Hard to Reach – Fitting the Lower Pipework to the 1969 Mercedes 280SL Pagoda Engine
The engine and gearbox for the 1969 Mercedes 280SL Pagoda are one step closer to going into the car! The iconic Mercedes which is in
Managing Director โ Bridge Classic Cars
The engine and gearbox for the 1969 Mercedes 280SL Pagoda are one step closer to going into the car! The iconic Mercedes which is in
The Blaze Orange MGB GT is in the Bridge Classic Cars workshop to begin its teardown for assessment. The car is in remarkably good shape
The bonnet of the 1955 Aston Martin DB2/4 currently in with Bridge Classic Cars for restoration has finally been reunited with the body of the
The Jaguar E Type Series III Roadster ‘Fern Grey’ is getting closer to beginning its road tests here at Bridge Classic Cars. Scott, our in-house
The Mercedes 280SL Pagoda is an iconic piece of design and automotive history. Effortlessly stylish and has cultural importance within the car world. This particular
The in-house restoration team at Bridge Classic Cars have been busy carefully dismantling this beautiful Blaze Orange MGB GT. Mauro, has been put in charge
Brian is our lead in-house trimmer at Bridge Classic Cars. From our Suffolk HQ, Brian and Lydia create handmade, bespoke interiors for our customer’s restoration
Scott, one of our amazing in-house restoration technicians here at Bridge Classic Cars, has been skillfully and carefully putting the front suspension of the 1955
The 1977 MGB Roadster that is currently in the Bridge Classic Cars workshop at our Suffolk HQ is piece by piece being reassembled. Our technicians
Mauro, one of the in-house restoration technicians here at Bridge Classic Cars, has been working on the Alfa Romeo Spyder we have in our workshop.
The Bridge Classic Cars in-house trim shop has recently been making several new interior pieces for the 1987 Mercedes 500SL currently in for restoration. Lydia,
The Bridge Classic Cars in-house paint shop have been busy continuing work on the 1955 Aston Martin DB2/4 Mk1 we have at our Suffolk HQ
With the reassembly of the 1977 MGB Roadster going on in the Bridge Classic Cars workshop, our technician Jon has been working on refitting the
The 1969 Mercedes 280SL Pagoda might just be one of the most beautiful cars we’ve had in the Bridge Classic Cars workshop at our Suffolk
The gauges for the 1955 Aston Martin DB2/4 Mk1 currently undergoing restoration at Bridge Classic Cars have returned from being refurbished. We sent the dials
The Bridge Classic Cars Competitions team have delivered another dream classic to its new and excited owner. Lyall Logan won our 1967 Ford Mustang Shelby
The team at Bridge Classic Cars are on the final stretch in getting the 1973 Jaguar E Type Series III Roadster ready for road testing.
Bridge Classic Cars sometimes have the unique opportunity to look deep inside the stories of the cars that come into our Suffolk workshop. This extensive
Tamas, one of our amazing in-house restoration technicians here at Bridge Classic Cars, has been inspecting and cataloguing the parts and pieces from the 1987
Mauro, one of our restoration technicians here at Bridge Classic Cars, has been hard at work reassembling the 1977 MGB Roadster we have in for
The stunning 1987 Mercedes 500SL that is in for restoration at Bridge Classic Cars for our director, Craig, has started its journey towards completion. The
The in-house Trim Shop at Bridge Classic Cars can create just about anything. This time, our lead trimmer Brian has been trimming the armrests for
Bridge Classic Cars have been given the opportunity to acquire this beautiful 1965 Fiat 850 from its current owner. At the moment, we are looking
The Bridge Classic Cars in-house fabrication team have been continuing work on the rust repairs to the frame of the 1987 Daimler Double Six currently
The Bridge Classic Cars incredible in-house paint team have been working hard to get the bonnet of the 1955 Aston Martin DB2/4 Mk1 into each
The Bridge Classic Cars in-house restoration team have been working on the 1968 MGC that arrived at our Pettistree workshop at our Suffolk HQ. Our
The Bridge Classic Cars in-house paint shop has been busy getting the 1969 Bentley T1 in with us for its full repaint. Chris and Alan
One of the requests that the new owner of the 1967 Ford Mustang GT350 Tribute has asked Bridge Classic Cars to carry out is organising
The 1998 Citroen Saxo VTR which is currently being stored at The Hangar, Bridge Classic Cars storage facility, is getting a new addition to its
The engine and gearbox for the 1969 Mercedes 280SL Pagoda are one step closer to going into the car!
