a few leads come in recently, its all business as usual at Bridge!
We’ve been approached by an individual who enquired about us completing restoration on this lovely classic Jaguar. We’ve responded approving his enquiry so watch this space to see if this lovely Jaguar comes in soon!
We’re delighted to be welcoming in this 1971 Alfa Romeo Spider Series 2 through our doors tomorrow. This Spider will be up for sale soon so keep your eyes peeled for a beautiful pristine orange Spider Series 2 appearing on the market soon!
We had an enquiry from an individual about restoring their beautiful 1936 Ford Model Y, which we approved. We’re currently waiting to hear back about the next steps on this Ford. Watch this space!
We weren’t kidding when we said we’re Jensen specialists! We’ve welcomed another beautiful Jensen into the workshop this week. This 1959 Silver Jensen 541R has come in for a diagnosis on the engine.
We’ve assessed the vehicle and have discovered a list of faults including the need for new core plugs, new rocker shaft and for an oil leak to be corrected. We’re are glad to find that the engine starts despite the faults. We are currently in conversation to see if the client wants the engine to be taken apart and refurbished or not.
After speaking to the client, we’ve decided to start addressing the faults without carrying out a full engine rebuild as this car will soon be used as an everyday car. Ady, out engine specialist, has had the car up and running as well as removing the old core plugs, cleaning the waterways and fitting new core plugs/
The 1961 Navy Jensen 541S is up and running for now however we are waiting on the client to see if they would like any more refurbishments done as this Jensen has been their own project which we’ve helped out on. It currently doesn’t have any brakes and there are a handful of other components missing that need fitting. Watch this space!
Much like our Jaguar MKVII, Ady had to link the battery to the coil to get the Jensen started as there was a diagnosed wiring fault between the ignition and the coil.
Both the Morris Minor 1000 and the Peugeot 504 have had their road tests to check how they’re running. They’re both currently being stored up at our hangar to keep them safe and out of the way now all their major refurbishments have been completed. Both ran their road tests fine with only a few minor teething problems.
Our 1958 Navy Jensen 541R has recently been up and running however we noticed that there was a petrol leak in the float of the carburettor as well as a leak in the clutch pipe. Once these elements have been repaired, we can take this Jensen out onto the road to see how it drives. This beautiful Jensen will soon be up for sale so keep your eyes peeled!
Last week Darren focused on polishing and correcting the body panels of the Jensen, ensuring that the finishing paintwork is perfect.
James has been welding the underside of the Jensen, fixing a hole in the exhaust. This has been done by making and welding a seal over the hole.
Our stunning 1960 Black Jensen 541R is on its final leg of its restoration journey and will soon be returned back to its owner. The recent additions include the oil filter which has recently been re-fitted, the start motor was installed along with a new exhaust. All the components are currently being put back into the car before it has its final paint correction and can then be road tested.
A large part of the final tweaks in a restoration project is reassembling all of the elements after parts have been fitted, which is usually the last stage before the road test.
Here at Bridge Classic Cars, we’re a close-knit team and its not uncommon to have multiple family members, close friends and couples working together. Lydia and Scott are two of our talented technicians who also happen to be a couple. Like a snapshot from the 1940’s era, Scott and Lydia are fascinated by a vintage way of living. As very hands-on individuals, both have led careers in the trade.
Lydia, who only recently joined us, works in our Trim shop and has joined our team of specialist interior trim technicians. Lydia tells us she’s always been into sewing since she was a child, and has always enjoyed being creative, which she says is what she enjoys about working at Bridge. “I love the free reign and the creativity here, I’d never done any of the fitting before so being able to see the whole process is really interesting.”
“I started getting into classic cars when I began going to classic car shows as a teenager and I just ended up wanting one for myself. I’ve never bought a modern car because of it. My first car was a 1961 Morris Minor 1000, my second car was a 1952 Ford Prefect and now I own a 1953 Austin A40 Somerset.”
Not only is Lydia a talented seamstress and interior technician, but she also loves the classic lifestyle, that comes hand in hand with many of the cars that we work on. Lydia tells us that she really loves the challenge that comes with a restoration workshop as she learns the bespoke process of making and fitting each car’s interior, “I really love learning new and different skills” she tells us.
Lydia’s skills don’t just stop at car interiors as she tells us she used to make her own clothes and is currently in the middle of making home furnishings for their new house which is also a classic.
