Steering rack bracket
December 7, 2023
Monty has made up a new steering rack bracket to replace the existing one on our 1956 Jensen 541.
1956 Jensen 541
Better than new – Retrimming the dash panels on our 1956 Jensen 541
December 6, 2023
Brian has been hard at work in the Bridge Classic Cars in-house trim shop working on getting the various interior trim pieces and panelwork done
Jensen Front Suspension
November 24, 2023
Classic car technician Paul has been working on the front suspension of our 1956 Jensen 541. After removing the worn bearings, new parts were fitted.
More Paint Work For Our 541
April 26, 2023
Our 1956 Jensen 541 has continued its stay in the Bridge Classic Cars paint shop as classic car technicians Chris, Al, and Mauro have been
A New Coat Of Paint
April 5, 2023
Some good progress has been made on our 1956 Jensen 541 recently. After being prepped and primed, the body and various components have been painted.
Priming A Jensen
February 16, 2023
Our 1956 Jensen 541 has had the fibreglass on the inside and exterior of the roof completed. The body of the car had its coating
Good As New
January 10, 2023
Our friends at Wyatt Polishing recently completed some restoration work and zinc plating for a number of seat runners and bonnet struts for the Jensens
Bonnet Panel Levelled
November 8, 2022
The bonnet of our 1956 Jensen 541 has been panel levelled by classic car technician Al. Once that had been completed, the bonnet was ready
Inner Arches
November 1, 2022
Classic car technician Al has been working on our 1956 Jensen 541 lately. Recently, he has been focused on continuing the painting of the chassis
Chassis Painted
October 27, 2022
Since returning from the sandblasters, the chassis of our 1956 Jensen 541 has spent some time in our paint shop being painted. It’s not very
Epoxy Primer For Our 1956 Jensen 541
October 20, 2022
Classic car technician Alan has been doing more work on our 1956 Jensen 541. After repairing the roof and bonnet of this classic car, Alan
Off To The Sandblasters
October 18, 2022
The body of our 1956 Jensen 541 has been carefully removed ready to be sent for sandblasting. While the body of this rare vehicle is
More Fibreglass Work
October 14, 2022
Classic car technician Alan has once again been repairing and replacing parts of the fibreglass body of our 1956 Jensen 541. He ground back the
Jensen Bonnet Strips
October 10, 2022
Our classic car technician, Clinton, has been making parts that will ultimately go on to be fitted into one of our ongoing Jensen projects. The
Repairing A Hole In The Bonnet
October 6, 2022
Not only has classic car technician Alan been busy repairing the fibreglass roof of our 1956 Jensen 541, but he has also been repairing a
A Very Special Roof
October 5, 2022
The history of the Jensen 541 is an interesting story that goes all the way back to 1953. Before the release of the 541, Jensen
A Brief History Of The Jensen 541
October 4, 2022
The Jensen 541 was a car produced by Jensen Motors. Each one of these cars has an individual story to tell, but the story of
Bonnet Repairs, Panels Aligned, And A new Layer On The Roof
September 30, 2022
Our 1956 Jensen 541 has been the target of our classic car technician’s attention as of late. Over the past few days, the bonnet has
More Parts For Our Jensens
September 26, 2022
There are quite a few Jensens being restored in our workshop at the moment (7 at the last count including 541s, 541Rs, and an Interceptor
Fabricating a bulk load of Jensen parts
September 16, 2022
In the workshops right now, we have 6x Jensen 541’s in various states of repair or restoration. We have 3x Jensen 541’s and 3x Jensen
Various Jensen parts being prepared
September 15, 2022
Mauro spent the afternoon in the booth preparing parts for a number of our Jensen projects. Blasted parts have been prepared and painted and will
The Next Phase – 1956 Jensen 541 Moves into Body Prep
August 22, 2022
The 1956 Jensen 541 has been moved from the Bridge Classic Cars workshop to begin its bodywork journey. As part of its restoration, the team
Watercolour – Artwork of our 1959 Jensen 541R From Helmingham
August 16, 2022
Local artist Paul Seymour has sent us in this beautiful watercolour painting of our 1959 Jensen 541R that he sketched at our stand at this
Fine Touch – Working on the 1956 Jensen 541
August 5, 2022
The 1956 Jensen 541 has been worked on in the Bridge Classic Workshop at our Suffolk HQ to have several parts on the car adjusted
Fitted – Mount, Panels and Hinges Fitted to the 1956 Jensen 541
August 2, 2022
The restoration workshop at the Bridge Classic Cars HQ have been working on getting the various mounts, brackets and hinges into place on the 1956
Progress – New Seat Mounts and Panel Adjustments on the 1956 Jensen 541
July 28, 2022
The workshop at Bridge Classic Cars have been making good progress on the 1956 Jensen 541 at our Suffolk HQ for restoration. To begin with,
Update – Progress on the 1956 Jensen 541
July 22, 2022
The Bridge Classic Cars workshop have made great progress on the 1956 Jensen 541. Our technician, Rob, has been working on the front end of
Fitting Up – Final Welding of the Door Supports and Mocking Up the Suspension on the 1956 Jensen 541
July 19, 2022
The restoration workshop at the Bridge Classic Cars Suffolk HQ have been working on the 1956 Jensen 541. This time, our technician Rob has been
Check – Checking Door Clearance on the 1956 Jensen 541
July 14, 2022
The workshop at Bridge Classic Cars are in the process of getting the doors aligned and adjusted to the body of the 1956 Jensen 541.
