Home At Last
December 18, 2023
Our 1974 Volkswagen Beetle, affectionately known as Delilah, is back home with her very pleased owner. After spending quite a while in the Bridge Classic
1974 Volkswagen Beetle
A Very Happy Reunion
December 13, 2023
Today was a big day as the owner of our 1974 Volkswagen Beetle, affectionately known as Delilah, was reunited with her car after its time
Final Look – Photo Shoot with our 1974 Volkswagen Beetle 1303
December 7, 2023
As our 1974 Volkswagen Beetle nears the end of its restoration, with only a few small bits to do, we though we would take it
Beetle Wheel Trims
November 20, 2023
We have sourced some original VW wheel trims for our 1974 Beetle. These have now been sent off for re-chroming before they will eventually go
Volkswagen Beetle nearing completion
November 8, 2023
We are so so close now with our Volkswagen Beetle completion. Jon has attended to the bonnet seal at the bulkhead. Align and cut to
Final stages of our Beetle rebuild
November 2, 2023
Jon is going through the final few tasks on our VW Beetle before we can take the car back home within the next couple of
Volkswagen Beetle Quality Control
October 31, 2023
Final stages of our 1974 Volkswagen Beetle restoration and Jon is giving the car a thorough assessment to make notes of all aspects of the
Beetle Rocker Cover Gaskets
October 24, 2023
Classic car technician has been hard at work completing some of the finishing touches on our 1974 Volkswagen Beetle. Tom replaced the rocker cover gaskets
Progress Continues
October 12, 2023
Classic car technician James has continued to make great progress in getting our 1974 Volkswagen Beetle ready to leave the Bridge Classic Cars workshop and
One Step Closer
October 6, 2023
The two Johns have been continuing our 1974 Volkswagen Beetle’s progress towards finishing its restoration with us here at Bridge Classic Cars. The wiring was
Coming To The End
September 25, 2023
Brian and Lydia have been hard at work and making good progress on our 1974 Volkswagen Beetle as it moves towards the end of its
More Headliner Progress
September 19, 2023
Brian has continued his work on the headliner of our 1974 Volkswagen Beetle. After fitting the plastic trims to cover the roof hinges, the front
Beetle Headliner
September 15, 2023
Classic car technicians Brian and Lydia have continued their work on the interior of our 1974 Volkswagen Beetle. They screwed the rear wooden frame rail
Beetle Interior
August 30, 2023
Classic car technician Lydia has been starting work on the interior of our 1974 Volkswagen Beetle. After undergoing lots of work on its body and
The Rebuild Begins
July 28, 2023
Delilah, our 1974 Volkswagen Beetle has been in the care of classic car technician Chris as he begins the job of putting it back together.
Ready To Go Back Together
July 10, 2023
Our 1974 Volkswagen Beetle is coming to the end of its stay in the Bridge Classic Cars paint shop. Before it leaves though, Chris has
Painting Our Beetle
July 3, 2023
Chris has been painting our 1974 Volkswagen Beetle as it continues its stay in the Bridge Classic Cars paint shop. Now that it has been
More Final Primer
June 26, 2023
Classic car technician Chris has been applying final primer to the rest of our 1974 Volkswagen Beetle. Our classic Beetle is making good progress through
Final Primer
June 21, 2023
Our 1974 Volkswagen Beetle has continued its stay in the Bridge Classic Cars paintshop. All of its body panels have now been into final primer
Filler Work Complete
June 19, 2023
Our 1974 Volkswagen Beetle has had all of its filler work completed by classic car technician Chris who has also sorted the panel gaps too.
Putting Our Beetle Back Together
June 5, 2023
After being primed a little while ago, classic car technician Mauro has put the panels back on our 1974 Volkswagen Beetle. More prep work will
Priming A Beetle
April 12, 2023
Delilah, our 1974 Volkswagen Beetle has been in the Bridge Classic Cars paint shop with classic car technician Mauro. He has been applying epoxy primer
More Repairs On Our Beetle
March 13, 2023
Classic car technicians Christian and Monty have been completing more repairs on our 1974 Volkswagen Beetle. This time, they have been focussed on the scuttle
Door Repairs
February 15, 2023
Our 1974 Volkswagen Beetle has been going through quite a transformation as of late. Recently, classic car technician Chris has been doing some repair work
Paint Stripping And Rust Repair
January 30, 2023
The paint on our 1974 Volkswagen Beetle has been stripped of some of its paint so that Chris and the rest of the paintshop team
Taking Our Beetle Apart
January 23, 2023
One of the most popular cars of all time, our Volkswagen Beetle is a car you will likely see on a regular basis while out
Stripping Our Beetle
January 16, 2023
Delilah, our 1974 Volkswagen Beetle has begun its restoration journey with us here at Bridge Classic Cars. Classic car technician Brian removed the cover panels
A New Arrival – 1974 Volkswagen Beetle
January 6, 2023
The newest arrival has arrived at the Bridge Classic Cars workshop and it is our beautiful Volkswagen Beetle. Affectionately known as Delilah (thanks to the
Home At Last
December 18, 2023
Our 1974 Volkswagen Beetle, affectionately known as Delilah, is back home with her very pleased owner.
