Getting Our Traveller Ready For Competition
October 13, 2023
Classic car technician Jonn has been working on our 1965 Morris Traveller 1000, getting it ready to go live on Bridge Classic Cars Competitions very
classic morris
Cleaning Classic Cars
October 11, 2023
Every week, Colin from Viper Auto Cleaning spends the day at the Bridge Classic Cars workshop making sure our vehicles look pristine for our customers
Work Begins On Our Traveller
October 6, 2023
Classic car technicians Jonn and Brian have been working on our 1965 Morris Traveller 1000. Jonn resecured the offside rear door bracket after it was
New Tyres
August 16, 2023
On the 8th of August, Terry Lees won our 1934 Morris Eight Tourer in the Bridge Classic Cars Competitions live draw. Before being delivered to
Polished – 1969 Morris Minor Convertible Paintwork Polished
August 24, 2022
After the paint and body team at Bridge Classic Cars let the underseal and seam seal cure it was time to flatten back and polish
Progress – 1969 Morris Minor Convertible Parts Painted, Undersealed and Seam Sealed
August 24, 2022
The paint and body team at Bridge Classic Cars have been making progress on the 1969 Morris Minor Convertible. To start, the team have finished
The Next Step – Sanding Back the 1969 Morris Minor Convertible
August 5, 2022
To get the bodywork ready for paint, the paint and body team at Bridge Classic Cars have been busy sanding back the high-build primer on
Ready to Come Out – Preparing to Remove the Engine from the 1940 Morris C8 Gun Tractor
July 19, 2022
The Bridge Classic Cars team have begun to prepare the 1940 Morris C8 Gun Tractor to remove its engine ahead of its rebuild. Jon, one
First Stage – 1969 Morris Minor Convertible in Primer
July 8, 2022
The body team at Bridge Classic Cars have taken the 1969 Morris Minor Convertible from the preparation area to the spray booth to have its
Refinements – Bodywork Begins on the 1969 Morris Minor Convertible
July 4, 2022
The in-house body shop at Bridge Classic Cars have begun the process of refining the bodywork on the 1969 Morris Minor Convertible. After its time
Up For Sale – 1969 Morris Minor 1000
June 21, 2022
The 1969 Morris Minor 1000 which arrived at the Bridge Classic Cars workshop recently is now up for sale on eBay and MyClassics! The classic
Check Over – Coltec Inspecting the 1940 Morris Gun Tractor
May 23, 2022
Our friends at Coltec came over to the Bridge Classic Cars workshop at our Suffolk HQ to inspect and assess the engine for the 1940
Dazzling – New Brightwork on the 1968 Austin Morris Minor Van
May 16, 2022
This beautiful 1968 Morris Minor Van has been in the Bridge Classic Cars body shop to have its new brightwork kit fitted to get it
Reinstalled – Putting the Hydraulic System Back in the 1963 Morris LD
April 29, 2022
The hydraulic system of the 1963 Morris LD, which arrived back at the Bridge Classic Cars workshop recently, has been put back into the classic
In Stock – New Parts for the 1963 Morris LD Arrive at Bridge Classic Cars
April 25, 2022
The replaced or refurbished parts for the hydraulic system on the 1963 Morris LD have arrived at the Bridge Classic Cars restoration workshop in Suffolk.
Behind the Scenes – Live Draw of the 1966 Jaguar MkII & 1970 Morris Minor
April 1, 2022
Last night, the 31st March 2022, the Bridge Classic Cars Competitions team welcomed our largest ever studio audience to find out who the lucky winners
Behind the Scenes – Photoshoot with the 1970 Morris Minor 1000
March 8, 2022
The Morris Minor is a beautiful link to a bygone day of motoring. A simplistic, utilitarian piece of British motoring history, but an icon taken
A Loss of Pressure – Inspecting and Diagnosing the 1963 Morris LD
March 2, 2022
The workshop technicians at Bridge Classic Cars have been getting to the bottom of the hydraulic issues with the 1963 Morris LD. Our technician Dave
Morris Ready For Paint
July 6, 2021
Our beautiful blue Morris Minor is in the paint booth ready for paint to finish its visit.
