morris minor convertible

Saying Goodbye To Our 1969 Morris Minor 1000 Convertible

The time has come when we have to say goodbye to our 1969 Morris Minor 1000 Convertible.

We have loved seeing this beautiful classic car progress through its restoration journey and we are extremely happy that it is now back with its owner being fully enjoyed as it should.

Our 1969 Morris Minor 1000 Convertible looks very different to how it did when it first arrived at the workshop and we are proud of what our team of classic car technicians achieved with this impressive restoration.

Everyone here at Bridge Classic Cars hopes the owner enjoys their restored classic and that they enjoy seeing it every day as much as we did.

New Clutch Pedal – 1969 Morris Minor 1000 Convertible

When it comes to classic cars, like our 1969 Morris Minor 1000 Convertible, there are a wide range of components that have to fit perfectly together to form the beautiful classic vehicles you see leaving the Bridge Classic Cars workshop. While some of these components will be as unique as the vehicles themselves, there are some parts that will be very familiar to modern car owners too.

One such example of this is the latest work classic car technician Scott has been completing on our 1969 Morris Minor 1000 Convertible. Scott has recently installed a new clutch pedal and bushes to this very popular classic car.

As you can see from the photos below, Scott spent some time tucked into the front of this beautiful classic car while he was completing the task and he has now bought it one step closer to leaving us to go back to its owner.

Seat Upgrades And More – 1969 Morris Minor 1000 Convertible

Our 1969 Morris Minor 1000 Convertible continues to progress through its restoration work.

After a large portion of the external work was complete, Brian and Lydia began their work on the interior of the car. A new carpet was put in, a new roof was made and fitted, and we put a new pinstripe on this beautiful classic car too.

Progress Continues…

Recently, Brian has been doing more work on our 1969 Morris Minor 1000 Convertible. This time, his attention has been on the seats. In particular, he has been fitting stronger webbing straps to the front seat frames.

While this may not be something that changes the look of the seats, it will go a long way in making the seats as comfortable and as long-lasting as possible. The seats will now go on to be installed back into the car ready for the rest of the interior work to be completed very soon.

In addition to Brian’s work on the front seats of our 1969 Morris Minor 1000 Convertible, classic car technician Paul fitted a new electric fan. Paul also fitted 2 universal joints to the propshaft.

This classic Morris Minor is proving to be a very popular car. Anytime we share photos of it on social media or we have visitors to the workshop, this is one of the cars that seems to catch people’s attention.

Our 1969 Morris Minor 1000 Convertible is a beautiful classic car that continues to make good progress through its restoration journey. As great as it looks in our workshop, and as much as we enjoy seeing it every day, we are certainly looking forward to seeing it back out on the road so everyone has the opportunity to enjoy looking at it as much as we do.

Restoration work will continue so our Morris Minor Convertible will soon be even closer to leaving us and returning to its owner.

Interior Work Continues

Classic car technician Brian has been giving the interior of our 1969 Morris Minor 1000 Convertible quite a bit of attention lately.

He started by making a new parcel tray and covering it in vinyl to fit in with the rest of the car. He then made a wood insert which would fit the damaged area of the rear wood rail. This insert was fitted into the damaged area and sanded smooth.

Brian went on to staple the cover to the wood rail which, again, perfectly matches the rest of the interior.

Once this was complete, he could then install the new parcel tray before moving on to fitting the rear quarter panels and front kick panels.

Going Back Together – Reassembly Continues on the 1969 Morris Minor Convertible

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.

Bit by Bit – Reassembly on the 1969 Morris Minor Convertible

The 1969 Morris Minor Convertible, which has recently finished up in the Bridge Classic Cars paintshop, has been moved into the restoration workshop at our Suffolk HQ to begin reassembly.

Our technician Scott has been put in charge of beginning the reassembly of the classic Morris Minor. He begun by getting some of the rear trims in place such as the rear lights with the rubber seals before moving on to getting the glovebox in place for later.

