Managing Director – Bridge Classic Cars
The 1966 Mercedes Benz 250SE Coupe is in the Bridge Classic Cars workshop today ahead of its competition draw to have its steering box removed.
This wonderful 1979 Arrow Daytona is back in the Bridge Classic Cars workshop in Pettistree, Suffolk from being in storage. It’s currently under covers while
Bridge Classic Cars are happy to welcome another wonderful Jensen 541 into our restoration workshop. This particular car is a 1962 Jensen 541S which has
Brian is a true master of his trade. What started as a series of rotten wooden pieces became brand new pieces for the 1956 Jensen
With several Jensen 541’s restorations currently going through the Bridge Classic Cars workshop, it was time to send their gearboxes off to a local gearbox/transmission
There are more arrivals this week at the Bridge Classic Cars workshop in Pettistree this week! We’ve welcomed this absolutely stunning 1964 Triumph TR4 which
This is not an MG TD. In fact, it’s quite an early MG PA. This particular car belongs to one of our directors, Gordon, who
In the last update on the 1992 Toyota MR2: Paul, our in-house restoration technician, was busy cutting out the corroded and damaged sills of the
Another big step in the extension to the Bridge Classic Cars workshop extension is happening! Since last time, our builders have covered over all of
The latest batch of parts has been sent out to our local, trusted specialists for various treatments/rebuilds. Some parts will be sent away for sandblasting,
Brian has been continuing to work on the interior of the 1956 Jensen 541 that is here at Bridge Classic Cars for restoration. This time,
The interior of the 1968 Jaguar MkII 2.4 is the next item on the list of jobs to complete for its very lucky owner. With
A few weeks ago, after firing the newly rebuilt V8 in the front of our 1973 MGB GT V8 for the first time, our in-house
Coming soon to our safe, secured and private storage facility, The Hangar, is this incredible 1973 Saab 96V4. This car is going to be stored
Bridge Classic Cars are evolving our Nostalgia features! Within the coming series, we want to feature the cars, motorbikes and other vehicles which our friends
It’s the small details on a restoration that we believe take it to a world-class finish. Interiors are a huge part of the experience of
It’s Alive! The beautiful 5 litre V12 that sits at the heart of Fern Grey has cracked into life for the first time since its
Brian has been working hard on the driver’s seat of the 1968 Jaguar MkII 2.4 that is in at Bridge Classic Cars. One of the
Our in-house restoration technicians have been hard at work on Fern Grey, the 1973 Jaguar E Type Series III Roadster, which is being built and
This 1977 MGB Roadster is in at Bridge Classic Cars for restoration. With the body panels in the paint shop and the interior in the
Some of the coachwork for the 1951 Riley RMB that is in with Bridge Classic Cars for restoration has been sent off to a local
This 1968 Jaguar MkII 2.4 is in with Bridge Classic Cars for our amazing in-house restoration teams to have a look and some work for
After our recent trip to Hethel for the handover of Alex Juggins’s 2021 Lotus Elise Sport 240 Final Edition that he won through Bridge Classic
Kath, one of our absolutely incredible trim team, has been working on the seat of the 1956 Jensen 541 that is at Bridge Classic Cars
This is another huge milestone in the story of our new workshop extension. All of the drainage work has been put in place ready for
Chris and the incredible team at the Bridge Classic Cars in-house paint shop have been hard at work preparing the 1977 MGB Roadster for its
Whilst Fern Grey, the 1973 Jaguar E Type Series III Roadster, is being mechanically finished in our workshop. The interior is being worked on by
Brian and the Bridge Classic Cars in-house trim experts have been working on getting the new bucket seats to sit properly in the 1970 Dodge
Paul, one of our in-house restoration experts, has been working on replacing the corroded sills on the 1992 Toyota MR2 that is in at Bridge
The 1966 Mercedes Benz 250SE Coupe is in the Bridge Classic Cars workshop today ahead of its competition draw to have its steering box removed.
On assessment by our in-house restoration teams, it was determined that the steering box would need to be removed and sent away to a specialist that we have used for many of our steering box rebuilds in the past. So, with that, Paul began to remove the box from the W111 Coupe.
After carefully pulling the unit from the car and inspecting all other components and systems connected to the steering box, all was deemed to be ok underneath the large german 2 door grand tourer.
There is still time to win this amazing car! Head over to Bridge Classic Cars Competitions to enter now!
This wonderful 1979 Arrow Daytona is back in the Bridge Classic Cars workshop in Pettistree, Suffolk from being in storage.
