bentley specialist

This Just In – 2008 Bentley Continental GT Speed

July 13, 2022

Just arrived at the Bridge Classic Cars Suffolk HQ is this absolutely stunning 2008 Bentley Continental GT Speed.

The luxury GT car has come in for our various teams to look over, inspect, assess and report back any findings they have for the car. Once they have compiled their report, we will bring you an update very soon on the legendary Continental GT Speed.

The Continental GT Speed was the fastest and most powerful option that could be specified by Bentley for its original owner. The 6-litre twin-turbo W12 makes a shade over 600BHP with an earth shuddering amount of torque, which was able to push this Flying B all the way past the 200MPH mark.

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:

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.