From Top to Bottom – Treating the Underside of a 1970 Citroen DS
November 9, 2021
Preparing a classic car for winter is very important. And, at Bridge Classic Cars we know what it takes to keep your pride and joy
November 9, 2021
Behind the Scenes – Making a glovebox for the 1970 Dodge Charger
November 9, 2021
Brian, one of our in-house trim experts at Bridge Classic Cars, has been hard at work fabricating a new glovebox for the 1970 Dodge Charger.
Starting Over – Teardown of the Seats on the 1977 MGB Roadster
November 9, 2021
The body for this 1977 MGB Roadster is currently in with Kris in our in-house body shop being worked on to make sure it looks
A Whole New Feel – Recovering the Steering Wheel on the 1970 Dodge Charger
November 9, 2021
Refinishing or recovering a steering wheel is no simple task. The right balance of tactile feel, smoothness, finish and contrast is something that only comes
With the Grain – Recovering the Centre Console of the 1970 Dodge Charger
November 9, 2021
We have an incredible in-house trim team here at Bridge Classic Cars. They’ve been hard at work on the interior of the 1970 Dodge Charger
A Delicate Blend – Reworking the Fender of the 1951 Riley RMB
November 9, 2021
Here at Bridge Classic Cars, we have some of the best fabricators in the business we believe. One of the best showcases of this is
This Just In – 1970 Citroen DS21
November 9, 2021
It’s always a pleasure to see one of these at our workshop. Such an iconic, fun and interesting car that is beloved by so many
From Top to Bottom – Treating the Underside of a 1970 Citroen DS
November 9, 2021
Preparing a classic car for winter is very important. And, at Bridge Classic Cars we know what it takes to keep your pride and joy safe. Take for example this 1970 Citroen DS21.
This stunning example of the DS has come into us to have the underside cleaned and treated as part of its winter preparation. For this, it isn’t a case of just laying on a thick coat of undersealer. It takes time, attention, care and an understanding of what each individual car requires.
To begin with, Tamas, evaluated the areas that would require cleaning back more than others. Then to protect the wonderful pale French blue paintwork, he covered the bodywork and delicate components with plastic coverings and specific paint tape as to not damage any part of the car. Then, using a variety of steel, brass and copper wire wheels he removed any contaminants/surface issues. After that was removed from the underside and arches of the car (which on the rear must be removed to take the wheel off) Tamas then cleaned down the surfaces thoroughly and carefully to give the chemical treatment in the undersealer the best conditions to work on.
Over many hours, Tamas patiently applied the undersealer to the bottom of the car. Allowing time between each coat for the chemicals in the spray to flash off and begin to cure. This is crucial in order to get the best coverage and more importantly the best protection for the car over the winter.
Then, the car was left to cure with specifically placed heat lamps to make sure that the treatment cured correctly and evenly on the car.
Behind the Scenes – Making a glovebox for the 1970 Dodge Charger
November 9, 2021
Brian, one of our in-house trim experts at Bridge Classic Cars, has been hard at work fabricating a new glovebox for the 1970 Dodge Charger.
Firstly, Brian created a mockup to use as a template and check the fitment of the piece within the dash itself. Making sure to note down all of the mounts and holes needed to secure it into place.
Then he transferred that onto felt covered hardback to make and bend the shapes needed for the glovebox. Once that was completed, it was riveted together and installed into its final position.
This, is the small but crucial touches our trim-shop are the best at.
Starting Over – Teardown of the Seats on the 1977 MGB Roadster
November 9, 2021
The body for this 1977 MGB Roadster is currently in with Kris in our in-house body shop being worked on to make sure it looks absolutely exceptional when it’s all done. So, while Kris and the body and paint team are busy working on the car, the interior has been handed over to our amazing trim team.
Kath and Brian have been carefully taking apart the original seats from MGB Roadster in the Bridge Classic Cars trim shop. As you can see, the inner workings of the seat need a fair bit of work but that’s no trouble for our talented trim shop.
