Working On The Calipers Of Our DS420
February 22, 2023
Classic car technician Steve has been working on fitting new brake calipers to our 1986 Daimler DS420. It is quite a tricky job to get
Daimler DS420
Rebuilding And Rust Protection
February 6, 2023
Our 1986 Daimler DS420 continues to be put back together. Classic car technician Steve carried on putting the front end back together before moving on
Ready For Wheels
January 31, 2023
Classic car technician Chris has been undersealing our 1986 Daimler DS420. Since making its way to us from America, our DS420 has undergone a big
Rebuild Progress
January 23, 2023
Classic car technician Scott has continued rebuilding our 1986 Daimler DS420. While rebuilding our American limo, Scott also completed some of the trim and other
1986 Daimler DS420 – Prep And Paint
November 21, 2022
Our 1986 Daimler DS420 has had a new coat of paint! Before its final coat could be applied though, the entire car and its components
Body Shaping Begins
October 26, 2022
Classic car technician Chris recently started the body shaping process on our 1986 Daimler DS420. Quite a bit of restoration work has already been completed
New bottom section fitted
September 16, 2022
Monty and Christian are working together on our Daimler project. We are hoping that the body repairs will be completed within the next week or
Work continues on the metal fabrication
September 14, 2022
The metal fabrication work continues on the body of our Daimler DS420. Old, corroded metal is being cut out and replaced by brand new panels
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
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
Repairs – Inspecting and Repairing the Arch and Sill on the 1986 Daimler DS420
July 28, 2022
The 1986 Daimler DS420 in with Bridge Classic Cars for restoration has been in with our fabrication team to have its arches and sills repaired.
Preparations – Working on the Bonnet and Boot of the 1986 Daimler DS420
July 19, 2022
The paint and body team at Bridge Classic Cars have been working on preparing the bonnet and boot of the 1986 Daimler DS420 for primer.
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
Deep Dive – Stripping Back the 1986 Daimler DS420
June 15, 2022
The paint and body team at Bridge Classic Cars have been stripping the 1986 Daimler DS420 further in preparation for its restoration. Previously the team
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
Working On The Calipers Of Our DS420
February 22, 2023
Classic car technician Steve has been working on fitting new brake calipers to our 1986 Daimler DS420.
It is quite a tricky job to get to the calipers so Steve spent quite a bit of time underneath the impressive limousine.
As progress is being made on our DS420, it shouldn’t be too much longer before it is able to leave the Bridge Classic Cars workshop and be returned to its owner.
Rebuilding And Rust Protection
February 6, 2023
Our 1986 Daimler DS420 continues to be put back together. Classic car technician Steve carried on putting the front end back together before moving on to apply rust protection in the rear arches.
The rear end was also put back together.
Steve made a new bush for the throttle linkage as he found that the old one was missing. This was causing excessive play. The new bush resolved this issue.
As work continues on rebuilding our 1986 Daimler DS420, it is becoming more apparent that the finished vehicle will be a great-looking limo-style classic car.
Ready For Wheels
January 31, 2023
Classic car technician Chris has been undersealing our 1986 Daimler DS420. Since making its way to us from America, our DS420 has undergone a big transformation including being painted blue instead of its original white colour.
As this mammoth vehicle has been put back together, jobs like the undersealing have kept our workshop team busy.
Our 1986 Daimler DS420 will soon have its wheels put on too. These are also looking good and will make the car look even better as it continues to move through its restoration journey.
Rebuild Progress
January 23, 2023
Classic car technician Scott has continued rebuilding our 1986 Daimler DS420.
While rebuilding our American limo, Scott also completed some of the trim and other interior work. Alongside his rebuilding efforts, Scott stripped the brake master ready for it to be rebuilt too.
Scott wasn’t the only technician working on our DS420 lately, as classic car technician Steve also had his focus on this imposing vehicle.
Steve fitted new thread inserts to the window frame after the corroded panel had been replaced. He also fitted new internal parts of the fuel flap locking mechanism as the old ones were missing. The rear bumper fixings were cleaned and sprayed before Steve went on to replace the old rear subframe mounts that had fallen apart.
The off-side front brake pipe needed to be replaced as it was corroded and broke when the front subframe was removed during welding so Steve did this.