The iconic Mercedes which is in at Bridge Classic Cars workshop at our Suffolk HQ has had all of the new and refinished pipework installed on the lower parts of the engine and gearbox while they are out of the car. This is to make sure everything fits up where it should do and will allow our technicians to accurately tighten them down.
Many of the hydraulic lines have to be run in a very specific routing around the engine and gearbox, so using original reference photos our team took when the engine was originally taken out, Jon has managed to retrace the steps and get them all neatly and safely put in place.
Not long now, and the glorious 2.8-litre straight-six will be dropped into the nose for the Pagoda.
The Blaze Orange MGB GT is in the Bridge Classic Cars workshop to begin its teardown for assessment.
The car is in remarkably good shape from what our technicians can see however, we take a full gallery of images for each project to use for cataloguing any parts or pieces that come off the car.
This also helps during the cars reassembly as we have reference photos to refer back to and ensure all the right pieces are back where they should be.
The bonnet of the 1955 Aston Martin DB2/4 currently in with Bridge Classic Cars for restoration has finally been reunited with the body of the 1950s sports car.
The bonnet has been placed onto the body before it is adjusted and fitted. This is to make sure all the amazing work Alan has done on the single-piece clamshell goes with the work Chris has done on the body. But, the results look fantastic. Both the body and the bonnet are completely uniform and evenly shaped which will allow our in-house paint team to get the colour laid just perfectly for this car when the time comes.
The Jaguar E Type Series III Roadster ‘Fern Grey’ is getting closer to beginning its road tests here at Bridge Classic Cars.
Scott, our in-house restoration technician in charge of the build of Fern Grey, has begun going through and completing his electrics and wiring checks on the one of a kind E Type. Scott has also been going through and fitting all the necessary covers and shields under the bonnet of the E Type.
After Scott has completed all of these tests and checks on the Roadster, it will then begin its series of road tests and inspections to make sure the car is 100% ready for handover to its very lucky owner.
The Mercedes 280SL Pagoda is an iconic piece of design and automotive history. Effortlessly stylish and has cultural importance within the car world. This particular 1969 Mercedes 280SL Pagoda is in with Bridge Classic Cars for an engine rebuild which is nearing completion. But, we want the heart and soul of this beauty to be as clean and crisp as the rest of the car.
So, the team at Viper Auto Valet came over to our Suffolk workshop to clean up the engine bay of this classic Mercedes. Colin from Viper has been methodically going through each part of the bay to make sure it is clean of any oil, grease or any other containments. Using specialist treatments, he is working on completely rejuvenating and thoroughly cleaning up this area for when the engine is finished.
With this step in progress, we can’t wait to share with you the results of the treatment. Keep a lookout on the Bridge Classic Cars news page for more updates on the 1969 Mercedes 2680SL Pagoda very soon.
The in-house restoration team at Bridge Classic Cars have been busy carefully dismantling this beautiful Blaze Orange MGB GT.
Mauro, has been put in charge of removing all the trim, glass and panels from the MGB GT for it to be inspected by our other in-house teams to find out what the future holds for this iconic fastback.
Expect to see more on this bright orange sports car soon on the Bridge Classic Cars news page.
