The Bridge Classic Cars workshop have been working on getting the 1984 Lada 1200 back together to begin testing the classic estate. To begin with,
The 1984 Lada 1200 has been worked on by the Bridge Classic Cars restoration technicians as part of getting the car into perfect working order.
The 1984 Lada 1200 is in the Bridge Classic Cars restoration workshop for the teams to carry out several jobs on. Firstly, the team have
While the Bridge Classic Cars workshop team have been working on the mechanical side of the 1984 Lada 1200, our in-house trim shop took the
The paint and body have been working on a small repair to the door of the 1984 Lada 1200. After the panel itself had been
Scott has been fitting new rear drum brakes onto the Lada. We’ve been waiting for the new drums to arrive from Russia and now that
Our Lada has come back in for some wheel arch repair due to some damage. Scott has checked over all the brakes and made sure
We recently had this classic Lada in for a restoration and now its back for a health check. We’ve run a service on it and
Replacing our old shocks with new on the Lada 1200. The existing shocks were so worn and had seized sold. Replacing with new was the
The Lada has come in with a mysterious tilting issue whereby it tilts and rises intermittently, as if by magic. After an investigation, we discovered
Our lovely 1984 Lada 1200 is leaving today! We’ve completed all the work which included repairing and respraying the rusty floors, replacing the exhaust silencer,
The Lada 1200 has had new seat belts added in the back. Our technician Paul has also modified the exhaust rear box to make it
Our 1984 Lada 1200 has just come out of the fabrication bay where it has undergone some TLC to address its corrosion issues. The sills,
Grey Jensen gets furnished Our trim team has been fitting the rear centre section in place, cutting out sound deadening and glueing it to bodywork
We welcomed another new car to the workshop yesterday. This 1984 Lada 1200 Estate was brought in with signs of rust in the sills and
The Bridge Classic Cars workshop have been working on getting the 1984 Lada 1200 back together to begin testing the classic estate.
To begin with, the team replaced the points and condenser in preparation for road testing the next stage of the work.
The radiator of the classic Lada had been sent off to a local, trusted specialist to be repaired before being delivered back. The team could then put it back into the core support and begin to refit the various hoses in the engine bay before refilling the coolant and checking for any leaks or issues. All was ok on inspection.
The team then took the car out on a road test after correcting the timing and came back with the all-clear.
The 1984 Lada 1200 has been worked on by the Bridge Classic Cars restoration technicians as part of getting the car into perfect working order.
To start with, the team have replaced the engine mounts which had begun to crack and perish. The replacement pieces are slightly taller than the previous units but are a much closer match to what would have originally been fitted. These were fitted and secured down to the frame before the engine was put back perfectly into place.
After discovering the crack in the top tank of the radiator, the team have carefully removed the radiator from the core support of the classic Lada. This has been sent off to a local, trusted specialist to be repaired.
The 1984 Lada 1200 is in the Bridge Classic Cars restoration workshop for the teams to carry out several jobs on.
Firstly, the team have fully serviced the classic Lada before performing a complete and thorough inspection of the car. During that, they found the top tank on the radiator had split and was causing a coolant leak.
Next, they noted several rubber bushes including the ball joint rubbers have split or perished.
While under the car, our technician Jon replaced the steering idler while replacing the split ball joint rubbers and then removing the seat which was taken upstairs to our in-house trim shop to be repaired.
While the Bridge Classic Cars workshop team have been working on the mechanical side of the 1984 Lada 1200, our in-house trim shop took the opportunity to repair one of the seats.
The rear of the seat base had developed several tears in the material, so our trimmer Lydia began by removing the seat cover and inspecting the damage. While apart, Lydia put a new layer of modern foam on top of the seat foam for added comfort.
Then, using small pieces from the underside of the seat she carefully put them into place covering the holes while also repairing some of the piping that surrounds the base.
The paint and body have been working on a small repair to the door of the 1984 Lada 1200.
After the panel itself had been fixed and prepared, the paint team could begin the delicate process of blending the repair back into the cream paint of the rest of the car.
For this, the team used our paint scanner to perfectly match the existing paintwork on the classic Lada. Then, using our paint mixing software our team feathered in the match paintwork to the car.
Scott has been fitting new rear drum brakes onto the Lada. We’ve been waiting for the new drums to arrive from Russia and now that they are here, we are able to fit them.
Our Lada has come back in for some wheel arch repair due to some damage.
Scott has checked over all the brakes and made sure everything was okay. He decided which parts needed to be ordered to correct the damage. Matt has primed and painted the wheel arch to correct the damage.
We recently had this classic Lada in for a restoration and now its back for a health check. We’ve run a service on it and are now beginning to replace the front wheel bearings and the dust covers on the callipers.
