Goodbye Bristol
November 18, 2024
Our 1956 Bristol 405 has been with us for many many years but this week we bid her a fond farewell as she heads off
1954 Bristol 405
Goodbye To Our Bristol
November 14, 2024
Our 1956 Bristol 405 (and all of the parts it comes with) has been loaded into the trailer ready for delivery to its new owner.
Bristol Engine Work
October 13, 2023
Classic car technician James has been working on the engine of our 1954 Bristol 405. The carburettors and refurbished/correct air filters arrived back at the
A Makeover For The Seats Of Our 1954 Bristol 405
November 14, 2022
Quite a bit of interior work has been done on our 1954 Bristol 405 lately. The seats have been a focus of Lydia as she
Interior Work On Our 1954 Bristol 405
October 19, 2022
Lydia has once again been busy working on some of the interior components of our 1954 Bristol 405. This time, her attention turned to the
On The Way To The Workshop
October 11, 2022
The main body of our 1954 Bristol 405 has been transported to our workshop. Now it is here with the team, it can begin the
Matched – Finishing the Other Squab Seat on the 1954 Bristol 405
July 1, 2022
The trim team at Bridge Classic Cars have completed the 2nd squab seat for the 1954 Bristol 405 which is in for restoration with us
Like New – Making the Squab Seats for the 1954 Bristol 405
June 29, 2022
The 1954 Bristol 405, in for restoration at Bridge Classic Cars, has had the trim team finish off the first off 2 squab seats for
On The Cards – Teardown on the Rear Door Cards of the 1954 Bristol 405
June 17, 2022
The trim team at the Bridge Classic Cars workshop have begun work on stripping down the rear door cards of the 1954 Bristol 405 in
Resting Place – Remaking the 1954 Bristol 405 Armrest
June 16, 2022
Our in-house trim team at Bridge Classic Cars have worked meticulously on remaking the armrest of the 1954 Bristol 405 which is in for restoration.
New Lease of Life – Refurbishing Rear Seat Parts on the 1954 Bristol 405
June 15, 2022
The interior trim team have worked on refurbishing and refinishing several key parts of the rear seats for the 1954 Bristol 405 currently in with
Repairs and Remakes – Work on the Seats for the 1954 Bristol 405
June 10, 2022
The Bristol 405 restoration is on its way with our Trim Shop carrying out several bits of work on both the front and rear seats
Reimagined – Repairing the Rear Seat and New Front Seat Foams For the 1954 Bristol 405
May 30, 2022
The interior technicians at Bridge Classic Cars have recreated several key parts for the interior of the 1954 Bristol 405. To begin with, the team
Delicate Work – Teardown of the Rear Seat Bases on the 1954 Bristol 405
May 30, 2022
The trim team at Bridge Classic Cars are continuing their work on the interior of the 1954 Bristol 405 which is in for restoration by
Begin Again – Strip Down and Rebuilding the Seat Bases of the 1954 Bristol 405
May 27, 2022
The in-house trim team at Bridge Classic Cars have been working on stripping down the front seats of the 1954 Bristol 405, in our Suffolk
Deeper Dive – Inspecting the Front Seats of the 1954 Bristol 405
May 26, 2022
The interior team at Bridge Classic Cars have been inspecting the condition of the front seats from the 1954 Bristol 405 that is in for
Stripped Back – Teardown of the 1954 Bristol 405 Interior Begins
May 26, 2022
The interior team at Bridge Classic Cars is starting the journey of stripping back the interior on the 1954 Bristol 405 as it begins its
This Just In – 1954 Bristol 405 and Parts
April 7, 2022
The 1954 Bristol 405 and all the accompanying parts have arrived at the Bridge Classic Cars secure storage facility, The Hangar, while it awaits its
Inspection – Inspecting the Carburettors on the 1954 Bristol 405
March 17, 2022
The workshop at Bridge Classic Cars has begun to inspect the carburettors on the original straight-six destined to be reunited with the 1954 Bristol 405.
