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
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 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
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,
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 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 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
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
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 1987 Mercedes 500SL in the Bridge Classic Cars body shop having its engine prepared has turned up some new discoveries. Our body and paint
The rest of the panels from the 1987 Mercedes 500SL which is in with Bridge Classic Cars for restoration have been in the in-house spray
The Bridge Classic Cars body team have been working on getting the parts and pieces from the doors of the 1987 Mercedes 500SL prepared and
The stunning 1987 Mercedes 500SL which has been in the Bridge Classic Cars body shop getting prepared for its paint job has been transferred into
The final process to get the 1987 Mercedes 500SL restoration ready for its first coats of paint has been completed by the Bridge Classic Cars
The body team at Bridge Classic Cars are continuing at full pace to get the 1987 Mercedes R107 500SL ready to head into the spray
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
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,
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
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
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
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,
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
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 in-house restoration team have been busy assessing and cataloguing the next round of parts from the 1987 Mercedes 500SL restoration project. Tamas,
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
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
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
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
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 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 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.
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.
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.
The 1987 Mercedes 500SL in the Bridge Classic Cars body shop having its engine prepared has turned up some new discoveries.
Our body and paint technicians have been working on getting the engine bay of the classic Mercedes into the same shape as the outside of the car but upon further inspection during sanding, some areas have some rust issues and previous poor repairs.
These will need to be addressed before the rest of the engine bay is finished in primer ahead of its colour coat.
Alongside that our technician, Mauro, has removed several pieces of the suspension in order to get to the harder to reach areas of the classic Mercedes. This is is to make sure every area of the car is inspected, prepared and primered.
The rest of the panels from the 1987 Mercedes 500SL which is in with Bridge Classic Cars for restoration have been in the in-house spray booth to be finished in bright white primer.
Chris, one of our amazing painters, has been getting the first layers of finishing primer onto the pieces of the classic Mercedes. This is all being done in preparation for the car to be completely refinished in the Mercedes Pagoda colour, Selenit Grau.
It’s all moving quickly now on the restoration of this beautiful Mercedes R107 and we can’t wait to show you the next step!
The Bridge Classic Cars body team have been working on getting the parts and pieces from the doors of the 1987 Mercedes 500SL prepared and catalogued before being painted and put into storage.
Mauro has been working on checking each of the components before then carefully disassembling and refurbishing anything that needed to be reworked before final assembly on the classic Mercedes.
The stunning 1987 Mercedes 500SL which has been in the Bridge Classic Cars body shop getting prepared for its paint job has been transferred into the spray booth for the first layers of finish primer to be laid onto the iconic classic Mercedes.
Chris, one of our paint technicians, has taken the R107 into the booth and thanks to the hours of preparation on the body by our body team, flawlessly laid down the first in a long process of getting the car into its final colour of Selenit Grau.
Chris treats every coat of primer like it is a final layer of colour or clear and all the paintwork that comes out of the Bridge Classic Cars paint shop is held to the same exacting standards.
We’re excited to show you the next step in the restoration of the 1987 Mercedes 500SL very soon here on the Bridge Classic Cars news page.
The final process to get the 1987 Mercedes 500SL restoration ready for its first coats of paint has been completed by the Bridge Classic Cars body shop.
Mauro has been working on getting the last few pieces of the classic Mercedes ready for its date with the paint booth. Mauro has been meticulously going through the whole car piece by piece to make sure everything is in perfect shape before the first layers of final primer are laid onto the body and panels. This involved several hours of sanding in places with very limited access but needed to be done for the best finish possible.
Along with that, Mauro removed the final parts and pieces from the doors of the 500SL to be able to sand inside the doors so the paint shop can get the best finish possible inside and out.
We’re so excited to see the 1987 Mercedes 500SL finally go into the Bridge Classic Cars paint shop for the first steps of its paint process.