New Morris Minor Arrival
February 17, 2021
Late one evening last week, a Russell’s transporter lorry arrived with two new additions to the Bridge Classic Car family, one of which being this
Double Morris Trouble
February 5, 2021
We may be expecting both of these beautiful Morris’s into the workshop sometime in the near future. The photos below are a 1935 Morris 12/4
Morris Minor’s Final Send-Off
January 22, 2021
This delightful 1963 Morris Minor 1000 came to us back in December 2019 and has undergone and fantastic transformation within the last year. It has
Morris Minor Wheel Alignment
January 21, 2021
Tom has aligned the steering wheel in our Morris Minor, meaning this treasured Morris Minor 1000 will be ready to leave on Saturday. Centralising a
Minor Adjustments
December 15, 2020
Our 1963 Morris Minor 1000 is also in its last stages of restoration. We’re currently adjusting the suspension and applying some final tweaks to the
More Primer on the Minor
September 7, 2020
Paintwork continues on the 1963 Morris Minor 1000 as the doors and wings get some specialist paintwork treatment from our expert paint shop technician Chris.
Getting Our Traveller Ready For Competition
October 13, 2023
Classic car technician Jonn has been working on our 1965 Morris Traveller 1000, getting it ready to go live on Bridge Classic Cars Competitions very soon.
Jonn stripped the air intake pipe and fitted a new one in the cabin. He then cut off the old pipe and secured the new one with a jubilee clip at the heater.
A new regulator was wired up and the car was run up to temperature. It was charging at 14.2v which Jonn was happy with. He noticed that the temperature gauge was not working. Upon investigation, he found a blown fuse under the bonnet. This was replaced and tested and everything was working as it should.
The spare wheel was fitted back into the rear of the car and a road test was carried out.
Cleaning Classic Cars
October 11, 2023
Every week, Colin from Viper Auto Cleaning spends the day at the Bridge Classic Cars workshop making sure our vehicles look pristine for our customers and the winners through Bridge Classic Cars Competitions.
This week, Colin shared our 1965 Morris Traveller on his Instagram showing the results of his hard work.
Work Begins On Our Traveller
October 6, 2023
Classic car technicians Jonn and Brian have been working on our 1965 Morris Traveller 1000.
Jonn resecured the offside rear door bracket after it was found to be loose, he then went on to bond the fuel cap surround onto the tank neck. Another job for Jonn was to tidy up and secure the wiring loom that he described as ‘spaghetti junction’. This now looks much better thanks to his handy work. The brake fluid level was checked and found to be okay.
Brian also gave our Morris Traveller some attention with his focus being the interior of the classic vehicle. New kick panels were fitted as were new rear quarter panels before Brian put the rear seat base back into the car.
New door panels, handles, and pull straps were fitted before Brian removed the rear seat so he could cut down the sides allowing the seats to fold back. The parcel shelf was removed and a new one was made before Brian fitted carpet clips to the front carpets.
New Tyres
August 16, 2023
On the 8th of August, Terry Lees won our 1934 Morris Eight Tourer in the Bridge Classic Cars Competitions live draw.
Before being delivered to Terry, the vehicle has been undergoing a pre-delivery inspection. During this inspection, classic car technician Jonn wasn’t completely satisfied with the tyres that were on the car. As a result, new tyres have been put on ready for it to be delivered to the lucky winner and new owner very soon.
Polished – 1969 Morris Minor Convertible Paintwork Polished
August 24, 2022
After the paint and body team at Bridge Classic Cars let the underseal and seam seal cure it was time to flatten back and polish the paintwork on the body.
Our painter Alan, masked off the edges of the panels before using finer and finer grade abrasives combined with special compounds to bring the Snowberry White paint to a mirror-like finish.
Progress – 1969 Morris Minor Convertible Parts Painted, Undersealed and Seam Sealed
August 24, 2022
The paint and body team at Bridge Classic Cars have been making progress on the 1969 Morris Minor Convertible.
To start, the team have finished painting the final bits and pieces of the body. The topside of the bonnet, front panel and side-skirts have all been painted in Snowberry White before being clear coated. Meanwhile, the team have also gone through the shell of the classic Morris convertible to seamseal the joins in panels for added protection.
