February 2019

Boot Carpet Fitted

Our 1971 Jaguar E-Type is now equipped with the new fitted boot lining. It will take a little time to settle in and for the

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TVR Engine update

The block has now been refaced and repainted, the bores re-honed, the pistons are fitted and the crankshaft has been timed in.  

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MGBGT Inner Sill Rebuilt

Tommy has now completed the rebuild of our 1977 MGBGT’s inner sill.

The offside quarter panel and inner sill have also been repaired.

Restoring more parts of our 1972 Jaguar E-Type

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Work continues on restoring the existing parts from our 1972 Jaguar E-Type project. Rather than sourcing new, Brian has been worked on perfecting what we already have. It may be time consuming but a little effort goes a long way and will save a lot of money in the long run.

It is also nice to rescue existing parts where possible as it’s part of the vehicles history.

We have managed to save the lights, badges and filler cap this week.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_gallery type=”image_grid” images=”26864,26865,26866,26870,26867,26868,26869,26871,26872,26873,26874,26875,26883,26876,26879,26881,26882,26877,26878,26880,26884,26885,26886,26887,26892,26888,26889,26890,26891″][/vc_column][/vc_row]

Repairing the Jensen door

Tommy has carried out a few repairs to our 1960 Jensen 541R door (chassis #493). The outer skin has been removed to reveal the corroded area. With the outer skin removed we have cut out the areas affected by corrosion and have re-introduced new metal before sealing the area and refitting the outer skin.

Protecting the underside of our XK150

Our 1961 Jaguar XK150S is back on the ramp today to have the underside treated and sealed.

A light layer of stone chip has been applied to the area prior to paint to help further assist with protecting against dirt and debris from the roads.

 

Restoring parts on our 1972 Jaguar E-Type

More parts are being stripped, dismantled, cleaned and polished for our 1972 Jaguar E-Type. Here we have the light surround getting the full clean treatment.

Over the coming weeks we will hopefully have all loose components cleaned and repainted and in storage ready for the rebuild to commence.

 

The light clusters have been completely dismantled and clean inside and out.

And finally, a lot of attention has been paid to the four exhaust outlets to give them a new lease of life.

 

1973 Ford Cortina 2000GT – time to say goodbye

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]It’s time to say goodbye to our 1973 Ford Cortina 2000GT as we load it up ready for the trip to her new home…and hopefully many many more years looking amazing on the road.

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Coming Soon: 1991 Alfa Romeo Spider – Available for sale

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Coming soon we have our beautiful 1991 Alfa Romeo Spider. Having spent the last few years out in France this wonderful little Alfa Romeo has now returned to the UK and Bridge Classic Cars will soon have the pleasure in being able to offer it for sale.

For more information or to arrange a viewing please get in touch. Viewing by appointment only. Finance can be arranged by a third party. Office hours are Monday to Friday (Saturdays and Sundays can be arranged) 8am to 5pm. To arrange a viewing please call Craig on 01473 742038 or email info@bridgeclassiccars.co.uk[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_gallery type=”image_grid” images=”26723,26724,26725,26726,26727,26728,26729,26730,26731,26732,26733,26734,26735,26736,26737,26738,26739,26740,26741,26742,26743,26744,26745,26746,26747,26748,26749,26750,26751,26752,26753,26754,26755″][/vc_column][/vc_row]

Stripping our Bedford HA engine

Ady has got a big task ahead of him as he starts to look at dismantling our Bedford HA engine. As you can see from the pictures, the engine is currently in a very sorry state but it’s in very safe hands with our Ady. An engine like this will certainly not phase him. The engine is currently stripped and various parts have already been cleaned up and assessed for any wear of damage.

As we start to clean parts up in anticipation for the rebuild to commence.

The sun’s out, the Packard’s out

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]The sun’s out and so are we…we’ve taken our 1939 Packard 120 out for a spin today and got some lovely pictures on the way back in to the workshops.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_gallery type=”image_grid” images=”26816,26832,26831,26830,26829,26828,26827,26826,26825,26824,26823,26822,26821,26820,26819,26818,26817″][/vc_column][/vc_row]

One for the future: 1972 MGBGT

A possible future project for us at Bridge Classic Cars. Open Top Touring are looking to carry out some routine maintenance on a few of there amazing fleet of classic cars for hire. First up, we have the 1972 MGBGT which is in need of attention to a couple of areas of the body.

