New Water Pump On The Jaguar
We’ve just fitted a new water pump on our 1959 Jaguar MKI meaning it is now ready to photograph. Keep an eye out for where this iconic Jaguar will end up…
Tag Archive: classic jaguar restoration
Jaguar XK8 Ready For Paint
Our 1997 Jaguar XK8 has been prepped for primer and paint. Matt has feathered out the block marks from the filler, sanded down the door and wing and removed any flaky paint.
The next step will be to apply filler primer, rub that down and then apply the final paint.
White Jaguar E-Type Inner Parts Painted
More inner components have been painted for the 1973 White jaguar E-Type Series 3 Roadster. Parts have been had air box primer applied and then painted silver. Other parts have been painted black.
Jaguar XK8 Rust Repair
Pricey has been continuing his work on the 1997 Jaguar XK8 which is needing some thorough rust repair.
There has been more rust discovered in the sills and Pricey has begun to fabricate the left hand rear lower inner and our quarter panel. He’s then fabricated the left hand rear sill section, cut out left hand rear sill section and welded the left hand rear lower quarter panel section. Pricey has then gone one to fabricate the left hand inner rear sill lip, weld the lip in and weld the left hand rear sill section.
White Jaguar Etype In Pieces And Parts
The 1973 White Jaguar E-Type dismantling continues under the capable hands of our technician Scott who has recently been focusing on taking apart parts, cleaning and organise them ready be re-fitted. He’s then sorted through the chrome to find out what parts need repairing and re-chroming.
Jaguar XJS Just In
This stunning blue 1989 Jaguar XJS V12 has just come in. We’re due to give it a thorough check over and service before we decide its future.
Stay tuned for more updates.
Jaguar MKVII Update
Tom has been working to wire up the headlights on our 1954 Jaguar MKVII.
The Jaguar has been fully painted and is steadily collecting its chrome pieces.
Paul has been installing the door cards which fit on the inside of the door.
This is the most recent paint and chrome update as it sits outside in the brilliant sunshine:
Jaguar E-type Sheds More Parts
Scott has been dismantling more Jaguar E-Type elements and started to clean up and organise them ready for refitting. He’s sorted through the chrome and found out which parts needed repairing and re-chroming. Having come in as a working car, this 1973 Jaguar E-Type Roadster needs very little in the way of new parts and is simply needed to be dismantled so that Scott can clean up the parts and make small modifications.
We’ve also sent more parts off to be sandblasted.
New Jaguar Prowling Its Way To HQ
Currently residing in Romford, this classic 1989 Jaguar XJS is soon to arrive at our workshop HQ. Keep your eyes peeled for updates surrounding this stunning Jag.
Jaguar XK8 In For Corrosion Corrections
The owners of this Jaguar XK8 spotted the early onset of rust in the rear quarter sill and brought it in to be repaired. Our fabrication team have welcomed this little Jag into the fabrication bay where Pricey will get started with welding and replacing the rusted section.
Stay tuned for more updates!
Putting The British Back Into The Jaguar
Having spent a lot of its life across the pond in sunny California, it’s only natural to find American modifications on our 1973 Jaguar E-Type Roadster Series 3, however, now back on home soil, parts such as rubber bumpers can be converted back to British/European standard. James has welded up all the holes and repaired the dents which had previously been filled, resulting in poor symmetry on the front.
Scott has started to to disassemble the front suspension components ready to be refurbished as well.
Pricey has scraped the body shell, removed the under sealer and sound deadening for media blasting. Pricey told us that the condition of the E-Type body is immaculate and holds very little rust for the age of the car.
Jaguar MKVII Out Of Paint And Into Chrome
Our classic 1954 Jaguar MKVII has officially left the paint bay and gone back into the fabrication bay to have the doors re-attached as well as chrome elements such as window frames, door handles and door catches.
Jaguar MKVII Painted
Our stunning 1954 Jaguar MKVII has been full painted and the panels have been smoothed and flattened. The rest of the body now needs to be flattened and shaped before it goes back into the workshop to have its chrome and trim fitted back in as well as the mechanics.
Almost Out The Door…
Our stunning green 1970 Series 2 4.2 had been completed and was in-fact on its way home with its owners when, just past the gate, the drivers seat broke. This is an area we hadn’t been working on as it wasnt requested but evidently was in need of some TLC. This is often the way with classic cars, bits break through usage and love but we always remind ourselves when things like this happen, that these cars have survived many decades until now!
We fabricated some new bolts and metal elements to fix the broken nut in the chair runner so that the seat now functions good as new!
Burgundy E-Type Rear Axel Back In
The rear axel has now been fitted back in our 1968 Jaguar E-Type Series 1.5. Mauro has been working to replace the seals and rebuild the rear axel so that it doesn’t cause any more issues.
1973 Beverly Hills E-Type Restoration Begins
Dismantling the car:
After having sourced this vehicle last year, it’s been sat in storage whilst we’ve worked on two other classics belonging to the same client. Now it’s time for this Californian dream to be restored. With a big re-design coming it’s way, the first step is to dismantle the E-Type. By removing the chrome, trim and lights, our technicians can start working on parts of the car.
Pressure test:
The compression test also came back positive, with all the readings as they should. A compression test gives you an indication of the health of your engine, its valves, valve seats, piston rings and whether these parts are wearing evenly.
The tests should show the compressions at 110-115 psi. The test shows how much volume of air and fuel goes into the combustion chamber. If there’s not enough, for example, if only 80 psi were passing through, it would give you an indication of a serious fault in the valves. If the valves aren’t seating correctly, the air and fuel can seep out of the cylinders and lead to more serious faults.
