1955 Aston Martin DB2 / 4 ‘Mark I’

Refitting Our DB2 Grill

After the re-chromed grill of our 1955 Aston Martin DB2/4 arrived back at the Bridge Classic Cars workshop, classic car technician Steve fitted it back

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Panel Piping

Interior Trimmer Lydia has made some additional piping to add to the rear panels of our 1955 Aston Martin DB2/4, which will close up the

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Ignition Cable

Our 1955 Aston Martin DB2/4 Mark 1 has been in the hands of classic car technician Steve. Steve soldered the original ignition advance control cable

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Carburettor Removal

Classic car technician Steve had to remove the carburettors from our 1955 Aston Martin DB2/4 recently as he noticed that one of the sliders was

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DB2 Interior

Our 1955 Aston Martin DB2/4 Mark I has been in the care of classic car technician Brian as he has been working on various parts

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An Italian Celebration

On Friday night, Freddie and Molly attended an event at The Marquis. To celebrate the owner’s cars returning from this year’s Mille Miglia, there was

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More DB2 Progress

Our 1955 Aston Martin DB2/4 Mark I has been making very good progress through its restoration journey lately. This has continued with classic car technician

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Aston Reverse Lights

Workshop manager John has been working on our very special 1955 Aston Martin DB2/4 and has been fitting new reverse lights. Our rare Aston continues

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Aston Electrics

Workshop Manager John has been working on the electrics of our 1955 Aston Martin DB2/4. He has been checking all of the wiring and switches

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Doors And More

Classic car technician Scott has continued his work on our 1955 Aston Martin DB2/4. After getting the engine back into this rare classic car, Scott

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DB2 Engine

It has been a little while since our 1955 Aston Martin DB2/4 has had its engine fitted. However, that has now changed thanks to classic

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Back in Place – Refitting the speedometer of the 1955 Aston Martin DB2/4 Mk1

Our technician Julian has been working on getting some of the final bits and pieces finished on our 1955 Aston Martin DB2/4 Mk1.

We previously had found that the speedometer had an internal fault and had to be sent back to our gauge specialist for repairs but now, it can be fit back into the car and final testing can begin soon.

Aston DB2/4 Nearing completion

Over the last few days, the workshop team have been completing some final checks and road testing our 1955 Aston Martin DB2/4 in readiness for completion and hand back to the customer.

The lights have been checked and set, all levels checked and topped up, and road tested with small adjustments and checks each time. Technician James fixed a small fuel leak on one of the carburettors, checked all the bolts for tightness, and removed the speedo head for calibration to ensure its accuracy.

The bump stops for the bonnet have been renewed and the brakes re-adjusted after bedding them in.

Getting Ready To Start

We currently have 3 Aston Martin DB2/4s in the Bridge Classic Cars workshop. Out of all of them, our 1955 Aston Martin DB2/4 Mark I is the furthest along its restoration journey.

In fact, it is coming to the end of its time in the workshop, and preparations have already begun to complete road tests and alike ready for it to go home to its owner very soon.

Before we can fire it up though, classic car technician Paul fitted a new starter motor as well as making and fitting a new main cable.

The video of our Aston Martin DB2/4 firing up for the first time is coming soon…

Refitting Our DB2 Grill

After the re-chromed grill of our 1955 Aston Martin DB2/4 arrived back at the Bridge Classic Cars workshop, classic car technician Steve fitted it back onto the car.

As you can see, the already stunning classic looks even more impressive with its grill reinstated.

Panel Piping

Interior Trimmer Lydia has made some additional piping to add to the rear panels of our 1955 Aston Martin DB2/4, which will close up the gap between the panel and the roof. This improves the movement when you open the boot lid.

Ignition Cable

Our 1955 Aston Martin DB2/4 Mark 1 has been in the hands of classic car technician Steve.

Steve soldered the original ignition advance control cable end to the new inner cable as the original was broken and we were unable to source a new one.

Whilst also fitting the refurbished dials, it was noticed that a locating bracket stud was missing so this was replaced before fitting

Carburettor Removal

Classic car technician Steve had to remove the carburettors from our 1955 Aston Martin DB2/4 recently as he noticed that one of the sliders was sticky and the paint was starting to flake.

The removed carbs will now be rebuilt to make sure they are in the condition we expect them to be when the finished car drives out of the Bridge Classic Cars workshop.

