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This Just In – 1992 Jaguar XJS V12

August 8, 2022
1992 Jaguar XJS V12

The latest arrival at the Bridge Classic Cars restoration workshop at our Suffolk HQ is this 1992 Jaguar XJS V12.

The classic Jaguar has come in for our restoration teams to look into and inspect. The teams will be assessing what is needed to be on the car which has been laid up in a garage nearby for a little while.

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

Out with the Old – New Exhaust and Mirrors on the 1954 Jaguar MkVII

July 22, 2022

The workshop team at Bridge Classic Cars have been getting the old parts off and out of the 1954 Jaguar MkVII ahead of the new replacement pieces going in.

To start with, Jon removed the old exhaust from the car to clean up the manifolds. Once cleaned, he could them back into the car and begin putting together the exhaust with the new backbox. This included brand new hardware for the mounts to keep the soundtrack as elegant as this classic Jaguar looks.

Finally, with the exhaust all complete, Jon could fit the new replacement mirrors onto the MkVII and give them a quick polish to finish the car off.

Up and Down – Sorting Out the Window of the 1954 Jaguar MkVII

July 19, 2022

The workshop at Bridge Classic Cars have sorted an issue with the window on the 1954 Jaguar MkVII which is in at our Suffolk HQ.

The classic Jaguar has developed an issue when winding the driver’s window down. The window glass would come off the runner attached to the regulator and then eventually drop to go back into the runner.

Our workshop carefully stripped back the door card and made the necessary adjustments to fix the issue before being put back together for the team to carry on with the other work on the car.

Close Contact – Inspecting the Hoses and Exhaust of the 1954 Jaguar MkVII

July 15, 2022

The workshop at Bridge Classic Cars have been looking into a couple of issues with the 1954 Jaguar MkVII which is in at our Suffolk HQ.

Firstly, the team have discovered the radiator hose was making very light contact with the lower crank pulley. It has left a few very small witness marks on the hose itself.

After that, the team look into an issue with the exhaust. Upon inspection, they found the exhaust bracket and the inner parts of the silencer had broken apart. These pieces have been put on order for the car.

Finally, the team have adjusted the air vent linkage which didn’t allow the vent in the scuttle panel to seal correctly which now works as it should.

Delicate Work – Repairing and Refitting the Chromework on the 1984 Jaguar XJ

July 15, 2022

A few months ago, we repainted the bonnet and boot of the 1984 Jaguar XJ for its owner.

A couple of days ago the car came back to the Bridge Classic Cars workshop to have the team here repair and refit the chrome work to the classic XJ.

Scott, one of our technicians, carefully cleaned up and reshaped some of the delicate pieces to get them fitting just right into the recesses and curves of the car. He also had to repair several of the mounts needed to secure the trim pieces to the car. But, with gentle work, Scott managed to get all of the trim pieces looking spot on and fitted back onto the car for its owner.

Faulty – Diagnosing a Faulty Rear Window Switch and Dial Circuit on the 1970 Jaguar XJ6

July 11, 2022

The workshop at Bridge Classic Cars has been working on diagnosing and fixing a couple of issues with the electrical system of the 1970 Jaguar XJ6.

Firstly, the team carried out a repair on the printed circuit for the instrument dials. Our technician John carefully repaired the circuit before testing the component and found all was working correctly.

Then, he could turn his attention to an issue with the rear heated screen. John traced the fault back to the switch which controls the circuit. The switch was stripped apart, cleaned up and retested. All was ok after the repair.

Spotted – Jaguar MkII in Woodbridge

July 5, 2022

The Bridge Classic Cars team spotted this fantastic classic Jaguar over the weekend.

One of the team was working in Woodbridge, a town just down the road from our workshops, and spotted this stunning white Jaguar MkII parked up on the road.

It’s always a welcomed sight to see a classic out there being used.

