Intricacy – Further Metal Repairs on the 1986 Daimler DS420
September 7, 2022
The fabrication team at Bridge Classic Cars have been continuing the lower metal repairs on the 1986 Daimler DS420 which is in at our Suffolk
classic daimler specialist
Coming Soon – 1968 Daimler 250 Arrives at The Hangar
September 6, 2022
The Bridge Classic Cars secure storage facility, The Hangar, has welcomed a new resident recently – this 1968 Daimler 250. The car has arrived to
The Other Side – Metal Repairs on the Passenger Side of the 1986 Daimler DS420
September 1, 2022
As the work is being carried out on the other side of the 1986 Daimler DS420, our fabrication team have been working on the passenger
Capped – Repairing the Arches and Sills on the 1986 Daimler DS420
August 31, 2022
The fabrication shop at Bridge Classic Cars have been busy carrying out further metal repairs to the sides of the classic Daimler limousine. The team
New Metal – Repairing the Drivers Rear Wheel Arch on the 1986 Daimler DS420
August 23, 2022
The fabrication team at the Bridge Classic Cars Suffolk HQ have been busy working on repairing the inner and outer wheel arch on the 1986
Inch Perfect – Handmaking Rear Sills on the 1986 Daimler DS420
August 17, 2022
The 1986 Daimler DS420, which is currently in the Bridge Classic Cars fabrication shop, has had its rear sills and parts of the floors made
Complete – The 1987 Daimler Double Six is Finished
August 17, 2022
The restoration teams at Bridge Classic Cars have finished the restoration of the 1987 Daimler Double Six so it was time to take some final
Replaced – New Hazard Light Switch on the 1987 Daimler Double Six
August 12, 2022
The workshop team at Bridge Classic Cars have completed the final job on the 1987 Daimler Double Six which has been with us for restoration.
At the Ready – Priming the Bonnet and Boot of the 1986 Daimler DS420
July 22, 2022
The boot and bonnet of the 1986 Daimler DS420 have been in the Bridge Classic Cars paint shop for their next round of work in
Fresh Metal – Door Repairs on the 1986 Daimler DS420
July 22, 2022
The other door of the 1986 Daimler DS420 has been on the bench in the Bridge Classic Cars fabrication shop to have various metal repairs.
With the Grain – New Veneers on the 1987 Daimler Double Six
July 15, 2022
The trim shop at Bridge Classic Cars have been replacing the wooden veneers in the 1987 Daimler Double Six as part of its restoration. The
Preparations – Removing the Centre Console and Dashboard from the 1987 Daimler Double Six
July 14, 2022
The trim shop at Bridge Classic Cars have been carefully removing the veneered pieces from the interior of the 1987 Daimler Double Six. Brian, one
Update – Refitting the 1987 Daimler Double Six
July 13, 2022
The trim shop at Bridge Classic Cars has been working on getting some of the key trim pieces back into the 1987 Daimler Double Six
Starting Point – Rust Repairs Begin on the 1986 Daimler DS420
July 6, 2022
The fabrication shop at Bridge Classic Cars have been starting on the rust repairs to the classic 1986 Daimler DS420. The team have spent some
Out Back – New Boot Trim for the 1987 Daimler Double Six
July 1, 2022
The Bridge Classic Cars trim shop have turned their attention to the rear of the 1987 Daimler Double Six which is in our workshop for
At the Core – Servicing the 1987 Daimler Double Six
June 29, 2022
As part of its restoration and first fire-up since work began, the team at Bridge Classic Cars have serviced the V12 which sits at the
Update – Reassembly of the 1987 Daimler Double Six
June 28, 2022
The 1987 Daimler Double Six has been coming back together in the Bridge Classic Cars restoration workshop at our Suffolk HQ. The workshop team have
Change Over – 1986 Daimler DS420 in the Fabrication Shop
June 28, 2022
The 1986 Daimler DS420 has been moved from the body preparation department into the in-house fabrication shop at the Bridge Classic Cars Suffolk restoration workshops.
