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1969 Bentley T1

Finishing Up – Paintwork Complete on the 1969 Bentley T1

April 19, 2022

The 1969 Bentley T1 which has been in with the Bridge Classic Cars paint and body team has now been completed!

What started as a pretty standard respray on the classic Bentley quickly evolved into repairing and perfecting some previous repairs to the car which did not have the car’s best interests at heart. So, the team got to work.

After stripping down the classic Bentley in our preparation area, the team discovered a huge amount of body filler had been used on the rear quarter panels of the car to regain the shapes needed for the panel. Chris, one of our technicians, spent multiple hours just getting rid of the layers of filler to expose the raw metal buried underneath. Then, as they moved forward on the car, the front driver’s wing gave up its secret. An enormous dent/crack in the metal itself had been hidden under thick layers of filler. Before the car could be repainted, this had to be addressed.

The team managed to source a replacement wing for the iconic car. This needed some finessing and repairs but was a better starting point than the original. With this now on the car and lined up, it was back over to the paint and body team to finesse and perfect the panels and lines of the car before heading into our in-house paint booth for its first coats of primer.

Several rounds of primer, minimal filler and sanding work were done over several weeks to get the glorious Bentley back into shape. Then, it was time for colour.

The paint team perfectly matched the original Sage Green colour of the car in our mixing shop before laying it carefully and precisely across the body as it would have been done when the car was originally built. Taking the same care and attention to detail, if not more, than her original builders to ensure this T1 looked perfect. Colour sanding, polishing, more sanding, more polishing. All necessary to give the deep richness needed for a colour as synonymous with a classic Bentley as Sage Green.

Then, the team began the meticulous and precise task of masking up the Bentley to have its signature Coach Line applied down the lengths of the car. With that final piece done and the car put back together, it will soon be time for her to head home.

So, we’ve put together a gallery to show the evolution of the project in the Bridge Classic Cars paint and body shop:

Fresh & Clean – 1969 Bentley T1 Gets a ViperAuto Valet

April 14, 2022

The 1969 Bentley T1, which has been in the Bridge Classic Cars paint and body shop, has been treated to a Viper Auto Valet.

The team at Viper worked on cleaning up the classic Bentley after the team have been working on getting the whole car back together following its respray and rebuild. The car was also given a full engine bay clean down along with the entire car itself.

Back in Place – Refitting the 1969 Bentley T1 Interior and Fixing an Electrical Fault

April 14, 2022

The Bridge Classic Cars restoration teams have been working together to get the 1969 Bentley T1 back together.

The trim team have been focusing on the inside of the classic Bentley. Firstly, the team refit the repaired kick panels into the footwell of the luxury 4 door saloon. Then, the team began work of fitting up the sun visors and then refitting the interior window trims. Finally, the team began putting the large, plush rear seat into the car to finish off the rear of the car.

Meanwhile, the restoration technicians have been working on tracking down an electrical fault on the car. After doing multiple electrical and mechanical tests, our technicians narrowed it down to a bad connection within the selector switch of the car. After cleaning up the connectors and the plug, the team then went to replicate the issue and it had fixed the fault.

Delicate Touch – Painting the Iconic Coach Stripe on the 1969 Bentley T1

April 14, 2022

The iconic coach stripe which adorns the lengths of many classic Bentley’s has been applied to the 1969 Bentley T1 by the Bridge Classic Cars in-house paint team.

Chris, one of our painters, carefully measured and masked the coach lines along the T1. The whole car was then safely covered in order to lay down the correct vivid yellow stripe which runs underneath the brightwork.

The paint was then given enough time to cure in our in-house booth/oven before the car was moved into the preparation area to be finished and polished.

Refit and Repair – Working on the Boot and Kick Panels of the 1969 Bentley T1

April 11, 2022

The 1969 Bentley T1 which is being worked on by the Bridge Classic Cars paint and body team, have been joined by the in-house trim team to work on getting the classic Bentley back together.

The trim team worked on refitting and renewing the boot carpets onto the upper part of the deck lid. Along with the carpet, the team have installed the boot seal onto the lip of the boot opening.

With this part of the work complete, the trim team took a couple of pieces of the interior of the Bentley up to the trim shop to work on. The kick panels are in need of repairing and then will be fit back into the car.

Preparing for the Next Stage – 1969 Bentley T1 Ready to have Chrome Reinstalled

April 7, 2022

The restoration technicians at Bridge Classic Cars have been working alongside the paint and body team to prepare the body of the 1969 Bentley T1 to have its chrome work reinstalled.

After its bodywork and respray, the team have to drill new holes into the body to fit the car’s brightwork onto the driver’s side front wing which was replaced as part of the work carried out.

The team carefully measured each hole by lining up the piece with the others on that side of the car to make sure this piece sat level and flowed perfectly with the piece before it.