After spending quite a while in the Bridge Classic Cars workshop, this classic Beetle is now back where it belongs.
A Very Happy Reunion
December 13, 2023
Today was a big day as the owner of our 1974 Volkswagen Beetle, affectionately known as Delilah, was reunited with her car after its time here at Bridge Classic Cars came to an end.
Delilah looked incredible in her very special, roped-off area of The Atelier. Her paint shone under the lights and the full scope of the work completed by the workshop team was clear to see. The restoration of this classic Beetle took several months but, as you can see from the photos below, it was well worth the wait to see it in its finished state and ready to go home.
Since entering the Bridge Classic Cars workshop, our 1974 Beetle has been stripped, had areas of rust repaired, it has been repainted, rebuilt, a new interior fitted, and lots of other tasks that have brought the car back to its former glory.
Gordon spent some time going through all the changes made and was very proud to show off the work of our team.
In a few days, we will deliver the car back to its owner and, although we will be sad to see it go, we are all very excited to see Delilah back home and ready for many more years on the road!
Final Look – Photo Shoot with our 1974 Volkswagen Beetle 1303
December 7, 2023
As our 1974 Volkswagen Beetle nears the end of its restoration, with only a few small bits to do, we though we would take it into the Atelier and set up a photo shoot for the car before it leaves our Suffolk HQ to head back home to its excited owner.
‘Delilah’, as the car is affectionately known, came to us at the beginning of 2023 to begin its restoration journey. This wonderful piece of automotive sentiment has received the love and car from each and every department here at our Suffolk HQ like any of our restorations to make sure that we deliver a car which will last well into prosperity for its owner to enjoy and Delilah is one of those. The team have also tried to preserve her unique and personal history with the retention of the window stickers and other original pieces which make ‘Delilah’ a one-off to her owner.
From the sympathetic and careful metalwork done by Chris and Monty in the fabrication shop, to the fastidious and meticulous preparation and execution of Chris, Alan and Mauro in the paint department. Brian and Lydia turning their expert skills and attention to detail on the bespoke cream leather interior and handmade roof in the trim workshop all the way down to James getting the engine set up to run just how it should, Little Jon working on getting each system working correctly in the cabin and Big John installing the wonderfully subtle RetroSounds stereo unit into the original dash. Each department has proudly worked on Delilah to bring her back to life and back to being able to be enjoyed by her owner for many many years to come.
Now, it was up to me to try and capture in photos what the team here at Bridge Classic Cars have worked so hard on over the past 11 months – I hope I managed to show just how beautiful this Beetle turned out from the talented and skilled work our amazing team have put into this classic Volkswagen.
Take a look at the full gallery here:
Beetle Wheel Trims
November 20, 2023
We have sourced some original VW wheel trims for our 1974 Beetle.
These have now been sent off for re-chroming before they will eventually go onto the car ready to go back home to its owner.
Volkswagen Beetle nearing completion
November 8, 2023
We are so so close now with our Volkswagen Beetle completion. Jon has attended to the bonnet seal at the bulkhead.
Align and cut to length in the new channel. We have drilled holes along the length.
Align on car and drill scuttle panel to match. Give channel to body shop to paint. Touch in all holes with red paint.
Rivet bonnet seal retaining channel to scuttle panel and fit seal. Clean down and refit bonnet. Adjust and tighten.
Final stages of our Beetle rebuild
November 2, 2023
Jon is going through the final few tasks on our VW Beetle before we can take the car back home within the next couple of weeks.
Volkswagen Beetle Quality Control
October 31, 2023
Final stages of our 1974 Volkswagen Beetle restoration and Jon is giving the car a thorough assessment to make notes of all aspects of the refit that require attention.
His findings will be reported to the individual departments or he will look to carry out the work himself.
Jon has already attended to the rear opening quarter windows. He has adjusted the rubber seals to allow offside to close fully and space out nearside rubber seal to allow window to seal gap.
The lights and levels have been checked and he has confirmed the operation of the fuel gauge by adding 20ltrs petrol. The door catches have been adjusted, fitted rubber blocks to the B pillars to seal gap at the door to window edge. The bonnet catches have been adjusted.
The paint-shop have touched up chips in the paintwork.
Grommets have been fitted to all A and B pillar holes.