A Piece of the Puzzle – The 1954 Bristol 405’s Original Engine Returns
March 4, 2022
The Bridge Classic Cars workshop in Pettistree have received a very important shipment today. Not only is it important for the technicians in the restoration
Coming Soon – 1954 Bristol 405
March 1, 2022
Coming soon to the Bridge Classic Cars workshop is this beautiful 1954 Bristol 405. Bridge Classic Cars have acquired the car for a customer to
Goodbye Bristol
November 18, 2024
Our 1956 Bristol 405 has been with us for many many years but this week we bid her a fond farewell as she heads off to a new home. We made the decision recently to sell the car as the queue for restorations doesn’t seem to be getting any shorter. The car is now at it’s new home and the restoration will begin very soon we believe.
Maybe we’ll see the car at a show some time in the future. We wish you all the best with the restoration journey.
Goodbye To Our Bristol
November 14, 2024
Our 1956 Bristol 405 (and all of the parts it comes with) has been loaded into the trailer ready for delivery to its new owner.
Bristol Engine Work
October 13, 2023
Classic car technician James has been working on the engine of our 1954 Bristol 405.
The carburettors and refurbished/correct air filters arrived back at the workshop and were fitted to the engine. The three mounting brackets were cleaned thoroughly, and then fitted with the carbs using new gaskets. Then, the linkages were added and adjusted, and finally the air intake pipe and air filter housing.
James also tidied the ignition leads and secured them.
A Makeover For The Seats Of Our 1954 Bristol 405
November 14, 2022
Quite a bit of interior work has been done on our 1954 Bristol 405 lately. The seats have been a focus of Lydia as she has been working hard to get them into a much more presentable condition.
She has been busy sewing calico onto the front seats and fitting them onto their foams and frames. Lydia has also been cleaning up and re-painting the metal parts of the seats too.
Once the front seats were done, the rear seats, which are also fluted, went through the same process of having a small draft of the flutes made to check measurements before being made for real out of leather. The rear seats have a calico backing and are stuffed with foam and wadding (like the front seats).
Finally, the piping was sewn on before Lydia marked and cut out the leather for the skirt pieces.
While Lydia was busy working on the seats of our 1954 Bristol 405, Brian was making door panels. He first marked these out using paper patterns before cutting out the rear door panel. He also had to cut holes for the handles and armrests.
While Lydia and Brian were working on the interior components of our 405, Paul was working on the outer doors.
Paul spent some time assessing the doors and coming up with a plan of action to get them back into the shape they need to be in order for this classic car to be driven back out on the road.
Our 1954 Bristol 405 still has a long way to go but progress continues and we look forward to seeing what the future has in store.
Interior Work On Our 1954 Bristol 405
October 19, 2022
Lydia has once again been busy working on some of the interior components of our 1954 Bristol 405.
This time, her attention turned to the front seat base faces.
Lydia first made a vinyl draft so she was able to check the sizing of the flutes. She then went on to mark out the leather and calico backing before drawing guidelines which she will follow when sewing the flute lines.
On The Way To The Workshop
October 11, 2022
The main body of our 1954 Bristol 405 has been transported to our workshop.
Now it is here with the team, it can begin the next phase of its restoration. With work already done on the seats, it’s time to get the rest of the car in order so it can be one step closer to being back out on the road.
There will be lots more updates coming soon as this classic car returns to its full former glory.
Matched – Finishing the Other Squab Seat on the 1954 Bristol 405
July 1, 2022
The trim team at Bridge Classic Cars have completed the 2nd squab seat for the 1954 Bristol 405 which is in for restoration with us at our Suffolk HQ.
The team have made an exact copy of the other squab seat which was completed earlier. Both of these pieces have been carefully wrapped up and stored ready for the cars reassmebly.
Keep a look out on the Bridge Classic Cars news page for more on the 1954 Bristol 405 very soon.
Like New – Making the Squab Seats for the 1954 Bristol 405
June 29, 2022
The 1954 Bristol 405, in for restoration at Bridge Classic Cars, has had the trim team finish off the first off 2 squab seats for the car.