Refit – Putting the Windows on the 1969 Bentley T1 Back Together

April 6, 2022

The windows in the 1969 Bentley T1 have been getting built back up and refit into the doors by the restoration team at Bridge Classic Cars.

With the car freshly out of paint, the team very carefully have begun the process of getting everything back onto the car.

The mechanisms, glass and brightwork have all been reattached in place and tested to make sure they’re perfectly aligned with no issues binding or grabbing.

Remade – Making a New Window Sill for the 1969 Bentley T1

April 5, 2022

The team in the Bridge Classic Cars paint and body shop has been working on refitting the trims to the 1969 Bentley T1 after its respray.

Whilst fitting the window retainers/sills, the team found that one was heavily corroded and damaged. So, the team made a new piece using the original as a template to work from and fit into the handmade classic car.

With this piece now done and fitted into the car, the team can carry on getting the 1969 Bentley T1 back together.

First Colour – 1969 Bentley T1 has First Round of Colour

March 30, 2022

The beautiful and elegant 1969 Bentley T1 has been in the Bridge Classic Cars in-house paint booth to have its first layers of paint applied.

Chris and the paint team have worked hard to get the body of the classic Bentley into perfect shape before it headed into our paint booth. The Bentley is being repainted in the original Sage Green, which has been hand-matched by our paint department to get the colour just as it would have originally been done back in the late 1960s.

With this round of painting complete, the car will be taken into the preparation area and prepared to be finished.

Ready for Paint – The 1969 Bentley T1 Ready for Colour

March 25, 2022

The 1969 Bentley T1 has entered the Bridge Classic Cars in-house paint booth to begin its journey into colour.

Chris and the team in the Bridge Classic Cars body and paint shop have worked tirelessly to get the classic Bentley ready to go into the spray booth for the first layers of colour to be laid down.

The T1 will go through the process of several layers of colour before finishing work begins.

Expect to see much more on the beautiful 1969 Bentley T1 very soon.

Sanded Back – Preparing the 1969 Bentley T1 for Paint

March 24, 2022

The 1969 Bentley T1 has been in the paint preparation area of the Bridge Classic Cars restoration workshop to have the latest round of primer work sanded back.

The car has had the final stage of primer sanding done by hand in order to get the surface in perfect condition for the full respray of the classic Bentley. Mauro, one of our technicians, carefully worked his way around the entire car making sure to get into every curve and recess of the body.

With this now complete, the car could be cleaned down ahead of heading into the spray booth.

Begin Again – Getting 1969 Bentley T1 Ready for Paint

March 16, 2022

The 1969 Bentley T1 has been moved from the Bridge Classic Cars body shop into our in-house paint shop to begin the process of getting the classic Bentley resprayed in its original Green.

Chris has been working on getting the panels of the classic Bentley reshaped to make sure each piece is in the best shape and appearance before even the first coats of paint hit the body. This latest round of guide coat is so the team can make sure each piece is level and flat before the process of colour begins.

Reshaping – Body Work on the 1969 Bentley T1

March 7, 2022

The 1969 Bentley T1 is in the Bridge Classic Cars body shop to be reworked and perfected before it goes into the in-house paint booth.

The body shop team have been working on sanding and minimally filling the panels on the classic Bentley to ensure each body line and panel seamlessly blends into the next from the front to the back of the car.

Once the preparations are completed, the car will go back into the paint booth and then the team will move onto the next process.

First Steps – 1969 Bentley T1 in Primer

February 25, 2022

The 1969 Bentley T1 has been moved from the Bridge Classic Cars body shop into the paint shop to begin its journey towards its full respray.

The team at Bridge Classic Cars have been working incredibly hard to carry out the rust repairs on this beautiful classic Bentley. With those now completed properly for the car, it was moved so our body shop could begin to prepare it for its appointment with the spray booth.

With the body prepared and cleaned down, our paint Chris wheeled the Bentley into position and began laying down the first coats of primer onto its newly reworked body. This layer will be used as a guide for the body shop technicians to see which areas need to be worked on to get the panels perfect before the full respray on the car.

The Smallest of Details – Rust Repairs on the C Pillar of the 1969 Bentley T1

February 22, 2022

The 1969 Bentley T1 in the Bridge Classic Cars workshop for restoration, has had more metalwork done to get the car back into a better condition.

This time, our technicians found a small hole in the driver’s side C pillar which had to be filled properly. This had previously been filled with body filler and painted over but our team decided that it needed to be fixed properly before the project moves forward.

Dave, carefully filled the hole and ground it back to shape the weld into place so as to make it easier for the body team when it comes to the minimal filler work before the car is completely repainted.

First Fit – Test Fitting the Front Wing on the 1969 Bentley T1

February 16, 2022

The 1969 Bentley T1 currently in the Bridge Classic Cars workshop at our Suffolk HQ has had the first test fit of its new replacement front wing.

