1990 Austin Mini Thirty

In The Right Direction – Aligning the 1990 Mini 30

Our in-house restoration technician Jon has been working on the front end of the 1990 Austin Mini 30 before it is transported to its new owner. As part of its check over, Jon had to make some tracking adjustments to get the Mini’s steering spot on.

With a few small tweaks, Jon managed to get the Mini’s steering completely dialled in and nicely balanced. Making sure everything under the car was torqued and secure, the car went for its final road test.

This little 1990 Austin Mini 30 will soon be off to its very lucky new owner.

Safe and Secure – Exhaust Mounts on the 1990 Mini 30

Jon, one of our amazing Bridge Classic Cars in-house restoration technicians, has been working on getting the last few bits and pieces done on the 1990 Austin Mini 30 before it heads off to its very lucky new owner.

The last job to complete underneath this fantastic Mini is to install a new exhaust mount onto the car. The old one had become loose and wasn’t in the best state so our workshop ordered up a replacement piece and got it into the car. This particular clamp also acts as a hang and is secure to the gearbox, so it’s crucial in keeping the exhaust spaced far enough away from the gearbox as to not rattle or chafe.

With this done, it will have its pre-delivery inspection and very soon be off to its new home!

Mounted Up – Refreshing the Subframe Mount on the 1990 Mini 30

Jon, one of our Bridge Classic Cars in-house restoration technicians, has been working on getting our 1990 Mini 30’s subframe mount all sorted out.

The old mount appears to have been damaged previously so as these are a safety item, we have sorted the issue out. The original mount was in a position were Jonn had to drill out the original mountings and then fabricate a new spacer and bracket for the mount to align to. With this done, it’s time to move onto the other jobs with this brilliant little Mini!

Behind the Scenes – Live Draw of the 1990 Mini 30

Bridge Classic Cars Competitions has made another lucky winners dream come true. This time it was the turn of Billy Spellman with his winning ticket of 776 and now the proud new owner of this amazing 1990 Mini 30.

During the live stream, Hayley showed everyone around the Bridge Classic Cars workshop and some of the restoration projects that are currently happening here. Freddie and Hayley always enjoy chatting to everyone on the live stream and hearing suggestions for future competition cars while also hearing what people have been up to since this was our first live draw of 2022 and what a special car to draw to kick the year off.

Then, it was time for the main event. As Freddie and Hayley went over to the laptop. Hayley showed the pre-published entry lists (which come out 30 minutes before we go live at 7 o’clock once entries have shut) and someone on that list of 2299 tickets was about to have a bit of a change to their lives in the next few minutes. Using a Google random number generator, Hayley checked to see it was all working correctly before putting the range needed for the competition. With one click of a button and a flash of numbers flying past, it landed on 776. Consulting the entry list, Hayley and Freddie found that particular number had been issued to Billy Spellman.

Once we had found Billy’s contact details through our online members’ list, it was time to call him. Once we had explained who was calling him, the penny dropped. He was blown away that he had in fact won the car. That’s what it’s all about, giving cars to people who are genuinely thrilled to now on their dream classic for the price of a ticket.

We always have new competitions going live every couple of weeks, so head over to the Bridge Classic Cars Competitions website and enter now for your chance!

Sealed – Replacing the Gearbox Oil Seal on the 1990 Mini 30

Bridge Classic Cars have been working on the 1990 Mini 30 ahead of its upcoming draw.

During its inspection, our in-house restoration technicians noted a small leak coming from underneath the car. After looking into it further, it was found to be coming from the gearbox oil seal. So, a new seal was ordered along with new spark plugs and ignition leads to make sure this very special little Mini was running perfectly.

Our technician Paul carefully removed the old seal from the gearbox and then cleaned up the entire area in preparation to install the new seal in place. Once the new piece had been put into place in the gearbox, it was reinspected and all was ok on the report.

So, with everything completed on the 1990 Mini 30, it’s nearly time to find out who the lucky new winner will be!

Christmas Surprise! Your Chance to Win a 1990 Mini 30

Some of you may remember this stunning Cherry Red Mini from last year when Courtney Barker won it through Bridge Classic Cars Competitions, well she’s offered it back to us and now it could be yours!

This is a limited edition Austin Mini 30, celebrating the 30th anniversary of the legendary Mini. The car is in amazing condition which is why the team at Bridge Classic Cars Competitions bought it back when it was offered to us. The car had a full respray and sympathetic interior restoration by our in-house restoration teams.

The car is well known around the area, having spent much of its life in Southwold and then in Ipswich with Courtney. It also did the rounds of almost every car show such as Stonham Barns as well as several appearances at our own meet-ups. Since August 2020, the car has only covered an additional 3,000 miles meaning this 31-year-old pocket rocket has got just 66074 miles showing on the clock.

This could be yours! Ready to go for 2022, all you need to do is head over to the Bridge Classic Cars website and get your tickets now!

But hurry, these little things are very popular with just 2299 tickets available. Click the link below!

Enter to win the 1990 Mini 30

Courtzz01 – October 2020

Our 1990 Austin Mini Thirty winner Courtney Barker couldn’t help but share this gushy Instagram post about her new toy!