Crossing Over – New Door Skin and More Roof Framework on the 1956 Jensen 541
July 13, 2022
The 1956 Jensen 541 has had some new parts and pieces fitted during its build-up in the Bridge Classic Cars workshop at our Suffolk HQ.#
Steering rack bracket
December 7, 2023
Monty has made up a new steering rack bracket to replace the existing one on our 1956 Jensen 541.
Better than new – Retrimming the dash panels on our 1956 Jensen 541
December 6, 2023
Brian has been hard at work in the Bridge Classic Cars in-house trim shop working on getting the various interior trim pieces and panelwork done on our 1956 Jensen 541.
He took the original dash panel section and after removing the old covering, sanded the piece down to remove any residue or adhesive which may have been on the surface. After a deep clean of the piece, Brian could work on getting the piece perfectly wrapped in the stunning dark red leather before test fitting the various dials and switchgear into the piece.
Jensen Front Suspension
November 24, 2023
Classic car technician Paul has been working on the front suspension of our 1956 Jensen 541.
After removing the worn bearings, new parts were fitted. The components that make up the suspension were then checked and cleaned ready to be assembled.
Paul then put the front suspension and brakes back together.
More Paint Work For Our 541
April 26, 2023
Our 1956 Jensen 541 has continued its stay in the Bridge Classic Cars paint shop as classic car technicians Chris, Al, and Mauro have been finishing off the painting of the body and other components.
Mauro has been painting various engine bay components black, while Chris spent some time polishing the newly painted body.
A New Coat Of Paint
April 5, 2023
Some good progress has been made on our 1956 Jensen 541 recently. After being prepped and primed, the body and various components have been painted. As you can see from the images below, the new colour looks great and was the perfect choice from the owner of this classic car.
While Chris was painting our 541, classic car technician Brian was working on the interior. He cut out the under-dash panels along with the kick panels and air vent holes.
Priming A Jensen
February 16, 2023
Our 1956 Jensen 541 has had the fibreglass on the inside and exterior of the roof completed.
The body of the car had its coating of epoxy primer while the back of the doors were prepped ready to be fitted up too.
It’s always good to see progress like this being made and it will be an exciting time when the car is painted in the near future.
Good As New
January 10, 2023
Our friends at Wyatt Polishing recently completed some restoration work and zinc plating for a number of seat runners and bonnet struts for the Jensens currently in the Bridge Classic Cars workshop.
When components like this look as good as they now do, you can tell that the fully restored cars they become a part of will be as beautiful as ever.
Bonnet Panel Levelled
November 8, 2022
The bonnet of our 1956 Jensen 541 has been panel levelled by classic car technician Al.
Once that had been completed, the bonnet was ready for polyester primer to be applied as it moved on to the next stage of its restoration journey in the Bridge Classic Cars workshop.
Inner Arches
November 1, 2022
Classic car technician Al has been working on our 1956 Jensen 541 lately.
Recently, he has been focused on continuing the painting of the chassis and its numerous components.
As well as painting the rear inner arches of this soon-to-be beautiful classic car, Al also painted the door frames too.
Work will continue on our 1956 Jensen 541 and it is great to see progress being made in its restoration.
Chassis Painted
October 27, 2022
Since returning from the sandblasters, the chassis of our 1956 Jensen 541 has spent some time in our paint shop being painted.
