Our 1934 Austin Nippy has had a strange issue with its crank shaft spring which got caught inside the engine. As seen in the illustrations below, the spring is meant to sit back however it had moved along the crank shaft and into the engine. This has now been taken apart and amended, meaning the only thing left to do is to take it for a test drive again.
Our Honda S2000 is a modern classic from the turn of the millennia. Following on from our last update, James has been focusing on rebuilding the wheel arch that has been lost to corrosion and rust. James has also rebuilt and painted the boot lip which is hidden beneath trim as well as welding and spot welding areas that have suffered due to rust.
Matt has been repairing the bumper in the paint shop which was showing signs of stress fractures. Its previously been poorly repaired as Matt found excessive filler in it, meaning he had to strip it to bare plastic and apply dolphin glaze to repair it.
This is the wheel arch complete:
Last night our marketing team and visual gurus, Ellie and Freddie headed over to Bentwaters to shoot some photos and videos with Charlotte. The overcast evening sky made the perfect moody backdrop to shoot our classic 1953 Francis Barnett against.
We think Charlotte’s getting the hang of this bike…
Our lovely 1957 Grey Jensen 541R/S now has its new speedo fitted into the dash. It’s also had its steering centralised. John is now going to start it to see how it runs and to see if there are any teething issues which he will correct accordingly.
We often hear from commuters when our van and lorry have been spotted travelling up and down the country. We’re always delivering and collecting exciting projects and we love it when you see us and recognise our vehicles out and about.
This stunning 1940 Alvis has come in today for a new hood headlining as this one has had a run-in with his cats.
The owner of this classic Alvis has it as his pride and joy and drives it as his daily car.
The hood is now in the safe hands of our trim shop who’ll work to replace the fabric and re-work the inside of the hood.
We’ve got some seriously tiny cars in the workshop at the moment. They may be small but they are…or will be, mighty. On the whole, many classic cars are smaller than what’re we’re now used to. Thanks to a series of design decisions or simply just smaller engines, some of the early classics were manufactured almost half the size of modern-day cars. The Fiat 500 was designed for tight Italian roads, the Austin nippy was only a few steps after the horse and carriage and powered by a small engine, and the BMW Isetta bubble car coming in at only 2.3m long and 1.4m wide, was an engineering vision into the future of solo city travel. A design that never really took off and stayed firmly placed in the 60s and 70s, but none the less has made them desirable collectables today.
We’ve recently received a slightly worse for wear Isetta Bubble Car. With only the shell and chassis intact, we are in talks with the owner over how he wants this restoration to be managed.
There’s also been a small orange truck parked up by the ramp, which after thorough inspection and service is ready to go back to its owner, Loick Ranson. This little motor belongs to Craig’s 4-year-old son called Loick.
We had a rather unusual delivery on Friday evening. The trailer pulled up as the afternoon light cast a golden haze over the workshop, and with it, came this unique classic…
This bubble car, unlike the other, is in pristine condition. Gordon has even taken it for a drive! Stay tuned to find out what we have in store for this classic Isetta.
We’ve had a quirky 1969 Fiat 500 Abarth come in recently for some care and attention. One of our technicians soon found a dangerous issue with the steering column that we are now making top priority to correct. It seems there is a Fiat 126 steering rack fitted with fiat 500 elements, meaning the components in the steering rack didn’t match up, making steering and driving unsafe. James has removed the potentially dangerous steering rack conversion from the steering box so that he can re-design and refit the steering to make it safe.
.
March 23, 2021 8:28 am
We’re steadily starting to part ways with our beloved Jensen collection as each project is finished and finds its way back to its owner. The most recent departure is our 1961 Jensen 541S that was collected today.
Although we’ve recently said goodbye to a handful of our Jensen’s, we’ve still got plenty to be getting on with as our Peony Red is progressing well, our Grey 1957 541R is almost out the door and its partner car, the black 1960 541R awaits it up at Bentwaters.
Out and about at weekends and after work, we often see classics parked up around Suffolk and try to make a habit of taking a quick snap of these beloved classics. Some are seen regularly as someones daily drive and others seem to be weekend nip-around.
Lotus Elan +2 S:
1973 VW T2
1969 Morris Minor Convertible 1000
MGB GT
Lotus 7 (possibly a replica but unknown) and a Land Rover Series 1
Morgan (Possibly Plus 4)
1971 VW Beetle
1963 Ford Thames
Our 1969 Fiat 500 with Abarth styling has come in to have its steering column addressed as well as some other small mechanical faults. We look forward to working on this interesting little classic.
