1969 Morris Minor 1000 Convertible

In Place – Finishing the Metal Repairs to the Rear Quarter Panel of the 1969 Morris Minor Convertible

The Bridge Classic Cars fabrication shop have been working towards completing all the crucial metal repairs to the 1969 Morris Minor Convertible in for restoration.

The team have worked on securing and repairing the substructures beneath the rear quarter panels which were heavily corroded and needed to be carefully cut out and replaced with new pieces and then methodically welded into place to add the much-needed structure beneath the classic Morris.

With the substructures repaired and covered in rust-proofing treatment, the team could begin work on fitting the closing panel which will be blended into the existing body work by our paint and body team later in the car’s restoration journey.

Inner Depth – Repairs to the Inner Sill and Frame of the 1969 Morris Minor Convertible

The Bridge Classic Cars fabrication shop have worked on repairing the inner sill and frame of the 1969 Morris Minor Convertible in with us at our Suffolk HQ.

The team have worked on removing the corrosion from the key structural areas of the classic Morris Minor with this stage focusing on the drives side rear inner sills and sections of the frame. The work began with carefully removing the affected areas and inspecting just how far the corrosion went into the underside of the Morris Minor.

Piece by piece, the areas were removed and carefully repaired with new replacement or handmade panels to make sure the underside of the convertible was structurally sound and safe.

Inside Job – Repairing the Inner Arch of the 1969 Morris Minor Convertible

The Bridge Classic Cars fabrication shop has been working on the crucial repairs to the drivers side rear inner arch of the 1969 Morris Minor Convertible.

The inner arch is a cap for the frame rails on the classic Morris which had begun to heavily corrode in some key areas including the cross brace which holds the two rails together.

Along with that, several key mounts which form part of the inner arch were damaged/corroded and require replacements or repairs.

Perfect Fit – Retrimming the Rear Seat of the 1969 Morris Minor Convertible

The Bridge Classic Cars interior trim team have worked on refurbishing the rear seat of the 1969 Morris Minor Convertible.

The team stripped the original seat base all the way back to its metal springs in order to rebuild it from the ground up. The team have made brand new foam sections which were glued to the underlays and wrapped around the spring bases.

Then, it was ready to be refinished in glorious bright red.

Taken Apart – Stripping Back the Hood Frame of the 1969 Morris Minor Convertible

The interior trim team at Bridge Classic Cars have carefully stripped back the convertible hood frame for the 1969 Morris Minor Convertible.

This piece has been carefully taken apart for the interior team to inspect and assess the hood and trim itself but also for the frame to be sent away for media-blasting.

The team unpicked each seam and fold to remove the hood as intact as possible and also so they could gain access to the wooden spars. Most importantly, the front wood beam which the team noticed was damaged. Once they have had a chance to inspect and assess just just damaged it is, they can begin to work on getting the hood pieces ready for the frame to come back.

Finer Points – Repairs Continue on the Rear Arch and Valance Panel on the 1969 Morris Minor Convertible

The Bridge Classic Cars fabrication team have been continuing with the metal repairs to the rear arch and valance panel of the 1969 Morris Minor Convertible.

The fabrication team have been working on thoroughly removing the corrosion from around the body shell of the classic Morris. This meant removing panels and closures to be able to inspect, assess and evaluate the condition of the metal structures underneath.

The first stage was to remove the corroded piece at the top of the rear arch. This was meticulously cut out of the car so the team could hand-fabricate a replacement piece that would perfectly fit the car and try to retain as much of the original car as possible.

Once this was in place, the team turned their attention to the rear valance panel. A corner of the piece had become corroded and needed replacement. This piece, like the arch was hand-fabricated to ensure the best fitment and to preserve the originality of the car.

One-Piece – Repairing the Rear Quarter Panel and Rear Arch on the 1969 Morris Minor Convertible

The fabrication team in the Bridge Classic Cars restoration workshop have been working their way through the body repairs on the 1969 Morris Minor Convertible.

This time, the fabricators have turned their attention to the passenger side rear of the classic Morris. The rear quarter panel was showing some heavy signs of corrosion which ran deep into not just the body but several parts of the substructure which needed to be repaired. Along with that, was a corroded inner arch on the care that had to be addressed in order to keep the rigidity of the wing and tying into the rails that sit beneath.