Scott is also a lover of classic and vintage lifestyles. He tells us that he grew up watching his father fix cars and picked it up from there, “I’ve always loved cars, I’ve never really cared about much else.”
Much like Lydia, Scott lives and breathes classic cars, with it not only his passion and career but also his personal hobby. Scott owns an artillery of classic cars including a 1940 Tudor Sudan and a Series 2 Land Rover, among various others. His Land Rover is his and Lydia’s current day to day, which he tells us he bought when in search of a run-around car whist we worked on his other projects, “You have to think of it as a tractor. Many people think its uncomfortable but I don’t, I’ve enjoyed driving it”
Scott used to work as a panel beater for cars caught in accidents but tells us that being at Bridge has allowed him to grow and learn much more about the overall process of renovating classics. Whilst Scott joined as a fabricator and general technician, he soon found his love for working in the main workshop where he had the ability to do a bit of everything. You can find Scott working on projects that range from fitting interior trims, fixing alignment issues in the fabrication bay or working over an engine in the main workshop, “I learn something new every day”.
“I’ve always loved cars, I’ve never really cared about much else.”
Scott’s own long term project is building a workshop at his house which will allow him to work on his collection of cars. The car that will take centre stage in his new workshop will be building a Ford Model A with a flathead V8 installed. This will be a full rebuild, starting with the Model A chassis and working up. He’s currently got a ‘hopped-up’ flathead V8 in his 1940 ford, meaning the Ford A project will come with some previous transferable skills.
January 11, 2021 3:46 pm
We received the engine for our unique 1979 Arrow Ferrari Daytona Replica. This kit car is going to be a particularly large restoration with the process expected to take a while but we know for certain it will be worth it!
Ant, one of our fabricators has been working on stripping the body. It originally had a lot of stickers on the side which have now been taken off, allowing ant to prepare underneath for new paint. The current plan for this Daytona is to be painted Green – stay tuned!
This is what it looked like before we started the stripping process:
One of our technicians, Scott, has also been stripping down the Daytona by focusing on the doors and removing all chrome and lights.
Scott has also been working on the removal of the complete exhaust system and rear axle which will be refurbished.
Tom, another of our Classic Car Technicians has been sorting all the parts, which are a mix of new and old. He has ordered and filed all the components so we know what we have and if we need to get anything else. It also allows us to see which bits need refurbishing and cleaning.
Our 1953 Riley RMS initially came in with some alignment issues with the bonnet and side panels however we discovered that the handbrake was sticking. To try and resolve this, Scott stripped the rear brakes, cleaned and greased where necessary and then cleaned up and re-greased the compensator as it was sitting too tight.
Scott also noticed that the handbrake cable had been routed different to the factory setting and was hard up against floor at an angle. To fix this, Scott took the cable off, regreased it and fitted it correctly.
We also noticed that the front right brake was binding slightly so Scott took the drum off and found that it was caked in dust and dirt. After giving it a clean, Scott then adjusted the brakes.
Mauro has been dedicated to the renovation of our beautiful 1968 Triumph TR5 that is slowly resembling more of a car now. With the engine now fitted in, Mauro has been diligently pouring over the engine bay to make sure everything is perfect.
Most recently Mauro has been working on refurbishing some of the smaller elements such as the heater box which has been stripped and serviced, and then reassembled with new matrix. The pedal box has also been refurburshed along with the dashboad, steering column and pedal box.
Once all these elements have been refurbished, they’ve been fitted back into the car.
Our lovely Nissan 300ZX is almost finished. We’re just waiting on an Alternator Belt to arrive, which we will fit once its arrived.
We solved the running issues which we originally thought were linked to the cold start motor but were in fact linked to the air filter taking in too much air. Once the alternator belt has been fitted, one of the technicians will take the Nissan for a spin to see how it runs and as long as it passes its road test without any snags, it’ll be sent up to our hanger to be stored until the owner is ready to pick it up.
We’re delighted to announce our beautiful 1972 Peugeot 504 is ready to finally leave us! We just need to do a few final road checks but it’s otherwise completed and will be returned to its owner very soon.
Our 1960 Peony red Jensen 541S is making good progress in the workshop. Here are the latest developments.
