The overdrive on our 1980 Volvo 245 GL was not working. After investigating, Steve found that the connector under the gearbox tunnel had pulled out so he soldered a new connector on.
The alternator from our classic Volvo has returned from specialists after being refurbished. This is now ready to refit to the car.
One of the latest new additions to the Bridge Classic Cars workshop is our 1988 Volvo 240GL.
It has come to us so we can do what needs to be done to get the car up and running.
We are looking forward to starting work on this hefty classic, and it will be great to see it eventually drive out of the workshop and back out onto the road.
Steve has been working on our 1980 Volvo 245GL. He noticed that, intermittently, the dash lights were not coming on, and the battery was not charging. He found poor connections on the voltage stabiliser and alternator controller that he cleaned up.
The rear fog light wire was broken near the tailgate hinge so this has had a new wire soldered in.
Steve also found that the overdrive was not working. It turned out that the switch in the gear lever was not connected and the connection in the connector block to the loom was poor. He reconnected the switch and replaced the loom connector too.
Our 1980 Volvo 245GL has been in the hands of classic car technician James as he prepares it to have its floor/sill area welded on both sides of the car.
To do this, James stripped out the interior carpets and trim.
Classic car technician James has been conducting an appraisal of our 1980 Volvo 245GL. James found that:
On the surface, the bodywork and overall condition appeared to be good on top. Underneath however there are several areas of corrosion, some heavy surface rust on the front and rear suspension components, and some more extensive corrosion needing repair in other areas, such as the nearside floor to sill along most of its length and the offside floor to sill at the front and rear. The offside rear has had a previous repair but needs rework, and a hole in the upper inner wheel arch needs to be addressed.
James checked the state of the car ahead of an MOT. To make sure the car passes, it will need a new headlamp on the driver’s side as the reflector is dull, both indicator/side lamp lenses are holed and discoloured, wipers and a windscreen, all of the tyres are perished and cracked (despite having good tread) and the rear brakes are binding.
The front brakes are corroded, as expected after being stood for so long, and there appears to be a slight leak from the rocker cover gasket. Due to the age and unknown history, James has recommended a cam belt change and a full service.
Otherwise, the exhaust and brake hoses look to have been done and are in good condition, but the battery will need replacing. There is slight play in both inner steering rack joints and James was unsure if the additional alarm is connected or if it would cause future issues in the future.
We have welcomed our 1980 Volvo 245GL into the Bridge Classic Cars workshop recently.
While it is here, it will be thoroughly assessed by our team of technicians to see what work will need to be done on this classic Volvo.
It obviously isn’t in great condition right now but we are definitely looking forward to it returning to its former glory.
We have recently delivered another classic car to double-winner Roger Woodcock!
Back in December 2021, Roger won our 1975 MGB GT V8 and then, last week, he was the extremely lucky winner of our 1987 Volvo 240 GL.
Everyone here at Bridge Classic Cars would like to congratulate Roger on being our second double-winner and we hope he enjoys his growing collection of classics!
You can now win our 1987 Volvo 240 GL.
Entry is open for the draw that will take place on Thursday 5th January 2023.
Our 1987 Volvo 240 GL is in exceptional condition and has only been owned by one family from new. It was going to be part of our personal collection of classic cars but, as so many of you asked for it to be a competition car, it is now live on the Bridge Classic Cars Competitions website.
You can enter the draw to win this beautiful classic car here.
Our 1987 Volvo 240GL has been in the care of classic car technician Jon over the last few days.
During this time, Jon has built, cleaned, polished, and fitted the new front grill. This has made a big impact on how the front of this classic car looks. With its new badges and wheel stickers, the new front grill brings our 240GL one step closer to being ready to leave us fully restored.
As well as his work on the grill, Jon also secured the boot trims too.
After the more cosmetic-related jobs had been completed, Jon turned his attention to the brakes. Specifically, the front brake back plates. These have now been painted and re-fitted to the car. The brakes have also been bled and a road test has been carried out. Jon was very happy with how our classic Volvo drove when he took it out for a short drive so it’s definitely almost ready to get back out on the road again.
As you can see from the photos below, our 1987 Volvo 240GL is looking very good and has come a long way since it first arrived in the workshop.
