Search
Close this search box.
My Account

east anglia

Suited And Booted

Our  1960 Jensen 541R has had another round of interior fittings measured up, made, and installed by our talented team in the Trim Shop. This time

Read More »

Primed And Ready

Our 1987 Mercedes 500SL has had its primer and flattening completed by our technicians Ant and Chris. This stage allows the bodywork to be perfected

Read More »

COVID-19 Update

As of November 5th, 2020, England is entering another 4 week lockdown. We’d like to reassure our clients that we are still open and working

Read More »

The Jensen Has Power

The Jensen 541S has recently returned from Holland where it was visiting some power steering conversion specialists. Now back in the UK with the correct

Read More »

Meet The Team: John

In our second installment of Meet The Team Mondays, we talk to our Workshop Manager, John. John has been working with cars his entire career,

Read More »

One of a kind Jensen

The Jensen 541R receives new interior trimmings in its latest restoration step. The Jensen 541R’s next pitstop in its renovation journey has been in the

Read More »

New Beginnings

The 1971 Lotus Europa is set to travel to Scotland for restoration with its new owners. Back in September, a dusty 1971 Lotus Europa barn-find

Read More »

On The Home Straight

The Morris Minor is in its final stages of restoration. So far, we have already fitted the gearbox, installed new handles, latches, wheels. The paintwork

Read More »

1960 MGA windscreen

Paul has been continuing work on our 1960 MG A. He’s stripped down the windscreen and windscreen assembly. The metal components will be refurbished, ready

Read More »

Windows and Doors for the Peugeot 504

Scott and Brian have been tending to the Peugeot for its new trimmings and chrome installments.

Scott has been working on the window and door mechanisms. He’s fitted new rubber for the window seal, tested and installed new window winder mechanisms as well as repairing and cleaning the window winder motors.

As well as new window winder motors, the doors have also had some TLC to make sure they lock and shut nicely.

Scott has fitted new door handles to accompany the new door locks, striker plates and door check straps. All of which have been cleaned, repaired, re-greased, and fitted.

The new striker plates allow for the doors to align and shut efficiently.

Brian has been tending to the latest interior instalments for the Peugeot.

The leather for the door panel arm rest has been glued to the metal section, trimmed and turned over to give a neat finish. The door handle slots had also been cut and measured.

The leather has been glued to the foam backing for the back seats and is ready for sewing. Lines have been marked on each piece to indicate where the stitching will sit.

The front door panels have been cut out of hardboard, holes drilled into them for the armrest and door handles.

When ready, the leather is applied and the edges are pulled around the side of each piece to ensure a neat finish. The leather is hog ringed to the frame as this guarantees that the leather will be held in place and allows for a tight application.

Below you can see the armrest door panel and part of the back seats being fitted together.

Suited And Booted

Our  1960 Jensen 541R has had another round of interior fittings measured up, made, and installed by our talented team in the Trim Shop. This time it’s the Jensens boot that’s been fitted.

Each piece of the boot carpet has been measured by hand, stitched, and fitted in a bespoke pattern. No trim is ever the same.

Primed And Ready

Our 1987 Mercedes 500SL has had its primer and flattening completed by our technicians Ant and Chris.

This stage allows the bodywork to be perfected and smoothened and allows the next layer of paint to stick.

This is the last stage before the colour paintwork begins.

COVID-19 Update

As of November 5th, 2020, England is entering another 4 week lockdown.

We’d like to reassure our clients that we are still open and working on our cars however we are not accepting members of the public into our workshop.

If you have a car already with us, the restorations will continue as usual.

We are operating under COVID secure conditions as it is our first priority to ensure the safety of our clients and employees. This includes social distancing and daily body temperature checks for anyone entering our site.

We are still contactable via our phone line, email and social media accounts.

If you’d like to read the new guidelines, you can visit the GOV.UK page here.

The Jensen Has Power

The Jensen 541S has recently returned from Holland where it was visiting some power steering conversion specialists.

Now back in the UK with the correct parts, the Jensen is ready to have its power steering installed by John and Tamas.

Due to the age of the car, it never originally had power steering. This new modification will make the Jensen an even more luxurious drive with easier steering.

Something Old, Something New

Our TR3 takes its first drive with its new owner Karl for a special event.

We always love to see our competition winners enjoying their new cars but the update from our TR3 winner Karl Reilly was even more special.

Last Thursday Karl drove his sister Claire to her wedding at Brasted’s lodge in Framlingham Pigot. Our TR3 makes for the perfect ‘Something Old’ and ‘Something New’!