Going In The Right Direction

Bridge Classic Cars workshop manager John has been continuing his work on our 1955 Aston Martin DB2/4 as it gets closer and closer to leaving us and being returned to its owner.

The trafficators have been fitted up and installed and John has also fitted the under-bonnet light. Once everything was wired in, John tested it all to make sure everything was working as it should be.

DB2 Interior

Our 1955 Aston Martin DB2/4 Mark I has been in the care of classic car technician Brian as he has been working on various parts of the interior.

He has fitted the door pockets, the front window surround panels, the lower A post panels, the dash tray top panels, the dash top panels, the rearview mirror, as well as various bits of trim.

Some of the chrome work has also been put in the car and Brian also made and fitted the sound deadening for the footwell area. This was glued in place before the carpet was fitted and the front seats were installed too.

An Italian Celebration

On Friday night, Freddie and Molly attended an event at The Marquis. To celebrate the owner’s cars returning from this year’s Mille Miglia, there was Italian food, Italian cars, and plenty of fellow car enthusiasts to chat to.

We took our 1955 Aston Martin DB2/4 Mark I with us and it looked perfectly at home next to some other very impressive vehicles.

Freddie and Molly had a great evening and would like to thank everyone at The Marquis who made them feel so welcome.

More DB2 Progress

Our 1955 Aston Martin DB2/4 Mark I has been making very good progress through its restoration journey lately.

This has continued with classic car technician John wiring up the lights and fitting up the bonnet and boot. Once this was done, the car was actually taken to a car show being hosted by the owner of our DB2.

It was great to see this stunning classic car out of the workshop and back with its owner temporarily. We are looking forward to this being a permanent situation very soon once work is complete.

Aston Reverse Lights

Workshop manager John has been working on our very special 1955 Aston Martin DB2/4 and has been fitting new reverse lights.

Our rare Aston continues to be the focus of the Bridge Classic Cars team and it is looking better and better with each day that passes. We are sure the owner will be very excited to see it in its finished state very soon.

Aston Electrics

Workshop Manager John has been working on the electrics of our 1955 Aston Martin DB2/4.

He has been checking all of the wiring and switches to make sure everything is working as it should. As it stands, only the wipers are working but John will no doubt get everything up and running very soon.

Once John has completed his work, all the switches will be in the same position when on/off and the issue of no power going to the dash will be resolved too.

Doors And More

Classic car technician Scott has continued his work on our 1955 Aston Martin DB2/4. After getting the engine back into this rare classic car, Scott turned his attention to the doors. He fitted and built up the doors before fitting the glass, handles, and trim.

On a car that is as rare and as beautiful as this, jobs like this are equally as important as the larger parts of the restoration. The attention to detail that the workshop team have to have is extremely high and, as you can see from the photos below, Scott has demonstrated this perfectly with his recent work.

Scott also finished off the brake lines of our DB2.

DB2 Engine

It has been a little while since our 1955 Aston Martin DB2/4 has had its engine fitted. However, that has now changed thanks to classic car technician Scott putting it back into the car.

This is a big step in the restoration of this very rare Aston. With only 451 made, it’s important to us and our customer that we bring this early Aston Martin back to life.

Everyone here at Bridge Classic Cars is looking forward to seeing the progress continue on this special project.

Fitting Interior Pieces

Our 1955 Aston Martin DB2/4 has been in the hands of classic car technician Brian. He has been working on the metal trims for the tailgate. These were trial fitted so they could be adjusted and the fit checked.

Brian went on to cut the leather for the inside of the tailgate before glueing the leather to the top of it and trimming it to the correct shape. The process was repeated for the bottom of the tailgate. The top trim plates were drilled and screwed into position – these will be removed later on to be covered in leather.

The metal struts in the kick panel area were the next focus of Brian’s attention. He glued leather around these which gave them a much more pleasing look and style.

More Interior Work And Engine Progress

Classic car technician Brian has been doing some more work on the interior of our 1955 Aston Martin DB2/4 Mark 1.

His work started by cutting out a new top panel for the rear base seat. This was trial fitted in the car before Brian then went on to fit the front rail trim panel to the front edge of the seat base. The top panel was then glued and screwed to the base seat.

Once the base seat was in the car, Brian moved on to cutting the strips of leather to go around the inside of the boot opening. These were then glued into place.

Brian also fitted the rear side panels as well as the rear floor panels.

