1987 Mercedes 500SL

Body Prep – Getting the 1987 Mercedes 500SL Ready for Paint

The 1987 Mercedes 500SL is in with the Bridge Classic Cars body shop to be prepared for its upcoming paintwork. Our technician Mauro has been working on getting the bodywork in the best order possible before it’s handed over to the paint team. He has been making sure that every panel is flat and smooth […]

Reworking – Sanding and Preparing the Boot and Fuel Cap for the 1987 Mercedes 500SL

The in-house paint and body team here at Bridge Classic Cars have begun work on the 1987 Mercedes 500SL. Mauro, one of our paint team, has been getting some of the panels and pieces ready for paint. The team is working on getting the boot lid and fuel cap have been getting worked on to […]

Final Parts – Assessing Parts on the 1987 Mercedes 500SL

The in-house restoration technicians at Bridge Classic Cars have been working through the final parts and pieces for the 1987 Mercedes 500SL restoration which is in our Suffolk HQ workshop. Tom, one of our in-house restoration technicians, has been going through parts for the 1987 Mercedes R107 500SL to check their condition and to make […]

In Paint – Parts of the 1987 Mercedes 500SL in the Paint Shop

The in-house paint shop at Bridge Classic Cars has always got something in the state of the art spray booth. This time, it’s some of the parts for the 1987 Mercedes 500SL. Alan, one of our paint experts, has been working on preparing the parts from the legendary German luxury convertible to go in front […]

Pulled into Place – Finishing the Armrests and Doorcaps on the 1987 Mercedes 500SL

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 […]

Handmade – Armrest Covers for the 1987 Mercedes 500SL

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 […]

Carrying On – Inspection and Cataloguing Parts from the 1987 Mercedes 500SL

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 […]

Making a Start – Body and Paintwork Begins on the 1987 Mercedes 500SL

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 […]

From Scratch – Trimming the Armrests on the 1987 Mercedes 500SL

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. […]

All Gone Through – Cataloguing Parts Off the 1987 Mercedes 500SL

Bridge Classic Cars in-house restoration team have been busy assessing and cataloguing the next round of parts from the 1987 Mercedes 500SL restoration project. Tamas, has been going through each individual part to check its part number and operation/condition for when the car comes back in for final assembly. This is a crucial part of […]

All in Order – Cleaning and Organising Parts from the 1987 Mercedes 500SL

The Bridge Classic Cars in-house restoration team have been busy cleaning and cataloguing the parts for the 1987 Mercedes 500SL which is in with ourselves for restoration. Our in-house restoration technician Tamas has been meticulously going through every component which was removed from the car to evaluate and note its condition and part number if […]

Final Fitment – Door Cards on the 1987 Mercedes 500SL

The art of interior trim is something our in-house trim experts have mastered over years of experience. A great example of this is the door cards on our 1987 Mercedes 500SL. These are all being entirely made in-house in our trim shop. The fit and finish of our interior pieces is world class thanks to […]

The Tactile Feeling – Retrimming the door panels on our 1987 Mercedes 500SL

Interior trim is one of the key elements of any restoration, and we here at Bridge Classic Cars have got probably the best in-house trim shop bar none. Take for example this classic car, Craig’s 1987 Mercedes 500SL which is having a whole new interior done by our in-house trimmers. The fit and finish on […]

500SL Centre Console

Craig’s Mercedes 500 SL restoration has taken a back seat recently but Brian has been working on covering the centre console by pulling tight the fabric and glueing down the stitching.

