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jaguar xj

Trim Enquiries

January 26, 2021

We’ve had another trim related enquiry from a customer who is interested in fitting these new Jaguar XJ seats into their 1971 Mustang however they’re

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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.

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.

Back at It – Preparing the 1971 Jaguar XJ6 Engine and Cylinder Head

December 7, 2021

The cylinder head for the 1971 Jaguar XJ6 is back at the Bridge Classic Cars workshop. This has been away at a local specialist to be assessed and repaired ready for the car.

Some may remember that our in-house restoration teams found a large chunk of material missing from the leading edge of two valves in the front cylinder. Also, it was discovered along with this that a blown head gasket had been what caused the misfire and running issue noted on the straight-six.

In preparation, Jonn had cleaned up the entire engine block which was discovered to be completely packed with sludge in every coolant galley and water jacket. Jonn has spent hours clearing out all the debris and flushing through the engine block to ensure all is ok when the engine is finally fired up for testing.

Now, it is down to Paul to install the cylinder head on top of the straight-six. For that, he will prepare the new head gasket and double-check all tolerances before the head is finally bolted down.

Expect to see more on the 1971 Jaguar XJ6 here on the Bridge Classic Cars news page very soon.

Thorough Clean – Further Cleaning of the Engine of the 1971 Jaguar XJ6

December 6, 2021

Jonn, one of the Bridge Classic Cars in-house restoration technicians, has been working on cleaning out the engine block of the 1971 Jaguar XJ6 currently in our workshop.

In the last update, Jonn had discovered the block of the straight-six packed with brown sludge.

Jonn has been working on thoroughly cleaning out every passage inside the engine as well as cleaning up the threads of the head studs. Jonn has methodically worked his way through the entire engine from front to back, cleaning and flushing through any remnants of the dirt.

With this complete, Jonn is confident that the engine block is now completely clear and ready for the next stage of the work to begin.

Clear Out – Cleaning out the Engine Block of the 1971 Jaguar XJ6

December 1, 2021

A while ago, you may remember that our in-house restoration technicians were looking into a misfire issue on the 1971 Jaguar XJ6 that is in at Bridge Classic Cars. It was discovered the head gasket has failed and damaged the cylinder head which was sent off to a specialist to be remachined.

With the return of the cylinder imminent, our in-house restoration technicians have been preparing the rest of the engine block to receive the head. After Jonn had begin to inspect the block for assessment, he discovered that most of the coolant galleys and water jackets were packed with thick, brown sludge..

Jonn has spent a considerable amount of time to carefully remove the blockages and the sludge. Using a series of tools and removing the core plugs to get better access to remove the debris, Jonn has managed to remove the majority of the sludge from the straight-six but the last few bits and pieces will need to be flushed out and then the passageways rechecked for any remnants.

Considering the level of blockage in the engine, Jonn has done a great job in making sure that when the cylinder head for the XJ6 is ready to be fitted back on that everything else will be at the same standard to ensure a happy and long life for this wonderful piece of British engineering.

A New Look – Repainting the Bonnet and Boot on the 1984 Jaguar XJ

October 25, 2021

Some of you may remember the 1984 Jaguar XJ bonnet and boot that a customer had asked us to refinish. The rest of the car had been painted elsewhere but that isn’t a problem for our in-house paint team.

After working on the rust repairs for the panels and making sure the surfaces were flat and true, Chris and the team got to the meticulous job of paint matching.

Thanks to our state of the art paint system as well as years of experience, Chris managed to exactly match the shade and hue of deep, vibrant maroon for this classic Jaguar. The results look incredible.

Chris and the team take their time with the prepping of each individual piece that needs painting and that also includes laying the primer in just the right way that it sits and shines just in the right way for the colour coat to achieve the best finish.

Getting to the Root of the Issue – Rust Assessment on the 1984 Jaguar XJ Bonnet.

October 5, 2021

The bonnet on this 1984 Jaguar XJ is currently in with the Bridge Classic Cars paint and body teams to look into a rust issue on both the bonnet and the boot.

First off, the depth that the rust extends to needs to be assessed by the teams and a plan made. Currently, our expert painter Matt believes a lot of it can be cleaned up but some parts may need more attention.

Look out for more updates on the XJ on our news page very soon!

Coming Soon – 1984 Jaguar XJ

September 24, 2021

This 1984 Jaguar XJ has recently had a respray done on it by another Bodyshop.

It will be coming in soon to us here at Bridge Classic Cars to have a look at the Bonnet and Decklid. Our in-house paint and bodywork teams will assess the components and then work out a plan to get this stunning old Jag back to top condition.

Keep a lookout on our News Page for more updates on the 1984 Jaguar XJ.

Trim Enquiries

January 26, 2021

We’ve had another trim related enquiry from a customer who is interested in fitting these new Jaguar XJ seats into their 1971 Mustang however they’re like the seats re-designed and re-covered to match the mustang.

Two Jaguars Let Loose in The Workshop

September 29, 2020

Two beautiful classic Jaguars have arrived at the Bridge Classic Cars Workshop today. Both very different cars, but both undeniably special examples.

Firstly we have the 1963 Jaguar SS100. In for a couple of minor repairs highlighted by a MOT test. This lovely classic has already received a new steering boot and a new air filter. To fit within the SS100’s engine bay, Paul has modified the filter slightly to perfectly fit. Superb work, Paul!

The 2nd Jaguar of the day is this rare XJRS TWR. Featuring a Jaguar 6.0l V12 Engine, this big cat certainly can roar.

The XJRS is in the workshop for a general health check, as well as investigating some unwanted noises coming from the underside of the car.

The TWR in this Jaguar’s name stands for Tom Walkinshaw Racing. TWR were a race team and engineering firm founded in 1976 by touring car racer Tom Walkinshaw.

TWR became associated with Jaguar in 1982. Partnering with the successful entry of the Jaguar XJS into the European Touring Car Championship.

TWR and Jaguar formed JaguarSport initially to build tuned versions of Jaguar road-cars, such as this gorgeous XJRS. They also produced upgraded versions of the XJ220 and XJR-15 sports cars at a new facility at Bloxham. By 1994, JaguarSport had been liquidated, with the Bloxham factory being overhauled for production of Aston Martin automobiles.

Take a look at the full galleries below of these stunning Jaguars.

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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