It’s currently under covers while several cars are being worked on around the workshop while it awaits its time with our in-house restoration experts to carry on with the restoration of the car.
Keep an eye out here on the Bridge Classic Cars blog for updates on the Arrow Daytona.
Bridge Classic Cars are happy to welcome another wonderful Jensen 541 into our restoration workshop. This particular car is a 1962 Jensen 541S which has arrived in our workshop for our in-house restoration teams to begin working through several jobs.
This car is going to have an entire wiring loom replaced by our in-house restoration technicians. This is down to a couple of wiring issues but thanks to our specialism in Jensen 541’s it is no problem for our world-class team. While the car is in our workshop, it will also have its steering column replaced for the owner.
We’re looking forward to getting to work on yet another Jensen 541, so keep an eye out on the Bridge Classic Cars blog.
Brian is a true master of his trade. What started as a series of rotten wooden pieces became brand new pieces for the 1956 Jensen 541 that is in at Bridge Classic Cars.
Using what was left of the original pieces, Brian began to strip back and assess each piece to see if it could be salvaged and reused in the car to preserve any form of originality. Inch by inch Brian has recreated the pieces for the rear quarter trims from almost thin air. Using ply for the wooden pieces underneath, Brian began to wrap and prepare the pieces for the leather trimming.
With several Jensen 541’s restorations currently going through the Bridge Classic Cars workshop, it was time to send their gearboxes off to a local gearbox/transmission specialist with who we have been working with for several years.
These gearboxes and overdrive units will be completely rebuilt in preparation for when the cars are ready later in their respective restorations.
There will be more updates once these have been rebuilt at Last Transmissions and are back safely in our hands at Bridge Classic Cars.
There are more arrivals this week at the Bridge Classic Cars workshop in Pettistree this week! We’ve welcomed this absolutely stunning 1964 Triumph TR4 which is for some work to be recommissioned.
The TR4 is finished in a stunning, bright, vibrant red with a complimenting and classic black leather interior. The weathered Moto-Lita steering wheel adds to the story and the history of this stunning sports car which our in-house restoration technicians are eager to begin work on.
There are a few wiring jobs that need to be carried out along with a small running issue which will begin as soon as possible.
There will be more updates on the 1964 Triumph TR4 very soon here on the Bridge Classic Cars news page.
This is not an MG TD. In fact, it’s quite an early MG PA. This particular car belongs to one of our directors, Gordon, who has decided there are few jobs he would like doing on his new pride and joy.
The first stop will be into our in-house trim shop for a few bits and pieces that need sorting out and then it will be into the main workshop where our in-house restoration technicians will work on this wonderful 87-year-old Sports car.
Keep your eye out here on the Bridge Classic Cars blog for more updates on the MG PA.
In the last update on the 1992 Toyota MR2: Paul, our in-house restoration technician, was busy cutting out the corroded and damaged sills of the bright red sportscar in preparation for its date with the Paint Shop.
Chris, who runs our in-house paint shop, has worked his magic on the JDM icon to seamlessly blend in the new sills that paul had grafted into the bottom of the car. Thanks to our state of the art paint mixing computer, Chris could get the colour as close to the existing paint on the car to best make it flow together. Then, the bottom part of the sills were finished in a glossy black hard coating to ensure their protection for many years to come.
I think we can all agree that if you hadn’t read the previous stories about the MR2, you’d think it was a brand new car. That is the magic of our in-house restoration teams.
Another big step in the extension to the Bridge Classic Cars workshop extension is happening! Since last time, our builders have covered over all of the necessary pipework in preparation for this moment.
They have begun to work on the crucial ramp and entry into the workshop. It may look like a mound of earth but the metal rails placed next to it shows the approach angle which will greet each and every car going into the extension. Smooth and relatively shallow to make sure there is the right clearance for any and every vehicle heading into the new build.
It’s all moving full steam ahead with the extension and all of us here at Bridge Classic Cars are very excited to see the progress.
The latest batch of parts has been sent out to our local, trusted specialists for various treatments/rebuilds. Some parts will be sent away for sandblasting, vapour blastic and even sonic baths.
We use a selection of local companies we have built close working relationships with to send out our parts to be cleaned and prepared for any of the Bridge Classic Cars restorations.
Once these are returned, they will be stored and catalogued to wait for their return to the car.
Brian has been continuing to work on the interior of the 1956 Jensen 541 that is here at Bridge Classic Cars for restoration.
This time, Brian has been skillfully making the new rear seat by hand. To ensure the best fit, our in-house trim shop finds it best to do these by hand in order to get the best possible finish for the car.
