Building The Dash And Stripping The Brakes
September 28, 2022
Classic Car Technician Scott has been busy building up the dash in our 1969 Morris Minor 1000 Convertible. Once he had finished this, he moved
classic morris minor restoration
Fresh Coat – Painting the Wheels of the 1969 Morris Minor Convertible
September 6, 2022
The wheels for the 1969 Morris Minor Convertible are the most recent components to be taken into the Bridge Classic Cars paint booth. The team
Going Back Together – Reassembly Continues on the 1969 Morris Minor Convertible
September 5, 2022
The workshop at Bridge Classic Cars Suffolk HQ have been busy getting the 1969 Morris Minor Convertible back together following its fresh repaint. The team
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
Parts & Pieces – Painting the Panels and Doors of the 1969 Morris Minor Convertible
August 12, 2022
The doors and panels of the 1969 Morris Minor Convertible have been moved and set up inside the Bridge Classic Cars in-house paint booth to
Coming Along – Body of the 1969 Morris Minor Convertible in Colour!
August 12, 2022
Recently, the Bridge Classic Cars paintshop has been getting various panels and parts for the 1969 Morris Minor Convertible finished in its original colour of
In Colour – Inside of the Bonnet for the 1969 Morris Minor Convertible Painted
August 10, 2022
The paint shop at Bridge Classic Cars have been working on getting the underside of the bonnet for the 1969 Morris Minor Convertible into colour
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
In Colour – Engine Bay of the 1969 Morris Minor Convertible Finished in Snowberry White
August 3, 2022
The 1969 Morris Minor Convertible has had its engine bay finished in the correct Snowberry White as part of its restoration by Bridge Classic Cars.
Built-Up – 1969 Morris Minor Convertible in High Build Primer
August 3, 2022
The 1969 Morris Minor Convertible has been in the Bridge Classic Cars paint booth to have its next stage of primer laid down. After many
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
Final Pieces – Final Metal Repairs on the 1969 Morris Minor Convertible
June 24, 2022
The fabrication shop at Bridge Classic Cars have been finishing off the final metal repairs to the 1969 Morris Minor Convertible before it is handed
In Place – Finishing the Metal Repairs to the Rear Quarter Panel of the 1969 Morris Minor Convertible
June 15, 2022
The Bridge Classic Cars fabrication shop have been working towards completing all the crucial metal repairs to the 1969 Morris Minor Convertible in for restoration.
Inner Depth – Repairs to the Inner Sill and Frame of the 1969 Morris Minor Convertible
June 10, 2022
The Bridge Classic Cars fabrication shop have worked on repairing the inner sill and frame of the 1969 Morris Minor Convertible in with us at
Taken Apart – Stripping Back the Hood Frame of the 1969 Morris Minor Convertible
May 20, 2022
The interior trim team at Bridge Classic Cars have carefully stripped back the convertible hood frame for the 1969 Morris Minor Convertible. This piece has
Finer Points – Repairs Continue on the Rear Arch and Valance Panel on the 1969 Morris Minor Convertible
May 17, 2022
The Bridge Classic Cars fabrication team have been continuing with the metal repairs to the rear arch and valance panel of the 1969 Morris Minor
Refreshed – Repairs on the Passenger Arch and Pillar of the 1969 Morris Minor Convertible
April 27, 2022
The fabrication shop at Bridge Classic Cars have been working on the metal repairs to the passenger side of the 1969 Morris Minor Convertible. Previously,
Stronger than Ever – Finishing the Drivers Side Sill and Inner Arch Repairs on the 1969 Morris Minor Convertible
April 21, 2022
The fabrication team at Bridge Classic Cars have finished up the crucial repairs to the inner arch and door sill of the 1969 Morris Minor
To The Core – Repairing the Arch and Sills of the 1969 Morris Minor Convertible
April 19, 2022
The fabrication team at Bridge Classic Cars have been continuing their work on getting the 1969 Morris Minor Convertible back into the best shape possible.
Support – Repairing the Inner Wings of the 1969 Morris Minor Convertible
April 14, 2022
The fabrication team at Bridge Classic Cars have been busy repairing the inner wing structure of the 1969 Morris Minor Convertible. Our fabricator Monty has
Key Pieces – Repairs on the 1969 Morris Minor Convertible
April 13, 2022
The 1969 Morris Minor Convertible has been in the Bridge Classic Cars fabrication shop to have the necessary repairs carried out to the body and
Like New – Painting the Engine of the 1969 Morris Minor 1000 Convertible
April 7, 2022
The Bridge Classic Cars in-house paintshop have been working on preparing and refinishing the engine and parts from the 1969 Morris Minor 1000 Convertible. The
Update – Bracing the 1969 Morris Minor 1000 Convertible
April 1, 2022
The bodyshell of the 1969 Morris Minor Convertible has been braced by the Bridge Classic Cars fabrication team in preparation of the repairs to begin.