Repaired – Hardboard Repairs on the Door Cards of the 1987 Daimler Double Six
June 24, 2022
The trim team at Bridge Classic Cars have repaired several sections of the door cards on the 1987 Daimler Double Six which is in for
Refinished – 1987 Daimler Double Six Parts in Satin Black
June 24, 2022
The Bridge Classic Cars in-house paint shop have been working on refinishing some of the final pieces for the 1987 Daimler Double. Various brackets, panels
Going Back Together – Refitting the Bumpers and Adjusting the Sunroof of the 1987 Daimler Doube Six
June 22, 2022
The workshop team at Bridge Classic Cars are working on refitting and adjusting various parts to the 1987 Daimler Double Six as part of its
Like New – Painting the Bumper Brackets on the 1987 Daimler Double Six
June 20, 2022
The bumper brackets for the 1987 Daimler Double Six have been worked on by the Bridge Classic Cars paint shop. The pieces have been carefully
Under the Surface – Stripping the Doors of the 1986 Daimler DS420
June 20, 2022
The doors on the 1986 Daimler DS420 have been stripped back by the paint and body team in preparation to be handed over to the
Piece by Piece – Putting the 1987 Daimler Double Six Back Together
June 20, 2022
The restoration journey of the 1987 Daimler Double Six is moving ahead with the workshop team at Bridge Classic Cars. The team are in the
In Place – Fitting the Sunroof and Working on the Headliner of the 1987 Daimler Double Six
June 16, 2022
The trim team at Bridge Classic Cars have been working alongside the workshop team on the roof of the 1987 Daimler Double Six. The workshop
Inch by Inch – Removing the Roof from the 1986 Daimler DS420
May 30, 2022
The trim team at the Bridge Classic Cars restoration workshop have worked with our body team to remove the collapsible roof on the 1986 Daimler
Clear View – Polishing the Paintwork on the 1987 Daimler Double Six
May 30, 2022
The freshly painted 1987 Daimler Double Six has been in the paint preparation area for the Bridge classic Cars paint and body team to begin
Inside Out – Raptorguard on the Inner Wings of the 1987 Daimler Double Six
May 26, 2022
The paint and body team at Bridge Classic Cars have sealed the inner wings of the 1987 Daimler Double Six which is in for restoration.
Areas of Interest – Finding Corrosion on the 1986 Daimler DS420
May 25, 2022
During the inspection of the 1986 Daimler Double Six, the Bridge Classic Cars workshop team have found some corrosion areas that they would like to
For Reference – Carefully Removing the Trim from the 1986 Daimler DS420
May 25, 2022
The workshop team at Bridge Classic Cars have begun the process of removing the trim and brightwork from the 1986 Daimler DS420. As part of
Intricacy – Further Metal Repairs on the 1986 Daimler DS420
September 7, 2022
The fabrication team at Bridge Classic Cars have been continuing the lower metal repairs on the 1986 Daimler DS420 which is in at our Suffolk HQ.
Our fabricator Monty has been going through each section of the DS420 to get the metalwork in perfect condition. This time, the team have been working on repairing the front lower sill and inner arch.
Any section of corrosion has been carefully cut out and the area treated and neutralised before the handmade patch panels were put together, refined and welded into the car. The team have been working to tight tolerances and making sure that the structure and strength were put back into the areas.
Coming Soon – 1968 Daimler 250 Arrives at The Hangar
September 6, 2022
The Bridge Classic Cars secure storage facility, The Hangar, has welcomed a new resident recently – this 1968 Daimler 250.
The car has arrived to wait its turn for the team to completely and thoroughly inspect it at our Pettistree workshops deep in the Suffolk countryside.
The Other Side – Metal Repairs on the Passenger Side of the 1986 Daimler DS420
September 1, 2022
As the work is being carried out on the other side of the 1986 Daimler DS420, our fabrication team have been working on the passenger side of the car at the same time.