Nothing too serious but if we address the issues now then they will not grow or deteriorate.

Finished in stunning ‘Blaze’ this amazing little classic is certainly a head turner, especially in the Suffolk sunshine.

 

1980 Triumph TR8 awaiting assessment

The unexpected arrival of our 1980 TR8 has meant that we have been unable to get to the car just yet to give it a full assessment. When we have a ramp free we’ll be getting her on it right away to have a look over and get a better idea of the work that is required.

A visit from our 1934 SS2 Sports

We were delighted today to welcome Bernard Rice and his truly stunning 1934 SS2 Sports to our workshops here in Pettistree.

Everything about this car is just perfect and is an absolute credit to both Bernard and the restorer Alan Nightingale in Debenham.

Bernard brought with him the April 2017 edition of Classic & Sports Car where you can see a 3 page spread all about the wonderful journey this very car has taken.

 

Porsche Club Great Britain visit Bridge Classic Cars

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]On Saturday 23rd February 2019 Bridge Classic Cars opened it’s doors to the Norfolk and Suffolk region of the Porsche Club Great Britain.

We had the teas, coffees and biscuits at the ready and a great morning was had by all.

They brought with them a fantastic collection of Porsches for us to look at and admire.

They spent a good few hours with us, meeting half the Bridge Classic Cars team and getting an insight into what we do here before heading off for lunch at the Dennington Queen.

The Norfolk and Suffolk Region (R12) covers a large geographic area, including the coastal towns of Felixtowe, Lowestoft and Yarmouth, the towns and cities of Norwich, Ipswich, Bury St Edmunds and surrounding villages. They are an active, sociable club, enjoying a wide variety of events. The members enjoy their Porsches and drive a variety of models from classics to nearly new.

Our region is famous for the Norfolk Broads and has pretty villages to explore, historic Stately Homes and Gardens, quaint country pubs, a lovely coastline, plus good roads to test our pride and joy. We have Snetterton Race Track on our doorstep and several Porsche and Classic Car Specialists in our area who support our Club and whose premises we visit from time to time.

They meet on the third Tuesday of the month at The Bird in Hand Public House, Wreningham, a short drive from Lotus Cars. The meeting starts at 8pm with either a guest speaker, a quiz, or simply to meet up and enjoy a social evening with like-minded people. They discuss forthcoming events and outings, chat about our cars and offer technical advice when needed – the members are encouraged to offer ideas for the future of the Club.

Their yearly program includes Sunday Lunches, visits to local places of interest, and classic car shows. They hold a BBQ each July and end the year with a Christmas Buffet with a charity raffle and auction for local causes.

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Austin Healey epoxy primed

Our 1955 Austin Healey has now been coated in epoxy primer. We will now look to refit all of the panels to ensure the lines and fit are as we want them to be ready to be prepared for paint.

Boot Carpet Fitted

Our 1971 Jaguar E-Type is now equipped with the new fitted boot lining.

It will take a little time to settle in and for the creases to be removed but it means the rear is just about finished!

Jaguar MkVII – a possible donor

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]We frequently have cars arrive to us from the various UK ports, having travelled thousands of miles by boat to reach the Suffolk shores.

We have also been known to jump on a plane ourselves and fly out to visit cars or even collect parts.

And that is true of this week’s Bridge Classic Cars adventures. Gordon is currently out in Canada, trekking across the icy lakes on his way to visit a possible donor car for our Jaguar MkVII future restoration. The car we are visiting is an almost complete car, with brand new interior and very good wood trim, all of which will help hugely when it comes to rebuilding our own Mk VII.

