Wheel Tubs
February 27, 2024
Clinton has been repairing the driver’s side rear wheel tubs on our 1953 Aston Martin DB2/4
classic aston martin
Bulk Head Repair
February 27, 2024
Our 1955 Aston Martin DB2/4 Drophead Coupe has been in the fabrication bay with technician Christian as he has been repairing the bulkhead. He also
Front Crossmember Overhaul
February 22, 2024
The front suspension crossmember of our 1953 Aston Martin DB2/4 has been stripped and overhauled. New bearings and seals were fitted to the main part,
DB2/4 Bulkhead
February 22, 2024
Christian has been repairing the bulkhead of our 1955 Aston Martin DB2/4 Drophead Coupe.
DB2/4 Paint And Carbs
February 16, 2024
Our 1953 Aston Martin DB2/4 has made more progress in its restoration recently. Chris has painted the brake drums in satin dtm and the carbs
Front Hub And Suspension Strip
February 8, 2024
James has stripped the front suspension and hub parts of our 1953 Aston Martin DB2/4 ready for painting. Some of the bolts and pins were
Collecting A Rare Body
February 8, 2024
Tony has collected the body of our 1955 Astin Martin DB2/4 Drophead Coupe after its trip to the sandblasters. Now that it is back at
Chassis Prep And Dent Repairs
January 19, 2024
Classic Car Technician Neil has been prepping the chassis of our 1953 Aston Martin DB2/4. Alongside this, Clinton has been pulling dents out of the
Raw Form – Our 1953 Aston Martin DB2/4 Back from Blasting
January 18, 2024
Our 1953 Aston Martin DB2/4 has arrived back at our Suffolk HQ following its appointment with the media blasters. The body was carefully removed from
Work Continues
January 18, 2024
The strip down of the axle and brakes from our 1955 Aston Martin DB2/4 Drophead Coupe has continued with Neil recently. While he was doing
Aston DB2/4 Nearing completion
January 11, 2024
Over the last few days, the workshop team have been completing some final checks and road testing our 1955 Aston Martin DB2/4 in readiness for
Chassis And Body
January 11, 2024
Our 1955 Aston Martin DB2/4 has been getting a lot of attention lately. The stripped chassis has been sent off to the sandblasters. Before it
Running Gear Strip Down
January 8, 2024
Last week, James started to strip the running gear down of our 1953 Aston Martin DB2/4 for refurbishment. The axles have been broken down into
The Strip Down Begins
January 3, 2024
Our 1955 Aston Martin DB2/4 has begun its process of being stripped down by classic car technician Rob. It will be stripped down to a
Final Stripping of DB2/4
December 22, 2023
The last sections of our 1953 Aston Martin DB2/4 have been removed, the radiators and other engine ancillaries, the engine and gearbox removed, then the
More Parts Removed From DB 2/4
December 21, 2023
The floors and interior of our 1953 Aston Martin DB2/4 were completely stripped, along with the front end and bonnet. Then the body fixings were
Making seat foam and cardboard
December 18, 2023
After cleaning up the seat of our 1955 Aston Martin DB2/4 Drophead Coupe, Lydia has spent some time making the foams fit. Unfortunately, the original
DB 2/4 Doors and Windows Stripping
December 15, 2023
After removing the body of our Aston Martin DB2/4 yesterday, classic car technician James has continued his work on the strip down of this classic
The Strip Down Makes Big Progress
December 14, 2023
The mechanical strip out of our 1953 Aston Martin DB2/4 has started at the rear of the car. The tailgate, lights, spare wheel carrier and
Aston Martin DB2/4 Drophead Coupe Stripdown
December 8, 2023
Brian has begun work on stripping down our 1955 Aston Martin Drophead Couple. He has removed the rear boot panels, the rear seat base and
Aston Martin DB2/4 Seat Bases Rebuild
December 6, 2023
Yesterday and today, Lydia has been working on the rear seat of the Aston Martin DB2/4. ‘Chris has kindly painted the seat tray black for