Out & About – 1966 Jaguar MkII 3.8 at Simply Jaguar, Beaulieu

June 29, 2022

The winner of our 1966 Jaguar MkII 3.8 has sent in some photos of the car at its first outing at historic Beaulieu.

The car took part in the show Simply Jaguar where it was joined by nearly every generation and modern of Jaguar possible. From early SS cars to the newest F-Type, everything was on display along with the normal exhibitions at the National Motor Museum.

We love to see our competition cars out there in the world!

Double Checked – Checking the Fuel Sender on the 1951 Jaguar XK120 Roadster

June 24, 2022

As part of the checks on the reported fuel gauge issue with the 1951 Jaguar XK120 Roadster, Jon has checked some wiring on the classic Jaguar.

Jon has been in the boot of the Roadster to check the wiring for the fuel tank sender which also controls the fuel gauge. He checked the overall condition of the connections as well as performing a continuity test on the circuit.

All came back completely clear and showing a good ground.

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

June 24, 2022

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.

Refresh – Gearbox Service and Checking a Fuel Issue on the 1951 Jaguar XK120

June 24, 2022

The Bridge Classic Cars team have been working on the Jaguar XK120 with this round of work comprising of a gearbox oil change and looking into a fuel issue.

To begin with, the team began to look for a reported fuel leak at the rear of the car. Jon inspected all pipework to and from the tank, with no evidence of a leak anywhere to be found with all fittings tight and secure. Next, he looked into the issue of the fuel gauge not reading correctly, however for the team here the gauge worked correctly on test.

Moving on with the work we had been asked to carry out was a gearbox service on the classic Jaguar. For this, the team had to remove the gearbox drain and allow the entire casing to empty completely (the team also inspected the oil for any debris) before moving into the cabin of the XK120. Carefully they moved the carpets back and cover them. Then they could remove the inspection plate which allows the team to fill the gearbox from the top of the transmission. After that, the plate was put back on and secured, and carpets fitted back into place and hoovered throughout by the team.

Adjust and Inspect – Checking Over the Valvetrain of the 1951 Jaguar XK120 Roadster

June 24, 2022

The 1951 Jaguar XK120 Roadster in the Bridge Classic Cars workshop has had our technicians looking into the source of some noises believed by the team to be coming from the legendary straight-six engine.

For this, Jon removed the cam covers on the top of the engine to inspect the tolerances on the tappets which control the valves. After checking these against the spec, Jon did the necessary adjustments to each individual piece until all were within the original specifications for the car. Whilst there, Jon noticed some slack in the cam chain which controls the valves in the engine. On the Jaguar, this can be adjusted to either tighten or loosen the chain which was adjusted until the chain tension was also as close to the original specification as possible.

After everything was checked and double-checked, the cam-cover could go back on with brand new gaskets as well as new breather gaskets to ensure a tight seal for the straight-six. Then, it could be run up and tested and Jon reported no noises occurring in the engine bay.

Blend In – Paint Repairs on the 1970 Jaguar XJ

June 22, 2022

In between the workshop technicians working on the engine and running of the 1970 Jaguar XJ, the paint and body team took the chance to carry out a few paint repairs to the classic Jaguar.

In some places, the paint had become very thin in a few areas of the wing on the Jaguar and also had a few dents in nearly the same area. So, the team carefully prepped thewing of the car in order to do minimal filler work before priming the area. Once primed, our body shop knocked back the whole area methodically using finer and finer abrasives to achieve a perfect finish before it went back into the paint booth.

Our painter, Al, carefully scanned an area of the car to get an exact match for the rest of the classic Jaguar before it is colour sanded and polished to match the finish on the rest of the car.

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

June 17, 2022

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:

Gone Through – Inspection of the 1972 Jaguar E-Type V12 Roadster

June 16, 2022

The Bridge Classic Cars workshop have been working on inspecting the 1972 Jaguar E-Type V12 Roadster along with carrying out some small repairs on the classic Jaguar.