Brian is our lead in-house trimmer at Bridge Classic Cars. From our Suffolk HQ, Brian and Lydia create handmade, bespoke interiors for our customer’s restoration projects which are well and truly world-class.
Today on Brian’s table is the armrest covers of the 1987 Mercedes R107 500SL. Lydia and Brian have worked together to create these pieces for the ’80s luxury convertible. The covers were hand-cut and sewn for the best fit possible around the original armrests themselves. Tailored perfectly to suit each component. Brian, using his years of skill and craft, carefully stretched and moved the leather around every curve to get it laying just right. Then, with the minimal amount of heat possible, he began working the leather into place across the adhesive behind it.
After both the covers were finished with their bright new chromework, Brian could begin work on the next stage of the interior of the R107. The door caps, these pieces were carefully stripped back to their core and assessed by Brian to see if they were reusable. They were actually in fantastic shape!
Scott, one of our amazing in-house restoration technicians here at Bridge Classic Cars, has been skillfully and carefully putting the front suspension of the 1955 Aston Martin DB2/4 Mk1 back together for the next phase of its restoration.
Scott began by getting the front hubs of the classic sports car built on the bench. With this, the knuckle had to be reworked to accept the new pin but apart from that everything slotted together perfectly. Piece by piece, Scott put every component together until both assemblies were ready to go back onto the car.
Then, Scott positioned each assembly in place to be connected up to the steering box. Along with that, he fitted the springs into place and connected up the torsion arms.
This is all in preparation for the next phase of the 1955 DB2/4 Mk1 Restoration which you will all see very soon here on the Bridge Classic Cars news page.
The 1977 MGB Roadster that is currently in the Bridge Classic Cars workshop at our Suffolk HQ is piece by piece being reassembled.
Our technicians Jon and Paul have been carefully piecing back together this wonderful 1970s convertible.
Jon has been working on repairing the bumpers which had heavy surface corrosion. For that, he stripped back all of the loose rust on the piece and applied several coats of neutralising agent to the rust to help it from corroding any further. With the bumper braces sorted, Jon had them painted back and refit the rubber surrounds which give the MGB’s of this era their distinctive look.
Then, Jon and Paul began refitting components to the front and rear of the MGB. At the rear, the bumpers, lights and fuel tank have all been carefully secured into place on the car. While Paul was sorting out the wiring inside the car (under the dash, the rear speakers etc), Jon was working on getting the front bumper into place and secured to the car.
For this, Jon has made a series of special brackets to better support the nose of the MGB. These also help to align the front bumper and have it sit perfectly on the car. Whilst the bumper was being adjusted, Jon fit the grilles and headlights into the car, to have everything in place for when he began to wire the car.
The wiring was done and neatly secured out of sight but also in a safe and easily accessible place.
It’s all moving ahead on this wondef
Mauro, one of the in-house restoration technicians here at Bridge Classic Cars, has been working on the Alfa Romeo Spyder we have in our workshop.
As part of the list of work needed, Mauro began looking into the rear number plate lights. Apart from being severely discoloured, the didn’t really work. So, a set of replacements were ordered.
Now that these have arrived into stock with us here at Bridge Classic Cars, Mauro can begin fitting them to the car. These were exact replacements so it was simply a case of removing the old ones and fitting the new ones in their places then plugging them in.
With these lights in, Mauro began to test them and all the other lighting systems and everything worked perfectly on this stunning classic Italian convertible.
The Bridge Classic Cars in-house trim shop has recently been making several new interior pieces for the 1987 Mercedes 500SL currently in for restoration.
Lydia, has taken the hand-cut pieces which Brian had previously made for the armrest covers and began to stitch to the pieces to cover to create the new covers which will be stretched and secured onto the armrests of the classic Mercedes convertible.
Keep a lookout on the Bridge Classic Cars news page for more updates on the 1987 Mercedes 500SL restoration.
The Bridge Classic Cars in-house paint shop have been busy continuing work on the 1955 Aston Martin DB2/4 Mk1 we have at our Suffolk HQ for restoration.
