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classic car paint

Porsche Painted

April 14, 2021

Our classic 1982 Porsche 911SC has just had its final colour applied in the paint booth and is looking fantastically shiny and fresh! We’re looking

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Meet the team: Darren

November 9, 2020

It’s another Meet The Team Monday! This Monday we’re pleased to introduce our Paint Shop Manager, Darren! Darren started his career with cars in a

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MGA Bodywork Progress

February 4, 2020

Our MGA restoration has been progressing nicely. The body has been down in our in-house trim shop with Chris. Chris has been checking body panel

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Defenders don’t always have to be industrial looking

March 4, 2024

My Land Rover Defender is one of the best vehicles I have ever owned…at least that’s what I think right now.

Yes it’s industrial, yes it’s loud and bumpy but it’s great fun!

Having owned the car for a little while now I do my very best to keep on top of the general wear and tear that the Defender gets. I’ve sealed and treated the underside, I’ve corrected some paint imperfections, tidied a couple of areas in the rear compartment to make it more family friendly and less ‘workhorse’ and then recently I noticed that the centre hubs were starting to show signs of surface rust.

Not too big a job to fix and a huge difference to the overall kerb appeal. Great work from Mauro today, cleaning up the hubs and coating in a fresh layer of black DTM.

Triumph Spitfire Polyester Primer

December 6, 2023

Alan is refitting the rear lights to check the fit. He is masking up for polyester primer preparation.

Body was first epoxy primed then polyester primed.

Firing up the paint gun for our Spitfire

November 2, 2023

Alan is now on the exciting stage of preparing the car with epoxy primer. The doors, bonnet, boot lid and body of car are now all primed and ready for the Java Green finished to be applied.

Panel Work – Panels of the 1969 Morris Minor Convertible in High Build Primer

August 5, 2022

The 1969 Morris Minor Convertible has been in the Bridge Classic Cars in-house paint booth to have the last few of its panels finished in high-build primer.

Before laying down the primer, the team have carefully cleaned down each piece of the classic convertible before being put onto the painting jigs and masked up and cleaned down once more to remove any contaminants.

Then, several layers of the high-build primer were laid down and left to cure in the booth.

Inside the Workshop – 1958 Jensen 541R in Primer

July 13, 2022

Check out the latest video from Bridge Classic Cars! We go into the paint booth as the team get primer on the 1958 Jensen 541R.

This is the first stage of getting the fibreglass-bodied GT car in perfect condition before its Ice Blue Metallic paintwork.

On the Inside – Inner Arches of the 1978 MG B GT Painted

July 6, 2022

As part of the paint side of its restoration, the 1978 MG B GT has had its inner arches sprayed.

The paint team cleaned down the insides of both the front and rear arches on the classic MG before applying the raptorguard to help protect the metal from any form of moisture which may find its way into the newly refurbished shell.

The team do this on nearly all of our restoration as we’ve found it is the best process to securing the longevity of the inner wings on classic cars.

In Colour – 1978 MG B GT Painted in Blaze Orange

July 5, 2022

The paint and body team at Bridge Classic Cars have got the 1978 MG B GT refinished in its original colour, Blaze Orange.

The team have laid down several layers of bright, vibrant orange on the body shell and panels of the classic MG B. The car will be taken out of the booth after the paint has begun to cure and left to fully harden before being colour sanded and polished.

This is a massive milestone in the restoration of the 1978 MG B GT!

Primed & Ready – Getting the 1978 MG B GT Ready for Paint

July 5, 2022

The body shop team at Bridge Classic Cars have handed over the 1978 MG B GT to our in-house paint team to get the classic sports car ready for colour!

The team have been working on refining the lines and form of the MG B GT in our body prep area before it was taken into the paint prep bay to be thoroughly cleaned down for its final stages of primer and reworking.

The team always make sure that every panel is inspected and checked over before the car enters the booth and any dust or debris is removed from the car before mask up and again afterwards. The team then could use Polyfan on the shell to recheck for any low spots once it has been sanded off the body and any adjustments made.

Then after another clean-down, it was taken into the boot/oven once more for the final primer to be laid. Whilst the primer was curing, the team could begin to seam seal the boot and engine bay of the classic M B and another layer of primer laid down in those areas.

Cutting Back – Colour Sanding the 1955 Aston Martin DB2/4 MkI

June 10, 2022

The 1955 Aston Martin DB2/4 MkI has been moved into the Bridge Classic Cars paint and body preparation area for the team to being colour sanding the car.

