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morris minor restoration

Interior Work Continues

October 17, 2022

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

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Saying Goodbye To Our 1969 Morris Minor 1000 Convertible

December 14, 2022

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.

Interior Work Continues

October 17, 2022

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.

Hood Frame And Cover – 1969 Morris Minor 1000 Convertible

September 26, 2022

Our 1969 Morris Minor 1000 Convertible has been getting some attention in the workshop lately.

Brian has been making the hood frame and cover for this incredibly cool looking classic car.

From the photos below, you can see how he began by screwing the wooden front rail, which would make the hood frame, together before fitting the rail to the frame of the roof.

He then made a new cover for the rail from vinyl which was glued, wrapped, and stapled securely in place.

Building up our Morris Minor

September 16, 2022

Scott has now freshened up the carbs and refitted them. He has successfully run up the car and fitted in new spark plugs.

He has continued to work on building up the bonnet and now fitted it to the car. The doors are also now built up and all of the electrics have now been completed.

Engine and front end fit on Morris Minor

September 14, 2022

Scott is making great progress with our 1969 Morris Minor rebuild. Various components are now back on the engine and the fit up of the front end continues.

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.

Bit by Bit – Reassembly on the 1969 Morris Minor Convertible

September 1, 2022

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.

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.

Parts & Pieces – Painting the Panels and Doors of the 1969 Morris Minor Convertible

August 12, 2022
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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.

Topped Off – Repainting the Hood Frame on the 1969 Morris Minor Convertible

August 9, 2022

The paint and body team at Bridge Classic Cars have been working on refurbishing and refinishing the convertible hood frame on the 1969 Morris Minor Convertible in for restoration.

The part was stripped back, cleaned and inspected before being primered and then finished in matching snowberry white to the rest of the car.

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.

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.

Preparations – 1969 Morris Minor Convertible in the Body Shop

June 28, 2022

The 1969 Morris Minor Convertible has moved over from the fabrication bay into the body shop here at the Bridge Classic Cars HQ in Suffolk.

After extensive and crucial metal work had been done, the car now will be worked on by our paint and body technicians to perfect its shape and lines before the paint team take the car into our on-site booth/oven and begin its process into colour as part of its restoration journey.

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

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.

Perfect Fit – Retrimming the Rear Seat of the 1969 Morris Minor Convertible

May 24, 2022

The Bridge Classic Cars interior trim team have worked on refurbishing the rear seat of the 1969 Morris Minor Convertible.

The team stripped the original seat base all the way back to its metal springs in order to rebuild it from the ground up. The team have made brand new foam sections which were glued to the underlays and wrapped around the spring bases.

Then, it was ready to be refinished in glorious bright red.

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.

Out Back – Trimming the Rear Floor Boards and Fixing the Dash Shelf of the 1968 Morris Minor Van

May 18, 2022

The Bridge Classic Cars trim team have been working on the interior of the 1968 Morris Minor Van at our Suffolk HQ.

The team began by removing the shelf underneath the dashboard of the classic Morris in order to carry out some much needed repairs and revisions. The team retrimmed and reformed certain areas of the shelf to make it as good as new for the beautiful classic van and then revised the brackets and fixings so it held into place perfectly.

After that, the team turned their attention to the back of the car. The rear compartment has hardwood boards which make up the floors in the van. These were removed by the team and taken up to our in-house trim shop to be refinished in matching black coverings.

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.

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.

One-Piece – Repairing the Rear Quarter Panel and Rear Arch on the 1969 Morris Minor Convertible

May 6, 2022

The fabrication team in the Bridge Classic Cars restoration workshop have been working their way through the body repairs on the 1969 Morris Minor Convertible.

This time, the fabricators have turned their attention to the passenger side rear of the classic Morris. The rear quarter panel was showing some heavy signs of corrosion which ran deep into not just the body but several parts of the substructure which needed to be repaired. Along with that, was a corroded inner arch on the care that had to be addressed in order to keep the rigidity of the wing and tying into the rails that sit beneath.

So, after the corroded areas had been cut out of the car, the team could begin to fabricate and weld in the replacement pieces to add back the strength to the necessary areas 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.

Bridge Classic Cars are award winning Classic Car Restoration and Maintenance specialists. Your pride and joy is in safe hands with our expert Classic Car Technicians. Take a look at our awards here.

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