XK120 In Paint
February 14, 2024
Our 1954 Jaguar XK120 has been in paint with Chris. While in the paintshop, Chris applied dtm gloss to various components.
classic jaguar
Engine Rebuild
December 18, 2023
Our 1939 Jaguar SS100 is currently with our friends at Rushton Engineering having its engine rebuilt. The head and crank are now finished so the
An E-Type Photoshoot – How we captured our 1967 Jaguar Series 1 Racing E-Type for Auction
November 1, 2023
Our 1967 Jaguar E-Type Racing Series 1 is for sale by auction right now on Car & Classic. To prepare for this, Tom and Myself
Investigating A Rattle
October 9, 2023
Our 1968 Jaguar E-type is getting close to being ready to be delivered to its new owner, who was lucky enough to win this incredible
Inspecting Our Competition Jaguar
September 4, 2023
Our 2001 Jaguar XKR has been in the hands of classic car technician Jonn as he has begun inspecting the vehicle ready for it to
Just Arrived
August 29, 2023
Today, we saw the arrival of our 2001 Jaguar XKR which will soon be available to win through Bridge Classic Cars Competitions. As it has
New Wheels For Our E-Type
August 11, 2023
Some new wheels have arrived for our 1968 Jaguar E-Type Series 1.5. As this is now live on the Bridge Classic Cars Competitions website, it’s
Fixing An Air Con Issue
August 11, 2023
Classic car technician Steve has been resolving an issue with the air conditioning in our 1973 Jaguar E-Type Roadster Series 3. After removing the dash,
Our Biggest Ever Competition Is Live
August 4, 2023
Our 1968 Jaguar E-Type Series 1.5 is live on the Bridge Classic Cars Competitions website. This is our biggest-ever competition and one that we are
Our SS100 Delivered To Holyhead
July 28, 2023
Our 1939 Jaguar SS100 may not have been with us very long but, it has now left the Bridge Classic Cars workshop and has been
Getting To Work On Our SS100
July 24, 2023
Classic car technician Jonn has been starting work on our very special 1939 Jaguar SS100. His investigation was centred around some of the issues the
A Very Special Arrival
July 18, 2023
Earlier today, we welcomed an extremely special classic car to the workshop – our 1939 Jaguar SS100. The SS100 was the successor to the SS90
A New Mirror
July 10, 2023
Classic car technician Steve has been working on our beautiful 1973 Jaguar E-Type Roadster Series 3. He has fitted a new passenger side wing mirror
Ready For A Rebuild
July 3, 2023
After the engine and gearbox of our 1954 Jaguar XK120 were removed from the car, they were separated and strapped securely to a pallet ready
Getting Competition Ready
July 3, 2023
You won’t have to wait too much longer until you will have the chance to win our 1968 Jaguar E-Type Series 1.5 through Bridge Classic
Interior Of Our E-Type
June 27, 2023
Classic car technician Brian has been working on the interior of our 1968 Jaguar E-Type Series 1.5 as it continues to move through its restoration
Work Continues On Our E-Type
June 26, 2023
Our beautiful 1973 Jaguar E-Type Roadster Series 3 has been in the hands of classic car technician Steve. One of the tasks that Steve completed
Jaguar Chassis Painted
June 26, 2023
After the chassis of our 1954 Jaguar XK120 was repaired by our fabrication team, it moved over into the Bridge Classic Cars paintshop. While there,
E-Type Investigations
June 19, 2023
Classic car technician Jonn has been investigating some issues with our 1970 Jaguar E-Type Series 2. He found that the brake reservoir was not leaking
XK120 Chassis Repairs
June 19, 2023
Classic car technician Chris has been completing some welding repairs on our 1954 Jaguar XK120. After stripping the car, bracing it, and then removing the
Prime And Paint
June 13, 2023
Various components of our 1954 Jaguar XK120 have been in the Bridge Classic Cars paint shop with classic car technician Mauro. He has been priming
E-Type ZP Collection – A Tribute To The First Racing E-Types
June 12, 2023
Jaguar Classic is celebrating the iconic race-winning E-Types by creating seven exclusive pairs of E-Type ZP Collection vehicles. The luxury (and highly collectable) cars pay
A Body Removed
June 6, 2023
After being stripped, our 1954 Jaguar XK120 spent some time in the fabrication bay with technicians Monty and Chris. While there, they braced and removed
Jaguar MKII
May 18, 2023
We recently welcomed a 1964 Jaguar MKII into the Bridge Classic Cars workshop. Despite this beautiful classic car not being here very long, our team
E-Type Engine
May 16, 2023