Piece by piece, Kath and Brian have been dismantling the seats to get them broken down all the way to the frames to assess if anything original can be used.
Keep an eye out here on the Bridge Classic Cars blog for more on the 1977 MGB Roadster.
A Whole New Feel – Recovering the Steering Wheel on the 1970 Dodge Charger
November 9, 2021
Refinishing or recovering a steering wheel is no simple task. The right balance of tactile feel, smoothness, finish and contrast is something that only comes with skills, understanding and complete knowledge of your craft. And that, is why our in-house trim experts at Bridge Classic Cars are the best.
The original wooden wheel on the 1970 Dodge Charger currently in at Bridge Classic Cars for an interior refit had seen better days. It was discoloured, the original varnish has begun to flake away. This just wouldn’t have matched the incredible black and orange theme chosen by the customer. So, Kath recovered the wheel using that colour palette to create a stunning piece for the car.
Kath chose her materials to closely match the existing materials used throughout the iconic muscle car and tie it into the custom interior. Deep black leather with vibrant orange stitching.
Kath measured out the black leather and cut it to size. Allowing a snug but not overly stretched fitment to the wooden wheel underneath. Then, after being hemmed, Kath began to stitch in the piece to envelop the large wooden steering wheel. Something like this, being so intricate and restricted, can only be done by hand and this is where the skill of a true craftsperson shines. The final fit and delicate stitchwork just fit the car, with its custom one-off feel.
With the Grain – Recovering the Centre Console of the 1970 Dodge Charger
November 9, 2021
We have an incredible in-house trim team here at Bridge Classic Cars. They’ve been hard at work on the interior of the 1970 Dodge Charger that is currently in our trim shop.
Here, you can see the work Kath has done refinishing the centre console to match the exterior of the Bright Orange Mopar. Kath carefully removed the original veneers from the piece in order to create templates for the new Orange vinyl that adorns the giant centrepiece of the interior in a wonderful contrast against the rest of the black vinyl.
After cutting out the templates, Kath began to wrap the original pieces after test fitting. Once all in place, Kath cleaned up all of the accompanying brightwork to make the Orange stand out even more. Then, once all the adhesive had correctly cured and settled into place. Kath, test fit the new centre console with the seats just placed in the car.
I think we can all agree, it looks absolutely sensational.
A Delicate Blend – Reworking the Fender of the 1951 Riley RMB
November 9, 2021
Here at Bridge Classic Cars, we have some of the best fabricators in the business we believe. One of the best showcases of this is the incredible work that our in-house fabricator, James, has done on the 1951 Riley RMB.
James has tried to use as much original material as possible during the restoration of the Riley. Only adding in or cutting the panels if needed, or entirely remaking them if completely necessary. Take for example this wing on the RMB, it’s partly original but with new sections, entirely made by hand, grafted into it. Using years of experience, feel and skill, James has managed to recreate the flanged lower section of the wing.
Along with making the panel from scratch, it takes huge amounts of talent that only comes with years of metalworking to carefully and patiently apply his craft to grafting the new piece into the old seamlessly. As you can see, James has pulled off an incredible job!
This Just In – 1970 Citroen DS21
November 9, 2021
It’s always a pleasure to see one of these at our workshop. Such an iconic, fun and interesting car that is beloved by so many throughout the automotive world. It is, of course, a Citroen DS. Specifically, this is a 1970 Citroen DS21.
This car has come into us to be prepared for the winter months ahead. For this, that means cleaning up and treating the whole underside of the car and wheel arches. Our in-house technicians will carefully take back all the road grime and contaminants from the belly of this French marvel and then clean it thoroughly.
After that, it will be treated with a thick coat of under-sealant in order to protect it from the ever inclosing Winter weather that faces all of our classics in the coming months.
Find out more about the process of cleaning, treating and curing the weather protection in our next post about the 1970 Citroen DS21 on the Bridge Classic Cars blog.
