1984 lada 1200

Lada Extras

The Lada has come in with a mysterious tilting issue whereby it tilts and rises intermittently, as if by magic. After an investigation, we discovered

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Lada Corrections

Our 1984 Lada 1200 has just come out of the fabrication bay where it has undergone some TLC to address its corrosion issues. The sills,

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Back Together – Points & Condenser and Refitting the Radiator on the 1984 Lada 1200

The Bridge Classic Cars workshop have been working on getting the 1984 Lada 1200 back together to begin testing the classic estate.

To begin with, the team replaced the points and condenser in preparation for road testing the next stage of the work.

The radiator of the classic Lada had been sent off to a local, trusted specialist to be repaired before being delivered back. The team could then put it back into the core support and begin to refit the various hoses in the engine bay before refilling the coolant and checking for any leaks or issues. All was ok on inspection.

The team then took the car out on a road test after correcting the timing and came back with the all-clear.

Repairs – Replacing the Engine Mounts and Removing the Radiator on the 1984 Lada 1200

The 1984 Lada 1200 has been worked on by the Bridge Classic Cars restoration technicians as part of getting the car into perfect working order.

To start with, the team have replaced the engine mounts which had begun to crack and perish. The replacement pieces are slightly taller than the previous units but are a much closer match to what would have originally been fitted. These were fitted and secured down to the frame before the engine was put back perfectly into place.

After discovering the crack in the top tank of the radiator, the team have carefully removed the radiator from the core support of the classic Lada. This has been sent off to a local, trusted specialist to be repaired.

Progress – Servicing and Inspecting the 1984 Lada 1200

The 1984 Lada 1200 is in the Bridge Classic Cars restoration workshop for the teams to carry out several jobs on.

Firstly, the team have fully serviced the classic Lada before performing a complete and thorough inspection of the car. During that, they found the top tank on the radiator had split and was causing a coolant leak.

Next, they noted several rubber bushes including the ball joint rubbers have split or perished.

While under the car, our technician Jon replaced the steering idler while replacing the split ball joint rubbers and then removing the seat which was taken upstairs to our in-house trim shop to be repaired.

Touch Up – Repairing the Seat on the 1984 Lada 1200

While the Bridge Classic Cars workshop team have been working on the mechanical side of the 1984 Lada 1200, our in-house trim shop took the opportunity to repair one of the seats.

The rear of the seat base had developed several tears in the material, so our trimmer Lydia began by removing the seat cover and inspecting the damage. While apart, Lydia put a new layer of modern foam on top of the seat foam for added comfort.

Then, using small pieces from the underside of the seat she carefully put them into place covering the holes while also repairing some of the piping that surrounds the base.

Small Repair – Repairing and Repainting the Door on the 1984 Lada 1200

The paint and body have been working on a small repair to the door of the 1984 Lada 1200.

After the panel itself had been fixed and prepared, the paint team could begin the delicate process of blending the repair back into the cream paint of the rest of the car.

For this, the team used our paint scanner to perfectly match the existing paintwork on the classic Lada. Then, using our paint mixing software our team feathered in the match paintwork to the car.

Lada Wheel Arch Repair

Our Lada has come back in for some wheel arch repair due to some damage.

Scott has checked over all the brakes and made sure everything was okay. He decided which parts needed to be ordered to correct the damage. Matt has primed and painted the wheel arch to correct the damage.

Lada In For A Service

We recently had this classic Lada in for a restoration and now its back for a health check. We’ve run a service on it and are now beginning to replace the front wheel bearings and the dust covers on the callipers.

Lada Extras

The Lada has come in with a mysterious tilting issue whereby it tilts and rises intermittently, as if by magic. After an investigation, we discovered that the shock absorbers have collapsed. With this diagnosis in mind, we’ll endeavour to rectify the issue when the new parts arrive.

As pictured above is the work we did to blacken the underside of this Lada when it was last in to preserve the work we added to rectify an issue with corrosion.

Lada On The Road Back Home

Our lovely 1984 Lada 1200 is leaving today! We’ve completed all the work which included repairing and respraying the rusty floors, replacing the exhaust silencer, fitting rear seatbelts, adjusting the rear brakes and adjusting the handbrake cable. This soviet classic is now ready to get back on the road.

It was another crisp and dreary morning this morning as our technicians loaded the Lada into our new lorry, ready to make its way back to its owner.

With fewer than 200 on the roads in the UK, the Lada is now a rare vehicle. Originally manufactured and popular in Russia, around 134,000 were licenced for UK roads in the 1990s. After a sharp decline over the years, you’d typically struggle to find a classic Lada in the UK however those figures are slowly rising as the value and rarity of these motors increase.

Here’s some photos of when the Lada first came in:

Little bits on the Lada

The Lada 1200 has had new seat belts added in the back. Our technician Paul has also modified the exhaust rear box to make it shorter as the original, which you cannot buy anymore, was too long.

Lada Corrections

Our 1984 Lada 1200 has just come out of the fabrication bay where it has undergone some TLC to address its corrosion issues. The sills, floor and underside have been cleaned and an oil wax has been applied to preserve the bodywork. There are still a few more corrections to be done before its ready to go however it’s currently awaiting an exhaust repair.

Our Lada is currently awaiting a new exhaust which should arrive today. Once we have the correct parts, our technicians can start to replace the exhaust.

From Russia with love

We welcomed another new car to the workshop yesterday. This 1984 Lada 1200 Estate was brought in with signs of rust in the sills and floor. A paint job and some fabrication work will be in order to address the rust issues.

Lada 1200’s were a heavily modified version of the Fiat 124 tailored for the Soviet Union and much of the Eastern Bloc. The Lada brand was built with hash Russian and Siberian conditions in mind. The suspension was raised to clear rough Russian roads and the bodyshell was made from thicker, heavier steel to make them more durable. These cars were later shipped around the world and used as police cars, taxies and other public utility vehicles.