Jaguar E-Type Dent and Axel Repair
Our lovely maroon 1968 Jaguar E-Type Series 1.5 is back in for a small dent repair and a check up. We’ve worked on this classic in the past so its nice to have it back in for a freshen up. Mauro has discovered a rear differential leak in the rear axel so he’s taken its apart, stripped and cleaned it and will then replace the seal before re-building it all again and fitting it back into the E-Type.
Unfortunately our lovely E-Type had gained a small dent in its rear quarter panel. Chris and Matt have been correcting this by filling the dent, applying epoxy and primer before then repainting and polishing it so it looks brand new.
By the time Chris and Matt were done with the rear quarter, you would never know there had been a dent there. Good as new!
Jaguar MKI Arrival
This stunning 1959 Jaguar MKI arrived today for some restorative work with us. Before we know what needs to be done, we will carry out a thorough assessment to understand where we need to focus the TLC.
Stay tuned for updates!
The MKI jaguar was an influential pioneer in the luxurious motors market as it spearheaded the way for other sophisticated yet practical saloons to follow. It was compact, good to drive and relatively quick for the contemporary market of the 1950’s.
1970 E-Type Engine Additions
Mauro has been continuing his work on our 1970 Green Jaguar E-Type Series 2 4.2 edition. He has recently replaced the Rocker cover gaskets due to an oil leak and has fitted some high performance Silicone spark leads.
Wheels Primed And Painted
Our 1954 Jaguar MKVII has had its wheels painted in Epoxy primer and then painted in its final cream colour. These have been hung up and sprayed in the paint shop and worked on by Chris and Matt.
Jaguar MKVII Shrinking, Shaping and Smoothing
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.
Jaguar MK VII Hides Hidden Time Capsule
Every now and then, these classic cars surprise with hidden treasures. Whether its personalised dashes, objects stashed down the side of seats or a pair of driving gloves in the glove box, its always a pleasant discovery. On this occasion, we found two embedded tool kits in the door cards of our 1954 Jaguar MK VII, containing original and well-used tools, including a grease gun, bulbs and brake fluid. The two hidden tool kits seem like time capsules to 1954. We had worked hard to loosen the bolts and catches to unlock the tool kit and we’re now glad we did!
The job in hand for the two James’ in our fabrication bay was to strip down the doors to bare metal, taking off all the fixtures and sand down the sides. With a lot of rust visible, we’ve applied a filler primer that tackles rust and prevents it from spreading.
The doors first had to come off before they could be dismantled and stripped.
Jaguar MKVII revival
Kath has been working on repairing the seat squabs on our 1954 Jaguar MKVII. She has repaired the rear seat squab as the vinyl had started to come away from the squab. She applied contact adhesive and stuck it back down in place, making sure that the vinyl was sticking neatly around the edges. Kath also had to rip underneath the seat to fit a piece of calico on to the material to stop it from getting any worse.
Ady has also been carrying out a thorough engine service which includes replacing the spark plugs and spark plug leads as well as the oil filter, oil and a new water hose.
Something Old, Something New, Something Blue
Our 1970 Jaguar E-Type V12 is back in the workshop after its hiatus at Bentwaters whilst we waited for the chrome bumper to come back. Mauro has dedicated his morning to carefully applying the chrome bumper, making sure it fits and it’s perfectly cleaned.
The next step is to run the E-Type through a general service and send it back home!
Along with the bumper, we also received other chrome parts back for our Jaguar such as the front grill surround which Mauro has also fitted.
Mauro has also installed the steering rack tie rod ends which had been replaced as well as a new clutch slave cylinder.
Behind The Scenes At Our Storage Hanger
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.
Jaguar MKVII Brake Repair
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.
Jaguar MKVII Chrome Removal
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.
Jaguar MKVII Receives TLC
Ady, our engine specialist has been working hard to restore our Jaguar MKVII.
He’s repaired the fuel tank plugs and filters by adding new seals. The fourth image shows the fuel tank plug and filter being screwed into the fuel tank after being repaired. The final image shows the fuel tank sender unit being removed, so Ady could fit a new gasket.
Trim Completion For The Jaguar XK150
Our side of the trim work has been completed for the 1958 Jaguar XK150. Our job was to only fit the fabric to metal pieces as the customer is restoring the majority of the car himself. Although we previously made the seats, the customer is fitting them himself. Our trim team have done yet another fantastic job to restore the interior in this iconic classic, with the finished product looking spectacular.
The foot pedal carpet did not fit properly so Kath made a new template and cut out new set. She found that her new design glued and fitted in a lot neater. The front tunnel section was also completed by adding some deadening as well as the trim however it originally didnt fit right as it came up too big, so Kath had to pack out tunnel with some extra foam. The trim team cut some millboard out to go over the inspection chamber and screwed it in place. They found that the tunnel was a funny shape so had to modify the design and add some extra foam until the cover fit perfectly. Kath then fit the next part of tunnel by trimming around hand brake gaiter and gluing it all into position to clamp in place.
Jaguar XK150 Carpet Progress
Our stunning Jaguar XK150 partial trim restoration is progressing well as the trim shop finish the boot carpet and continue with the other sections inside the made body.
The pre-existing carpet pieces are carefully glued in bit by bit, making sure that each section fits well and sticks.
The process included glueing the hardheaded sections into boot sides, which, once glued in, left room for the boot floor mat to be fitted. Brian then glued the vinyl around the edges of the rear seat and around the hatch to the boot. He made the millboard panel for the hatch and glued the hardheaded sections to the billboard.
