Daytona Seats Get A New Lease Of Life
February 25, 2021
Kath has been working on the Daytona seats again. The face of one of the seats wasn’t sewn straight originally, so Kath found that all
1979 Arrow Ferrari Daytona
Daytona Details
February 24, 2021
The Ferrari Daytona is currently sat in primer and is being smoothed and prepared for its final paint step: the official colour. Before it can
Daytona Catch – Up
February 19, 2021
With Scott’s Land Rover hiatus now over, he can get back to the Daytona. Today he’s been welding the front cradle that holds the suspension
Ferrari Daytona’s Looking A Little Green
February 12, 2021
The bonnet and doors have finished their blocking stage and been sent back into the paint bay to be primed. When the rest of the
Blocking Our Daytona
February 11, 2021
Scott has continued blocking out the Ferrari Daytona after its recent visit to the paint bay. All the primer has now been blocked down on
Smoothing Things Over With The Daytona
February 8, 2021
Now that the Daytona has been primed and prepared in the paint shop, Scott has taken it back into the fabrication bay to continue smoothing
Daytona’s First Day In The Paint Shop
February 4, 2021
The Daytona entered the Paint Bay today under the trusted hands of Scott, one of our classic car technicians. We’re very fortunate that so many
Daytona Masking
February 2, 2021
The Daytona is days away from entering the paint shop and we can’t wait! Scott is currently masking it up to protects elements of the
Preparations On The Daytona
January 29, 2021
Scott has continued to prep the body of the Daytona by preparing the chassis and engine bay for paint. Scott has removed the heater blower
Ferrari Fabrication
January 26, 2021
Scott has continued with the fabrication and bodywork on the Daytona. This mostly includes going over the entire shell with filler to make sure all
Stripping back the interior of the 1979 Arrow Daytona
January 21, 2021
Brian has begun to strip down the interior of the 1979 Arrow Daytona in at Bridge Classic Cars. Carefully Brian and the trim team have
Work In Progress
January 20, 2021
There’s a long list of work that’s going on with the Daytona, which mostly has Scott at the helm. The brakes have been sent off
Daytona Chrome
January 15, 2021
We’ve sent off the chrome to be re-worked and polished at Tony Wyatt Polishing. Once these come back clean and new, we can set them
Across The Colour Wheel
January 15, 2021
Our 1979 Arrow Ferrari Daytona replica has some big colour related changes coming it’s way. It’s been sat comfortably in a stunning red however shades
Ferrari Daytona’s First Steps
January 14, 2021
Scott has been working on preparing the Daytona door frames by welding the bottom to correct the rust damage. He’s essentially grounding out the rotten
Ferrari Daytona’s Debut
January 8, 2021
We received the engine for our unique 1979 Arrow Ferrari Daytona Replica. This kit car is going to be a particularly large restoration with the
Daytona Gear Box Removal
September 3, 2020
Pete, one of our specialist technicians here at Bridge, has successfully removed the 1979 Arrow Ferrari Daytona gear box ready for testing. Once it’s restored,
The Engine’s Out!
September 2, 2020
The 1979 Arrow Ferrari Daytona has had her engine removed this morning by our expert technicians Ady, Mauro and Tom. “The engine is the heaviest
1979 Arrow Ferrari Daytona Restoration Begins
August 13, 2020
And so it begins, we cannot wait to begin work on our Arrow Ferrari Daytona restoration. This car will be treated to a new engine
Jaguar V12 Engine work
June 14, 2020
Work begins on the testing of our spare Jaguar V12 engine. The Arrow Ferrari Daytona has arrived with us with a blown engine and with
Rare: 1979 Arrow Daytona – Ferrari Recreation
June 10, 2020
Arriving in our workshops this week as a future restoration project we have our 1979 Arrow Daytona (Ferrari Daytona Recreation). The car is a non
Daytona Seats Get A New Lease Of Life
February 25, 2021
Kath has been working on the Daytona seats again. The face of one of the seats wasn’t sewn straight originally, so Kath found that all of the red strips were uneven, and the centre strip wasn’t centralised either. With this in mind, Kath roughly drew around the original to get a basic shape before then making a template. Kath had to work out the distance between the black strips to make sure all the holes in the strips are even all the way down each strip.
Once Kath had worked out the correct measurements, she cut out the template and laid it into the seat. She found that the sides needed more as the frame came out, so she amended it to run along the seat frame in a nicer fashion.
Once Kath was happy with it, she cut the template up to make individual parts, and worked out the seam allowance around the frame and punched holes.
The pattern was then ready with all the parts to be marked out now for the final trim. Lydia is up next to make the cover.