One of our amazing fabricators, Chris, has been working on removing any corrosion from the classic limousine. Much like the other side of the car, the team have been focusing on the rear arches, inner arches, sills and front arches. Every time an area is in need of repair, Chris would create handmade patch panels specifically for the area they were needed in recreating much of the sills and inner arches by hand.
Capped – Repairing the Arches and Sills on the 1986 Daimler DS420
August 31, 2022
The fabrication shop at Bridge Classic Cars have been busy carrying out further metal repairs to the sides of the classic Daimler limousine.
The team are working their way through repairing the inner and outer wheel arches along with extensive repairs to the sills of the car. These have been cut back the area to expose any corrosion which ad begun to run deep into the underside of the car. All of the area was then treated to neutralise any rust issues before the team began to make the various patch pieces needed to rebuild the structure into the car.
Both wheel arches have also been cut out and repaired as part of the work.
New Metal – Repairing the Drivers Rear Wheel Arch on the 1986 Daimler DS420
August 23, 2022
The fabrication team at the Bridge Classic Cars Suffolk HQ have been busy working on repairing the inner and outer wheel arch on the 1986 Daimler DS420.
The team have uncovered areas of heavy corrosion in the lower parts of the classic Daimler. These are being systematically cut out of the car and replaced with new handmade patch panels, including the rear arches.
The team have thoroughly inspected any areas of corrosion and removed any affected material to bring it back to clean, strong metal to work from. From there, the team have made up the individual pieces needed to recreate the missing parts. Each of these is then carefully tacked into place to avoid warping certain areas and then finish welded.
Inch Perfect – Handmaking Rear Sills on the 1986 Daimler DS420
August 17, 2022
The 1986 Daimler DS420, which is currently in the Bridge Classic Cars fabrication shop, has had its rear sills and parts of the floors made from scratch.
The bottom of the classic Daimler has areas of heavy corrosion which must be addressed and repaired by the team. For this, our fabricator Monty has made up and hand-shaped these pieces specifically for the car. With carefully bending and working the material to get into shape while also adding the beading to give the metal strength when welded into the body.
Each piece was spot welded into the car to avoid warping which can cause the subsequent pieces to fit incorrectly into the car.
The team will continue to get the classic DS420 back into new metal in the areas needed.
Complete – The 1987 Daimler Double Six is Finished
August 17, 2022
The restoration teams at Bridge Classic Cars have finished the restoration of the 1987 Daimler Double Six so it was time to take some final photos of the car before it is safely put into storage.
The Double Six has been through every department at our Suffolk HQ, from being carefully dismantled by the workshop team and then handed over to our fabrication shop to repair some issues with the bodywork. Next, our paint and body team took over the project to get every piece and panel into perfect shape before repainted and polished.
Then once all the panels had been painted and aligned back onto the car, it could be given back to the workshop for our restoration technicians and trim shop to work on the car. Piece by piece the classic Daimler was put back together and fitted-out working towards its completion.
With everything finally finished, the car was fully valeted and taken over to our secure storage facility, The Hangar, where it will be stored for its owner.
Replaced – New Hazard Light Switch on the 1987 Daimler Double Six
August 12, 2022
The workshop team at Bridge Classic Cars have completed the final job on the 1987 Daimler Double Six which has been with us for restoration.
The hazard light switch, located on the steering column on the Daimler Double Six, was found to have an issue. So, the workshop team have carefully removed the shrowding on the steering column to remove the old switch. With the old unit removed, the team could replace it with a new piece and then test to confirm everything worked as it should.
With everything being given the green light, the car was loaded up and taken over to our secure storage facility, The Hangar, to be stored for its owner.
At the Ready – Priming the Bonnet and Boot of the 1986 Daimler DS420
July 22, 2022
The boot and bonnet of the 1986 Daimler DS420 have been in the Bridge Classic Cars paint shop for their next round of work in the lead-up to paint.
