Recently, the owner of both the 1973 Jaguar E Type Series 3 Roadster and 1973 Triumph TR6 came to the Bridge Classic Cars workshop to
The Bridge Classic Cars workshop team have been working on inspecting pieces from the 1978 MGB GT which were removed before it entered the body
The Bridge Classic Cars in-house trim shop has begun the process of carefully taking apart the original interior of the 1905 Riley 9HP in order
The body shell and panels for the Team C Racing classic Mini has moved from the Bridge Classic Cars body shop to the paint booth
The radiator of the 1905 Riley 9HP has been collected from Devon in order for it to be taken to a specialist and refurbished ready
The rear seat of the 1978 MGB GT in for restoration at Bridge Classic Cars has been refoamed and recovered by our in-house trim shop
With the 1975 MGB GT V8 off to its new home with its lucky winner Roger, the team at Bridge Classic Cars organised having a
The brand new heater matrix for the 1969 Mercedes 280SL Pagoda has arrived at the Bridge Classic Cars workshop in Suffolk ready to go back
The workshop team at Bridge Classic Cars have been progressing on the left-hand drive conversion of the 1970 Bristol 411. Paul has been working on
The new clutch slave cylinder for the 1959 Austin Healey Frogeye Sprite has arrived at Bridge Classic Cars to be installed on the classic sports
The 1995 Dodge Viper RT10 has made the journey from the Bridge Classic Cars Suffolk HQ to Imperial War Museum Duxford ahead of its auction
The lamps from the 1905 Riley 9HP have arrived back at the workshop of the Bridge Classic Cars Suffolk HQ and they look absolutely phenomenal.
The 1969 Bentley T1 has been moved from the Bridge Classic Cars body shop into our in-house paint shop to begin the process of getting
The 1979 Arrow Ferrari Daytona is in the process of the Bridge Classic Cars workshop getting everything fit up and secured into the car. This
Just arrived into the Bridge Classic Cars workshop is this incredible 1993 Rover Mini Sprite. This classic Mini will go through our restoration departments to
The trim team at Bridge Classic Cars have been working on handmaking the new rear seat cover for the 1978 MGB GT in for restoration.
The first round of donations has been sent to the Disasters Emergency Committee’s Ukraine Appeal from our 1989 TVR S2 competition. Jar has selflessly donated
The 1968 MGC Roadster is now in the hands of the Bridge Classic Cars trim team who have been working on refinishing the wooden panelling
Following on from getting the body panels of the 1965 Porsche 912, the Bridge Classic Cars paint team have shot the body hell of the
The trim team at Bridge Classic Cars have been working on very carefully unpicking and deconstructing the rear seat of the 1978 MGB GT. Brian
The Team C Racing classic Mini shell has been in with the Bridge Classic Cars paint and body team in preparation for its new colour
As part of the left-hand drive conversion on the 1970 Bristol 411 currently in the Bridge Classic Cars workshop, the team have had to make
With the bodywork on the 1978 MGB GT currently happening in the Bridge Classic Cars body shop, the restoration technicians in the workshop have taken
The 1959 Austin Healey Frogeye Sprite currently in the Bridge Classic Cars workshop at our Suffolk HQ has been having the clutch system inspected and
Last night, March 10th 2022 saw the Bridge Classic Cars Competitions find out not only who the lucky new owners for the 1952 MG TD
The sunroof, headliner and window trim from the 1987 Daimler Double Six are in the Bridge Classic Cars trim shop to be recovered in matching
The 1987 Mercedes 500SL has been transferred from our body shop to the fabrication shop at the Bridge Classic Cars workshops. During the preparation of
The restoration workshop at Bridge Classic Cars have been working on getting several crucial pieces of the 1979 Arrow Ferrari Daytona restoration completed. Scott has
The body panels of the 1965 Porsche 912 have gone into the Bridge Classic Cars paint shop to have the first layers of colour laid
The trim shop at the Bridge Classic Cars HQ in Suffolk have been working alongside the restoration workshop to convert the 1970 Bristol 411 to
Recently, the owner of both the 1973 Jaguar E Type Series 3 Roadster and 1973 Triumph TR6 came to the Bridge Classic Cars workshop to test drive and inspect his newest projects by the team.