Daytona Details
February 24, 2021
The Ferrari Daytona is currently sat in primer and is being smoothed and prepared for its final paint step: the official colour. Before it can be painted, it needs to be masked. We hope to see the shell painted by the end of the week which will mark an exciting milestone in this restoration.
Here are some examples of different stitching options for the interior of the Daytona. The trim is set to be a similar tone of green to the exterior.
Scott has also been continuing his welding to the front subframe of the Daytona. The bottom of it was heavily damaged so he cut the damaged area out and straightened the supports inside. He then, cleaned up the rust inside and treated it by applying a zinc primer. Scott then fabricated a new panel and welded it in. Finally, he dressed the welds so it was ready to go to paint.
Daytona Catch – Up
February 19, 2021
With Scott’s Land Rover hiatus now over, he can get back to the Daytona. Today he’s been welding the front cradle that holds the suspension as the element was suffering from some intense rust and corrosion. With new patches welded in, Scott can put it aside to fit once the Daytona has come out of paint.
Scott has drilled out the spot welds that held the spring locator into the spring seat to gain access to the rot underneath. He then cut all affected metal out and cleaned up rust off the sound metal and applied a zinc primer to the parts he knew wouldn’t be able to access after its welded back up. Scott then fabricated a new piece and welded that in place. After repairing the spring locator, Scott lined it up perfectly to where it came off and then placed it back on. He finished by grinding flat the plug welds so that once its painted it will look like it’s never been touched. Success!
The Daytona shell is sat in the paint shop in a bright green primer as we prepare it for its final paint. Chris hand made the green primer by adding a tint of green paint into the body primer. This allows the final green paint to sit more naturally.
Meanwhile, the interior trim has landed in the trim shop for our team to begin tackling. Lydia has begun taking apart the seats by removing the old and deteriating staples. Lydia then drilled out all the rivets, hiding the bottom flap in place and the sides. the next step was to undo all the bolts with a spanner which were holding these metal bars in place. These metal bars hold the seat down into the car on the floor. Lydia then begun undoing all the laces that run through the back straps and the inner seat cover. After more staples were taken out, Lydia had to undo these metal bars holding the edges of the rubber straps in place going along the back. Before Lydia could start to get the covers off, she had to then cut the strings running down the middle, which help the cover keep tight. Lydia could then take off the middle cover from the foam and frame, peeled the foams off the rubber straps that were held in place with glue and took the outer cover of the foam and frame. Once the covers had all come off, Lydia could then look at the construction of them properly and start marking them up to help make new ones in the future.
Ferrari Daytona’s Looking A Little Green
February 12, 2021
The bonnet and doors have finished their blocking stage and been sent back into the paint bay to be primed. When the rest of the body is finished, Scott and Chris will do the same to the body which has been masked.
Chris has also added epoxy onto some of the components and primed them for black DTM (direct to metal).
Blocking Our Daytona
February 11, 2021
Scott has continued blocking out the Ferrari Daytona after its recent visit to the paint bay. All the primer has now been blocked down on the body. There’s a few more imperfections to smooth down before the next primer coat but otherwise, its almost ready for the next step!
The term blocking out refers to smoothing over the body and filing out any imperfections to make sure the body is all straight and ready to be painted.
Smoothing Things Over With The Daytona
February 8, 2021
Now that the Daytona has been primed and prepared in the paint shop, Scott has taken it back into the fabrication bay to continue smoothing over the body. The primer allows for any imperfection in the lines of the body to be seen more clearly and can therefore be addressed easier. Scott can make sure that the body lines are straight by sanding it down using a block.
Heres some progress photos from inside the fabrication bay and the paintshop. Its exciting to see such a huge project progress so well.
Daytona’s First Day In The Paint Shop
February 4, 2021
The Daytona entered the Paint Bay today under the trusted hands of Scott, one of our classic car technicians. We’re very fortunate that so many of our engineers are multifaceted in their skills, allowing us to, at times, dedicate one technician to an entire restoration. We of course get our specialists involved in these instances, but its great to see an individual technician lead a restoration from start to finish. This is what we’ve done with Scott, who’s a very experienced and talented classic car engineer. Assigning him to just one restoration means that he will see the total project from start to finish, taking on multiple disciplines. Under the supervision of our paint specialist, Scott tackled the primer stage of painting our Daytona.
Here we see him focusing on masking up and cleaning the body of the car, wiping clean all the elements in the preparation of the primer.
The cleaning process is an important part of the primer preparation as it removes any dust or debris that may interrupt the primer.
The next step was for Scott to apply the black epoxy primer on the chassis and engine bay. This black layer is a non-porous, high-bonding, anti-corrosive primer.
Scott’s next task was to spray on Polyfan Primer which is a polyester filler primer.
