bristol specialist uk

Capped Off – New Dashboard Panels for the 1970 Bristol 411

The 1970 Bristol 411, which is in for a left-hand drive conversion by Bridge Classic Cars, has had its dashboard finished off by the in-house trim team.

The team have made new dashboard caps for the underside of the classic Bristol’s wood and leather dash. These were trimmed and shaped by Brian before being trimmed in matching black leather and fitted to the car. Also, the team have installed the glovebox light back into the car.

From the Inside – Painting the Battery Box on the 1970 Bristol 411

While the 1970 Bristol 411 was in the Bridge Classic Cars paint booth, the team finished off the painting jobs by finishing the battery box, hidden away in the inner wing.

The floor of the battery base had been replaced by the team previously as part of some corrosion repairs. This was then prepared and primed by the paint and body team, before being finished in deep hard wearing black to finish off its look.

Keep a look out on the Bridge Classic Cars news page very soon for more updates on the 1970 Bristol 411 very soon.

Matched – Finishing the Other Squab Seat on the 1954 Bristol 405

The trim team at Bridge Classic Cars have completed the 2nd squab seat for the 1954 Bristol 405 which is in for restoration with us at our Suffolk HQ.

The team have made an exact copy of the other squab seat which was completed earlier. Both of these pieces have been carefully wrapped up and stored ready for the cars reassmebly.

Keep a look out on the Bridge Classic Cars news page for more on the 1954 Bristol 405 very soon.

In Place – Fitting the Oil Filter, Power Steering Pump and Servicing the Brakes on the 1970 Bristol 411

The workshop team have completed the next round of jobs on the classic Bristol 411 in for a left-hand drive conversion at Bridge Classic Cars.

The first stage was to mount the oil filter housing to the opposite side of the engine bay after the conversion. The team have made sure that each component will not interfere with each other and also have enough space to be able to be safely worked on during the service of the car in the future.

Then, the team have carried out the final test fit of the power steering pump to the engine of the classic Bristol using the specially fabricated brackets. These will be taken off the car and finished in matching black to the other bracketry in the engine bay.

Next up, the team will be performing a full brake service on the classic GT car with a full inspection of seals, lines and pistons.

Final Placement – Fitting and Fully Welding the Steering Rack Mounts for the 1970 Bristol 411

The steering rack mounts for the 1970 Bristol 411 have been final welding into the engine bay of the classic GT car.

As part of the left-hand drive conversion that our team are carrying out on the car, new steering rack mounts had to be made to move the rack from one side of the car to the other. Because of the forces put through the piece, the mounts have been welded onto thicker metal plates which have been grafted into the car to strengthen the piece.

This Just In – 1954 Bristol 405 and Parts

The 1954 Bristol 405 and all the accompanying parts have arrived at the Bridge Classic Cars secure storage facility, The Hangar, while it awaits its restoration at our workshops.

The car came straight from Ireland to our storage facility where it will be safely and securely stored. The team also documented several boxes of parts and pieces for the classic Bristol which have been carefully put away in our stores department.

Keep a lookout on the Bridge Classic Cars news page for more updates very soon on the 1954 Bristol 405

Changes – Modifying Dash Trim and Making the Glove Box Insert on the 1970 Bristol 411

The trim team at Bridge Classic Cars have been working on modifying and creating parts for the dash of the 1970 Bristol 411 for a left-hand drive conversion.

The dash cover and panel have been modified and stripped in order to work with the new placement of the ignition barrel and steering column. The ignition barrel also needed several small brackets made to reattach it to the column after the change over from right to left which after this was completed, meaning the whole piece could be recovered.

The team also handmade a new glovebox insert to work around the different bracketry and supports which now lay behind it.

A Piece of the Puzzle – The 1954 Bristol 405’s Original Engine Returns

The Bridge Classic Cars workshop in Pettistree have received a very important shipment today. Not only is it important for the technicians in the restoration of the 1954 Bristol 405, but its important for the car itself.

The team at Bridge Classic Cars have managed to track down the car’s original engine. That’s right, this is the correct engine for the classic Bristol. The car is currently fitted with the engine from a Triumph TR6, but as part of the restoration of the car, its original heart will be put back into the 1950s GT car to live out the rest of its years with.

We’re excited to show you more on the 1954 Bristol 405 project very soon but for now, we get to marvel at the glorious Bristol straight-six.

The Change Over – More Progress on the 1970 Bristol 411 LHD Conversion

The Bridge Classic Cars restoration workshop have been hard at work continuing the process of converting the 1970 Bristol 411 to left-hand drive.

Work is continuing to modify the firewall and bulkhead to swap all of the necessary brackets and vents over to the other side of the car. For this, original pieces were carefully cut out of the classic GT car and plated over replicating the bases from the right to the left side of the car. This is crucial as in the interior, all of the various heating vents and controls will now be on the other side of the car, in an almost mirror image so everything in the engine bay must be exactly the same to suit.

This project is unique and exciting for Bridge Classic Cars and we cannot wait to show you more progress soon on the classic Bristol 411.