Our new 1994 Land rover – Range Rover TDI has just joined the family but needs some TLC before its ready to go.
These refurbishments include carpeting the floor, replacing the ceiling cloth, refurbishing the back quarter panels, re-painting the body work and servicing it.
So far, our technician Tom has replaced the carpets and ceiling cloth.
The back quarter panels have been removed and placed in the trim shop to be refurbished once we decide on a paint colour for the rest of the body.
November 19, 2020 3:47 pmPublished by Craig Ranson
This week the centre console trims have been made and fitted in the 1960 Jensen 541R. The first step was to make the top piece, which was sewn and piped by our interior trim technician Kath, before passing it over to Brian.
Once the leather top piece had been passed to Brian, our other interior trim technician, he added foam padding and made the rest of the centre console.
Now assembled, it can now be fitted into the Jensen.
November 19, 2020 10:22 amPublished by Craig Ranson
We’ve welcomed another beautiful Jaguar E-Type for a check-up at Bridge Classic Cars, this week. This one is a 1973 Series 3 V12 E-Type.
Upon further inspection, our technician Pete discovered that both the Clutch Slave Cylinder and the Power Steering are both leaking fluid and will need to be replaced.
“It’ll fail its MOT if this isn’t addressed” Pete told us, standing underneath the car which had been raised onto one of our ramps.
Although the car is technically drivable, these issues would not only cause the car to fail its MOT, but could also lead to more series issues such as loosing control and access to the gears.
The next step to address these issues is to completely replace both the Power Steering and the Clutch Slave Cylinder.
The front bumpers are also going to be removed and replaced to give the Jaguar an extra shine.
November 19, 2020 9:52 amPublished by Craig Ranson
The Amphicar is getting closer to being water worthy! We’ve installed a bow light with a stern light also optional, which can be taken on and off when needed. This means when the Amphicar is out on the water at night, other ships can see it!
Adam, our electrical specialist has also redone the connection block. This has been refurbished to make them easier to access if any repairs or tweaking has to be done in future!
With these fixes made, the Amphicar is steadily getting closer to completion after its recent boat MOT. You can see the check list we were provided below:
November 17, 2020 1:57 pmPublished by Craig Ranson
There’s been a lot going on with our Peugeot 504, especially in the trim shop.
Our trim technician Brian has been working on applying new vinyl to the boot side panels which have been applied to the originals. The sills have been glued in place and new chrome pieces have been added to the door panels. Brian has also added deadening to the centre console around the gearbox.
Our other trim technician, Kath has also been working on the 504. Heres the before and after:
But all of that wasnt just at the click of a fingers! Here’s what happened:
The centre console was created
The mats were sized up to check they fit
The section under the front and rear seat was carpeted
Gear stick gaiter made and fitted
Hand break gaiter made and fitted
Sills made, fitted and edges bound.
Holes made in the footwell mat for the pedals, the mat is then glued in place.
Glue the centre console carpet and then the centre console is fitted.
Carpets and panels were fitted
The squab was then added back in and screwed into place
The hood was repaired, patching the holes and refurbishing the studs.
A tool bag was made and added to the boot.
The 504 has also received new refurbished window winder mechanisms.
November 17, 2020 12:55 pmPublished by Craig Ranson
Our Morris Minor 1000 has had its convertible roof repaired meaning the customer will now be able to enjoy the open sky or the comfort of a closed top.
Our specialist electrical engineer, Adam, has also been working on the Morris Minor with a fresh loom installation.
It’s great to see our iconic Morris Minor making such big improvements, all thanks to our talented team of technicians!
November 17, 2020 9:41 amPublished by Craig Ranson
The Peony Red Jensen 541S has had its engine rebuilt. Our engine specialist has been working to refurbish and rebuild the old engine.