Classic Fiat 500’s were built and designed for small Italian roads. Made with practicality and reliability in mind, these tiny classics are a similar size to a modern-day smart car. James may describe it as a “potent symbol of Italian utilitarian chic, the Latin driving temperament and creative solutions to everyday parking problems.”
Last night’s live draw was all focused around our delightful 1981 MGB GT LE that’s been won by Duncan Walker with his lucky ticket 1056. We’ll be delivering his new classic down to Hampshire as soon as we’ve run it through its PDI (pre-delivery inspection).
We’ve still got two other wonderful classics up for grabs so head over to our competitions website to check them out as tickets are selling fast!
James and James have been working on shrinking and re-shaping the panels for our 1954 Jaguar MKVII however they’ve taken to doing it the traditional way. Using heat, a hammer and cool air, they can effectively reshape anything they need to in a precise and neat manner. By heating up the metal, it balloons and softens the surface, allowing James to hammer it into shape and then use cool air to set it.
James is focusing on making the outside layer of the rear quarter panel, which is made by hand and hammered into place.
After finishing the re-shaping, James could then start with applying the lead primer and then the Tallow Medium and Nealetin, all of which are applied using heat. The tallow medium, traditionally made from goose fat, is heated up and melted so it resembles a spreadable ‘goo’ that can then be worked into shape to provide a flat finish.
We did some filming with James in the workshop where he explained to us what’s going on with the Jaguar in the fabrication bay. Here’s some behind the scenes.
Kath and Brian have both been working on our 1968 Triumph TR5 recently. Kath has fitted the door cards which could be placed in now that the door capping’s have been fit. Kath began by pushing in the panel clips into the back of the panel and aligning the clip with the hole in the door to push it into place. At first Kath noted that it wasn’t sitting straight forward so she had to adjust the panel by cutting off the piping from the top.
Once Kath had the clips in at the top, she could then go round the rest of the panel clips, cut out the holes for the window winder and door handle, fit the handles and move on to the other side to do the same thing again.
Kath also bolted the seat runners onto the floor and bolted in the centre console. This included fixing two bolts into the floor pan each side of tunnel section and one each side at the top.
The hood has also been fitted to check that the measurements align well. Kath laid the hood over the car ready to fit it later whilst she was waiting for the rubbers and header rail parts to arrive. By placing it over the frame, Kath could see if anything needed to be modified.
Brian has been fitting the chrome handle and lift up bar mechanism to the seats that allow the seat to move forward or back on the runners or from its hinges.
We’ve entered the finishing stages for our 1957 Jensen 541R. John is currently carrying out a thorough wiring check as we’ve had to modify the wiring to compensate for the V8 Corvette engine. We’re assembling the last bits such as the fuel pump which we’re waiting to arrive before we carry out a last service and test for teething problems.
James has been working on removing the old tow bar on our 1991 T4 transporter as the owners don’t need it anymore. He aims to renovate the original bumper to neaten up that area. Chris has been working on sanding and smoothing down the body of the T4 in preparation for paint.
The seats have also been recovered and re-padded with new foam. Kath began by removing the cover, glueing splits foam back together to improve comfort and adding a piece of calico to stick over the top of the foam to reduce splits in the future. Kath also added 3mm of foam to the frames for added comfort on those long road trips.
Kath also discovered the centre of the seat foam has split so she added calico to it and stuck it around three sides. The next step was to stick the foam back in place before refitting the cover. To ensure the cover fit back on neatly, Kath had to push and mould the cover back into shape. She then needed to hook the bottom back into place, pull the back section through to front and hook it onto the same spikes as the front section. Once fitted, Kath could hammer the spikes back to secure the cover.
The doors and side panels have been masked, primed and repainted, ready to be fitted back onto the shell later down the line.
Pictured below is the Silver 1959 Jensen 541R recent wiring ammends. John had found that when wiring up, the overdrive didn’t engage. After an investigation, John found it was because the solenoid had overheated and melted the terminals, meaning a new solenoid was fitted.
A new stoplight switch has also been fitted because the old stoplight had seized and wouldn’t turn off.
James has been sanding and smoothing the door frame window sill using the wire wheel on the grinder.
Four out of five doors have been prepared and are now ready for primer. James has discovered that the 5th door doesn’t need such extreme work meaning its ready to go to Chris tomorrow after its been lined up on the van to make sure it still fits straight.