Alan, one of our incredible in-house paint experts, has been working on the underside of the bonnet for the DB2/4. This part of the bonnet has had the same treatment as the top of the piece. Alan has carefully sanded, filled and resanded every square inch of the bonnet included the wheel arches to make sure the piece has the best foundation for the primer.
Like the top, it had a layer of epoxy primer followed by a polyester primer laid on top of the beautiful front clamshell.
This piece of the DB2/4 is a piece of art in its own right and we cannot wait to see the bonnet laid onto the body which is being worked on by our restoration technicians in our workshop.
With the reassembly of the 1977 MGB Roadster going on in the Bridge Classic Cars workshop, our technician Jon has been working on refitting the bumpers to the car.
Whilst refitting the bumpers, Jon made a rather unpleasant discovery. We were aware of some corrosion in the back of the bumpers but that had been treated and neutralised. However, when Jon took the bumpers apart during refit to try and best align them on the car, the backside of the bracket/support was covered in rust. The extent of the rust was something we were not aware of.
With this, the team have decided to repair the bumpers. The rust itself is thick surface rust mainly so the team will strip them all back and prepare them for reassembly.
Expect to see more on the process of repairing the bumpers very soon on the Bridge Classic Cars News Page.
The 1969 Mercedes 280SL Pagoda might just be one of the most beautiful cars we’ve had in the Bridge Classic Cars workshop at our Suffolk HQ. But, we want to hear it run and drive.
So, our in-house restoration technician Jon has been working on getting all the parts ready for the car and fitting up the automatic gearbox.
Jon has carefully inspected and refinished most of the reusable metal hoses for the 280SL so that each individual piece looks as good as the day it was new. He also dismantled many of the air and oil boxes/cans so they could be taken into our in-house paint shop and refinished.
Once all the pieces were back on Jon’s bench, he began to reassemble them ready for the engine installation into the car. But before then, a big piece of the puzzle had to be put in.
Jon and Paul prepped the engine to be mated to its automatic gearbox. This has been rebuilt and refinished so it looks as good as the newly built engine. Once the technicians had got the gearbox secured to the back of the engine block with all the internals correctly fitted up and spaced, Jon then began to test fit the various pipes and wires that go to and from the gearbox to make sure everything was present and correct before the next phase begins…
The gauges for the 1955 Aston Martin DB2/4 Mk1 currently undergoing restoration at Bridge Classic Cars have returned from being refurbished.
We sent the dials and units off to a specialist refurbisher and the results look absolutely incredible. Along with being restored, they have all been perfectly calibrated to a very small tolerance. It’s beautiful to see the craft and skill that our trusted specialist partners put into pieces.
The gauges will eventually go into the dashboard of the classic Aston Martin which is being finished to the same very high, very process standard.
Expect to see more on the 1955 Aston Martin DB2/4 Mk1 here on the Bridge Classic Cars news page very soon.
The Bridge Classic Cars Competitions team have delivered another dream classic to its new and excited owner.
Lyall Logan won our 1967 Ford Mustang Shelby GT350 Tribute back in December with the winning ticket 6128. The car has recently finished having its last few bits and pieces done by our technicians at the Bridge Classic Cars workshop in Suffolk and this morning was delivered right to Lyle’s door.
The whole family came out to see the car. Lyall has wanted a classic Mustang since he was a boy so to make this dream car come true for someone is really special.
We wish Lyall and the family many happy miles and years cruising in this iconic convertible.
The team at Bridge Classic Cars are on the final stretch in getting the 1973 Jaguar E Type Series III Roadster ready for road testing.
One of the biggest and most delicate jobs of the whole build was fitting the bonnet to this one-off E Type. Carefully (and using almost everyone in the workshop) the bonnet was gently lowered onto the nose of Fern Grey. Once in place, our technicians Jon and Scott could begin the task of firmly attaching all the necessary brackets and braces to secure the bonnet to the car. Along with our bodywork expert Chris, the team worked on getting the hinges and clips aligned so the bonnet sat perfectly on this beautiful car.
