At Bridge Classic Cars, all preparation and painting is carried out in-house by our experienced team. From minor scuffs and scratches to complete bare-metal repaints, every stage is handled with the same care and attention to detail.
Our body and paint shop uses our Dalby booth. This controlled environment allows the team to achieve the high-quality finish our restorations deserve, ensuring consistency, durability, and a finish that complements the work carried out on the rest of the vehicle.
Alongside this, we have comprehensive paint mixing facilities, including a specialist vehicle colour matching service.
Traditionally, paint colours are mixed using original factory colour codes. While this provides a starting point, it is not always the ideal solution. Over time, paint naturally fades due to exposure to sunlight and weather conditions. Paint technology has also evolved significantly, meaning modern materials can produce subtly different finishes compared to those originally applied decades ago. In addition, variations between paint suppliers can result in slight tonal differences. In many cases, achieving the perfect match ultimately relies on experience and a trained eye.
To support this process, we use Automatchic Vision, a revolutionary digital colour matching system developed by AkzoNobel. This advanced technology allows us to precisely measure and match the existing colour on any area of a vehicle.
The system combines two key elements: the Automatchic Vision handheld device, which digitally analyses the colour of the surface, and Automatchic Smart Search software, which retrieves the optimum matching formula. The compact device uses the latest digital technology to deliver accurate and reliable measurements, even on curved panels that have traditionally been more challenging to read.
The Bridge Classic Cars restoration workshops has a very brightly coloured new visitor – this 1970 Volkswagen Dune Buggy. Hugely popular in the 1960s and 1970s in Southern California, its the perfect dream machine to live its life on the Suffolk coast with its enthusiastic owner. The team will begin working on a few jobs […]
The day has come for our Ducati Panigales to find their new home. Later today, they will cross the auction block at Manor Park Classics as part of their MCN 2026 Motorcycle Auction in Cheshire. Estimates are between £40,000 for the road bikes and around £60,000 for the ex-Rinaldi World Superbike race winner. Once we […]
The Bridge Classic Cars team have taken the covers off the freshly painted 1978 Mercedes 350SL to carry out some in-depth photography of the bodyshell.