Aston Martin DB2/4 Interior Work
December 6, 2023
Cutting and gluing the leather to the front side window surround panels. Trimming onto the back of the panels, cutting and gluing leather onto the
Interior Panels
November 30, 2023
Brian and Lydia have continued their work on our 1953 Aston Martin DB2/4. Using the new plywood panels that Brian had cut out for her,
DB2 Centre Console And Rear Panels
November 29, 2023
Brian and Lydia have been working on our 1953 Aston Martin DB2/4, specifically the centre console and rear panels. Using the existing material from the
Getting Ready To Start
November 24, 2023
We currently have 3 Aston Martin DB2/4s in the Bridge Classic Cars workshop. Out of all of them, our 1955 Aston Martin DB2/4 Mark I
Interior Work Begins
November 16, 2023
Brian has started work on our 1955 Aston Martin DB2/4 Drophead Coupe. He has been making the centre console lid. He did this by making
More Progress For Our DB2/4
November 16, 2023
The Bridge Classic Cars interior trim team of Brian and Lydia have continued their work on the interior of our 1953 Aston Martin DB2/4. Lydia
Refitting Our DB2 Grill
November 15, 2023
After the re-chromed grill of our 1955 Aston Martin DB2/4 arrived back at the Bridge Classic Cars workshop, classic car technician Steve fitted it back
Aston Martin Seats
November 14, 2023
Interior trimmer, Lydia has been working on the backrest part of the front seats of our 1953 Aston Martin DB2/4. This was slightly more challenging
Panel Piping
October 27, 2023
Interior Trimmer Lydia has made some additional piping to add to the rear panels of our 1955 Aston Martin DB2/4, which will close up the
Wheel Tubs
February 27, 2024
Clinton has been repairing the driver’s side rear wheel tubs on our 1953 Aston Martin DB2/4
Bulk Head Repair
February 27, 2024
Our 1955 Aston Martin DB2/4 Drophead Coupe has been in the fabrication bay with technician Christian as he has been repairing the bulkhead.
He also braced the suspension mounts.
Front Crossmember Overhaul
February 22, 2024
The front suspension crossmember of our 1953 Aston Martin DB2/4 has been stripped and overhauled. New bearings and seals were fitted to the main part, then the steering idler was stripped and new parts fitted. Now it has been masked up for a clear coat with the other aluminium parts, this will stop any future corrosion and protect the parts for the future.
Some parts of the suspension were also painted in black satin.
DB2/4 Bulkhead
February 22, 2024
Christian has been repairing the bulkhead of our 1955 Aston Martin DB2/4 Drophead Coupe.
DB2/4 Paint And Carbs
February 16, 2024
Our 1953 Aston Martin DB2/4 has made more progress in its restoration recently.
Chris has painted the brake drums in satin dtm and the carbs have been finished too.
Front Hub And Suspension Strip
February 8, 2024
James has stripped the front suspension and hub parts of our 1953 Aston Martin DB2/4 ready for painting. Some of the bolts and pins were seized and had to be drilled out to release them. Once the parts are prepped and cleaned, new bushes and bearings can be fitted ready for reassembly.
Collecting A Rare Body
February 8, 2024
Tony has collected the body of our 1955 Astin Martin DB2/4 Drophead Coupe after its trip to the sandblasters.
Now that it is back at the workshop, work will continue on the restoration of this rare classic.
Chassis Prep And Dent Repairs
January 19, 2024
Classic Car Technician Neil has been prepping the chassis of our 1953 Aston Martin DB2/4. Alongside this, Clinton has been pulling dents out of the car and repairing them.
Once the chassis was fully prepped, Tony took it to be powder coated.
Raw Form – Our 1953 Aston Martin DB2/4 Back from Blasting
January 18, 2024
Our 1953 Aston Martin DB2/4 has arrived back at our Suffolk HQ following its appointment with the media blasters.
