500SL Fuel Pump Brackets
September 2, 2024
John has been refurbishing the fuel pump brackets of our 1987 Mercedes 500SL.
1987 Mercedes 500SL
500 SL Progress
August 29, 2024
Jonn has been cleaning up the wiper motor and mounting brackets of our 1987 Mercedes 500SL. He then cleaned and checked the operation of the
Brake Lines and Master Cylinder on our 1987 Mercedes 500SL
July 24, 2024
The 1987 Mercedes 500SL is currently getting fitted out by the Bridge Classic Cars team at our Suffolk HQ. Jon, one of our restoration technicians,
Starting Up Our 1987 Mercedes 500SL Project Again
July 19, 2024
The Bridge Classic Cars team have begun working on one of our personal projects in the shape of our 1987 Mercedes 500SL. The team have
Into Storage
March 18, 2024
Our 1987 Mercedes 500SL has gone into our secure storage facility. It was transported from the Bridge Classic Cars workshop to its temporary home.
ABS Mounting Bracket
February 28, 2024
Mauro has been painting the ABS mounting bracket for our 1987 Mercedes 500SL.
Doors
February 8, 2024
Workshop Manager John has been fitting up the doors of our 1987 Mercedes 500SL.
Heater Box
January 23, 2024
Jonn has continued his work on our 1987 Mercedes 500SL. He cleaned and repaired the heater box assembly. He bonded the broken fan mating surface
Fitting Up
January 18, 2024
Recently, Jon and John have been working on our 1987 Mercedes 500SL. Jon stripped the heater box and removed the blend flap and directional air
Mercedes Wiring
January 8, 2024
John has been cleaning the overspray and grease and oil off the wiring loom of our 1987 Mercedes 500 SL. He then started routing wiring
Mercedes Wiring
November 29, 2023
Bridge Classic Cars workshop manager John has been sorting out the routing and assessing the condition of the wiring in our 1987 Mercedes 500SL.
More Progress On Our Mercedes
November 27, 2023
Jonn has been fitting new callipers and pads along with a new fitting kit and braided flexi hose to the nearside front of our 1987
ABS Bracket
November 20, 2023
Our 1987 Mercedes 500SL has been the focus of classic car technician Monty recently. He has had the car in the fabrication bay and has
Alignment
November 15, 2023
Workshop manager John has been working on our 1987 Mercedes 500 SL. He started by trial-fitting the heater box to check the panel alignment. Monty
Building up the doors
November 10, 2023
The doors are being built up right now on our 1987 Mercedes SL500 R107.
My Mercedes getting a bit of love…
November 6, 2023
John has carried out some weekend one here at Bridge Classic Cars, working on my 1987 Mercedes 500 SL restoration project. This has been such
Mercedes SL Front Brakes
November 4, 2023
Jon has fitted up the new bleed nipples to the freshly painted calipers. The bolts have been cleaned and painted We have cleaned up and
Mercedes Front Hubs
October 25, 2023
Jonn has been working on our 1987 Mercedes 500SL. He assembled the wheel bearings and hubs and fit them to the car. New discs were
Subframe Reassembly
October 17, 2023
Classic car technician Jonn and workshop manager John have been working on our 1987 Mercedes 500SL. They have been reassembling the subframe before refitting it
Back To It
October 6, 2023
Our 1987 Mercedes 500SL is back in the Bridge Classic Cars workshop and work has begun on it once again. Various tasks have already been
Cut Back – Polishing the Body and Painting Final Parts of the 1987 Mercedes 500SL
May 3, 2022
The paint and bodywork teams at Bridge Classic Cars have been working on the final processes of the 1987 Mercedes 500SL restoration. Alan, one of
Guarded – Raptorgaurding the Inner Wings and Bulkhead of the 1987 Mercedes 500SL
April 21, 2022
The inner wings and several pieces of the bulkhead from the 1987 Mercedes 500SL have been finished in thick durable Raptorguard by the Bridge Classic
Flawless Finish – Painting the Final Parts of the 1987 Mercedes 500SL
April 20, 2022
The final parts and panels for the 1987 Mercedes 500SL have been finished in the Bridge Classic Cars in-house paint shop ready for reassembly on
Final Push – Priming the Last Panels for the 1987 Mercedes 500SL
April 14, 2022
The final panels and trims for the 1987 Mercedes 500SL in for restoration have been prepared and primed by the Bridge Classic Cars in-house paint
Final Finish – Painting the Doors and Quarter Panels of the 1987 Mercedes 500SL
April 11, 2022
The final panels for the 1987 Mercedes 500SL have been carefully and meticulously prepared by the paint and body team at Bridge Classic Cars. Alan,
Colour Matched – Painting the Bonnet on the 1987 Mercedes 500SL
April 7, 2022
The bonnet of the 1987 Mercedes 500SL has been taken into the Bridge Classic Cars paint shop to be painted by our in-house paint team.