The process of colour sanding is key in the visual aspect of the restoration of the classic Aston Martin to make the paintwork match the incredible work that each and every panel has had done to it by the team.

Our painter Chris, who painted the car, has headed up the colour sanding of the Aston Martin. Using finer and finer abrasives to remove any imperfections and even out any areas of the car.

In Colour – Painting the 1955 Aston Martin DB2/4 MkI

June 10, 2022

The 1955 Aston Martin DB2/4 MkI has been in the Bridge Classic Cars in-house paint booth for a key part of its restoration. The classic Aston Martin has now been painted in its final colour!

The team have spent hours preparing the beautiful 1950s GT for this stage of the work to make sure every surface, panel and piece of the car is in perfect shape. Once the team had built up the colour layer by layer, it was then left in our oven to cure completely before it will be moved into our preparation bay to begin colour-sanding.

This is a huge step in the project and we’re excited to show you the next stages of the paintwork on the 1955 Aston Martin DB2/4 MkI.

In Colour – The 1987 Daimler Double Six Now in Colour

May 23, 2022

The 1987 Daimler Double Six has been taken into the in-house paint booth at Bridge Classic Cars once again to carry on its journey into full colour.

The team have spent countless hours making sure that each process and stage of the paint and bodywork for the classic Daimler is flawless and smooth. Each layer of paint is inspected and assessed even on the inside of the panels. With the inner panels now painted, the team masked up the bodyshell and could begin the process of laying down the dark blue onto the Double Six.

Patiently and methodically, the paint team swept layers of the deep blue across the body and wings of the car. One after another, the layers were built up to give the car its glossy and bright finish but to also build up the depth and contrast in the colour.

With this stage done, the Daimler is now curing before the paint and body team begin colour sanding.

Closer and Closer – Final Pieces of Body Preparation on the 1987 Mercedes 500SL

February 17, 2022

The final process to get the 1987 Mercedes 500SL restoration ready for its first coats of paint has been completed by the Bridge Classic Cars body shop.

Mauro has been working on getting the last few pieces of the classic Mercedes ready for its date with the paint booth. Mauro has been meticulously going through the whole car piece by piece to make sure everything is in perfect shape before the first layers of final primer are laid onto the body and panels. This involved several hours of sanding in places with very limited access but needed to be done for the best finish possible.

Along with that, Mauro removed the final parts and pieces from the doors of the 500SL to be able to sand inside the doors so the paint shop can get the best finish possible inside and out.

We’re so excited to see the 1987 Mercedes 500SL finally go into the Bridge Classic Cars paint shop for the first steps of its paint process.

A New Look – Repainting the Bonnet and Boot on the 1984 Jaguar XJ

October 25, 2021

Some of you may remember the 1984 Jaguar XJ bonnet and boot that a customer had asked us to refinish. The rest of the car had been painted elsewhere but that isn’t a problem for our in-house paint team.

After working on the rust repairs for the panels and making sure the surfaces were flat and true, Chris and the team got to the meticulous job of paint matching.

Thanks to our state of the art paint system as well as years of experience, Chris managed to exactly match the shade and hue of deep, vibrant maroon for this classic Jaguar. The results look incredible.

Chris and the team take their time with the prepping of each individual piece that needs painting and that also includes laying the primer in just the right way that it sits and shines just in the right way for the colour coat to achieve the best finish.

Ready to Go Home – Paint Repair on the 2008 Porsche 911 Carrera S

October 21, 2021

Chris and the paint shop team at Bridge Classic Cars have been hard at work on the front bumper of the 2008 Porsche 911 Carrera S in for some paint repairs on the front bumper.

Rather than try to blend the paint into the existing finish, Chris thought to get a better result would be to entirely repaint the bumper and match it to the body.

As you can see, the results look fantastic. Now, the Carrera is ready to go back home to its adoring owner.

Mirror Finish – Painting the Front Bumper of the 2008 Porsche 911 Carrera S

October 20, 2021

Our incredible in-house paint team have begun work on the part repairs to the 2008 Porsche 911 Carrera S at Bridge Classic Cars.

There were a few small scuffs and scratches in several areas of the bump. Carefully, Chris and his team removed the bumper from the car in order to prepare it for assessment and the repairs needed.

With that, the plan was made to entirely repaint the front bumper. Carefully colour matching the paint to the rest of the car, Chris got the bumper into the booth and laid down several coats of gloss black onto the panel.