Along with the bonnet being fitted, the team went through the car to add some last-minute adjustments. A new passenger grab handle was made and fitted by Brian, our lead in-house trimmer, and the headlights have been removed and rewired for a new pair that feature sidelights incorporated into the unit themselves.
It’s all coming together on Fern Grey, so keep a look out on the Bridge Classic Cars news page for updates on the 1973 Jaguar E Type Series III Roadster.
Bridge Classic Cars sometimes have the unique opportunity to look deep inside the stories of the cars that come into our Suffolk workshop.
This extensive and fastidious history file belongs to the 1974 MGB GT currently in our workshop. The file tells the story of the last 33 years of this amazing sports cars life.
It details annual mileages, expenditure, engineers inspections, MOT certificates, parts invoices, bills of sale, you name it.
Such diligent record keeping is a beautiful thing to see on a classic car. Carefully documenting previous bodywork and paint done to the car in the mid-1990s, down to assessments by some of the most reputable MGB specialists in the country to make sure the car was properly cared for.
It also features a timeline of every piece of work carried out from 1989 to 2021 in chronological order. It is truly amazing!
Tamas, one of our amazing in-house restoration technicians here at Bridge Classic Cars, has been inspecting and cataloguing the parts and pieces from the 1987 Mercedes 500SL restoration project we are currently carrying out.
Each individual piece has been carefully inspected and noted down on a manifest to identify if anything is missing and what condition each part is in. This is a very important part of any restoration project we undertake here so if anything is needed to be ordered or sent away for refurbishment it can be done in time for the cars final assembly.
Tamas has gone through hundreds and hundreds of parts for this car, each of them has been individually wrapped and then put away into our parts department for safe keeping.
Mauro, one of our restoration technicians here at Bridge Classic Cars, has been hard at work reassembling the 1977 MGB Roadster we have in for restoration in preparation for the next phase of the project.
Mauro has been fitting all of the trims and windows to the car since the paintwork is now fully cured and hardened. This really makes the little sportscar come alive!
As with this being new paint, our team take their time and carefully manoeuvre the trims into place as to not cause any damage to the beautiful dark blue roadster. Some of the pieces have been refurbished but those that couldn’t be have been replaced with the highest quality pieces we have sourced.
The windows were thoroughly cleaned and all mechanisms liberally greased to ensure they work flawlessly when needed and all the trim pieces have new clips and hardware to create a good, tight fit to the body of the car.
Mauro is systematically working through each part of the car to complete each section before moving on to the next.
Also, the team fitted the windscreen to the car as a finishing touch!
Expect to see more on the beautiful 1977 MGB Roadster soon, here on the Bridge Classic Cars news page.
The stunning 1987 Mercedes 500SL that is in for restoration at Bridge Classic Cars for our director, Craig, has started its journey towards completion.
The bodywork and paintwork are the next jobs on the list to get started on which has been entrusted to Garry. He will get the body of the R107 prepared and ready for the first coats of colour to be laid across this beautiful 1980s Mercedes.
Expect to see lots more on the 1987 Mercedes 500SL very soon on the Bridge Classic Cars news page.
The in-house Trim Shop at Bridge Classic Cars can create just about anything. This time, our lead trimmer Brian has been trimming the armrests for the 1987 Mercedes R107 500SL.
Beginning with the original piece, Brian hand-made a template for the new pieces which would find their way onto the armrest of the handsome R107.
Carefully careful traced his patterns onto the same stunning red leather that the rest of the car has been trimmed in. Then, with millimetre precision, Brian cut out the templates ready for when they will be stitched and finished by hand.
Expect to see much more on the 1987 Mercedes 500SL here on the Bridge Classic Cars news page.