Preparations – Removing the Interior and Convertible Hood of the 1969 Morris Minor 1000
March 24, 2022
The 1969 Morris Minor 1000 Convertible, which is in the Bridge Classic Cars restoration workshop at our Suffolk HQ, has had its interior and convertible
Building The Dash And Stripping The Brakes
September 28, 2022
Classic Car Technician Scott has been busy building up the dash in our 1969 Morris Minor 1000 Convertible. Once he had finished this, he moved on to stripping the brakes so he could check they were in full working order.
After cleaning, greasing, readjusting, and reassembling the brakes, he was happy with them all apart from the off-side front brakes. It was here that Scott found one of the cylinders was seized and another was leaking. A new set of cylinders has been ordered to rectify the issue.
While removing the brake line, the flexi hose was found to be corroded to the point where it broke away from the body of the car as the brake line was removed. Scott repaired the inner wing section and rewelded the bracket in place.
He also began making new front brake lines while the front braking system was apart.
Fresh Coat – Painting the Wheels of the 1969 Morris Minor Convertible
September 6, 2022
The wheels for the 1969 Morris Minor Convertible are the most recent components to be taken into the Bridge Classic Cars paint booth.
The team have been carefully preparing, cleaning and priming the wheels before they were taken into our in-house booth/oven to be shot in colour-matched Snowberry white to match the rest of the car.
These will be left to completely cure and harden before they are mounted with tyres and fitted to the car which is going through reassembly in the main restoration workshop.
Going Back Together – Reassembly Continues on the 1969 Morris Minor Convertible
September 5, 2022
The workshop at Bridge Classic Cars Suffolk HQ have been busy getting the 1969 Morris Minor Convertible back together following its fresh repaint.
The team have been getting the body trims in place, perfectly aligning them to each other before moving on to some of the mechanical work.
The team have got the parts out of storage for the car which were taken off during disassembly to inspect further. They have found the edges of the fuel tank have corroded slightly.
The big job was to get the freshly painted engine back into the engine bay but first the team had to get the gearbox mated up to the block. Before this, our technician Scott carefully cleaned up the gearbox casing and bell housing before fitting a new bearing and clutch for the car. Once back together, the team carefully installed the engine and gearbox into the frame of the classic Morris.
Finally, the team could start on rewiring the car now that all of the major pieces were back in place.
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.
Parts & Pieces – Painting the Panels and Doors of the 1969 Morris Minor Convertible
August 12, 2022
The doors and panels of the 1969 Morris Minor Convertible have been moved and set up inside the Bridge Classic Cars in-house paint booth to be finished in matching Snowberry White to the rest of the body.
Each of the pieces were carefully cleaned, set up and then cleaned again. This is crucial to achieving the best possible finish for the car. The specific shade of Snowberry White has been mixed to purposefully be uniform across the entire car as part of its restoration.
Coming Along – Body of the 1969 Morris Minor Convertible in Colour!
August 12, 2022
Recently, the Bridge Classic Cars paintshop has been getting various panels and parts for the 1969 Morris Minor Convertible finished in its original colour of Snowberry White.
Now, it was time for the team to bring the bodyshell into our paint booth and bring it all together, with the bodyshell finished in the classic off-white colour.
After thoroughly cleaning down the bodyshell and bootlid, our partner Alan could begin laying down the layers of colour. These are built up carefully to produce the best finish possible for the car and also to have enough paint to sand back in preparation for the polishing.
In Colour – Inside of the Bonnet for the 1969 Morris Minor Convertible Painted
August 10, 2022
The paint shop at Bridge Classic Cars have been working on getting the underside of the bonnet for the 1969 Morris Minor Convertible into colour as part of its restoration.
The paint and body team have methodically cleaned down and prepared the bonnet for this step of the paint which first involves a layer of epoxy primer before laying down the Snowberry White paint onto the panel.
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.
In Colour – Engine Bay of the 1969 Morris Minor Convertible Finished in Snowberry White
August 3, 2022
The 1969 Morris Minor Convertible has had its engine bay finished in the correct Snowberry White as part of its restoration by Bridge Classic Cars.