It’s not very often that you see the chassis of a car in this state so it’s always interesting to see this stage of restoration work.
Epoxy Primer For Our 1956 Jensen 541
October 20, 2022
Classic car technician Alan has been doing more work on our 1956 Jensen 541.
After repairing the roof and bonnet of this classic car, Alan turned his attention to the doors. He removed the door skins from the frames so he could apply epoxy primer to both sides.
Epoxy primer was also applied to the front wings and sill covers too.
This is part of the preparation for the body to be repainted.
Off To The Sandblasters
October 18, 2022
The body of our 1956 Jensen 541 has been carefully removed ready to be sent for sandblasting.
While the body of this rare vehicle is out of the workshop, classic car technician Alan has been doing some work on the bonnet, boot lid, and bonnet flap. These have all had a coating of epoxy primer ready for the final coats to be added later on.
More Fibreglass Work
October 14, 2022
Classic car technician Alan has once again been repairing and replacing parts of the fibreglass body of our 1956 Jensen 541.
He ground back the cracks in the bonnet before covering it in a new sheet of fibreglass.
In addition to this, Alan also reinforced all the bonnet supports as they were weak and loose. Once this had been done, the bonnet went on to be prepped on both sides ready for its coat of epoxy primer.
Jensen Bonnet Strips
October 10, 2022
Our classic car technician, Clinton, has been making parts that will ultimately go on to be fitted into one of our ongoing Jensen projects.
The bonnet strips he made can be seen in the photos below.
Repairing A Hole In The Bonnet
October 6, 2022
Not only has classic car technician Alan been busy repairing the fibreglass roof of our 1956 Jensen 541, but he has also been repairing a hole in the bonnet too.
He repaired the inside first by attaching some meshing which would provide more support for the repair. Once the inside of the hole was sealed, he then repaired the outside.
Repairs like this may seem small but they require high levels of skill and form an important part of the overall restoration project.
A Very Special Roof
October 5, 2022
The history of the Jensen 541 is an interesting story that goes all the way back to 1953. Before the release of the 541, Jensen Motors predominantly used aluminium to make the bodywork of their Interceptors. Interestingly, the boot lid of the Jensen Interceptor though was made from fibreglass.
Fibreglass was not commonly used in car manufacturing at the time, so when Jensen released the 541 with a fibreglass body, it was actually the first European production car to be made in this way.
At Bridge Classic Cars, we have a wealth of experience in restoring classic Jensens. Considering only a few hundred 541s were made, we have had several come through our workshop and undergone restoration work with us.
Our classic car technicians work hard to make sure the restored cars are as close to the original specifications as possible. That’s why Alan has been doing some very special work to repair the fibreglass roof of our 1956 Jensen 541.
This type of work may not be seen in many other workshops so we had to take some photos of Alan at work as the restoration of this classic Jensen continues.
A Brief History Of The Jensen 541
October 4, 2022
The Jensen 541 was a car produced by Jensen Motors. Each one of these cars has an individual story to tell, but the story of the Jensen 541, in general, is one that many car enthusiasts should be keen to hear.
If you want to know more about these truly iconic classic cars, then this brief history of the Jensen 541 can give you a good idea of how special (and rare) these cars really are.
October 1953 – The Launch Of The Jensen 541
At the Earls Court Motor Show of 1953, the Jensen 541 was shown to the public for the very first time. It would be another eight months before production properly started but, this was the date when the world was officially introduced to the 541.
Up until the 541, Jensen had mostly been using aluminium for the bodywork of their Interceptors (there were restrictions on the use of steel still in place as the world recovered from the second world war). When it came to making the boot lids of the Interceptors though, Jensen played around with a new material of the time – fibreglass.
When working on the idea for the 541, Jensen wanted to do something big, so they decided to make a lot more of the car from this new wonder material.
June 1954 – Production Begins
In June of 1954, production of the Jensen 541 began. At the time, you could buy your very own 541 for £2146.
October 1956 – Say Hello To The 541 Deluxe
A little over 2 years after production of the 541 began, the 541 Deluxe was introduced. As this was a more luxurious car that featured all disc brakes, the price of the car increased to £2626.
Only 53 Jensen 541 Deluxes were made in total.
October 1957 – Here Comes The Jensen 541R
A year later, the 541R was introduced. When first released, these were fitted with Austin Princess (DS7) twin-carb engines, and an overdrive gearbox. The price tag for a 541R, at the time, was £2866.
