1967 Austin Mini 850

MiniWorld – May 2021

The world’s best selling Mini magazine since 1991, MiniWorld features a fantastic article on the restoration works involved in our 1967 Austin Mini 850. Thanks

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Featured – 1967 Austin Mini 850 on Petrol Ped YouTube Channel

The amazing 1967 Austin Mini 850 which was converted to all-electric not only will be premiering on Discovery Channels Vintage Voltage on Thursday but it will soon be appearing on YouTube!

The car, which Bridge Classic Cars helped the project by handling the paint and bodywork for, was driven by our friends Simon and Petrol Ped to showcase this incredible project to everyone online.

Keep a lookout on the Petrol Ped YouTube channel for this exciting video.

Featured – 1967 Austin Mini 850 in the Ipswich Star

It’s always a lovely sight to see our previous projects out in the world. An example of this is the 1967 Austin Mini 850 owned by our friend Simon Benton.

This Mini was aesthetically restored by Bridge Classic Cars last year in preparation for its all-electric conversion done by Team C Racing and Electric Classic Cars. The car arrived at our workshop as a shell, then our in-house paint and body team got to work getting this wonderful classic Mini back to better than new condition before its date with the workshop in Wales for the conversion.

You can see more on this project in the upcoming Discovery Channel series about the car.

To read the full article, click the link below.

Ipswich Star: Classic Electric Mini Article

Featured – The 1967 Austin Mini 850 on ITV Anglia News

Recently, the all-electric converted 1967 Austin Mini 850 which belongs to our friend Simon was featured in a segment on ITV Anglia News.

Bridge Classic Cars handled the body and paintwork for this amazing project alongside the guys from TeamC (a local Mini specialist) and Electric Classic Cars in Wales.

Click the link below and see what Simon had to say about his amazing passion project.

Watch ITV Anglia News segment on the 1967 Austin Mini 850

Behind the Scenes – 1967 Austin Mini 850 on ITV News

It’s always incredible when old projects come back to visit. Especially ones that have gone out there and developing a life of their own. For example, this bright blue 1967 Austin Mini 850 belongs to our dear friend Simon. Simon owns this incredible little car that hides a small secret.

Well, it’s not a small secret at all. This Mini has been converted to have an electric drive train out of a Tesla… The equivalent of 300BHP in a tiny package is always guaranteed to put a smile on your face. We here at Bridge Classic Cars did the bodywork and paint for the project. It was delivered to us as basically a bare shell with all the potential in the world ahead of it. Our expert restoration teams set about preparing the car for its new electrified life.

The conversion itself was handled by our friends over at Team C (formally the East Anglian Mini Centre) and also by Electric Classic Cars in Wales.

With the project gaining popularity across the world (it was also recently at the Classic Show at the Birmingham NEC) several media outlets have picked up the story of this wonderful car and its sentimental attachment to Simon. Recently it was featured in The Telegraph and very soon it will be beamed into your homes on the Discovery Channel. Before then, however, it will appear on ITV news in a segment filmed in our workshop.

So, we wanted to take you behind the scenes of the shoot along with Freddie, Nick and Gordon from Bridge Classic Cars to give you a sneak peek at what you can expect. This Mini is truly beautiful, the colour was incredible in the winter sun. The brightwork glistened and all of its small and special details were on display for everyone to see. After speaking to Simon on his own about the car, the guys from ITV had a quick chat with Ted from Team C and our very own director, Gordon who shared their thoughts on being involved in such an incredible project and just how far this little car has come from when it first rolled into our workshop in February 2020.

It will be broadcast on ITV Anglia News at 6pm on January 6th 2022. Be sure to tune in and watch!

Featured – Our 1967 Mini 850 in The Telegraph

The bright blue all-electric 1967 Mini 850 that our paint and body experts at Bridge Classic Cars got back into tip-top shape for the project.

It’s amazing to now know the back story on the project and just how much this bright blue little car means to Simon, the owner. It’s incredible to see the coverage this fantastic car has been getting and we wish Simon many happy miles in the car and hope to see him again soon at events.

Read more about the amazing car and its story over on The Telegraph website.

Featured – The Electric Blue Mini at the Birmingham NEC

The blue all-electric Classic Mini we worked on a while ago has been spotted at the recent Birmingham NEC Classic Car Show!

The car was on a stand with several all-electric classics to showcase one of the ways that classic cars will be used in the future. This little car is absolutely incredible and we’re proud to have played a part in its story.

We handled the bodywork and paint for the project, working to make sure the outside met the same wow factor as what lay beneath its tiny turquoise bonnet.