The final step was to apply an anticorrosive primer onto the underside of the Daytona. These steps can take all day as each layer must dry before applying the next. The advantage of this is that the paint booth is kept warm, making a cosy workplace during these cold winter days.
If you’ve been following us for a while, you’ll know we love getting behind the scenes shots and behind the behind the scenes shots! Here’s Ellie, our in house photographer and latest member to the marketing team, snapping Scott prepping the Daytona.
Daytona Masking
February 2, 2021
The Daytona is days away from entering the paint shop and we can’t wait! Scott is currently masking it up to protects elements of the body we don’t want to be painted such as the sills.
We’ve also engineered a frame for the Daytona to sit on to allow Scott to get under and around it easier.
Preparations On The Daytona
January 29, 2021
Scott has continued to prep the body of the Daytona by preparing the chassis and engine bay for paint.
Scott has removed the heater blower to gain access to repair the rotten battery tray. The repair was done by cutting the rotten metal out and making a new panel to be welded in.
Scott has continued to clean up and remove rust from the chassis and engine bay to get it ready for paint. He’s also removed rust from the A posts by using a rust treatment. Scott has then repaired where the fibreglass of the body meets the steel framework of the ‘A’ posts that had been damaged by rust.
James has also been working on our Daytona. He’s removed the lower part of the left rear lower subframe mount as it had a snapped and rusted bolt. He made a replacement and location bracket to ensure that the new thread remains centred. Once this was made, James then welded it back in place.
Kath has been working on creating a custom dashboard by refurbishing the existing parts and designing elements as the client wishes. After stripping the dashboard, Kath will then start to recover the parts. The client has requested a custom dashboard with piano hinges. Many of these components are also original Ferrari pieces that the client has sourced, making this project not only a Ferrari Daytona Replica but a custom replica.
Kath removed the cover from the glovebox and dashboard to reveal the wood underneath meaning it is now ready for one of our workshop engineers to modify.
Here is Kath’s process:
The steering rack has been sent off to Kelly Bray Steering to be refurbished as it was leaking and the steering arm is bent.
Ferrari Fabrication
January 26, 2021
Scott has continued with the fabrication and bodywork on the Daytona. This mostly includes going over the entire shell with filler to make sure all surfaces are smoothed over and perfected to allow the layers of paint and primer to sit correctly on top.
We’ve also sent the chrome off to Tony at Wyatt Polishing and hope to have them back soon so we can begin fitting them after the body has been painted.
Stripping back the interior of the 1979 Arrow Daytona
January 21, 2021
Brian has begun to strip down the interior of the 1979 Arrow Daytona in at Bridge Classic Cars.
Carefully Brian and the trim team have removed all of the carpeting and necessary trim panels to get access to both the dash and centre console which will be removed and stored before their restoration starts.
Along with the interior trim pieces, the wiring for the cabin has also been removed and catalogued for future reference once the car is back in the workshop to be reassembled.
Work In Progress
January 20, 2021
There’s a long list of work that’s going on with the Daytona, which mostly has Scott at the helm. The brakes have been sent off to be refurbished at Norfolk Brake and Clutch, the chrome work will be sent to our friend Tony Wyatt and we will do the stainless steel refurbishments in house. As seen in a previous Daytona update, Tom has taken apart the rear axel so it is now ready to be sandblasted. We’ve also found a leak in the differential which needs to therefore be rebuilt, as does the steering rack after finding a leak there too.
Scott has also been focusing on doing filler work on the Daytona body. He’s been repairing any imperfections in the body and getting neat panel gaps. This is done before we prep the body for paint.
We also discovered a large amount rust on the chassis which will need to be repaired and fabricated.
Scott has also removed the radiator and oil cooler, and stripped some elements out of the engine bay to make it easier to prep for paint. He has also removed the front and rear windscreens too.
Tom has also stripped down rear and front axle ready for it to be sandblasted and painted. He’s also checked the bushes and sub-frame condition. Tom has prepared the power steering rack to be repaired as well as the brake callipers.
Daytona Chrome
January 15, 2021
We’ve sent off the chrome to be re-worked and polished at Tony Wyatt Polishing. Once these come back clean and new, we can set them aside to be re-fitted once the car is painted.
Across The Colour Wheel
January 15, 2021
Our 1979 Arrow Ferrari Daytona replica has some big colour related changes coming it’s way. It’s been sat comfortably in a stunning red however shades of green are on the horizon that is sure to turn passers-by a similar shade of envy.
We understand that the exterior colour is likely to be an Aston Martin Sage Green which means the interior is likely to be a similar shade to match. As it stands, the choices are likely to be between the patches below.
