classic car specialist suffolk

Fine Adjustments – Adjusting the Framework of the 1956 Jensen 541

The workshop team at Bridge Classic Cars has been making the fine adjustments to the inner framework of the 1956 Jensen 541 in with us at our Suffolk HQ for restoration.

Rob, one of our technicians, has carefully had the fibreglass body panels placed around the framework and on top of the chassis of the classic Jensen to check for any adjustments needed to get the bodywork fit and square on the 541. Bit by bit, he has made adjustments to the steel pieces to allow the body to sit correctly on top of the chassis.

Not only was this for the rear clamshell but for the all-important fibreglass roof and windscreen panel.

Refinements – Bodywork Begins on the 1969 Morris Minor Convertible

The in-house body shop at Bridge Classic Cars have begun the process of refining the bodywork on the 1969 Morris Minor Convertible.

After its time in the fabrication shop, it was transferred across our Suffolk HQ to our body preparation technicians. The team first assessed the Minor Convertible to see where they would need to focus their work. The work has begun with minimal filler work to the pannels to create the right shape and curve to the individual pieces which make up the body of the classic Morris.

Keep an eye out on the Bridge Classic Cars news page for more very soon on the restoration of the 1969 Morris Minor Convertible.

Inside Work – Stripping The Interior of the 1959 Jensen 541R

The in-house trim team at Bridge Classic Cars have been working with our workshop to carefully and completely remove the interior from the 1959 Jensen 541R as part of its restoration journey.

Brian, one of our trimmers, has removed everything from the inside of the 541R. All of these pieces will be stored to use as a template and if anything can be reused or refurbished for the car. Everything from the headliner to the seat runners have been taken out of the car for the team to carefully look through and assess.

Perfect Lines – Bodywork on the 1958 Jensen 541R

The body shop at Bridge Classic Cars have been refining the bodywork on the 1958 Jensen 541 after its fibreglass repairs have cured.

The team use a specialist fibreglass filler to perfect the lines on the classic 1950s GT car and make sure that everything is just right for the car. The team will only use filler where absolutely necessary and the vast majority will be completely sanded from the body.

This is the first step into the team getting the car ready for its Ice Blue respray.

Heveningham Hall Concours – 2nd & 3rd of July 2022

This weekend , the 2nd and 3rd of July, sees the return of the most prestigious classic car spectacle in Suffolk of the year. The renowned Heveningham Concours.

Held on the lawn of Heveningham Hall here in Suffolk, the house is opened up to a country fair with a separate area for the county’s petrolheads to fall in love with the priceless metal put on display for people to see.

You can get your tickets over on the Hevenigham Hall website by clicking here! And hopefully, we’ll see some of you there.

Until then, enjoy some of the photos taken by our own Nick a few years ago!

Progress – Framework Fit on the 1956 Jensen 541 Chassis

The workshop at Bridge Classic Cars is working on the chassis of the 1956 Jensen 541 currently in for its full restoration by us here in Suffolk.

Recently the team have been working on adjusting and refining the brand new chassis for the classic GT car. Now with the majority of the reinforcements and adjustments in place, the team can begin to fit up the various framework pieces which create the substructure for the body.

A network of cross-linked metal channels combine to create the skeleton of the car. The team had to make sure the chassis was perfect before this could be done to ensure the framework sits exactly where it should do at this key stage.

Strip Down – Tearing Down the Seats and Panels of the 1958 Jensen 541R

The trim team have begun the interior side of restoring the 1958 Jensen 541R. The first stage is to strip back the fibreglass bucket seats and rear panels.

The team carefully unpick all of our restoration pieces, catalogue each piece and store it for templating later. With the team having done over a dozen Jensen 541 interiors by this point, they have perfected the art of disassembly on them.

The team begin by separating the base from the back and then remove everything down to its fixings, covers and foams in order to inspect and assess any of them.

The team also stripped down the handmade rear quarter panels to their coverings, backboards and the hand shape wooden framework.

Safe & Sound – 1968 Morris Minor Van Delivered to Scotland

The Bridge Classic Cars transporter team have delivered the 1968 Austin Morris Minor Van to its new owner up in Scotland!

