With all of the preparations made by the Bridge Classic Cars in-house trim shop, the dashboard and transmission tunnel for the 1979 Arrow Ferrari Daytona
The Bridge Classic Cars trim shop have been working to finish off the handmade cubby boxes for the 1955 Jensen 541. Brian has been making
The trim team at Bridge Classic Cars have given the boot trim panels of the classic 1980 Saab 99 Turbo a new lease of life
The interior trim shop at Bridge Classic Cars have been working through several pieces from the interior of the 1980 Saab 99 Turbo in for
The trim shop at Bridge Classic Cars have worked their magic on the 1958 Morris Minor 1000 that is in with us. The team noted
The Bridge Classic Cars trim shop have been working on stripping parts of the interior on the 1980 Saab 99 Turbo for restoration. Along with
The trim team at the Bridge Classic Cars workshop in our Suffolk HQ are working through the interior pieces and trims for the 1955 Jensen
The Bridge Classic Cars in-house trim shop have got the 1955 Jensen 541 seats on the workbench for the cars new owner. Brian and Lydia
The trim shop at Bridge Classic Cars have cleaned up and repadded the front seats of the 1955 Jensen 541. Lydia has been working on
The Bridge Classic Cars trim shop have worked on getting the original interior of the 1955 Jensen 541. Lydia has been working through each individual
The Bridge Classic Cars in-house trim shop has moved! The in-house trim shop at our Suffolk HQ has moved to the first floor of our
A while ago, we said goodbye to the beautiful Jensen 541. It was sold as a project to its very lucky new owner who plans
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
The Bridge Classic Cars in-house trim shop has made every piece of the interior for our Jensen 541’s by hand. And the 1956 Jensen 541
There’s been some big progress on the 1970 Dodge Charger currently in the trim shop at Bridge Classic Cars. Kath had to cut the carpet
Kath and the in-house trim team have been busy working on the insides of the 1970 Dodge Charger that’s in here at Bridge Classic Cars.
After Kath had mocked up the rear seats into the Charger, it was time to start getting the carpets into the car. However, underneath the
It’s been an absolute treat to have one of the most iconic muscle cars of all time in the trim shop of Bridge Classic Cars.
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
Having recently attended our Classic Car Show the owner of this Porsche Boxter has asked for our help and assistance on some remedial works required
With all of the preparations made by the Bridge Classic Cars in-house trim shop, the dashboard and transmission tunnel for the 1979 Arrow Ferrari Daytona has been retrimmed in all-new Alcantara.
Lydia has worked on creating a beautifully fitting and clean template for the new Alcantara covering for the pieces of the classic Ferrari replica. Now, it was time to begin the process of securing the material to the reshaped fibreglass panels.
Using specialist adhesives, the material was carefully stretched and glued down before being pinned in place to let the adhesives cure and strengthen.
Once the material was in place, Lydia could then begin trimming out the openings for things such as the dash vents, switchgear etc. and then proceeded to methodically glue down the tags and get the best finished possible for when the trim pieces were fitted back on to the car.
The Bridge Classic Cars trim shop have been working to finish off the handmade cubby boxes for the 1955 Jensen 541.
Brian has been making the lids for the new cubby boxes. This involves hand finishing the recesses in the lids for the brand new hinges to get the lids to sit perfectly flat onto the bases. He also created the recess in the top to fit the ashtray, this has all been done and finished by hand to give the best possible result for the car.
Along with these pieces, Brian has created the metal base for the cubby boxes. This was then wrapped in black vinyl to match the colour of the interior of the box and give one single uniform look to the boxes.
The trim team at Bridge Classic Cars have given the boot trim panels of the classic 1980 Saab 99 Turbo a new lease of life with a full recovering in glossy black.
Brian carefully stripped back the old coverings on the boot panels to assess the panels underneath. Once the trim team could inspect the panels for any damage but all were in good order underneath their covers.
Using the pieces as templates, the trim shop made new perfect fitting covers for the car which will then be put into storage for when the restoration project is complete.
The interior trim shop at Bridge Classic Cars have been working through several pieces from the interior of the 1980 Saab 99 Turbo in for restoration.