Scott also got the doors built up on the car with the new handles and mechanisms along with the window regulators to then build up the frames and put the glass securely in place. After that, it was time to move to the interior where the wiring would begin.

The speedometer has been wired up after a few key wiring repairs were done, then he could begin to trace the wiring through the firewall and up to the various key systems in the engine bay.

Panel Work – Panels of the 1969 Morris Minor Convertible in High Build Primer

The 1969 Morris Minor Convertible has been in the Bridge Classic Cars in-house paint booth to have the last few of its panels finished in high-build primer.

Before laying down the primer, the team have carefully cleaned down each piece of the classic convertible before being put onto the painting jigs and masked up and cleaned down once more to remove any contaminants.

Then, several layers of the high-build primer were laid down and left to cure in the booth.

In Place – Finishing the Metal Repairs to the Rear Quarter Panel of the 1969 Morris Minor Convertible

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.

Taken Apart – Stripping Back the Hood Frame of the 1969 Morris Minor Convertible

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.

Refreshed – Repairs on the Passenger Arch and Pillar of the 1969 Morris Minor Convertible

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.

Key Pieces – Repairs on the 1969 Morris Minor Convertible

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.

Taking Stock – New Parts and Trims Arrive for the 1969 Morris Minor Convertible

The new rubbers, parts and trims for the 1969 Morris Minor Convertible in with Bridge Classic Cars for restoration have arrived at our Suffolk HQ.

As part of the restoration, all of the perished and tarnished pieces will be replaced with the highest quality replacements that our team can source which we do with all of our restoration projects. The classic Morris Minor will be fitted with new rubber seals throughout and a series of new hoses to replace the stiff and brittle pieces that come of the car during teardown.

Along with the rubbers, the team have ordered several new pieces of brightwork to compliment the Minor once it is finished and looking just as it should do. This includes new bumpers, new over-riders, headlight surrounds and a series of new badges and handles.

The team also ordered brand new wings for the Morris Minor project to replace the originals which were removed and assessed by the fabrication and restoration teams.

Preparations – Removing the Interior and Convertible Hood of the 1969 Morris Minor 1000

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.

This Just In – 1969 Morris Minor 1000 Convertible

This beautiful 1969 Morris Minor 1000 Convertible has recently arrived at the Bridge Classic Cars restoration workshop at our Suffolk HQ to be assessed by the teams.

The restoration teams will each inspect and assess the car directly related to their areas of speciality. Once this is done, the technicians will report back with their findings on the car.

Keep an eye out on the Bridge Classic Cars news page for more updates on the 1969 Morris Minor 1000 Convertible very soon.

Folded In – Repairing the Hood Frame on a 1962 Morris Minor Convertible

Sometimes a certain amount of delicacy must be taken to the approach of a job. Take for instance the framework for the convertible hood on a 1962 Morris Minor that we currently have at Bridge Classic Cars.

Over the years, this frame must have been shut thousands of times. That put stress into the metal as it is worked backwards and forwards. Unfortunately, a gust of wind happened to catch it at just the wrong moment for our customer. This caused the frame to bend and slightly tear in some crucial places near the hinges.

Not a problem for our in-house restoration technicians. A careful and methodical approach to the assessment had to be taken. Our technician Dave, discovered that it could be repaired sympathetically. To achieve this, he needed to remove some of the rivets which allow the whole mechanism to retract in and out of its cubbyhole.

With those pieces carefully removed piece by piece. Dave could begin to reconstruct the original stays rather than replace the entire hood assembly.

With some small cuts and a few areas sectioned, this Morris Minor Convertible and its owner will be back enjoying the open road.

Morris Minor Delivered Safe And Sound

Saturday dawned as a beautiful (and nippy) sunny day, and what better weather for a long-awaited delivery! Mauro drove the lorry over to drop off our charming 1963 Morris Minor 1000 which was received by its delighted owners.

We offer car transportation, logistics and delivery, so if you’re in need of a helping hand to pick up, drop off or transport your car, you can get in touch on 01473 742038 or email us on info@bridgeclassiccars.co.uk

Morris Minor’s Final Send-Off

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.