No one ever claimed that rebuilding engines were easier, nor pretty… Ady cleared out this huge sludge ball from the Peony Red’s engine. This rather dubious-looking ball of sludge is made from hard water and dirt caught up in the engine. Its all part of the job…
November 17, 2020 9:07 amPublished by Craig Ranson
As ever, it’s been a busy week here at Bridge Classics. We’ve had new cars arrive like the Mini Clubman, we’ve had a new winner announced yesterday and lots of new developments with our current projects. Here’s what’s gone on throughout the week!
Peugeot 504
Our engine specialist Ady has been working on the 504’s engine by fitting the flywheel and couch before fitting it back into the Peugeot.
The Peugeot has also had a recent trim shop appointment, with new carpets being made and fitted by our expert, Brian.
1960 Black Jensen 514R
The Black Jensen has had new sills made and fitted to give the finishing touch to the bottom of its driver’s door.
1994 Nissan Micra Dot
The Nissan Micra has now been finished! The paintwork has been completed, bumps and scrapes were taken out and it’s pretty much ready to go again! This endearing little Micra would make the perfect first car for someone learning to drive!
1988 Nissan 300ZX
The Nissan 300ZX has come in recently and appears to have some rather severe rust issues on the lower door sills. Among other restorations, that rust and those holes will have to go! You can see the rest of the work here.
1963 Morris Minor 1000
One of our technicians, Scott has been working carefully on the Morris Minor’s dazzling red interior. The door cards, handles, and carpets have all been fitted.
1960 Lilac Jensen 541R
This Jensen actually belongs to Bridge’s director and founder, Gordon Ranson, and is now starting its restoration journey with us! There’s a lot to do but we can’t wait to see the final product!
One of our technicians Anthony has been working on the body, hand making a lot of the elements such as the boot floor.
Barn find Mercedes
Barn finds are like hidden treasures and we love them when they come in. Currently, we’ve got two prospective projects that need cleaning up and assessing before we know what needs to be done. We really hope we’ll be able to work on these two cars!
Over the Pond Austin Healey
This Austen Healey 100 BN1 is currently residing in America but could be ours soon! Keep an eye out on our website and social media pages for updates!
Craig’s new Gastron
When you work with classic cars all the time, sometimes you want to mix it up a bit. That’s exactly what our Director Craig has done! He’s recently acquired this 3 litre speed boat. Fingers crossed for nice weather soon then!
Red Jaguar E-Type
Another prospective project has been viewed recently and it’s a beautiful red e-type that needs some TLC!
November 13, 2020 11:37 amPublished by Craig Ranson
Our 1987 Mercedes 500SL has had its colour transformation initiated with a prep mask being applied in the engine bay. It then continued to have prime and topcoat added.
Soon it’ll have a whole body of fresh paint.
November 12, 2020 4:24 pmPublished by Craig Ranson
Our specialist technicians have been working hard on the 1960 Jensen 541S restoration. The latest refurbishments include smoothing and correcting the doors by filling any holes, taking out rust and installing custom made metal pieces.
Our engine specialist Ady carried out a full engine rebuild and has modified the piston holes by making sure the edges are bevelled at an angle rather than a sharp 90 degrees angle. This ensures the pistons fit in neater.
The rest of the engine rebuild has included the rocker fingers being refaced and re-boring with bigger pistons
November 12, 2020 12:07 pmPublished by Craig Ranson
The parts for our 1968 Triumph TR5 have arrived and our technician Mauro has set them all out to assess what’s there and If anything more needs to be ordered.
Within this pile of goodies, you can find brake parts, clutch, seat belts, chrome parts such as door handles, rubber for the windscreen, injector pump, radiator, fan, headlights, copper fuel, and brake lines as well as a huge host of other bits that will go towards making our TR5 whole again!
November 10, 2020 12:00 pmPublished by Craig Ranson
Our beautiful 1973 VW T2 had its primer applied post acid bath.
Unfortunately, the process of removing the rust revealed a bigger than expected project underneath so the owner took the decision to store the VW and resume its work next year.
We’re excited to re-start work on this in 2021 as we know this T2 is going to look amazing when restored to its former glory!
