aston martin db2/4

DB2/4’s Dodgy Bonnet

We’re in the process of reconstructing the Aston Martin DB2/4 bonnet which is showing signs of dubious structural integrity. The team have removed the frame

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DB2/4 Interior Swabs

We’re currently working through the process of selecting the interior trim with our client for our rare Aston Martin DB2/4. The choice is between the

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Going Back Together – Refitting the Body to the Frame on the 1955 Aston Martin DB2/4

The 1955 Aston Martin DB2/4 Mk1 that is in with Bridge Classic Cars for full restoration has hit an important milestone today. The body, which has been worked on by our paint and body experts for several months, has finally been reunited with its stunning freshly powder coated frame.

Scott, one of our restoration experts has been working on getting the body and several of the bigger panels back onto the frame in preparation for its next stage of bodywork. With so much work done to the body of the DB2/4, it’s also crucial for our technicians to check mounts and placements for when the car is in final assembly. With so much hard work and effort put into the car, it’s worth taking the time to make sure each delicate part fits exactly right to show just how beautiful this stunning sports car truly is.

Expect to see more updates on the 1955 Aston Martin DB2/4 very soon here on the Bridge Classic Cars news page.

Primed and Ready – Body of the 1955 Aston Martin DB2/4 Mark 1 Primed

Chris and the team in the Bridge Classic Cars in-house paint shop have been busy at work preparing and priming the 1955 Aston Martin DB2/4 Mark 1 for the next phase in the restoration.

Chris and the team carefully prepared each panel and part individually to make sure they were properly prepped before entering the spray booth. Each part has been given a coat epoxy primer to help seal the material beneath which has been so carefully worked on by the Bridge Classic Cars restoration teams.

With everything primed, it was time to move on to the protective coating on some of the other pieces and parts of the shell. For the most durable protection against road grime and weather, the team here use Raptor Guard. Applied to specific pieces, it helps to protect any of the pieces from moisture and is well worth using for a classic that is destined to be used and enjoyed.

Whilst the primer and the raptor guard on the shell were left to cure, Chris began to prepare and spray Raptor on some of the floor panels, the transmission tunnel and other pieces which will be exposed to the elements.

Fine Features – Sending Parts from the 1955 Aston Martin DB2/4 for Refurbishment

The trim work on the 1955 Aston Martin DB2/4 is absolutely beautiful. Simple and elegant but there is quite a bit of it.

These are the latest pieces of the DB2/4 Mark 1 to be sent out to a local specialist for replating and polishing. This is being done to make sure that every piece of the brightwork on this stunning 1950s sportscar will be uniform and stunning. Although they may seem small, every piece of the car must be perfect to match the work the team here at Bridge Classic Cars have done on the car during its restoration.

There will be more updates very soon on the 1955 Aston Martin DB2/4 very soon here on the Bridge Classic Cars news page.

A Closer Look – Finding Hairline Cracks in Brackets on the 1955 Aston Martin DB2/4

During the disassembly of the suspension components of the 1955 Aston Martin DB2/4 that is in at Bridge Classic Cars for restoration, our restoration technician Mauro found some hairline cracks in a few of the pieces.

The pieces that Mauro found were the rear suspension brackets. Along with our workshop controller, John, the parts were recorded and a plan being worked out how to move forward with these particular parts before sandblasting.

A New Start – Sending the 1955 Aston Martin DB2/4 Guages to be Refurbished

The gauges and dials in the 1955 Aston Martin DB2/4 are some of the most beautiful out there. Simple black Smiths units with white lettering and easy to see layout. This style of dial is so synonymous with classic sportscar that anything else would look amiss in such an elegant and deserving car.

The rest of the car is currently undergoing a full restoration at Bridge Classic Cars but these units are being sent away to a specialist to be rebuilt and entirely refurbished to match the high level of fit and finish our in-house restoration teams will be doing to the car.

Once the dials are back from their refurbishment, they will be carefully stored until our in-house trim team is ready to fit them into the stunning dash and get them securely placed in the car.