Another live draw and two more winners! Last night we announced two more winners to add to our growing collective of lucky classic car winners! Our 1996 Mercedes 320SL and 1992 Rolls Royce Silver Spirit II found their new owners during our live draw that we hosted at our HQ in Pettistree.
Charlotte and Craig took us around the workshops to show off our current restoration projects and upcoming vehicles. With lots of exciting cars soon to be released, the live draw was jam-packed with exclusive news.
A big congratulations to Russ Warman who won our classic Rolls Royce with his lucky ticket number 499 and Steven Lambe who won the characterful Mercedes with his ticket number 950!
Charlotte also helped us move the cars around before the draw and had a go in our MGB GT LE, which she agreed is a pleasant drive! Keep an eye out for the release of our MGB, which is set to be our next competition car.
Here at Bridge Classic Cars, we like to give you all an incite into what goes on behind closed doors. We often show you the main workshops and restorations, as well as a sneak peak into the production process for live draws with Charlotte, but we rarely take a look at our hanger itself. Our hanger is an unsung hero with an interesting past…
Up at RAF Bentwaters, we’ve got our own hanger. Originally a military base, Bentwaters run as an active American airbase from 1942 until 1993. Now home to multiple businesses and a museum, Bentwaters is a functioning business park with a very visible history. It is home Europe’s longest air strip and feels like a step back in time with many old fighter jets and military vehicles dotted around the base.
You may have also heard of RAF Bentwaters thanks to a mysterious UFO sighting in 1980 which has made the location popular with tourists and alien enthusiasts. The sighting took place in the surrounding forest and is known as the Rendlesham Forest incident which has gone down in history as the UK’s most famous UFO sighting and is known worldwide.
With the base commanding its place in British history, what better spot to store and film classic cars. We offer storage solutions for clients who need a secure and dry location to store their beloved motors. We offer Carcoons, plug-in batteries and regular cleaning.
We also store our own cars in here as they wait to come in for restorations or have been completed and need photographing and storing before finding their new home. We host our live draws from the Hanger but we also use Bentwaters as the regular backdrop to our photoshoots and videos. You might recognise the familiar pine-clad backdrop and clear open roads.
You may also notice a certain rare Francis Barnett which we currently have up for sale. This bike was originally Craigs so we’ve had it safely tucked away at the hanger for a few months however he’s decided to part ways with it and let someone else enjoy the timeless beauty of this bike.
This morning, we welcomed a beautiful green 1970 Jaguar E-Type Series 2 (2+2) 4.2 in for a service to address MOT advisories. Jaguar E-Types are among the most popular classic cars we receive, with a large majority of our projects being E-Types. These classic motors are well recognised and well-loved, with their value increasing every year.
With iconic styling and excellent road manners, the Jaguar E-type design was perfected by aerodynamics of Malcolm Sayer and the keen eye of Sir William Lyons. Series 2 coupes are among the rarest of the bunch, with fewer than 5000 being built.
Our 1991 VW T4 Transporter is making progress! Our technicians James and Chris have been working together to ensure bit by bit, we fight the rust that’s appearing on this beloved camper.
Chris has worked on the front panel which has been placed in the ‘oven’ ready for DTM satin black after being sandblasted. This will give it the new lease of life that it very much needs!
James has continued focusing on the wheel arch and busting the rust on other elements of our 1991 VW T4 transporter campervan. The front cross member came was sandblasted and James applied a rust repair replacement on one end.
Its that time of the week again! In this instalment of ‘Meet The Team’ we’re chatting to Paul, one of our classic car technicians. After joining in 2019, Paul is usually found doing what he fondly refers to as ‘spanner work’, “I enjoy the hands-on mechanical work, I’m more of a spanners man”.
His expertise with cars comes from a long history in engineering and the motor trade. After he left school, Paul tells us he did an apprenticeship in Engineering at what was then Garretts and from there, he progressed through various forms of mechanical engineering. With experience in everything from modern MOTs to restoring classic cars, Paul’s real love lays with motorbikes.
“I prefer mechanical things, that’s my preference, I’m more of a spanners man than power-plyers and electrical plyers.”
His fascination with bikes started as a child. He tells us that he’s worked on hundreds of bikes through his life, “My parents owned a few acres of land and we lived at the bottom of this valley. We made sand tracks for the bikes and created our own tracks!”