Piece by Piece – Painting the Bonnet and Boot on the 1987 Mercedes 500SL
April 6, 2022
The bonnet and boot of the 1987 Mercedes 500SL have been into the Bridge Classic Cars paint shop to be finished in the matching Selenit
The Pursuit of Perfection – The 1987 Mercedes 500SL in Colour
April 1, 2022
The 1987 Mercedes 500SL has been moved from the preparation area at Bridge Classic Cars into the paint shop and then, into our in-house paint
Prepped and Ready – The 1987 Mercedes 500SL Masked and Ready for Paint
March 25, 2022
The 1987 Mercedes 500SL has had all its fabrication work completed by the fabrication team at Bridge Classic Cars and been moved into the paint
Getting to the Root – Fixing the Rust Areas on the 1987 Mercedes 500SL
March 10, 2022
The 1987 Mercedes 500SL has been transferred from our body shop to the fabrication shop at the Bridge Classic Cars workshops. During the preparation of
500SL Fuel Pump Brackets
September 2, 2024
John has been refurbishing the fuel pump brackets of our 1987 Mercedes 500SL.
500 SL Progress
August 29, 2024
Jonn has been cleaning up the wiper motor and mounting brackets of our 1987 Mercedes 500SL.
He then cleaned and checked the operation of the fuel pumps and brackets.
Brake Lines and Master Cylinder on our 1987 Mercedes 500SL
July 24, 2024
The 1987 Mercedes 500SL is currently getting fitted out by the Bridge Classic Cars team at our Suffolk HQ. Jon, one of our restoration technicians, has been working on beginning the braking system on the 1980s V8 roadster. To begin with, he’s been laying out the brake lines to make sure everything fits correctly around any existing components and up to the master cylinder which has also been installed on the firewall. Whilst doing that, he’s methodically cleaned up any parts which also needed installing onto the car.
Starting Up Our 1987 Mercedes 500SL Project Again
July 19, 2024
The Bridge Classic Cars team have begun working on one of our personal projects in the shape of our 1987 Mercedes 500SL.
The team have worked on getting a lot of the refurbished parts down off of the shelves for this specific car to lay out and cross reference before beginning the process of getting the car back together.
Into Storage
March 18, 2024
Our 1987 Mercedes 500SL has gone into our secure storage facility. It was transported from the Bridge Classic Cars workshop to its temporary home.
ABS Mounting Bracket
February 28, 2024
Mauro has been painting the ABS mounting bracket for our 1987 Mercedes 500SL.
Doors
February 8, 2024
Workshop Manager John has been fitting up the doors of our 1987 Mercedes 500SL.
Heater Box
January 23, 2024
Jonn has continued his work on our 1987 Mercedes 500SL. He cleaned and repaired the heater box assembly.
He bonded the broken fan mating surface and sanded it back flat. He then stuck foam to the directional and air blend flaps inside the box and refitted.
Fitting Up
January 18, 2024
Recently, Jon and John have been working on our 1987 Mercedes 500SL.
Jon stripped the heater box and removed the blend flap and directional air flap from one side. He left the other side as it was so he could use this as a guide for reassembly.
John trial-fitted the power steering pipes and servo before moving on to fit the indicators and side trim. The throttle linkage was also cleaned.
Mercedes Wiring
January 8, 2024
John has been cleaning the overspray and grease and oil off the wiring loom of our 1987 Mercedes 500 SL. He then started routing wiring into the correct positions.
The other Jonn then continued to sort/route the wiring before mounting the heater valve to the bulkhead. The ABS pump was mounted and Jonn repaired and rebuilt the heater fan and mount in place.
Jonn then drilled the hole in the nearside bulkhead and routed the bonnet release cable through.
Mercedes Wiring
November 29, 2023
Bridge Classic Cars workshop manager John has been sorting out the routing and assessing the condition of the wiring in our 1987 Mercedes 500SL.
