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classic car bodywork

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:

Getting Stronger – Inspecting and Strengthening the Sills of the 1970 Bristol 411

April 14, 2022

The restoration technicians from the Bridge Classic Cars workshop have been working on inspecting inside and then strengthening the sills of the 1970 Bristol 411.

The team cut off the chassis cover in order to inspect the structural pieces of the frame on the classic Bristol, inside was found to be in generally good condition but they did notice the strengthening rail, which pinches the two seams together, had corroded quite heavily. So, the team have fabricated a new replacement piece to put back the strength and rigidity to the piece.

Support – Repairing the Inner Wings of the 1969 Morris Minor Convertible

April 14, 2022

The fabrication team at Bridge Classic Cars have been busy repairing the inner wing structure of the 1969 Morris Minor Convertible.

Our fabricator Monty has been sympathetically repairing the classic Morris and paying close attention to structural areas of the car but also play a key role in the aesthetics. This point of the inner wing also ties into the core support and the mounts for the front wings which will allow the panels to be refit by our body shop team with perfect alignment. Previously, the panel which was in place allowed for a significant amount of flex and movement which unless rectified can cause issues for the body team when it comes to fitting the car back together.

Key Pieces – Repairs on the 1969 Morris Minor Convertible

April 13, 2022

The 1969 Morris Minor Convertible has been in the Bridge Classic Cars fabrication shop to have the necessary repairs carried out to the body and parts of the structure beneath the car.

The fabrication shop has been meticulous but also sympathetic to the process in order to make the car not only aesthetical right but structurally sound and secure for our body teams to work from to refine and perfect the beautiful shape of a classic Morris Minor.

Multiple areas of corrosion in key locations were discovered and repaired using the best methods possible and only sympathetically focusing on those specific areas which had been affected.

Final Finish – Painting the Doors and Quarter Panels of the 1987 Mercedes 500SL

April 11, 2022

The final panels for the 1987 Mercedes 500SL have been carefully and meticulously prepared by the paint and body team at Bridge Classic Cars.

Alan, has worked on getting each panel individually prepared and then cleaned down before taking them into our in-house paint booth where they were to be finished in matching Selenit Grey to the rest of the car.

He laid down layer after layer of the deep, glossy grey to the doors and front quarter panels which marks the final major pieces of the 1987 500SL to be painted and the car will soon begin the rebuild of the car.

Preparing for the Next Stage – 1969 Bentley T1 Ready to have Chrome Reinstalled

April 7, 2022

The restoration technicians at Bridge Classic Cars have been working alongside the paint and body team to prepare the body of the 1969 Bentley T1 to have its chrome work reinstalled.

After its bodywork and respray, the team have to drill new holes into the body to fit the car’s brightwork onto the driver’s side front wing which was replaced as part of the work carried out.

The team carefully measured each hole by lining up the piece with the others on that side of the car to make sure this piece sat level and flowed perfectly with the piece before it.

Colour Matched – Painting the Bonnet on the 1987 Mercedes 500SL

April 7, 2022

The bonnet of the 1987 Mercedes 500SL has been taken into the Bridge Classic Cars paint shop to be painted by our in-house paint team.

The piece has been beautifully prepared and readied to go into the booth with our painter Alan to shoot the layers of Selenit Grey needed to complete the deep, glossy paintwork which has been done to the body of the classic Mercedes.

Back Together – Refitting the Newly Painted Rear Bumper on the 1995 BMW 850CSi

April 7, 2022

The newly painted rear bumper is being carefully refitted back onto the gorgeous 1995 BMW 850CSi which is in the Bridge Classic Cars in-house paint and body shop.

The paint and body team have been working on carefully and meticulously refitting the freshly painted piece back onto the 1990s GT car and making sure it is perfectly aligned and secured to the rest of the car.

Piece by Piece – Painting the Bonnet and Boot on the 1987 Mercedes 500SL

April 6, 2022

The bonnet and boot of the 1987 Mercedes 500SL have been into the Bridge Classic Cars paint shop to be finished in the matching Selenit Grey to the rest of the bodywork.

Alan has been carefully preparing and readying the panels before they went into the booth to get the perfect finish identical to the rest of the classic Mercedes.

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.

This Just In – 1994 BMW 650CSi

April 5, 2022

The beautiful 1995 BMW 850CSi has recently arrived into the Bridge Classic Cars workshop to be worked on by our in-house paint and body team.