The body team at Bridge Classic Cars are continuing at full pace to get the 1987 Mercedes R107 500SL ready to head into the spray booth.
Mauro has been working on getting every single surface of the iconic grand tourer into perfect shape for our painters to lay down the first coats of ”Selenit Grau”. That is the new chosen colour of the 500SL, originally available on the 280SL Pagodas in the 1960s.
The body team have also worked on getting the window regulators and all brackets, hinges, door strikers etc off of the car and catalogued. Not only for assessment but also to gain access to the inside of the doors to prep them for their new colour.
It’s all moving ahead with the 1987 Mercedes 500SL, and we’re excited to show you the next phase of the restoration on this classic Mercedes.
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 before the body goes in to be re-primed and then its full colour and clear coats are applied.
Things are moving quickly on the R107 500SL so make sure to check in on the Bridge Classic Cars news page for updates.
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 match it up to the rest of the car in terms of its body lines and panel match.
After this is done, it will all be cleaned down thoroughly and stored while the rest of the car is being worked on.
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 sure anything missing can be sourced ahead of time.
Each piece has been carefully photographed and noted for the car.
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 of his paint gun. He made sure to clean each part thoroughly and ensure they had all been dried and warmed before beginning laying the first coats onto the pieces.
Expect much more on the 1987 Mercedes 500SL very soon here 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!
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.
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.
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 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 any restoration project so that replacements can be sourced or pieces can be sent off for refurbishment.
Expect to see a lot more on the 1987 Mercedes 500SL here on the Bridge Classic Cars news page very soon.
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 needed.
Some of these pieces will be sent out to specialists for refurbishment or refinishing but others will have particular treatments and processes done to them in-house.
To see all of the parts our technician has gone through, see the gallery below!
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 our amazing team.
The door cards themselves were fabricated from scratch in order to best match the originals ensuring an extremely close fit to the same standards as they would have left the Mercedes trim shop in 1987, if not even better.
All of the associated trim pieces for the doors are also being retrimmed with the same level of care and attention to detail as the rest of the car which is currently under going full restoration here at Bridge Classic Cars.
Keep a look out on our News Page for more updates on the masterpiece of German engineering.
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 these custom-made interior pieces are worthy of an article in themselves.
Those of you following the project will know that the original interior was a, once upon a time, dark royal blue but as part of the restoration of the car here at Bridge Classic Cars, the whole interior is being retrimmed in a deep and beautiful Claret Red.
Starting with the original door cards as a template to work from, our in-house trim experts got to work creating new door cards from scratch in order to create the best fit and keep them as close to the originals as possible. Once the new door cards had been shaped, finessed and test fitted it was time to choose the right hide. Matched to this amazing example of 1980s German luxury performance was stunning deep Claret Red. Every mark, indent or locator was carefully and skillfully transferred onto the new door cards by hand to ensure they were an exact match for the existing interior trim pieces.
The deep red colour of the door cards was carefully selected to match the previous material used through the 500SL. The centre console, dash covering and all the other refinished trim work all match up thanks to the expertise and attention to detail that our interior team at Bridge Classic Cars has and the devotion to their craft.
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.
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 hand. Dashboards are one of the interior details that many people forget about in their car but is the most likely to show signs of wear and sun damage. Being exposed to the sun and regularly act as a shelf for all kinds of ornaments, car dash’s can take quite the beating in their lives and often need re-covering to give it a new lease of life. Kath made a paper pattern first which she followed up by making a mock-up out of black vinyl before cutting and fitting the leather.
Brian has been working on removing the old covers from the rear quarter panels. Brian started at the end of the panel, glueing the leather cover onto the panel. He worked along with the panel slowly, glueing down parts one bit at a time to make sure the leather was pulled tight. Brian also had to work around details such as the speaker hole where he had to sand the edges of the board so it was smooth before applying the glue. Once it was sanded down, he glued the leather onto the back of the panel, sewing on flaps, fasteners and rivets to finish.
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.