More Progress On Our Mercedes
November 27, 2023
Jonn has been fitting new callipers and pads along with a new fitting kit and braided flexi hose to the nearside front of our 1987 Mercedes 500SL.
He then fitted a new shock absorber and secured it.
ABS Bracket
November 20, 2023
Our 1987 Mercedes 500SL has been the focus of classic car technician Monty recently. He has had the car in the fabrication bay and has been making the ABS bracket.
Alignment
November 15, 2023
Workshop manager John has been working on our 1987 Mercedes 500 SL. He started by trial-fitting the heater box to check the panel alignment.
Monty has also been working on aligning the bulkhead.
Building up the doors
November 10, 2023
The doors are being built up right now on our 1987 Mercedes SL500 R107.
My Mercedes getting a bit of love…
November 6, 2023
John has carried out some weekend one here at Bridge Classic Cars, working on my 1987 Mercedes 500 SL restoration project. This has been such a long process due to it being one of our own vehicles and never finding the time in the diary to get on with it.
Weekends have now become a thing now to get the car back on the road…hopefully for next summer!!
As you can see, John has been cleaning down the locks and door mechanism to fit up doors.
Mercedes SL Front Brakes
November 4, 2023
Jon has fitted up the new bleed nipples to the freshly painted calipers.
The bolts have been cleaned and painted
We have cleaned up and reused the pad sensor wires and fitted the calipers to the car.
The old pads have been reused as they are nearly new and we used a new fitting kit to secure the pads.
New front shock absorbers have been fitted.
Mercedes Front Hubs
October 25, 2023
Jonn has been working on our 1987 Mercedes 500SL. He assembled the wheel bearings and hubs and fit them to the car.
New discs were also fitted before the wheels were refitted. Jonn checked and adjusted the bearings. The bearing nut needed to be tightened, which Jonn did as well as fitting a dust cap.
Subframe Reassembly
October 17, 2023
Classic car technician Jonn and workshop manager John have been working on our 1987 Mercedes 500SL.
They have been reassembling the subframe before refitting it to the car. They then moved on to connect and secure the steering.
Back To It
October 6, 2023
Our 1987 Mercedes 500SL is back in the Bridge Classic Cars workshop and work has begun on it once again.
Various tasks have already been completed such as replacing the bushes and ball joint on the front suspension. The car has been stripped back so work can continue on getting this classic Mercedes restored and back out on the road.
Cut Back – Polishing the Body and Painting Final Parts of the 1987 Mercedes 500SL
May 3, 2022
The paint and bodywork teams at Bridge Classic Cars have been working on the final processes of the 1987 Mercedes 500SL restoration.
Alan, one of our painters, has been working on cutting back the grey paintwork on the classic R107 in preparation for its polishing. This has to be done very carefully as to not damage the edges of the lacquer/clear coat on the car. A series of finer and finer wet sandpapers are used until the clearcoat is flat, uniform and flawless and then machine polished to a mirror polish.
Also, the team have painted the final pieces of trim on the car in the heavily durable black that other pieces of the car have been finished in.
Guarded – Raptorgaurding the Inner Wings and Bulkhead of the 1987 Mercedes 500SL
April 21, 2022
The inner wings and several pieces of the bulkhead from the 1987 Mercedes 500SL have been finished in thick durable Raptorguard by the Bridge Classic Cars in-house paint shop.
Alan, one of our painters, has been working on completing this task as part of the final paint stages on the classic Mercedes R107. This stage involved coating several key areas of the car with a thick, durable Raptorguard. This particular product seals the surface from any form of moisture that can find its way inside the metal. So, the team have finished the inside of the front wings and several key parts of the bulkhead and heater matrix.
With this done and now curing, the team can soon begin reassembly of the classic Mercedes 500SL.
Flawless Finish – Painting the Final Parts of the 1987 Mercedes 500SL
April 20, 2022
The final parts and panels for the 1987 Mercedes 500SL have been finished in the Bridge Classic Cars in-house paint shop ready for reassembly on the car.
The team have taken their time to make sure each individual piece has been properly prepared, cleaned and primed before being taken back into the booth to be finished in matching Selenit Grey to the rest of the classic 1980s Mercedes.
Part of the process involved also painting several key parts of the car in a deep black before being masked off and finished in the glossy grey.
Final Push – Priming the Last Panels for the 1987 Mercedes 500SL
April 14, 2022
The final panels and trims for the 1987 Mercedes 500SL in for restoration have been prepared and primed by the Bridge Classic Cars in-house paint shop.
