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restoration

Suffolk Show 2024

May 10, 2024

We had some very exciting post today, our passes and pitch information for the Suffolk Show 2024 arrived. We are really looking forward to returning

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Jensen Surrounds

February 9, 2024

We have now received hand delivery of the door surround brightwork, all wrapped and ready to be fitted later on in the restoration journey. For

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Honda gets shiny!

July 2, 2021

Pricey has been repairing one of the rear sides of the Honda Integra. First of all, he welded a new inner arch, grinded it and

Read More »

Honda S800 In Soon?

February 5, 2021

We’ve been contacted by someone with a unique Honda S800 who was enquiring about getting some bodywork repair done. We’re looking forward to seeing where

Read More »

Friday Snapshot

December 4, 2020

Another busy week was flown by again, with lots of new drop-offs to the workshop and big progressions on current projects! Grey 1957 Jensen 541R

Read More »

Suffolk Show 2024

May 10, 2024

We had some very exciting post today, our passes and pitch information for the Suffolk Show 2024 arrived. We are really looking forward to returning this year, this time with our own stand!

The Suffolk Show is a well established event having been running for a long time, it has been on its current site since 1960! The event always showcases the very best of local agriculture and produce including live animals. The two day event features many shows including horse events, prize cattle and sheep shearing. There are hands on activities for all the family as well as plenty of corporate stands to show you just what the county has to offer. Many industries are present, the emergency and armed services are always in attendance. You just need to keep your fingers crossed for sensible weather.

The Bridge Classic Car stand will of course feature our classic cars as well as many team members who are excited to meet you. It will be a great opportunity to discuss any restoration questions and to tell you about our new exclusive members club. We look forward to seeing you all at Suffolk Show 2024.

Suffolk Show 2024

Jensen Surrounds

February 9, 2024

We have now received hand delivery of the door surround brightwork, all wrapped and ready to be fitted later on in the restoration journey.

For now, they will remain wrapped and will be stored away awaiting their time to shine!

Mechanical Work on Amphicar

November 10, 2023

The new clutch has been fitted and the engine re-installed in the car.

All of the ancillaries have been refitted, the radiator has been tested and refitted also along with the exhaust.

The engine has been run up with new oil and coolant, and the engine lid attached.

Now on to the door seals and final mechanical parts before passing to the trim team to refit the interior and the soft top to the frame.

Amphicar assembly continues

November 8, 2023

More progress fitting the doors and locks, bonnet catches and lock covers, final assembly of the dashboard and controls including cables.

The front and rear bumpers and over riders have been fitted along with the outer door handles.

Mercedes SL Front Brakes

November 4, 2023

Jon has fitted up the new bleed nipples to the freshly painted calipers.

The bolts have been cleaned and painted

We have cleaned up and reused the pad sensor wires and fitted the calipers to the car.

The old pads have been reused as they are nearly new and we used a new fitting kit to secure the pads.

New front shock absorbers have been fitted.

Final stages of our Beetle rebuild

November 2, 2023

Jon is going through the final few tasks on our VW Beetle before we can take the car back home within the next couple of weeks.

Ford Transit Door Cards

November 1, 2023

The old door cards had been finished to a poor standard and Lydia felt were not fit for purpose.

She has cleaned off the old door cards and removed foam that had been incorrectly and poorly stuck down. New vinyl was cut and laminated onto scrim foam. This meant that the stitched design now stood out well from the rest of the vinyl , without looking garish like the previous design.

She then applied the new vinyl to the panels and cleaned off my pencil marks.

Ford Transit Mk2 Prime and Paint

November 1, 2023

Chris has been working tirelessly in the paint shop on the final preparation of prime and paint on our Mk2 Ford Transit.

The next stage is to flatten and polish the shell and when he’s 100% happy with the finished results he will pass back over to the workshops for the fit up.

Preventing further corrosion on our Morris Minor

September 15, 2022

Areas of corrosion are being dealt with on the offside of our 1969 Morris Minor convertible. The area of interest has been cut out, the underseal has been removed and a brand new repair panel has been fabricated and welded back in to position.

Various Jensen parts being prepared

September 15, 2022

Mauro spent the afternoon in the booth preparing parts for a number of our Jensen projects. Blasted parts have been prepared and painted and will now be wrapped up ready for reassembly.

Cleaning and preparing parts for Jensen

September 14, 2022

Some of the peripheral parts belonging to our 1959 Jensen 541R are currently being cleaned up and prepared for refit. Once they are ready to go back on the car they will get packaged and stored away and await refit.

Rob continues work on MG B GT

September 14, 2022

Lots of progress has been made on our 1978 MG B GT (Blaze).

As you can see, the rear brakes have now been stripped, serviced and refitted. The handbrake lever and gear lever have both been overhauled and refitted. The prop-shaft has been sandblasted, the U/J’s have been replaced and painted and the cooling fan has been overhauled and refitted.

