Restoration Complete
June 20, 2024
Our Ford Transit MKII Tipper is very close to leaving the Bridge Classic Cars workshop. Before it leaves us, I wanted to put it back
Ford Transit MKII Tipper
Ford Transit – a few more black bits
June 12, 2024
A few more bits to be treated in black. The steering wheel has also undergone a transformation too.
Our Transit Moving On
June 10, 2024
Lots of progress has been made with our Ford Transit MKII Tipper lately. Not only is its restoration journey going well, it now finds itself
Transit Fuel Sender
May 13, 2024
Steve has dismantled and cleaned the fuel sender in our Ford Transit Tipper MKII. This cured the bad contacts before the top part of the
Fuel Tank Brackets
May 8, 2024
The paint team here at Bridge Classic Cars have been working alongside the workshop team to get the next batch of pieces painted for our
Transit Lights And Exhaust
April 26, 2024
Steve has been continuing his work on our Ford Transit MKII Tipper. The rear fog light switch wasn’t working due to dirty internal contacts. Steve
Transit Door Steps
April 12, 2024
Steve has fitted the newly painted doorstep trims and step rubbers on our Ford Transit Tipper MKII. He also fitted the chassis plates.
Water Proofing
April 8, 2024
Steve has fitted the new waterproof connectors for the rear lights on our Ford Transit Tipper MKII. Once this was done, he moved on to
Transit Progress
March 27, 2024
Steve has continued his work on our Transit Tipper. He has fitted the wiring loom under the bonnet and in the cab. He repaired the
It’s All Coming Together
February 21, 2024
It was all hands on deck to get the headlining fitted to our Ford Transit MKII Tipper in an afternoon before the windscreen fitters arrived
Transit Progress
February 15, 2024
Classic car technician Steve has continued his work on our Ford Transit MKII Tipper. He cleaned some old brake fluid sludge from the brake reservoir
In Paint
February 14, 2024
Various components of our Ford Transit MKII Tipper have been in the Bridge Classic Cars paintshop with Chris as he has been applying dtm satin
Transit Parts
February 8, 2024
As the restoration of our Ford Transit MKII Tipper continues to make good progress, technician Paul has made 2 brake calliper pins for it. While
Latest from the team, our Transit restoration
February 6, 2024
Here is a full run down on the works carried out recently on our Ford Transit Mk2. Tony has collected a new/old stock prop shaft
Transit Engine
January 29, 2024
The newly remanufactured 2-litre Pinto engine is being fitted in our Ford Transit MKII Tipper.
Brake Pipes
December 21, 2023
After completing even more zinc plating on several more components of our Ford Transit MKII Tipper, Steve fitted the brake servo and master cylinder under
Transit Engine And More
December 18, 2023
Steve has been stripping down the seized wiper linkage and of our Ford Transit MKII Tipper and fitted it to the front bulkhead after reassembly.
The Wheels Are On
December 15, 2023
The wheels have been put on our Ford Transit MKII Tipper. Once they were back on, a team of technicians (and some marketing folk too!)
Distributor And Carburettor
December 13, 2023
Steve has been working on our Ford Transit MKII recently. After the distributor, carburettor, alternator mount thermostat housing, and inlet manifold were vapour blasted, Steve
Back in Black – Painting more parts of our Mk2 Ford Transit Tipper
December 1, 2023
Several parts of the Mk2 Ford Transit Tipper have been in the spray booth here at Bridge Classic Cars. Our painter Chris has been hanging
Ready to Refinish – Stripping the handbrake on our Ford Transit Mk2 for sand blasting
December 1, 2023
Our technician Steve has been turning his attention recently back onto the reassembly of our Mk2 Ford Transit Tipper. This time, Steve has been stripping
Odd Jobs
December 1, 2023
Classic car technician Steve has been completing various tasks on our Ford Transit MKII Tipper. The hand brake pivot bolt and rear brake load valve
More Zinc Plating
November 29, 2023
Steve has continued his zinc plating lately. He has been focussing on the front and rear suspension nuts, bolts, and washers. As well as the
Preparing For Zinc Plating
November 24, 2023
Classic car technician Steve has been getting various parts of our Ford Transit MKII Tipper ready for zinc plating. These parts included components from the
Ford Transit Mk2 In Paint
November 9, 2023
The bumper of our Ford Transit Tipper MKII is all painted and now finished in a satin clear. The rear suspension springs have also been
Ford Transit Mk2 Door Seals
November 2, 2023
Brian has fitted up the Transit Mk2 with new rubber seals. Help in today’s Storm Ciaran weather!