The reassembly of our very special 1968 Jaguar E-Type has well and truly begun. With the engine going into the future competition car, it has
An Update On Our Special E-Type Project
May 11, 2023
Our 1968 Jaguar E-Type Series 1.5 continues to make progress as it moves closer to becoming a competition car through Bridge Classic Cars Competitions. In
XK120 Progress Continues
May 9, 2023
The strip down of our 1954 Jaguar XK120 has continued as classic car technician John has been removing and cleaning components of the car that
Stripping An XK120
May 2, 2023
Classic car technician John has been working on our 1954 Jaguar XK120. After being a paused restoration project for its previous owner, it has spent
E-Type Progress Continues
April 12, 2023
Classic car technicians Chris and Mauro have been continuing their work on our 1968 Jaguar E-Type Series 1.5. Our interactive competition car is making good
Primer For A Special E-Type
April 5, 2023
Our very special 1968 Jaguar E-Type has been in the Bridge Classic Cars paint shop with Chris and Mauro. They have been applying primer to
XK120 In Paint
February 14, 2024
Our 1954 Jaguar XK120 has been in paint with Chris.
While in the paintshop, Chris applied dtm gloss to various components.
Engine Rebuild
December 18, 2023
Our 1939 Jaguar SS100 is currently with our friends at Rushton Engineering having its engine rebuilt.
The head and crank are now finished so the rebuild can continue making good progress.
An E-Type Photoshoot – How we captured our 1967 Jaguar Series 1 Racing E-Type for Auction
November 1, 2023
Our 1967 Jaguar E-Type Racing Series 1 is for sale by auction right now on Car & Classic.
To prepare for this, Tom and Myself headed over to the former RAF Bentwaters to shoot the car during the worst flooding scene in our area for nearly 40 years.
After gently driving the road-going racer across the site and into the infamous Hush House (the former engine test facility when the base was active). After getting the car in position, we took our time to carefully clean down the car ready for the shoot. It looked incredible under the down lights in the stark and industrial building, a complete contrast against its vibrant and eye catching Volcano Orange paintwork. After the car was cleaned down, we head into the control room where so many test engineers had gone before and hit the lights…
This wasn’t going to be like any other shoot though. We had decided to try something different and really push ourselves creatively in a short amount of time. Thinking back to the incredible photo shoot with our Chevron Formula 2 car, which had been shot by Freddie several years before in the same place, we decided to capture the racing E-Type using long exposures and carefully painting light across the bodywork and accents of the car as well as trying light painting through the background to give it a little more of an ethereal, artistic feel.
Here are some of the results:
Using our tripod and the cameras exposures set to around between 10 and 30 seconds, with the cameras light sensitivity turned all the way down. We began capturing the exterior shots of the car. With myself on the controls of the camera and Tom armed with a single diffused studio light (connected to a portable power pack), we began to slow work our way around the car using the studio light to paint the light over certain areas of the car to give it correct exposure but also to amplify the wonderful form and curves of the vintage E-Type.
Because of the amount of moisture in the air (we shot this at the height of the local storms, and hence why the car was shot inside) the headlights remained fogged up which adds to the vicious look of this road-going racer.
To capture the detail shots of the car, or ‘beauties’ as we refer to them here in the marketing department, we adopted the same approach of carefully dancing the highlights across the bodywork after triple checking the triple checks to make sure the focus was laser sharp on the area we needed.
Things like the Monza filler, a distinct feature on our E-Type, or the quintessential rear lights all had to be captured this way. Although more time consuming, allowed us to achieve the best result. For a few hours, it was a case of systematically going through every angle and aspect of the car with Tom, to capture everything that we needed. The trickiest part of the shoot, was actually the interior.
Because most the interior is covered by the roof, it tends to be the darkest aspect of the car. It’s also the easiest part to be able to see reflections in as almost from every angle you have a glass surface.