The operation of the washers have been checked, the exhaust heat exchange pipes and tailpipes have been tightened Jon has eliminated the slight vibration/rattle at certain resonance.
We have checked for oil leak and found a slight drip from rear main/gearbox area. Oil quite dark but engine oil is fresh and clear so we suspect a minor gearbox oil leak.
Beetle Rocker Cover Gaskets
October 24, 2023
Classic car technician has been hard at work completing some of the finishing touches on our 1974 Volkswagen Beetle.
Tom replaced the rocker cover gaskets as well as the driver’s side front arm ball joint cover.
Our classic Beetle is now very close to leaving us and going home to its owner.
Progress Continues
October 12, 2023
Classic car technician James has continued to make great progress in getting our 1974 Volkswagen Beetle ready to leave the Bridge Classic Cars workshop and head home to its owner.
The door pin switches were replaced to ensure the interior lamp works when the doors are opened and a new bumper trim was fitted to the front, along with the external door mirrors (both sides). A new quarter light catch was fitted to the driver’s side front window, then both front wheel bearings were replaced.
Both front wheels and brake callipers were removed and the discs and bearings were taken off. It looked like the bearings had been replaced before, but the outer races were not in good condition. They were knocked out and new inner and outer bearings fitted, they were greased and refitted along with the brakes and wheels.
James also fitted new front seat belts and stalks. There are only a few minor jobs left to address before Delilah goes home.
One Step Closer
October 6, 2023
The two Johns have been continuing our 1974 Volkswagen Beetle’s progress towards finishing its restoration with us here at Bridge Classic Cars.
The wiring was put in for the interior light and the wing mirror was put on and polished too.
Coming To The End
September 25, 2023
Brian and Lydia have been hard at work and making good progress on our 1974 Volkswagen Beetle as it moves towards the end of its time in the Bridge Classic Cars workshop.
Once the headliner was installed, foam was glued to the rear bar before the wires for the heated rear window were fitted. The roof material was then put on and tension wire was fitted.
The hole for the rear window was cut out and rubber seals were put in all of the windows. New seatbelts have been ordered as the ones that were in the car did not match. Once the rear carpet was fitted, all of the seats were put back into the car. Now that this project is gradually coming to a conclusion, it’s great to see it looking as good as it does.
More Headliner Progress
September 19, 2023
Brian has continued his work on the headliner of our 1974 Volkswagen Beetle. After fitting the plastic trims to cover the roof hinges, the front edge of the roof inner pad was fitted to the frame.
Webbing straps were then stapled to the roof bars and the position of the rear window was marked out. The window frame was then glued to the headliner.
Beetle Headliner
September 15, 2023
Classic car technicians Brian and Lydia have continued their work on the interior of our 1974 Volkswagen Beetle.
They screwed the rear wooden frame rail to the frame bars, before fitting the rear edge of the headliner to the back edge of the car. The front edge was then fitted to the front of the frame and the metal trim panel was put on to hold it in place.
Brian stapled the rear flap of the headliner to the rear wooden frame bar before glueing the front flap of the headliner to the frame bars.
Once the headliner was in place, the rear side panels were glued and the rear carpet was glued over the top to keep everything secure and where it should be.
Beetle Interior
August 30, 2023
Classic car technician Lydia has been starting work on the interior of our 1974 Volkswagen Beetle.
After undergoing lots of work on its body and chassis, it’s great to finally see the interior begin to go into the classic Beetle, known affectionately as Delilah.
Door cards have been fitted, carpet has been installed and Lydia’s work will continue as she puts the interior of our Beetle back together.
The Rebuild Begins
July 28, 2023
Delilah, our 1974 Volkswagen Beetle has been in the care of classic car technician Chris as he begins the job of putting it back together.
After having some repair work completed and being painted, Delilah is now coming towards the end of her time in the Bridge Classic Cars workshop and we are very excited to see her return home to her owner very soon.
Ready To Go Back Together
July 10, 2023
Our 1974 Volkswagen Beetle is coming to the end of its stay in the Bridge Classic Cars paint shop. Before it leaves though, Chris has been finishing the painting of our classic Beetle known as Delilah.
After it came out of the paint booth and Chris had worked his magic, you can see from the photos below that the new coat of paint has made the already beautiful Beetle even more eye-catching.
We are certainly looking forward to seeing Delilah continue on her restoration journey with us and seeing her eventually go back home to her owner.
Painting Our Beetle
July 3, 2023
Chris has been painting our 1974 Volkswagen Beetle as it continues its stay in the Bridge Classic Cars paint shop.
Now that it has been re-painted, our classic Beetle is looking great and will soon be moving on to the next stage of its restoration.
More Final Primer
June 26, 2023
Classic car technician Chris has been applying final primer to the rest of our 1974 Volkswagen Beetle.