Our technician Chris has been working on the Jensen body in the fabrication bay. He’s been ‘gapping’ the doors so they look and fit the same around the sides. He’s also cut and ground both sides, added fibreglass to the bonnet to close the gap up and made a boot catch plate. Finally, Chris has marked the holes and tapping them up to make sure all the bolts fitted.
Brian has been making a new door panel board from hardboard in the trim shop. This has been done by removing the armrest from the pocket section, removing the metal trim and old cover from the armrest and then making a new pattern for the cover.
Once a pattern has been made, Brian can cut it out from leather, sew on the new cover and fit it to the armrest by glueing and stapling it in place. Brian has also added metal trim to the armrest and cut leather out to make a pocket section. This was then glued in place.
The edges have been turned around to neaten the cover and new piping has been sewn in. Brian then needed to glue the inner metal to the foam, and fit the metal in place. The next step was to then glue the rest of the foam to the inner side of the pocket and fit the armrest to the pocket section. Once fitted, the armrest has been secured with screws and riveting support bar to the back.
Kath has also been working on the Jensen. She’s taken off the old cover from the dashboard and removed the old glue as well, ready to the rub down the front and back in preparation for new material.
Once cleaned down, Kath can mark out the new material and glue both surfaces to stick the material in place. To neaten it up, the material is turned over the edges and the dash holes are trimmed around so that the new cover sits comfortably. Once both sides were done and had followed the same process, Kath then glued along where the two pieces of material meet.
The dash top also needed to be refurbished. For this, Kath removed the two old covers and cut out new material ready to cover the dash top element. Once the material had been marked around the top, it could then be glued along one edge, the material turned over and the corners neatened up.
Lydia has also been working on the Peony Red Jensen interior. She’s been focusing on rear squab by measuring out all the leather, assembling the pieces together and sewing it all up. Lydia then prepared for the fitting of the cover on to the foam and board. She marked out new plywood to replace old worn out original. The next step was to then add wadding to the original foam so it maintains a nice shape. After all this was done, it was time to fit the cover over the squab.
Our lovely 1984 Lada 1200 is leaving today! We’ve completed all the work which included repairing and respraying the rusty floors, replacing the exhaust silencer, fitting rear seatbelts, adjusting the rear brakes and adjusting the handbrake cable. This soviet classic is now ready to get back on the road.
It was another crisp and dreary morning this morning as our technicians loaded the Lada into our new lorry, ready to make its way back to its owner.
With fewer than 200 on the roads in the UK, the Lada is now a rare vehicle. Originally manufactured and popular in Russia, around 134,000 were licenced for UK roads in the 1990s. After a sharp decline over the years, you’d typically struggle to find a classic Lada in the UK however those figures are slowly rising as the value and rarity of these motors increase.
Here’s some photos of when the Lada first came in:
We’ve sent off a collection of our dials back to Speedograph to refurbish them. These all belong to our Lilac Jensen 541R, the Amphicar, the Peony Red Jensen and a Mercedes.
We’re delighted to announce that our 1963 Morris Minor 1000 is ready to go! All we need to do now is do a road test to ensure everything is in working order when running for an extended period of time.
This is a vital part of every restoration as there’s a huge difference between turning over in the workshop and actually running soundly on the road. It isn’t uncommon for teething snags to appear after the road test but fingers crossed the Morris Minor will pass with flying colours!
We’ve had this Morris Minor in for almost exactly a year now, so it would be ideal if we can see it off exactly a year later!
Just before Christmas, we discovered an issue with the Amphicar’s gearbox which had become noisy. We decided to take it out and inspect the elements. You can read about the diagnosis here.
The gearbox has been sent to Last Transmissions to be overhauled and replace the bearings. Once this has been done and is back with us, we hope to get it back together again and put on the water.
We’ve had the honour of working on a Porsche 911 interior recently. The dashboard needed to be refurbished, so our trim shop set out to fix it up.
Kath drew around the old dash in vinyl to create a template. This template was test fitted to the trim and tweaked to ensure the perfect fit. Once Kath was happy with the vinyl she marked out the various trim pieces onto leather, before cutting out, and sewing together. The top stitching has been done in a grey thread to ensure the trim looks neat.
By working the cover around the dash, the new leather starts to fit. Fitting the stitched side first and gradually pulling and fitting the rest around the dash. The last step is to trim around the edges and turn the ends under for a perfect finish.
Is your interior looking a bit tired? There’s no job too big or too small for our talented Trim team! Get in touch with us today to see how we can help.Â