“Always wanted one of these and still cant believe its mine!” – Well you better believe it Courtney, its certainly all yours!

Courtney has been a classic car fan since she was a child and has even set up her own car fan club – East Coast Japanese. She’s clearly been having so much fun with her new Mini, she’s forgotten to take pictures!

If you fancy winning your own classic Mini, we’re currently running a competition for someone to win this fantastic 1991 Rover Mini. To pick up your tickets, head to our competitions website.

TWO Competition Winners on Display at the Stonham Barns Car Show

Two, yes TWO of our lucky classic car winners took their new cars out to local car show at Stonham Barnes on the 16th August 2020.

We absolutely love being sent images like this. It’s wonderful to see these classics being loved and enjoyed. Our competitions give you the chance to win your dream classic car, for just a few pounds.

Rob Daines won our 1975 Vauxhall Viva GT and Courtney Barker won our 1990 Austin Mini 30 from www.bridgeclassiccarscompetitions.co.uk

Live Draw: 1994 TVR Chimaera 500 & 1990 Austin Mini 30

Congratulations to tonight’s winners!

Ian Summers, winner of our 1994 TVR Chimaera with ticket number 2214 and Courtney Barker, winner of our 1990 Austin Mini with ticket number 665.

https://www.facebook.com/248607891929098/videos/979185462524516

For your chance to win your dream classic, head to bridgeclassiccars.co.uk/competitions

1990 Austin Mini Thirty in the Trim Shop

Kath has been working her magic on one of our future competition cars, this lovely little Austin Mini Thirty. The interior of our Mini was in need of restorative works. Kath has done an incredible job on the steering wheel, dash and rear door pockets.

First up, Kath tackled the steering wheel. She masked up the black centre section and sanded down the leather to smooth it out. She then applied flexible filler, left the filler to dry and then sanded down.

Kath then cleaned the surface before applying specialist leather colour paint to the leather. This paint will not crack and is perfect for reconditioning high-wear surfaces such as a steering wheel.

Next up for Kath, the worn rear door pockets. She marked up the two new panel insets, cut to size and installed into the car for the perfect fit.

The dash of our Mini was also very well worn and in need of restoration. Kath started by making a rough template to mill a new dashboard from. She then marked out and scored the board to bend into shape. It has now been positioned in place. A air vent hole will need to be drilled and the air vent fitted when this arrives with us.

Superb work, Kath.

1990 Austin Mini Restorative Works

Mauro and Chris have been working on our soon-to-be-competition car, Austin Mini thirty.

It’s had a thorough service and inspection from Mauro.

Chris has repainted the Mini. There were a few scuffs and bodywork issues so we decoded to treat this little mini to a full respray

We’ve now just got to fit new door cards and mirrors and this car is ready to be enjoyed by the lucky winner.

1990 Austin Mini Thirty Arrives at The Workshop

This gorgeous little Mini has just arrived at Bridge Classic Cars. It is in need of minor recommissioning work to get her back to her best.

Although mechanically it looks very good, Mauro is now giving this Austin a thorough inspection to make sure there isn’t any issues that need addressing.

The mirrors will need to be re-attached and the passenger side door card needs to be remade in our Trim Shop. There is also a few spots of rust and paint defects which will be addressed by the Paint Shop.

Once restored, this vehicle will be up as a competition. Who’s excited to see another classic Mini available to be won?

Launched in June 1989, the limited-edition Mini Thirty (30) celebrated the car’s 30th birthday and was based on the Mini Mayfair. Fitted with the 998cc engine, it was offered in Cherry Red (COG-BLVC843) or black (PMA-BLVC90) and was fitted with chrome bumpers and grille, a dedicated Coachline set and 1959-1989 crests, a security coded stereo and a set of Minilite-style alloy wheels.

The black and red half-leather interior was common to both car colours.

Of the 3,000 produced for the UK, 2,000 were in Cherry Red and 1,000 were Black; 2,800 were manual and 200 had an automatic gearbox. 600 were made with an optional sun roof.

Coming soon: 1990 Austin Mini 30

On a beautiful summer’s day we took a trip out to the coast, to inspect our 1990 Austin Mini 30. And whilst in Southwold we couldn’t resist a trip to the beach too.

And we weren’t alone in our beach trip. We even bumped into our 1969 Pontiac Firebird, still looking as good as the day she left our workshops.

Launched in June 1989, the limited-edition Mini Thirty (30) celebrated the car’s 30th birthday and was based on the Mini Mayfair. Fitted with the 998cc engine, it was offered in Cherry Red (COG-BLVC843) or black (PMA-BLVC90) and was fitted with chrome bumpers and grille, a dedicated Coachline set and 1959-1989 crests, a security coded stereo and a set of Minilite-style alloy wheels.

The black and red half-leather interior was common to both car colours.

Of the 3,000 produced for the UK, 2,000 were in Cherry Red and 1,000 were Black; 2,800 were manual and 200 had an automatic gearbox. 600 were made with an optional sun roof.

At the time, the list price was a cool £5,599, another 30 years on, the car is a true British classic, with prices heading in one direction from now…upwards!