The front inner wings had rust protection applied before the front end was reassembled as well.
Putting our 1986 Daimler DS420 back together is a big job and one that only skilled technicians are able to do. Luckily our workshop team have been restoring classic cars for a long time so it won’t be too long before this one is back in one piece again.
1986 Daimler DS420 – Prep And Paint
November 21, 2022
Our 1986 Daimler DS420 has had a new coat of paint!
Before its final coat could be applied though, the entire car and its components needed to have primer applied,
Some of the parts of this classic car had to be removed and prepped separately from the rest of the vehicle. These were painted on both their interior and external surfaces while they were detached from the main body of the car.
The car itself was also prepped for painting. It was masked up before getting its final coat of paint applied.
To make sure our 1986 Daimler DS420 looks its very best, classic car technician Chris polished the newly painted doors. As you can see from the progress photos below, this makes a big difference to the overall final look of the doors.
Now that our DS420 has been painted, it looks very different to how it did when it first arrived at the Bridge Classic Cars workshop all the way from the United States of America. There is still a good amount of restoration work needing to be done but progress is certainly being made and this classic car continues to get better and better.
Body Shaping Begins
October 26, 2022
Classic car technician Chris recently started the body shaping process on our 1986 Daimler DS420.
Quite a bit of restoration work has already been completed on this classic car and things certainly aren’t slowing down as progress continues to be made.
New bottom section fitted
September 16, 2022
Monty and Christian are working together on our Daimler project. We are hoping that the body repairs will be completed within the next week or so. The front arch lips and rear bottom sections have now been shaped and welded into position.
Work continues on the metal fabrication
September 14, 2022
The metal fabrication work continues on the body of our Daimler DS420. Old, corroded metal is being cut out and replaced by brand new panels that have been meticulously produced by our skilled technicians Christian and Monty.
It is vital that no corrosion is left untouched in a restoration project as any areas that have not been addressed, rust will continue to grow and will eventually get hold of the new metalwork.
Monty and Christian are hoping that they are now on the final straight in the time consuming task of the treating the rust areas. Once this part of the project is done the car will be handed over to the paint team for paint preparation.
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.
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.
Repairs – Inspecting and Repairing the Arch and Sill on the 1986 Daimler DS420
July 28, 2022
The 1986 Daimler DS420 in with Bridge Classic Cars for restoration has been in with our fabrication team to have its arches and sills repaired.
The team have begun the process of stripping back and removing any affected metal to a solid starting point to build out from. The first piece was replacing the wheel arch which had corroded before then moving rearward along the bottom of the classic limousine.
A new handmade patch panel, which was shaped to perfectly match the gentle flair at the bottom of the arch was carefully made and fitted onto the car.
As the team began to inspect and assess the sills of the DS420, they noted the corrosion was quite deep in some areas and would require the area to be repaired and built back up in stages to retain the rigidity of the car.
Working from the rear, the team have begun to cut away any affected areas to gain more access to inspect and repair the sills and channels.
Preparations – Working on the Bonnet and Boot of the 1986 Daimler DS420
July 19, 2022
The paint and body team at Bridge Classic Cars have been working on preparing the bonnet and boot of the 1986 Daimler DS420 for primer.
Both were removed from the car, which is in our fabrication department, to be moved to the body area for the team to finesse. The panels were carefully inspected before their hardware was stripped back and catalogued and the sanding could begin.
A guide coat was applied before sanding to highlight any low spots which could be addressed before the first stay of epoxy primer which will be done shortly.
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.
Deep Dive – Stripping Back the 1986 Daimler DS420
June 15, 2022
The paint and body team at Bridge Classic Cars have been stripping the 1986 Daimler DS420 further in preparation for its restoration. Previously the team had noticed a few areas of corrosion which required further exploration to ensure the whole car could be completely assessed.
Once the team had begun to dive deeper into the classic Daimler limo, a lot of the history of the car had become evident. The team had found years of repairs/quick fixes across the body of the car, especially lower down in the car mainly the sills and quarter panels. Both of these had excessive amounts of body filler in them which the team had to sand through in order to inspect the bare metal that lay behind it.
However, upon inspecting the higher parts of the car it is in relatively good shape with only a few small areas requiring the attention of the fabrication team.
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.
