Going Back Together – 1970 Bristol 411 Reassembly
July 28, 2022
The workshop at the Bridge Classic Cars HQ have begun the process of getting the interior of the 1970 Bristol 411 following its in-house LHD
classic car LHD conversion
Mounted – Securing the New Power Steering Pump on the 1970 Bristol 411
May 20, 2022
The restoration team in the Bridge Classic Cars workshop at our Suffolk HQ have begun to fix the position of the new Power Assisted Steering
Closing Up – Replacing the Sill Straps and Closing Panels on the 1970 Bristol 411
April 21, 2022
After carefully opening up the sills of the 1970 Bristol 411 and thoroughly inspecting them, our technicians have begun the process of sealing them back
All By Hand – Hand Stitching Dash Pieces for the 1970 Bristol 411
April 13, 2022
The trim team at Bridge Classic Cars have been working alongside the workshop team on the left-hand-drive conversion of the 1970 Bristol 411. In the
Dry Fit – Checking the Fitment of the Dash on the 1970 Bristol 411
April 11, 2022
The trim team at Bridge Classic Cars have been working on test fitting the new dash panels of the 1970 Bristol 411 into the car
Final Placement – Fitting and Fully Welding the Steering Rack Mounts for the 1970 Bristol 411
April 11, 2022
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
Handmade – New Glovebox for the 1970 Bristol 411
April 1, 2022
The 1970 Bristol 411, which is having a LHD conversion carried out, has had a brand new glovebox insert made by our incredible trim shop.
Test Fit – Trial Fitment of the New Steering Rack on the 1970 Bristol 411
March 22, 2022
The all-new steering rack for the 1970 Bristol 411 has been test fit into the car by the Bridge Classic Cars restoration workshop. As part
Fabrication – Brackets and Mounts Fabricated for the 1970 Bristol 411
March 22, 2022
The Bristol 411 left-hand drive conversion is moving forward with new mounts and brackets being fabricated by the restoration team in the Bridge Classic Cars
Changes – Modifying the Dash Surround of the 1970 Bristol 411 Left Hand Drive Conversion
March 10, 2022
The trim shop at the Bridge Classic Cars HQ in Suffolk have been working alongside the restoration workshop to convert the 1970 Bristol 411 to
The Start of Something Great – Work Begins on the 1970 Bristol 411
February 15, 2022
This 1970 Bristol 411 which has been stored at our secure storage facility, The Hangar, has been moved to our Pettistree workshop for work to
Going Back Together – 1970 Bristol 411 Reassembly
July 28, 2022
The workshop at the Bridge Classic Cars HQ have begun the process of getting the interior of the 1970 Bristol 411 following its in-house LHD conversion.
The trim team recently installed the carpet set into the floor of the classic GT car, and from there the workshop team could start to put the seats and all other pieces into the car. Along with that, they can start to align all the panels as part of its aesthetic work and finish off getting the trims and wiring/plumbing routed in the engine bay.
Mounted – Securing the New Power Steering Pump on the 1970 Bristol 411
May 20, 2022
The restoration team in the Bridge Classic Cars workshop at our Suffolk HQ have begun to fix the position of the new Power Assisted Steering Pump as part of the carts left-hand drive conversion by our workshop.
With the pump in place, the team could begin to inspect and assess the areas around the pump to make sure that the all-important belt isn’t interfered with or is in the way of anything else. For this, the team have made a custom set of brackets to hold the pump on the engine and perfectly in line with the other pulleys which will drive it.
Closing Up – Replacing the Sill Straps and Closing Panels on the 1970 Bristol 411
April 21, 2022
After carefully opening up the sills of the 1970 Bristol 411 and thoroughly inspecting them, our technicians have begun the process of sealing them back up in the car.
The workshop at Bridge Classic Cars have hand fabricated new sills straps and new closing panels for the classic Bristol after inspecting the inner sills for any form of corrosion. The originals had to be cut out of the car and couldn’t be reused so our fabrication team made brand new, tight-fitting and durable panels to replace them.
The original flanges were cleaned up and straightened to give a good mounting surface for the workshop to weld the new panels back into place and seal up the underside of the classic Bristol.