The carpets were the next focus of Brian’s attention. He glued calico material to the back of the carpets and marked where the carpets will go on the panels inside the car. The carpet was glued to the rear side panels as well as to the bottom edge and side of the interior wheel arch panel. Brian repeated this on both sides of the vehicle.

After the carpets, Brian fitted the metal channels to the boot floor panels and fitted rubber strips to them.

The boot floor panels were put in place and the middle metal channel was fitted to join the two panels together. Brian went on to fit all of the metal access covers to the boot floor.

Cover panels for the rear base seat to cover the bolts were next to be made before the rear squab was fitted in the car.

After the carpets and boot floor panels had been fitted, Brian turned his attention to the passenger side dash tray.

With all of this interior work ongoing, the rebuild of the engine for our 1955 Aston Martin DB2/4 Mark 1 is also making good progress.

The cam timing is now being sorted so it won’t be too much longer before the engine will be ready to go back into this rare classic car.

Engine And Interior Progress

More interior work has been completed by Brian on our 1955 Aston Martin DB2/4 Mark I. He first cut out new leather for the rear seat base pad before he glued the foam and leather onto the rear base seat panel. Brian went on to turn the leather around the edges of the panel.

He riveted the back pads to the frame and then glued the back pad covers to the frame and fitted it into the car.

Brian then turned his attention to the rear seat squab section where he fitted the latch mechanism to the squab panel. He removed the covers from the squab side wood sections and then re-covered these with new leather.

The original top cover was clamped so holes could be drilled for the metal bracket. The metal bracket was then glued to the new leather.

Side trim panels were also made.

Brian went on to fit a hinge to the bottom edge of the rear seat squab section and then went on to fit the chrome latch handles. Metal channels for rubber inserts were fitted before the rubber inserts were added.

While Brian was working on the interior of our Aston Martin DB2/4, the engine rebuild was progressing. Once the last liner was machined, the engine was ready for final assembly.

The crankshaft has been placed in the block and the fit is how it should be. The pistons and liners have been prepped and the head has now been finished.

Progress continues to be made on our rare Aston Martin and we look forward to the car being put back together and being one step closer to being able to leave the workshop and return to its owner.

Engine Rebuild And Interior Work

The engine of our 1955 Aston Martin DB2/4 MK1 is in the process of being rebuilt. Everything has been progressing well with the rebuild and the engine is now ready for final assembly.

As well as the engine being rebuilt, classic car technician Brian has been working on the interior of this classic car. He removed the old foam and glue from the headliner and sanded it smooth. He then used the old headliner as a pattern for cutting out 3mm foam and material for the new headliner.

The rear headliner material was glued in place and trimmed to shape. The front headliner material was also glued and trimmed.

Brian went on to fit the covered centre trim bar before glueing the leather to the rear quarter section of the car. He also cut slots out of the leather for the seat catches.

The front and side headliner trim panels were fitted, as were the rear and rear side headliner trim panels.

Our 1955 Aston Martin DB2/4 MK1 is an eye-catching vehicle in the Bridge Classic Cars workshop and it is great to see it continue to make progress through its restoration journey with us.

Hooking Up – Beginning to Wire Up the 1955 Aston Martin DB2/4 Mk1

The workshop at Bridge Classic Cars have begun working on wiring up the beautiful 1955 Aston Martin DB2/4 Mk1 in at our Suffolk HQ for full restoration.

Scott, one of our restoration technicians, has been working his way through the classic DB2 to get it to the stage where the team can begin to fit up the new harness and looms into the classic GT car.

Scott has been wiring up the various relays and lights throughout the car, and at the same time fitting the beautifully finished chromework onto the car. As well as that, Scott has been routing the harness through the dashboard and car all the way to the rear lights.

This project is moving along quickly so keep an eye out on the Bridge Classic Cars news page very soon for more updates.

Fitting Up – Washer and Wipers in Place on the 1955 Aston Martin DB2/4

The workshop at Bridge Classic Cars are continuing with the refit of the 1955 Aston Martin DB2/4 Mk1 in for total restoration.

Our technician Scott has been working on getting the various pieces for the washer bottle and wiper mechanism in place as part of its rebuild. With the bottle and mount in place, Scott could begin to make the various lines needed to run up the firewall of the classic GT car but also work around the wooden framing which lies behind and above it.