After having its high build primer laid down and left to cure, the team masked off the engine bay of the classic Morris to lay down several coats of Snowberry White onto the car. This will be left to cure and harden before moving onto the rest of the bodywork.
Built-Up – 1969 Morris Minor Convertible in High Build Primer
August 3, 2022
The 1969 Morris Minor Convertible has been in the Bridge Classic Cars paint booth to have its next stage of primer laid down.
After many hours of prep, the classic Morris Convertible has had several layers of high build primer to help build up the surface before it is eventually finished in colour and clear. This stage of primer will also be gently and carefully rubbed back to ensure a perfect surface for the next phase of work.
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.
Final Pieces – Final Metal Repairs on the 1969 Morris Minor Convertible
June 24, 2022
The fabrication shop at Bridge Classic Cars have been finishing off the final metal repairs to the 1969 Morris Minor Convertible before it is handed over to our paint and body team.
The team have finished up the repairs needed to the driver’s side rear quarter panel frame and sill before welding in the new patch panel into the body of the classic Morris. Once completed, the team could move on to getting the doors of the car repaired.
The door of the car required several new pieces to be welded in to remove any corrosion. The bottoms of the doors required a new piece from front to rear which was welded in to seal up the door ready for the body team to work on.
Next, the front valance and wings were then worked on with some small repairs done to fix a few areas in the valance and the replacement wings were trimmed and refined in order to get the best fit possible for the restoration of the classic Morris Minor Convertible.
Now, the car will be transferred from the fabrication shop over to our in-house paint and body department to be worked on.
In Place – Finishing the Metal Repairs to the Rear Quarter Panel of the 1969 Morris Minor Convertible
June 15, 2022
The Bridge Classic Cars fabrication shop have been working towards completing all the crucial metal repairs to the 1969 Morris Minor Convertible in for restoration.
The team have worked on securing and repairing the substructures beneath the rear quarter panels which were heavily corroded and needed to be carefully cut out and replaced with new pieces and then methodically welded into place to add the much-needed structure beneath the classic Morris.
With the substructures repaired and covered in rust-proofing treatment, the team could begin work on fitting the closing panel which will be blended into the existing body work by our paint and body team later in the car’s restoration journey.
Inner Depth – Repairs to the Inner Sill and Frame of the 1969 Morris Minor Convertible
June 10, 2022
The Bridge Classic Cars fabrication shop have worked on repairing the inner sill and frame of the 1969 Morris Minor Convertible in with us at our Suffolk HQ.
The team have worked on removing the corrosion from the key structural areas of the classic Morris Minor with this stage focusing on the drives side rear inner sills and sections of the frame. The work began with carefully removing the affected areas and inspecting just how far the corrosion went into the underside of the Morris Minor.
Piece by piece, the areas were removed and carefully repaired with new replacement or handmade panels to make sure the underside of the convertible was structurally sound and safe.
Taken Apart – Stripping Back the Hood Frame of the 1969 Morris Minor Convertible
May 20, 2022
The interior trim team at Bridge Classic Cars have carefully stripped back the convertible hood frame for the 1969 Morris Minor Convertible.
This piece has been carefully taken apart for the interior team to inspect and assess the hood and trim itself but also for the frame to be sent away for media-blasting.
The team unpicked each seam and fold to remove the hood as intact as possible and also so they could gain access to the wooden spars. Most importantly, the front wood beam which the team noticed was damaged. Once they have had a chance to inspect and assess just just damaged it is, they can begin to work on getting the hood pieces ready for the frame to come back.
Finer Points – Repairs Continue on the Rear Arch and Valance Panel on the 1969 Morris Minor Convertible
May 17, 2022
The Bridge Classic Cars fabrication team have been continuing with the metal repairs to the rear arch and valance panel of the 1969 Morris Minor Convertible.
The fabrication team have been working on thoroughly removing the corrosion from around the body shell of the classic Morris. This meant removing panels and closures to be able to inspect, assess and evaluate the condition of the metal structures underneath.
The first stage was to remove the corroded piece at the top of the rear arch. This was meticulously cut out of the car so the team could hand-fabricate a replacement piece that would perfectly fit the car and try to retain as much of the original car as possible.
Once this was in place, the team turned their attention to the rear valance panel. A corner of the piece had become corroded and needed replacement. This piece, like the arch was hand-fabricated to ensure the best fitment and to preserve the originality of the car.
Refreshed – Repairs on the Passenger Arch and Pillar of the 1969 Morris Minor Convertible
April 27, 2022
The fabrication shop at Bridge Classic Cars have been working on the metal repairs to the passenger side of the 1969 Morris Minor Convertible.