The body was carefully removed from the chassis of the 1950’s GT previously by our workshop technicians and carefully transported to a local blasting company to carefully remove the Claret paint as well as exposing any areas which will need attention by the team here at the Bridge Classic Cars restoration workshops.
The body arrived back at our workshops earlier this week and was taken straight into our in-house fabrication shop for our expert team of fabricators to work on getting this rare and unique GT car back into better than new shape.
The team have begun to get the body onto the framing jig to get it ready for the delicate and highly-skilled work of repairing the areas affected by 71 years of being used and stored.
Work Continues
January 18, 2024
The strip down of the axle and brakes from our 1955 Aston Martin DB2/4 Drophead Coupe has continued with Neil recently.
While he was doing this, Tony collected the chassis from the sandblasters. Progress continues to be made so it shouldn’t be too long before things start to come back together.
Aston DB2/4 Nearing completion
January 11, 2024
Over the last few days, the workshop team have been completing some final checks and road testing our 1955 Aston Martin DB2/4 in readiness for completion and hand back to the customer.
The lights have been checked and set, all levels checked and topped up, and road tested with small adjustments and checks each time. Technician James fixed a small fuel leak on one of the carburettors, checked all the bolts for tightness, and removed the speedo head for calibration to ensure its accuracy.
The bump stops for the bonnet have been renewed and the brakes re-adjusted after bedding them in.
Chassis And Body
January 11, 2024
Our 1955 Aston Martin DB2/4 has been getting a lot of attention lately. The stripped chassis has been sent off to the sandblasters.
Before it went, Rob stripped the last remaining parts off the shell and chassis and removed the bodyshell. He also separated the sill/bulkhead structure from the rear bodyshell. Rob went on to remove the steel inner structure from the outer ally rear body in preparation for blast cleaning.
Running Gear Strip Down
January 8, 2024
Last week, James started to strip the running gear down of our 1953 Aston Martin DB2/4 for refurbishment. The axles have been broken down into component parts ready for blasting/cleaning and then painting, any worn or damaged parts have been located and will be replaced on re-assembly. The brake and clutch pedal unit has also been stripped and will be refurbished ready for when the chassis is back so the rebuild can start.
The Strip Down Begins
January 3, 2024
Our 1955 Aston Martin DB2/4 has begun its process of being stripped down by classic car technician Rob.
It will be stripped down to a bare chassis, ready for its full restoration to get properly underway.
Final Stripping of DB2/4
December 22, 2023
The last sections of our 1953 Aston Martin DB2/4 have been removed, the radiators and other engine ancillaries, the engine and gearbox removed, then the chassis and bulkhead were completely stripped of suspension, steering and brake components, along with wiring loom and pipes/fittings.
The chassis can now go off to be stripped and checked before painting and reassembly in the new year.
More Parts Removed From DB 2/4
December 21, 2023
The floors and interior of our 1953 Aston Martin DB2/4 were completely stripped, along with the front end and bonnet. Then the body fixings were removed and the body was carefully taken off for blasting/paint removal.
Making seat foam and cardboard
December 18, 2023
After cleaning up the seat of our 1955 Aston Martin DB2/4 Drophead Coupe, Lydia has spent some time making the foams fit.
Unfortunately, the original foam has been lost or destroyed, meaning that it was necessary to make new ones. Having recently seen some original ones, Lydia knew the basic shape that they needed to be and also the way that they were chamfered underneath. This meant that replicating them was not too difficult but still required a few test fits and alterations.
Once she was happy with the seat base, Lydia moved onto the backs. She had one back foam slither that was badly perished, but it gave her a base to work from. She made the backrest foams out of 100mm foam laminated together, then shaped them with the foam saw. After this, she made the cardboard piece that sits on the top of the seats to cover the raw edges of leather.
DB 2/4 Doors and Windows Stripping
December 15, 2023
After removing the body of our Aston Martin DB2/4 yesterday, classic car technician James has continued his work on the strip down of this classic Aston.