Paul tells us his first car was a Riley Elf that he bought shortly after passing his test. Although he’s always loved his bikes, Paul tells us “It had a walnut dash and leather seats! It was a bit like a Mini with a boot!”
Pauls first road bike was Yamaha RD250 but says his dream bike has always been a BSA Rockett or Triumph Hurricane. On the topic of cars, Paul said he’s always loved Triumph TR5’s as he already has a 1979 Triumph Dolomite Sprint.
February 15, 2021 9:41 am
Our oldest Jensen, the 1957 541R has had some issues with its left side front passenger door. We’ve been working to modify it to allow it to sit more comfortbly in line with the rest of the body. With the alignment sorted, we also needed to address the ill fitting door car before it could be dressed.
One of our engineers has worked on making the inside of the door frame deeper so that the door car could fit inside.
James has been working on the corrosion damage of our 1991 VW T4 Transporter Campervan. He’s been focusing on finishing off the sliding door and rear left door repairs. He’s cut out the right-hand side rear wheel arch, repaired the inner arch and tacked the new outer arch in place to make it ready for welding.
Paul has taken a look at our 1954 Jaguar MKVII and made sure all the brakes are stripped down and ready to be overhauled. The rear brake pipes have been removed and replaced with new components.
Our team has begun removing the chrome on the 1954 Jaguar MKVII in preparation for bodywork and paint. For the majority of the chrome, its a realtivily simple removal, for example, the pieces on the windows are easy to remove however some are more difficult and need extra components removed to get to the chrome.
Following the fuel tank renovation, Ady has fitted the oil sump back underneath the car.
Our trim department has been working hard to get the 1998 TVR Chimaera’s carpet, door panels and other pieces of fabric-to-metal trim stuck and bolted down.
Brian and Kath stripped the TVR out ready for fitting. They started by fitting the carpet to the rear side section where the seat belts fit. Next, they fitted the side sill carpets, wheel arch sections, and cut out the foam to go in rear cockpit section.
Once they had glued the foam into rear cockpit section, the team carefully fitted the back carpet to the rear section of the TVR. They then cut the speaker holes out, glued the bottom carpet to rear cockpit section and glued the carpet to the side of the tunnel. After this was completed, the team could complete the rear section and tunnel section. The speakers and air vent could then be refitted.
After fitting the console back in, Kath and Brian could cut and fit some plywood for the rear compartment covers. Once cut, the pieces could be glued to the carpet. Next up was fitting the underlay to the front footwell section and securing the front and rear carpets.
One of the more challenging parts of this trim restoration was removing the old carpet from the door panel as the bolts were particularly stiff on the door cards. The team glued the new carpet to the door panel and fitted it into to door, as well as fitting the outer section of the door panel to the door. The final touch was to refit the speakers.
We’ve also fitted the seat belts.
Kath identified some rust but we discovered that its only surface rust which can be treated on the surface by filling the holes with rubber flanges and flange sealant to then be primed and painted.
All of the old foam has been replaced with new fresh foam, carpet has been laid in the passenger footwell, the centre console has been cleaned and repaired where needed and the trim has been cut and fitted for the upper footwell.
The board surrounding the battery in the footwell has been modified to fit better and the trim has been replaced with the new fabric. Velcro was then carefully attached so that the board can be easily removed.
The rear carpet has been fitted as well as the door cards and door trim. The leather around the door car was also cleaned before re-fitting.
The boot carpet needed to be re-fit, as did the foam on top of the fuel tank.
Kath has worked on re-lining the TVR’s boot too. She’s taken out the old carpet and fitted a new one in as well as replacing the carpet around the fuel tank and spare tyre section. The boot lid carpet has also been replaced with fresh lining. The next step is to bolt in the seats and service the car.
We recently had a request in for the valuation of this 1983 Ford Escort RS1600i. As part of our services, we offer classic car valuations, whether its to help a customer decide whether to sell their car or for insurance policies.
Back in 2019, we shot with Deimante aka @tomboy_a_bit at Bentwaters. Deimante is a die-hard motorbike fanatic and we couldn’t think of anyone more experienced than her to test out our beloved trial bike.
Deimante produced this video seen below where she talks about the interesting history of the bike and the quirks of riding it. From that day, we gathered plenty of photos and videos, some of which you’ll see on our website and other bits you can find on Deimante’s social media, so keep an eye out!
This charming bike is up for sale with us and you can check it out here.