We managed to secure the only replacement front wing in the entire country for this car. This is a reproduction piece that Dave, our technician, has had to work on to get it roughly fitting onto the car. With it now in place hanging onto its mounts, the workshop can now see where it needs to be manipulated and reshaped in order to match up with the classic lines of the Bentley.

The original wing, as you may remember, was heavily damaged and after more inspection, it wasn’t salvageable to be reused on the project.

With this important point in the project, expect to see much more on the 1969 Bentley T1 very soon here on the Bridge Classic Cars news page.

Piece by Piece – Rust Repairs on the 1969 Bentley T1

February 10, 2022

The 1969 Bentley T1 currently in the workshop at the Bridge Classic Cars Suffolk HQ is being worked on by our master technician Dave.

Dave is working on cutting out all of the low lying corrosion issues on the fabulous classic Bentley. We have sourced various panels and pieces for the car but Dave has been working on creating small patches where the piece itself is still sound around the corrosion.

Dave has been meticulous with checking the condition of the panel as a whole before cutting into it and again, is only cutting the areas that need urgent attention or will do in the very near future.

The project is moving along quickly as every day more of the car is saved and replaced so that this amazing Bentley can be around for many years to come.

Getting Ready for Work – Sanding and Stripping Down the 1969 Bentley T1

February 9, 2022

The Bridge Classic Cars paint and body team have been working on the 1969 Bentley T1 before it heads into our restoration workshop for some body repairs.

The Bentley has been completely taken apart by the in-house teams and while the body is going into the workshop, other panels and pieces will be kept in the paint shop and prepared for their repaint. The paint and body team have also been carefully preparing the interior of the car for the workshop team like moving back carpets etc which will be close to the cutting and welding areas.

The paint and body team have turned their attentions to the doors and rear decklid to get them in the best shape possible in preparation for the body returning.

Start Over – Repairing the Rust on the 1969 Bentley T1

February 3, 2022

The 1969 Bentley T1 is currently in the Bridge Classic Cars workshop for our in-house restoration technician, Dave, to begin work on the rust repairs of this classic Bentley.

The state of the body on the Bentley wasn’t in the best shape once our in-house paint and body team took the car all the back to bare metal. Evidence of poor repairs and work done to the car which did not have the best interest or, the longevity of the car in mind.

So, it’s time to sort the T1 out properly. Dave is one of our most experienced technicians and fabricators. He is beginning by sorting out the front sills for the Bentley. These are crucial for the strength and rigidity of the car which our team can then work off of when tackling other areas.

With this process started in the Bridge Classic Cars workshop, keep a look out on the News Page for more updates soon on the 1969 Bentley T1 restoration.

Beneath the Surface – Stripping Back the 1969 Bentley T1

February 1, 2022

The Bridge Classic Cars in-house paint and body team have been working on stripping down the 1969 Bentley T1. What they’ve found isn’t looking good.

The Bentley is showing signs of several repairs which did not have the cars best interest in mind. So, with this, Chris began diving deeper into the car to come up with a plan on how to best get this beautiful classic Bentley back into the best shape possible befitting a car of its standing.

Chris has meticulously and cautiously stripped back all of the paint on every single body panel to find every piece of sub-par previous work on the car. That way, moving forward the car can be repaired and restored correctly and last another 50+ years.

Whilst the body has been being worked on, Chris and Alan had some of the other panels and pieces for the Bentley inside the spray booth after perfecting them on the sanding tables. They are now shot in hard-wearing and durable modern epoxy primer.

Bridge Classic Cars ensure that during one of our restorations, the cars best interest is kept at the forefront of our work. So, keep a lookout here on the Bridge Classic Cars news page for more updates on the 1969 Bentley T1.

Next Step – Disassembly and Paint Stripping the 1969 Bentley T1

January 21, 2022

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.

Strip Down – Disassembling a 1969 Bentley T1

January 21, 2022

The Bridge Classic Cars body team have been working alongside our workshop technicians to get the 1969 Bentley T1 stripped down and ready to be taken back to bare metal.

The technicians have meticulously gone through every aspect of the car and carefully labelled and catalogued each piece that has come off the car.

All of this is so that the body team can begin to strip down the whole car and inspect it before it goes in for its full respray.

A New Start – 1969 Bentley T1 in for Repaint

January 20, 2022

Bridge Classic Cars in-house paint and body technicians have begun the process of getting this beautiful 1969 Bentley T1 ready for paint.

The car will be entirely stripped down to bare metal with each component carefully catalogued and photographed, taking care and attention to preserve even the tiniest washer on the classic luxury icon. Chris and Alan, our in-house paint experts will then work on getting the bodywork of the car sanded back to assess the state of the metal and if any corrections will need to be made for the car is repainted in our state of the art paint booth.

Expect to see lots more very soon of the 1969 Bentley T1 in with Bridge Classic Cars.

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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