The team have carefully rubbed back all of the pannels on-top and underneath before getting the pieces into primer followed by a light coat of Polyfan. This will act as a guide coat for the team when sanding to help identify any low spots which will need to be addressed in order to achieve a perfect finish on the car.
Fresh Metal – Door Repairs on the 1986 Daimler DS420
July 22, 2022
The other door of the 1986 Daimler DS420 has been on the bench in the Bridge Classic Cars fabrication shop to have various metal repairs.
The door of the classic Daimler has suffered some quite serious corrosion in places which have been carefully cut from the door for the team to begin making hand-made patches for the car.
Each of these pieces, after being formed, is then test fit and adjusted to make sure the final fitment is perfect before Monty, one of our fabricators, final welds them into their place making sure each individual piece interacts with any other pieces around it.
With the Grain – New Veneers on the 1987 Daimler Double Six
July 15, 2022
The trim shop at Bridge Classic Cars have been replacing the wooden veneers in the 1987 Daimler Double Six as part of its restoration.
The team have gone through and replaced the wooden trim pieces of the car with brand new pieces which were supplied for the car. The team have carefully then reinstalled them back into the car making sure to get the perfect fitment to get the whole interior to fit and sit perfectly.
Preparations – Removing the Centre Console and Dashboard from the 1987 Daimler Double Six
July 14, 2022
The trim shop at Bridge Classic Cars have been carefully removing the veneered pieces from the interior of the 1987 Daimler Double Six.
Brian, one of our trimmers, has been removing the centre console pieces along with the dashboard to prepare them for being reveneered. For this, he had to remove all fittings and trim pieces from each panel in order to safely remove them from the car.
Once out, he could get then tear them down further in order to expose the edges of the veneer to be carefully removed and prepared.
Update – Refitting the 1987 Daimler Double Six
July 13, 2022
The trim shop at Bridge Classic Cars has been working on getting some of the key trim pieces back into the 1987 Daimler Double Six while removing some smaller pieces to be refinished by the team.
To begin with, Brian fit the new bonnet insulation under the hood of the classic Daimler. This is a noise and heat protector which is cut to shape and rollered on to get the best contact and fit into the recesses under the bonnet.
From there, the team could get the headliner and sunroof for the car finished off. The edges of the opening were finished and glued back neatly into place before the necessary pieces of trim were fitted.
Finally, the team moved to the centre console of the classic Daimler in order to remove switchgear and fittings from the car. This was to then completely remove the weathered panel’s wooden veneer which is being worked on by the team as part of the restoration of the car.
Starting Point – Rust Repairs Begin on the 1986 Daimler DS420
July 6, 2022
The fabrication shop at Bridge Classic Cars have been starting on the rust repairs to the classic 1986 Daimler DS420.
The team have spent some time assessing and inspecting the corrosion on the bodywork of the classic limo before beginning the intricate metal work.
Work began around the rear window frames which saw quite heavy corrosion around the channels. These areas were cut out and replaced with handmade pieces to perfectly fit the size and contour of the car. Carefully they were welded in to avoid any warping of surrounding areas which are heavy with trim.
Then, work could begin on the bottoms of the doors. These had seen quite substantial corrosion, with a whole new bottom lip having to be made by our fabricators and grafted onto the doors itself. Because of the corrosion in the bottoms of the door, the door jam area of the large rear doors also needed work by the team. This area was cut out and then taken back to fresh metal, the surround being used as a template for our fabricator Monty to make a one-off, handmade piece that fit perfectly into the gap.
Keep an eye out on the Bridge Classic Cars News Page very soon for more updates on the 1986 Daimler DS420.
Out Back – New Boot Trim for the 1987 Daimler Double Six
July 1, 2022
The Bridge Classic Cars trim shop have turned their attention to the rear of the 1987 Daimler Double Six which is in our workshop for reassembly as part of its restoration.
The team have made a new boot top trim piece for the classic Daimler. Using the original as a template, the team have carefully recreated the original piece to be a perfect fit under the decklid. Along with that, the team have also made new smaller panels out of mil board for the boot of the car.
