The rest of the panels from the 1987 Mercedes 500SL which is in with Bridge Classic Cars for restoration have been in the in-house spray booth to be finished in bright white primer.
Chris, one of our amazing painters, has been getting the first layers of finishing primer onto the pieces of the classic Mercedes. This is all being done in preparation for the car to be completely refinished in the Mercedes Pagoda colour, Selenit Grau.
It’s all moving quickly now on the restoration of this beautiful Mercedes R107 and we can’t wait to show you the next step!
February 22, 2022 12:08 pmPublished by Craig Ranson
The Bridge Classic Cars body shop have the wheels arches of the 1956 Jensen 541 on the workbench currently.
Our body shop have been forming the new aluminium wheel arch lines by hand for the classic sports car. All of these pieces have to be made by hand for the car due to each arch being slightly different to one another, so for the best fit, our team have made them individually for the car.
Along with that, our teams have finished stripping back the boot lid of the 541 ready for primer and filler work to be completed and ready for paint.
February 22, 2022 11:27 amPublished by Craig Ranson
The Bridge Classic Cars body team have been working on getting the parts and pieces from the doors of the 1987 Mercedes 500SL prepared and catalogued before being painted and put into storage.
Mauro has been working on checking each of the components before then carefully disassembling and refurbishing anything that needed to be reworked before final assembly on the classic Mercedes.
February 22, 2022 9:02 amPublished by Craig Ranson
The Bridge Classic Cars in-house trim shop has been continuing to work on the interior of the 1955 Jensen 541. This time, Brian has been handcrafting new storage boxes for the rare and unique sports car.
Bridge Classic Cars have become the go-to for Jensen 541 restorations which include our hand-made interiors. Brian, has been working on the new cubbies for the 1955 Jensen 541. These have been entirely made from scratch by hand specifically for this car by Brian and trimmed in brand new black vinyl for the finishing touch.
These are being made as part of the interior that the Bridge Classic Cars in-house trim shop are making specifically for the car.
February 21, 2022 2:55 pmPublished by Craig Ranson
Bridge Classic Cars will soon be welcoming this 1954 Jaguar XK120 to our secure storage facility, The Hangar.
This XK120 is an incomplete project with numerous spare and replacements parts in boxes, including a complete spare chassis for the car. The car, all the spares and the V5 have been acquired by us so while its future is decided it will be kept at our safe, dry storage facility.
February 21, 2022 11:20 amPublished by Craig Ranson
Some of the panels and pieces from the 1965 Porsche 912 have been into the Bridge Classic Cars in-house paint booth for their first coats of primer.
Alan has been working on getting these panels ready for the polyester primer in the previous days which has involved hours of careful sanding and reworking of the metal. Now, it was time for the panels to go in for the first round of primer for the classic Porsche.
Now with the panels currently curing in the paint shop, Alan will begin getting the other parts of the 912 ready to go into the paint booth.
February 18, 2022 2:17 pmPublished by Craig Ranson
The workshop at Bridge Classic Cars has been working on getting the suspension and steering system out of the 1970 Bristol 411.
Paul has removed the springs and dampers from the classic British GT ready for its left-hand-drive conversion. Along with that, he has removed the steering box out of the car. All of these pieces are being carefully inspected and put into storage to go along with the car after its conversion.
It’s exciting to see this project moving forward on such a unique but more frequently requested job.
February 18, 2022 12:50 pmPublished by Craig Ranson
The paint team at Bridge Classic Cars have had some of the parts and pieces from the 1956 Jensen 541 in the paint booth.
With the restoration of the 1956 Jensen 541 moving ahead with the body panels and pieces being worked on by our paint and body teams, it was the turn of some of the parts to go into our in-house paint booth to be refinished in heavy-duty black and looking as good as new.
The pieces for this restoration will be going into the booth in various stages in preparation for the final assembly of the car but until then they will be wrapped up and put into storage after being catalogued.
February 18, 2022 11:07 amPublished by Craig Ranson
The stunning 1987 Mercedes 500SL which has been in the Bridge Classic Cars body shop getting prepared for its paint job has been transferred into the spray booth for the first layers of finish primer to be laid onto the iconic classic Mercedes.
Chris, one of our paint technicians, has taken the R107 into the booth and thanks to the hours of preparation on the body by our body team, flawlessly laid down the first in a long process of getting the car into its final colour of Selenit Grau.
