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Triumph Spitfire

Another New Arrival

October 11, 2023

Our 1969 Triumph Spitfire has recently entered the Bridge Classic Cars workshop. It has come to us for a full service and inspection, which classic

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Spitfire Progress

October 2, 2023

Our 1976 Triumph Spitfire has made some great progress in its restoration journey lately. The American spec chassis extensions have been removed and the lower

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Spitfire Carpets

May 31, 2023

Classic car technician Brian has been completing some interior work on our 1973 Triumph Spitfire. He began by glueing the carpets back around the footwell

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A New Arrival

April 26, 2023

Our 1973 Triumph Spitfire has recently arrived at the Bridge Classic Cars workshop. It will now be assessed by the workshop team before eventually becoming

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Spitfire hood repair

December 3, 2020

We’ve been repairing the hood frame on our 1977 Triumph Spitfire. This involves straightening out the linkages and then drilling out old pop rivets. Once

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New Arrivals!

September 10, 2020

We’re always excited to see fresh classics arrive at our workshop here at Bridge Classic Cars. So, here’s a first look at the new arrivals

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Preparing the Spitfire for Raptor

November 6, 2023

Alan has been busy prepping the underside of our 1976 Triumph Spitfire ready for the Raptor treatment. He has applied an epoxy primer then seam sealed all of joints before covering in raptured.

Welding, Grinding, And Painting

October 12, 2023

More progress has been made on our 1976 Triumph Spitfire. Classic car technician Rob fitted the left-hand rear wing and modified the rear wing door gap to give the correct clearance. The right-hand door gaps were achieved by cutting away the edges, rewelding and then grinding to get even shut lines. The front quarter valances were fitted to check the fit.

Rob found that the sill front closing panels didn’t fit correctly so these were removed and correct panels welded in.

Classic car technician Chris also had our Spitfire in the Bridge Classic Cars paintshop. He masked up the inner wings and painted them before they were put on the car.

Another New Arrival

October 11, 2023

Our 1969 Triumph Spitfire has recently entered the Bridge Classic Cars workshop.

It has come to us for a full service and inspection, which classic car technician James has been doing.

Overall, the car is in good condition, although it looks like it may have been stood for some time. The engine oil and filter have been replaced along with the brake and clutch fluid. Then the brakes were stripped, cleaned and checked, again, there was some rust build-up, potentially from a lack of use.

A new distributor cap and rotor arm, along with points and condenser have been ordered, and the fuel filter was replaced as it was heavily contaminated. All fluid levels were checked and topped up where necessary, and grease points on the chassis and transmission were serviced.

Both the front seat mounting fixings were loose so James tightened these up, and the car had a good checkover in preparation for an MOT test. The only thing left to do now is the cooling system flush and new antifreeze needs to be added.

There are a couple of small issues that James identified such as the tyres which, even though they are still looking okay, are 10 years old now. The rear hub seals are weeping slightly and there appears to be some evidence of a brake fluid leak around the master cylinder area (cleaned off). There are also some minor oil leaks, possibly from the sump and gearbox casing, but otherwise, the car seems to have had new brake pipes and cylinders at some point so these are in good condition.

Fixing Spitfire Corrosion

October 9, 2023

Classic car technician Rob has continued his work on the restoration of our 1976 Triumph Spitfire. He has been repairing corrosion in various parts of the vehicle.

After focussing on the rear seat pan area, Rob strengthened the bulkhead in the spots where Spitfires have a habit of cracking. He did this by welding in strengthening plates before trial fitting the rear wings.

The corrosion around the boot aperture was cut out and replaced, and the American spec side marker lamp apertures in the bonnet were filled in.

Rob also welded the right-hand side rear wing onto the car.

Spitfire Progress

October 2, 2023

Our 1976 Triumph Spitfire has made some great progress in its restoration journey lately. The American spec chassis extensions have been removed and the lower chassis rails have been repaired. The rear of the chassis has been converted to European spec and various chassis brackets are in the process of being straightened. New chassis outriggers have also been welded into place.

Classic car technician Rob has mounted the body of our classic Spitfire back onto the chassis. The right-hand side floor, inner sill, and floor cross-member have been cut out. From there, the right-hand floor pan, inner sill and cross member were welded into the shell.