The front doors and windows have now been stripped out ready for refurbishment, all parts will be cleaned, sorted, painted or replaced where necessary before refitting the newly painted doors and body, when they are ready.
The Strip Down Makes Big Progress
December 14, 2023
The mechanical strip out of our 1953 Aston Martin DB2/4 has started at the rear of the car. The tailgate, lights, spare wheel carrier and fuel tank have all been removed. Classic car technician James actually found some of the original black paint on the car too!
The dashboard and clocks have also been stripped out ready for refurbishment. James made sure that the wiring was labelled for reference and pictures were taken to aid in reassembly later on.
Brian and Lydia have also been working on the interior of our rare Aston. They removed the old covers from the front seats before going on to remove the foam and runners as well. The seats from this vehicle were in fairly bad condition and did not want to come apart easily. Lydia ended up grinding away a lot of the screw heads to be able to remove the seat back from the base. She then cleaned up the interior dash cubby boxes and the door pockets too.
Brian removed the metal runners from the base of the seats, and the base foams. He then removed the carpet from the back of the squab seat, removed the old cover & foams, removed all side wood sections, removed frames, and cut out new side wood sections & new backboards.
Perhaps the most obvious change to our DB2/4 is that the body has now been removed. This is a big step in the strip down and the whole team is excited to see this beautiful car continue to make progress.
Aston Martin DB2/4 Drophead Coupe Stripdown
December 8, 2023
Brian has begun work on stripping down our 1955 Aston Martin Drophead Couple. He has removed the rear boot panels, the rear seat base and door panels. The cappings and door pockets have been taken out and the sill carpets. The carpets under the dash, the dash top panels and window surround panels are all now out.
The project will be a big part of our diary for 2024 but heading up to Christmas we have a few weeks to really get started on the strip down.
Aston Martin DB2/4 Seat Bases Rebuild
December 6, 2023
Yesterday and today, Lydia has been working on the rear seat of the Aston Martin DB2/4.
‘Chris has kindly painted the seat tray black for me, and stone chipped the underside, as this part actually forms the bottom of the car and is exposed to all the elements the road can throw at it. Firstly , I re-attached the foam that we removed, and this needed some remedial repairs as the top surface was uneven. Should I have left this, it would have shown through the new leather cover, and it would also have been possible to feel the imperfections beneath. I filled in the deepest dents with some thing scrim foam and then laid a complete piece on top before adding a layer of polyester wadding to ensure that the seats remained soft and comfortable. This also works well at hiding any last imperfections that may remain! Then, I applied the new leather piece which forms the part that the passengers sit on.’
The next part to complete was the backrests, which were a little more tricky. These have to have the fabric half fitted, then they get riveted to the seat tray, then the rest of the fabric is stretched up and over and glued to the seat tray.
Brian has already repaired the foam on these so Lydia added a layer of wadding to make them softer. The leather was cut in 2 parts and sewn together, then fitted to the seat with contact adhesive.
Using heat really helped to soften the leather and made it a lot easier to fit the covers on these.
The final piece is the board that rests on top. This is a simple piece of cardboard, with a thin layer of foam on , then covered in leather. Finally, a piece of piping is applied to the edge to close the gap between the board and the seat underneath.
Aston Martin DB2/4 Interior Work
December 6, 2023
Cutting and gluing the leather to the front side window surround panels. Trimming onto the back of the panels, cutting and gluing leather onto the front window surround panels. Trimming onto the back panels, filing out the holes for the door panel brackets, fitting the door panel brackets.
Cutting and gluing leather to the door pockets and pocket side panels, screwing side panels to the pockets, gluing leather to the rear window surround panels.
Interior Panels
November 30, 2023
Brian and Lydia have continued their work on our 1953 Aston Martin DB2/4.
Using the new plywood panels that Brian had cut out for her, Lydia covered them in leather at the top. The bottom part is a piece of carpet with bound edges, so she also cut and sewed this , then attached it to the panel with staples.