Once the seamseal had dried and cured, the team could underseal the insides of the wings and arches on the car for added protection against the elements and from any road debris picked up by the tyres.
The Next Step – Sanding Back the 1969 Morris Minor Convertible
August 5, 2022
To get the bodywork ready for paint, the paint and body team at Bridge Classic Cars have been busy sanding back the high-build primer on the bodywork.
This is all in preparation for getting the classic convertible ready to be finished in its original colour of Snowberry White.
Ready to Come Out – Preparing to Remove the Engine from the 1940 Morris C8 Gun Tractor
July 19, 2022
The Bridge Classic Cars team have begun to prepare the 1940 Morris C8 Gun Tractor to remove its engine ahead of its rebuild.
Jon, one of our technicians, has been working through the various systems inside the engine bay to get them removed and stored. The shrowds and covers have also been removed from the car to make extra room when it comes to pulling the engine.
Keep an eye out on the Bridge Classic Cars news page for more updates very soon on the 1940 Morris Gun Tractor.
First Stage – 1969 Morris Minor Convertible in Primer
July 8, 2022
The body team at Bridge Classic Cars have taken the 1969 Morris Minor Convertible from the preparation area to the spray booth to have its first coats of primer as part of its restoration journey with Bridge Classic Cars.
After cleaning off any dust or debris from the car, the team pushed the classic Morris into the booth in order to get the entire car masked off before laying down the first stage – epoxy.
The epoxy primer was then followed by several coats of polyester primer which will be reworked and sanded back by the team to get the Morris Minor Convertible looking the absolute best it can.
Refinements – Bodywork Begins on the 1969 Morris Minor Convertible
July 4, 2022
The in-house body shop at Bridge Classic Cars have begun the process of refining the bodywork on the 1969 Morris Minor Convertible.
After its time in the fabrication shop, it was transferred across our Suffolk HQ to our body preparation technicians. The team first assessed the Minor Convertible to see where they would need to focus their work. The work has begun with minimal filler work to the pannels to create the right shape and curve to the individual pieces which make up the body of the classic Morris.
Keep an eye out on the Bridge Classic Cars news page for more very soon on the restoration of the 1969 Morris Minor Convertible.
Up For Sale – 1969 Morris Minor 1000
June 21, 2022
The 1969 Morris Minor 1000 which arrived at the Bridge Classic Cars workshop recently is now up for sale on eBay and MyClassics!
The classic Moggy has been checked over by our workshop technicians who carried out a full service on the car as well as a full inspection and brake rebuild. The car’s frame was carefully checked over and passed with flying colours, previous repairs were present but were in good shape and the team were happy to release it for sale.
It could be yours! Head over to eBay or MyClassics and get it now!
Check Over – Coltec Inspecting the 1940 Morris Gun Tractor
May 23, 2022
Our friends at Coltec came over to the Bridge Classic Cars workshop at our Suffolk HQ to inspect and assess the engine for the 1940 Morris Gun Tractor.
The engine is reportedly running rough and has a few issues so we invited Coltec to come and cast their expert eyes and ears over the classic military transporter.
They will be coming back again soon to carry out a few more tests and try to get to the bottom of the issues which are affecting the classic Morris.
Dazzling – New Brightwork on the 1968 Austin Morris Minor Van
May 16, 2022
This beautiful 1968 Morris Minor Van has been in the Bridge Classic Cars body shop to have its new brightwork kit fitted to get it looking even better!
The Morris Minor Van’s original chrome had begun to pit and tarnish, so the team sourced a new replacement kit for the front end of the classic Van. Carefully, each of the pieces was removed from the fascia of the Morris in order to remove the front grille from the car.
The front grille pieces were taken to the bench and also cleaned up and certain pieces of panel work straightened to get the car in the best shape possible. Then, each section of brightwork was refitted to the car in a specific order until the front of the classic Morris Minor Van looked near enough brand new.
The finishing touch was the new bright, shiny hubcaps.
Reinstalled – Putting the Hydraulic System Back in the 1963 Morris LD
April 29, 2022
The hydraulic system of the 1963 Morris LD, which arrived back at the Bridge Classic Cars workshop recently, has been put back into the classic van.