Lydia, one of our trimmers, has made the whole seat by hand using the original as a template to work from. Each individual piece has been made by hand specifically for the car and the results look absolutely incredible.
On The Cards – Teardown on the Rear Door Cards of the 1954 Bristol 405
June 17, 2022
The trim team at the Bridge Classic Cars workshop have begun work on stripping down the rear door cards of the 1954 Bristol 405 in for restoration.
The team began by carefully removing the coverings to use as a reference for the new ones which will be made at our Suffolk HQ by the trim shop. The team could then inspect any pieces or part which may be able to be refurbished or reused before measuring and checking each of the components that make up the door card.
Everything was then catalogued and the original coverings put into storage to be used at a later date for reference.
Resting Place – Remaking the 1954 Bristol 405 Armrest
June 16, 2022
Our in-house trim team at Bridge Classic Cars have worked meticulously on remaking the armrest of the 1954 Bristol 405 which is in for restoration.
The team completely stripped the old piece down to its base parts in order to assess and refurbish any pieces that require attention. The original wooden bases were cleaned up and reused while the foams were completely remade from scratch and shaped to fit.
New Lease of Life – Refurbishing Rear Seat Parts on the 1954 Bristol 405
June 15, 2022
The interior trim team have worked on refurbishing and refinishing several key parts of the rear seats for the 1954 Bristol 405 currently in with Bridge Classic Cars.
Lydia, one of our trim team, has carefully stripped back the parts to bare metal to fully assess and inspect each individual piece before then preparing them to be refinished in hard-wear durable black paint.
With these pieces now curing, the team can carry on with the retrim of the rear squab seat in the classic Bristol.
Repairs and Remakes – Work on the Seats for the 1954 Bristol 405
June 10, 2022
The Bristol 405 restoration is on its way with our Trim Shop carrying out several bits of work on both the front and rear seats for the classic 4 door saloon.
The Bridge Classic Cars trim team has remade the elastic webbing which sits beneath the front seats in the classic Bristol. These have been secured onto the refurbished seat bases and the hand-cut foams placed in to check for fitment and alignment.
Next, the team worked on repairing some of the wooden arches of the rear seats in the car. Our trimmer Brian carefully cut out some previous repairs from the piece to securely fix the piece ahead of moving onto to replacing some of the woodwork needed for around the cushion openings.
Reimagined – Repairing the Rear Seat and New Front Seat Foams For the 1954 Bristol 405
May 30, 2022
The interior technicians at Bridge Classic Cars have recreated several key parts for the interior of the 1954 Bristol 405.
To begin with, the team have made brand new foam pieces for the front seats of the classic Bristol as part of its restoration.
Then, the team could keep stripping down the rear seat base of the car to get to the frame that lay beneath. The next part for the trim shop to look into was the foldable armrest. Stripped back to its core, the hinge and piece itself could be assessed and then remade.
From there, the team could use the baseboard as a template to make a new piece entirely from scratch. Transfering the main shape to new wood, the trim shop soaked the ends in water so as to allow the wood to bend into place without snapping or cracking in any way before being pinned to the framework to rest and dry into the needed shape.
Delicate Work – Teardown of the Rear Seat Bases on the 1954 Bristol 405
May 30, 2022
The trim team at Bridge Classic Cars are continuing their work on the interior of the 1954 Bristol 405 which is in for restoration by the team at our Suffolk HQ.
The trim team have been carefully dismantling the interior of the classic Bristol in order to inspect and assess its condition and a plan for its restoration.
Once the team had stripped back the entire piece, they could see the condition of the framework underneath and support brackets. While the wooden frames will need attention, the metal brackets were in good enough shape for the team to sandblast and paint them in gloss black to renew them for the project. The foam will also be replaced along with the coverings which are being catalogued and stored for reference later in the project.
Begin Again – Strip Down and Rebuilding the Seat Bases of the 1954 Bristol 405
May 27, 2022
The in-house trim team at Bridge Classic Cars have been working on stripping down the front seats of the 1954 Bristol 405, in our Suffolk restoration workshop, before rebuilding the bases.