Jensen 541R – fibreglass door card backing

September 14, 2022

We very much encourage new technologies and forward thinking here at Bridge Classic Cars. Research and development is a huge part of what we do here. Just because a classic car was built using a classic skillset and classic approach that’s not to say that when rebuilding our beautiful cars we must always adhere to the traditional methods.

There is always a time and a place for emerging the two worlds and why shouldn’t the modern and classic processes join forces.

Our 1958 Jensen 541R arrived to us with many many parts ready to be assembled. The owner had commissioned interior panelling to be produced using fibreglass to help further reduce the risk of moisture or water to get in to the hard to reach places. The panelling has been fitted underneath the original style of door cards so that they will be seen when the car is completed.

Engine and front end fit on Morris Minor

September 14, 2022

Scott is making great progress with our 1969 Morris Minor rebuild. Various components are now back on the engine and the fit up of the front end continues.

Back Together – Refitting the Engine and Gearbox to the 1998 Honda Integra Type R

October 22, 2021

Tamas and Paul, our in-house restoration technicians have been busy refitting the wiring harness, accessories, engine and gearbox back into the 1998 Honda Integra Type R that is in at Bridge Classic Cars.

Using reference photos and the catalogued parts from the dismantling of the car, the whole engine bay now looks as good as new.

Next stages for the Integra will be to get the vehicle back together before final check overs. Expect to see more here on the Bridge Classic Cars blog.

Recommission our 1973 MG B

September 15, 2021

In our workshops later this month we will be welcoming our 1973 MG B roadster. Having spent the majority of it’s recent years sat up in a barn the project will involve getting the car up and running and back on the road.

The owner is in two minds whether to sell up but maybe when he gets the car back on the road he may think again! We’ll see…

1954 Jaguar Mk VII home-time

August 19, 2021

She’s been with us in the workshops for sometime now but today we bid farewell to our 1954 Jaguar Mk VII.

Looking beautiful and fresh, the car is now ready to be driven and enjoyed, hopefully to have many many more years out on the country roads.

Source: Lancaster Insurance – the Jaguar Mk VII at 70

Over 70 years ago, Jaguar introduced a large saloon that epitomised the famous slogan ‘Grace, Space, Pace’. Here are some useful facts.

  1. Jaguar kept the Mk. VII a secret until its debut at Grosvenor House on 16th October 1950.
  2. The sales material claimed the Mk. VII was ‘An entirely new car of unparalleled beauty’ – and it was undoubtedly a star of Earls Court -The Mk. VII replaced the Mk. V; there was no “Jaguar Mk. VI” as the name was registered to Bentley.
  3. The XK120 was intended as the test-bed for the Mk. VII’s 3442cc DOHC straight-six engine.
  4. The initial price was £1,693, which included adjustable steering, a sliding roof, fog lamps, and (naturally) leather upholstery.
  5. The top speed was a shade over 100 mph – an astounding achievement for the period.
  6. On 25th April 1952 Autocar magazine concluded the Mk. VII was an outstanding car. It has extremely good performance, is very comfortable to drive and to ride in, is very completely equipped, has a modern yet dignified appearance and is very good value – indeed, it is in that respect phenomenal.
  7. 1952 saw the Mk.VII became the first Jaguar available with Borg Warner automatic transmission; albeit on export models only.
  8. Laycock de Normanville overdrive became an optional extra in 1954.
  9. Stirling Moss drove a Mk. VII to victory at the 1952 and 1953 International Trophy Production Touring Car race at Silverstone. Ian Appleyard equalled this feat in 1954.
  10. In September 1954 the Mk. VII was facelifted as the Mk. VIIM, featuring externally mounted auxiliary lamps, improved transmission and flashing indicators.
  11. Automatic transmission was now available on the home market, and Autocar of 11th May 1956 descried the Borg Warner-equipped Jaguar as ‘a happy marriage’.
  12. Famous Mk. VII owners included Diana Dors, Jack Hawkins, Peter Sellers and HM The Queen Mother.
  13. Browns Lane fitted their Mk. VII test-car, registration KRW 621, with lightweight magnesium body panels, disc brakes, modified suspension and the D-Type
  14. The Jaguar crewed by Ronnie Adams, Frank Biggar and Derek Johnstone took first place at the 26th Monte Carlo Rally in 1956.
  15. Later that year, the Mk. VIII made its bow at the London Motor Show.
  16. As compared with its predecessor, the latest model sported a single-piece windscreen and a choice of two-tone paint finishes. The 3.4-litre engine now sported a modified “B-Type” cylinder head. Jaguar also enhanced the list of equipment, and the automatic version even boasted a clock for the rear passengers.
  17. In 1958, the Mk. IX featured the famous 3.8-litre engine and – “firsts” for a Jaguar – power-assisted steering and all-disc brakes as standard.
  18. Motor Sport described the Mk. IX as: the business executive’s ideal motor-car, handsome, impressive, able to hurry to the tune of 0-60 mph in under 19 secs and a top speed of over 115 mph when called upon, yet luxuriously and sensibly appointed and equipped.
  19. British films frequently used the Mk. VII family as screen getaway cars into the early 1960s – perhaps most famously in The Fast Lady.
  1. The Mk. X replaced the Mk. IX in October 1961 – by which time the previous generation of “Big Jaguars” had re-defined an entire market sector.