Once all of the essential photos were ticked off the list, it gave myself and Tom a bit of time to experiment with some more ‘artistic’ style shots to round off the shoot and add a sense of flair to this one of a kind classic.
Continuing with the use of long exposures to capture enough light to correctly show the car but also show off the menacing and purposeful character of our E-Type, we decided to play with highlights and framing. Using the torches on our smart phones, we worked our way round the car at speed to highlight the haunches and lines, while also creating patterns and shapes to display the car inside of what was essentially a stark and empty background.
The results, are something that we as a team are very proud of capturing for the auction of the car with our friends at Car & Classic.
Also, we offer full photo shoots with your pride and joy by the team here at Bridge Classic Cars. Click here and inquire.
Investigating A Rattle
October 9, 2023
Our 1968 Jaguar E-type is getting close to being ready to be delivered to its new owner, who was lucky enough to win this incredible classic through Bridge Classic Cars Competitions.
Before it leaves us though, classic car technician Steve has been making sure everything is as it should be.
While Steve was working on the car, he noticed a rattle coming from the front end. After investigating, he removed the nearside headlamp and indicator to access the loose bolt on the electrical junction box which was the cause of the rattle.
Inspecting Our Competition Jaguar
September 4, 2023
Our 2001 Jaguar XKR has been in the hands of classic car technician Jonn as he has begun inspecting the vehicle ready for it to eventually go live on Bridge Classic Cars Competitions very soon.
During his investigation, Jonn tested the air con which he found to be working fine. He also found that there was a broken wire inside the loom which meant the boot release button was not working as it should. After Jonn had repaired this, everything was back working again.
The bezels that go around the centre gauges were reattached before Jonn turned his attention to the front seats. The driver’s seat module was found loose under the seat so needed to be reattached to the seat frame.
This was slightly better than the passenger side module which was missing completely. Jonn also needed to untwist the nearside front seatbelt at the reel behind the panel.
Just Arrived
August 29, 2023
Today, we saw the arrival of our 2001 Jaguar XKR which will soon be available to win through Bridge Classic Cars Competitions.
As it has just arrived with us, it will now go through an inspection and assessment with our team of classic car technicians but, from first impressions, things are looking good already!
New Wheels For Our E-Type
August 11, 2023
Some new wheels have arrived for our 1968 Jaguar E-Type Series 1.5. As this is now live on the Bridge Classic Cars Competitions website, it’s great to see this example of one of the most recognisable (and iconic) classic cars move into the finishing stages of its build.
Fixing An Air Con Issue
August 11, 2023
Classic car technician Steve has been resolving an issue with the air conditioning in our 1973 Jaguar E-Type Roadster Series 3.
After removing the dash, Steve was able to gain access to the a/c wiring and control switches. The fault was traced back to the a/c control variable resistor switch so this was taken apart, the contacts cleaned, and put back together.
Steve tested the air conditioning afterwards and everything was working as it should.
Our Biggest Ever Competition Is Live
August 4, 2023
Our 1968 Jaguar E-Type Series 1.5 is live on the Bridge Classic Cars Competitions website.
This is our biggest-ever competition and one that we are extremely excited about. The Jaguar E-Type is one of the most recognisable and iconic classic cars. Even Enzo Ferrari himself described it as “the most beautiful car in the world” so this is an amazing opportunity to win your very own piece of automotive history.
Our E-Type came to us as a stalled restoration which is being completed by our team of classic car technicians ready for it to be won by its lucky new owner.
Our SS100 Delivered To Holyhead
July 28, 2023
Our 1939 Jaguar SS100 may not have been with us very long but, it has now left the Bridge Classic Cars workshop and has been delivered to Holyhead to its owner.
It will now travel to Ireland where it will be driven across the country and enjoyed as it should be.
Getting To Work On Our SS100
July 24, 2023
Classic car technician Jonn has been starting work on our very special 1939 Jaguar SS100. His investigation was centred around some of the issues the owner of this beautiful classic car has reported to us.
Jonn also removed the stickers that have been placed on the car throughout its life. The removal was done with a heat gun after Jonn had taped the area to protect it. These have all been kept in a folder which will be returned to the owner to help keep a record of the history of this special Jaguar.
Workshop manager John also worked on our SS100 by repairing the wiper motor.