Rob repeated this on the left-hand side before cutting off the battery box and rear valance.

Stripping Spitfire Parts

September 25, 2023

Classic car technician Rob has been stripping parts from our 1976 Triumph Spitfire 1500. This is in preparation for them to be sandblasted before being painted or sand-coated.

Once the chassis and parts return from the sandblasters, the next phase of the restoration process can begin.

Stripping Down A Spitfire

September 7, 2023

Classic car technician Rob has been continuing his work on our 1976 Triumph Spitfire. He has been stripping down the chassis ready for it to be sandblasted.

The underseal was scraped off the underbody to ensure the best results possible are achieved during sandblasting. The doors of our Spitfire were also stripped down and the US spec side impact bars were removed and the doors were returned to European spec.

Finally, the rear wings were removed before the car left the workshop heading to the sandblasters.

The Restoration Begins

September 1, 2023

The restoration of our 1976 Triumph Spitfire 1500 has begun.

This is another exciting project for us as it is for a returning customer who currently lives in France. It is for this reason that the left-hand drive configuration will stay with the vehicle.

We have already restored three classic cars in our customer’s garage, and we are very much looking forward to making progress on the 4th. Undoubtedly, this one is going to be a stunning car when it is complete.

The restoration has been started with classic car technician Rob getting to work on stripping down the car.

Handmaking Classic Parts

August 3, 2023

When restoring classic cars, it can be difficult to get the exact part that you’re looking for.

This is exactly what happened when classic car technician Monty was looking to replace the door latch on our 1973 Triumph Spitfire. After ordering the part we needed (which was extremely difficult to find), it was found to be too small.

As another wasn’t available, Monty had to handmake a replacement.

In the photos below, you can see the original latch at the top, the purchased latch which was too small in the middle, followed by the one Monty made at the bottom.

This goes to show the level of skill that our technicians have in order to restore and repair the classic cars we work on.

Behind The Scenes With East Anglian Air Ambulance

June 7, 2023

The Bridge Classic Cars team recently spent some time at Bentwaters filming with some of the incredible crew of East Anglian Air Ambulance.

The shoot was for our latest classic car that has just launched on Bridge Classic Cars Competitions. This is a very special competition though as all profits will be donated to this life-saving charity.

We were extremely lucky to have the helicopter join us for the shoot, as well as getting to meet some of the skilled lifesavers that have saved thousands of lives in some extraordinarily bad situations. Watching the air ambulance fly overhead and land just a few feet away from our 1973 Triumph Spitfire and from where we were standing was an experience none of the team here will forget in a hurry.

As important as the shoot was to make sure we highlighted just how important the charity’s work is, while also demonstrating the quality of our Spitfire, it was a fun day out with a lot of laughing, and adults acting like children being so close to a helicopter!

East Anglian Air Ambulance is a charity that provides life-saving services 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Since the charity first launched in 2000, they have attended the scene of more than 30,000 accidents and given critical care to thousands of casualties in need.

Spitfire Carpets

May 31, 2023

Classic car technician Brian has been completing some interior work on our 1973 Triumph Spitfire. He began by glueing the carpets back around the footwell cross members and then glued the footwell carpets in place too.

The tunnel carpet was fitted under the trim panel before Brian trimmed the binding on the cockpit carpet. He went on to add some extra foam over the tunnel area and repaired the gearshift gaiter.

Preparing Our Spitfire

May 26, 2023

We have a very special project coming up that involves our 1973 Triumph Spitfire. In preparation for this, classic car technician Jonn has been making sure it is ready to go and in full working order.

Jonn began his assessment by checking the lights and fluid levels before jacking the car up to check its tyres and brakes. All of these areas passed Jonn’s assessment. Grease was applied to any areas that needed it, and a small jubilee clip was fitted on the fuel hose to the carburettor.

The offside wing mirror was secured as Jonn noticed it was a bit loose. He also noticed that the nearside mirror had been bonded on previously. This was heated up to break the bond before the broken base plate could be looked at for repair.

Jonn also began investigating why the stereo powered on but does not appear to be functioning.

Spitfiring On All Cylinders

May 4, 2023

Our soon-to-arrive 1976 Triumph Spitfire 1500 will be undergoing a full restoration in the Bridge Classic Cars workshop. This will actually be the 4th concourse restoration for one of our regular customers and we are very much looking forward to getting the work underway.