The transport team loaded up the classic Morris Minor Van into our enclosed trailer for its long journey from our Suffolk HQ to begin its new life in Arbroath, Scotland with the Cargill’s. Robert entered our competition to win the classic Van which will be used for his wife’s cattery business and as something for a Sunday drive while enjoying the various country roads which wind their way through that area of Scotland.

We want to wish Robert and his wife many happy miles with their Austin Morris Minor Van and can’t wait to see the adventures it goes on!

Coming Soon – 1981 Triumph TR7 V8

Coming soon to the Bridge Classic Cars workshop at our Suffolk HQ is this 1981 Triumph TR8.

The classic Triumph will be coming in to be assessed and inspected by our workshop team and who will compile a report on the car.

Keep a look out very soon on the Bridge Classic Cars news page for more updates on the 1981 Triumph TR8.

In the Cracks – Fibreglass Repairs on the 1958 Jensen 541R

After being stripped down and inspected, the body of the 1958 Jensen 541R has been checked over and had the start of its fibreglass repairs in the Bridge Classic Cars bodyshop.

The team have gone over the entire body to inspect any visible cracks or defects in the body before sanding back certain known and suspect areas to find any piece of the composite body which will require attention. In some areas, simply a small build-up material is needed to strengthen or flatten out a particular place.

Once the matting was laid down onto the panels and then resined, it is left to cure and harden before being sanded down.

Tucked Away – 1973 Triumph TR6 at Home in its Garage

The 1973 Triumph TR6 which was built by Bridge Classic Cars for our friend Stephen has been moved into its own secure garage at home in France.

Stephen recently took delivery of both the 1973 Triumph TR6 and the 1973 Jaguar E-Type V12 Roadster, Fern Grey. Both of these cars now live in France with their owner in their own separate garages!

Perfect Finish – Wheel Wells on the 1956 Jensen 541 in Primer

The Bridge Classic Cars paint and body team have been working on perfecting the wheel wells of the 1956 Jensen 541.

After the team had finished with the careful resin and fibreglass filler work, the team brought them into our in-house paint booth/oven to have their first coats of primer.

The team have carefully blended aluminium and fibreglass to remake and repair the wheel wells so the primer has covered these seamlessly blends. The wells will be now put into storage for the reassembly stage of the restoration.

First Fire – Firing Up the 1959 Jensen 541R for the First Time

The workshop team at Bridge Classic Cars have fired up the ‘Barn Find’ 1959 Jensen 541R for the first time in several years.

The team used a small electric fuel pump to feed the carburettors, cleaned up the spark plugs and it fired up first time! The 4-litre straight-six ran absolutely perfectly with our workshop manager Jon at the wheel and our senior technician Dave handling the fuel.

Take a look at this amazing moment at our Suffolk HQ.

A New Member of the Team – Freddie’s 1971 MG B GT

The beautiful bright-blue 1971 MG B GT which recently arrived at the Bridge Classic Cars workshop has been bought by a member of the team!

Our Marketing Manager Freddie has bought the classic sports car which he’ll be using as his daily commuter and also for sunny days out to use and enjoy.

Freddie has promised us that he’s going to keep us updated with the little jobs he does on the car and the trips out he makes in his amazing first classic.

Change Over – 1986 Daimler DS420 in the Fabrication Shop

The 1986 Daimler DS420 has been moved from the body preparation department into the in-house fabrication shop at the Bridge Classic Cars Suffolk restoration workshops.

After having the body stripped back to discover some areas of quite deep corrosion by the body team, it is now down to the fabrication department to get the metal on the classic Daimler back in order. First, the team will carry out an assessment of the area to see how deep and far into or up the car the corrosion goes and then work out a plan to get the fresh pieces securely and properly welded into the car.

There will be more updates very soon on the metal repairs to the 1986 Daimler DS420.

This Just In – 1958 Jensen 541R Arriving from Holland

The Bridge Classic Cars workshop welcomed the latest arrival to our Suffolk HQ recently, another very special Jensen.

This 1958 Jensen 541R is actually one of the prototype cars produced by Jensen as a proof of concept for the automatic gearbox option. It is also believed one of its original owners was part of the Lever family, which went on to become the global company behind Unilever.

It also features a custom, handmade grille which was made by the owner for the car that the team will incorporate into the reassembly for its owner but our team will be delivered to the customer with its signature radiator flap, a key element of the 541R.