Our restoration team have worked on putting the brand new master cylinders and from there, the team could begin getting everything else back into place. Next, the team have installed the new wheel cylinders along with new front shoes. With that, the brake system of the LD was complete with several new pipes also made for the system.
However, the team did discover during the installation that the clutch slave cylinder was in need of a rebuild. So, it has been removed and set off to be refurbished.
In Stock – New Parts for the 1963 Morris LD Arrive at Bridge Classic Cars
April 25, 2022
The replaced or refurbished parts for the hydraulic system on the 1963 Morris LD have arrived at the Bridge Classic Cars restoration workshop in Suffolk.
These pieces will soon be fitted to the classic Morris van as part of the work needed to get the Van back on the road and running. Before this, our technicians found many of the hydraulic components were heavily corroded and some had even split. This is what caused the brakes to bind on and the clutch to be inoperable.
Now with these components with the our workshop, they will be installed and the van can then be tested.
Behind the Scenes – Live Draw of the 1966 Jaguar MkII & 1970 Morris Minor
April 1, 2022
Last night, the 31st March 2022, the Bridge Classic Cars Competitions team welcomed our largest ever studio audience to find out who the lucky winners of the 1966 Jaguar Mk2 and 1970 Morris Minor 100 were.
We had put out an open invitation to attend this live draw, as we have done in the past, and the response was amazing. Lots of classics braved the unpredictable weather to make the journey to the Bridge Classic Cars Suffolk HQ to watch the draw and some to find out if they were going home in the same classic they turned up in!
With everyone in, we could begin the live stream to the Bridge Classic Cars Facebook page where the rest of our guests had virtually joined us.
Hayley and Freddie took everyone on a tour around the competition building where we store mostly our competition but also a few personal projects as well as certain customer restorations. Working their way around, giving all those watching a few clues as to what is coming up next with Bridge Classic Cars Competitions.
Then, it was time for the main event. Finding out who had been assigned the winning numbers. As always, the entry lists to each competition are published at 630pm the day of the draw before the live stream at 7pm sharp. The number is decided at random using a Google Random Number Generator.
To begin, we always do a test run to make sure that the generator is working correctly. Everything was working just as it should, so now it was time to spin the wheel and see who the lucky pair were.
First up was the 1970 Morris Minor 1000. Hayley input the criteria of numbers for the generator to choose between and with a click of a button and a flurry of numbers rushing past on the big screen, the new owner of the Morris Minor had been chosen. 1250 – the ticket allocated to Neil Brinson.
Next was the turn of the 1966 Jaguar MkII. Again, the ticket number was to be selected from one of the tickets published on the entry list. This competition had entirely sold out several hours before the draw, so after resetting the Random Number Generator it was time to find out who had won this classic Jaguar. Hayley input the numbers to be selected from and just like that, we found the Jaguar’s new owner. Ticket 3500 which belonged to Anthony Roberts.
Behind the Scenes – Photoshoot with the 1970 Morris Minor 1000
March 8, 2022
The Morris Minor is a beautiful link to a bygone day of motoring. A simplistic, utilitarian piece of British motoring history, but an icon taken on by driving culture as a source of happiness and easy-going driving joy.
This particular 1970 Morris Minor is possibly one of the nicest Minor 1000s to have ever passed through our workshops. As with all of our competition cars, the Minor has gone through our restoration departments before being cleared for filming and this one passed with flying colours. So, with that, it was taken over to our secure storage facility to have its photoshoot done.
The team at Bridge Classic Cars Competitions pulled the 52-year-old Almond Green Morris out of The Hangar. With a single turn of the key, the 4 cylinder engine cracked into life without the slightest hint of a stutter. Happily, the little 4 cylinder idled outside The Hangar as it warmed up ahead of filming.
Hayley got into the car and straight away began beaming. Her exact words ”This is such a happy little car!” and it certainly is. Everyone who has ever driven a Morris Minor will know that feeling of happily driving around with the world instantly being a better place. The Morris pulled away from The Hangar perfectly, cleanly pulling away in each gear towards our filming location. As we rounded the corner into the filming area, the Bridge Classic Cars Competitions team also couldn’t help but join in with the infectious smile of the dark green Morris.