The team always take care when removing the original covers so they can be preserved for reference or pattern making later down the line. The cores of the seats are then stripped back to their most basic features and sanded/cleaned down before the restorative work can begin.
With the bases completely stripped back, the first job was to remake the wooden inner backboards using the originals as a rough template to work from. Once these were cut and refined, the team could create the outer backboards before foaming work could begin.
Deeper Dive – Inspecting the Front Seats of the 1954 Bristol 405
May 26, 2022
The interior team at Bridge Classic Cars have been inspecting the condition of the front seats from the 1954 Bristol 405 that is in for restoration.
Each seat is broken down to its base parts and each bolt and hinge is inspected along with the various materials found inside the covers to learn more about their shape and form. The team methodically go through the seats inch by inch making note which parts of them will need to be refurbished or replacements handmade by the team.
Stripped Back – Teardown of the 1954 Bristol 405 Interior Begins
May 26, 2022
The interior team at Bridge Classic Cars is starting the journey of stripping back the interior on the 1954 Bristol 405 as it begins its restoration across our various departments.
Brian, one of our trimmers, has been working on carefully picking apart the hundreds (if not thousands) of small brass tacks which hold the material to the frames of the classic Bristol seats. Inch by inch, the material is freed from its bindings and once it has been completely undone, it is folded and stored ready to be catalogued and stored for reference.
Once each piece is stripped back, the team can assess the condition of the foam and adhesives, also inspecting any of the delicate frameworks which make up the seats for the rare saloon car. Every single piece of the interior is being carefully looked at and noted to build up the best picture for the plan moving forward during the car’s restoration.
This Just In – 1954 Bristol 405 and Parts
April 7, 2022
The 1954 Bristol 405 and all the accompanying parts have arrived at the Bridge Classic Cars secure storage facility, The Hangar, while it awaits its restoration at our workshops.
The car came straight from Ireland to our storage facility where it will be safely and securely stored. The team also documented several boxes of parts and pieces for the classic Bristol which have been carefully put away in our stores department.
Keep a lookout on the Bridge Classic Cars news page for more updates very soon on the 1954 Bristol 405
Inspection – Inspecting the Carburettors on the 1954 Bristol 405
March 17, 2022
The workshop at Bridge Classic Cars has begun to inspect the carburettors on the original straight-six destined to be reunited with the 1954 Bristol 405.
Our restoration technicians have been testing the carburettors are clear and all springs and rotating pieces move smoothly, as well as inspecting some of the internals before they’re completely taken apart and inspected further on the workbench.
A Piece of the Puzzle – The 1954 Bristol 405’s Original Engine Returns
March 4, 2022
The Bridge Classic Cars workshop in Pettistree have received a very important shipment today. Not only is it important for the technicians in the restoration of the 1954 Bristol 405, but its important for the car itself.
The team at Bridge Classic Cars have managed to track down the car’s original engine. That’s right, this is the correct engine for the classic Bristol. The car is currently fitted with the engine from a Triumph TR6, but as part of the restoration of the car, its original heart will be put back into the 1950s GT car to live out the rest of its years with.
We’re excited to show you more on the 1954 Bristol 405 project very soon but for now, we get to marvel at the glorious Bristol straight-six.
Coming Soon – 1954 Bristol 405
March 1, 2022
Coming soon to the Bridge Classic Cars workshop is this beautiful 1954 Bristol 405.
Bridge Classic Cars have acquired the car for a customer to be restored and converted to left-hand drive by our workshop teams. The car is partway through a restoration in Ireland but is being supplied with the engine and gearbox from a Triumph TR6.
However, we have managed to track down and source the original engine and gearbox for the car! So, once they both arrive at our Suffolk HQ, the Bristol and its powertrain will be reunited once again. The TR6 engine and gearbox will be used for our own 1972 Triumph TR6 project completing what is needed for the car.
We’re excited to show you more about this fantastic car and project once it arrives at our Pettistree workshops.