Alan, one of our painters, has been carefully preparing each individual piece before carefully loading them onto the jigs in our in-house paint booth before laying down the first coats of epoxy primer. After these had flashed off and began to cure, Alan laid several coats of high-build primer for the body shop team to begin working on before they head back in to be finished in matching Dark Grey to the rest of the car.
Final Finish – Painting the Doors and Quarter Panels of the 1987 Mercedes 500SL
April 11, 2022
The final panels for the 1987 Mercedes 500SL have been carefully and meticulously prepared by the paint and body team at Bridge Classic Cars.
Alan, has worked on getting each panel individually prepared and then cleaned down before taking them into our in-house paint booth where they were to be finished in matching Selenit Grey to the rest of the car.
He laid down layer after layer of the deep, glossy grey to the doors and front quarter panels which marks the final major pieces of the 1987 500SL to be painted and the car will soon begin the rebuild of the car.
Colour Matched – Painting the Bonnet on the 1987 Mercedes 500SL
April 7, 2022
The bonnet of the 1987 Mercedes 500SL has been taken into the Bridge Classic Cars paint shop to be painted by our in-house paint team.
The piece has been beautifully prepared and readied to go into the booth with our painter Alan to shoot the layers of Selenit Grey needed to complete the deep, glossy paintwork which has been done to the body of the classic Mercedes.
Piece by Piece – Painting the Bonnet and Boot on the 1987 Mercedes 500SL
April 6, 2022
The bonnet and boot of the 1987 Mercedes 500SL have been into the Bridge Classic Cars paint shop to be finished in the matching Selenit Grey to the rest of the bodywork.
Alan has been carefully preparing and readying the panels before they went into the booth to get the perfect finish identical to the rest of the classic Mercedes.
The Pursuit of Perfection – The 1987 Mercedes 500SL in Colour
April 1, 2022
The 1987 Mercedes 500SL has been moved from the preparation area at Bridge Classic Cars into the paint shop and then, into our in-house paint booth/oven.
The paint and body team, along with the fabrication shop, have spent a lot of time getting the classic R107 ready for its date with the paint booth making sure each part, panel and piece was perfect before beginning the painting process.
The car is being finished in a classic Mercedes colour, Selenet Grey. Most notably seen on the classic 280SL Pagodas, it was chosen to compliment the beautiful burgundy red interior that the trim team have made for the car.
So, with the car ready it was time for Alan and Nick to go into the booth with the car and lay down the first coat onto the body of the SL. Starting with the engine bay.
Alan began under the transmission tunnel and worked his way up and across the firewall making sure every inch was covered to give each coat an even and flowing look. The inner wheel arches and front core support finished off the first stage. Then, Alan began to work getting the scuttle panel and windscreen surround shot in the dark, deep grey and worked his way back towards the boot on the classic Mercedes.
The rear quarter panels and rocker panels were coloured line by line. Each gently overlapping on the previous to give the consistent and uniform look needed to achieve the flawless finish that comes with Selenet Grey. But with the car having its first coat complete, it was time to let it settle and get the paint mixed for the next round.
The 2nd coat was done in the same order as the first. Alan making sure to get every exposed piece of bodywork coated properly for the uniform look. Again, it was all about consistency and movement in order to achieve the finish on the classic R107. And once the 2nd layer had flashed off, Alan waited for the prescribed time and then shot the 3rd coat to finish off the car.
With that, it was left in the ovens to completely cure and harden. Once it has completely hardened, it will be carefully transferred back to the preparation area in order for polishing and preparation for the next stage.
Prepped and Ready – The 1987 Mercedes 500SL Masked and Ready for Paint
March 25, 2022
The 1987 Mercedes 500SL has had all its fabrication work completed by the fabrication team at Bridge Classic Cars and been moved into the paint preparation area.
The car has had several crucial pieces of the car’s metalwork repaired by the fabrication shop. The paint and body team then worked on getting the car reprepared for the spray booth by sanding down the panels and masking the car ready for its date with the spray booth.
Getting to the Root – Fixing the Rust Areas on the 1987 Mercedes 500SL
March 10, 2022
The 1987 Mercedes 500SL has been transferred from our body shop to the fabrication shop at the Bridge Classic Cars workshops.
During the preparation of the body for paint, our body shop noticed some areas of corrosion in some key places. These are being cut out and addressed by our fabricators so the classic Mercedes R107 is in perfect condition to go back into the body shop to have those areas prepared again for paint.