Our classic Beetle is making good progress through its restoration journey and it hopefully won’t be too much longer before, Delilah, as it is affectionately known, is returned to its owner.
Final Primer
June 21, 2023
Our 1974 Volkswagen Beetle has continued its stay in the Bridge Classic Cars paintshop. All of its body panels have now been into final primer and the rest of the car has had its guide coat applied ready to be rubbed down in preparation for final primer to be applied to this too.
Filler Work Complete
June 19, 2023
Our 1974 Volkswagen Beetle has had all of its filler work completed by classic car technician Chris who has also sorted the panel gaps too.
Chris also had the polyfan primer applied to our classic beetle too. The polyfan was applied to the car’s body and was in the booth with its doors, bonnet, and wheel arches.
Putting Our Beetle Back Together
June 5, 2023
After being primed a little while ago, classic car technician Mauro has put the panels back on our 1974 Volkswagen Beetle.
More prep work will continue before our Beetle goes back into the paint booth for a new coat of paint.
Affectionately known as Delilah by its owner, we are very much looking forward to seeing our classic Beetle leave the Bridge Classic Cars workshop and return to its owner very soon.
Priming A Beetle
April 12, 2023
Delilah, our 1974 Volkswagen Beetle has been in the Bridge Classic Cars paint shop with classic car technician Mauro.
He has been applying epoxy primer to the stripped body of this iconic vehicle. Mauro also applied epoxy primer to the doors of our Beetle too.
More Repairs On Our Beetle
March 13, 2023
Classic car technicians Christian and Monty have been completing more repairs on our 1974 Volkswagen Beetle. This time, they have been focussed on the scuttle and the front wing.
Once these areas had been sorted, the rear wing was also repaired.
Christian and Monty have done a great job with the repairs to our Beetle and we are looking forward to seeing ‘Delilah’ returned to her owner in the not too distant future.
Door Repairs
February 15, 2023
Our 1974 Volkswagen Beetle has been going through quite a transformation as of late. Recently, classic car technician Chris has been doing some repair work on one of the doors.
Since arriving in the Bridge Classic Cars workshop, our Beetle (Delilah) has been stripped of many of her components and some of her paint. This is all to bring one of the most popular cars of all time back to life.
As work continues on our 1974 Volkswagen Beetle, we are looking forward to seeing it continue making good progress.
Paint Stripping And Rust Repair
January 30, 2023
The paint on our 1974 Volkswagen Beetle has been stripped of some of its paint so that Chris and the rest of the paintshop team can resolve some of the vehicle’s rust issues.
Some parts were also sandblasted and prepped ready for their coat of epoxy primer.
Affectionately known as Delilah by its owner, our Beetle has been getting lots of attention lately. With the rust repairs still ongoing, progress continues to be made in bringing this beautiful car back to all of its former glory.
Taking Our Beetle Apart
January 23, 2023
One of the most popular cars of all time, our Volkswagen Beetle is a car you will likely see on a regular basis while out driving. However, what you probably won’t see is a VW Beetle that has been stripped of most of its interior and a good chunk of its body too.
If you are in the Bridge Classic Cars workshop though, that’s exactly what you will see as our 1974 Volkswagen Beetle is currently being stripped by classic car technician Chris.
While stripping our Beetle, Chris made some repairs to the bonnet and the front bumper mount.
The owner of our Beetle calls her Delilah because of the 3 Ys at the beginning of the number plate. Delilah is set to have quite a bit of work completed during her time in the workshop and the strip-down is the first stage of the process.
Stripping Our Beetle
January 16, 2023
Delilah, our 1974 Volkswagen Beetle has begun its restoration journey with us here at Bridge Classic Cars.
Classic car technician Brian removed the cover panels for the hood mechanism before undoing the headliner to reveal the hood frame bolts.
The rear side carpets were removed and the bottom edge of the headliner was removed too. The rear carpets were next to go before Brian untied the wires holding the back of the hood to the car. The hood frame bolts were loosened to allow the hood frame to be removed.
The vinyl from the bottom edge of the rear seat was taken out, as were the cross-member carpets. Brian then removed the panels from below the rear seat and took the sill carpets out too. Brina finally went on to remove the front carpet and the kick carpets as well.
Our 1974 Volkswagen Beetle hasn’t been in the workshop very long but work has already begun to bring this classic and extremely popular car back to its former glory.
A New Arrival – 1974 Volkswagen Beetle
January 6, 2023
The newest arrival has arrived at the Bridge Classic Cars workshop and it is our beautiful Volkswagen Beetle.
Affectionately known as Delilah (thanks to the first part of the number plate), this iconic and extremely popular car has come to us for a full restoration.
Everyone here at Bridge Classic Cars will look after Delilah until she is ready to be returned to her owner looking better than ever.
