Coming Soon – 1969 Mercedes Benz 250SE Automatic W111 Coupe
October 14, 2021
Coming soon to the Bridge Classic Cars workshop is this stunning 1969 Mercedes Benz 250SE Automatic W111 Coupe! This will be making its way into
mercedes trim
The Tactile Feeling – Retrimming the door panels on our 1987 Mercedes 500SL
September 14, 2021
Interior trim is one of the key elements of any restoration, and we here at Bridge Classic Cars have got probably the best in-house trim
500SL Centre Console
June 30, 2021
Craig’s Mercedes 500 SL restoration has taken a back seat recently but Brian has been working on covering the centre console by pulling tight the
New Mercedes In
April 15, 2021
This stunning 1986 420SL has just come in for a re-commission. Our technicians will take a look over this classic to evaluate what needs to
Mercedes 500SL Dash and Panels
March 29, 2021
The trim shop has started on Craig’s 1987 Mercedes 500SL trim which is being done in a Claret red. Kath has been painstakingly pouring over
Mercedes 500SL’s Trim Restoration Story Continues
February 12, 2021
Lydia has been focusing exclusively on Craig’s 500SL Mercedes interior restoration. Over the last week or so shes been working on the seat covers, re-working
Mercedes SL Interior Continues…
February 5, 2021
Lydia has completed another seat cover using the same process as before. Brian and Kath have also been working at creating a cover for the
Coming Soon – 1969 Mercedes Benz 250SE Automatic W111 Coupe
October 14, 2021
Coming soon to the Bridge Classic Cars workshop is this stunning 1969 Mercedes Benz 250SE Automatic W111 Coupe!
This will be making its way into us for assessment ahead of the plans that are being considered for its future. This is an incredible example of the W111 and 1960s German luxury which Mercedes were renowned for from its earliest days all the way to the present day.
Keep a look out on the Bridge Classic Cars news page for any updates on this gorgeous example.
The Tactile Feeling – Retrimming the door panels on our 1987 Mercedes 500SL
September 14, 2021
Interior trim is one of the key elements of any restoration, and we here at Bridge Classic Cars have got probably the best in-house trim shop bar none. Take for example this classic car, Craig’s 1987 Mercedes 500SL which is having a whole new interior done by our in-house trimmers. The fit and finish on these custom-made interior pieces are worthy of an article in themselves.
Those of you following the project will know that the original interior was a, once upon a time, dark royal blue but as part of the restoration of the car here at Bridge Classic Cars, the whole interior is being retrimmed in a deep and beautiful Claret Red.
Starting with the original door cards as a template to work from, our in-house trim experts got to work creating new door cards from scratch in order to create the best fit and keep them as close to the originals as possible. Once the new door cards had been shaped, finessed and test fitted it was time to choose the right hide. Matched to this amazing example of 1980s German luxury performance was stunning deep Claret Red. Every mark, indent or locator was carefully and skillfully transferred onto the new door cards by hand to ensure they were an exact match for the existing interior trim pieces.
The deep red colour of the door cards was carefully selected to match the previous material used through the 500SL. The centre console, dash covering and all the other refinished trim work all match up thanks to the expertise and attention to detail that our interior team at Bridge Classic Cars has and the devotion to their craft.
500SL Centre Console
June 30, 2021
Craig’s Mercedes 500 SL restoration has taken a back seat recently but Brian has been working on covering the centre console by pulling tight the fabric and glueing down the stitching.
New Mercedes In
April 15, 2021
This stunning 1986 420SL has just come in for a re-commission. Our technicians will take a look over this classic to evaluate what needs to be done. At a first glance there are some serious signs of rust on the lower sills, worn and torn interior, paint bubbling, chips and blemishes as well as cracks in the glass. We’re looking forward to getting this charming classic back on the road and looking healthy again.
Mercedes 500SL Dash and Panels
March 29, 2021
The trim shop has started on Craig’s 1987 Mercedes 500SL trim which is being done in a Claret red. Kath has been painstakingly pouring over the dash, making sure the intricate details of the holes and curves are perfectly catered for and covering in bespoke fabric, which has been pulled taught and glued back by hand. Dashboards are one of the interior details that many people forget about in their car but is the most likely to show signs of wear and sun damage. Being exposed to the sun and regularly act as a shelf for all kinds of ornaments, car dash’s can take quite the beating in their lives and often need re-covering to give it a new lease of life. Kath made a paper pattern first which she followed up by making a mock-up out of black vinyl before cutting and fitting the leather.
Brian has been working on removing the old covers from the rear quarter panels. Brian started at the end of the panel, glueing the leather cover onto the panel. He worked along with the panel slowly, glueing down parts one bit at a time to make sure the leather was pulled tight. Brian also had to work around details such as the speaker hole where he had to sand the edges of the board so it was smooth before applying the glue. Once it was sanded down, he glued the leather onto the back of the panel, sewing on flaps, fasteners and rivets to finish.
Mercedes 500SL’s Trim Restoration Story Continues
February 12, 2021
Lydia has been focusing exclusively on Craig’s 500SL Mercedes interior restoration. Over the last week or so shes been working on the seat covers, re-working the original material and creating new covers.
Lydia began by adding a layer of scrim foam over the top and sides of the frame to replace the old worn out padding which had turned hard. She then drew a line down the centre of the seat to make it easier to identify the middle of the cover. Once this is done, Lydia placed the cover over it and pull the calico inside it. Once fitted, she could pull it tight and glue it in place.
Lydia then applied weight to the frame springs and pulled the other edges of the cover over and under the frame. She then glued down the side flaps around the frame, cleaned up the bolts that screw into the bottom of the seat, and made a hole on each side for them.
Mercedes SL Interior Continues…
February 5, 2021
Lydia has completed another seat cover using the same process as before. Brian and Kath have also been working at creating a cover for the dashboard.
The dashboard process included measuring out and cutting the leather and cutting out holes for the dials, sewing around the edges to make for a neat fold and fit, and then sticking it all to the dash and then turning over the fabric, pulling it tight to create a neat fit.