Bridge Classic Cars have been given the opportunity to acquire this beautiful 1965 Fiat 850 from its current owner.
At the moment, we are looking into the history of the car and researching this particular model of classic Fiat as it isn’t something we regularly come into contact with.
You never know, you might see this amazing little classic Fiat very soon here on the Bridge Classic Cars news page.
The Bridge Classic Cars in-house fabrication team have been continuing work on the rust repairs to the frame of the 1987 Daimler Double Six currently in our Suffolk HQ.
Monty, one of our skilled and talented fabricators, has been working his way through the underside of the classic Daimler. This time, Monty has been repairing and fabricating the front core support cross-member.
This has a series of spot-welded panels and pieces that fix the whole piece into place. Monty carefully drilled out the spot-welds to release the piece from the car. After getting the cross member out of the car, Monty could begin templating the affected areas to create the new patch panels which would need to go into the car.
Monty used his craft and skill to create tight-fitting panels which would mean less cutting to non-damage areas of the car. Preserving as much as possible but also securing them in the safest and neatest way possible. The results, look fantastic.
Monty will continue working through the car making sure all the areas that need attention get the work they are needed to bring this stunning classic Daimler back to its former glory.
The Bridge Classic Cars incredible in-house paint team have been working hard to get the bonnet of the 1955 Aston Martin DB2/4 Mk1 into each stage of primer.
Our in-house painter Alan has been working on the one-piece front clamshell of the DB2/4, perfecting every line and surface on the panel getting it ready for the first stage before it is painted.
The first stage is a normal epoxy primer which is a standard primer used on most projects. But, over the top, the DB2/4 Bonnet is then covered in a Polyester primer.
After the primer has properly cured, Alan can then begin the next stage before the final colour is shot on the panel. So, expect to see more updates on the 1955 Aston Martin DB2/4 Mk1 restoration here on the Bridge Classic Cars news page very soon.
The Bridge Classic Cars in-house restoration team have been working on the 1968 MGC that arrived at our Pettistree workshop at our Suffolk HQ.
Our in-house technician Paul has been going through the incredible sports car and found some damage to the wiring harness. So, Paul has been methodically repairing the affected wires and carefully reshielding them after testing them thoroughly.
With this done, Paul can begin checking the other systems on the MGC.
The Bridge Classic Cars in-house paint shop has been busy getting the 1969 Bentley T1 in with us for its full repaint.
Chris and Alan have been working their way through the car to strip the panels and trims to get them ready for stripping.
The first panel to be stripped back to bare metal is the vast bonnet of the luxury icon. Chris and Alan have carefully pulled all the paint from the bonnet and then begun to sand the panel back to bare metal in order to assess if any adjustments will need to be made to the piece.
Each piece taken off the car is catalogued, assessed and carefully stored for when the car is reassembled after its repaint.
One of the requests that the new owner of the 1967 Ford Mustang GT350 Tribute has asked Bridge Classic Cars to carry out is organising the fitting of a tracker to the classic Mustang.
It’s now pretty commonplace to fit a tracker to a classic for insurance reasons and just for peace of mind. Bridge Classic Cars organised the tracker to be fitted by a specialist to the muscle car but our in-house restoration technicians prepared the car and under the dash for the installation.
Now with this complete, the car can be delivered to it’s new owner Lyle very soon!
The 1998 Citroen Saxo VTR which is currently being stored at The Hangar, Bridge Classic Cars storage facility, is getting a new addition to its classic ’90s interior.
Our director Craig, who owns the Saxo for his son Loick’s eventual first car, has managed to track down what appears to be a New Old Stock front driver’s seat for the little hatchback. The current driver’s seat has got some wear marks on the driver’s seat bolster and the material has long since gone out of production. Craig wants to keep the car as original and close to his first car as possible for Loick, so it’s amazing that we have managed to track down such an incredible piece of hot hatch history.
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.
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