The team have checked through the underside and all major components of the classic sports GT and found some areas which will require attention in the future. There are some areas of corrosion starting to form on the underside of the car, several of those have been cleaned up and sealed by the team, as well as some pipework which is out of shape.

One of the jobs the team have done is to replace a split radiator hose which works to cool the V12. This had a quite severe split in the front section so the team removed it from the car and fitted a replacement piece before refill and checking the levels.

Set Up – Cleaning and Setting Up The Carburettors, and Sorting the Ignition Issue on the 1970 Jaguar XJ

June 15, 2022

The 1970 Jaguar XJ has been in the Bridge Classic Cars workshop for our technicians to look into some running issues with the classic saloon car.

To begin with, our technician Jon road tested the car to confirm the issue with the car and to find out the situation the issue would arise in. After confirming the fault, he could begin to work his way through the fuel and ignition systems in the engine bay.

After inspecting, decided to strip and rebuild the carburettors to make sure that they were clean, clear and working just as they should do. Once rebuilt, they could be put back onto the manifold to begin testing again. The issue had become better but it still had some areas that Jon needed to investigate. He noticed a broken wire inside the distributor which was repaired, and the car was retested but again did not resolve the issue.

The team then took the decision to upgrade the ignition system to an electronic set-up and programme in the correct timing gap and curve to work with the car. After road test, Jon reported that the car worked just as it should do.

Adventure Time – The 1973 Jaguar E-Type V12 Series 3 Roadster Collected

June 15, 2022

The Bridge Classic Cars team have delivered our beautiful 1973 Jaguar E-Type V12 Series 3 Roadster to its owner ahead of the car being taken on holiday.

The team met up with Stephen in Folkstone to hand over Fern Grey on his way to France on holiday where the car will join the 1973 Triumph TR6 on its adventures in France.

Fern Grey has been built entirely to Stephen’s specification by our in-house restoration teams who have spent countless hours building, perfecting and testing the beautiful V12 E-Type for this moment and its life with its owner afterwards.

We look forward to hearing about the Jaguar’s adventures over the summer in France and wish Stephen many happy miles in this incredible GT car.

To go back and look at the entire 1973 Jaguar E-Type V12 Series 3 Roadster project, click here!

This Just In – 1951 Jaguar XK120

June 14, 2022

Arriving this afternoon at the Bridge Classic Cars Suffolk HQ was this breath-taking 1951 Jaguar XK120 for our workshop to look into.

The car has been worked on by various specialists since the current owner purchased the car several years ago but since its last visits with them has developed a few little niggles that the team here at Bridge Classic Cars will be having a look into.

There are also a few areas the workshop technicians will be looking into such as inaccurate gauges and a sticking front brake. Along with that, the team will look into the set-up of the carburettors which feed the straight-six engine (including a small issue with the choke) and servicing of the gearbox.

We’re excited to show you more very soon on the 1951 Jaguar XK120 here on the Bridge Classic Cars news page.

Final Look – The Final Photoshoot with the 1973 Jaguar E-Type V12 Series 3 Roadster

June 14, 2022

The 1973 Jaguar E-Type Series 3 Roadster is due to leave the Bridge Classic Cars workshop any day now so, we thought we would take one final look around the car that the team here have built from the ground up.

Fern Grey, as the car is known to us, arrived from the US as a white and red 1973 V12 E-Type. But, it didn’t stay that way for long. The restoration team began to strip, assess and work on the car for one of our amazing restoration clients who has had several classics hand-built by us specifically for him.

Fern is on another level. There isn’t a single panel, component or piece which hasn’t been worked on by the term in the single-minded and absolute pursuit of perfection we aim to achieve on our projects. This E-Type is very special and it is due to go on and have a very special life with its enthusiast owner.

The car has gone through numerous test hours and checks, double checks and triple checks by the workshop team before being prepared to leave our Suffolk HQ bound for its new life away from us.

So with that, we all that we would have one final look at Fern Grey before it was loaded into our enclosed trailer and buckled in for the drive.