All in the Prep – Preparing the Suspension Components on the 1955 Aston Martin DB2/4 for Sandblasting

Bridge Classic Cars take pride in that our in-house restoration technicians will go the extra mile to make sure that all of our restoration work is done to a world-class standard. Take, for example, these suspension components on the 1955 Aston Martin DB2/4 that is in at Bridge Classic Cars for complete restoration.

Our restoration technician Mauro has been carefully taking apart each of the suspension components down to their bare bones before these parts are sent off to be sandblasted. All though these could be simply cleaned up and repainted, this DB2/4 Mark 1 is having the full treatment that Bridge Classic Cars is known for. Piece by piece, Mauro took apart every component to be inspected for any damage or defect and then catalogued.

Every bearing or bushing was pressed out of the housings before it goes off to be stripped all the way back to bare metal.

Expect to see more on the DB2/4 Mark 1 very soon here on the Bridge Classic Cars blog.

Inch Perfect – The Frame for the 1955 Aston Martin DB2/4 Back from Powdercoating

The chassis for the 1955 Aston Martin DB2/4 at Bridge Classic Cars is back from being powder coated by a local specialist. The results are absolutely amazing.

The benefits of powder coating are seen in this example. The even, glossy and complete coverage is the results you get when a chassis is coated and is also more weather-safe than traditional methods.

Now that the frame is back, Lydia is working on preparing the body in our in-house paint shop ready for its slot in the paint booth.

Keep a lookout on the Bridge Classic Cars Blog for more updates on this amazing DB2.

Solid Foundations – Getting the Frame of the 1955 Aston Martin DB2/4 Ready for Powdercoat

The frame and body for the 1955 Aston Martin DB2/4 that is with us here at Bridge Classic Cars have been separated ahead of the frame being sent off for powder coating.

The body will remain here with our in-house paint and body teams to continue work while we wait for the other parts to come back.

Powder coating frames gives not only the best finish but the best protection for the chassis so it’s worthwhile having it done to this amazing car.

Making Moves – Steering Teardown on the 1955 Aston Martin DB2/4

Here at Bridge Classic Cars, our in-house restoration technician Mauro is hard at work continuing to teardown, inspect and catalogue the front end parts of the 1955 Aston Martin DB2.

The steering on any sportscar is what is known to give that feel we all know and love. And for that, it needs to be in perfect shape. So, it’s now the turn of the steering rack of the DB2. Mauro has carefully removed each component from the rack itself.

These will be inspected thoroughly before refurbishment begins.

Core Components – Teardown of the 1955 Aston Martin DB2 Front Axle

It’s crucial with a restoration to take note of what you take off the car. Our in-house restoration technician Mauro is fanatical about this. So, the job of tearing down the front axle of the 1955 Aston Martin DB2/4 that we have at Bridge Classic Cars naturally fell to him.

Bolt by bolt, piece by piece Mauro has gone through the entire assembly on the ’50s sportscar. Carefully and meticulously Mauro labelled and catalogued each piece ready for assessment and refurbishment.

This DB2 is having a full restoration in-house by our incredible teams. Keep a lookout for more updates on the 1955 Aston Martin DB2/4 on our News Page

Under & Over – Stripping Down the Rear Axle of the 1955 Aston Martin DB2/4

Work has begun at Bridge Classic Cars on stripping down and cataloguing the rear axle components for the 1955 Aston Martin DB2/4 we have in with us for full restoration.

Our in-house restoration technicians carefully removed the rear axle from the car in order to have it in a safe and accessible place to begin the teardown. Mauro carefully removed each component, taking care as to not damage any original pieces of the rear assembly.

The rear end will be completely rebuilt in preparation for the rest of the components coming back from refurbishment.

Safe & Sound – Preparing the 1955 Aston Martin DB2/4 for Paint

The 1955 Aston Martin DB2/4 MkI is a perfect example of the sportscar built under the supervision of David Brown during his time as the head of Aston Martin.