The wooden-shaped pieces are simply covered directly with leather, so Lydia cut the material out and glued it straight onto them.
Parts of the interior were painted black before Brian repaired the tailgate top trim panel as well as the headliner.
Lydia then covered the pre-made wooden panels in headlining fabric. Some panels required a small amount of padding, so she added some scrim foam to these before covering them in wool headlining material.
DB2 Centre Console And Rear Panels
November 29, 2023
Brian and Lydia have been working on our 1953 Aston Martin DB2/4, specifically the centre console and rear panels.
Using the existing material from the original, Lydia remade the centre console to match the new leather choice. This involved cutting and making new piping, new top and side sections, and also covering the wooden base section. The paintwork underneath was looking a bit tatty, so Lydia cleaned this off and then re-sprayed it with a fresh coat of black.
As for the rear side panels, the old ones had all but disintegrated. Lydia cut new ones from plywood, checking the shape in the car as she went. Then she cut new fabric and binding for the cover, sewed this together, and glued the new piece to the board.
Getting Ready To Start
November 24, 2023
We currently have 3 Aston Martin DB2/4s in the Bridge Classic Cars workshop. Out of all of them, our 1955 Aston Martin DB2/4 Mark I is the furthest along its restoration journey.
In fact, it is coming to the end of its time in the workshop, and preparations have already begun to complete road tests and alike ready for it to go home to its owner very soon.
Before we can fire it up though, classic car technician Paul fitted a new starter motor as well as making and fitting a new main cable.
The video of our Aston Martin DB2/4 firing up for the first time is coming soon…
Interior Work Begins
November 16, 2023
Brian has started work on our 1955 Aston Martin DB2/4 Drophead Coupe.
He has been making the centre console lid.
He did this by making the wood base, adding the wood edge sections, glueing this to the base section, making a new foam top section, cutting to shape, and fitting foam to the wood base.
More Progress For Our DB2/4
November 16, 2023
The Bridge Classic Cars interior trim team of Brian and Lydia have continued their work on the interior of our 1953 Aston Martin DB2/4.
Lydia carried on her previous work making the seat backs. She altered the shaping slightly to improve the fit, added piping where necessary and then attached the sides. Lydia then fitted the covers with staples, cutting out excess foam and leather where needed to ensure there was no extra bulk in corner areas.
To finish off the seat backs, Lydia stapled the piping on, shaped and bound the carpet, and then used small tacks to secure this on. Before binding the carpet, she skived the piece of leather she was using to ensure there was no extra bulk, and that the carpet would sit flat. Lydia had to move the position of the piping a few times to make sure that it sat close to the edge of the carpet, and that no staples were showing. The seats are now ready to fit into the car when it’s ready!
Brian repaired the damaged wood rail, cutting new leather & covering the rail.
Refitting Our DB2 Grill
November 15, 2023
After the re-chromed grill of our 1955 Aston Martin DB2/4 arrived back at the Bridge Classic Cars workshop, classic car technician Steve fitted it back onto the car.
As you can see, the already stunning classic looks even more impressive with its grill reinstated.
Aston Martin Seats
November 14, 2023
Interior trimmer, Lydia has been working on the backrest part of the front seats of our 1953 Aston Martin DB2/4. This was slightly more challenging than expected as they are much larger than the bases, and the flutes run all the way up the faces.
Lydia used her pattern from the bases for the flutes so that they all line up when put together. The hardest part of this was giving enough allowance for the leather to be able to turn under to cover the hinges, so she had to add a separate flute to allow for this. Once Lydia had worked this out, she sewed up the faces and then checked the shape on the seats.
Panel Piping
October 27, 2023
Interior Trimmer Lydia has made some additional piping to add to the rear panels of our 1955 Aston Martin DB2/4, which will close up the gap between the panel and the roof. This improves the movement when you open the boot lid.