Each of the cars was inspected by Stephen before being taken out on several test drives to sort of suspension setups and any small changes to the car before their delivery to Europe for Stephen to enjoy for many years to come.
The Bridge Classic Cars workshop team have been working on inspecting pieces from the 1978 MGB GT which were removed before it entered the body shop.
Our restoration technician Rob has been going through each of the parts to decide if new parts will be required or if they can be refurbished for use in the restoration of the classic sports car.
The Bridge Classic Cars in-house trim shop has begun the process of carefully taking apart the original interior of the 1905 Riley 9HP in order to recreate and understand the car better.
The original leather was brittle and stiff, so Brian carefully began to remove the trim pieces in order to best remove it from the car as complete as possible to use as a reference when it comes to making the new piece. Each item that has come off the car has been meticulously catalogued and stored for the restoration project even the original springs and hessian backing of the seat and all the hardware.
This is a very exciting part of the project and we’re excited to show you more progress on the 1905 Riley 9HP soon here on the Bridge Classic Cars news page.
The body shell and panels for the Team C Racing classic Mini has moved from the Bridge Classic Cars body shop to the paint booth ready to be shot in primer.
With the body and panels cleaned down thoroughly and masked up, Chris could begin the process of getting the classic Mini into primer ahead of its colour change. Several coats of primer were laid onto the body before it is taken back to the body shop to have more delicate sanding done to ensure the best finish on the shell for our friends over at Team C Racing.
The radiator of the 1905 Riley 9HP has been collected from Devon in order for it to be taken to a specialist and refurbished ready for the restoration of the car here at the Bridge Classic Cars HQ in Suffolk.
Our director Gordon made the drive down to the West Country to collect the radiator from our friend Carl who picked up the radiator from the auction house who originally found it and got in touch with us about it.
From there, Gordon made his way through Devon but stopped in Padstow where he couldn’t help but stop and stare at the stunning Caterham Superlight.
After the stop, it was onwards to the guys over at Newquay and Exeter Radiators where the now 117-year-old piece will be refurbished and restored for the car. The guys at Newquay and Exeter Radiators wasted no time beginning to assess the radiator and showing the damage and solder work previously done to the component.
We’re really looking forward to getting hold of this incredible piece of the puzzle that is our 1905 Riley 9HP.
The rear seat of the 1978 MGB GT in for restoration at Bridge Classic Cars has been refoamed and recovered by our in-house trim shop to match the rest of the car.
Whilst the body is in with our body shop, the interior is being revamped by the team in the trim shop. Lydia has completely remade the foam for the rear seat of the classic MGB. This was all for recovering the rear seat in black leather to match the front seats of the car.
Each piece has been finished by hand to make sure the best fit and finish for the piece is achieved.
Now with this piece finished, it will be wrapped and put into storage for when the car is ready for reassembly.
With the 1975 MGB GT V8 off to its new home with its lucky winner Roger, the team at Bridge Classic Cars organised having a state of the art tracker fitted to the classic MGB for security.
It’s a request we are getting more and more frequently to fit trackers to the classic cars that come through our restoration workshop. So, we work closely with a specialist company who instal and set up the system into the cars for their owners.
With the tracker secured and hidden in the car, the team could load up the classic V8 sports car into our enclosed trailer for the journey to its new home.
The brand new heater matrix for the 1969 Mercedes 280SL Pagoda has arrived at the Bridge Classic Cars workshop in Suffolk ready to go back into the car.
Previously, our workshop technicians discovered a leak under the dash of the classic Mercedes Pagoda and upon inspection discovered the heater matrix was leaking from a previous poor repair on the piece. The original was sent to a specialist to be refurbished but the workshop took the decision to source a brand new component for the car to make sure that everything works exactly as it should when the coolant system is repressurised.
The workshop team at Bridge Classic Cars have been progressing on the left-hand drive conversion of the 1970 Bristol 411.
Paul has been working on getting several key pieces of the conversion completed. Firstly he has made all new brake lines for the car since the master cylinder and reservoir have been moved in the engine bay. Each of these was handmade and flared to the exact needs of the car.