We’re excited to see this what this already stunning red Ferrari Daytona will look like after it’s dramatic jump across the colour wheel.
Ferrari Daytona’s First Steps
January 14, 2021
Scott has been working on preparing the Daytona door frames by welding the bottom to correct the rust damage. He’s essentially grounding out the rotten parts before we send it off to chrome.
Here’s a closer look at the Daytona engine we have sat here waiting to be installed. This huge piece of machinery is what gives the Daytona its iconic power.
Tom has been stripping down the rear axel by cleaning and preparing it to be refurbished.
Scott has removed and repaired the sash on the door glass as it was rotten. It was then painted it and bonded it back onto the glass. Scott then cut any rotten bits out of the door frame and welded in some new metal and then got it ready for chrome. Scott has also removed the door handles and got them ready for chrome.
Scott has also removed the complete front axle assembly and the radiator to start checking over to see what needs to be refurbished.
Here’s the rest of the work Scott has been doing to the Daytona:
Ferrari Daytona’s Debut
January 8, 2021
We received the engine for our unique 1979 Arrow Ferrari Daytona Replica. This kit car is going to be a particularly large restoration with the process expected to take a while but we know for certain it will be worth it!
Ant, one of our fabricators has been working on stripping the body. It originally had a lot of stickers on the side which have now been taken off, allowing ant to prepare underneath for new paint. The current plan for this Daytona is to be painted Green – stay tuned!
This is what it looked like before we started the stripping process:
One of our technicians, Scott, has also been stripping down the Daytona by focusing on the doors and removing all chrome and lights.
Scott has also been working on the removal of the complete exhaust system and rear axle which will be refurbished.
Tom, another of our Classic Car Technicians has been sorting all the parts, which are a mix of new and old. He has ordered and filed all the components so we know what we have and if we need to get anything else. It also allows us to see which bits need refurbishing and cleaning.
Daytona Gear Box Removal
September 3, 2020
Pete, one of our specialist technicians here at Bridge, has successfully removed the 1979 Arrow Ferrari Daytona gear box ready for testing.
Once it’s restored, it will be married up with the new engine currently being worked on by our V12 engine restoration experts.
That sounds like a marriage made in heaven to us!
The Engine’s Out!
September 2, 2020
The 1979 Arrow Ferrari Daytona has had her engine removed this morning by our expert technicians Ady, Mauro and Tom.
“The engine is the heaviest we’ve ever dealt with here” explained Ady, our engine specialist. “We’ve had to source a heavy duty crane especially to lift it out.”
The car came to us as a non-runner, the engine was completely blown. Ady diagnosed a water leak from the bottom hose, causing the engine to completely overheat. It’s sadly spent many years not being driven.
Ady and Mauro carefully remove the heaviest engine we’ve ever had at Bridge Classic Cars!
The spare Jaguar V12 engine is currently being worked on by our specialist engine partners. Now the old engines out, it’ll be stripped for parts and whatever that can be salvaged will be, ready to be used on the new engine.
One way or another, our talented team will get this baby back on the road. We can’t wait to hear that engine roar!
1979 Arrow Ferrari Daytona Restoration Begins
August 13, 2020
And so it begins, we cannot wait to begin work on our Arrow Ferrari Daytona restoration.
This car will be treated to a new engine rebuild, full respray, interior restoration and any other nessasary works to get her back on the road.
The original Jaguar V12 engine currently in the car has blown. There has been a replacement Jaguar V12 engine sourced, which has been restored a number of years ago. Before it goes back into the car it will be sent down to to Rushden engineering, specialists in V12 Jaguar engines for a complete rebuild.
Jaguar V12 Engine work
June 14, 2020
Work begins on the testing of our spare Jaguar V12 engine. The Arrow Ferrari Daytona has arrived with us with a blown engine and with it came a spare Jaguar V12 taken from another Ferrari replica.
The engine is believed to be a running engine but Ady will do various test and freshen up the look before we even consider an engine swap.
Rare: 1979 Arrow Daytona – Ferrari Recreation
June 10, 2020
Arriving in our workshops this week as a future restoration project we have our 1979 Arrow Daytona (Ferrari Daytona Recreation).
The car is a non runner due to an engine fault not too long ago which resulted in the car sitting with a blown engine. A second V12 Jaguar engine has been sourced and may be the resolution when restoring the car.
Over the years the owner has collected many many original and after-market Ferrari Daytona parts so although the car is extremely well produced and very close to the original Ferrari Daytona there are certain areas that do make the car less aesthetically pleasing. The interior, for instance, is not as close to an original Ferrari Daytona as it could be so original Ferrari interior parts have been purchased.
The entire car will be restored in our workshops later in the year with a new colour combination and a number of upgrades to further improve the car.