Chris treats every coat of primer like it is a final layer of colour or clear and all the paintwork that comes out of the Bridge Classic Cars paint shop is held to the same exacting standards.
We’re excited to show you the next step in the restoration of the 1987 Mercedes 500SL very soon here on the Bridge Classic Cars news page.
February 18, 2022 10:48 amPublished by Craig Ranson
The paint team at Bridge Classic Cars have some of the trims and pieces from the 1978 MGB GT in the paint booth to be refinished.
Whilst the body of the MGB is having its metalwork completed, the paint team took the opportunity to refinish several of the trims and fixings in a new heavy-duty black finish for the classic sports car. This not only is aesthetic but also will help protect the pieces, which were taken back to bare metal, while they’re in storage until reassembly begins.
February 18, 2022 10:33 amPublished by Craig Ranson
The paint and body team at Bridge Classic Cars have been working on getting the body of the 1965 Porsche 912 currently in with us absolutely perfect before it goes into the paint booth.
Alan has been working on getting each and every panel just right with hours of sanding and manipulating each piece. One of the front wings had shown evidence of repairs in the past which had changed the shape of the panel quite drastically, so Alan removed this from the car and went through the process of shrinking the metal in very specific places along the panel to get it to fall back into the correct shape.
With that process completed, he could then begin refining the filler work needed to smooth out any surfaces on the classic Porsche.
February 18, 2022 10:18 amPublished by Craig Ranson
The engine for the 1969 Mercedes 280SL Pagoda has begun its final phase of testing at the Bridge Classic Cars workshop in Suffolk.
As part of the process, after the engine has been run up to temperature and left to cool several times, the cylinder head on the 2.8-litre straight-six. This is retorqued in the correct sequences and settings to make sure that the newly rebuilt cylinder head is sitting flat and even to the top of the engine block and the gasket is fitting correctly.
With that done and rechecked, the testing of the 1969 Mercedes 280SL Pagoda can continue.
February 18, 2022 9:45 amPublished by Craig Ranson
The night of the 17th of February 2022 was time for another of the Bridge Classic Cars Competitions live draws! This was the time to find out who the new winner of the TAG Heuer Carrera Watch and 1974 MGB GT.
As with our last few live draws, we invited several members for the East Coast Retros car club down to watch the draw from our brand new showroom facility at our Suffolk HQ along with a very special friend of Bridge Classic Cars, Karina (AKA Bike Like a Mum). As Hayley and Craig made their way around the selection of cars inside the new building and showed our live audience both in the building on the live stream around each of them.
After that, it was a quick walk through our restoration workshop to show some of the new projects currently being worked on by the Bridge Classic Cars technicians. Included in that was a look at our new paint and body preparation area and the move of our trim shop from downstairs to upstairs at our Pettistree workshop.
Then, it was back into the new building. Hayley and Craig managed to grab a couple of minutes with Karina to talk about her experiences going through the process of getting her motorcycle license and her history and connection to motorbikes which all lead up to the reveal that we will be doing some very exciting projects with Karina in the near future.
It was now time to find out the new owners for the TAG Heuer Carrera and the 1974 MGB GT. The MGB had sold out ahead of the draw with only a few tickets remaining on the watch. With the entry lists published ahead of time before the draw for everyone to have access to, Hayley and Craig went over to the laptop where all the pages were on stand-by. First up was the TAG, as Hayley input the numbers 1 and 2999 for the number generator to choose from – then with one click, the number 1146 appeared on the screen. Consulting the entry list, that ticket belonged to Ron Miele. The new owner of the brand new TAG Heuer Carrera.
Now, we could find out just who was about to get a phone call to let them know they had won the 1974 MGB GT. With the number generator reset. Hayley put the criteria of between 1 and 2999 before wishing everyone good luck. As the numbers whirred past, they landed on 1480. That particular ticket had been bought by Ian Calder. So, we decided to give him a ring and let him know the news. He was thrilled! So, the classic sports car will very soon be loaded into our enclosed transporter and be making its way to Ian for him to enjoy and drive.
February 18, 2022 9:14 amPublished by Craig Ranson
The workshop technicians at Bridge Classic Cars have been working alongside our trim team to remove some of the parts and pieces from the 1986 Ford Capri to be refurbished.