“It was such a shame it rained all day, Karl tells us. “But it was still great fun to drive with the roof up.”

“My sister loved it, it really made her day! The owners of Brasted’s Lodge loved it too, it received a lot of attention!”

As it turns out, Karl had won the car a day after his 50th birthday. After a challenging year, our TR3 was the perfect birthday present for Karl and the perfect ride to Claire’s wedding.

Congratulations to the happy couple, Claire and Andy!

Meet The Team: John

In our second installment of Meet The Team Mondays, we talk to our Workshop Manager, John.

John has been working with cars his entire career, starting as soon as he left school. This interest blossomed from working alongside his father who also took a fascination with cars and frequently visited race car meets with each other.

Following his childhood with cars, John’s career led him to work with Vauxhall for 29 years. After a sufficient amount of time working as a technician there, John moved on to making sports car replicas with Suffolk Sports. John then came to Bridge Classic Cars where he’s been ever since, making him one of our longest working members.

John is our Workshop Manager, meaning his role is to oversee and troubleshoot any projects going on at Bridge Classic Cars. We know that projects are always in safe hands with John as his time with us is coming up to 10 years.

Back at home, John has a number of motorbikes as well as his dream car, a Ford Escort RS 2000 MKI. John tells us that he’s always been into having his own cars and restoring them, “I’ve always had two or three motorbikes and cars at home to tinker with”.

Fun fact: The car that was most popular in the year of Johns birth was the Nissan Datsun 240Z

Next up on the Nissan

Fresh paintwork and new tires are on the agenda for the Nissan.

The 1996 Nissan Patrol arrived at Bridge Classic Cars needing a thorough once over to restore its adventurous spirit.

Last week it had its primer completed, allowing the next stages of paintwork to commence. The Nissan has now had its DH6 Safari Nissan Green and Volkswagen Zing Grey paint applied as well as having its chrome bumpers completed.

The front and rear disks and pads required checking when the Nissan arrived. These have since been replaced.

During its restoration, the gears had been removed to allow for a full check-up. As detailed here, Pete added red paint to the pieces which allowed him to carefully assemble and realign the gears, making for a perfect and careful re-installation.

The Nissan has also had its tires refurbished, making it one stage closer to being road ready.

The next step in this Nissan’s journey is to receive its trim work for new carpets.

One of a kind Jensen

The Jensen 541R receives new interior trimmings in its latest restoration step.

The Jensen 541R’s next pitstop in its renovation journey has been in the trim shop where it had the full works done.

The makeover included fitting the side window panel, rear seats, rear quarter and side panels installed, side scuttle panel, ashtray in the rear side panel, chrome panel trim, center panel, leather into the rear pockets, and the parcel tray leather fitted.

Kath and Brian, our interior trim specialists took time to modify each piece of leather interior, measuring it up by hand to fitting each bespoke trimming. Aside from the centre panel, which retained the original design, everything else had to specially designed for this Jensen, making it one of a kind!

With new trimmings now fully installed, the Jensen is starting to resemble the beautiful car it used to be.

A workshop Triumph

Although it has a long road ahead of it, we’re already pleased by the progress the TR5 is making.

Our Triumph TR5 is set to have the full works here at Bridge Classic Cars. As a long-standing restoration project, we have some big plans for this car.

So far in its journey, it has had all the bodywork done by our classic car technician Mauro, the electrics done by Adam, and the engine work carried out by our engine specialist Ady.

The body has been mounted to the chassis in what Mauro tells us was the most challenging part.

“You have to allow room between the chassis and the body to enable the perfect fit. It’s hard to get it all to line up perfectly.”

With the doors having been added to the body, the TR5 is starting to take shape. It’s a meticulous and time consuming process, but is a crucial stage in this car’s restoration.

Mauro has just finished up our Triumph TR6 restoration project, meaning he’s becoming quite the specialist in working with Triumphs.

Adam has recently installed the wiring loom as well which can be seen below.

The front side lights and back side lights have also recently been fitted and are ready to be accompanied by the headlights.

Within the body of the car, the hand brake cables, prop shaft, gearbox mounting, and fuel pump have all been fitted by classic car technician, Mauro.

Next on the agenda is to fit its headlights, engine, water pump, exhaust manifold, and fan among many other modifications.

Workshop Walkabout

This morning we took a walk around the workshop to take a peak at how our engineers are getting on with the current projects.

1996 Nissan Patrol

The Nissan Patrol is almost ready to be set free on adventures again. Pete has given it a general ‘health check’ and service to ensure its exploration spirit is still intact.