This particular Aston Martin DB2/4 is in at Bridge Classic Cars for a full restoration. Recently it has been worked on by our master fabricator Clinton to make sure that all the metalwork throughout the cars body and frame is in the best shape before the next stage for the car. Now, it’s time to start dismantling and cataloguing the front and rear suspension assemblies plus the steering system. Our technician Mauro meticulously worked his way through each system carefully noting down the position of anything that has an adjustment so when it comes time to reassemble the DB2/4 it can be back in the same position it was taken off in.

You may have seen last time that some of the parts which had been prepared by our technician Lydia went into be primed in our in-house paint shop. Very soon, it will be the turn of this stunning ’50s GT sportscar to enter the booth for our masterful paint team to get it looking absolutely perfect.

Check-in very soon on the blog page for more updates on the DB2/4

First Steps – Priming Parts on the 1955 Aston Martin DB2/4

Previously, our in-house technician Lydia was busy preparing some components and pieces from the 1955 Aston Martin DB2/4 for paint.

Well, those parts have now had their first coats of primer sprayed after being carefully prepared by Lydia. Any form of corrosion whether it is surface or deeper was painstakingly assessed and rectified by our in-house body and paint teams. As you can see, the results are wonderful.

This however is not the final stage for these bits from the DB2/4. Keep a watch on our News Page for more updates on this project and others!

Back to Basics – Parts Paint Removal on the 1955 Aston Martin DB2/4

Lydia, one of our in-house technicians here at Bridge Classic Cars, has been hard at work carefully removing the paint from some of the pieces removed during the restoration of the 1955 Aston Martin DB2/4 we have in with us in Suffolk.

Lydia used all the techniques she has gained in her experience to expertly preserve the material of the part where possible. A mixture of sanding, stripping and thinners were used to get the pieces back to bare metal for assessment if any repairs were going to be needed during the restoration of such an amazing handbuilt car.

With such an in depth restoration, all handled in-house by us here at Bridge Classic Cars, each of the components across the entire car are always dealt with in the same careful and dutiful manner.

Lining up for the paintshop

Clinton is now in the final stages of repairing the boot lid.

Chris and Matt now have the bonnet to prepare and paint the underside. There are certain areas of the bonnet that once fitted to the car are then not easily accessible. Painting the underside now means Clinton can then fit up the bonnet to ensure all of the lines are right before handing the entire shell over to the paint shops for preparation.

Although no records exist for the original colour of Moonbeam Grey we matched the colour from the back of the glove box compartment. This small part looks to have never been removed from the car so was although other colours had been found during the stripping process this has given us the closes match to what would have been a 1955 Moonbeam Grey.

Aston Martin DB2/4 Interior Final Piece

It’s the final piece to the Aston DB2/4 carpet remanufacturing. Kath has done a sterling job re-producing the carpets to the factory specification of grey with grey piping.

The very last task on the interior is to complete the rear seat assembly but for now we can move on. Once the body shell is nearing completion we can then line up the rear seat to ensure all measurements are accurate.

Aston Martin DB2/4 Carpet Work

Although the interior of our 1955 Aston Martin DB2/4 has been re-manufactured not that long ago, it was been carried out to the customer’s preference and not correct in correspondence to the original factory specification. The interior of our Aston is currently undergoing a complete transformation by Kath, Brian and Lydia in our trim shop and the new fit out will see the original colour return.

Right now, Kath is working on re-manufacturing the interior carpet using the existing as a template.

The start of the Aston Martin seat fitting!

Kath has been starting to fit the front squab seats and their carpet backs to the frames.

She began by stapling the sides of the front squab to the wooden part of the frame. She then trimmed back the foam on the flutes, to lay nice and flat on the back. Then she stapled the front of the squab to the wood of the seat frame, making sure it fitted nicely. Piping was then stapled around the back edge. The carpet back was placed on top of this, just inside the piping.

The first front squab is now ready! Exactly the same process will be carried out for the second one.

Flutes galore on the Aston Martin!

Kath has been continuing her interior work on the 1955 Aston Martin DB 2 4 Mark I’s seats. This time she has moved onto the front squabs.