Starting from a single solid block of foam, Brian transferred the template and began to cut it down to size. Slowly refining the shape until it was as close to perfect as possible and then going that last little bit to get it 100% spot on. Brian then began fitting in the braces and extra padding that is needed once the cover has been made and fitted to fit properly.
The interior of the 1968 Jaguar MkII 2.4 is the next item on the list of jobs to complete for its very lucky owner. With this, it’s been down to our in-house trim expert Brian to carefully dismantle and evaluate the intricate interior of the MkII.
Removing both the front seats, Brian could begin to carefully pull up and remove the front carpet from the car. This is being done as part of the replacement with a brand new matching set of carpets we have got for the car. Also during this process, Brian removed several leather-wrapped panels and the centre console that will need Brian’s expert eye and skill cast over them.
With the centre console and seats out of the car, Brian also needed to remove the rear air vents for the next phase.
With the front carpets removed from the car and safely stored away in case they are needed. Brian could turn his attention to stripping down the rear seats and floors ready for the refit. For that, Brian also had to strip the leather from the original rear seat bases to prepare for the new kit.
With everything stripped, Brian could then put the new matching set into the car. And, they look absolutely incredible!
A few weeks ago, after firing the newly rebuilt V8 in the front of our 1973 MGB GT V8 for the first time, our in-house restoration technicians discovered some flecks of metal in the oil.
With this, our technicians have decided to take the engine back out of the front of this iconic purple sportscar and begin to diagnose what has happened. With a project such as this, it’s always done that after the engines first run in that everything is checked, doubled checked and then triple checked to ensure the health of the engine.
Thankfully, our in-house restoration experts are on hand to oversee the investigation and expect to see more here on the Bridge Classic Cars blog.
Coming soon to our safe, secured and private storage facility, The Hangar, is this incredible 1973 Saab 96V4.
This car is going to be stored with us for some time before it is bought over to our Pettistree workshop for our incredible in-house restoration teams to look into a few jobs for its lucky owner.
If you would like your car stored with us here at Bridge Classic Cars, head over to our storage page to find out more or get in touch with us!
Click here to find out more about storage solutions.
Bridge Classic Cars are evolving our Nostalgia features!
Within the coming series, we want to feature the cars, motorbikes and other vehicles which our friends in the community have and the stories behind them. If you have a story and a vehicle that you would like us to mention, then get in touch with us.
You can contact us by email at marketing@bridgeclassiccars.co.uk or through our social media pages on Facebook or on our Instagram.
Here though is a look at some of the previous Nostalgia entries:
This is our Director Gordon’s original Vauxhall Carlton. Unlike most Carltons, Gordon’s car was red. Seen here in period, it was kept spotless and even now it would still turn heads like the day it was new.
Our friend Nigel Bromley sent in these incredible photos of his first car, the red Mini. And then later in his motoring career the Mk3 Escort. Nigel is now heading up departments at Lotus Cars but it’s interesting to see where the love of motoring began for him.
Those of us who live in Suffolk will know the name Luke Deal. Many won’t know that Luke is an avid collector of classic and vintage buses. Owning several of these wonderful examples of a bygone age of public transport.
Another friend of Bridge Classic Cars sent over this wonderful photo to celebrate Mothers Day. Simon, the man behind Vint-Tro is a neighbour of ours here in Suffolk. He sent over this awesome photo of his Mum as a young woman on what appears to be an old Speedway/Grasstrack bike.
This photo just sets the most wonderful of scenes. Paul Judd sent in this incredible photo of a Type 2 Splitscreen being used just as Wolfsburg had intended. To think, there was a time when camping sites all around the world would have seen these in droves being used just like this on a warm summers day in the sunshine or a rainy bank holiday weekend in the Lake District.
This photo belongs to Kieran Roper, a friend of our director Craig. Here you can see him sat atop of what appears to be a rather lovely Ducati 916. These bikes were in period quite the bit of kit and now are just as, if not more, sought after than the day they were made.
It’s the small details on a restoration that we believe take it to a world-class finish. Interiors are a huge part of the experience of these cars for their very lucky owners as it’s the best seat in the house in our opinion. That’s why our in-house trim shop takes everything to the next level in terms of fit and finish.
Brian, one of our in-house trim experts here at Bridge Classic Cars, has been hard at work stripping down and recovering several of the larger components for the 1956 Jensen 541. Brian began by stripping back the original dash and ceiling pads ready for them to be recovered in matching red leather to the rest of the interior. Carefully, Brian worked his magic on revealing the original piece that lay under the weathered coverings for assessment.