Plumbed Up – Refitting and Plumbing in the Brakes and Fuel Tank of the 1955 Aston Martin DB2/4 MkI

The 1955 Aston Martin DB2/4 has been getting refit and plumbed up by our workshop here at the Bridge Classic Cars Suffolk HQ.

The team have refit and rebuilt the drum brake system for the car along with running the necessary linkages and cable for the handbrake. Along with that, our technician Scott has made up brand new brake hardlines which have been routed throughout the car and neatly tucked close to the body and rear axle not only for aesthetics but for fitment.

After all of the brakes were put together and plumbed in, Scott could turn his attention to the fuel system.

He fit the classic Aston Martins fuel tank, which was test fit and gently bolted down into place before making up the various fuel lines and again, routing them safely and neatly throughout the car.

In the Light – The Finished Paintwork on the 1955 Aston Martin DB2/4 MkI

The Bridge Classic Cars paint and body team have put countless hours of hard work, skill and craft into the bodywork and paint of the 1955 Aston Martin DB2/4 MkI that when our painter Chris had finished polishing the entire car, we had to take it outside into the sun to get a proper look.

The weather had been absolutely perfect all week. A few light, playful clouds strewn across the endless blue of the Suffolk sky made the perfect lighting rig for such an amazing car. The depth of the paint, the subtlety of the colour and the bright shine of the metallic paint stopped all of the team who walked past it.

Our marketing manager, Freddie decided to grab his camera and get some photos of the stunning 1950s GT car which look incredible but it has to be seen to truly be believed.

Cutting Back – Colour Sanding the 1955 Aston Martin DB2/4 MkI

The 1955 Aston Martin DB2/4 MkI has been moved into the Bridge Classic Cars paint and body preparation area for the team to being colour sanding the car.

The process of colour sanding is key in the visual aspect of the restoration of the classic Aston Martin to make the paintwork match the incredible work that each and every panel has had done to it by the team.

Our painter Chris, who painted the car, has headed up the colour sanding of the Aston Martin. Using finer and finer abrasives to remove any imperfections and even out any areas of the car.

In Colour – Painting the 1955 Aston Martin DB2/4 MkI

The 1955 Aston Martin DB2/4 MkI has been in the Bridge Classic Cars in-house paint booth for a key part of its restoration. The classic Aston Martin has now been painted in its final colour!

The team have spent hours preparing the beautiful 1950s GT for this stage of the work to make sure every surface, panel and piece of the car is in perfect shape. Once the team had built up the colour layer by layer, it was then left in our oven to cure completely before it will be moved into our preparation bay to begin colour-sanding.

This is a huge step in the project and we’re excited to show you the next stages of the paintwork on the 1955 Aston Martin DB2/4 MkI.

Refined Process – Final Primer and Raptorguard on the 1955 Aston Martin DB2/4 MkI

The paint and body team at Bridge Classic Cars have got the 1955 Aston Martin DB2/4 MkI into the in-house paint booth for some of the final stages before colour begins.

The team sanded down the body and bonnet for the final time before it was prepared and pushed into the paint booth. There, the team laid down the final coat of primer onto the car before the colour is laid down onto the panels of the classic Aston Martin.

After the primer had settled and cured, the team brought the bonnet of the DB2/4 back into the paint booth to prepare and begin work on the underside. The team reprimed the underside before applying the hardwearing and durable Raptorguard to the bonnet of the DB2/4.

All in the Preparation – Primer and Filler Work on the 1955 Aston Martin DB2/4 MkI

The paint and body team have worked on getting the body and bonnet of the 1955 Aston Martin DB2/4 Mk1 as close to perfect as possible in the build-up of the car going into paint.

The car is being completely restored by the Bridge Classic Cars in-house restoration teams. The paint and body team have worked on several rounds of primer and minimal filler work in order to get the rare Aston Martin into the best condition aesthetically.

The process involves priming, sanding, filler work, more sanding and then back in for primer again to build low areas of the panelwork which sit on top of the delicate framework beneath the Aston Martin.

With this process done, the team can continue on the process of getting the car ready for paint.

Just Like New – Replated Trims for the 1955 Aston Martin DB2/4 Mk1

The trim pieces and parts for the 1955 Aston Martin DB2/4 Mk1 have been replaced as part of the classic sports cars restoration by Bridge Classic Cars.

Each piece has been carefully inspected and any repairs performed on them before being cleaned and then going through the process of being re-plated to make sure they’re at the same standard and finish as the rest of the car done by our restoration workshop.