She started by marking notches and important places to remember when sewing, with a pen on the original covers, before taking them apart carefully. She didn’t unpick the flutes, but instead, measured them to work out how to create the new flutes on the new leather. Once calculated, Kath measured and marked out flute lines on the back of the new leather and a piece of scrim foam, cut to size. This acts as a backing and will create the same effect as the original, whereas they had used calico as a backing and stuffed the flutes with lengths of foam instead.

Once the flutes were all sewn, Kath used the original fluted face as a pattern to mark the edges. Pieces of leather cut to shape were sewn onto the sides of the fluted face. The sidebands were then cut out and piped in the dark grey leather around the curved edge. These sidebands were sewn onto the plain leather sides that were just attached.

Small interior changes happening for the Aston!

Brian has been covering the top parts of the dashboard and the cover for the rear hatch hinge in the chosen new dark grey leather, for the Aston Martin DB2/4. He took the original leather off each of the pieces and cleaned off any old glue, before applying the new leather.

More fabricating more to the front end

Clinton is continuing to work on the front end of our 1955 Aston martin DB2/4. More areas of corrosion have now been cut out and new metalwork has been replaced.

Stick to original with our Aston DB2/4

More stripping, gluing and re-covering on the agenda for Brian and Lydia in our trim-shop this week and the cappings, front and side windows, window panels and woodwork have all been finished in new leatherwork.

Bonnet work for the Aston Martin!

Clinton has been busy fabricating for the bonnet of the Aston Martin DB 2 / 4.

He’s fabricated new hinge supports for the front, repaired various cracks with welding, fabricated a new part onto the wheel arch, straightened out the front because it was all bent in, and pulled a dent out of one of the wings!

DB2/4’s Dodgy Bonnet

We’re in the process of reconstructing the Aston Martin DB2/4 bonnet which is showing signs of dubious structural integrity. The team have removed the frame from the bonnet so that they can fix it. This had to be done by cutting it in half and sliding it out on either side, meaning that when they fit it again, it’ll be welded back in position. The two metals together had caused bio-Metalic corrosion so new parts need to be fabricated.

DB2/4 Interior Progress

Brian has been working to remove the covers from the rear sear rub backs on our Aston Martin DB2/4. He’s taken apart the covers and used them to mark out leather for new covers. He’s then sewn the covers together and glued the original foam back onto the metal seat. Brian has added extra layers of foam over the top of the original foam to pad it out and increase the comfort. He’s then finished by glueing the covers to the bottom edge of the metal backs, leaving the top undone until it is fitted to base section of the rear seat.

Aston Martin DB2/4 Seat Creation

Brian has been taking apart the the covers from the rear base and squab seat on our Aston Martin DB2/4. He’s un-done the hinge from the bottom edge and top section of the squab and removed the rubber strips from their metal channels. Once he’d undone the metal trims, Brian then removes the tacks holding the squab to the wooden frame. He removed the cover and foam from the backboard and removed the trim from the top section. Brian then removed the side sections from top part of squab seat, undid the metal trim and removed all the wood from inside. He could then start peeling back the leather to reveal the metal trim and undo the rivets to remove back sections. Finally he removed the base foam to leave the metal tub ready to be cleaned and painted.

DB2/4 Interior Decision Made

After many discussions, we’ve decided on the interior for our Mille Miglia Aston Martin DB2/4. The carpet will be a dark grey with claret red seats and 1206B Schiefer grey piping.

DB2/4 Interior Swabs

We’re currently working through the process of selecting the interior trim with our client for our rare Aston Martin DB2/4. The choice is between the red leather trim and a selection of grey tones for the carpet and piping. It’s important we select the correct shades to not only look good but to resemble the original interior.

DB2/4 Bonnet Stripped Back

The bonnet to our DB2/4 has been stripped to bare metal by Matt in the paint shop so that the fabrication bay can see what’s underneath the paint and understand what needs addressing and fabricating before it goes back to paint.