The team began by working on removing the sunroof out of the classic Ford sports car. The technicians had noted that the mechanism seemed to bind and not lay into the roof evenly or flat. Once removed and inspected, it was found that one of the arms which controls the tilt of the sunroof was broken and because of the piece not going into the roof straight, was scratching the piece. This has all been removed to be refurbished along with several pieces from the engine bay.
After this, our technicians turned their attention to the radio and wiring in the Capri. The technicians noted some issues with both the radio and the wiring so after cleaning up some of the previous changes done to the car, everything worked perfectly.
February 18, 2022 8:48 amPublished by Craig Ranson
While the 1970 Bristol 411 is in the Bridge Classic Cars workshop for the process of its left-hand-drive conversion, the trim team have removed the seats to perform a couple of repairs.
On the side panels of the seat, our team noted down a hole that had appeared at some point in the cars life. So, the trim team got to work repairing it. Brian, one of our trimmers, carefully removed part of the covering from the base in order to perform the repair.
Using a piece of calico and a tiny section of matching red leather, Brian managed to plug the hole perfectly and properly.
February 17, 2022 9:49 amPublished by Craig Ranson
The trim team at the Bridge Classic Cars workshop in our Suffolk HQ are working through the interior pieces and trims for the 1955 Jensen 541.
Brian, one of our trimmers, has been working on shaping and putting together the fitted rear seats for the 1950s GT car. Each part of these rear seats is made by hand by our trim shop in-house. Every car is unique so each interior we do for a Jensen is also unique and fit specifically for that car.
This 541 is no exception. The rear seats have had their foams cut and shaped by hand to get the best fit and finish possible for the interior of the classic Jensen. Along with that, Brian has also remade and trimmed the ceiling pad to match.
February 17, 2022 9:15 amPublished by Craig Ranson
The dash pad on the 1986 Ford Capri Laser currently in the Bridge Classic Cars workshop at our Suffolk HQ is starting to show some cracks and splits, but our in-house trim team know what to do.
These types of cracks in classic Ford dashes are relatively common but thanks to the material they’re made from they can be filled and if not completely removed, very much lessened. This is the approach that our workshop and trim team have taken with the dash pad on our 1986 Ford Capri Laser.
Even just with some simple filler work, it already looks far better.
February 17, 2022 9:02 amPublished by Craig Ranson
In the latest Bridge Classic Cars film, join the team as they travel to the Port of Harwich to collect a very rare and sentimental 1968 MGC Roadster arriving from Germany and bring it all the way back to our Suffolk HQ.
If you haven’t already, remember to head over to our YouTube channel and like, comment and subscribe.
February 17, 2022 8:47 amPublished by Craig Ranson
The workshop team at Bridge Classic Cars are on a mission to making sure the interior of the 1979 Arrow Ferrari Daytona in with us for restoration is as close as possible to the real thing.
Part of that job is the fit and finish of the dash and centre console. Scott, one of our technicians, has been put in charge of modifying the fibreglass pieces that make up the dash and console fit perfectly and look authentic to the car it pays homage to.
Piece by piece, he has cut and reshaped the fibreglass to allow not only the tightest fit between individual components but follow the contours of the original using reference photos and videos to guide him. This being fibreglass, Scott has a certain amount of movement within the material to get it lining up and fitting just right before putting in filler pieces and strengthening the whole panel.
This process of reshaping and modifying the dash and console is not one to be taken lightly but crucial in the execution of the project as a whole.
February 17, 2022 8:40 amPublished by Craig Ranson
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.
February 17, 2022 8:33 amPublished by Craig Ranson
Bridge Classic Cars have finally received a crucial piece of the puzzle to getting the 1929 Dodge Brothers DA back on the road. A brand new brake master cylinder.
Paul, one of our technicians, fitted up the new master onto the car in replacement of the old one which had some leaks and wouldn’t allow us to bleed or adjust the brakes. So, with the new one now securely underneath the pre-war/pre-Chrysler Dodge the team could begin the task of bleeding and adjusting the brakes so this wonderful vintage tourer can hit the road again someday soon.
February 17, 2022 8:18 amPublished by Craig Ranson
The sunroof for the 1978 MGB GT is on the workbench of the trim shop here at the Bridge Classic Cars Suffolk HQ and it needs more work than first thought.
Lydia had been working on entirely refurbishing the soft top for the Blaze Orange MGB. As she began to disassemble the piece, the metal railings literally started to crumble in her hands. So, with that, she worked on getting everything broken down into its components and went to our fabrication department to make new rails for the soft top.
