Daisy is now naked…

Daisy is currently back with us and available for sale and as part of the re-marketing campaign we have removed the Daisy decals from the exterior. Some, I’m sure, prefer the originality of the car now in it’s ‘almost’ bare form but others will miss the daring graphics.

As we quite often say, any thing can be changed and re-applying the graphics to Daisy will be a relatively straight forward exercise.

What an amazing gift…

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]We were delighted this morning to receive this amazing gift from our 1989 Volkswagen T25 Camper owner Margaret.

Daisy is now enjoying her new life in the north of Scotland with Margaret and we are busy enjoying this wonderful cake.

The cake has already had worldwide attention across our social media with over 89000 views on Instagram already.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_gallery type=”image_grid” images=”14416,14417,14418,14419,14420,14421,14422,14423,14425,14415,14424″][/vc_column][/vc_row]

Farewell Daisy

A late finish for Craig this evening as he bids farewell to Daisy.

Our 1989 VW Volkswagen Camper is now loaded up and ready for the long trip back to Inverness to meet her new owner.

Margaret and Daisy will have many many years of driving pleasure ahead with trips and tours already booked up for 2018.

We hope to see lots pictures of her enjoying the Scottish countryside.

1989 Volkswagen T25 Camper – Daisy – G617JPW Photoshoot

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]On Wednseday 21st June we ventured out in our completed 1989 Volkswagen T25 camper to Priory Park in Ipswich, Suffolk for the celebratory photo shoot.

Meet Daisy, our 1989 Volkswagen T25 Camper – G617JPW

A huge thank you to Priory Park‘s owner James Little for allowing us access to the wonderful grounds. We are so lucky here in Suffolk to have so many beautiful and picturesque views and Priory Park is certainly up there as one of the best. Everywhere you turn presents you with another stunning view.

Daisy will soon be heading up to join her new owner in the north of Scotland. Margaret already has many trips booked for later in the year and a full diary of events to be heading to in 2018.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_gallery type=”image_grid” images=”13872,13873,13874,13875,13876,13877,13878,13879,13880,13881,13882,13883,13884,13885,13886,13887,13888,13889,13890,13891,13892,13893,13894,13895,13896,13897,13898,13899,13900,13901,13902,13903,13904,13905,13906,13907,13908,13909,13910,13911,13912,13913,13914,13915,13916,13919,13920,13921,13922,13923,13924,13925,13926,13927,13928,13929,13930,13931,13932,13934,13935,13936,13937,13938,13939,13940,13941,13942,13943,13944,13945,13946,13947,13948,13949,13950,13951,13952,13953,13954,13955,13956,13957,13958,13959,13960,13961,13962,13963,13964,13965,13966,13967,13968,13969,13970,13971,13972,13973,13974,13975,13976,13977,13978,13979,13980,13981,13982,13983,13984,13985,13986,13987,13988,13989″][/vc_column][/vc_row]

Behind the scenes of our 1989 Volkswagen Camper ‘Daisy’ photo shoot

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]It was a beautiful summer’s day today here in Suffolk, and with temperatures reaching 35′ in some parts of the country we were all welcomed with news of it being the hottest June day in 41 years.

And what better way to enjoy the sunshine than to take Daisy out for her ‘completion’ photo shoot before she leaves our workshops next week to enjoy a new life in the north of Scotland.

We were extremely fortunate on this shoot with the location. Although Suffolk is packed full of stunning locations I think we would have struggled to find a location more fitting and perfect for today’s shoot than Priory Park, right here on our doorstep too.

Priory Park stands on the banks of the River Orwell looking across to The Royal Harwich Yacht Club and attractive village of Pin Mill. The Priory Park estate has been owned and run by the Little family for over 35 years and it was James Little himself that allowed us access.

Automated gates lead into 100 acres of south facing parkland, surrounded by rolling pastures, ancient woodland and stretching to the river’s edge. Beautifully landscaped grounds feature immaculate lawns, lily ponds, woodland walks and panoramic views across the River Orwell. Priory Park has an upmarket and exclusive feel throughout and ordinarily a photo shoot like ours would not be permitted on the private land but we were granted special permission on this occasion and we are so grateful.

We chose a couple of different spots for today’s shoot and as always, Jason from Sugar and Spice Photography in Felixstowe was on hand to do a fantastic job. Here are some sneaky ‘behind the scenes’ pictures of the shoot before we get the completed portfolio back from Jason.

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Our Volkswagen T25 Interior

The newly re-covered front seats are now in position with the passenger’s seat working as a swivel captain’s chair.

We have measured the dining table so that it can fit one of two ways. The reason for this is to cater for single, double and even triple occupancy.

Work continues on fitting out that interior. The majority of the hard work is now complete, Asa is now looking at the finished touches.