Honda gets shiny!

July 2, 2021

Pricey has been repairing one of the rear sides of the Honda Integra.

First of all, he welded a new inner arch, grinded it and then dressed it up. He then went on to fabricate the inner wheel arch. Next, was to clean surface corrosion off the outer wheel arch and treat it, panel beat out any damage, and prime with zinc.

The inner sills needed repairing as well, the sill closing and middle sill both had corrosion, and the lower sill panel had jack damage and corrosion. He welded and fabricated them all before going back in.

Continental Bentley gets a refresh!

June 28, 2021

One of the recent projects in the trim shop has been to make new seats for a Series 3 Continental Bentley. The old seats were getting a bit tired looking so it was time for a cleaner look!

Lydia was behind taking off the old covers and making the new ones. She started by taking the base seats and removing the old covers off, before moving onto the front squabs and then the rear seats… All were held in place using various methods.

The new base seats were the first to be made. These were a simple construction of a large piece of leather cut to shape with a piped skirt sewn around the sides.

The front squabs were created next. These had an armrest in the side of each one. The “faces” of the front squabs were fluted, with a surrounding piece of leather sewn around it, with piping, and then a piped “skirt” around that. The armrest comprised of a main piece that wrapped around the middle of the armrest form, and then two piped sides. There was a tab that was sewn in and formed the purpose of being able to pull the armrest out of the seat. The back of the front squabs had a backboard, covered in the leather, and then a binded carpet below it.

The rear squab seat was next. This was a similar design to the front squabs, consisting of fluted faces and an armrest in the middle of them. The armrest this time was a large blockish design, which came out on a screwed mechanism. Their was a covered backboard on the top half.

The rear base was the final one to make. This was a similar design to the front bases, comprising of plain design “faces”, with a piped “skirt” wrapped around the sides and sidebands. The other end of the “faces” was French-Seamed.

Once all the new covers were sewn up, it was time for Brian to fit them back on the original frames, using similar methods to the original ones, to attach them. All the seat frames were spring-based and in great usable condition.

1997 TVR Chimaera Hood Repair

June 17, 2021

An enquiry has come in to repair the clear screen in the hood of a 1997 TVR Chimaera. Unfortunately this is not an easy job and therefore means could be quite costly in time and labour.

The best and most effective option on this occasion is to fit a new hood that is pre-made.

This may be the route the owner opts to choose at a later date. We will wait to hear and hopefully look forward to seeing this stunner in our trimshop sometime in the future.

1960 Jensen 541S Collection Day

April 28, 2021

Mauro and Craig re-visited Jensen Service Ltd in Winchester to collect our 1960 Jensen 541S restoration project.

The car will soon be available for sale, either restored or unrestored. If you would like to know more about this car or any of our other 541 restoration projects please fee to contact the office on 01473742038 or email info@bridgeclassiccars.co.uk

The origins of our 1955 Aston Martin DB2/4

April 8, 2021

Thanks to Nick at Stratton Motor Company and Aston Martin Heritage Trust for connecting us with Aston Service Dorset.

Aston Service Dorset purchased the manufacturing rights and engineering drawings for the post-war Feltham Aston Martins from Sir David Brown in the early 1970s and have been providing  parts, service and restoration for these and the later models of Aston Martin since those times.

They have been able to dig deep into the archives to find the original heritage certificate and factory specifications of our 1955 Aston Martin DB2/4.

This information confirms to us the original colour combination of Moonbeam Grey with red, piped in grey. It also matches nicely to the description given to us from Bonhams as to the origins of the owner and location of the car in it’s history.

Work will now commence on the strip down in preparation for restoration to begin.

Honda S800 In Soon?

February 5, 2021

We’ve been contacted by someone with a unique Honda S800 who was enquiring about getting some bodywork repair done. We’re looking forward to seeing where this enquiry takes us so keep your eyes peeled!

Meet The Team: Lydia and Scott

January 11, 2021

Here at Bridge Classic Cars, we’re a close-knit team and its not uncommon to have multiple family members, close friends and couples working together. Lydia and Scott are two of our talented technicians who also happen to be a couple. Like a snapshot from the 1940’s era, Scott and Lydia are fascinated by a vintage way of living. As very hands-on individuals, both have led careers in the trade.