Once these had been made and given back to Lydia, she could start to put the refurbished soft top back together and safely put into storage for when our body team have finished the metal repairs on the sports car.
February 16, 2022 12:53 pmPublished by Craig Ranson
The front seats for the 1955 Jensen 541 are on the workbench in the in-house trim shop at Bridge Classic Cars.
Brian has been testing fitting each part of the seat bases to make sure everything lines up and fits just right. He then made new wooden cappings to go along with the new metal frames. Once the fit was just right, the new bases could then me covered in Calico before being placed and fitted into the fibreglass bucket seats.
February 16, 2022 12:40 pmPublished by Craig Ranson
Now that the aesthetic restoration of the 1977 MGB Roadster is complete, we thought we would pull the 1970s convertible out of the workshop and take some photos to show the work we’ve done on the car.
Every panel, piece and seam have been worked on by the teams here at Bridge and it really goes to show it on this car. Inside and out, we think this car looks absolutely fantastic.
February 16, 2022 11:50 amPublished by Craig Ranson
The workshop technicians at Bridge Classic Cars have begun the first steps into the left-hand drive conversion on the 1970 Bristol 411.
The technicians have been inspecting the engine bay and steering system on the classic British sports car to come up with a plan and evaluate the need for any new parts to be sourced or fabricated. Along with that, the technicians have also removed the original mechanical fuel pump from the V8 as part of its conversion.
The first step in the conversion is the removal of the original power-assisted steering system to be inspected on the workbench and researched.
February 16, 2022 10:23 amPublished by Craig Ranson
The 1969 Bentley T1 currently in the Bridge Classic Cars workshop at our Suffolk HQ has had the first test fit of its new replacement front wing.
We managed to secure the only replacement front wing in the entire country for this car. This is a reproduction piece that Dave, our technician, has had to work on to get it roughly fitting onto the car. With it now in place hanging onto its mounts, the workshop can now see where it needs to be manipulated and reshaped in order to match up with the classic lines of the Bentley.
The original wing, as you may remember, was heavily damaged and after more inspection, it wasn’t salvageable to be reused on the project.
With this important point in the project, expect to see much more on the 1969 Bentley T1 very soon here on the Bridge Classic Cars news page.
February 16, 2022 9:43 amPublished by Craig Ranson
Some of you may remember the 1966 Jaguar 3.8 MkII which was part of a consignment of cars that we received from South Africa. Well, it has now gone through the process is fully registered in the UK!
The classic Jaguar now sports its very own black and silver pressed number plates. So, with all the paperwork complete and the iconic classic plates in hand, our workshop fitted them onto the big Jag and we couldn’t help but take some photos of this legendary car. The MkII was a firm favourite with racers, the gentry, the police and the bank robbers.
We’re very lucky to have another one of these beautiful 4 door Jaguar saloons in our building once again. But, keep an eye out for what’s happening next on this amazing car…
February 16, 2022 9:17 amPublished by Craig Ranson
The body team at Bridge Classic Cars are continuing at full pace to get the 1987 Mercedes R107 500SL ready to head into the spray booth.
Mauro has been working on getting every single surface of the iconic grand tourer into perfect shape for our painters to lay down the first coats of ”Selenit Grau”. That is the new chosen colour of the 500SL, originally available on the 280SL Pagodas in the 1960s.
The body team have also worked on getting the window regulators and all brackets, hinges, door strikers etc off of the car and catalogued. Not only for assessment but also to gain access to the inside of the doors to prep them for their new colour.
It’s all moving ahead with the 1987 Mercedes 500SL, and we’re excited to show you the next phase of the restoration on this classic Mercedes.
February 16, 2022 9:07 amPublished by Craig Ranson
The team at Bridge Classic Cars always like to see a familiar face. Just like this, the 1970 Jaguar E Type Series 2 Coupe which we did some work on last year.
This visit is for our workshop team to fit a new Mangoletsi air filter to the classic Jaguar. Now that the car could breathe a bit better, we had booked the car in with our friends over at Hangar 111 to get the E Type on their Rolling Road.
With the car safely strapped down, the team at Hangar 111 could work on getting the carburettors of the E Type perfectly set for the car.
February 15, 2022 4:28 pmPublished by Craig Ranson
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