The curtains have arrived

Our curtains and tie backs have arrived from VW Camper Curtains.

The full body and front cab is now fully enclosed with thermal and black out curtains throughout.

The interior build continues…

With the sun shining down in Suffolk today we’ve taken our 1989 Volkswagen T25 Camper outside to continue fitting out the interior.

John from Baylham Automotive Solutions paid us his final visit yesterday on the camper so now the electrics are complete, the new sound system is installed and ready to go.

Positioning the interior ready for fit

We’ve temporarily positioned the entire interior, including the newly covered seat cushions. By doing so we can fully assess what further work may be required to ensure the perfect fit.

Once Asa is happy with the overly look and the measurements are spot on we can start with the permanent refit.

Building the camper walls

Work is well underway now on building up the bespoke interior.

With first fit electrics now in place Asa has been able to shape the side walls and cover them in grey carpet.

The unveiling of Daisy’s new interior

We received a very special delivery at Bridge HQ this week.

Daisy’s new interior!

VanWurks specialise in VW camper interiors and conversions. With superb quality and attention to detail, combined with modern features and original styling, their interiors and conversions are a popular choice with the Volkswagen camper enthusiast.

We have worked alongside VanWurks on this project to design a bespoke and fully fitted interior to meet the brief and requirements of the customer.

Before jumping head first into the refit we have carefully unwrapped and laid out the entire set up to ensure everything is there and everything is as expected.

Finished in Birch, the interior units of our 1989 Volkswagen Camper T25 will be beautifully complimented by a grey and white colour scheme throughout.

Rewiring Daisy – our Volkswagen T25 Camper

The first fix wiring as now been installed in our 1989 VW T25 project.

With the brand new bespoke interior arriving later today the second fix is currently being worked on as we speak ready for the interior installation to commence at the weekend.

Fitting and shaping the new carpets

Here we have the first stages of fitting the new grey carpet set to the front Daisy, our 1989 Volkswagen T25 camper.

Building the Volkswagen T25 Interior

With our May deadline of completion on the horizon Asa is now working on the interior of Daisy, our 1989 Volkswagen T25.

The old tired and worn grey seats have been stripped and replaced with a brand new grey and cream interior theme. The Rock n’ Roll bed has also been re-cushioned, covered and the interior structure will start to take shape next week.

All new appliances and lighting will be installed to the customer’s specification.

Faulty Lower Guide Assembly

When we were stripping and cleaning the inside of the camper we noticed that the side door was not running as smoothly as it should be. Upon closer inspection we noticed that the lower guide assembly (252843405A) was showing signs of wear.

We managed to secure a new one on an overnight carriage and it was an easy fix.

As you can see the wheels that help guide the door into position have a lot of play which they shouldn’t be able to do. This was enough to prevent the door from sliding smoothly.

A new 252843405A Volkswagen Camper T25 Lower Guide Assembly replaces the entire running guide and the door is now running how it should be.

The interior design begins

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]We now enter the final stages of our 1989 Volkswagen Camper T25, the interior design.

With the exterior near on complete it is now time to focus our efforts on designing and manufacturing the bespoke camper van interior.

So we’ve taken a detail brief so let the creative juices flow as we put together a plan for tackling the inside. Of course, it’ll have to reflect the personality of exterior![/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_gallery type=”image_grid” images=”8109,8110,8111,8112,8113,8114,8115,8116,8117,8118,8119,8120,8121,8122,8123,8124,8125″][/vc_column][/vc_row]

Fitting the Baby Moon Hubs

With the decals now fully fitted, the exterior of our 1989 Volkswagen Camper T25 is almost complete. A few final adjustments to be made.

The Chrome Baby Moon Hubs have arrived this morning from VW Heritage so we have fitted these up ready for her new owner who is due to arrive on Sunday to see her for the very first time.

Daisy Is Born

Today’s the day that our 1989 VW camper ‘Daisy’ gets her wacky decals fitted.

Lauren has done a grand job getting her nice and clean and the workshop is toasty and warm. The perfect environment for fitting exterior decals to a vehicle…and a lovely environment to work in too, being cold is horrible! Too cold and the adhesive won’t bond to the metalwork.

Another note when fitting stickers to a vehicle; it must be clean but do ensure that there is no polish or cleaning products left on the bodywork, this too will prevent the adhesive from settling.

It took Harvey from Apex Signs a good few hours to finish the design, every piece was individually printed and cut to create the layered design.

What a difference a little TLC makes

As you can see, when our 1989 Volkswagen Camper T25 arrived with us at Bridge Classic Cars fuel filler cap was fitted with a stainless checkerplate surround.