Replacing our old shocks with new on the Lada 1200. The existing shocks were so worn and had seized sold. Replacing with new was the best and most cost effective outcome.
The Lada has come in with a mysterious tilting issue whereby it tilts and rises intermittently, as if by magic. After an investigation, we discovered that the shock absorbers have collapsed. With this diagnosis in mind, we’ll endeavour to rectify the issue when the new parts arrive.
As pictured above is the work we did to blacken the underside of this Lada when it was last in to preserve the work we added to rectify an issue with corrosion.
Our lovely 1984 Lada 1200 is leaving today! We’ve completed all the work which included repairing and respraying the rusty floors, replacing the exhaust silencer, fitting rear seatbelts, adjusting the rear brakes and adjusting the handbrake cable. This soviet classic is now ready to get back on the road.
It was another crisp and dreary morning this morning as our technicians loaded the Lada into our new lorry, ready to make its way back to its owner.
With fewer than 200 on the roads in the UK, the Lada is now a rare vehicle. Originally manufactured and popular in Russia, around 134,000 were licenced for UK roads in the 1990s. After a sharp decline over the years, you’d typically struggle to find a classic Lada in the UK however those figures are slowly rising as the value and rarity of these motors increase.
Here’s some photos of when the Lada first came in:
The Lada 1200 has had new seat belts added in the back. Our technician Paul has also modified the exhaust rear box to make it shorter as the original, which you cannot buy anymore, was too long.
Our 1984 Lada 1200 has just come out of the fabrication bay where it has undergone some TLC to address its corrosion issues. The sills, floor and underside have been cleaned and an oil wax has been applied to preserve the bodywork. There are still a few more corrections to be done before its ready to go however it’s currently awaiting an exhaust repair.
Our Lada is currently awaiting a new exhaust which should arrive today. Once we have the correct parts, our technicians can start to replace the exhaust.
Our trim team has been fitting the rear centre section in place, cutting out sound deadening and glueing it to bodywork behind where seats go.
The rear squab section has also been fitted in place, the carpet has been cut to be placed in front of the rear seat base, the rear seat section has been fitted in place, and the leather has been glued to the seat subframes.
Sound deadening has been installed in the rear footwell & tunnel sides, passenger side, passenger side bulkhead, and the front footwells.
The door frames are also undergoing some modifications so that the window glass sits more comfortably. The doors will need to be taken apart and re-welded back together.
Our Peony Red 1960 Jensen 541s has had new door catch fixing plates installed. Our technicians have also made a cover to go over them to stop them from falling down into the sills of the car. They have then been welded into position.
The Triumph TR6 is on the road to recovery with the final tweaks being done. The engine levels have been checked as have the gearbox and rear axels. This stage is mostly a pre-drive service to make sure everything is in the right place and ready for the car to be driven for the first time. The battery holder needs to be installed and the engine to be tuned. Once these last details are done we can turn it on and see how it drives and address any teething problems that may arise.
The Amphicar is currently going through another in-depth stage of troubleshooting the electrics. Much like the TR6, our technicians’ are applying the final checks in preparation for starting the car up for the first time.
The Peugeot 504 is almost finished! The exhaust and break lines have been installed as well as the seat belts which have been added by our technician Scott.
The black 1960 Jensen 541R has come out of paintwork recently to address the corrections made. All the chrome has now been re-installed so it’s looking shiny and new!
Our Lada is one of our most recent patients. We diagnosed it with rusting sills and floor, which is being addressed and corrected by one of our fabricators, Ant. These refurbishments are done through a series of stages that include welding and applying filler to resolve the ageing. Think of it like getting a dermatological facial!
Our blue jaguar e-type is awaiting its chrome bumper and new steering rack to be fitted. The sun roof has also been fixed. This included taking apart the faulty switch and cleaning the components and then insulating the terminal. Once fitted back together, the sun roof was back to working perfectly again.
Our gold and red 1962 Jensen 541S has had its oil changed and water purged from the engine by our engine specialist, Ady.
Ady is also working on the Austin 7 Nippy engine which is currently at COLTEC to be assessed.
The exhaust has been reinstalled into our Nissan as well as the link pipe between the two exhaust manifolds.
We welcomed another new car to the workshop yesterday. This 1984 Lada 1200 Estate was brought in with signs of rust in the sills and floor. A paint job and some fabrication work will be in order to address the rust issues.
Lada 1200’s were a heavily modified version of the Fiat 124 tailored for the Soviet Union and much of the Eastern Bloc. The Lada brand was built with hash Russian and Siberian conditions in mind. The suspension was raised to clear rough Russian roads and the bodyshell was made from thicker, heavier steel to make them more durable. These cars were later shipped around the world and used as police cars, taxies and other public utility vehicles.
