ford specialist

In Storage – 2016 Ford Mustang GT

The Hangar saw a new addition this week with this 2016 Ford Mustang GT at the Bridge Classic Cars storage facility.

The car will be stored by us for its owner over the summer months.

If you have a classic or collectable car in need of storage, get in touch with us!

New Setup – New Carburettor and Intake on the 1986 Ford Capri 1.6

The 1986 Ford Capri has been in the Bridge Classic Cars restoration workshop to have its new intake manifold and carburettor fitted to help the classic Ford run easier.

The restoration team have been working on getting the old manifold and carburettor onto the car and checking to make sure everything else looked ok once it had been removed. The issue with running, our technician Jon had narrowed it down to an issue with the carburettor that was fitted.

Because of this and the experience of our technicians, it was decided to upgrade the carburettor to a twin-choke Weber unit. This involved having to change out the intake manifold to work with the new carburettor set-up. Along with that, Jon made the new throttle linkage and set it up to have a better throttle response and be more adjustable.

With everything fitted back onto the car, it could begin testing. As the car sat idling, Jon could adjust the carburettor to get the car running smoothly and then out on road test, the Capri ran like an absolute dream.

Stripped Back – Stripping the Carburettor of the 1986 Ford Capri

The restoration technicians at Bridge Classic Cars have stripped down the carburettor of the 1986 Ford Capri to get the classic Ford running just right.

Our technician Jon completely dismantled the aftermarket carburettor on the Capri due to the car running slightly off. He carefully and methodically cleaned out every port and duct on the carburettor to remove any form of sediment or dirt which may have built up over time inside the part.

With the carburettor taken apart, Jon could inspect all the necessary pieces before putting it back together with a clean bill of health and get it back onto the car. Once back on the car, Jon had to perform a small wiring repair before setting the carburettor up to get the Capri running perfectly.

Moving Forward – Work on the 1986 Ford Capri Wiring, Brakes, Suspension and Parts

The team in the Bridge Classic Cars workshop have been working on the 1986 Ford Capri to get everything working exactly as it should.

First, our technician Jon continued to work on the wiring under the dash of the classic Ford. He found a few repairs to the original wiring which were causing the original radio to not work correctly. So, with the repairs done to the harness and cleaning up unneeded wires, the original radio was now working just right.

Next up, he fitted the freshly repainted and refurbished engine bay pieces into the car. Several shrouds, the rocker cover and pipes were painted by our in-house paint shop for the Capri to give the engine bay a new fresh and clean look.

Finally, work could begin under the Capri. With the car up in the air, Jon had access to the suspension and brakes. First up was replacing the anti-roll bar bushes. These had perished over time and were allowing too much flex, so a new set of replacements were ordered and installed underneath. Whilst in the air, Jon could begin looking into an issue with the rear brakes.

Our other technicians on the car’s initial inspection noted a slight brake bind on the rear. So, Jon looked into the issue and found the rear drums were in need of a rebuild. Along with that, he replaced the hardline that runs across the rear axle to the new wheel cylinders. Then, after bleeding the brakes he reported that all was now OK and no more brake bind.

Now, it’s time to move on to getting the 1.6 litre 4-cylinder running properly.

Taken Apart – Removing the Radio and Sunroof on the 1986 Ford Capri

The workshop technicians at Bridge Classic Cars have been working alongside our trim team to remove some of the parts and pieces from the 1986 Ford Capri to be refurbished.

The team began by working on removing the sunroof out of the classic Ford sports car. The technicians had noted that the mechanism seemed to bind and not lay into the roof evenly or flat. Once removed and inspected, it was found that one of the arms which controls the tilt of the sunroof was broken and because of the piece not going into the roof straight, was scratching the piece. This has all been removed to be refurbished along with several pieces from the engine bay.

After this, our technicians turned their attention to the radio and wiring in the Capri. The technicians noted some issues with both the radio and the wiring so after cleaning up some of the previous changes done to the car, everything worked perfectly.

Best Reaction – Calling the Winner of the 1975 Ford Escort Mk1 RS Mexico Recreation

Sometimes a simple phone call can change peoples lives. In some ways, it’s our favourite part of our live draws and of our competitions. Hearing and then seeing the reaction on our winner’s faces and voices when they realise the car is well and truly theirs.

Take for example this video clip of Charlotte calling Chris back after we had announced on the live draw that his winning ticket of 987 had won the competition. We think this is probably the best reaction we’ve ever had to calling a winner. Enjoy!

Shooting an ’80s Icon – Behind the Scenes with a 1983 Ford Capri 1.6

Well, you may have seen by now the video of our latest competition car but it’s time to take you behind the scenes of the shoot. The icon that is, the Ford Capri.