The team will prepare and repaint the rear bumper and front scuttle panel on this iconic 1990s GT car for its owner as well as do the full inspection and assessment of the car.

Keep a look out here on the Bridge Classic Cars news page for more updates on the 1995 BMW 850CSi.

The Pursuit of Perfection – The 1987 Mercedes 500SL in Colour

April 1, 2022

The 1987 Mercedes 500SL has been moved from the preparation area at Bridge Classic Cars into the paint shop and then, into our in-house paint booth/oven.

The paint and body team, along with the fabrication shop, have spent a lot of time getting the classic R107 ready for its date with the paint booth making sure each part, panel and piece was perfect before beginning the painting process.

The car is being finished in a classic Mercedes colour, Selenet Grey. Most notably seen on the classic 280SL Pagodas, it was chosen to compliment the beautiful burgundy red interior that the trim team have made for the car.

So, with the car ready it was time for Alan and Nick to go into the booth with the car and lay down the first coat onto the body of the SL. Starting with the engine bay.

Alan began under the transmission tunnel and worked his way up and across the firewall making sure every inch was covered to give each coat an even and flowing look. The inner wheel arches and front core support finished off the first stage. Then, Alan began to work getting the scuttle panel and windscreen surround shot in the dark, deep grey and worked his way back towards the boot on the classic Mercedes.

The rear quarter panels and rocker panels were coloured line by line. Each gently overlapping on the previous to give the consistent and uniform look needed to achieve the flawless finish that comes with Selenet Grey. But with the car having its first coat complete, it was time to let it settle and get the paint mixed for the next round.

The 2nd coat was done in the same order as the first. Alan making sure to get every exposed piece of bodywork coated properly for the uniform look. Again, it was all about consistency and movement in order to achieve the finish on the classic R107. And once the 2nd layer had flashed off, Alan waited for the prescribed time and then shot the 3rd coat to finish off the car.

With that, it was left in the ovens to completely cure and harden. Once it has completely hardened, it will be carefully transferred back to the preparation area in order for polishing and preparation for the next stage.

First Colour – 1969 Bentley T1 has First Round of Colour

March 30, 2022

The beautiful and elegant 1969 Bentley T1 has been in the Bridge Classic Cars in-house paint booth to have its first layers of paint applied.

Chris and the paint team have worked hard to get the body of the classic Bentley into perfect shape before it headed into our paint booth. The Bentley is being repainted in the original Sage Green, which has been hand-matched by our paint department to get the colour just as it would have originally been done back in the late 1960s.

With this round of painting complete, the car will be taken into the preparation area and prepared to be finished.

Ready for Paint – The 1969 Bentley T1 Ready for Colour

March 25, 2022

The 1969 Bentley T1 has entered the Bridge Classic Cars in-house paint booth to begin its journey into colour.

Chris and the team in the Bridge Classic Cars body and paint shop have worked tirelessly to get the classic Bentley ready to go into the spray booth for the first layers of colour to be laid down.

The T1 will go through the process of several layers of colour before finishing work begins.

Expect to see much more on the beautiful 1969 Bentley T1 very soon.

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.

Preparations – Removing the Interior and Convertible Hood of the 1969 Morris Minor 1000

March 24, 2022

The 1969 Morris Minor 1000 Convertible, which is in the Bridge Classic Cars restoration workshop at our Suffolk HQ, has had its interior and convertible roof removed ahead of its move into the fabrication shop.

Brian worked methodically through the classic Morris Minor to make sure that all of the interior panels and piece were removed as safely as possible to avoid any unnecessary damage before their inspection by the Bridge Classic Cars trim team.

With the interior removed, Brian could then remove the convertible hood mechanism and covering.

In The Sun – The Team C Racing Classic Mini Painted

March 24, 2022

The Team C Racing Mini, which has recently been in the Bridge Classic Cars paint booth, has been in the paint shop curing overnight. So, with the weather looking perfect the team thought we’d grab some photos of it out in the sun.

This is the first stage of getting the classic Mini into colour. It still needs to be cut back and polished but it looks absolutely brilliant.

Finished in Colour – Painting the Team C Racing Classic Mini Shell

March 24, 2022

The Bridge Classic Cars in-house paint booth has recently had the body shell of the Team C Racing classic Mini in to begin the process of getting the car into colour.