Ford Transit Door Cards
November 1, 2023
The old door cards had been finished to a poor standard and Lydia felt were not fit for purpose. She has cleaned off the old
Ford Transit Mk2 Prime and Paint
November 1, 2023
Chris has been working tirelessly in the paint shop on the final preparation of prime and paint on our Mk2 Ford Transit. The next stage
More Paint Prep
October 13, 2023
Our Ford Transit Tipper MKII has continued its stay in the Bridge Classic Cars paintshop. It has been with technician Chris who has been applying
A Bit More Time In The Paintshop
October 6, 2023
Our MKII Ford Transit Tipper has spent a bit more time in the Bridge Classic Cars paintshop. It has been with classic car technician Chris
Restoration Complete
June 20, 2024
Our Ford Transit MKII Tipper is very close to leaving the Bridge Classic Cars workshop. Before it leaves us, I wanted to put it back where it was photographed for the first time and give it another photoshoot to see how far it has come.
The workshop team has tried to keep as much of our Transit the same as when it arrived – including the name ‘Lee’ that has been engraved on the steering wheel at some point in its past.
It now forms part of the vehicle’s history.
Ford Transit – a few more black bits
June 12, 2024
A few more bits to be treated in black. The steering wheel has also undergone a transformation too.
Our Transit Moving On
June 10, 2024
Lots of progress has been made with our Ford Transit MKII Tipper lately. Not only is its restoration journey going well, it now finds itself in a new home of sorts.
Now that The Classic Lounge is almost finished and ready to open, the building formerly known as The Atelier is becoming an extension of our very busy workshop.
As you can see from the photos below, our Transit looks great and will continue to look better and better as it spends more time in the new workshop.
Transit Fuel Sender
May 13, 2024
Steve has dismantled and cleaned the fuel sender in our Ford Transit Tipper MKII. This cured the bad contacts before the top part of the sender was zinc-plated.
Fuel Tank Brackets
May 8, 2024
The paint team here at Bridge Classic Cars have been working alongside the workshop team to get the next batch of pieces painted for our Ford Transit Mk2 Tipper project.
Whilst the fuel tank is being prepared for installation, our paint technician Mauro has had the brackets in the paint booth to be finished in deep black.
Transit Lights And Exhaust
April 26, 2024
Steve has been continuing his work on our Ford Transit MKII Tipper.
The rear fog light switch wasn’t working due to dirty internal contacts. Steve removed the switch and cleaned the contacts to rectify the issue.
He also temporarily fitted the exhaust to check the fitment before welding on a new rear box mount and spraying system.
Transit Door Steps
April 12, 2024
Steve has fitted the newly painted doorstep trims and step rubbers on our Ford Transit Tipper MKII. He also fitted the chassis plates.
Water Proofing
April 8, 2024
Steve has fitted the new waterproof connectors for the rear lights on our Ford Transit Tipper MKII.
Once this was done, he moved on to cut the doorstep retaining strip to length and drilled it ready for painting.
Transit Progress
March 27, 2024
Steve has continued his work on our Transit Tipper.
He has fitted the wiring loom under the bonnet and in the cab. He repaired the N/S/F indicator wiring by soldering and using heat shrink tubing to seal the joint.
Steve also started to fit up the dash after the new wiring loom had been fitted before removing the radio front panel, cleaning years of dirt off from behind the dials and reassembling.