A Very Special Arrival
July 18, 2023
Earlier today, we welcomed an extremely special classic car to the workshop – our 1939 Jaguar SS100.
The SS100 was the successor to the SS90 and was given its name thanks to its top speed at the time of 100mph. It was one of the first cars to have independent front suspension and quickly became a hit when it was revealed at the 1936 London Motor Show. During the three years it was in production (1936 – 1939), it was very popular with racing enthusiasts as well as the rich and famous.
It could be argued that if it hadn’t been for the start of World War II, the SS100 would have had a much longer production run. However, it wasn’t until 1948 that Jaguar was finally able to release its next sports car – the XK120.
Our 1939 Jaguar SS100 has come to us to investigate a couple of issues the owner has been experiencing such as the brakes binding. As it has been driven around America and, all being well, will leave us to be driven around Ireland very soon – this 3.5-litre classic is certainly being used and enjoyed as it should be!
A New Mirror
July 10, 2023
Classic car technician Steve has been working on our beautiful 1973 Jaguar E-Type Roadster Series 3.
He has fitted a new passenger side wing mirror to our classic E-Type which will be with us for a few more weeks until its owner arrives back from France to pick it up.
We look forward to seeing the car and owner reunited very soon.
Ready For A Rebuild
July 3, 2023
After the engine and gearbox of our 1954 Jaguar XK120 were removed from the car, they were separated and strapped securely to a pallet ready to be shipped to Rushton Engineering, who will be rebuilding them.
Once they are back with us, in a little while, the classic XK120 will be able to continue making progress through its restoration journey in the Bridge Classic Cars workshop.
Getting Competition Ready
July 3, 2023
You won’t have to wait too much longer until you will have the chance to win our 1968 Jaguar E-Type Series 1.5 through Bridge Classic Cars Competitions.
Classic car technician Brian has been doing lots of work on the interior of what was once said to be “the most beautiful car ever made”. He has fitted a new cover to the cubby box lid as well as doing an impressive job of fitting the headliner too.
Brian went on to stick the dodo mat sound-deadening panels to the floor, transmission tunnel, and under the rear seat. The chrome channels of the rear seat were cleaned and rubber strips were made and fitted to these.
While Brian was working inside our classic E-Type, John was fitting the boot stay.
Work continues on our 1968 Jaguar E-Type Series 1.5 and we are looking forward to keeping you updated on its restoration progress.
If you want a more detailed look at our E-Type project, it was featured in our most recent episode of Talking Classics.
Interior Of Our E-Type
June 27, 2023
Classic car technician Brian has been working on the interior of our 1968 Jaguar E-Type Series 1.5 as it continues to move through its restoration journey before being won through Bridge Classic Cars Competitions.
Now that the exterior paint work has been completed, the beautiful red interior will complement it perfectly. Brian has been working on the seats, some of the chrome trim, and the cubby box.
The next big update on this special competition is coming very soon and we are very excited to share it with you.
Work Continues On Our E-Type
June 26, 2023
Our beautiful 1973 Jaguar E-Type Roadster Series 3 has been in the hands of classic car technician Steve. One of the tasks that Steve completed was to fit new blower intake vents.
Once this was done, Steve found that there was very little clearance between the brake vacuum reservoir and the blower fan housing which resulted in a knocking sound being produced. The blower fan motor end float was adjusted to help resolve this issue.
The brake vacuum reservoir was also adjusted before Steve found that the choke mechanism was catching on the rear carburettor air filter retainer clamp. There was also a worn float valve that was causing the rear carburettor to fuel starve.
Steve went on to strip down part of our E-Type and removed the air conditioning evaporator box. This was cleaned and a new matrix support bar was made. The sump and gasket surfaces were also cleaned before being refitted.
Jaguar Chassis Painted
June 26, 2023
After the chassis of our 1954 Jaguar XK120 was repaired by our fabrication team, it moved over into the Bridge Classic Cars paintshop.
While there, classic car technician Mauro painted the chassis black.
As you can tell from the photos below, the chassis looks much improved and marks a step forward in the restoration of our classic Jaguar XK120.
E-Type Investigations
June 19, 2023
Classic car technician Jonn has been investigating some issues with our 1970 Jaguar E-Type Series 2. He found that the brake reservoir was not leaking so this was rubbed down and masked up ready for painting.
