Still Going Strong – 1969 Mercedes 280SL (Pagoda)

Still Going Strong – 1969 Mercedes 280SL (Pagoda)

It’s been a little while since our 1969 Mercedes 280SL (Pagoda) left the Bridge Classic Cars workshop. After undergoing an engine rebuild with us, it left the workshop to be returned to its owner a few months ago. Since then, we have had some great feedback about the performance of the car and it sounds […]

Guarded – Raptorgaurding the Inner Wings and Bulkhead of the 1987 Mercedes 500SL

The inner wings and several pieces of the bulkhead from the 1987 Mercedes 500SL have been finished in thick durable Raptorguard by the Bridge Classic Cars in-house paint shop. Alan, one of our painters, has been working on completing this task as part of the final paint stages on the classic Mercedes R107. This stage […]

Flawless Finish – Painting the Final Parts of the 1987 Mercedes 500SL

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 […]

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

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 […]

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

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 […]

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

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 […]

Prepped and Ready – The 1987 Mercedes 500SL Masked and Ready for Paint

The 1987 Mercedes 500SL has had all its fabrication work completed by the fabrication team at Bridge Classic Cars and been moved into the paint preparation area. The car has had several crucial pieces of the car’s metalwork repaired by the fabrication shop. The paint and body team then worked on getting the car reprepared […]

In-Place – Fitting the New Heater Matrix and Reinstalling the Dash on the 1969 Mercedes 280SL Pagoda

The brand new heater matrix has been installed into the 1969 Mercedes 280SL Pagoda by the workshop team at Bridge Classic Cars. During testing, the original heater matrix was found to be leaking so the Bridge Classic Cars team sourced a new replacement. This was fitted in behind the dash by the workshop team and […]

Out the Box – Brand New Heater Matrix for the 1969 Mercedes 280SL Pagoda

The brand new heater matrix for the 1969 Mercedes 280SL Pagoda has arrived at the Bridge Classic Cars workshop in Suffolk ready to go back into the car. Previously, our workshop technicians discovered a leak under the dash of the classic Mercedes Pagoda and upon inspection discovered the heater matrix was leaking from a previous […]

Getting to the Root – Fixing the Rust Areas on the 1987 Mercedes 500SL

The 1987 Mercedes 500SL has been transferred from our body shop to the fabrication shop at the Bridge Classic Cars workshops. During the preparation of the body for paint, our body shop noticed some areas of corrosion in some key places. These are being cut out and addressed by our fabricators so the classic Mercedes […]

Discoveries – Finding a Leak on the 1969 Mercedes 280SL Pagoda

The 1969 Mercedes 280SL had begun the final stages of its testing since the engine and gearbox rebuild at the Bridge Classic Cars restoration workshops at our Pettistree HQ. During that testing, our restoration technicians discovered a leak. Part of the tests on the classic Pagoda was to pressurise the cooling system of the car. […]

Updates – Preparation and Discoveries on the 1987 Mercedes 500SL

The 1987 Mercedes 500SL in the Bridge Classic Cars body shop having its engine prepared has turned up some new discoveries. Our body and paint technicians have been working on getting the engine bay of the classic Mercedes into the same shape as the outside of the car but upon further inspection during sanding, some […]

In the Booth – Priming the Panels on the 1987 Mercedes 500SL

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. […]

Preparations – Preparing and Inspecting Components for the 1987 Mercedes 500SL

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 […]

Primed and Ready – The 1987 Mercedes 500SL in Primer

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 […]

Final Checks – Retorquing the Cylinder Head of the 1969 Mercedes 280SL Pagoda

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 […]

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

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 […]

One Step Closer – More Bodywork and Removing the Window Regulators on the 1987 Mercedes 500SL

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”. […]

Upon Inspection – Damage to the Rear Diff Seal on the 1969 Mercedes 280SL Pagoda

After the installation of the engine and gearbox back into the 1969 Mercedes 280SL Pagoda, the team at Bridge Classic Cars have found some historic damage to the rear diff seal on the car. The technicians at Bridge Classic Cars, as part of the refit, inspected all aspects of the driveline in the iconic Mercedes. […]