This Just In – 1972 Jaguar E-Type V12 Roadster

June 8, 2022

Just arrived into the Bridge Classic Cars workshop at our Suffolk HQ is this 1972 Jaguar E-Type V12 Roadster.

The classic Jaguar is in for our workshop team to carry out a series of jobs on the car. Firstly the car will be given a full service alongside a gearbox oil change to the upgrade 5-speed transmission. Then the team have been asked to replace both the differential oil and to drain and refill the coolant system for the V12.

The team will also carry out a full inspection and assessment on the E-Type for its owner and report back any of their findings.

Keep an eye out on the Bridge Classic Cars news page for more updates on the beautiful 1972 Jaguar E-Type V12 Roadster.

This Just In – 1970 Jaguar XJ

May 10, 2022

Just arrived at the Bridge Classic Cars restoration workshops in our Suffolk HQ is this beautiful 1970 Jaguar XJ.

The team are going to be looking into a few running issues on the classic XJ for its owner. Since having the fuel tanks replaced, and servicing the carburettors and engine it hasn’t helped the running of the big straight-six or helped with its fuel consumption issue.

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

Good as New – New Brake Pads and Gearbox Oil for the 1970 Jaguar E-Type

April 29, 2022

The beautiful dark green 1970 Jaguar E-Type Series 2 has been in the Bridge Classic Cars restoration workshop recently for the team to do a couple of jobs on the car.

First up, was to replace the front brake pads with a customer-specified pad compound from our friends over at EBC Brakes. The owner of this E-Type uses this car quite a bit and the car has been known to see some serious track time, so a set of EBC Green pads were chosen for the car.

After that, the team performed a gearbox service for the classic Jaguar. A full oil change for the big overdrive gearbox, and along with that the team could clean up some pieces and look into an ongoing issue with the overdrive unit itself. The restoration team removed the various springs and plungers for the overdrive unit and could get them on the bench to clean and inspect them closely. On inspection, the technician noted nothing of concern but once back in the car did make a record of the overdrive being sluggish to engage. The car will return to us later for some more pieces of work and the team can completely go through the overdrive system at that time.

But, with that, the work needed for the 1970 Jaguar E-Type Series 2 was complete and the car was ready to head back home to its owner. Always a pleasure seeing this car in our workshops.

Level Checks – Fueling Issue with the 1973 Jaguar E-Type Series III Roadster

April 28, 2022

The workshop at the Bridge Classic Cars Suffolk HQ has been getting to the bottom of a fueling issue found on the 1973 Jaguar E-Type Series III Roadster during final testing.

After noticing an issue with the fueling on the Stromberg carburettors, the team began by stripping the carburettors back apart to double-check adjustments. After removal, the team noticed that one of the carburettor bowls was completely dry as opposed to the others which were full as intended.

Our technician John then began to replace the all-important needle valves and work on perfectly resetting the float levels to ensure the bowl is properly filled at the correct rate and then stopped when it is supposed to.

After that, the team could put the carburettors back together and resume testing the classic E-Type.

Blocked – Getting to the Bottom of the Fuel Leak in the 1973 Jaguar E-Type V12 Series 3

April 21, 2022

The restoration technicians in the Bridge Classic Cars workshop have been looking into a fuel leak from the 1973 Jaguar E-Type V12 Series 3.

The team inspected all the hoses and couplers to do with the fuel system which upon inspection were all found to be okay. From that, the team decided to look inside the tank of the V12 E-Type and found the cause of the issue.

The tank filter had become clogged with stones. This caused fuel to back up in the filter and leak through the seal which was causing the reported issue.

Behind the Scenes – Live Draw of the 1966 Jaguar MkII & 1970 Morris Minor

April 1, 2022

Last night, the 31st March 2022, the Bridge Classic Cars Competitions team welcomed our largest ever studio audience to find out who the lucky winners of the 1966 Jaguar Mk2 and 1970 Morris Minor 100 were.