The checkerplate was never going to stay but once we had removed the surround we could see the extent of the work that needed to be carried out.

Now we have fitted a brand new fuel filler cap which fits the vehicle much better and looks so much more appealing and right!

One Watertight Camper…check!

The new windscreen has now been fitted to our freshly painted VW T25 Camper.

She is now watertight.

Just a few more days till we see her back in our Ipswich workshops ready for the custom design decals to be added and the interior to be fitted up.

Volkswagen Camper T25 in primer

It’s been a busy weekend for Trevor this weekend as he worked on getting our Volkswagen Camper T25 in primer ready for paint.

On Monday morning Craig popped over to the paint shop in Needham Market to answer a couple of questions Trevor had and the good news is that she’s all painted and almost ready for the decals.

As you can see, the previously white vents and covers have now been colour coded and a decision has been made today for the new grilles to be coloured black.

New bumpers and door rubbers have been ordered today from VW Heritage, the UK’s leading supplier of VW parts…so once these have arrived and have been fitted up she’ll be looking fantastic once again!

Watch this space for more pictures, coming soon…

Engine is now fitted

With the bodywork well underway it’s time to fit the engine back into the T25 Camper.

Our lids are sealed…

Not only has Trevor and the team been working hard today on repairing the wheel arches ready for paint but they finally sealed the roof edges to ensure they are completely water tight.

Although our 1989 Volkswagen Camper T25 has been sitting outside, unused, for many years, amazingly there were no signs of any water ingress into the vehicle. Having said that the edging was showing signs of serious wear in places so it was surprising that no water had gotten through.

But fear not, the edging is now completely water tight and free from holes and rust.

Volkswagen T25 Camper near side front arch being repaired

Today, Trevor and the team have been busy repairing the near side front arch of our 1989 Volkswagen T25 Camper, getting her ready for primer and paint.

Soon we’ll see a dramatic change to this restoration project as the huge task of preparing the body will be complete and her new colour will soon be evident.

Repairing the wheel arches

When you are faced with a body panel that is clearly showing years of wear and tear, sometimes, the most cost effective and reassuring way to secure the longevity of the area is to replace the rotten panels with new.

As you can see, that is exactly what we have decided to do on our 1989 Volkswagen Camper T25. This way, Mrs L and the family can have years and years of happy driving knowing that the rust will not be creeping back in anytime soon…simply because it’s no longer there!!

Pretty sure it’s not supposed to look like this…

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]In a reciprocating piston engine, the connecting rod or conrod connects the piston to the crank or crankshaft. Together with the crank, they form a simple mechanism that converts reciprocating motion into rotating motion.

Connecting rods may also convert rotating motion into reciprocating motion. Historically, before the development of engines, they were first used in this way.

As a connecting rod is rigid, it may transmit either a push or a pull and so the rod may rotate the crank through both halves of a revolution, i.e. piston pushing and piston pulling. Earlier mechanisms, such as chains, could only pull. In a few two-stroke engines, the connecting rod is only required to push.

Today, connecting rods are best known through their use in internal combustion piston engines, such as automotive engines. These are of a distinctly different design from earlier forms of connecting rods, used in steam engines and steam locomotives.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_separator][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Here’s one we found earlier.

As you can see, the number 1 conrod found on our 1.9 diesel VW camper engine is completed shattered so Mark has been busy building all new components.

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Getting the VW Camper engine ready for installation.

The VW T25 Camper engine is now well on it’s way. Mark has been busy working on upgrading the original power unit to a 1.9 litre. Giving more power, making motorway cruising a never experience with better fuel economy.

The engine was low mileage and ran like a dream. We decided to get the diesel injectors and pump overhauled. For a new clutch and thrust bearing. The oil sump needed swapping over to allow clean fitment.

A final paint and alloy polish has it ready for installation.

Repairing the sump guard

We’ve been in two minds whether to replace the sump guard with brand new or repair the damage area that we have discovered on the original.

Having accessed the volume of damage we have come to the conclusion that repairing the original would be much more beneficial in the long run. Not only is this the more cost effective option but it means we can keep the original part and not replace with an after-market option.

As you can see from the images, the damage to the original sump guard was such a small and minor repair that it made sense to work on the original part. As we have the skills to weld this was not too much of a challenge for Asa.

1989 VW T25 Camper Body Repair

There’s should limited opportunity to cut corners when carrying out a respectable restoration. Only when a car is fully stripped back to metal do you see the true condition you have to work with. At Bridge Classic Cars we pride ourselves on doing things right, you’ll never hear us say ‘that’ll do’ because that just means it’s not right!

We do things right…

Here is the 1989 VW Camper being brought back to life for many many years of family fun. The weakness’ within the body have been identified and the necessary steps have been taken to remove and repair the issues.