The 1958 Jensen 541R Navy has been in the Bridge Classic Cars in-house paint shop for some paint repairs following the hinge adjustments to the classic Jensen by the restoration workshop.
The hinge had fallen out of adjustment and caused some paint damage to the edges of the bonnet and driver’s door. Not a problem for the paint team.
After carefully colour matching the existing Navy Blue paintwork, the team then began to sand and prepare the area meticulously to get the area perfectly flat and into shape before primering could start.
After primer, the area was sanded down once more before being cleaned and masked off and the whole car was taken into our in-house spray booth for the colour to be laid down. After several coats of matched Navy Blue, the area could be clear coated and polished ready for the car to be finished by the restoration workshop.
The final parts and panels for the 1987 Mercedes 500SL have been finished in the Bridge Classic Cars in-house paint shop ready for reassembly on the car.
The team have taken their time to make sure each individual piece has been properly prepared, cleaned and primed before being taken back into the booth to be finished in matching Selenit Grey to the rest of the classic 1980s Mercedes.
Part of the process involved also painting several key parts of the car in a deep black before being masked off and finished in the glossy grey.
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:
The iconic coach stripe which adorns the lengths of many classic Bentley’s has been applied to the 1969 Bentley T1 by the Bridge Classic Cars in-house paint team.
Chris, one of our painters, carefully measured and masked the coach lines along the T1. The whole car was then safely covered in order to lay down the correct vivid yellow stripe which runs underneath the brightwork.
The paint was then given enough time to cure in our in-house booth/oven before the car was moved into the preparation area to be finished and polished.
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.
The paintwork on the 1995 BMW 850CSi has been completed by the Bridge Classic Cars in-house paint and body team so it’s time for the beautiful classic BMW to head home.
The team have refinished the rear bumper in matching Oxford Green to the rest of the car. The team completely stripped the rear bumper all the way back and carried out several rounds of refining to make sure the bumper was in as good a shape as the rest of the car.
Then, it was taken into our in-house paint booth where Alan, one of our painters, laid down several layers of the dark, luscious green.
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.
The Bridge Classic Cars in-house paintshop have been working on preparing and refinishing the engine and parts from the 1969 Morris Minor 1000 Convertible.
The restoration and paint teams have been working on carefully preparing each piece individually for Alan to refinish in the colour-matched Morris green for the engine block and head, while the accessories have been refinished in a tough, durable black.
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.
The rear bumper of the 1995 BMW 850CSi has been in the Bridge Classic Cars in-house paint shop for the team to refinish it in matching Oxford Green to the rest of the stunning 1990s GT car.
Alan worked on getting the bumpers completely cleaned down and prepared to go into the booth where the team have paint matched them to the correct Oxford Green paint to match the exterior of the car.
The car looks absolutely incredible in dark green so these will just add to that after being refinished by the team.
The windows in the 1969 Bentley T1 have been getting built back up and refit into the doors by the restoration team at Bridge Classic Cars.
With the car freshly out of paint, the team very carefully have begun the process of getting everything back onto the car.
The mechanisms, glass and brightwork have all been reattached in place and tested to make sure they’re perfectly aligned with no issues binding or grabbing.
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.
The rear bumper of the 1995 BMW 850CSi has been taken off the car and is being prepared by the in-house restoration team in the Bridge Classic Cars paint and body shop.
Mauro has been carefully stripping, sanding and cleaning up the bumper of the 1990s GT car for the team in the paint shop to prime it. The clear coat on the piece was flaking and the colour had begun to change so the team are refinishing it to the same colour as the body thanks to our state of the art paint scanner.
After Mauro had finished preparing the bumper, it was taken into the paint booth where our painter Alan shot the piece in plastic primer and then high build primer to finish.
The paint and body team at Bridge Classic Cars have been working on preparing the 1987 Daimler Double Six for paintwork to begin.
The body team have been carefully and meticulously sanding and working each panel ahead of its appointment with our in-house paint booth.
While the team were working on each individual panel to get them perfect, they also welded up and finished off some of the small pinholes to get that flawless finish when it comes time to paint.
Each of the welds then had minimal filler work carried out just to flatten any low points caused by the finishing work.
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 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.
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.
The 1965 Porsche 912 has just had its first polishing session completed by the Bridge Classic Cars in-house paint team. With it in such great shape, we thought we would pull it outside and get some photos of just how good the Polo Red paintwork looks in the light.
Alan, one of our paint technicians, has been hard at work getting the glorious red paint inside and out to look absolutely perfect. Through several rounds of colour sanding and polishing, the body of this classic Porsche looks incredible. And, there are still a couple more rounds of polishing to go!
Keep a lookout on the Bridge Classic Cars news page for more updates on the beautiful 1965 Porsche 912 very soon.
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.
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.
The underside of the Team C Racing Mini shell has been worked on by the Bridge Classic Cars body shop ahead of its appointment in the in-house paint booth.
Mauro, our paint and body restoration technician, has been painstakingly sanding the underneath of the classic Mini. Each and every inch of the car’s top and the bottom has been worked on to ensure the work done by the paint shop is perfect.
The underside of the car is due to be raptor guarded to give the best durability to the bottom of the car against the elements.
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.
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.
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 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
February 28, 2022 11:39 amPublished by Craig Ranson
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.
February 25, 2022 10:27 amPublished by Craig Ranson
We use cookies to deliver the best possible experience whilst visiting our website. By clicking "Accept All", you consent to our use of cookies, or you can manage your preferences by clicking the link below. You can manage your preferences at any time from out Cookie Policy page.
Functional
Always active
The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
Preferences
The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
Statistics
The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes.The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
Marketing
The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.
