Workshop Walkabout
October 28, 2020
This morning we took a walk around the workshop to take a peak at how our engineers are getting on with the current projects. 1996
1987 Mercedes 500SL
Raptor Coating The 500SL
October 23, 2020
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
Mercedes In Its Prime
October 1, 2020
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
Stripping The SL500
September 11, 2020
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
Boot Repair On The 500SL
September 4, 2020
After spending many years stored under a tree before arriving here at Bridge, we continue to uncover rust and corrosion throughout the 1987 Mercedes 500SL.
1987 Mercedes 500SL
August 24, 2020
Toby, Bridge Classic Cars’ new Fabricator Welder has been working on our 500SL bodywork restoration. Toby has cut out the rear chassis rust and replaced
More Welding Wonders
August 12, 2020
The 1987 Mercedes 500SL has received a new floor in welding shop this week. The car arrived to us with so much work to have
1987 Mercedes 500SL Floor Repairs
February 27, 2020
Antony has been working on our 500SL Restoration. The rusted areas are ground out with fresh metal let in to repair. It seems with this
Mercedes Bulkhead Repair: 1987 Mercedes 500SL
February 18, 2020
The third generation Mercedes SL, R107 generation frequently have issues with bulkhead rust. We’re experienced in classic vehicle rust repairs and, fabrication. Within our in
1987 Mercedes SL500: Replacing Panels
August 8, 2019
The restoration of our 1987 Mercedes SL500 is now well underway with the car completely stripped, the windscreen removed and the rotten body panels having
Mercedes 500SL – More parts to restore
April 2, 2019
More parts are now refurbished and put away safely ready for reassembly.
Uncovering more rust on our Mercedes SL
March 26, 2019
It seems that whichever way we turn at the moment we are uncover more areas that desperately need our welders touch. It’s great that we
Welding complete on our 1987 Mercedes SL500
March 25, 2019
The welding work is now complete on our 1987 Mercedes SL500 body. Parts of the floor have been cut out and replaced. The front nearside
1987 Mercedes SL500 – Body Repair
March 21, 2019
We are currently working on the body issues on our 1987 Mercedes SL500. A lot of areas require attention and a lot of metalwork is
More Mercedes parts to sort…
March 19, 2019
A few more Mercedes SL500 parts to sort, restore or replace.
Mercedes SL500 R107 – Torque Setting
March 17, 2019
Having now found the torque settings for our 1987 Mercedes SL500, thought it was best to share as they are very hard to come by.
1987 Mercedes SL500 – Repairing the bodywork
March 15, 2019
Correcting the bodywork of our 1987 Mercedes SL500 was not on the immediate agenda, however, with the engine out and being rebuilt it made perfect
Refurbishing our SL500 gearbox
March 6, 2019
Our 1987 Mercedes SL500 engine is almost ready to be reinstated into the car. The gearbox is now being refurbished ready to be married up.
Cleaning up the Mercedes 500SL ready for rebuild
January 25, 2019
As previous pictures show, our 1987 Mercedes 500SL engine bay was not looking too pretty when it arrived at our workshops. Due to a recent
our 500SL engine is now out and ready for rebuild
November 26, 2018
Ady, with a little help from Pete has successfully removed our 1987 Mercedes SL500 engine ready for the rebuild to commence. This restoration project has
Removing our 500SL’s V8 engine
November 22, 2018
The engine is now out of our 1987 Mercedes 500SL. Upon closer inspection, the timing chain is very loose and left in its current state
How times have changed
July 26, 2018
Over 30 years apart but the iconic 3 pointed star remains the same.
Mercedes 500SL – The very first clean
July 25, 2018
So before arriving to us here at Bridge Classic Cars our 1987 Mercedes 500SL had been stored for some time under a tree. With her
1987 Mercedes 500SL
July 4, 2018
Our newest addition is our fantastic 1987 Mercedes 500SL, this one is ours and this one is a keeper. She has been sitting locally for
Workshop Walkabout
October 28, 2020
This morning we took a walk around the workshop to take a peak at how our engineers are getting on with the current projects.
1996 Nissan Patrol
The Nissan Patrol is almost ready to be set free on adventures again. Pete has given it a general ‘health check’ and service to ensure its exploration spirit is still intact.
The last stage on the Nissan is to ‘blacken’ the underside to protect it from rust and erosion, which is all the more important for adventurous vehicles like this Patrol!
1972 MGB Blaze Orange
Tamas has been working hard on the latest refurbishments to the MGB which has recently included a new radiator as the old one had developed some rust and holes.
The thermostat has also been refurbished along with its housing and the grill. Tamas has also installed new reversing lights as well.
The Rosytle wheels are currently in the hands of our paint specialist Darren who’s just finished applying the first layer of paint to neaten them up.
1960 MGA
The Red MGA has had a seasonal refurbishment with a heater being added to accommodate for the cold months approaching!