January 1958 – No More Original Jensen 541
At the beginning of 1958, the very last Jensen 541 was made.
October 1960 – From R To S
Two years later, the Jensen 541R was pulled from production too. At this point, less than 200 541Rs had been made. Jensen had now moved on to the Jensen 541S which had a larger interior, and automatic transmission as standard. Due to these upgrades, the 541S cost £3195.
January 1963 – The End Of The Road
At the beginning of 1963, production of the Jensen 541S ended. Less than 150 had been made before being replaced by the Jensen CV-8 which had been introduced the previous year (1962).
Bridge Classic Cars And The Jensen 541
Jensens have had a strong presence in the Bridge Classic Cars workshop for a long time. Our team of classic car technicians have restored multiple 541s and some of our current projects include a few more too.
Considering only a few hundred of these classic cars were made, we love seeing them in the workshop. We love working on them, and we love getting them back on the road for everyone to enjoy.
Bonnet Repairs, Panels Aligned, And A new Layer On The Roof
September 30, 2022
Our 1956 Jensen 541 has been the target of our classic car technician’s attention as of late.
Over the past few days, the bonnet has been repaired so that it now lines up beautifully with the doors, some body panels have been gapped and aligned, and a new layer of fibreglass has been added to the roof to fix the cracks that were present.
More Parts For Our Jensens
September 26, 2022
There are quite a few Jensens being restored in our workshop at the moment (7 at the last count including 541s, 541Rs, and an Interceptor MK3).
As there is a lot of work to get done on these classic cars, it’s usually very beneficial to bulk produce some of the smaller parts so they are always available if and when our classic car technicians need them.
Clinton has been busy handcrafting several components that will eventually go on to be part of several of our Jensens. As you can see from the photos below, he has been making bonnet hinges and rear seat location pins. Even small parts like this play a big role in classic car restoration.
Fabricating a bulk load of Jensen parts
September 16, 2022
In the workshops right now, we have 6x Jensen 541’s in various states of repair or restoration. We have 3x Jensen 541’s and 3x Jensen 541R’s.
Sometimes, when fabricating parts it is much more time and cost effective for Clinton to produce more than one item. In this instance, Clinton has been working on re-producing the rear demisters and vents as well as bonnet stops and clamps.
With so many successful Jensen restorations now complete, we have the tooling for a lot of the parts that are required on the Jensen. If you are looking for Jensen parts for your own car or need assistance with fabricating certain parts for your classic car feel free to get in touch and we’d be more than happy to assist.
Various Jensen parts being prepared
September 15, 2022
Mauro spent the afternoon in the booth preparing parts for a number of our Jensen projects. Blasted parts have been prepared and painted and will now be wrapped up ready for reassembly.
The Next Phase – 1956 Jensen 541 Moves into Body Prep
August 22, 2022
The 1956 Jensen 541 has been moved from the Bridge Classic Cars workshop to begin its bodywork journey. As part of its restoration, the team will go through every panel and gap to make sure everything is absolutely perfect before it is painted.
Before then, our restoration workshop have worked on every aspect of the body and frame of the classic 541. This 541, being a very early car noted by the very thin body contour that extends from the rear arch, sits on top of a brand new handmade frame made especially for this particular car and incorporates the early style front suspension. The final finishing touch the workshop had finished was the stunning aluminium sill caps which were capped and fitted to the car along with the new lower front wing and door skins.
All of these identifiable pieces will be worked on and perfected by the in-house body shop team.
Watercolour – Artwork of our 1959 Jensen 541R From Helmingham
August 16, 2022
Local artist Paul Seymour has sent us in this beautiful watercolour painting of our 1959 Jensen 541R that he sketched at our stand at this years Helmingham Hall Classic & Sports Car Festival.
We brought along the 541R which is in the early stages of its restoration with us.
We’ve even got some photos of Paul at work while he roughed out the sketch which you can see below and head over to his website and check out some of the other amazing artwork he has done and the tuition courses he offers.
Fine Touch – Working on the 1956 Jensen 541
August 5, 2022
The 1956 Jensen 541 has been worked on in the Bridge Classic Workshop at our Suffolk HQ to have several parts on the car adjusted and refined.
Our technician Rob first fabricated the new handbrake bracket/mount. This was bent up and shaped before the original piece was cut off the frame and the new piece welded on after having its hole and mounts put in.