Next up was the wiring harness for the dashboard. Each of the wires will need to be precisely lengthened with the change in position for several key components.
In preparation for the new steering rack for the car, the existing lock stops on the steering box had to be removed for space to fit the new system into the classic Bristol.
Finally, with everything in the correct place orientation, Paul could lengthen the wires which go to and from the brake reservoir.
The new clutch slave cylinder for the 1959 Austin Healey Frogeye Sprite has arrived at Bridge Classic Cars to be installed on the classic sports car.
Once the piece is in place and the hydraulic system completely bled, the workshop can begin to test and check over the rest of the car as part of the jobs requested by its owner.
The 1995 Dodge Viper RT10 has made the journey from the Bridge Classic Cars Suffolk HQ to Imperial War Museum Duxford ahead of its auction today with H&H Auctions.
The Viper has been entered into the auction which can be viewed online using the link below!
The lamps from the 1905 Riley 9HP have arrived back at the workshop of the Bridge Classic Cars Suffolk HQ and they look absolutely phenomenal. And, they’re hiding a small surprise.
Along with the lamps being sent off to a specialist to be entirely refurbished and reconditioned, we have taken the decision to have them upgraded to run much newer electric bulbs inside of the classic shells. This upgrade will be a welcome one for if the car is ever used in the darker hours of the day and also for the safety of the car instead of the use of paraffin or other gasses/fuels used to light and run the original lamps over 110 years ago.
With the shells, the finish on the refurbishment is truly incredible. It’s such a joy to see what these would have potentially looked like at the turn of the last century as this Riley left the production workshop.
The 1969 Bentley T1 has been moved from the Bridge Classic Cars body shop into our in-house paint shop to begin the process of getting the classic Bentley resprayed in its original Green.
Chris has been working on getting the panels of the classic Bentley reshaped to make sure each piece is in the best shape and appearance before even the first coats of paint hit the body. This latest round of guide coat is so the team can make sure each piece is level and flat before the process of colour begins.
The 1979 Arrow Ferrari Daytona is in the process of the Bridge Classic Cars workshop getting everything fit up and secured into the car.
This time, Scott has been working on getting the radiator, air-conditioning and oil cooler mounts made for the car and the components installed into the car. For this process, each component has to be put into the car to make sure there is no interference between these systems and any others in the engine bay or under the dash of the classic Ferrari replica.
Once each of the pieces was test fit into the car, Scott could take off the brackets and finish welding them and then primer and paint them in durable satin black.
Just arrived into the Bridge Classic Cars workshop is this incredible 1993 Rover Mini Sprite.
This classic Mini will go through our restoration departments to inspect and assess the car to see if anything needs doing on it.
Apart from its arrival photos, the previous owner sent us over some photos of this stunning little 1993 Rover Mini and some of the work done to it.
The trim team at Bridge Classic Cars have been working on handmaking the new rear seat cover for the 1978 MGB GT in for restoration.
The rear seat is being refinished in black leather to match the rest of the car. For this, Lydia used the original cover as a template to work from to get the best fit for the seat. Along with the new covering is new leather straps and a felt/carpet base piece to cover the wooden base board of the seat.
The first round of donations has been sent to the Disasters Emergency Committee’s Ukraine Appeal from our 1989 TVR S2 competition.
Jar has selflessly donated the car for this appeal in order to raise as much as possible to help the people of Ukraine directly affected by the invasion. In under a week, we have managed to send £10,000! A truly incredible total that will be going directly to the charities and organisations involved in helping those in direct need.
Remember, you too can help support this amazing gesture by entering the competition and be in with a chance of also winning a classic TVR. Click the link below to find out more!
Click here to enter the Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal 1989 TVR S2 competition.
The 1968 MGC Roadster is now in the hands of the Bridge Classic Cars trim team who have been working on refinishing the wooden panelling on the interior of the MGC.
Brian carefully removed the veneer on the dashboard and centre console piece by piece to strip the panels back to their most basic. He also removed the radio blanking plate as well as several gauges in order to get access and check over.
Following on from getting the body panels of the 1965 Porsche 912, the Bridge Classic Cars paint team have shot the body hell of the classic Porsche in period-correct Polo Red.