November 10, 2020 11:40 amPublished by Craig Ranson
Our 1974 De Tomaso Pantera features in Alison Hammond’s recreation of Kylie Minogue’s iconic music video ‘Can’t get you out of my head’.
Last week the team took our restored De Tomaso Pantera up to the ITV studios to meet director, Harry Bott. Harry went to great lengths to find the same model and colour De Tomaso that featured in the original music video. Fortunately, we had restored this iconic Pantera, and the owner was happy to help out.
If you’re looking for a certain car for your production, whether it be an old classic or a more modern vintage number, we can help you out! As a company, we’ve had a number of our cars feature in TV and Film.
The full video will air on This Morning on 12th November so keep your eyes peeled.
Our new competition car is a smart 1998 Jaguar XJR Supercharged in a moody navy blue and could be yours for under £10.
Don’t let the Jaguar’s elegant styling fool you, this performance machine packs a hell of a punch. The 4.0L Supercharged V8 engine catapults you to 60mph in just 5 seconds! The 380bhp XJR will pull hard, all the way to its limited top speed of 155mph.
These Jaguar’s were built to a very high standard and feel every bit a quality heritage British performance car
Full service in July 2020 at Jaguar Land Rover Stratstone Service Centre.
In February 2020, the XJR had the following new components: drive belt, water pump, rear shock absorbers, front disks and pads, brake fluid and rear wheel bearings. No expense has been spared on this car’s maintenance.
The current MOT expires in December 2020, however, we will be putting a fresh 12 month MOT on the vehicle before delivery to the winner.
You can enter this by heading over to the competition website or clicking here.
It’s another Meet The Team Monday! This Monday we’re pleased to introduce our Paint Shop Manager, Darren!
Darren started his career with cars in a similar way to many of our technicians did, by studying an apprenticeship, “I’ve always been into vehicles since I was a teenager” Daren tells us.
Darren studied his apprenticeship at the formerly known Potters Ford dealership in Framlingham, Suffolk, and has kept it local ever since. Darren joined our team in January 2019.
During his time studying general mechanics, Darren was given the choice to specialise and took the option to focus on Strip Fitting. From there he progressed to working with the paintwork.
“I still prefer doing body and paintwork because you get to see the rewards at the end.”
As our Paint Shop Manager, it’s down to Darren to ensure that the paintwork on each of our cars is matched, made, and added, as well as overseeing all the work that goes on in our Paint Shop.
Fun fact: one of the most popular cars in Darren’s birth year was the Ferrari 1973 Berlinetta Boxer. When launched, it competed with the Lamborghini Countach to be the fastest supercar you could buy.
November 9, 2020 11:09 amPublished by Craig Ranson
Our trim experts have taken apart the 1972 Peugeot 504’s back seats in order to make the new ones.
Kath, one of our trim experts has unstitched the old seats and measured up the old parts onto new leather. Once this is done, the new parts are stitched together and flute lines added.
The flute lines need to be carefully added so that they line up with the ones on the back squab cover as seen here:
The Purple 1973 Triumph TR6 has recently had seatbelts and tyres installed making by our team.
Seatbelts
New seatbelts were installed on our TR6! There may be a few pieces missing but at least it’s now a safe drive!
Teamwork
It also had its first start-up today, but to get it running perfectly, we’ll be handing it over to our engine specialist Ady.
You can trust here at Bridge Classic Cars that your car will get full attention from our team of specialist technicians, and the proof is in the pudding!
New Windscreen
A brand new windscreen has also been recently installed.
New Wheels
The owner of our TR6 specially requested for the original tyres to be fitted, so we ordered a set of original TR6 Michelin XAS tyres from Longstone Classic Tyres.
We understand that some people want their cars fitted with modern refurbishments and some prefer to keep the originality intact. Both are great options when restoring a classic car and equally have their own pros and cons, however its never too much trouble to acquire or make original custom fittings to make sure the car is just right. Its all in the finer details!