Here is Gordon relaxing with family and friends, enjoying the Canadian sunshine! The photograph was taken through the lens of a sniper, Gordon was originally the seventh man along…

…but now he is the middle one![/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_gallery type=”image_grid” images=”26634,26635,26636,26637,26638,26639,26640,26642,26643,26644,26645,26646,26647,26648,26649,26650,26651,26652,26653,26654,26655″][/vc_column][/vc_row]

More repairs to the body of our 1977 MG BGT

Tommy is setting his sights on the middle of next week having the repairs completed on our 1977 MGBGT body. Here are more images of the work he is currently carrying out

 

Lots more to restore on our MGB roadster

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Work continues on the restoration of parts for our 1975 MGB Tundra Green project.

Brian has been doing an amazing job restoring them to their glory.

Here we have the dash, brake parts, windscreen, hood frame, filler etc.

The dash has been wrinkle finished to match the original specification.

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1961 Jaguar XK150 ready for refit

We are just waiting on the bright-work to return from our good friends at Wyatt Polishing where they are currently in the process of being re-chromed. Once it is all back with us we can get to work on refitting the car ready to return to its owner. For now, she is safely tucked up in our preparation area next to our 1963 Jaguar SS100.

New Arrivial: 1980 Triumph TR8

Newly into our workshops this week we have our very rare 1980 Triumph TR8. Having been stored away for some time we look at a possible full but sympathetic restoration here. At this stage we are yet to get her on the ramp for a full assessment.

MGBGT – A brand new fuel tank required

Our original MGBGT fuel tank has unfortunately suffered from the years of neglect. The tank is full of rust and for the cost of a new product is not worth trying to save.

A brand new fuel tank has arrived from our colleagues at Moss Europe.

 

The restoration journey will soon commence

Work will soon start on the restoration of our amazing 1961 Francis Barnett 250cc trials bike. This very rare bike will be brought back to life and restored to original, concours conditon within the coming months.

1936 Rolls Royce 20/25 – Accident Damage

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Today, we have been called out to assess the accident damage on a beautiful 1936 Rolls Royce 20/25. The unfortunate incidents has resulted in the rear section being broken twisted and bent so a lot of work will be required to re-fabricate the panels and correct the coachwork.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_gallery type=”image_grid” images=”26478,26479,26480,26481,26482,26483″ title=”Before the accident…”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_gallery type=”image_grid” images=”26471,26477,26476,26475,26474,26473,26472″ title=”After the accident…”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]As you can see above, we have been supplied a good collection of photographs to give us an idea of what to expect but we have been out to assess the damage ourselves and report our findings. We now await confirmation from the owners of this amazing car as to what the next step would be for them.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_gallery type=”image_grid” images=”26484,26485,26486,26487,26488,26489,26490,26491,26492,26493,26494,26495,26496,26497,26498,26499″ title=”Assessing the damage…”][/vc_column][/vc_row]

Fitting the V12 E-Type windscreen

The windscreen of our 1971 Jaguar E-Type V12 roadster is now in place. Dave can now work on fitting up the hood frame and hood.

Removing our Jaguar SS100’s engine

We have now discovered the route cause of the engine issues on our 1963 Jaguar SS100 engine. Unfortunately this does however mean the engine needs to be removed in order to rectify the problems. The block face is warped and will require re-facing. The uneven surface could have been caused by a number of factors but does suggest that we have had previous overheating issues at some stage.

 

Once removed, the engine will be totally stripped, removing pistons, crankshaft etc.

The block will need to be honed and to be reassembled with new piston rings. We have advised to replace the piston rings in case there are any imperfections in them. It makes sense to carry out this task whilst the engine is in this current state as any issues undetected would undo all of the hard work in rebuilding.

The crankshaft bungs and waterways will be removed to ensure the oil ways are free of sludge.

TVR Engine update

The block has now been refaced and repainted, the bores re-honed, the pistons are fitted and the crankshaft has been timed in.

 

Delivering our 1960 Jensen 541S to it’s new home…

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]After a long journey that saw us head into Europe our 1960 Jensen 541S finally settles into its new home and what amazing company it is in with.

[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_gallery type=”image_grid” images=”26291,26292,26293,26294,26295,26296,26297,26298,26299,26300,26301,26302,26303,26304,26305,26306,26307″][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Home time; waiting at the Eurotunnel for the return train.

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