The pieces themselves were in remarkable shape. So, very little was needed before they were prepared for their new look. Inch by inch, Brian began with the underlays for each piece making sure they were cut perfectly to size before being married to the piece. Then, using the best hide, Brian began the process that would make them complete.
Using his years of experience in high-end retrimming, Brian stretch and secured the leather to the piece making sure at each point that the coverings sat flat and straight onto the original 1950s pieces. As you can see, the results are sensational just like the rest of the interior on this wonderful early car.
It’s Alive! The beautiful 5 litre V12 that sits at the heart of Fern Grey has cracked into life for the first time since its rebuild. This is a milestone for the 1973 Jaguar E Type Series III Roadster that we have been building at Bridge Classic Cars.
The engine has been completely rebuilt but this was the first time it had been run since returning to our workshop and being installed in the nose of this unique, one of a kind E Type. The engine still has open headers so it sounds like an absolute animal whilst being run in the workshop with all those involved in the build to witness such a massive moment.
Scott and John have worked incredibly hard to get Fern Grey to this point and it was such a sight and sound to hear the engine run for the first time.
Brian has been working hard on the driver’s seat of the 1968 Jaguar MkII 2.4 that is in at Bridge Classic Cars.
One of the jobs we had been asked to do by the owner was to repair the back of the driver’s seat on this amazing classic Jaguar. The back of the red leather seat had begun to come loose from the frame. This isn’t a problem for our incredible in-house trim shop who removed the seat and began to strip everything back down.
Brian removed the original coverings of both the seat back and the side panels to use as a pattern for the new red leather covers. Our expert in-house trim team worked on wrapping the pieces in new leather and securing them to the original seat frame.
As you can see, the results are phenomenal.
Our in-house restoration technicians have been hard at work on Fern Grey, the 1973 Jaguar E Type Series III Roadster, which is being built and restored in-house by Bridge Classic Cars here in Suffolk.
Whilst John, our workshop manager, has been working on getting all of the wiring on the E Type preparing it for its first fire up. Our other technician Paul has been working alongside Scott to begin to fit the brightwork and body trim back onto this stunning Fern Grey Jaguar.
One of the big bits of the update is that the fuel tank is now in the car and wired/plumbed up also in preparation for the first fire up of that newly built 5 litre V12.
Expect to see a lot more very soon as parts of Fern Grey are in multiple departments here at Bridge Classic Cars currently so keep an eye here on the Bridge Classic Cars blog.
This 1977 MGB Roadster is in at Bridge Classic Cars for restoration. With the body panels in the paint shop and the interior in the trim shop, Scott bought the rolling shell into the main workshop to begin preparing the shell for the new panels.
It begins with removing all the panel bonding material from underneath where the new pieces will sit. Also, this needs to be cleaned back to prepared with anti-corrosion coatings to protect the shell underneath. Carefully, inch by inch, Scott has been removing the coatings and also having to remove some areas of corrosion on the shell. It’s a slow and meticulous job but is crucial to have a successful restoration.
Expect to see more soon on the restoration of the MGB Roadster across all of our in-house restoration teams.
Some of the coachwork for the 1951 Riley RMB that is in with Bridge Classic Cars for restoration has been sent off to a local joinery specialist to be remade in brand new timber.
The wooden components of the Riley were in a bad way. Thankfully, Bridge Classic Cars have many local specialists around us. So, when the joinery for the car was ready to be sent away to be remade it went to Ashbocking Joinery here in Suffolk.
They have entirely remade sections of the bodywork of the Riley from scratch. Their work looks outstanding! It’s always amazing to see other trades with the same approach, care and passion for their craft as we have for restoring classic cars.
This 1968 Jaguar MkII 2.4 is in with Bridge Classic Cars for our amazing in-house restoration teams to have a look and some work for its owner.
First is a trip to the trim shop where Brian has been working on fixing the drivers armrest. Brian carefully removed the door card from the car to take it into our trim shop and begin working on fixing the issues.
Brian got to work on carefully and methodically removing the old coverings, making sure not to cut or tear any of the original material so as to use it as a template for the new piece. Once the inner piece of the armrest was cleaned up and prepared, Brian could then begin making the new covering for the armrest itself.
Using the original piece for reference, Brian went through our leather stock to find the closest material in terms of colour and grain to the original. Once the hide had been selected then Brian could begin to transfer the templates and cover the armrest bolster with all new foam topping.
Finally, installed back onto the car it looks phenomenal.