The car was wheeled into the booth and carefully prepped by Alan before mixing up a litre of Polo Red to be laid across the body. Coat by coat the red lay perfectly onto the body of the car after testing it in places to get the fan shape on the paint gun perfect for laying down the colour.
Alan worked his way from front to back on the car, allowing each coat to flash off and begin its curing process inside the booth. The 6 coats of colour on the body, were done in 2 sessions which allowed the paint time to set up before the next round of painting.
After the paint had cured in the booth for a few hours, it was time to carefully push the beautifully painted 912 into the preparation department to begin the colour sanding process for lacquer and polishing.
The trim team at Bridge Classic Cars have been working on very carefully unpicking and deconstructing the rear seat of the 1978 MGB GT.
Brian carefully unpicked all the stitching of the rear seat in order to assess and inspect the piece.
He also has been making new straps for the car out of handpicked leather to suit the rest of the cars interior.
The Team C Racing classic Mini shell has been in with the Bridge Classic Cars paint and body team in preparation for its new colour scheme.
Our paint and body restoration technician Mauro has worked on preparing the classic Mini. The car arrived into us in grey primer, but the team have begun body sanding the entire shell to make sure that every curve and panel is in perfect shape before it finally gets its new colour.
The shell, after being sanded, has been taken into the booth and prepared for its next round of primer and sanding in the pursuit of perfection.
As part of the left-hand drive conversion on the 1970 Bristol 411 currently in the Bridge Classic Cars workshop, the team have had to make a new throttle pedal for the car.
The conversion to the classic Bristol is moving along quickly, but part of the changeover is relocating the throttle pedal of the classic car. Paul has had to remanufacturer a throttle pedal to get the new set up to work correctly. Along with this, the routing of the wiring loom has also had to be changed to allow the throttle mechanism and the pedal itself free movement without risk of being caught on any part of the loom.
With the bodywork on the 1978 MGB GT currently happening in the Bridge Classic Cars body shop, the restoration technicians in the workshop have taken the opportunity to clean up the engine and gearbox in preparation to go back in the car at a later date.
Our technician Rob has completely steam cleaned both the engine block, cylinder head and gearbox of the classic MGB. After plugging up any oil galleys and vital ports (as well as the exposed valvetrain), he could use our high pressured steam clean to knock the years of dirt and road grime off the 4 cylinder powertrain from the car.
Once thoroughly cleaned and dried, the engine and gearbox were put back together and stored ready for when the restoration calls for the drivetrain and the body to meet again.
The 1959 Austin Healey Frogeye Sprite currently in the Bridge Classic Cars workshop at our Suffolk HQ has been having the clutch system inspected and assessed.
After very little use since being replaced, the inside of the slave cylinder has corroded and seized. The brakes and the clutch for the Frogeye Sprite share the same hydraulic system, so when the team at Bridge Classic Cars attempted to bleed the brakes, the seized clutch slave wouldn’t allow the brakes to be fully bled and adjusted.
A new slave cylinder is required in order to complete the overhaul.
Last night, March 10th 2022 saw the Bridge Classic Cars Competitions find out not only who the lucky new owners for the 1952 MG TD and 1973 MGB GT V8 were but we also launched a very special competition that is close to our hearts and has such an amazing story which will go on to help and support people most in need right now.
On the live stream to our Facebook page, we welcomed those who tune in every week and some new names. The first order of business was to unveil the latest competition.
A 1989 TVR S2 2.9 has been amazingly donated by its owner Jar Joyce. Jar had been so moved by the Humanitarian Crisis in Ukraine that he felt compelled to do the most he could. Jar had won the TVR from us in October, and a few days ago got in touch with us to help him use the car to raise funds and awareness for the situation the Ukrainian people have been forced into. In Jar’s own words ”I have had a very lucky life and now I would like to share my luck with those who need it most.”, so we will be drawing this 1989 TVR S2 at the end of April with 100% of the proceeds going straight to the Disasters Emergency Committee who are working with the Ukrainian people to support and help in so many worthwhile and incredible ways.