Paul tells us that “the car originally never had a heater in, so the parts have been shipped in from America.”
Its not uncommon to see our classic cars fitted with modern creature comforts such as heaters and radios.
1972 Peugeot 504
Scott has been working on fitting the doors, making sure the latches catch and shut efficiently.
Darren has also been working on the Peugeot, painting the engine bay. This needed two sets of paint, one for the inner parts and a separate colour for the outer parts to match the body of the car.
1957 Jensen 541R
The Jensen is still in the trimming shop where Brian is installing the leather padding that sits just above the windscreen. This piece followed the original design but still had to be cut and made by hand.
Brian tells us ‘It’s quite a fiddly job to fit this panel’.
We can’t wait to see the Jensen completed with its smart new leather from our trim experts.
1965 Amphicar
Our classic car electrician Adam has been working on tidying up the Amphicar’s wires and installing a second pump to ensure enough water is removed from within the vehicle. This means a custom made pump bracket will have to be designed and fitted when the second pump is installed.
1987 Mercedes 500SL
Our engineer Anthony is currently applying a filler to the engine bay to smooth out any bumps.
A keen eye for detail from Anthony is needed to ensure that the Mercedes doesn’t leave the fabrication bay with any imperfections.
Raptor Coating The 500SL
October 23, 2020
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 coating to protect your pride and joy from the elements. Mostly used for cars that go off-road or come into contact with more adverse weathers. You can apply raptor coatings to any vehicle. However, it’s not always necessary.
For more information and advice on raptor coating, feel free to give us a call- 01473 742038
Mercedes In Its Prime
October 1, 2020
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
September 11, 2020
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 first, all the old body paint has to be stripped so the entire shell can be prepped and primed ready for her final paint job.
We’ve used a highly erosive acidic paint stripper to remove all the old paint from the body work. If you look closely you can see the bubbles getting to work!
Boot Repair On The 500SL
September 4, 2020
After spending many years stored under a tree before arriving here at Bridge, we continue to uncover rust and corrosion throughout the 1987 Mercedes 500SL.
One of our welders Toby has completed welding work in the boot this week. “There was excessive corrosion all over the boot floor,” Toby described. “So I’ve welded a new piece into place.”
There’s still a way to go to get this classic into tip-top condition. Belonging to one of our Directors Craig, he’s enjoying seeing the progress so far.
1987 Mercedes 500SL
August 24, 2020
Toby, Bridge Classic Cars’ new Fabricator Welder has been working on our 500SL bodywork restoration.
Toby has cut out the rear chassis rust and replaced with new sheet metal. The replacement nearside boot floor panel has been fully welded. The rear of the boot has also had all the rot cut out and fresh metal let in.
Inside the rear of the boot, the rust has all been cut out and prepared for the new fabricated panel to go in. Top work, Toby!
More Welding Wonders
August 12, 2020
The 1987 Mercedes 500SL has received a new floor in welding shop this week.
The car arrived to us with so much work to have done, so we really are stripping it back to it’s bare metal and rebuilding it from there. These pictures are of the floor itself, along with the spare wheel well.
The car belongs to the company’s Director Craig. “I plan to keep and enjoy this car for many years after it’s restoration. It’s one of my favourite classics, so I’m glad the team are able to able to give it special attention and get her back into mint condition.”
1987 Mercedes 500SL Floor Repairs
February 27, 2020
Antony has been working on our 500SL Restoration. The rusted areas are ground out with fresh metal let in to repair. It seems with this Mercedes the deeper we dive, the more rust is found. We cannot wait to get this lovely classic back on the road. At the moment this is still quite a way off due to the significant quantities of repair work necessary.
Mercedes Bulkhead Repair: 1987 Mercedes 500SL
February 18, 2020
The third generation Mercedes SL, R107 generation frequently have issues with bulkhead rust. We’re experienced in classic vehicle rust repairs and, fabrication. Within our in house fabrication bay, Anthony, has been working on our 1987 Mercedes 500SL.
Does your Classic Car need rust repairs or fabrication? Give our friendly sales team a call on 01473 742038 to find out how we can look after your pride and joy.
1987 Mercedes SL500: Replacing Panels
August 8, 2019
The restoration of our 1987 Mercedes SL500 is now well underway with the car completely stripped, the windscreen removed and the rotten body panels having been cut out.
The new panels have arrived from the guys and girls at the SL Shop and Andrew is now working through, getting the areas ready for the new body panels to be welded into place.
This has turned into a much larger restoration project than expected so the project is taking much longer than first thought.
Mercedes 500SL – More parts to restore
April 2, 2019
More parts are now refurbished and put away safely ready for reassembly.
Uncovering more rust on our Mercedes SL
March 26, 2019
It seems that whichever way we turn at the moment we are uncover more areas that desperately need our welders touch. It’s great that we are finding the issues and addressing them but I’m sure Tommy is looking forward to being able to sit back having passed the car on to the paint guys for preparation and paint.
