Body Prep – Getting the 1987 Mercedes 500SL Ready for Paint
February 11, 2022
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
1987 mercedes 500sl
Reworking – Sanding and Preparing the Boot and Fuel Cap for the 1987 Mercedes 500SL
February 9, 2022
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,
Final Parts – Assessing Parts on the 1987 Mercedes 500SL
February 8, 2022
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
Pulled into Place – Finishing the Armrests and Doorcaps on the 1987 Mercedes 500SL
January 27, 2022
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
Handmade – Armrest Covers for the 1987 Mercedes 500SL
January 26, 2022
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,
Carrying On – Inspection and Cataloguing Parts from the 1987 Mercedes 500SL
January 25, 2022
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
Making a Start – Body and Paintwork Begins on the 1987 Mercedes 500SL
January 25, 2022
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
From Scratch – Trimming the Armrests on the 1987 Mercedes 500SL
January 24, 2022
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
All Gone Through – Cataloguing Parts Off the 1987 Mercedes 500SL
January 21, 2022
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,
All in Order – Cleaning and Organising Parts from the 1987 Mercedes 500SL
January 13, 2022
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
Final Fitment – Door Cards on the 1987 Mercedes 500SL
September 27, 2021
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
500SL Centre Console
June 30, 2021
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
Mercedes 500SL Dash and Panels
March 29, 2021
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
Mercedes 500SL Interior Trim Continues
February 10, 2021
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
The Mercedes New Trim
January 20, 2021
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
Primed And Ready
November 2, 2020
Our 1987 Mercedes 500SL has had its primer and flattening completed by our technicians Ant and Chris. This stage allows the bodywork to be perfected
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.
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
Body Prep – Getting the 1987 Mercedes 500SL Ready for Paint
February 11, 2022
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.
Reworking – Sanding and Preparing the Boot and Fuel Cap for the 1987 Mercedes 500SL
February 9, 2022
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.
Final Parts – Assessing Parts on the 1987 Mercedes 500SL
February 8, 2022
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.
Pulled into Place – Finishing the Armrests and Doorcaps on the 1987 Mercedes 500SL
January 27, 2022
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!
Handmade – Armrest Covers for the 1987 Mercedes 500SL
January 26, 2022
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.
Carrying On – Inspection and Cataloguing Parts from the 1987 Mercedes 500SL
January 25, 2022
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.
Making a Start – Body and Paintwork Begins on the 1987 Mercedes 500SL
January 25, 2022
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.
From Scratch – Trimming the Armrests on the 1987 Mercedes 500SL
January 24, 2022
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.
All Gone Through – Cataloguing Parts Off the 1987 Mercedes 500SL
January 21, 2022
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.
All in Order – Cleaning and Organising Parts from the 1987 Mercedes 500SL
January 13, 2022
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!
Final Fitment – Door Cards on the 1987 Mercedes 500SL
September 27, 2021
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.
500SL Centre Console
June 30, 2021
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
March 29, 2021
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.
Mercedes 500SL Interior Trim Continues
February 10, 2021
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 down in the centre and shimming the components out. Lydia could then start peeling the cover off the frame completely and take off the plastic rings for the headrest at the top of the squab. The next step is to remove the leather cover and rework that.
The Mercedes New Trim
January 20, 2021
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 holder. Once stripped, it is ready for recovering by sanding and filling. Lydia makes the first draft of the paper patterns, she then cuts out vinyl for a vinyl draft copy. By sewing the vinyl together, Lydia can see how the cover would fit and address any issues that may arise. Once the first draft is made, Lydia then makes a second draft paper pattern, makes it in vinyl and re-addresses how the parts come together. This process also allows her to test out how much topstitching to sew on and if her measurements are correct. From these drafts, Lydia took the decision to add topstitching all over as she believed this would be the most efficient design.
Once the drafts have been made and corrected, Lydia can start making the real leather cover. She does this by marking up the second vinyl draft so that she can take it apart and use the pattern pieces as a guide for the leather. Once the leather is all marked up and ready for cutting out, the leather pieces can be sewn together, topstitched all over and fit.
Primed And Ready
November 2, 2020
Our 1987 Mercedes 500SL has had its primer and flattening completed by our technicians Ant and Chris.
This stage allows the bodywork to be perfected and smoothened and allows the next layer of paint to stick.
This is the last stage before the colour paintwork begins.
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.
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.”