This 1958 Jensen 541R has come to us from the Netherlands for our body and trim teams to work their craft on the classic GT car. The car will be fully assessed for any repairs that need to be made before it is refined and worked on by the body team while the trim shop begins work on the interior of the classic 541R.

The car will be finished in Ice Blue Metallic with a Lobelia Blue roof by the paint team with a complimenting dark blue interior and grey piping.

We’re always excited to welcome another 541 into the Bridge Classic Cars family and can’t wait to show you the progress very soon on this special 1958 Jensen 541R.

Have a look at the gallery below of the 1958 Jensen 541R as it arrived on its trailer from Holland!

First Steps – The 1959 Jensen 541R Begins its Inspection

After arriving this morning at the Bridge Classic Cars Suffolk HQ, the 1959 Jensen 541R has already made its way onto the ramp for the team to begin assessing and inspecting the 1950s GT car.

As with all of our restorations and projects, the car will go through a full inspection and assessment by the various departments (both aesthetic and mechanical) to compile a report and come up with a plan for the restoration of the unique British grand tourer.

Keep an eye out on the Bridge Classic Cars news page very soon for more updates on the 1959 Jensen 541R.

A Rare Sight – 4 Jensen 541’s in the Bridge Classic Cars Workshop

It’s a rare and unique occurrence which seems to only happen here but, at the Bridge Classic Cars Suffolk HQ this afternoon we have 4 individual Jensen’s in our workshop!

Each of these cars are at different stages of their restorations. Some just starting such as the 1959 541R, and some are completely stripped and ready for rebuild like the chassis of a 1956 541 at the back in the centre while our finished 1962 Jensen 541S Peony Red which is on the ramp for the team to check a few things over for its owner.

It’s a rare sight even for us!

Sealed Up Tight – Fixing the Rear Cam Seal on the 1951 Jaguar XK120 Roadster

Our technician Jon has been looking into an oil leak at the back of the engine on the 1951 Jaguar XK120 Roadster.

After inspecting the engine once it had been run up to temperature, he found the offside rear cam cover was weeping past its seal. After removing it, he found the seal was not the correct arrangement for the back cover on the cylinder head. Comparing it to the resource materials we have for these engines as well as several other freshly built Jaguar straight-sixes from the era we have in our workshop, Jon could come up with a solution to fix the oil leak once the cover was reinstalled.

After the test, there was no longer an oil leak from the back of the cylinder head. However, the rear mains eal in the engine does leak and out the bottom of the bell-housing of the gearbox.

This Just In – 1959 Jensen 541R

The 1959 Jensen 541R which has been up for sale and stored at our secure storage facility, The Hangar, has been transferred over to our Pettistree restoration workshop to begin its journey.

The classic Jensen has been commissioned to be built by our workshop from the ground up for its new owner.

Keep an eye out on the Bridge Classic Cars news page for more updates very soon on the 1959 Jensen 541R.

Next Up – Sorting the Brakes and Sump on the 1951 Jaguar XK120

The workshop at Bridge Classic Cars have been working through the list of jobs on the 1951 Jaguar XK120 in with us.

Next up for our technicians is to sort out a binding front brake. Upon inspection, Jon found one of the wheel cylinders was in need of a rebuild, and looking closer discovered an issue with a brake hose. The cylinder was completely stripped down and thoroughly cleaned before reassembly. Then, once in place, Jon could remove the brake hose and replace it with a brand new piece before cleaning up the rest of the brake system and bleeding the brakes.

Next up was for Jon to sort out an oil leak from the sump. Assessing the sump area he found the inspection cover gasket had begun to weep so it was replaced with a brand new gasket before he turned his attention to the sump plug. Removing the sump bung, Jon found an issue with the threads which weren’t allowing the bung to be tightened down correctly and seal. So, the team carefully remove the threads and installed a Helicoil in its place for the sump bung to thread into and tighten down correctly.

Then, the engine could be refilled with oil and level checked.

Tailored to Suit – The Tonneau and Hood Cover on the 1932 Lagonda Tourer

The trim team at Bridge Classic Cars have carefully tailored the new tonneau and hood cover specifically for the 1932 Lagonda Tourer in with us.