If you want to enter this amazing competition to win the TVR or just to help support this noble effort, click the link below (or share this with everyone you know) and remember 100% of the proceeds will be sent at the end of every week directly to the DEC to make a direct impact to those displaced and victims of the invasion.
Click here to enter the Ukrainian Humanitarian Appeal 1989 TVR S2 2.9
After Craig had gone through the details of this wonderful, heartfelt appeal on behalf of Jar and all of us here at Bridge Classic Cars, it was time to run the live draw of these two classic sports cars.
First up, was the beautiful Acconite purple 1973 MGB GT V8. Hayley, using the random number generator, input the numbers. The odds for this car were fantastic as by the time the competition closed, a few hundred of the 4666 tickets were remaining. So, with one click of a button, the next owner of the BGT V8 was decided. 1602. That number had been the single ticket bought and allocated to Richard Holland. The lucky new owner of this stunning V8 sports car.
Next was the 1952 MG TD. A very special car with again, fantastic odds for all those who entered. Just under 300 tickets remained from the 1999 tickets allowed for this competition. Hayley reset the random number generator for between 1 and 1999 and with a single click, the fate of the TD was decided. 1476 appeared on the screen. This particular ticket was again a single ticket bought by a long time player with Bridge Classic Cars Competitions, Alan Cockerill.
The sunroof, headliner and window trim from the 1987 Daimler Double Six are in the Bridge Classic Cars trim shop to be recovered in matching beige material.
Brian has been working on getting each individual piece cut out and perfectly retrimmed after being carefully stripped back and prepared for this stage. Each individual piece has been hand-worked to give the best fit and finish for the classic Daimler.
The 1987 Mercedes 500SL has been transferred from our body shop to the fabrication shop at the Bridge Classic Cars workshops.
During the preparation of the body for paint, our body shop noticed some areas of corrosion in some key places. These are being cut out and addressed by our fabricators so the classic Mercedes R107 is in perfect condition to go back into the body shop to have those areas prepared again for paint.
The restoration workshop at Bridge Classic Cars have been working on getting several crucial pieces of the 1979 Arrow Ferrari Daytona restoration completed.
Scott has been working on carefully routing the various coolant hoses from the V12 to the new radiator set up for the car. Part of that radiator/cooling set-up involves the installation of not only a set of electric fans but also the new AC condenser. He has made up a beautiful set of custom brackets to hold these pieces to the radiator shroud.
The other pieces that have been completed on the Daytona are the installation of various key pieces to the engine such as the oil filter housing, the new exhaust bracket/mounts which has allowed Scott to begin fitting the exhaust to the V12. And with the new fans and other parts fitted to the car, he could begin working out the coolant hoses for any interference that may occur.
The body panels of the 1965 Porsche 912 have gone into the Bridge Classic Cars paint shop to have the first layers of colour laid onto the meticulously prepared pieces.
The car is being finished in a period-correct Porsche colour Polo Red.
Alan, one of our incredible painters, has been working on preparing the panels and pieces of the classic Porsche in preparation for this stage of the car’s bodywork. Each panel was perfectly sanded, cleaned and positioned inside the booth before he walked into our in-house spray booth/oven.
The first layer was light and delicate on the panels. Creating almost a pink covering before being allowed to set up and let the next coats adhere perfectly to the piece. Then, over time each layer was built up and allowed to flash off before the next round of Polo Red was laid onto and inside each of the pieces.
With these pieces curing in the ovens overnight, the next step is to prepare the body for the booth.
The trim shop at the Bridge Classic Cars HQ in Suffolk have been working alongside the restoration workshop to convert the 1970 Bristol 411 to left-hand drive.
Part of that is modifying the dashboard of the car to the correct orientation in the cabin. With everything on the dash being moved from right to left, the instrument cluster needed to be reworked to line up with the existing woodwork and supports.
Referencing the car and the original dash pieces, Brian could make the precise and crucial cuts in the cluster to not only allow the wooden panel to sit in place but so that the existing material could be fitted back into the new cut with a perfect fit.
Bridge Classic Cars are award winning Classic Car Restoration and Maintenance specialists. Your pride and joy is in safe hands with our expert Classic Car Technicians. Take a look at our awards here.