After our recent trip to Hethel for the handover of Alex Juggins’s 2021 Lotus Elise Sport 240 Final Edition that he won through Bridge Classic Cars Competitions.
Bridge Classic Cars alongside Norwich City, Lotus Cars and Norwich City Community Sports Foundation helped to raise £100,000 for the Community Sports Foundation that helps to drive inclusion in the Norfolk area by helping young people from different backgrounds and abilities get into sport.
It was an incredible cause and we are honoured to have played our part in organising, promoting and heading up the competition of the car for the Foundation and all those involved.
Kath, one of our absolutely incredible trim team, has been working on the seat of the 1956 Jensen 541 that is at Bridge Classic Cars to be restored for an amazing customer of ours.
Last time you saw Kath finishing the back of the fibreglass bucket seat. Now, it’s time for the final piece of the puzzle. The seat base. Much like the bolsters and the back, the base has been entirely handmade for the individual seat. This way Kath can ensure that it has a perfect fit and sits beautifully in the seat as a whole.
Kath hand formed the foam padding to match each and every curve of the seat. Once she was happy with the shape, it was a case of beginning to make the cover. Finished in matching deep red leather with red piping. It looks absolutely phenomenal. Each piece of the seat base was test fit to the seat itself at every stage to make sure the final fit and finish were perfect.
And as you can see by the final result, it looks absolutely stunning.
This is another huge milestone in the story of our new workshop extension. All of the drainage work has been put in place ready for the building.
The drainage and pipework are crucial to making sure all of the water runs freely off the building and is diverted away from the new extension. These have been installed to make sure that any vehicles that are inside once we have officially moved in are kept safe, dry and secure whilst they are being cared for by our amazing in-house teams.
These will soon be covered over for the next phase of the building to be completed but we’re very excited with this incredible part of the story of the new Bridge Classic Cars workshop extension.
Chris and the incredible team at the Bridge Classic Cars in-house paint shop have been hard at work preparing the 1977 MGB Roadster for its new coat of paint.
With all classic car paintwork, it is all in the prep. Chris is meticulous in his preparation of each individual panel that is on each and every classic car that goes through his team’s paint booth. It was the turn of the 1977 MGB Roadster.
Chris has been busy preparing each panel on the car to ensure they are perfect in terms of smoothness and their fit back onto the car. The wings have had their first coat of colour and are looking absolutely incredible! This is a very light base coat to begin with and most of it will be sanded back off during its preparation to then go back into the booth to be finished.
The bonnet on the MGB has also been in the paint booth with Chris’s team. This is now primed and ready to be sanded back to ensure everything is exactly where it needs to be.
Whilst Fern Grey, the 1973 Jaguar E Type Series III Roadster, is being mechanically finished in our workshop. The interior is being worked on by our amazing in-house trim experts over in the trim shop.
Brian has been fitting brand new seals to the removable hardtop that has been completely retrimmed and repainted to match the car. These seals are vital to keeping the water out of this stunning roadster when the hardtop is on the car. All new seals have been carefully fixed into the necessary channels to ensure a good tight fit between the body and the hardtop by Brian.
Whilst the trim shop was working on the interior for Fern Grey, Brian also began to repair the centre console before it is retrimmed to match the car. A large crack in the material was found and repaired by the team, making sure to smooth out the surface perfectly so that when it is trimmed in its leather covering, you won’t ever know it is there.
Brian and the Bridge Classic Cars in-house trim experts have been working on getting the new bucket seats to sit properly in the 1970 Dodge Charger that is in with us for interior fitting.
When the seats were fixed into the cabin they sat slightly at an angle. The seats are supposed to sit square in the car, which means some modifications were needed to be done to the seat rails. Thankfully, this is no problem for our incredible trim team.
Brian worked on reshaping and reforming the seat rails to fit perfectly into the car and allowed both seats to sit flat, square and evenly in the cockpit of this incredible muscle car.
Paul, one of our in-house restoration experts, has been working on replacing the corroded sills on the 1992 Toyota MR2 that is in at Bridge Classic Cars.
On any classic, corrosion is an issue but caught early it can easily be repaired. As a matter of course the entire door sills are being replaced on the MR2 as these are a safety item and that’s a keystone of any work on a classic car, it’s also something we pride ourselves on at Bridge Classic Cars.
Paul cut out the sills from the front arch to the rear arch and replaced them. Welding them in inch by inch to make sure that they sat straight and true on the car. Now that these are in, the next stage is to get the paintwork/protection onto the sills to ensure they will be perfect for many more years to come.
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.