Lydia, one of our trimmers, has worked on refining the patterns for both pieces and in terms of the hood cover revised the entire piece to envelope the entire hood frame within the piece. These have been checked and double-checked before being transferred onto mohair.

Once on the final material, Lydia could make tight-fitting pieces perfectly tailored to suit the pre-war convertible with a single zip running up the centre to close the interior once the clips are pressed onto the body.

Behind the Scenes – Live Draw of the 1985 Jaguar Sovereign V12

First of all, congratulations to David! He won the 1985 Jaguar Sovereign V12 during last night’s draw with ticket number 2631 but, along with the live draw the team gave all of our audience a look around some of the other cars stored in our new building.

The Jaguar Sovereign V12 was the main event of the evening but it was surrounded by either current or possible future competition cars and some amazing restoration/customer cars we keep on site. Hayley and Freddie went all through the classic Jaguar showing everyone watching along on the live stream the fine details and modern luxuries which came as standard when the Sovereign V12 was new.

Then, Hayley handed it over to Nick who went through a little bit about our new online classic sales platform MyClassics. An overview of how, why, what and where it exactly is and that it sits with the enthusiasts at heart, whether that be buying or selling a classic it was designed just for them.

A quick look around the fantastic and eclectic mix of classics stored in our new building from a customers 1932 Lagonda Tourer in for our incredible trim team to work on all the way to a modern Triumph Street Twin motorcycle.

But, everyone watching along wanted to know the answer to the ultimate question which hung in the air. Who did the 1985 Sovereign V12 belong to? We also wanted to find out. Heading over to the screen, the team began that process.

Using our pre-published entry lists (these are generated after ticket sales close or the competition sells out) the team verified that the tickets were within the range of between 1 and 3333. Then, it was over to the Google Random Number Generator to let lady luck take control. Hayley set the criteria and as the screen became awash with whirring numbers, the anticipation rose.

Finally, it landed on a number. 2631.

Consulting the entry list, that particular ticket number had been purchased by David Graham. The new owner of the 1985 Jaguar Sovereign V12. So, as we do with all our live draws we gave him a ring to give him the good news.

When David answered, he was thrilled. He had entered for the Sovereign after always wanting a classic to join in with his friends who restore and enjoy classics up in Scotland and now he has his Jaguar V12 to get involved in the fun!

You can rewatch the live draw on the video below:

Resting Place – Remaking the 1954 Bristol 405 Armrest

Our in-house trim team at Bridge Classic Cars have worked meticulously on remaking the armrest of the 1954 Bristol 405 which is in for restoration.

The team completely stripped the old piece down to its base parts in order to assess and refurbish any pieces that require attention. The original wooden bases were cleaned up and reused while the foams were completely remade from scratch and shaped to fit.

Coming Soon – 1972 MG Midget, 1969 Morris Minor & 1971 MG B GT

Coming soon to the Bridge Classic Cars workshop at our Suffolk HQ is this trio of British classics!

There’s a 1972 MG Midget, a 1969 Morris Minor 1000 and a 1971 MG B GT which will all be coming for the in-house restoration teams to inspect and assess.

Keep a look out here on the news page very soon for more about these classics!

Refined Process – Final Primer and Raptorguard on the 1955 Aston Martin DB2/4 MkI

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.

Delicate Work – Teardown of the Rear Seat Bases on the 1954 Bristol 405

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.

Working Together – Fitting the New Sills on the 1978 MG B GT

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.

This Just In – 1962 Humber Hawk

A recent arrival at the Bridge Classic Cars restoration workshop deep in the heart of Suffolk was this awesome 1962 Humber Hawk.

This particular classic Humber is owned by our painter Chris’s dad. Chris’s dad has owned the car since before Chris was born and was always destined to become a British street rod. In recent years, it lay dormant at a body shop awaiting its journey but it has now been moved to our site for the team here to keep an eye on it and keep it safe.

In the 1970s and 1980s, the Humber Hawks were popular with British hot rodders and drag racers alike. Fitting more powerful Rover V8s and occasionally the odd American small-block. With their styling akin to the ”shoebox” Chevys of the mid-1950s, they hold a certain appeal to those into nostalgic drag racing and street rodding here in the UK.

It’s always nice to see something different and with such a connection a member of our close-knit team.