Porsche Painted

April 14, 2021

Our classic 1982 Porsche 911SC has just had its final colour applied in the paint booth and is looking fantastically shiny and fresh! We’re looking forward to seeing the final details such as the bumpers and whale tail painted and seeing the finished product.

Porsche Colour Matching And Correcting

March 31, 2021

Our stunning 1982 Porsche 911SC has come in recently for some paint TLC. The paint shop have been accessing what needs doing and in the process, have identified some rust, micro-bubbling, cosmetic imperfections and chips.

The team have sent a sample off to be colour matched at our paint manufacturers at Lechler to replace the worn-out paint and correct the imperfections. Our Porsche will be looking good as new in no time!

The body has been masked and prepped in readiness for paint. We’re aiming for this to be painted next week.

Colour Matching on the TR5

January 21, 2021

“Colour is a power which directly influences the soul.” – Wassily Kandinsky

Our TR5 has been colour matched today by our friend and partner, Dean, from GB Refinish. Before Dean was able to assess the colour, one of our paint technicians had to polish part of the car so that the CME Colour Matcher can work its magic without picking up any dust, as that will affect its accuracy. We’re needing to add some paint touch-ups to the TR5 but didn’t know the exact colour as it was painted elsewhere but this is where Dean comes in!

Dean uses a nifty piece of equipment called the CME – Colour Explorer. This clever device used LED technology which asses the colour and creates unique codes for the surface that it has scanned. This scanning is done at several angles and when complete, Dean will then plug the device into his computer where it will provide the unique codes that will relate to an exact colour.

This is an incredibly useful tool when trying to colour match on classic cars that may have bespoke or ‘extinct’ colours that would otherwise be impossible to find. Dean’s expertise and equipment mean we can find the exact colour needed to ensure that each classic retains its original colour. Having Dean as a partner and contact at Bridge Classic Cars means we can provide specialist paint services.

Meet the team: Darren

November 9, 2020

It’s another Meet The Team Monday! This Monday we’re pleased to introduce our Paint Shop Manager, Darren!

Darren started his career with cars in a similar way to many of our technicians did, by studying an apprenticeship, “I’ve always been into vehicles since I was a teenager” Daren tells us.

Darren studied his apprenticeship at the formerly known Potters Ford dealership in Framlingham, Suffolk, and has kept it local ever since. Darren joined our team in January 2019.

During his time studying general mechanics, Darren was given the choice to specialise and took the option to focus on Strip Fitting. From there he progressed to working with the paintwork.

“I still prefer doing body and paintwork because you get to see the rewards at the end.”

As our Paint Shop Manager, it’s down to Darren to ensure that the paintwork on each of our cars is matched, made, and added, as well as overseeing all the work that goes on in our Paint Shop.

Fun fact: one of the most popular cars in Darren’s birth year was the Ferrari 1973 Berlinetta Boxer. When launched, it competed with the Lamborghini Countach to be the fastest supercar you could buy.

1961 Morris Mini Deluxe Leaves the Paint Shop

August 10, 2020

Another major stage in the restoration of our 1961 Mini has been hit. Darren has completed painting the body shell. After a polish it’s looking absolutely stunning in the sunlight.

Our Mini has been painted in the original cherry red paint colour. This is a much stronger red than the more maroon tone of the Mini 30’s cherry red paint.

Smashing work, Darren. When paired with the cream wheels and details, this little mini will look incredible.

1994 Mini Mayfair respray

July 28, 2020

Visiting our workshops today we have our 1994 Mini Mayfair. Having been painted in 2010 the car started to suffer from a few rust issues which the customer attempted to tackle himself. The corroded areas seem to have been kept under control but has left a lot of imperfections in the paint. These are mainly due to the lacquer not blending well with the original paintwork.

The car will require a full repaint from the roof down so we will look . We will await instruction from the customer.

1973 Triumph TR6 In The Paint Shop

June 30, 2020

Darren has now completed the final stages of painting our stunning magenta 1973 Triumph TR6. After masking up to protect the already painted inner sections of the body, Darren firstly applied primer to the prepared surface.

He then applied several layers of the sumptuous magenta colour coats.

Finally the paint is fully protected and sealed in with several layers of clear coat. Once the car is fully re-assembled, this clear coat can then be machined and detailed to a crystal clear finish.

This looks absolutely stunning. Top work, Darren!