Lydia, who only recently joined us, works in our Trim shop and has joined our team of specialist interior trim technicians. Lydia tells us she’s always been into sewing since she was a child, and has always enjoyed being creative, which she says is what she enjoys about working at Bridge. “I love the free reign and the creativity here, I’d never done any of the fitting before so being able to see the whole process is really interesting.”

“I started getting into classic cars when I began going to classic car shows as a teenager and I just ended up wanting one for myself. I’ve never bought a modern car because of it. My first car was a 1961 Morris Minor 1000, my second car was a 1952 Ford Prefect and now I own a 1953 Austin A40 Somerset.”

Not only is Lydia a talented seamstress and interior technician, but she also loves the classic lifestyle, that comes hand in hand with many of the cars that we work on. Lydia tells us that she really loves the challenge that comes with a restoration workshop as she learns the bespoke process of making and fitting each car’s interior, “I really love learning new and different skills” she tells us.

Lydia’s skills don’t just stop at car interiors as she tells us she used to make her own clothes and is currently in the middle of making home furnishings for their new house which is also a classic.

Scott is also a lover of classic and vintage lifestyles. He tells us that he grew up watching his father fix cars and picked it up from there, “I’ve always loved cars, I’ve never really cared about much else.”

Much like Lydia, Scott lives and breathes classic cars, with it not only his passion and career but also his personal hobby. Scott owns an artillery of classic cars including a 1940 Tudor Sudan and a Series 2 Land Rover, among various others. His Land Rover is his and Lydia’s current day to day, which he tells us he bought when in search of a run-around car whist we worked on his other projects, “You have to think of it as a tractor. Many people think its uncomfortable but I don’t, I’ve enjoyed driving it”

Scott used to work as a panel beater for cars caught in accidents but tells us that being at Bridge has allowed him to grow and learn much more about the overall process of renovating classics. Whilst Scott joined as a fabricator and general technician, he soon found his love for working in the main workshop where he had the ability to do a bit of everything. You can find Scott working on projects that range from fitting interior trims, fixing alignment issues in the fabrication bay or working over an engine in the main workshop, “I learn something new every day”.

“I’ve always loved cars, I’ve never really cared about much else.”

Scott’s own long term project is building a workshop at his house which will allow him to work on his collection of cars. The car that will take centre stage in his new workshop will be building a Ford Model A with a flathead V8 installed. This will be a full rebuild, starting with the Model A chassis and working up. He’s currently got a ‘hopped-up’ flathead V8 in his 1940 ford, meaning the Ford A project will come with some previous transferable skills.

Friday Snapshot

December 4, 2020

Another busy week was flown by again, with lots of new drop-offs to the workshop and big progressions on current projects!

Grey 1957 Jensen 541R

Our trim shop expert Brian has been working on our grey 1957 Jensen 541R. He’s been marking out the leather for the rear parcel shelf and then glueing leather.

When the fabric has been marked out and fitted, the next stay is to trim off the excess around the window edge. The leather for rear quarter panel pockets has also been cut out and glued into the pockets.

The same process has happened for the side window surround panel which included screwing the parts in place and fitting the ashtray.

Austin Nippy Engine works start

Our engine specialist Ady has taken about the engine on our 1934 Austin Nippy. We’ve identified that there seems to be an issue with the cylinder bores. After further inspection, Ady diagnosed the issue as possible broken or cracked piston rings. This is a relatively quick job and Ady told us he hopes it’ll be done in the next few days.

We often find that even after an issue is addressed, it may not be solved as it’s common to find teething problems afterwards. We hope this quirky nippy will be back to working order again soon!

Black 1960 Jensen’s TLC

Our black 1960 Jensen 541R has had another layer of fresh paint and imperfection corrections that it’s acquired from knocks and bumps in the workshop. Gaining imperfections like this are common when parts are regularly being fitted and moved.

Up close and personal with the Gold Jaguar E-Type

This beautiful gold 1971 Jaguar E-type V12 Series 3 had picked up some sort of contaminant that had rusted the inner engine and wheel components. Our skill technicians addressed the issue by applying acid rust killer and cleaning down all of the parts. They were then re-painted and reassembled. Some of the nuts and bolts were also completely replaced.

Morris Minor Pinstripe

Painted by hand by our bodywork technician Chris who taped the sides to guide his hand and carefully applied the red paint.

Two more new Jensen’s arrived

We’ve had two more Jensen’s arrive this week for restorations, adding to our already growing collection! We’ll be sure to let you know how these restorations develop!

This beautiful 1961 Navy Jensen 541S:

And this sleek silver 1959 Jensen 541R that’s in for some electrical works:

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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