The original C Pillar caps had split, cracked and began to degrade so the trim team stripped the pieces back to the foam. Using the original coverings as templates, the trim team could make new coverings for the caps. The foam itself was also cleaned up before the new material was glued on and fitted to the pieces.
The trim shop at Bridge Classic Cars have worked their magic on the 1958 Morris Minor 1000 that is in with us.
The team noted some small tears and holes in a few of the seats so created small patch pieces to lay over them and fix them into place. Although they’re not exactly the same colour, they’re the closest piece to the original that we have in stock for smaller pieces to be used as repairs and will stop the area around the damage from deteriorating any further.
The Bridge Classic Cars trim shop have been working on stripping parts of the interior on the 1980 Saab 99 Turbo for restoration.
Along with the paint and body team assessing the exterior of the car to come up with a plan for the body and panels, our trim shop have been removing and assessing pieces from the interior of the classic Saab. Each piece is individually inspected for condition and any marks or tears. The main piece which needed attention of the interior, which is in relatively good condition, is the headliner.
The team pulled the headliner from the car which will be taken up to the trim shop, stripped and recovered.
The trim team at the Bridge Classic Cars workshop in our Suffolk HQ are working through the interior pieces and trims for the 1955 Jensen 541.
Brian, one of our trimmers, has been working on shaping and putting together the fitted rear seats for the 1950s GT car. Each part of these rear seats is made by hand by our trim shop in-house. Every car is unique so each interior we do for a Jensen is also unique and fit specifically for that car.
This 541 is no exception. The rear seats have had their foams cut and shaped by hand to get the best fit and finish possible for the interior of the classic Jensen. Along with that, Brian has also remade and trimmed the ceiling pad to match.
The Bridge Classic Cars in-house trim shop have got the 1955 Jensen 541 seats on the workbench for the cars new owner.
Brian and Lydia are working through the interior of the car bit by bit and now, is the front seats. Brian has got the new seat bases for the seats as the old ones were in very rough shape. The seat bases have been made from brand new steel for the team to work from.
Bit by bit, the trim team will be working on getting the front seats totally put together and recovered for a very special car like the 541.
The trim shop at Bridge Classic Cars have cleaned up and repadded the front seats of the 1955 Jensen 541.
Lydia has been working on hand-forming each of the padding pieces for the front bucket seats and shaping them roughly. These all have multiple pieces but the forms needed to be just right before the seat covers are eventually made to fit the fibreglass bucket seats.
Keep a look out on the Bridge Classic Cars news page for more on the interior of the 1955 Jensen 541.
The Bridge Classic Cars trim shop have worked on getting the original interior of the 1955 Jensen 541.
Lydia has been working through each individual piece to get them stripped down to the bases and components underneath to be inspected and assessed. Once they have been assessed, she can begin the work of completely remaking all the padding and covers for the interior.
Bridge Classic Cars have a long history of working on the Jensen 541 and creating the interiors for these amazing GT cars.
The Bridge Classic Cars in-house trim shop has moved!
The in-house trim shop at our Suffolk HQ has moved to the first floor of our restoration workshop. This is to give Brian and Lydia, our incredible in-house trim experts, better access to the workshop and a more open-plan workspace.
The new trim shop location is also because the previous location of the trim department is now the new paint preparation area for our in-house paint and body department.
A while ago, we said goodbye to the beautiful Jensen 541. It was sold as a project to its very lucky new owner who plans on restoring the car.
Well, now the interior is back in the Bridge Classic Cars in-house trim shop. Brian is making a brand new rear seat for the car while
Lydia is busy stripping down the original bucket seats to assess the fibreglass mouldings for any cracks or damage.
Either way, it’s always nice to see a car (or parts) find their way back into our workshop here in Suffolk.
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!
The Bridge Classic Cars in-house trim shop has made every piece of the interior for our Jensen 541’s by hand. And the 1956 Jensen 541 we have in for restoration is the next car in that line of bespoke interiors.
Brian and Lydia have been working together to get the rear seat finished for this amazing project. In the last update, Lydia had finished making the new seat cover entirely by hand and bespoke for this particular car. Now, Brian has made the new seat base and foams for the car. Again, these are unique and bespoke for the car to ensure the best fit and finish for the final product.
The interior of this particular 1956 Jensen 541 is going to look absolutely phenomenal when it’s finished and we cannot wait to show you.