Setting up at the NEC Classic Car Show 2021

Our 1967 Austin Mini is ready to be the star of the show this weekend at the NEC in Birmingham. If you are heading to the show, swing by the Electric Classic Cars stand where you will see our collaborative Tesla Powered Mini, built in collaboration with Team C racing take pride of place. Painted by our in-house paint shop, this Mini is now powered by a Tesla motor. Love it or hate it, this Mini certainly grabs attention.

Welcome Back – 1967 Austin Mini Cooper 850 Back to Visit

A nice surprise today at Bridge Classic Cars! A previous project dropped by the workshop today.

This 1967 Austin Mini 850 is pretty famous… You may have seen it in several videos displaying some of its incredible party tricks. This Mini is not like the others. It is in fact all-electric.

A while back we did the body and paintwork on the car but now it’s in with us to visit before it goes to the Classic Motorshow at the Birmingham NEC. The car was built by Electric Classic Cars and TeamC and features a Tesla powertrain to allow it to do outrageous things!

Recently it was testing its Track Mode on a runway and the results were nothing short of terrifying but also exciting. We love this little Mini every time we get to see it so it was a lovely surprise for it to drop by today.

For more on the car – Go check out our blog posts on it here

Fully charged LIVE 2021

Source: Fully Charged LIVE online

Fully Charged OUTSIDE will be taking place at Farnborough International on the 3rd, 4th & 5th September 2021. The 2021 show will be back with a bang, with more visitor attractions and more exhibits than ever before, all in a safe outdoor environment.

The guys from Electric Classic Cars will be there with our Tesla powered 1967 Austin Mini 850.

Update; on the stand over the weekend we saw BAFTA-winning presenter and YouTuber Maddie Moate from Maddie Goes Electric enjoying the electric Land Rover.

Guy Martin Builds The World’s Fastest Electric Car!

Love it or hate it, it’s clear to see the electric car is here to stay. Guy Martin, a renowned lover of petrol-guzzling engines, is dipping his toes into the classic car world in true Guy Martin fashion…by attempting to make the world’s fastest electric-powered VW Beetle.

Be sure to catch Guy on Channel 4 at 9.00pm tonight. (Monday 9th August). We’ve been told you may even spot one of our own electric classic car projects, our tesla powered 1967 Austin Mini makes an appearance.

What do you think about modifying electric cars to run on electricity? Destroying the spirit of a classic car or allowing them to survive for decades to come?

Update: 10/08/21

Did you spot our Mini? We should be having her back soon and in our Hangar for storage. We can’t wait to see the completed project.

EADT – May 2021: Electric Classic Mini Set To Star On TV

Our Surf Blue mini that we helped restore with Ted from Team C Racing is now set to star on Vintage Voltage on tv. We’ve recently been mentioned in an EADT article about it which you can read here.

The car has spent the 6 months in Wales at Electric Classic Cars undergoing a Tesla conversion.

Owner Simon Benton, has had the mini in his family its whole life. Originally purchased for him and his sister to learn in, the car then became their mother’s daily before retiring to their garage where it sat untouched for many years.

The characterful mini gained the name ‘OBie’ after its number plate and the release of Star Wars the summer they bought it.

Electric Classic Cars – February 2021

We’re delighted to see the Electric Classic Car’s electric mini is coming along well. If you’ve been following this story, you might remember that we painted this mini before it was handed over to Electric Classic Cars to be turned into an electric classic.

This car belongs to a client of Team C Racing and has been carefully restored by Ted before being passed on to ourselves and Electric Classic Cars to be completed.

The Tesla powered Mini is being fitted with a 31kWh battery pack, that has 100-300hp power options. Electric Classic cars suggest that a bolt-in kit will be available from them soon. Their Instagram post (featured below) explains that more details, including pricing, will be announced after rigorous testing. We’re excited to see how this characterful mini develops as it leads the way to be among the first Tesla classic cars.

Electric Classic Cars – February 2021

Eye spy a little turquoise mini! A little while ago, we worked on a 1967 Austin Mini 850 for Electric Classic Cars who aimed to turn it into a 300hp electric-powered classic.

Bridge Classic Cars worked on restoring this charming mini and handed it over Electric Classics to finish. Our final touch was the bodywork preparation and paintwork. Our Paint Shop finished the vehicle in a dazzling โ€˜Surf Blueโ€™.

We love following its progress and can’t wait to see the finished product!

Electric Mini Sparks Online Conversation

https://www.facebook.com/electricclassiccars/posts/2787541694903318

Weโ€™ve teamed up with Electric Classic Cars to build the ultimate 300hp electric powered classic Mini. Our 1967 Austin Mini will appear on the upcoming series of Vintage Voltage, due to air in June 2020 on Quest.

Bridge Classic Cars has undertaken the bodywork preparation and paintwork. Our Paint Shop finished the vehicle in this dazzling โ€˜Surf Blueโ€™.

The team at Electric Classic Cars have now begun installing the braking system. With 300+ horsepower now coursing through the wheels, this Mini was going to need a bit of an upgrade!

