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
Daimler DS420 restoration
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
Underneath – Repairing the Rear Valance on the 1986 Daimler DS420
August 9, 2022
The fabrication shop at the Bridge Classic Cars restoration workshop have been continuing to work on the 1986 Daimler DS420 in for restoration. This time,
Going Deeper – Assessing the Rear Wings and Sills of the 1986 Daimler DS420
July 28, 2022
The fabrication shop at the Bridge Classic Cars Suffolk restoration HQ have begun to look deeper into the corrosion on the bottom of the 1986
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.
Readied – Priming the Doors of the 1986 Daimler DS420
July 14, 2022
After their metal repairs were completed by the fabrication shop, the doors for the 1986 Daimler DS420 have been taken into the Bridge Classic Cars
Inch by Inch – Repairing the Doors on the 1986 Daimler DS420
July 14, 2022
As part of the restoration of the 1986 Daimler DS420, the team have been carrying out various metal repairs to the doors of the classic
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
Stripped Back – Beginning the Strip Down of the 1986 Daimler DS420
June 10, 2022
The paint and body team at Bridge Classic Cars have begun the process of stripping down the body of the 1986 Daimler DS420 ahead of
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
Taken Apart – Stripping Back the 1986 Daimler DS420
May 26, 2022
With the workshop team focusing their attention on the teardown of the 1986 Daimler DS420, the team have begun the process of stripping down the
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
Inspection – Assessing the 1986 Daimler DS420
May 24, 2022
The 1986 Daimler DS420, which arrived recently at the Bridge Classic Cars workshop from America, has been up on the ramp for our teams to
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.
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.
Underneath – Repairing the Rear Valance on the 1986 Daimler DS420
August 9, 2022
The fabrication shop at the Bridge Classic Cars restoration workshop have been continuing to work on the 1986 Daimler DS420 in for restoration.
This time, the team have been handmaking several patch panels to the inner structure of the rear wings which were then plug welded into the body for strength. Then, they could move on to hand making one of the bigger patch panels needed.
This piece runs along the entire bottom edge at the back of the car. From a flat sheet of steel, the team have shaped and tweaked the panel into shape for a direct replacement. Shrinking and stretching the bottom edges to match the curve of the panel. Once in shape, the team could weld and smooth in the end caps which have been completely made by hand by our fabricator Monty.
Then, the whole piece could be test fit to see if any areas needed clearancing the bodywork to accept the new piece.
Going Deeper – Assessing the Rear Wings and Sills of the 1986 Daimler DS420
July 28, 2022
The fabrication shop at the Bridge Classic Cars Suffolk restoration HQ have begun to look deeper into the corrosion on the bottom of the 1986 Daimler DS420.
The fabrication team began by cutting a section of the bottom of the Offside Rear Wing which had corroded on the bottom before removing the outer skin of the wing around the entire arch all the way down to the sill.
At the sill, they have trimmed back the outer sill to expose the inner structure to check for any corrosion or damage to that area.
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.
Readied – Priming the Doors of the 1986 Daimler DS420
July 14, 2022
After their metal repairs were completed by the fabrication shop, the doors for the 1986 Daimler DS420 have been taken into the Bridge Classic Cars paint shop to be primered.
The doors were first thoroughly cleaned down before the team set them onto the door jigs to be sprayed. The first stage is to get the panels into Epoxy Primer to stop any rust from forming on the bare metal doors. These will then go on to be reworked by the team until perfect and keep going through various sanding and priming stages until they’re ready for paint and then reunited with the body.
Inch by Inch – Repairing the Doors on the 1986 Daimler DS420
July 14, 2022
As part of the restoration of the 1986 Daimler DS420, the team have been carrying out various metal repairs to the doors of the classic limo.
Our fabrication shop has made multiple patch pieces for the car which all have to be perfect fits to work around the complex compound curves which make up door jams and recesses, while also having the correct orientation to fit into the door openings on the body once closed.
The fabrication team have also replaced the bottom corner of the door due to quite heavy corrosion.
With all of the metal repairs done on the doors, it was time to get them moved over to our paint and body shop for the team to continue the restorative work.
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.
Stripped Back – Beginning the Strip Down of the 1986 Daimler DS420
June 10, 2022
The paint and body team at Bridge Classic Cars have begun the process of stripping down the body of the 1986 Daimler DS420 ahead of its restoration.
It was noted during the trim and component removal that there were some areas of corrosion on the body of the classic Daimler so the team have begun to look into just how far these extend and the repairs needed.
There is also evidence of previous damage repair to the near side rear door which will need to be addressed by the team as part of the car’s journey with ourselves.
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.
Taken Apart – Stripping Back the 1986 Daimler DS420
May 26, 2022
With the workshop team focusing their attention on the teardown of the 1986 Daimler DS420, the team have begun the process of stripping down the internals of the doors and the wiring in the classic Daimler.
The team began by removing the lights and trims of the car so as to disconnect the wiring to these particular pieces for the purpose of removing the wiring harness from the car. Once these pieces were clear, the team could turn their attention to removing the door jam mechanisms and bonnet/boot latches.
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.
Inspection – Assessing the 1986 Daimler DS420
May 24, 2022
The 1986 Daimler DS420, which arrived recently at the Bridge Classic Cars workshop from America, has been up on the ramp for our teams to begin inspecting and assessing the classic limousine.
As part of its inspection, the team will build up a report on the overall condition of the vehicle along with any areas which need further assessment and a plan for repair or refurbishment. This time, the team were focusing on the underside of the classic Daimler to make sure it was structurally sound and safe before any further work is carried out.
The team turned their attention to suspension pickups and mounts, sections of frame, substructure mounts as well as the all-important body shell sills.