After painting, the exposed metal areas were protected before everything was put back together and tested. The fan top cover was painted and refitted with new screws.
Jonn went on to drain and replace the coolant of our classic E-Type. While doing this, he noticed that the radiator drain plug had broken out of the radiator. Once the radiator was removed. the matrix looked like it had been leaking for a while as there are quite a few white stains on it.
XK120 Chassis Repairs
June 19, 2023
Classic car technician Chris has been completing some welding repairs on our 1954 Jaguar XK120. After stripping the car, bracing it, and then removing the body, Chris has got to work on making the required repairs to the metalwork.
There’s still a long way to go before our classic XK120 looks its best but, with each repair completed, it gets a step closer to its former glory.
Prime And Paint
June 13, 2023
Various components of our 1954 Jaguar XK120 have been in the Bridge Classic Cars paint shop with classic car technician Mauro.
He has been priming the parts before painting them black ready to eventually be re-fitted to our classic Jaguar. The wheels were also in the paint booth to be primed too.
Our Jaguar XK120 will look incredible when it is fully restored and we are very excited to see its progress continue.
E-Type ZP Collection – A Tribute To The First Racing E-Types
June 12, 2023
Jaguar Classic is celebrating the iconic race-winning E-Types by creating seven exclusive pairs of E-Type ZP Collection vehicles. The luxury (and highly collectable) cars pay homage to the first E-types used in competition. These racing E-Types were originally produced under the project name “ZP” and, within months of their introduction in 1961, they picked up their first victories.
Each of the commemorative pairs includes a drophead coupe and a fixed-head coupe, both finished in liveries paying tribute to the original race-winning cars. The two cars that provided inspiration for this incredible project were referred to by their registration numbers ‘ECD 400’ and ‘BUY 1’ and were driven by Graham Hill and Roy Salvadori.
Paul Barritt, Director of Jaguar Classic, said: “The E-type ZP Collection is the ultimate tribute to the E-type’s triumphant racing debut, in itself part of Jaguar’s rich motorsport history. Each pair tells a fascinating, and often untold, story of the E-type’s history. The ZP Collection honours not only the vehicles but the racers who drove them to victory on the track. With 2,000 hours lovingly spent on each vehicle by the craftspeople at Jaguar Classic, our discerning clients will be able to enjoy a unique tribute to two of the greatest cars in the E-type’s history.”
If this E-Type project wasn’t special enough, later this year, the personalisation team at Jaguar will be unveiling a limited-edition production run of matching F-Type ZP Editions. These will be inspired by the E-Type ZP collection and will also only have seven pairs available. The fourteen 5-litre supercharged V8 F-Types will be reserved for E-Type ZP Collection clients meaning that each client could own an unrepeatable and historic quartet of very special vehicles. It’s worth keeping in mind that, from 2025, Jaguar will become a pure electric modern luxury brand so this looks to be something of an unforgettable swan song.
Indigo Blue E-Type Drophead Coupe
In honour of Graham Hill’s Indigo Blue E-Type drophead coupe, the E-Type in the ZP collection will be finished in Oulton Blue and will have a black hood along with bonnet roundels finished in white with matching front ‘lipstick’ around the inside of the front airtake.
The interior is finished in red leather by Bridge of Weir and in-period Hardura trim.
Unlike the original E-Type, driven by Graham Hill, though, the ZP collection hasn’t been developed for just racing so the engineers at Jaguar Classic have reworked and hand-finished the nose of these very special cars.
Crystal Grey E-Type Fixed-Head Coupe
Like the Oulton Blue version, the Crystal Grey fixed-head coupe comes with white roundels and similar exterior detailing, including the removal of the motif bar and Jaguar badge across the grille. The Crystal Grey coupe also has the same chrome bumpers as the drop-head, along with the welded bonnet louvres and unique side graphic detail.
The interior features a Dark Navy Bridge of Weir leather with matching Hardura trim and a Beechwood steering wheel.
E-Type ZP Collection Changes
The most significant mechanical upgrade to these stunning tributes is the specially developed five-speed manual transmission for quieter, more comfortable cruising. It features synchromesh on all ratios, helical cut gears and a reinforced cast aluminium casing for enhanced reliability and durability, with closer gear ratios for smoother changes.