Mercedes 500SL Dash and Panels

The trim shop has started on Craig’s 1987 Mercedes 500SL trim which is being done in a Claret red. Kath has been painstakingly pouring over the dash, making sure the intricate details of the holes and curves are perfectly catered for and covering in bespoke fabric, which has been pulled taught and glued back by […]

Mercedes 500SL Trim Development

Craig’s 1987 Mercedes 500SL seats are still in the capable hands of our in house trim shop. Lydia has been leading the charge with the interior, creating each seat cover by hand. Brian has also lent a helping hand with the frame and hind mechanisms. Lydia has recently been heating and stretching the fabric, applying […]

Mercedes 500SL’s Trim Restoration Story Continues

Lydia has been focusing exclusively on Craig’s 500SL Mercedes interior restoration. Over the last week or so shes been working on the seat covers, re-working the original material and creating new covers. Lydia began by adding a layer of scrim foam over the top and sides of the frame to replace the old worn out […]

Mercedes 500SL Interior Trim Continues

Lydia has been making the second front squab seat cover for our 1987 Mercedes 500SL. This included taking the cover off the frame which is something. Lydia had to start with loosening the sides from the frame by levering the cover off. The next step was to remove the plastic parts by holding the cover […]

Mercedes SL Interior Continues…

Lydia has completed another seat cover using the same process as before. Brian and Kath have also been working at creating a cover for the dashboard. The dashboard process included measuring out and cutting the leather and cutting out holes for the dials, sewing around the edges to make for a neat fold and fit, […]

Mercedes 500SL Trim Update

Lydia has continued the work with Craig’s 1987 Mercedes 500SL. Here we can see her sewing the piping on to the skirt for the seat. Each detail and design is thoroughly thought through and done by hand. Lydia has recently completed the glove compartment for the door of the Mercedes 500 SL. This process included […]

Plastic Stitching For The Mercedes

We’ve been working on a plastic speaker panel for Craig’s Mercedes 500SL that needed to be stitched back together. This was done by attaching the two pieces together via plastic welding.

The Mercedes New Trim

Lydia, one of our trim shop technicians, has been working on preparing and creating the interior for Craig’s 1987 Mercedes 500SL. A while ago Craig decided to go with a Claret red to dress the interior of his custom classic, and now the interior trim creation begins Lydia has been focusing on preparing the gearstick […]

Claret Interior For The Mercedes 500SL

Craig has recently decided on a colour for the interior of his 1987 Mercedes 500SL. The trim shop has just started tackling the trim which will be done in a Claret red. Lydia has been prepping the windscreen panels for recovering, which have been done in the claret leather. The sanding and filling of the […]

500SL Mercedes’ New Robes

Our director Craig has had his Mercedes 500SL in for restoration for a while now. There are many choices to be made when you’re not only restoring your classic but also redesigning it. Some of those choices are more interesting than others. One of the more fun choices in the customising process is choosing the […]

Workshop Walkabout

There’s been a lot going with week already and its only Wednesday! Take a look at what’s been going on s far. Range Rover Sport 2016 One of our directors, Gordon, had his Range Rover Sport’s tyres refurbished, ready for the cold winter months ahead. Now fully refurbished, Gordon’s Range Rover is ready to take […]

Trim time for the 500SL

Now the exterior colour of our 1987 Mercedes 500SL has been chosen we are now on to the decision of our interior. All interior components are now down off the shelf and in the Trim Shop with Kath and Brian ready to be rebuilt to our bespoke specifications. The colour will be chosen within the […]

The Mercedes Has Blue Blood

Our 1987 Mercedes 500SL has had its colour transformation initiated with a prep mask being applied in the engine bay. It then continued to have prime and topcoat added. Soon it’ll have a whole body of fresh paint.

Raptor Coating The 500SL

Our Director Craig’s 1987 Mercedes 500SL has been with Anthony in our body shop this week. Anthony has been carrying out some extensive work on the the Mercedes’ shell. “Now the body’s been completely stripped and primed” Anthony explains “we’ve put a full black raptor coating on the entire shell.” Raptor is tough and durable […]

Mercedes In Its Prime

Our stunning 1987 Mercedes 500SL has been in the paint shop having her primer sprayed ahead of being shaped and re-primed. Her owner, our Director Craig, is yet to choose the colour for his gorgeous classic. It was originally in silver, but he’s keen for a change. What colour would you go for?

Stripping The SL500

Our soon-to-be stunning 1987 Mercedes SL500 is being prepped for a complete paint re-spray. She’s been with us for over a year where we’ve worked tirelessly on repairing her body from an incredible amount of rust and damage. All the welding work is now complete though, so- it’s onto our precious paint shop! First things […]