Previously, the team found some areas of very heavy corrosion on the passenger side of the car and began the process of removing them. Those have now been replaced with new metal where absolutely necessary and then our fabricators could start to put the structure back together, with the factory strengthening plates put back in order to give this part of the car the rigidity needed.
Along with that, the team have had to make up a new captive nut for part of the body. This piece had to be hand-formed to perfectly fit and then be blended back into the car.
With that side of the car now back together and welded, the team could prime the metal to give it an extra helping hand against future corrosion in this particular area.
Stronger than Ever – Finishing the Drivers Side Sill and Inner Arch Repairs on the 1969 Morris Minor Convertible
April 21, 2022
The fabrication team at Bridge Classic Cars have finished up the crucial repairs to the inner arch and door sill of the 1969 Morris Minor Convertible.
These two pieces which make up the driver’s A-Pillar is used for not only the structure and mounting of the wings but also dictate the opening in the body for the doors. So, these need to be not only structurally sound and strong but very precise so our body shop technicians can get the panels aligned perfectly when the car is transferred into their department.
The fabrication team have carefully and precisely put the pieces back onto the classic Morris Minor in a particular order to build on the rigidity and strength needed in this particular area.
Now, it’s time to move onto the passenger side.
To The Core – Repairing the Arch and Sills of the 1969 Morris Minor Convertible
April 19, 2022
The fabrication team at Bridge Classic Cars have been continuing their work on getting the 1969 Morris Minor Convertible back into the best shape possible.
Our fabricators have begun working on removing the heavily corroded pieces from the inner wheel arch that have caused corrosion to flow into the sill. For this, our team carefully and sympathetically removed the root causes of the corrosion to ensure it cannot spread. After that, the team began the world of remaking the crucial part of the sill which ties the pieces together.
Support – Repairing the Inner Wings of the 1969 Morris Minor Convertible
April 14, 2022
The fabrication team at Bridge Classic Cars have been busy repairing the inner wing structure of the 1969 Morris Minor Convertible.
Our fabricator Monty has been sympathetically repairing the classic Morris and paying close attention to structural areas of the car but also play a key role in the aesthetics. This point of the inner wing also ties into the core support and the mounts for the front wings which will allow the panels to be refit by our body shop team with perfect alignment. Previously, the panel which was in place allowed for a significant amount of flex and movement which unless rectified can cause issues for the body team when it comes to fitting the car back together.
Key Pieces – Repairs on the 1969 Morris Minor Convertible
April 13, 2022
The 1969 Morris Minor Convertible has been in the Bridge Classic Cars fabrication shop to have the necessary repairs carried out to the body and parts of the structure beneath the car.
The fabrication shop has been meticulous but also sympathetic to the process in order to make the car not only aesthetical right but structurally sound and secure for our body teams to work from to refine and perfect the beautiful shape of a classic Morris Minor.
Multiple areas of corrosion in key locations were discovered and repaired using the best methods possible and only sympathetically focusing on those specific areas which had been affected.
Like New – Painting the Engine of the 1969 Morris Minor 1000 Convertible
April 7, 2022
The Bridge Classic Cars in-house paintshop have been working on preparing and refinishing the engine and parts from the 1969 Morris Minor 1000 Convertible.
The restoration and paint teams have been working on carefully preparing each piece individually for Alan to refinish in the colour-matched Morris green for the engine block and head, while the accessories have been refinished in a tough, durable black.
Update – Bracing the 1969 Morris Minor 1000 Convertible
April 1, 2022
The bodyshell of the 1969 Morris Minor Convertible has been braced by the Bridge Classic Cars fabrication team in preparation of the repairs to begin.
The team have braced and strengthened the bodyshell to ensure that not of the panels move out of alignment when they’re removed and to allow our fabricators to measure them up correctly and accurately to get the best possible fit and finish.
Preparations – Removing the Interior and Convertible Hood of the 1969 Morris Minor 1000
March 24, 2022
The 1969 Morris Minor 1000 Convertible, which is in the Bridge Classic Cars restoration workshop at our Suffolk HQ, has had its interior and convertible roof removed ahead of its move into the fabrication shop.
Brian worked methodically through the classic Morris Minor to make sure that all of the interior panels and piece were removed as safely as possible to avoid any unnecessary damage before their inspection by the Bridge Classic Cars trim team.
With the interior removed, Brian could then remove the convertible hood mechanism and covering.