The headlamp adjusters have been stripped down, cleaned, and zinc plated.
It’s All Coming Together
February 21, 2024
It was all hands on deck to get the headlining fitted to our Ford Transit MKII Tipper in an afternoon before the windscreen fitters arrived the next day. Luckily this didn’t take too long as it’s only a small roof section.
The headlining fits very crudely, being simply tucked up into a channel to secure it, without the need for glue or additional fastenings. The front is then glued on and also held in with the windscreen rubber, which is why it had to be done before the screen was fitted.
Prior to this, Lydia took the time to add some sound deadening to the roof to try and keep the cab as comfortable as possible.
Steve has also been working on our classic transit by fitting the rear lights and the newly fabricated mounts. The original gearbox has been refurbished and refitted to the van and the front bumper, end caps, door mirrors, and bonnet have all been fitted too.
Transit Progress
February 15, 2024
Classic car technician Steve has continued his work on our Ford Transit MKII Tipper.
He cleaned some old brake fluid sludge from the brake reservoir before zinc plating wheel nuts, wheel spacers, air filter clamp, brake pins, bell housing nuts and bolts, and gearbox mount nuts bolts and washers.
In Paint
February 14, 2024
Various components of our Ford Transit MKII Tipper have been in the Bridge Classic Cars paintshop with Chris as he has been applying dtm satin black to them.
Transit Parts
February 8, 2024
As the restoration of our Ford Transit MKII Tipper continues to make good progress, technician Paul has made 2 brake calliper pins for it. While Paul was doing that, Christian fabricated some brackets for the rear side light.
Latest from the team, our Transit restoration
February 6, 2024
Here is a full run down on the works carried out recently on our Ford Transit Mk2.
Tony has collected a new/old stock prop shaft whilst on his travels and it is now safely back with us here at Bridge Classic Cars HQ.
Mauro has been working on some of the smaller components to get them black up and ready for refit.
Steve has been fitting up the windows and quarter lights. We have replaced the lower mounting point for the offside quarter light frame. He has also blasted the mirror casings.
Meanwhile, Lydia in the trim-shop has cut out the plastic liner for the door cards and stuck this to the door. She has then made some minor adjustments to the door card to allow it to fit correctly under the top rail, and then put the door card clips in.
The fuel tank is in need of repair so Steve has photographed the unit to send over in preparation for the repairers.
Transit Engine
January 29, 2024
The newly remanufactured 2-litre Pinto engine is being fitted in our Ford Transit MKII Tipper.
Brake Pipes
December 21, 2023
After completing even more zinc plating on several more components of our Ford Transit MKII Tipper, Steve fitted the brake servo and master cylinder under the bonnet, along with all of the brake pipes.
Transit Engine And More
December 18, 2023
Steve has been stripping down the seized wiper linkage and of our Ford Transit MKII Tipper and fitted it to the front bulkhead after reassembly. He then refitted the newly painted peddle box and cleaned and serviced the heater box.
The brakes were cleaned and the steering rods and joints were reassembled ready to be fitted.
The rebuild of our Transit’s engine has also made good progress.
The Wheels Are On
December 15, 2023
The wheels have been put on our Ford Transit MKII Tipper.
Once they were back on, a team of technicians (and some marketing folk too!) moved it from one ramp to another, ready for the next stage of its restoration to begin.
Moving it wasn’t quite as simple as you might expect though, as the steering wheel was unable to be fitted, as Steve is still waiting for some parts to arrive before that can go back on.
As much as he would normally wait for the steering wheel to be fitted before moving the Tipper, unfortunately, the parts required are still a couple of weeks away so, despite being more challenging than we hoped, it was moved onto its new ramp and work will continue to bring this classic Transit back to life.
Steve has also started to fit up the front and rear brakes and suspension.
Distributor And Carburettor
December 13, 2023
Steve has been working on our Ford Transit MKII recently.