Our 1987 Volvo 240GL is coming towards the end of its restoration journey with us here at Bridge Classic Cars.
It’s at this time when it starts to look very recognisable as the classic car that it really is.
Classic car technician Mauro has recently been putting the wheel stickers in place to make sure that, when the wheels go back on the car, they help make it look as good as it should.
Classic Car Technician Mauro has been continuing to put our 1987 Volvo 240GL back together.
He has put the newly repaired and painted mud flaps back on, which are looking great.
Mauro also put the Volvo and the 240GL badges on as well as applying the appropriate warning sticker under the bonnet.
This classic car is really starting to come together and it likely won’t be too long until it is back out on the road giving its owner many more enjoyable driving miles.
Our workshop team think about every part of the vehicle they are restoring. For example, classic car technician Alan has been giving his attention to the mud flaps of our 1987 Volvo 240GL.
Alan repaired the mud flaps before painting them in textured satin black.
Our classic Volvo has come a long way since it first arrived at the Bridge Classic Car workshop and progress continues to be made.
Our 1987 Volvo 240GL is being gradually put back together as each task is completed.
Recently, the bumpers and the headlamps were cleaned before being refitted to the car.
As everything is being reassembled and refitted, this classic car is starting to look as good as we knew it would.
Work has been completed on the inner wheel arch of our 1987 Volvo 240GL. This involved using seam sealant and adding an additional coating to the arch for added durability and toughness.
Our 240GL continues to move through its restoration journey and this work, along with its fresh coat of paint, has it looking almost brand new again already.
Our 1987 Volvo 240GL recently got a new coat of paint.
The polar white paint used matches the original colour the car would have been painted when it left the factory back in 1987. The new paint has given the car a cleaner, fresher, and much more crisp appearance ready to continue on its restoration journey.
Our 1987 Volvo 240GL has been spending some time being prepared for painting.
It will ultimately be painted its original white colour. This will make it look almost identical to how it would have looked when it left the factory back in 1987.
Restoring a classic car like this, so it ends up looking brand new again, is something that our classic car technicians are highly skilled at. With this in mind, it shouldn’t be too long until this classic car is looking like it’s just been driven out of the factory for the very first time.
The wheels from the 1987 Volvo 240GL have been with the Bridge Classic Cars paint and body team to be completely refurbished.
The Volvo, which is undergoing sympathetic restorative work with our teams, had been inspected and wheels were in need of refinishing. The team carefully stripped back the original paint and reworked the material to give a fresh and clean base for the team to refinish in stunning bright silver.
September 6, 2022 1:53 pm
The 1987 Volvo 240GL has been in the Bridge Classic Cars fabrication shop to have its bodywork and underpinnings repaired.
The team have worked on removing any of the corrosion from the bottom of the classic Volvo. The car had several areas which required the team to cut out pieces and make new replacement panels to weld in. The lower sills and wheel arches were cut out and the new pieces welded in carefully, inch by inch.
Each of the areas are fully inspected and checked before being cut back to the point the corrosion began. After the area is cut back and cleaned, it was treated to make sure the corrosion would not spread any further. The sills were capped off and ground back smooth.
After this, the team will hand over the classic Volvo to our body and paint team.
The amazing all-original 1987 Volvo 240GL has been brought over from The Hangar to our restoration workshop for the teams to begin work on.
The classic Volvo will be handed over to the paint and body team to have some issues taken care of and then be repainted in its original white. Preserving the originality of the car for many years to come.
Keep a look out on the Bridge Classic Cars news page very soon for more updates on the 1987 Volvo 240GL.
July 14, 2022 12:35 pm
The 1973 Volvo 1800ES has been moved from the Bridge Classic Cars in-house Paintshop into the restoration workshop.
After being painted, the team have got a few jobs to do on the classic Volvo. The first is the fitment of new aftermarket Fog Lights to the front of the 1800ES. Our technician Scott worked on getting these in the right place and securely fitted to the underside of the front bumpers and wired in.
Next, the team could begin to get the rest of the bumpers, chromework and trims installed back onto the car and secured into place.
April 28, 2022 8:16 am
The 1973 Volvo 1800ES has been into the Bridge Classic Cars in-house paint booth recently to be refinished in its signature ”Green Blue” finish.