So, after the corroded areas had been cut out of the car, the team could begin to fabricate and weld in the replacement pieces to add back the strength to the necessary areas of the car.

Refreshed – Repairs on the Passenger Arch and Pillar of the 1969 Morris Minor Convertible

The fabrication shop at Bridge Classic Cars have been working on the metal repairs to the passenger side of the 1969 Morris Minor Convertible.

Previously, the team found some areas of very heavy corrosion on the passenger side of the car and began the process of removing them. Those have now been replaced with new metal where absolutely necessary and then our fabricators could start to put the structure back together, with the factory strengthening plates put back in order to give this part of the car the rigidity needed.

Along with that, the team have had to make up a new captive nut for part of the body. This piece had to be hand-formed to perfectly fit and then be blended back into the car.

With that side of the car now back together and welded, the team could prime the metal to give it an extra helping hand against future corrosion in this particular area.

Running Deep – Work on the Passenger Side Front Arch on the 1969 Morris Minor Convertible

The fabrication shop at the Bridge Classic Cars restoration workshop has finished work on the drivers’ side front arch and sill of the 1969 Morris Minor Convertible, so it’s time to move onto the passenger side.

Once our fabrication team began looking into the corrosion around this area to try and make sure the door openings were within spec, they noticed that much like the other side the pillar and sill would move independently of each other.

To get to the bottom of this and make sure this part of the car is not only aesthetically sound but also structurally right, several areas had to be completely cut out in order to perform the repairs that were necessary.

After removing the affected material, the team then began the process of replacing the pieces with brand new panels either supplied or hand fabricated for the classic Morris Minor. Each of these has been cut and trimmed perfectly to size in order to be welded in and avoided any sort of heat warpage which may affect the alignment of any subsequent pieces.

Stronger than Ever – Finishing the Drivers Side Sill and Inner Arch Repairs on the 1969 Morris Minor Convertible

The fabrication team at Bridge Classic Cars have finished up the crucial repairs to the inner arch and door sill of the 1969 Morris Minor Convertible.

These two pieces which make up the driver’s A-Pillar is used for not only the structure and mounting of the wings but also dictate the opening in the body for the doors. So, these need to be not only structurally sound and strong but very precise so our body shop technicians can get the panels aligned perfectly when the car is transferred into their department.

The fabrication team have carefully and precisely put the pieces back onto the classic Morris Minor in a particular order to build on the rigidity and strength needed in this particular area.

Now, it’s time to move onto the passenger side.

Back Together – Reassembling the 1969 Morris Minor Convertible Engine

The refinished engine of the 1969 Morris Minor Convertible has begun to be reassembled by the Bridge Classic Cars restoration team.

Rob, one of our restoration technicians, has been working on refitting the rebuilt and refinished pieces to the newly painted engine block in our workshop. Each piece before it is put back on the car has been inspected, rebuilt and then reinstalled with new seals or gaskets.

To The Core – Repairing the Arch and Sills of the 1969 Morris Minor Convertible

The fabrication team at Bridge Classic Cars have been continuing their work on getting the 1969 Morris Minor Convertible back into the best shape possible.

Our fabricators have begun working on removing the heavily corroded pieces from the inner wheel arch that have caused corrosion to flow into the sill. For this, our team carefully and sympathetically removed the root causes of the corrosion to ensure it cannot spread. After that, the team began the world of remaking the crucial part of the sill which ties the pieces together.

Support – Repairing the Inner Wings of the 1969 Morris Minor Convertible

The fabrication team at Bridge Classic Cars have been busy repairing the inner wing structure of the 1969 Morris Minor Convertible.

Our fabricator Monty has been sympathetically repairing the classic Morris and paying close attention to structural areas of the car but also play a key role in the aesthetics. This point of the inner wing also ties into the core support and the mounts for the front wings which will allow the panels to be refit by our body shop team with perfect alignment. Previously, the panel which was in place allowed for a significant amount of flex and movement which unless rectified can cause issues for the body team when it comes to fitting the car back together.