With over 3,000 likes, comments and shares, this little electric Mini certainly is a talking point! What do you think of the build? Spoiling an iconic classic or adapting to survive in the 21st century? We’ll keep you updated as the build progresses.

Off to Vintage Voltage

With our Mini shell now in its beautiful Surf Blue finish, we bid farewell as we hand the car over to Team C to be fitted up.

An exciting journey awaits as we can now exclusively reveal that after refit, the car will be off to the guys at Electric Classic Cars to appear in Season 2 of Vintage Voltage.

Director Richard Morgan explains what’s next for our Mini; “Anything that will save weight, improve handling and brakes is a good idea as this is going to get 350hp of Tesla motor going in it. We may well need to de-tune that but we’ll play that by ear once we’ve got it on the road. We’re looking for cars to potentially have as feature cars in season 2 of our TV show Vintage Voltage. In case you’re not aware of it, this is a show commissioned by Discovery Channel that is airing in the UK on Quest and in the US on Motortrend, with international distribution by ITV.”

We look forward to next seeing the car on our TV screens…

Chromework Completed on several Classic Car Restorations

These chrome items have been completely transformed and are shining bright once more. The first step in the process of re-chroming is the stripping process. Grease, paint and rust that has accumulated on the car bumper over the years is removed.

Items are then stripped in a solution known as โ€˜Labereโ€™. This solution is a perfect chemical balance to ensure the old chrome plating is removed without damaging the metal underneath.

The next step in the process is polishing to a smooth finish.

The metal has then gone through a triple plating process. First copper, applied for weather protection. Then Nickel is applied. Once the nickel layer has been applied it is time for the chrome.

The chrome plating process is a method of applying a thin layer of chromium onto a substrate (metal or alloy) through an electroplating procedure.

In simple terms, electroplating is achieved by passing an electric current between two electrodes which are immersed in an electrolyte bath comprising of chromic acid. One of the electrodes will be the substrate which is to be plated. During the flow of electricity between the two electrodes, chromium atoms are deposited in a layer on the electrode to be plated.

We have chromework here for our Peugeot 504, Mini, Triumph TR6, Ford Capri and Corvette projects.

Surf’s Up: Our ‘Surf Blue’ 1967 Austin Mini 850 Mini

Darren has now completed painting our Austin Mini. He’s now completed the external painting in ‘Surf Blue’. This colour choice works so well on a Mini of this age, simply gorgeous. The cream roof compliments the blue superbly.

Wonderful work, Darren.

It’s now heading back to Ted at the Mini Centre to continue restoring this lovely classic. This Mini is being converted to run on a completely electric motor. We cannot wait to see this vehicle when Ted completes the restoration.

1967 Austin Mini 850 in paint

Our 1967 Austin Mini has now been through the primer stage, the body is undercoated and the loose panels have been finished in the new Surf Blue top coat.

Austin Mini in paint

Our 1967 Austin Mini 850 is now in our paint shop ready to be finished in Surf Blue with Old English White roof.

This very unique restoration will be leaving ours shortly after re-paint, to be passed back to Team C for refit before heading to the electric classic car specialists to be converted to electric technology.

Our 1967 Mini, ready for paint

The preparation of our 1967 Austin Mini is now complete. Next week we’ll be wheeling the bodyshell into our paint bay to be treated to a nice new coat of Surf Blue and Old English White.

Mini 850 Electric Car – very close to paint

Our 1967 Austin Mini 850 is very close to paint preparation stage now. With the majority of the new panels and repair work having now been completed Darren will look at final stages of re-shaping. When he is happy the car will move on to paint preparation before we apply the new Surf blue and Old English white.

1967 Austin Mini 850: Custom Bodywork

Antony has been working hard in our fabrication bay on our Austin Mini 850.

He’s custom built a new roof gutter and window top as well as repairing any rust effected areas. Top work, Antony!

1967 Austin Mini 850 – new panels

Antony has been working tirelessly on fitting up the new panels this week. The new floor pans area, the new rear area and back panels are not fitted. The car is now coming together beautifully and we’ll soon be able to hand over to the paint shop for preparation.

1967 AUSTIN MINI 850 Bodywork Prep

This lovely Austin Mini is in with us at Bridge Classic Cars for a full respray.

Before it makes its way into the paint shop, Antony has been preparing the body in our welding bay.

He’s been cutting out the rusted panels and replaced with new.

Check out the gallery below for all of Antonys top welding work.

1967 Austin Mini 850 Arriving

We’ve got another Austin Mini in the Bridge Classic Cars Paint Shop. This Mini belongs to Team C Racing. The body will need to be welded with new metal, shaped, prepared and then painted either Ocean Blue or Island Blue. We will then be sending it back to team C to continue the restoration.