The team have worked hard on getting the classic Volvo prepared and ready to go into the booth with several hours of sanding, minimal filler work and a few welds needed here and there to get each panel absolutely perfect ahead of its date with the paint booth.
Once the whole car had been flattened back, bare areas primed and the whole car cleaned off, our in-house painter Alan could begin the process of laying down the deep, glossy paintwork which gives the 1970s Volvos that incredible look.
April 25, 2022 9:34 am
The 1973 Volvo 1800ES rocker cover has been refinished by the in-house paint and body shop here at Bridge Classic Cars.
The team carefully stripped back the part, meticulously cleaned and then shot in hardwearing silver.
Now with this part curing in the in-house paint oven.
April 21, 2022 11:51 am
The paint and bodywork team at the Bridge Classic Cars Suffolk HQ have been working several jobs on the 1973 Volvo 1800ES.
The team found several small rust holes around the body which were carefully sanded back, plug welded and finished flat, along with that the team plug welded some wing mirror holes which were no longer needed.
The bodywork team then worked on finishing the panels to be perfectly smooth and then took the car into our in-house paint booth to primer the specific areas and be paint matched.
April 21, 2022 8:16 am
The restoration team at Bridge Classic Cars have been working on the inspection and repairs on the 1973 Volvo 1800ES.
Our technician Dave began this round of work by removing the rear bumper of the classic Volvo in preparation for it to be moved into our body and paint shop. After that had been removed, catalogued and stored the team could get on with the list of work.
Part of the work needed was for Dave to do some welding at the rear end of the car. Part of the rear spring hanger had cracked and needed to be rewelded to make sure everything was safe and secure in the car.
Next was a few issues with the wheels interfering with several components of the running gear. At the rear, Dave found that the set screws on the disc were not fitted all the way into the threaded insert and were contacting the back of the wheel not allowing it to be tightened down flush to the hub.
On the front, Dave found the front tyres had been contacting both the frame rail and anti-roll bar (as seen by the witness marks on both pieces).
April 20, 2022 9:57 am
The 1973 Volvo 1800ES has been in the Bridge Classic Cars workshop for our restoration team to begin working through the jobs requested by the classic Volvo’s owner.
Our technician Dave has worked on replacing the air filter as part of its service along with a full oil change. The team also inspected and adjusted the valves while the rocker cover was taken into our paint and body shop to be refinished.
The team also drained the car of both oil and coolant as part of the service and while the engine was empty replaced both the oil temperature sensor and the coolant temperature sensor for the customer. After these had been fitted, Dave could refill both the oil and coolant in the engine to spec.
Dave also worked on replacing a ball joint on the classic Volvo due to excessive play in the component which can affect both the handling and tyre wear but is deemed to be a safety component for the car.
April 19, 2022 3:10 pm
The team at Bridge Classic Cars have been going through and inspecting the 1973 Volvo 1800ES ahead of work beginning on the classic Volvo.
The owner of this unique and rare Volvo has asked our team to look into a series of works to update and refurbish aspects of the car along with some diagnostics work into some issues which have presented themselves.
We’re excited to show you the progress on this amazing project very soon.
April 11, 2022 7:43 am
This beautiful 1973 Volvo 1800ES has just arrived into the Bridge Classic Cars restoration workshops at our Suffolk HQ.
The car has come in for a series of jobs to be carried out by the in-house restoration teams but the car will also be fully inspected and assessed by the teams to make sure everything is tip-top on this classic unique Volvo.
April 4, 2022 2:24 pm
Made between 1961 and 1973, the P1800 was Volvo’s lightweight sportscar of the 60’s. The original dual carburettor, inline 4 cylinder engine put out a respectable 115bhp.
Cyan have reimagined the classic P1800. The engine has been replaced with a Volvo 2.0L turbo 4 cylinder, putting out 414bhp.
Five speed manual Holinger gearbox, LSD, race suspension and upgraded brakes have all made this a real racecar for the road.
The P1800 is light… very light. Using carbon fibre to save weight, this car tips the scales at just 990kg.
All cars have already been spoken for and have set there new owners back £380,000.
Over 400bhp in a car weighing less than 1000kg sounds like a recipe for a lot of fun! What are your thoughts on Cyan’s resto-mod?