At the Core – Servicing the 1987 Daimler Double Six
June 29, 2022
As part of its restoration and first fire-up since work began, the team at Bridge Classic Cars have serviced the V12 which sits at the heart of the 1987 Daimler Double Six.
With this generation of Jaguar-based V12, it is not always the easiest to change the spark plugs. So, the team have been carefully disconnecting and moving the various hoses and lines out of the way to get to the spark plugs and remove the distributor cap.
After that, everything could be changed over to new pieces and then put back together with the hoses laid back over and routed in their correct place.
Update – Reassembly of the 1987 Daimler Double Six
June 28, 2022
The 1987 Daimler Double Six has been coming back together in the Bridge Classic Cars restoration workshop at our Suffolk HQ.
The workshop team have been getting the classic Daimler back together in order to perform the first fire-up of the V12. Firstly the team have put the newly repainted and refurbished fan shroud onto the cars core support so the various leads and hoses can be routed on the front of the car. At the same time, the team have worked on refitting the chrome trim to the flanks of the Daimler as well as spraying the wheel wells with durable, hard-wearing black paint.
This is all part of the cars restoration journey, in which the team will fire up the car to check all the necessary systems which were removed from the car.
Change Over – 1986 Daimler DS420 in the Fabrication Shop
June 28, 2022
The 1986 Daimler DS420 has been moved from the body preparation department into the in-house fabrication shop at the Bridge Classic Cars Suffolk restoration workshops.
After having the body stripped back to discover some areas of quite deep corrosion by the body team, it is now down to the fabrication department to get the metal on the classic Daimler back in order. First, the team will carry out an assessment of the area to see how deep and far into or up the car the corrosion goes and then work out a plan to get the fresh pieces securely and properly welded into the car.
There will be more updates very soon on the metal repairs to the 1986 Daimler DS420.
Repaired – Hardboard Repairs on the Door Cards of the 1987 Daimler Double Six
June 24, 2022
The trim team at Bridge Classic Cars have repaired several sections of the door cards on the 1987 Daimler Double Six which is in for restoration.
Brian, one of our trimmers, carefully cut out the damaged areas to make new paper templates from and then graft them into the panels permanently.
Refinished – 1987 Daimler Double Six Parts in Satin Black
June 24, 2022
The Bridge Classic Cars in-house paint shop have been working on refinishing some of the final pieces for the 1987 Daimler Double.
Various brackets, panels and the fan shroud have all been stripped, cleaned and prepared before being taken into our paint booth/oven to be finished in Satin Black for the project.
Once these have completely cured, the workshop team can begin getting them fit back onto the classic Daimler in with us for restoration.
Going Back Together – Refitting the Bumpers and Adjusting the Sunroof of the 1987 Daimler Doube Six
June 22, 2022
The workshop team at Bridge Classic Cars are working on refitting and adjusting various parts to the 1987 Daimler Double Six as part of its restoration with us.
The team have worked on getting the sunroof of the classic Daimler back into the car following the adjustments needed to the rails and to fit a new seal for its final installation back into the car.
Then, the team could turn their attention to the rear bumper of the Double Six. The bumpers have been stripped down and cleaned up including the brackets which were carefully ground back and then refurbished to be reused on the car as they were in good condition after removing the surface rust. The only new pieces needed for this part of the restoration were the bumper inserts which were sourced and fitted to the car.
Like New – Painting the Bumper Brackets on the 1987 Daimler Double Six
June 20, 2022
The bumper brackets for the 1987 Daimler Double Six have been worked on by the Bridge Classic Cars paint shop.
The pieces have been carefully cleaned and prepared to then go into our in-house paint booth in order for the team to finish them as part of the reassembly of the classic Daimler.
Under the Surface – Stripping the Doors of the 1986 Daimler DS420
June 20, 2022
The doors on the 1986 Daimler DS420 have been stripped back by the paint and body team in preparation to be handed over to the Bridge Classic Cars fabrication team.