All By Hand – Hand Stitching Dash Pieces for the 1970 Bristol 411
April 13, 2022
The trim team at Bridge Classic Cars have been working alongside the workshop team on the left-hand-drive conversion of the 1970 Bristol 411.
In the last update, we showed you getting the dash panel pieces test fit into the car but our trimmer Lydia took some detailed photos showing the process of hand-cutting and stitching these beautiful black leather pieces together to make the final covers.
Dry Fit – Checking the Fitment of the Dash on the 1970 Bristol 411
April 11, 2022
The trim team at Bridge Classic Cars have been working on test fitting the new dash panels of the 1970 Bristol 411 into the car as part of its left-hand-drive conversion by the team at our restoration workshops.
Brian, one of our trimmers, has been working alongside the restoration technicians on the conversion to the classic Bristol. Each piece has been test fit numerous times and refined over the previous weeks to make sure the fit and finish of the dash panels is perfect and flow seamlessly into the shape of the cabin.
Brian will make small tweaks to the bracketry and supports to make sure each individual piece (and the panel as a whole) sits right in the car and works together.
Final Placement – Fitting and Fully Welding the Steering Rack Mounts for the 1970 Bristol 411
April 11, 2022
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.
Handmade – New Glovebox for the 1970 Bristol 411
April 1, 2022
The 1970 Bristol 411, which is having a LHD conversion carried out, has had a brand new glovebox insert made by our incredible trim shop.
Because of the change around in placement, the original insert conflicts with several brackets behind the glovebox itself. So, Brian has made one entirely from scratch built specifically for the car by hand. He took measurements from the car in our workshop to get the best fit possible and also keep it the same volume inside as the original.
It’s a beautiful piece for this unique and special project.
Test Fit – Trial Fitment of the New Steering Rack on the 1970 Bristol 411
March 22, 2022
The all-new steering rack for the 1970 Bristol 411 has been test fit into the car by the Bridge Classic Cars restoration workshop.
As part of the cars left-hand drive conversion, the technicians have specced a brand new power-steering rack. Previously, the workshop has been busy making new plates and brackets for this moment.
With the new rack in place, the technicians can take measurements and double check tolerances for any interference which may happen.
Fabrication – Brackets and Mounts Fabricated for the 1970 Bristol 411
March 22, 2022
The Bristol 411 left-hand drive conversion is moving forward with new mounts and brackets being fabricated by the restoration team in the Bridge Classic Cars workshop.
Paul has made new glovebox brackets to reinforce behind the dashboard now the dash has rotated.
The biggest change has been underneath the car. Paul has made new plates that will be used to attach the all-new steering rack for the conversion. The pieces were cut to shape and then carefully refined to fit into the car.
Changes – Modifying the Dash Surround of the 1970 Bristol 411 Left Hand Drive Conversion
March 10, 2022
The trim shop at the Bridge Classic Cars HQ in Suffolk have been working alongside the restoration workshop to convert the 1970 Bristol 411 to left-hand drive.
Part of that is modifying the dashboard of the car to the correct orientation in the cabin. With everything on the dash being moved from right to left, the instrument cluster needed to be reworked to line up with the existing woodwork and supports.
Referencing the car and the original dash pieces, Brian could make the precise and crucial cuts in the cluster to not only allow the wooden panel to sit in place but so that the existing material could be fitted back into the new cut with a perfect fit.
The Start of Something Great – Work Begins on the 1970 Bristol 411
February 15, 2022
This 1970 Bristol 411 which has been stored at our secure storage facility, The Hangar, has been moved to our Pettistree workshop for work to begin on this amazing project.
This car was acquired by us for a customer based in Europe who has asked to carry out a series of works on the car including a left-hand drive conversion which we are getting asked more and more by clients if we can carry out. But before any of that work can begin, our teams will check the entire car over.
The first step is to get the car running. Our workshop technician have had to a light recommission of the to get it running and make sure that all the systems work correctly such as cooling and oiling. The technicians have reported that all was okay once the V8 had been run up to temperature and sat happily at temperature. The other piece that our workshop have completed is reinstating the chrome core support guard which carries the cars build plate, this is now safely back on the car for all to see.
This is going to be a very exciting project for the Bridge Classic Cars workshop on an amazing car.