The sun shone brightly on a crisp but slightly hazy Suffolk morning. At our Bentwaters storage facility, the nose of this black icon stood out of the hanger doors begging to be let loose. With every classic car, you need to let them warm up before any fun can be had. The Capri is no exception.

As the sun began to rise higher in the sky, a sense of urgency swept over the marketing team. The light was perfect, the conditions were perfect and most importantly, the car was perfect. Our marketing expert Freddie was at the controls of the camera, making sure each shot was perfectly tailored to fit around this much sought after sportscar.

As he called out the directions to the helmsman guiding the direction of the Capri’s long, elegant bonnet, the whole piece became a ballet at speed. A carefully choreographed meeting of two vehicles in one place to be captured in a moving image.

Lap after lap, the Capri performed faultlessly. Even when an unexpected and unruly herd of deer managed to find their way onto the south circuit of RAF Bentwaters and the brakes had to be tested a couple of times. The steering wheel felt almost telepathic to the new RS 4 spoke wheels, finding the path of least resistance around the sweeping and tight corners of the old base.

The 1983 Ford Capri 1.6LS you see before you is our newest competition car, available for anyone in the UK to enter over at Bridge Classic Cars Competitions.

Ford Model T’s Rear Box Covers

Brian has made up some covers for the rear box pillars on our 1915 Ford Model T. He’s done this in the same style as the seats, making it out of leather and buttons to create this luxurious effect.

He began by making up buttons for the rear box covers, marking out the button holes and drilling them into the wood. He then fit wooden sections to the shelf so that it will stay in place and fit neatly onto the pillar. He then glued the foam to the wood and proceeded to cover the foam and board in the leather. Once that was done, he could then fit it to the Model T.

Ford Model T’s New Floor

We’ve recently recovered the floor of the 1915 Ford Model T in rubber rather than bare wood. Brian has done a fantastic job to make it look smart.

Ford Model T Interior Completed

We’re delighted to see that our trim shop specialists, Kath and Brian have finished the interior trim for our 1915 Ford Model T. They’ve covered the bench seats and battery box in the back and the bench seat in the front with this delicate and luxurious button pattern in a black leather.

Ford Model T’s Bench Seats

Our 1915 Model T’s front seats went down so well with its owner, he’s requested that we also cover the bench seats in the back with the same intricate hand styled buttoned leather. Being hand made, Kath and Brian need to work closely together to make sure that they mimic each others work as closely as possible.

Ford Model’s New Seats

Our 1915 Ford Model T has had some amazing new seats made by Brian in the trim shop. Tom had made the wooden board base and Brian worked on creating the elegantly finished leather.

Brian began by glueing the squab to the board and making buttonholes. He then fitted the buttons through the leather and attached washers to the back. Brian could then fit the cover before cutting the backboard from the millboard and cutting holes for the bolts. He then glued the leather to the backboard, turned it onto the back and glued it in place.

We’re also endeavouring to lengthen the bonnet catches as it is currently not closing correctly.

New Seat Covers For Ford Model T

Kath has been tasked with making some new leather seat covering for the 1915 Ford Model T. The seats are relatively basic however fresh new leather will certainly brighten them up.

Kath marked out and measured the seats to be recovered as well as marking out where the sewn in diamond would sit, which she tasked Lydia with later making. She then looked into making some piping and how to adjust the patterns to accommodate the button holes in the square back.

Ford Model T Gets New Brakes

We’ve been working on getting this 1915 Ford Model T up and running again, starting with refreshing the brakes. On this age car, the brakes are drum and steel which are only located on the back. We’ve taken the wheels off the back right hand side to find they’re totally dry and looking well. We’ve refreshed the grease on the hand brake pivot point and reassembled it. On the opposite side at the back the brakes were full of oil, which is as expected as the oil in the axel runs to the left hand side. We’ve taken it apart and replaced the outer race on the bearing as well as fitted an oil seal inside. At the front we’ve refreshed the grease in the hubs as well as noted some wear in the king pin.

Behind The Scenes: Ford Escort RS Turbo

A while back we shot some stunning photos of our lovely 1988 Ford Escort RS Turbo with model Carnell (@carnage_kicks).

Using a smoke granade to create an artistic approach, we spent the afternoon shooting a series of interesting portraits with the car as well as capturing our standard shots.

This car is currently up for sale, you can see more here.

1959 Ford Consul Brake System Restoration

This lovely ’59 Ford Consul is currently in the workshop. It’s the second Consul currently in our care. Pete is working on the braking system. We’ll be able to get this vehicle up, running and back on the road very soon.

New Arrival – 1959 Ford Consul

We’ve welcomed in this lovely Ford Consul to our workshop for restorative works. This fabulous Ford is in such wonderful condition. It truly is a credit to it’s owner.

Whilst with us, the Consul will have a full brake overhaul and engine restoration works.