Body Prep – Getting the 1987 Mercedes 500SL Ready for Paint

The 1987 Mercedes 500SL is in with the Bridge Classic Cars body shop to be prepared for its upcoming paintwork. Our technician Mauro has been working on getting the bodywork in the best order possible before it’s handed over to the paint team. He has been making sure that every panel is flat and smooth […]

Reworking – Sanding and Preparing the Boot and Fuel Cap for the 1987 Mercedes 500SL

The in-house paint and body team here at Bridge Classic Cars have begun work on the 1987 Mercedes 500SL. Mauro, one of our paint team, has been getting some of the panels and pieces ready for paint. The team is working on getting the boot lid and fuel cap have been getting worked on to […]

Final Parts – Assessing Parts on the 1987 Mercedes 500SL

The in-house restoration technicians at Bridge Classic Cars have been working through the final parts and pieces for the 1987 Mercedes 500SL restoration which is in our Suffolk HQ workshop. Tom, one of our in-house restoration technicians, has been going through parts for the 1987 Mercedes R107 500SL to check their condition and to make […]

Safe and Sound – Engine for the 1969 Mercedes 280SL Pagoda Installed

The 1969 Mercedes 280SL Pagoda in the Bridge Classic Cars workshop at our Suffolk HQ has hit a milestone! The engine and gearbox are now safely and securely in the car. Jon and Paul have been working on the car for the past few days preparing everything for this moment. Carefully, the engine and gearbox […]

Cleaned Up – Preparing the Engine Bay of the 1969 Mercedes 280SL Pagoda

The Mercedes 280SL Pagoda is an iconic piece of design and automotive history. Effortlessly stylish and has cultural importance within the car world. This particular 1969 Mercedes 280SL Pagoda is in with Bridge Classic Cars for an engine rebuild which is nearing completion. But, we want the heart and soul of this beauty to be […]

Pulled into Place – Finishing the Armrests and Doorcaps on the 1987 Mercedes 500SL

Brian is our lead in-house trimmer at Bridge Classic Cars. From our Suffolk HQ, Brian and Lydia create handmade, bespoke interiors for our customer’s restoration projects which are well and truly world-class. Today on Brian’s table is the armrest covers of the 1987 Mercedes R107 500SL. Lydia and Brian have worked together to create these […]

Going Together – Preparing Parts and Fitting the Gearbox for the Engine of the 1969 Mercedes 280SL Pagoda

The 1969 Mercedes 280SL Pagoda might just be one of the most beautiful cars we’ve had in the Bridge Classic Cars workshop at our Suffolk HQ. But, we want to hear it run and drive. So, our in-house restoration technician Jon has been working on getting all the parts ready for the car and fitting […]

Carrying On – Inspection and Cataloguing Parts from the 1987 Mercedes 500SL

Tamas, one of our amazing in-house restoration technicians here at Bridge Classic Cars, has been inspecting and cataloguing the parts and pieces from the 1987 Mercedes 500SL restoration project we are currently carrying out. Each individual piece has been carefully inspected and noted down on a manifest to identify if anything is missing and what […]

Making a Start – Body and Paintwork Begins on the 1987 Mercedes 500SL

The stunning 1987 Mercedes 500SL that is in for restoration at Bridge Classic Cars for our director, Craig, has started its journey towards completion. The bodywork and paintwork are the next jobs on the list to get started on which has been entrusted to Garry. He will get the body of the R107 prepared and […]

From Scratch – Trimming the Armrests on the 1987 Mercedes 500SL

The in-house Trim Shop at Bridge Classic Cars can create just about anything. This time, our lead trimmer Brian has been trimming the armrests for the 1987 Mercedes R107 500SL. Beginning with the original piece, Brian hand-made a template for the new pieces which would find their way onto the armrest of the handsome R107. […]

All Gone Through – Cataloguing Parts Off the 1987 Mercedes 500SL

Bridge Classic Cars in-house restoration team have been busy assessing and cataloguing the next round of parts from the 1987 Mercedes 500SL restoration project. Tamas, has been going through each individual part to check its part number and operation/condition for when the car comes back in for final assembly. This is a crucial part of […]