The doors had to be stripped back in certain areas in order for the team to assess the corrosion in each piece and come up with a repair plan for the doors.
There are a few areas which will need significant repairs by the fabrication team so keep an eye on the Bridge Classic Cars news page for more updates very soon.
Piece by Piece – Putting the 1987 Daimler Double Six Back Together
June 20, 2022
The restoration journey of the 1987 Daimler Double Six is moving ahead with the workshop team at Bridge Classic Cars. The team are in the process of putting the classic Daimler back together piece by piece.
Scott and Paul have worked together, to begin with reinstalling all the necessary trims back into the panel work of the car. Along with that, they have installed the new back boxes into the car around the heat-shielding.
In Place – Fitting the Sunroof and Working on the Headliner of the 1987 Daimler Double Six
June 16, 2022
The trim team at Bridge Classic Cars have been working alongside the workshop team on the roof of the 1987 Daimler Double Six.
The workshop technicians fitted the sunroof and its mechanism into place on the classic Daimler as part of its reassembly following its time with the paint and body team. Once in place, the trim team could begin to work the headliner into position around the opening.
Brian, one of our trimmers, carefully cut into the new headlining to be able to fix the headliner into position around the channels and to the roof itself.
Inch by Inch – Removing the Roof from the 1986 Daimler DS420
May 30, 2022
The trim team at the Bridge Classic Cars restoration workshop have worked with our body team to remove the collapsible roof on the 1986 Daimler DS420.
The team needed to remove this as part of the vehicle’s restoration as to inspect and assess the condition of each component as well as the inner and out coverings to use as templates.
Each piece had to be removed gingerly and extremely carefully so as to not damage any of the pieces or mechanisms to best assess each part of the roof.
Clear View – Polishing the Paintwork on the 1987 Daimler Double Six
May 30, 2022
The freshly painted 1987 Daimler Double Six has been in the paint preparation area for the Bridge classic Cars paint and body team to begin getting the car into bright, gleaming condition.
The team began by gently and evenly cutting back the freshly cured paint with progressively finer abrasive pads to safely remove any nibs or other pieces caught in the clear coat of the car. After this had all been taken back to an even ”flat” state, the team could begin bringing back its shimmer.
Using various compounds and polishes, the team built up the beautiful sheen across the body of the classic Daimler until it was like a deep blue mirror.
The perfect finish.
Inside Out – Raptorguard on the Inner Wings of the 1987 Daimler Double Six
May 26, 2022
The paint and body team at Bridge Classic Cars have sealed the inner wings of the 1987 Daimler Double Six which is in for restoration.
The team sealed the inner wings using a product called Raptorguard. This is a hard wearing urethane which will protect the inner arches and wing of the car from absorbing moisture from any dirt collected inside the panel. This is something we do on most of our restorations to protect the longevity of the pieces and ultimately the car itself.
Areas of Interest – Finding Corrosion on the 1986 Daimler DS420
May 25, 2022
During the inspection of the 1986 Daimler Double Six, the Bridge Classic Cars workshop team have found some corrosion areas that they would like to look more in-depth at.
The team noticed a few areas on the underside of the classic Daimler during the process of inspecting the trims, this pushed the team to begin getting to the root cause and seeing just how far the corrosion goes into the sills and several substructures.
With that, the team began to carefully take apart the sills and loose corrosion on the underside of the car to then start to formulate a plan for repairs.
For Reference – Carefully Removing the Trim from the 1986 Daimler DS420
May 25, 2022
The workshop team at Bridge Classic Cars have begun the process of removing the trim and brightwork from the 1986 Daimler DS420.
As part of the inspection and assessment of the classic Daimlers restoration, the team take hundreds of reference photos involving the trims for every classic car which comes into our workshops. This is important to log and catalogue the condition and fitment of each piece that has come off the car.
Also, it allows us to use these photos to check against parts diagrams and other reference materials to see if anything is missing or misaligned.