After the distributor, carburettor, alternator mount thermostat housing, and inlet manifold were vapour blasted, Steve zinc plated the parts required ready for assembly.
The carburettor and distributor have been reconditioned and reassembled ready to be fitted back to the engine.
Back in Black – Painting more parts of our Mk2 Ford Transit Tipper
December 1, 2023
Several parts of the Mk2 Ford Transit Tipper have been in the spray booth here at Bridge Classic Cars.
Our painter Chris has been hanging up several of the engine parts as well as brake dust shields to get them refinished ahead of the completion of this amazing restoration project
Ready to Refinish – Stripping the handbrake on our Ford Transit Mk2 for sand blasting
December 1, 2023
Our technician Steve has been turning his attention recently back onto the reassembly of our Mk2 Ford Transit Tipper.
This time, Steve has been stripping apart the original handbrake mechanism ahead of its being put into our blasting cabinet before being refinished and put back on the vintage worktruck.
Odd Jobs
December 1, 2023
Classic car technician Steve has been completing various tasks on our Ford Transit MKII Tipper.
The hand brake pivot bolt and rear brake load valve adjuster were both seized and had to be cut off and removed using oxygen and acetylene torch. A new hand brake pivot bolt was fabricated using a high tensile bolt.
While Steve was doing this, Mauro was painting various components of our classic Transit in the paint shop.
More Zinc Plating
November 29, 2023
Steve has continued his zinc plating lately.
He has been focussing on the front and rear suspension nuts, bolts, and washers.
As well as the zinc plating, Steve has also fitted the front springs as well as the front and rear axles.
Preparing For Zinc Plating
November 24, 2023
Classic car technician Steve has been getting various parts of our Ford Transit MKII Tipper ready for zinc plating.
These parts included components from the suspension and the brake wheel hub nuts. To prepare them for zinc plating, Steve made sure each part was clean and ready to go.
Ford Transit Mk2 In Paint
November 9, 2023
The bumper of our Ford Transit Tipper MKII is all painted and now finished in a satin clear. The rear suspension springs have also been in the paintshop and have had black dtm applied.
Chris has also fixed and painted the grill.
Ford Transit Mk2 Door Seals
November 2, 2023
Brian has fitted up the Transit Mk2 with new rubber seals. Help in today’s Storm Ciaran weather!
Ford Transit Door Cards
November 1, 2023
The old door cards had been finished to a poor standard and Lydia felt were not fit for purpose.
She has cleaned off the old door cards and removed foam that had been incorrectly and poorly stuck down. New vinyl was cut and laminated onto scrim foam. This meant that the stitched design now stood out well from the rest of the vinyl , without looking garish like the previous design.
She then applied the new vinyl to the panels and cleaned off my pencil marks.
Ford Transit Mk2 Prime and Paint
November 1, 2023
Chris has been working tirelessly in the paint shop on the final preparation of prime and paint on our Mk2 Ford Transit.
The next stage is to flatten and polish the shell and when he’s 100% happy with the finished results he will pass back over to the workshops for the fit up.
More Paint Prep
October 13, 2023
Our Ford Transit Tipper MKII has continued its stay in the Bridge Classic Cars paintshop. It has been with technician Chris who has been applying polyfan to the doors.
After he had finished working on the doors, the cab of our classic Transit Tipper also had polyfan applied.
Our MKII Tipper will stay in the paintshop for a little while longer before it moves on to the next stage of its restoration.
A Bit More Time In The Paintshop
October 6, 2023
Our MKII Ford Transit Tipper has spent a bit more time in the Bridge Classic Cars paintshop. It has been with classic car technician Chris who has been priming the classic transit ready for it to be painted in the very near future.
This vehicle has already undergone quite a transformation so we are looking forward to seeing it continue to make good progress through its restoration.
While our Transit Tipper was in the paintshop, technician Tom picked up the freshly rebuilt gearbox and rear axle from AST Transmission and bought them back to the workshop.