An Extra Tribute With The E-Type ZP Collection
Every vehicle in the collection undergoes 2,000 hours of work by the experts at Jaguar Classic to make sure each and every one is a perfect tribute. Each one comes with a tailor-made car cover with ZP logo and a bespoke jack with a unique storage bag to be stored beneath the boot floor.
A period helmet to match those worn by Hill and Salvadori is also included. These have been crafted by British expert Bill Vero of Everoak and are a beautiful display piece that can be worn, and hand adjusted for each client. The helmets are provided with a tailored leather storage bag crafted from the same leather as the interiors and made onsite by the expert in-house trimmers at Jaguar Classic. The helmet bag also complements the leather pouch for the vehicle handbook, which is made with the same leather by the same team.
A Body Removed
June 6, 2023
After being stripped, our 1954 Jaguar XK120 spent some time in the fabrication bay with technicians Monty and Chris.
While there, they braced and removed the body of our classic Jaguar from its chassis.
After being a paused project for a while, it is great to see our XK120 make good progress towards, eventually, leaving the Bridge Classic Cars workshop and getting back out on the road to be enjoyed as it should.
Jaguar MKII
May 18, 2023
We recently welcomed a 1964 Jaguar MKII into the Bridge Classic Cars workshop.
Despite this beautiful classic car not being here very long, our team of classic car technicians resolved several issues that the owner had reported to us. These include the car not starting, changing the auto choke to a manual, and a full health check.
Scott noticed that the oil pressure was showing at just 15psi. After attaching a mechanical oil gauge, the oil pressure reading was much better so Scott traced the issue back to a faulty sensor.
The fuel was drained and Scott cleaned the carbs and flushed the lines before checking over the rest of the car. While doing so, he noticed a snapped spoke on one of the wheels so swapped this out for the spare.
E-Type Engine
May 16, 2023
The reassembly of our very special 1968 Jaguar E-Type has well and truly begun. With the engine going into the future competition car, it has certainly taken a big step in the right direction for it to be won later this year.
The wiring has also been progressing ready for the rebuild to carry on over the next few weeks.
This will very likely be one of our biggest competitions to date and we are extremely excited to see our E-Type continue to make good progress towards being won by its future new owner.
An Update On Our Special E-Type Project
May 11, 2023
Our 1968 Jaguar E-Type Series 1.5 continues to make progress as it moves closer to becoming a competition car through Bridge Classic Cars Competitions.
In this video, you can see what happened when it spent some time in the Bridge Classic Cars paintshop.
XK120 Progress Continues
May 9, 2023
The strip down of our 1954 Jaguar XK120 has continued as classic car technician John has been removing and cleaning components of the car that will be reused during the restoration.
This included the instrument cluster strip with the gauges being prepared for cleaning. The torsion bars have been dot punched to mark the spline position, and these were then stripped and cleaned ready for the rebuild too.
Stripping An XK120
May 2, 2023
Classic car technician John has been working on our 1954 Jaguar XK120.
After being a paused restoration project for its previous owner, it has spent some time at our secure storage facility waiting for a spot in the Bridge Classic Cars workshop. Now that the time has come for its restoration to continue with our team of skilled technicians, work can finally begin on bringing our XK120 back to life.
John has been stripping the car ready for restoration work to begin and we are very excited to see this project progress and to get this classic car back on the road.
E-Type Progress Continues
April 12, 2023
Classic car technicians Chris and Mauro have been continuing their work on our 1968 Jaguar E-Type Series 1.5. Our interactive competition car is making good progress and it’s great to see it getting another step closer to going live on Bridge Classic Cars Competitions in the next few months.
After spending some time in the paint shop, our E-Type has now had some of its interior components painted as well as the body being primed and several parts of the body sanded ready for paint.
Primer For A Special E-Type
April 5, 2023
Our very special 1968 Jaguar E-Type has been in the Bridge Classic Cars paint shop with Chris and Mauro. They have been applying primer to the bonnet of this future competition car.
What makes this car so special is that you will be able to help us make some of the decisions along the way as we work to restore and rebuild our E-Type.
As you can see from the images below, our 1968 Jaguar E-Type is beginning to look very good and we look forward to getting you involved with its progress very soon.
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