Steve has carried out an appraisal on our Mercedes Pagoda to report back findings to the customer.
Meanwhile John is attending to a leak on the gearbox. It seems to be coming from the gasket so the sump pan was removed, filter cleaned and a new gasket fitted.
The engine has now been removed in preparation for the engine rebuild.
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 the various pieces of the dash assembly secured around it.
Now with the heater matrix in place inside the classic Mercedes, the workshop technicians can begin testing the car once again.
March 24, 2022 8:18 am
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. During that crucial test, our technician John discovered a leak coming from underneath the dashboard. Removing various pieces of trim, he discovered the heater matrix for the car was leaking due to previous poor repairs at some point in the car’s life. With that, the heater matrix was removed from the car to be fully inspected.
After the inspection, it has been sent away to a Radiator and Heater Matrix specialist to be refurbished for the car.
March 8, 2022 10:52 am
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 am
Our in-house technicians here at Bridge Classic Cars have been methodically working through the beautiful straight-six and gearbox of the 1969 Mercedes 280SL to get it ready to go back in the car.
Jon and Paul, our two in-house restoration technicians have painstakingly rerun every hose and wire that belongs to the engine and gearbox before it goes back into the engine bay of this iconic convertible. Using reference photos and catalogues made at the beginning of the project, the technicians were able to retrace each and every step to make sure that nothing has been missed off the engine.
Now with this complete and the gearbox attached to the back of the block, the guys will prepare the engine bay for the installation in the next couple of days. Ensuring that no hoses or metal lines are in the way which could be damaged during the installation.
Keep your eye out on the Bridge Classic Cars news page for updates very soon on the 1969 Mercedes 280SL Pagoda.
February 2, 2022 2:42 pm
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 as clean and crisp as the rest of the car.
So, the team at Viper Auto Valet came over to our Suffolk workshop to clean up the engine bay of this classic Mercedes. Colin from Viper has been methodically going through each part of the bay to make sure it is clean of any oil, grease or any other containments. Using specialist treatments, he is working on completely rejuvenating and thoroughly cleaning up this area for when the engine is finished.
With this step in progress, we can’t wait to share with you the results of the treatment. Keep a lookout on the Bridge Classic Cars news page for more updates on the 1969 Mercedes 2680SL Pagoda very soon.
January 27, 2022 11:16 am
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 up the automatic gearbox.
Jon has carefully inspected and refinished most of the reusable metal hoses for the 280SL so that each individual piece looks as good as the day it was new. He also dismantled many of the air and oil boxes/cans so they could be taken into our in-house paint shop and refinished.
Once all the pieces were back on Jon’s bench, he began to reassemble them ready for the engine installation into the car. But before then, a big piece of the puzzle had to be put in.
Jon and Paul prepped the engine to be mated to its automatic gearbox. This has been rebuilt and refinished so it looks as good as the newly built engine. Once the technicians had got the gearbox secured to the back of the engine block with all the internals correctly fitted up and spaced, Jon then began to test fit the various pipes and wires that go to and from the gearbox to make sure everything was present and correct before the next phase begins…
January 26, 2022 8:37 am
The engine for the 1969 Mercedes Pagoda is back after its engineering work with Scholar Engines.
The cylinder head has been precision skimmed and new valve guides cut to the specifications of our in-house engine builder Ady. Since its arrival back, the camshaft and valves have been installed into the beautiful cylinder head. This engine is a stunning piece of 1960s engineering alone but after its clean up and refacing, it looks absolutely spectacular and will perform even better.
Ady then began to assemble the long-block as much as we can whilst we await the arrival of the new pistons.
Expect to see more on the progress of the engine build for the 1969 Mercedes 280SL Pagoda at Bridge Classic Cars.
October 27, 2021 2:47 pm
Paul has successfully removed the engine from our beautiful blue 1969 Mercedes 280SL Pagoda. The engine will be rebuilt by Ady and the engine bay will be detailed as part of the project.
Apart from a couple of small paint imperfections the engine bay is very good order so a really good clean followed by some touching up in places will present us with a lovely space to return the engine to once completed.
The sun was shining here in Suffolk this afternoon, the perfect weather for a lovely run out in the 280SL. Craig headed up to Rendlesham to experience the issues with the engine running.
It’s one of those classics that oozes class and sophistication. Lots of smiles and admiring glances as we drove through the villages…we assume it was for the car and not Craig!
The car is in with us for a full engine rebuild. Work will commence very soon.
These car parts have all undergone a special cleaning treatment of vapour blasting here at our Pettistree workshop.
The inlet manifold, cam cover, sump and side covers from a Mercedes Pagoda, a 1972 Peugeot 504 and a 1961 Jensen have all had the impressive cleaning treatment and just look at those results!
Vapour blasting is an industrial cleaning method that removes tough grime and grease but is gentle enough to protect valuable and sometimes delicate components, which are often found in classic cars.
This method is perfect for our classics, returning them to their former glory these parts now look brand news, who would have thought they’re from the 60’s and 70’s?
September 4, 2020 4:04 pm