We’ve got a number of new cars gracing our workshop soon. Keep an eye out on our social media pages and website for their grand arrival.
1974 VW Beetle
We’ve got an exciting new competition vehicle coming in soon. Currently residing in Scotland, this beautiful Lime Green Beetle will be up for grabs in the near future!
Watch this space..
The 1972 Chevron B20Â
We’re proud to represent a 1972 Chevron B20 Formula 2 race car. Although this, unfortunately, won’t be a giveaway car, it will be up for sale sometime in the near future on our website!
This beautiful vintage vehicle was originally designed as a single-seat racer for Formula 2.
We can’t wait to have such a unique vehicle in our workshop.
New fan brackets have been added to the 1957 Grey Jenson 541R
Our engineer Paul has hand crafted a pair of brackets to bolt onto the Jensen’s fan. These have been made from a sheet of metal which Paul has measured, shaped, drilled and painted, ready to be bolted onto the final product.
Craftmanship like this means that all our projects are bespoke and personal and fit the car which enables a perfect match.
Before
After
The brackets and fan were then later fixed together. This will now be inserted into the engine.
Not long after, the fan had been fitted into the Jensen’s engine and was ready to purr.
November 5, 2020 12:03 pmPublished by Craig Ranson
Our 1967 Black E-type Jaguar had its final re-wiring before we sent it off purring back to its owners yesterday.
Originally from Jacksonville, Florida, this E-Type came in way back in 2016 for a full restoration. We’ve worked on her over the past 4 years for regular maintenance and repairs.
She’s come a long way from the total rebuild we received in 2016! It’s always a pleasure to have such an iconic vehicle in the workshop.
November 5, 2020 10:49 amPublished by Craig Ranson
You’d be right in saying that this isn’t a red 1960 Jensen 541S. But with a bit of imagination and a lot of hard work from our specialist technicians, this car soon will be a beautiful Peony Red.
However, that’s a few stages away. It’s currently with our technician Chris who is carefully working on the fiberglass body.
With fixings added, holes filled and a black stone-chip applied on the inside of the body, this Jensen is getting closer to its new colour makeover. These alterations are made to make sure the body of the car is aesthetically uniform and ready for the next stage of works.
The next stages will entail grinding out any imperfections and cracks so it can be prepared for the paint-shop.
November 5, 2020 10:16 amPublished by Craig Ranson
Much like any good festival, our Grey 1957 Jensen 541R also needed a headliner.
In car terms, this just means the fabric fitting that coats the ceiling and gives it that finished look.
Our trim shop experts Kath and Brian have recently applied the headliner. First off they installed metal beams and padding to alleviate any rattling inside the vehicle. After this was fitted, the headlining fabric was installed, pulled tight, heated, and glued in place leaving holes for the interior lights.
The Jensen has also had foam padding added to the parcel shelf, vinyl glued into the front A posts, vinyl added to the dashboard, and holes left for the air vents.
We had Colin from Wherry boatyard on behalf of CC Marine and Industrial Supply come in to survey our 1965 Amphicar. As a BSS (Boat Safety Scheme) Examiner, its Colins job to tell us what is needed to make the Amphicar water worthy.
It’s a bit like an MOT but for boats and it’ll allow our Amphicar to be one step closer to getting its tires wet.
The amends includes relocating the battery cut-off switch changing the fuel entry removal system from a bottom to a top entry, replacing rubber hoses with copper pipes to allow a 2 hour 100 degrees safety bracket, installing a fire extinguisher, modify the main battery wiring, replacing the fuel arrester to the fuel tank, general labeling, adding an override switch to the dashboard and installing a modern Bilge pump and float switch.
Our Triumph TR6 was struggling to change gear when it came in, but there’s no job too small or fiddly for us here at Bridge Classic Cars. We’ll get it back to its old chirpy self in no time.
Our technician Pete managed to replace the clutch slave cylinder so the TR6 should now run smoothly!
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