Here are the floors that we are now about to replace.
Welding complete on our 1987 Mercedes SL500
March 25, 2019
The welding work is now complete on our 1987 Mercedes SL500 body. Parts of the floor have been cut out and replaced. The front nearside arch panel has also had work as has the rear box compartment beside the spare wheel carrier.
Tommy now has grinding and tidying to carry out before he can pass over the car to our painters to be stripped back to metal for a full respray.
1987 Mercedes SL500 – Body Repair
March 21, 2019
We are currently working on the body issues on our 1987 Mercedes SL500. A lot of areas require attention and a lot of metalwork is having to be removed before we can look to consider painting the car.
Unfortunately, due to the car being sat outside, untouched for many years, the areas where water has entered but but has been unable to escape has caused these areas to rot and corrode.
The affected metalwork is being completely removed and we are letting in new metal to correct the problem.
This will take time but once complete will give us a superb base to hand over to our painters for preparation and a respray.
More Mercedes parts to sort…
March 19, 2019
A few more Mercedes SL500 parts to sort, restore or replace.
Mercedes SL500 R107 – Torque Setting
March 17, 2019
Having now found the torque settings for our 1987 Mercedes SL500, thought it was best to share as they are very hard to come by.
Tightening Torques – Cylinder Head Instructions
Cylinder head bolts, tighten in the following stages:
- 30 Nm
- 60 Nm
- Wait 10 minutes
- 60 Nm
Other engine tightening torques:
- Main bearings – Stage 1: 25 Nm
- Main bearings – Stage 2: 50 Nm
- Big end bearings – Stage 1: 45 Nm
- Big end bearings – Stage 2: 90′
- Flywheel/driveplate – 35 Nm+90′
- Crankshaft pulley/damper centre bolt – 400 Nm
- Spark plugs – 30 Nm
Chassi tightening torques:
- Road wheels – 100 Nm
1987 Mercedes SL500 – Repairing the bodywork
March 15, 2019
Correcting the bodywork of our 1987 Mercedes SL500 was not on the immediate agenda, however, with the engine out and being rebuilt it made perfect sense to look at addressing the rotten areas and get the car ready for paint. One very noticeable and bizarre finding is the pool of water that was sitting within the engine bay. Upon closer inspection it looks as though someone, in the car’s previous life, has welded up one of the main sink holes where any water built up whilst driving would have been able to drain away. This build up of water has not help preserve the surround areas so this will certainly need looking at.
The corroded areas will be cut out and new metalwork will be introduced.
There is a fair amount of work required and once completed the car will be put away once again until we can free up some space in the paint shop for the preparation and paint work to commence.
Hopefully, in time for late summer! We are aiming to have the car ready for our Classic & Sports Car & Bike Show on 28th July 2019.
Refurbishing our SL500 gearbox
March 6, 2019
Our 1987 Mercedes SL500 engine is almost ready to be reinstated into the car. The gearbox is now being refurbished ready to be married up.
Cleaning up the Mercedes 500SL ready for rebuild
January 25, 2019
As previous pictures show, our 1987 Mercedes 500SL engine bay was not looking too pretty when it arrived at our workshops. Due to a recent timing chain issue which resulted in the engine having to be removed we can now tidy up the engine bay and engine before refit.
We have fitted up the new timing chain guide rail.
our 500SL engine is now out and ready for rebuild
November 26, 2018
Ady, with a little help from Pete has successfully removed our 1987 Mercedes SL500 engine ready for the rebuild to commence. This restoration project has begun a little prematurely but with the engine not running and feeling right it was better to address the issue sooner rather than later.
Removing our 500SL’s V8 engine
November 22, 2018
The engine is now out of our 1987 Mercedes 500SL. Upon closer inspection, the timing chain is very loose and left in its current state would have further damaged the engine. We are lucky to have caught the problem when we did.
The engine will now be stripped of it’s components, cleaned up, repaired and rebuilt. Whilst Ady is busy working on the engine we can look to tidy up the engine bay so the nicely refubished engine can be homed back into a nicely refurbished engine bay.
How times have changed
July 26, 2018
Over 30 years apart but the iconic 3 pointed star remains the same.
Mercedes 500SL – The very first clean
July 25, 2018
So before arriving to us here at Bridge Classic Cars our 1987 Mercedes 500SL had been stored for some time under a tree.
With her now up and running and all levels checked our first trip was to drop her off with Mike down at Shine Supply UK to give her a good clean and find out to what extent the restoration may or may not be.
1987 Mercedes 500SL
July 4, 2018
Our newest addition is our fantastic 1987 Mercedes 500SL, this one is ours and this one is a keeper.
She has been sitting locally for some time and after a gentle poke we managed to get her fired up and able to drive her back to our new Woodbridge workshops.
First stop is with Mike at Shine Supply UK to have a full and thorough detail. After that we can look at the options on this one and see what work she will require.