There’s been some big progress on the 1970 Dodge Charger currently in the trim shop at Bridge Classic Cars.
Kath had to cut the carpet to get a good fit during the test fit of the piece but rather than leave it, she has bound the edge to match the original edging fitted to the carpet set. Now with the piece ready to be fitted, it was time to get the final bits of sound deadening in place.
Carefully the trim shop put the new sound deadening material into place using reference photos to get them into the same placement as the original.
Once the sound deadening was firmly in place, Kath then began the process of laying the carpet panel into its place and securing it. Using high-spec carpeting adhesive, the carpet was laid into the Charger’s front footwell and firmly in place.
Next will be getting the trims, consoles and seats ready to go into this iconic American Muscle Car.
Kath and the in-house trim team have been busy working on the insides of the 1970 Dodge Charger that’s in here at Bridge Classic Cars.
Kath has been working on getting the rear panels ready and into the car. The weatherstrip has been riveted to the bottom of the window opening along with the chrome strips that make up the ribbing for the panel.
Before that, Kath and the team had tested fitted the carpet and found that in place it didn’t sit quite right. In places, the carpet was actually too long. Not a problem for the Bridge Classic Cars trim-shop! Kath simply cut the carpet and then re-edged it to fit the car perfectly (more on that in the next post)
This meant that the carpet now sat where and exactly how it should in the iconic muscle car, taking extra care and attention to make sure any brackets or holes needed for trim work were neatly and discreetly cut.
Next time, we’ll take you behind the scenes of how Kath cut and rebound the carpet for the Charger!
After Kath had mocked up the rear seats into the Charger, it was time to start getting the carpets into the car.
However, underneath the carpet is where to most important bit of the interior is. The sound deadening. It’s crucial in making long journeys more enjoyable just due to its job of cutting down the cabin noise.
Kath carefully laid out the material across the floors of the car to make sure each piece was just in the right place to give the best result. All of this needed to be done before fitting up the carpets, which will be happening next!
It’s been an absolute treat to have one of the most iconic muscle cars of all time in the trim shop of Bridge Classic Cars. This 1970 Dodge Charger. The 2nd generation Chargers are without a doubt, one of the best-looking muscle cars built.
This particular 1970 Charger is in with our expert in-house trim team to be fitted out with a brand new interior. First up, Kath began to fit the headliner to the Charger. Covering such an expanse in fabric can be daunting, but for the Bridge Classic team, it’s not a problem. Working through the car methodically allowed Kath to stretch and pull the headliner into shape and give it the best finish possible.
Each of the ribs was carefully moved into its position millimetre by millimetre to ensure it was level and square. These spars allow the fabric some element of give but also when they are correctly installed, gives the best finish with no ripples or waves.
Whilst installing the headliner, Kath did note a small area of corrosion on the shell by the back window. It had been treated and wasn’t structural. In any case, we always let our clients know and suggest a course of action. At this time, it will be underneath the headliner. As said, it’s not in a structural location, it has been treated and on inspection by our body shop team, it is perfectly fine for years to come.
Updates on the rest of the interior will be up very soon so keep an eye out on the Bridge Classic Cars blog.
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.
Having recently attended our Classic Car Show the owner of this Porsche Boxter has asked for our help and assistance on some remedial works required on his electric hood.
The clear perspex rear screen is coming away from the hood itself so needs re-attaching. Brian has had a closer look and in order for this to be repaired properly the roof will have to come off the car. Brian feels that re-attaching the existing screen to the hood may only be a temporary fix as the existing holes may be duplicated and therefore the new stitching may not be as tight and secure second time around.
With the entire hood being removed is there an argument to say ‘just replace the hood with one off the shelf?’ The most cost effective solution would be to do this. A bespoke hood manufactured would not be required as there are companies out there that have already produced the hood from a pattern so rather than reinventing the wheel go with a company that has been there and done that!
At the end of the day, the hardest bit is removing and fitting the hood so to fit a brand new one that is beautifully tight would give you the best results.
Bridge Classic Cars are award winning Classic Car Restoration and Maintenance specialists. Your pride and joy is in safe hands with our expert Classic Car Technicians. Take a look at our awards here.