In preparation for this, we have sourced an English British Leyland engine that will eventually go into the car. As the car is left-hand drive and part of the American production run, it features the lower-performing American version of the engine which was limited somewhat due to emissions restrictions.

Before the engine goes into the car though, it will be recommissioned to match the future condition of our Spitfire.

A New Arrival

April 26, 2023

Our 1973 Triumph Spitfire has recently arrived at the Bridge Classic Cars workshop. It will now be assessed by the workshop team before eventually becoming a competition car on Bridge Classic Cars Competitions.

During our travels around the country picking up and delivering classic vehicles, we visited Paul Williamson Cars up in Scotland who had the Spitfire in the showroom.

We have had several Spitfires in the workshop over the years and this one looks to be a great example.

Restoring A Spitfire

March 22, 2023

Another classic car will soon be arriving at the Bridge Classic Cars workshop. Our 1976 Triumph Spitfire 1500 is coming to us for a full restoration.

This will be the 4th concours restoration for one of our customers. We will be working closely with them over the coming weeks and months to determine the final specifications of the registration. However, one thing that has already been confirmed is that it will stay as a left-hand drive vehicle. As it will be heading off to France once it leaves us, the current configuration is ideal.

We are looking forward to work beginning on our 1976 Triumph Spitfire very soon and we are sure it will look incredible once the restoration is complete.

Triumph Spitfire Brake Fluid

November 7, 2022

Classic car technician Jon has continued his investigations into the running issues that our 1977 Triumph Spitfire has been experiencing.

He bled the brakes of the car and noticed that two different types of brake fluid had been used.

Triumph Spitfire brake fluid is usually DOT5. However, when bleeding the brakes, both DOT5 and DOT4 were found.

DOT4 and DOT5 Brake Fluid

In very simple terms, brake fluid is responsible for moving the pressure from the brake lever to the brake pads. Brake fluid should lubricate the callipers, help prevent corrosion, and have a high boiling point. There are 4 different types of Brake fluid – DOT3, DOT4, DOT5, and DOT5.1

Each type of brake fluid has a different boiling point. If brake fluid boils, it forms air bubbles which increases how much it can be compressed resulting in poorer performance of your braking system.

DOT3 and DOT4 are the most common types of brake fluids used.

DOT4 brake fluid is glycol ether-based. It has a higher boiling point which is more stable than that of DOT3 brake fluid.

DOT5 is a silicon-based brake fluid and can withstand higher temperatures than DOT3 and DOT4.

As a general rule, it is usually a good idea to change the brake fluid in your car every two years. Obviously, this will depend on the amount of mileage you do but two years is a good timeframe to keep in mind. Brake fluid absorbs water over time so the longer you leave it between changes, the poorer your braking system will operate.

It’s worth noting that DOT3 and DOT4 brake fluid shouldn’t be mixed with DOT5. Doing so could result in brake failure. DOT5 is a silicone-based brake fluid so is not compatible with the glycol-based DOT3 and DOT4 fluids.

Our 1977 Triumph Spitfire Brake Fluid

When Jon bled the brakes of our Triumph Spitfire, it was clear that both DOT4 and DOT5 had been used. In the photo below, you can see that the DOT5 brake fluid has risen to the top while the DOT4 fluid fell to the bottom of the container.

Now the brake fluid issue has been resolved, investigations continue into this classic car’s running issues.

1977 Triumph Spitfire Brake Fluid
1977 Triumph Spitfire Brake Fluid
1977 Triumph Spitfire Brake Fluid

Investigating Running Issues

October 26, 2022

Our 1977 Triumph Spitfire came into the workshop for the team to investigate some running issues it was experiencing. Classic car technician Jon has begun looking into these issues and already found and rectified some of them.

The first thing Jon did was to charge the flat battery. He then removed and regapped the spark plugs. While doing this he found that the gap on 2 of the spark plugs was closed completely which could be a cause of some of the running issues.

Jon went on to remove and check the carb too.

The video below shows Jon making sure the static timing is aligned and that the rotary arm is pointing to cylinder 1 as it should. The video also shows the advance moving in the distributor when the vacuum is applied.