The last stage on the Nissan is to ‘blacken’ the underside to protect it from rust and erosion, which is all the more important for adventurous vehicles like this Patrol!

1972 MGB Blaze Orange

Tamas has been working hard on the latest refurbishments to the MGB which has recently included a new radiator as the old one had developed some rust and holes.

The thermostat has also been refurbished along with its housing and the grill. Tamas has also installed new reversing lights as well.

The Rosytle wheels are currently in the hands of our paint specialist Darren who’s just finished applying the first layer of paint to neaten them up.

1960 MGA

The Red MGA has had a seasonal refurbishment with a heater being added to accommodate for the cold months approaching!

Paul tells us that “the car originally never had a heater in, so the parts have been shipped in from America.”

Its not uncommon to see our classic cars fitted with modern creature comforts such as heaters and radios.

1972 Peugeot 504

Scott has been working on fitting the doors, making sure the latches catch and shut efficiently.

Darren has also been working on the Peugeot, painting the engine bay. This needed two sets of paint, one for the inner parts and a separate colour for the outer parts to match the body of the car.

1957 Jensen 541R

The Jensen is still in the trimming shop where Brian is installing the leather padding that sits just above the windscreen. This piece followed the original design but still had to be cut and made by hand.

Brian tells us ‘It’s quite a fiddly job to fit this panel’.

We can’t wait to see the Jensen completed with its smart new leather from our trim experts.

1965 Amphicar

Our classic car electrician Adam has been working on tidying up the Amphicar’s wires and installing a second pump to ensure enough water is removed from within the vehicle. This means a custom made pump bracket will have to be designed and fitted when the second pump is installed.

1987 Mercedes 500SL

Our engineer Anthony is currently applying a filler to the engine bay to smooth out any bumps.

A keen eye for detail from Anthony is needed to ensure that the Mercedes doesn’t leave the fabrication bay with any imperfections.

Nine Lives For Our Big Cat

The 1967 Jaguar MKII lives on to purr another day.

This 1967 Jaguar MKII arrived after having been broken into and its interior gutted. After some careful surgery, the Jaguar’s interior was repaired to its previous pristine condition.

The next stage was restoring the paintwork that had suffered over the years. A small job for Chris in our paint-shop, he’ll have this beautiful classic looking her very best in no time.

With the paintwork done, the Jaguar can move onto its final stage of restoration; nursing those bumps and scratches out.

New Beginnings

The 1971 Lotus Europa is set to travel to Scotland for restoration with its new owners.

Back in September, a dusty 1971 Lotus Europa barn-find found its way into the Bridge Classic Car family. After a thorough clean, it started to resemble its original self.

When the car first arrived, it had be collecting dust in a barn in Stonham Aspal for some years. You can read more about it here.

The 1971 Lotus Europa ready to begin its journey up north.

Soon the Lotus was purchased by Mr. Kerr Davidson and transported to Scotland by Lets Go Automotive. 

Now residing on the outskirts of Pentland Hills National Reserve near Edinburgh, the Lotus will begin its restoration journey by the father and son duo. 

On The Home Straight

The Morris Minor is in its final stages of restoration.

So far, we have already fitted the gearbox, installed new handles, latches, wheels. The paintwork has been refreshed, wings and rubbers restored, and front grills replaced.

The most recent work has included replacing the fuel lines, hand-break, rear breaks, rear gearbox engine and steady cable.

Now the next step is reassembly, allowing the Morris Minor to be put back together and complete its restoration journey.

After being with us for almost 12 months, it will be rewarding to see it finally completed.

Woodbridge Vision Magazine Feature – October 2020

We were recently mentioned in Vision Suffolk’s magazine in an article about two recent Mini winners.

Chris Allitt and Courtney Barker both won Minis as a result of entering our monthly competitions.

You can see the article in edition 28 available here.

We run our competitions each month. By entering you could win a classic car for under £20! You can find out more by visiting our competition website here.

Competition Winner Receives His TR3

“We all buy a ticket in the hope we win, but we never expect to win.”

Our most recent winner, Karl Reilly from Essex, was delighted to receive our 1957 Triumph TR3 today with his lucky ticket number 4174.

He’s putting his new TR3 to good use this week, driving a close relative to their wedding on Thursday.

Karl is a Triumph fanatic, already owning a Triumph GT6, meaning the new TR3 will feel at home in the hands of a Triumph Club member.

If you’d also like the chance to be a lucky Triumph winner, we’ve got the TR3’s little sister, the TR4, up for grabs now!

Pick up your TR4 tickets here.