Then it was time to move to the outside of the car and finesse the one-piece fibreglass bonnet. Rob has worked on adjusting the panel in every axis possible to get the unit to sit properly on the car. Once roughly in shape, Rob made new strengthening brackets which mount inside the fibreglass clamshell.
The final piece was to adjust and finesse the flange on the gearbox tunnel to perfectly meet up with the large single-piece gearbox cover that mounts up to the firewall.
Fitted – Mount, Panels and Hinges Fitted to the 1956 Jensen 541
August 2, 2022
The restoration workshop at the Bridge Classic Cars HQ have been working on getting the various mounts, brackets and hinges into place on the 1956 Jensen 541.
To begin with, our technician Rob made new arch filler panels which bridge the gap between the frame and the fibreglass body, blending the two together for strength and alignment.
Then, he could turn his attention to the various hinges around the classic GT car. At the front, Rob made a new strengthening bracket which sits behind the fibreglass for the bonnet hinges. The brackets are welded into the firewall and chassis for rigidity and to take the load of the one-piece clamshell bonnet.
At the rear, the workshop team mounted the boot hinges in place and use the boot lid for mock-up to adjust the placement of hinges to make sure the panel fitment is just right for the car.
Progress – New Seat Mounts and Panel Adjustments on the 1956 Jensen 541
July 28, 2022
The workshop at Bridge Classic Cars have been making good progress on the 1956 Jensen 541 at our Suffolk HQ for restoration.
To begin with, our technician Rob, has made and welded in the new seat mounts into the specially made chassis of the classic GT car and ground them smooth to blend them into the cross member.
After that, Rob could begin to adjustment refine the fitment of the doors by carefully reshaping the front and rear wings to achieve a uniform door gap on both sides of the car.
Update – Progress on the 1956 Jensen 541
July 22, 2022
The Bridge Classic Cars workshop have made great progress on the 1956 Jensen 541.
Our technician, Rob, has been working on the front end of the classic Jensen. To begin with, he fully welded in the suspension towers onto the new chassis. This is a crucial stage as it also acts as a tie-in for the front wing braces and forms part of the core support.
Next, Rob could fit the new wheel arches and begin to make the new brackets now that the towers were firmly in place, and accurate measurements could be taken to ensure the inner arches/wings sat squarely in the car and to the frame.
With all of these pieces firmly in place, Rob could begin to test fit the lower part of the front wing. This could then be adjusted for the right fitment and alignment to the body to act as one of the datum points with the fibreglass front end is fitted.
Fitting Up – Final Welding of the Door Supports and Mocking Up the Suspension on the 1956 Jensen 541
July 19, 2022
The restoration workshop at the Bridge Classic Cars Suffolk HQ have been working on the 1956 Jensen 541.
This time, our technician Rob has been finishing up adjusting and finish welding the door supports for the car. With all of the supports and brackets perfectly in place to get the door gaps and alignment right, Rob could then finish welding all of the pieces into place including the all-important A pillar post.
With that now complete, the team could get the front suspension mocked up and into place. To begin with, the team worked on aligning the front tower in just the right place to then be spot-welded to the new frame and the controls arms mocked up into place to check measurements.
Check – Checking Door Clearance on the 1956 Jensen 541
July 14, 2022
The workshop at Bridge Classic Cars are in the process of getting the doors aligned and adjusted to the body of the 1956 Jensen 541.
To begin with, our technician Rob welded in the A-pillar bracing fully before offering up the door frame. Once in place, he could then begin to check throughout the opening and the door for any interference or clearance issues which needed to be adjusted out before the door skin is test fit and the process done again to double-check.
All of these parts of the build are crucial to the final fit and finish of the car.
Crossing Over – New Door Skin and More Roof Framework on the 1956 Jensen 541
July 13, 2022
The 1956 Jensen 541 has had some new parts and pieces fitted during its build-up in the Bridge Classic Cars workshop at our Suffolk HQ.#
The team have test fit a new door skin to the frame to make sure everything lines up and fits as it should before then fitting the door to the frame to check for any interference from the door to the bodywork or the various pieces of the framework on the classic 1950s GT car.
Once the door had been checked, Rob, could begin working on the roof frame on the other side of the car. This was offered up and any adjustments needed to make sure it had a correct tight fit up to the roof panel while still being squared and aligned to the other side of the car.