Chris, along with the rest of the Bridge Classic Cars paint and body team, have been getting the body shell of the classic Mini into the best shape possible before it heads into the booth. Every surface on the car, from top to bottom, has been meticulously prepared and cleaned down before being moved into the booth.

Coat by coat, Chris built up the layers of deep brown on the inside and outside of the shell of the Mini. Then, he could turn his attention to the roof of the car. For this, he had to re-mask the rest of the car before re-priming and laying down the white which gives this Mini its classic look.

Primed and Ready – Team C Racing Mini in Primer

March 16, 2022

The body shell and panels for the Team C Racing classic Mini has moved from the Bridge Classic Cars body shop to the paint booth ready to be shot in primer.

With the body and panels cleaned down thoroughly and masked up, Chris could begin the process of getting the classic Mini into primer ahead of its colour change. Several coats of primer were laid onto the body before it is taken back to the body shop to have more delicate sanding done to ensure the best finish on the shell for our friends over at Team C Racing.

Begin Again – Getting 1969 Bentley T1 Ready for Paint

March 16, 2022

The 1969 Bentley T1 has been moved from the Bridge Classic Cars body shop into our in-house paint shop to begin the process of getting the classic Bentley resprayed in its original Green.

Chris has been working on getting the panels of the classic Bentley reshaped to make sure each piece is in the best shape and appearance before even the first coats of paint hit the body. This latest round of guide coat is so the team can make sure each piece is level and flat before the process of colour begins.

In Colour – The Body of the 1965 Porsche 912 Now in Polo Red

March 14, 2022

Following on from getting the body panels of the 1965 Porsche 912, the Bridge Classic Cars paint team have shot the body hell of the classic Porsche in period-correct Polo Red.

The car was wheeled into the booth and carefully prepped by Alan before mixing up a litre of Polo Red to be laid across the body. Coat by coat the red lay perfectly onto the body of the car after testing it in places to get the fan shape on the paint gun perfect for laying down the colour.

Alan worked his way from front to back on the car, allowing each coat to flash off and begin its curing process inside the booth. The 6 coats of colour on the body, were done in 2 sessions which allowed the paint time to set up before the next round of painting.

After the paint had cured in the booth for a few hours, it was time to carefully push the beautifully painted 912 into the preparation department to begin the colour sanding process for lacquer and polishing.

The Next Stage – First Colour on the 1965 Porsche 912

March 10, 2022

The body panels of the 1965 Porsche 912 have gone into the Bridge Classic Cars paint shop to have the first layers of colour laid onto the meticulously prepared pieces.

The car is being finished in a period-correct Porsche colour Polo Red.

Alan, one of our incredible painters, has been working on preparing the panels and pieces of the classic Porsche in preparation for this stage of the car’s bodywork. Each panel was perfectly sanded, cleaned and positioned inside the booth before he walked into our in-house spray booth/oven.

The first layer was light and delicate on the panels. Creating almost a pink covering before being allowed to set up and let the next coats adhere perfectly to the piece. Then, over time each layer was built up and allowed to flash off before the next round of Polo Red was laid onto and inside each of the pieces.

With these pieces curing in the ovens overnight, the next step is to prepare the body for the booth.

Top Work – Rust Repairs to the Sunroof of the 1987 Daimler Double Six

March 10, 2022

The fabrication team in the Bridge Classic Cars restoration workshop at our Suffolk HQ are hard at work repairing the rust issues in the sunroof of the 1987 Daimler Double Six.

Monty has been working his way methodically through the entirety of the classic Daimler. This time he has turned his attention to the sunroof and sunroof opening of the car, which is showing some noticeable signs of corrosion both on the interior and exterior of the car. Firstly, the sunroof panel was removed and stripped back to best assess the piece.

With everything cleaned back, the level of corrosion could be seen and assessed. Monty began handmaking the various patch panels and pieces needed for both the roof panel and the sunroof rails. With all of these pieces carefully templated and made, the process of welding them into the car could begin.

Because of the tolerances in the sunroof mechanism, the welding process has to be precise and accurate as to not warp any of the pieces with the heat generated by welding.

Preparations – The Doors of the 1987 Daimler Double Six in Primer

March 7, 2022

The doors from the 1987 Daimler Double Six have been moved from the body shop to the paint shop at Bridge Classic Cars.