Morris Minor 1000 Repairs

Dave, one of Bridge Classic Cars’ vehicle technicians has been hard at work on the restoration of this Morris Minor 1000. He has Removed the worn brake pedal. The pedal currently has a lot of play in it which will need addressing. 

Dave has welded in two steel plates into the chassis and repositioned two captive nuts inside of the chassis box. He’s also repaired the end of the mounting brackets.

The brake master cylinder has now also been removed. We will check the seals and refurbish it to full working order.

The next stages will be to weld all the floors and panels that are corroded and re-align panels that have flexed with age.

MGA Restoration: Engine Bay Coming Together

Paul has been busy installing new components into our 1960 MG A’s engine bay. Paul has fitted the brake master cylinder, windscreen wiper motor, windscreen wiper reservoir, front wiring loom and the bulkhead chrome.

Mercedes Bulkhead Repair: 1987 Mercedes 500SL

The third generation Mercedes SL, R107 generation frequently have issues with bulkhead rust. We’re experienced in classic vehicle rust repairs and, fabrication. Within our in house fabrication bay, Anthony, has been working on our 1987 Mercedes 500SL.

Does your Classic Car need rust repairs or fabrication? Give our friendly sales team a call on 01473 742038 to find out how we can look after your pride and joy.

1968 Triumph TR5 Interior Restoration

Our Triumph TR5 is currently having it’s interior trimmed at our in-house trim shop.

Kath has made webbing straps to attach to the seat frames. She then begun stuffing the side bolsters and seat backing with foam, moulding the foam position to fully fill the available space.

The final stage will now be to stitch back up the leather outside of the seat and install components back together. As always, Kath’s attention to detail is second to none. Stay tuned to see our TR5 Restoration progress!

Damage repair in the Paint Shop – 2015 Vauxhall Mokka

Darren has worked wonders on a repair to our Vauxhall Mokka. We also carry out body and paint repairs on modern cars. Our state-of-the-art paint booth is capable of matching any colour perfectly.

Darren has done a wonderful job on this Vauxhall. As you can see below, there was quite significant damage to the drivers side of the car, spanning across multiple body panels.

And now the paintwork is back to perfect condition, great work, Darren!

1960 MGA windscreen

Paul has been continuing work on our 1960 MG A. He’s stripped down the windscreen and windscreen assembly. The metal components will be refurbished, ready for new glass to be fitted.

Bridge Classic Cars open our Hangar doors for 2020’s first coffee morning meet

On Saturday 4th January 2020 we opened the doors of Bridge Classic Cars Hangar showroom for an exclusive car club coffee morning.

Until now, not many people were aware of this side to Bridge Classic Cars but our hangar is located within the grounds of the iconic RAF Bentwaters in Rendlesham. The private showroom is not often open to the general public but with the new year brings new ideas and it was a wonderful opportunity to open the doors, enjoy the open space and for like-minded automotive enthusiasts to get together to talk all things cars…with some bike and plane conversations going on too!

The sun was shining brightly for us on the day, which saw classics, vintage, sports and supercars from all over the region getting together to enjoy a thoroughly brilliant free event.

And we received some amazing feedback too so we are sure to be hosting many more events like this in 2020…

David Frost: “Roadtrip to Bridge classic cars open day at Bentwaters,was a nice variety of cars.A few of the 100 FMEG were there.Free refreshments as well,a great turnout for January.”

Robert Brooks: “Great day out nice to see some of my friends well organised.”

Jake Jacobs: “Had a very good morning at Bridge Classic Cars Bentwaters this morning, great people, cars, weather & coffee?? ——- it was great to get the Mustang out?? “

Bryan Davidson: “Enjoyable morning relaxing with a Cup of tea, having a chat and seeing some lovely classics. Many thanks to Bridge Classic Cars for putting on this event “

Keith Barry: “Good get together, thanks for the coffee and food.”

Anthony: “Took the Ford Pop out for its longest trip in over 10 years and wasn’t disappointed. What a great turnout and such a huge range of great cars. Free coffee as well. The Pop even made a friend there.”

Chris and Elaine Bone: “Enjoyed the visit, great turnout, ours needs a wash now!”

Mary and Bill: “Lovely morning with fellow petrol heads, we really enjoyed it.”

Peter Mould: “I wanted to thank you for putting on today’s event. It was great to see an array of vehicles from many different decades.”

Ted: “Can I thank you for putting on the open morning, there were some great cars there, & the coffee & croissants where nice too.”

Ian Leggett SVEC: “Good turn out on Saturday. Thanks for the opportunity to see your cars and also for the coffee and snacks which kept us warm.”