Key Pieces – Repairs on the 1969 Morris Minor Convertible

The 1969 Morris Minor Convertible has been in the Bridge Classic Cars fabrication shop to have the necessary repairs carried out to the body and parts of the structure beneath the car.

The fabrication shop has been meticulous but also sympathetic to the process in order to make the car not only aesthetical right but structurally sound and secure for our body teams to work from to refine and perfect the beautiful shape of a classic Morris Minor.

Multiple areas of corrosion in key locations were discovered and repaired using the best methods possible and only sympathetically focusing on those specific areas which had been affected.

Like New – Painting the Engine of the 1969 Morris Minor 1000 Convertible

The Bridge Classic Cars in-house paintshop have been working on preparing and refinishing the engine and parts from the 1969 Morris Minor 1000 Convertible.

The restoration and paint teams have been working on carefully preparing each piece individually for Alan to refinish in the colour-matched Morris green for the engine block and head, while the accessories have been refinished in a tough, durable black.

Prepped and Ready – Engine and Parts from the 1969 Morris Minor Convertible Ready for Paint

The restoration technicians in the Bridge Classic Cars workshop have been preparing and getting the engine and parts ready to be taken into our in-house paint shop.

Rob has worked on sealing up any openings in the classic 4-cylinder for our painter Chris to start work on. Each part has been steam cleaned and then hand finished in order to remove any grease or dirt which can affect the finish on the parts. Then, each individual piece is thoroughly cleaned down with spirits to get any form of grease or oil off and taken into our paint booth.

Taking Stock – New Parts and Trims Arrive for the 1969 Morris Minor Convertible

The new rubbers, parts and trims for the 1969 Morris Minor Convertible in with Bridge Classic Cars for restoration have arrived at our Suffolk HQ.

As part of the restoration, all of the perished and tarnished pieces will be replaced with the highest quality replacements that our team can source which we do with all of our restoration projects. The classic Morris Minor will be fitted with new rubber seals throughout and a series of new hoses to replace the stiff and brittle pieces that come of the car during teardown.

Along with the rubbers, the team have ordered several new pieces of brightwork to compliment the Minor once it is finished and looking just as it should do. This includes new bumpers, new over-riders, headlight surrounds and a series of new badges and handles.

The team also ordered brand new wings for the Morris Minor project to replace the originals which were removed and assessed by the fabrication and restoration teams.

Update – Bracing the 1969 Morris Minor 1000 Convertible

The bodyshell of the 1969 Morris Minor Convertible has been braced by the Bridge Classic Cars fabrication team in preparation of the repairs to begin.

The team have braced and strengthened the bodyshell to ensure that not of the panels move out of alignment when they’re removed and to allow our fabricators to measure them up correctly and accurately to get the best possible fit and finish.

Teardown – Stripping and Inspecting the 1969 Morris Minor Convertible

The 1969 Morris Minor 1000 Convertible has been taken into the Bridge Classic Cars fabrication shop to begin its teardown and inspection.

The fabrication and restoration teams have been working alongside one another to get the classic Morris Minor taken apart to evaluate the overall condition of the car.

From what can be seen on the initial inspection, there are some areas of heavy corrosion. These will be further assessed by the team to come up with a plan to move forward with the car.

Preparations – Removing the Interior and Convertible Hood of the 1969 Morris Minor 1000

The 1969 Morris Minor 1000 Convertible, which is in the Bridge Classic Cars restoration workshop at our Suffolk HQ, has had its interior and convertible roof removed ahead of its move into the fabrication shop.

Brian worked methodically through the classic Morris Minor to make sure that all of the interior panels and piece were removed as safely as possible to avoid any unnecessary damage before their inspection by the Bridge Classic Cars trim team.

With the interior removed, Brian could then remove the convertible hood mechanism and covering.

This Just In – 1969 Morris Minor 1000 Convertible

This beautiful 1969 Morris Minor 1000 Convertible has recently arrived at the Bridge Classic Cars restoration workshop at our Suffolk HQ to be assessed by the teams.

The restoration teams will each inspect and assess the car directly related to their areas of speciality. Once this is done, the technicians will report back with their findings on the car.

Keep an eye out on the Bridge Classic Cars news page for more updates on the 1969 Morris Minor 1000 Convertible very soon.