The doors have been prepared for their first coat of primer before being taken back through into the body shop to be perfected and shaped in anticipation for the body shell to be moved into the department from the fabrication shop and readied for primer.

Final Pieces – Bumpers for the 1965 Porsche 912 in Primer

March 7, 2022

The final pieces for the 1965 Porsche 912 have gone into the Bridge Classic Cars paint shop to have their final coat of primer.

The body shop team have worked on perfecting the shape and surface of the bumpers and valance panel from the classic Porsche before it went into the paint booth. This involved hours of shaping and sanding to get each individual piece to the correct shape.

Then, once each had been perfectly cleaned and prepared, Alan could lay the final coats of high build primer on the panels in preparation for the beginning of the colour process.

Built-Up – 1965 Porsche 912 in High Build Primer

March 4, 2022

The 1965 Porsche 912 in with the paint and body team at the Bridge Classic Cars workshop at our Suffolk HQ has had the majority of its part now sprayed in the final stage of primer.

Alan has been working on the classic Porsche to completely overhaul the car’s bodywork. After several rounds of sanding, priming, resanding and so on the 912 is looking incredible. The majority of the parts, panels and the bodyshell have been in the spray booth to receive its final coats of primer.

The car has been shot in an even and crucial layer of high-build primer before the paint team lay down the first coats of colour on this beautiful classic Porsche.

New Finish – Parts from the 1979 Arrow Ferrari Daytona in Satin Black

March 3, 2022

The in-house paint shop at Bridge Classic Cars have taken some of the parts from the 1979 Arrow Ferrari Daytona to be refinished.

With the Arrow Daytona project making great progress, some of the parts from the iconic car have been taken from our restoration workshop into the paint shop to be prepared for refinishing. Alan, has worked on sanding down and cleaning each part individually ready for its time in the paint booth.

Each of the pieces was hung and then shot in a heavy-duty and durable satin black to match the rest of the pieces in the car. These will be packaged and put into storage for when the project calls for them.

Coming Soon – Team C Mini’s

March 1, 2022

Continuing our relationship with Team C Racing, we are about to being the process of respraying 3 classic Mini’s for the local Mini specialists.

Firstly, the car finished in grey primer. This will be changed to brown with a white roof. A classic colour combination for a Mini.

Secondly, the black and red car. The entire car will be changed over to orange and a fibreglass bonnet fitted to the car.

Lastly, the white car. This will be having some bodywork carried out on the car before it is resprayed in a brand new white. This car is having a new front panel fitted and a rear quarter panel to make sure the body looks as good as the paintwork on top of it.

Anyone who knows of Team C will know they’re keen racers and true enthusiasts and experts when it comes to everything classic Mini. So, Bridge Classic Cars is happy to help and will be painting these 3 Mini’s over the next few weeks.

Mirror Finish – Machine Polishing the 1959 Austin Healey Frogeye Sprite

February 28, 2022

At Bridge Classic Cars, we have a phrase called ”Dead in Red”. This is what we’ve found to be the best description of red paint after years of oxidization and exposure to the elements.

So, while we have this stunning 1959 Austin Healey Frogeye Sprite in our workshop we thought it was time to bring back the paint to its beautiful glossy and deep finish. The car has been both machine and hand polished to not only bring back the depth of the red paint but also protect it for years to come and allow its paint more longevity.

As you’ll agree, it looks absolutely wonderful now the paint is bright and vibrant.

The Other Side – Rust Repairs to the Arches and Door on the Passenger Side of the 1987 Daimler Double Six

February 25, 2022

The fabrication shop at Bridge Classic Cars have begun work on the rear passenger side of the 1987 Daimler Double Six to fix any of the rust issues in this area.

Our fabricators have replaced several areas around the wheel arches and sill which had entirely rusted through. Monty, our fabricator, has hand made new patch panels for these areas to make sure that everything in that area is solid and rust-free.

The fabrication team have also had to make a new wheel arch edge for the classic Daimler. This had unfortunately been affected by rust and spread into the bottom of the rear door. Each of these pieces were then cut out, prepared and new pieces welded in to remove any trace of corrosion.

With the new metal in the rear quarters of both sides, Monty can keep moving rearwards on the Double Six to get the body completely rust-free before it goes into the Bridge Classic Cars paint shop.

© Bridge Classic Cars Holdings Ltd, T/ as Bridge Classic Cars. Registered in England and Wales with company number 5047706.