Going through the process of filming and photoing the car, the Morris was faultless. It happily zoomed off with a rumbling, buzzy exhaust note and when it came time to brake for a corner there wasn’t the slightest hint of any movement in the car. Perfectly balanced.
Lap after lap, the car went perfectly. No matter the speed, no matter the weather, it just kept going happily along. As it bimbled along past the ferns and under the winter sun, it felt like we could have gone back in time. But either way, it was the perfect time with this beautiful Morris Minor.
Now, Bridge Classic Cars Competitions wants you to experience this feeling. This 1970 Morris Minor 1000 could be yours!
A Loss of Pressure – Inspecting and Diagnosing the 1963 Morris LD
March 2, 2022
The workshop technicians at Bridge Classic Cars have been getting to the bottom of the hydraulic issues with the 1963 Morris LD.
Our technician Dave has been inspecting the entire hydraulic system in the 1963 Morris LD Van in with us for a list of jobs. The owner has stated an issue with the brakes binding/getting hot along with the clutch being entirely inoperable.
During the inspection, Dave found a lot of the hydraulic system to be quite heavily corroded. The brakes and the clutch system on the LD share the same hydraulic system but in this car, several pipes from the reservoir and the master cylinder were so corroded they had begun to leak.
On further inspection, the technicians believe the clutch and brakes are ok but have been removed to be inspected and refurbished if needed. Along with that, all of the hardware associated with the front drums brakes (including the shoes) have been removed to be inspected and refurbished if needed.
Morris Ready For Paint
July 6, 2021
Our beautiful blue Morris Minor is in the paint booth ready for paint to finish its visit.
New Morris Minor Arrival
February 17, 2021
Late one evening last week, a Russell’s transporter lorry arrived with two new additions to the Bridge Classic Car family, one of which being this 1949 Morris Minor Lowlight.
This is soon to be a competition car but before we can shoot and release it, it needs some TLC. Stay tuned…
Double Morris Trouble
February 5, 2021
We may be expecting both of these beautiful Morris’s into the workshop sometime in the near future. The photos below are a 1935 Morris 12/4 Coupe 1500cc and 1949 Morris Minor Lowlight. Morris’s are known for their iconic British charm and trustworthy engineering.
Morris Minor’s Final Send-Off
January 22, 2021
This delightful 1963 Morris Minor 1000 came to us back in December 2019 and has undergone and fantastic transformation within the last year. It has had rust correction, bodywork, new paint, new interiors, engine restoration, new wiring and a chassis rejuvenation during its time with us.
Morris Minor convertibles have always been seen as a premium touring car of that generation. Morris Minors, in general, are full of charm and instantly recognisable. From an engineering and mechanics side, they’re also built extremely well and make a reliable classic that is also suitable for everyday use. The Morris Minor was the first car built in the UK to sell more than one million vehicles.
Now that the restoration has been completed, its time for us to wish this Morris farewell as we send it back to its owner tomorrow. We hope this delightful vehicle will be enjoyed for many years to come.
Morris Minor Wheel Alignment
January 21, 2021
Tom has aligned the steering wheel in our Morris Minor, meaning this treasured Morris Minor 1000 will be ready to leave on Saturday. Centralising a steering wheel is done after a car has been test-driven to see where the steering wheel naturally returns to, making sure that the car doesn’t drift off to the side when the wheel sits in a neutral position.
As much as we love sending of our cars, it’s always a little sad to see a long term project leave the workshop.
Minor Adjustments
December 15, 2020
Our 1963 Morris Minor 1000 is also in its last stages of restoration. We’re currently adjusting the suspension and applying some final tweaks to the mechanics.
The Morris has also had a new Engine Stabiliser installed which stops the engine from moving. The old element had deteraireted over time so we replaced it with a brand new component.
More Primer on the Minor
September 7, 2020
Paintwork continues on the 1963 Morris Minor 1000 as the doors and wings get some specialist paintwork treatment from our expert paint shop technician Chris.
“I’ve got the car ready for epoxy and polyfan primer,” describes Chris. “Then the doors and wings in a high build primer to perfect the finish.”
The car’s paintwork will be finished very soon now, we’re looking forward to the next stage of the restoration where the project moves to the trim shop.