We had put out an open invitation to attend this live draw, as we have done in the past, and the response was amazing. Lots of classics braved the unpredictable weather to make the journey to the Bridge Classic Cars Suffolk HQ to watch the draw and some to find out if they were going home in the same classic they turned up in!

With everyone in, we could begin the live stream to the Bridge Classic Cars Facebook page where the rest of our guests had virtually joined us.

Hayley and Freddie took everyone on a tour around the competition building where we store mostly our competition but also a few personal projects as well as certain customer restorations. Working their way around, giving all those watching a few clues as to what is coming up next with Bridge Classic Cars Competitions.

Then, it was time for the main event. Finding out who had been assigned the winning numbers. As always, the entry lists to each competition are published at 630pm the day of the draw before the live stream at 7pm sharp. The number is decided at random using a Google Random Number Generator.

To begin, we always do a test run to make sure that the generator is working correctly. Everything was working just as it should, so now it was time to spin the wheel and see who the lucky pair were.

First up was the 1970 Morris Minor 1000. Hayley input the criteria of numbers for the generator to choose between and with a click of a button and a flurry of numbers rushing past on the big screen, the new owner of the Morris Minor had been chosen. 1250 – the ticket allocated to Neil Brinson.

Next was the turn of the 1966 Jaguar MkII. Again, the ticket number was to be selected from one of the tickets published on the entry list. This competition had entirely sold out several hours before the draw, so after resetting the Random Number Generator it was time to find out who had won this classic Jaguar. Hayley input the numbers to be selected from and just like that, we found the Jaguar’s new owner. Ticket 3500 which belonged to Anthony Roberts.

This Just In – 1985 Jaguar Sovereign Double Six

March 25, 2022

This beautiful 1985 Jaguar Sovereign Double Six has just arrived at the Suffolk restoration workshops at the Bridge Classic Cars HQ.

The car has been amazingly cared for by its previous owners but will be completely inspected and assessed by the in-house restoration teams to see if there is anything that this big classic Jaguar needs or wants for.

Final Inspection – Testing the 1973 Triumph TR6 and 1973 Jaguar E Type Series 3 Roadster

March 16, 2022

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.

Coming Soon – 1985 Jaguar Double Six

March 10, 2022

Coming soon to Bridge Classic Cars is this stunning 1985 Jaguar Double Six.

The classic 4 door saloon will be arriving at our Pettistree workshops very soon to go through its full inspection and assessment by the restoration teams.

Expect to see more on the 1985 Jaguar Double Six very soon on the Bridge Classic Cars news page.

Teething Issue – Fixing the Door Mechanism on the 1973 Jaguar E Type Series 3 Roadster

March 9, 2022

The technicians in the Bridge Classic Cars restoration workshop at our Suffolk HQ have been working on a slight issue with the driver’s door on the 1973 Jaguar E Type Series 3 Roadster, Fern Grey.

Jon has been looking into the door mechanism which when the window is closed, cannot be opened from the inside.

Upon inspection, Jon found that the window regulator was interfering with the door latch mechanism and had knocked the release bar out of its guide. After removing the bar to modify and straighten the piece, he reinstalled the mechanism into the door and tested its function.

With the slight changes to the door release bar, everything was all okay after testing.

This Just In – 1954 Jaguar XK120 Project

February 24, 2022

Bridge Classic Cars have recently acquired this beautiful 1954 Jaguar XK120 for sale as a project to be restored.

This XK120 was in the process of being restored by its previous owner who could not complete the project, unfortunately. This XK120 project comes with a full V5 as well as a spare chassis and boxes of spare parts to complete the project.

The previous owner managed to get hold of a correct 3.4-litre straight-six engine for the project, but the car itself is not numbers matching. The car if bought, however, could be restored by our workshops if required.

For more information have a look on the advert on our brand new sales platform, MyClassics!

Click here to see the 1954 Jaguar XK120 Project on MyClassics

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.

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