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1957 Jensen 541R

Friday Snapshot

December 11, 2020

Another week has flown by! Once again we’ve had photoshoots, new arrivals and spectacular developments on our current projects. Behind the scenes and sneak peeks

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Workshop Walkaround

December 9, 2020

Grey Jensen gets furnished Our trim team has been fitting the rear centre section in place, cutting out sound deadening and glueing it to bodywork

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Friday Snapshot

December 4, 2020

Another busy week was flown by again, with lots of new drop-offs to the workshop and big progressions on current projects! Grey 1957 Jensen 541R

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Workshop Walkabout

November 25, 2020

There’s been a lot going with week already and its only Wednesday! Take a look at what’s been going on s far. Range Rover Sport

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The Jensen fan

November 5, 2020

New fan brackets have been added to the 1957 Grey Jenson 541R Our engineer Paul has hand crafted a pair of brackets to bolt onto

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Workshop Walkabout

October 28, 2020

This morning we took a walk around the workshop to take a peak at how our engineers are getting on with the current projects. 1996

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Workshop Walkabout

October 23, 2020

We had a walkabout this workshop this afternoon to see what everyone’s up to. One of our classic car technicians Pete has the 1996 Nissan

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Chrome & Away

September 18, 2020

A variety of chrome parts are being sent away this week. Our good friends at Douglas Metal Findings are going to bring them back to

Read More »

It’s Coming Chrome!

August 21, 2020

Our 1957 Jensen 541R needed her chrome components re-plated, so we instructed the expertise of our good friends over at Douglas Metal Finishing. In a

Read More »

Grey Jensen’s new trim

December 14, 2020

The grey 1957 Jensen 541R has had lots of small details added whilst in the trim shop such as the new carpets being measured out, glued in, the edge bound and fitted into place. A hole for the gear lever has been made as well as a gaiter to fit around the gear stick. The gaiter has then been sewn onto the main tunnel section.

Others fittings include the sills that have be bound and fitted, the rear matt has been made, and the boot has been marked out, bound and fitted.

Sound deadening has been applied to behind the pedals underneath the carpet.

The seat belt holes have been made and accounted for with the new carpet as well.

The final step on laying the carpets is to attach fasteners and studs to the flood panels and material to allow the carpet to stay fixed down.

Friday Snapshot

December 11, 2020

Another week has flown by! Once again we’ve had photoshoots, new arrivals and spectacular developments on our current projects.

Behind the scenes and sneak peeks

On Tuesday we shot the second half of the content for our 1967 Jaguar E-Type Series 1 race car replica. For this, we took it to the track at Bentwaters where our skilled F1 Test Driver, Mike O’Connor, put it through its paces.

We’ve also shot our new competition car, the Jaguar XJ6. Here’s a sneak peek at the XJ6 in motion. For these kinds of shots, we often get Ellie to drive and Freddie to shoot the car in motion. This allows moving shots to be done efficiently when it’s separate to a staged shoot with a model/talents such as the Jaguar race car above.

The XJ6 has already gone live and has proved to be incredibly popular with almost a quarter of the tickets having sold out in one day! Get your tickets quickly as the launch sale is ending soon!

New arrivals

We’ve had a beautiful red 1979 Chevrolet Corvette C3 arrive which will soon be a competition car. It underwent an intensive valet by our talented friend at Viper Auto Valets.

A stunning Jaguar XJ6 auto and a classic 1979 Daimler 4.2 Sovereign XJ6 Series III Automatic have also arrived this week, ready to be a competition cars. You can find more about the Jaguar and Daimler here!

1957 Grey Jensen 541R

The sill and footwell carpet has been cut and glued down as well as the carpet around the gearbox tunnel. Brian has fitted the front and rear footwell carpets on the passenger side too. Metal rails & air vent covers have been fitted to the scuttle panels. The passenger side scuttle panel and front footboard have both been fitted in place this week.

Although a lot of the carpets and back seats have been made, there’s still the front seats to make and fit.

Upon inspection, we identified some modifications needed on the grey Jensen’s doors to make sure all components align correctly.

Triumph TR6

Our 1973 Triumph TR6 has had new speakers and speaker holders made and installed by our technician Mauro who’s been working exclusively on the TR6. Adam, our auto electrics specialist has also been doing some work on the TR6, changing the sidelights to indicators to comply with UK road laws.

Peugeot 504

The new bonnet has been attached on the 504, the latches have been modified, gaps lined, bonnet painted and now fit! It’s so rewarding seeing this beautiful car looking whole again!

We’ve had a rubber mystery in the workshop, but luckily enough Gordan used his detective skills to figure out a nifty solution! The Peugeot 504 was in need of new rubber sills however we couldn’t find anywhere that sourced them. By matter of chance, in our Amphicar box of spare bits and bobs, we found some rubber extras that fit the 504 perfectly! A tip for anyone looking for Peugeot 504 rubber sills, head over to Gordons Imports and get some Amphicar rubber!

The Peugeot 504 has also been started for the first time in quite a while! This was its debut since being reassembled and its sounding good!

Morris Minor

The Morris Minor 1000 is ready for a test drive! It will be the first time it’s been started and driven in a while so it’s going to be an exciting development! To get the Morris ready for its start-up, our engine technician Ady has cleaned the carburettors and given it a pre-startup service.

Workshop Walkaround

December 9, 2020

Grey Jensen gets furnished

Our trim team has been fitting the rear centre section in place, cutting out sound deadening and glueing it to bodywork behind where seats go.

The rear squab section has also been fitted in place, the carpet has been cut to be placed in front of the rear seat base, the rear seat section has been fitted in place, and the leather has been glued to the seat subframes.

Sound deadening has been installed in the rear footwell & tunnel sides, passenger side, passenger side bulkhead, and the front footwells.

The door frames are also undergoing some modifications so that the window glass sits more comfortably. The doors will need to be taken apart and re-welded back together.

Peony Red Jensen

Our Peony Red 1960 Jensen 541s has had new door catch fixing plates installed. Our technicians have also made a cover to go over them to stop them from falling down into the sills of the car. They have then been welded into position.

TR6

The Triumph TR6 is on the road to recovery with the final tweaks being done. The engine levels have been checked as have the gearbox and rear axels. This stage is mostly a pre-drive service to make sure everything is in the right place and ready for the car to be driven for the first time. The battery holder needs to be installed and the engine to be tuned. Once these last details are done we can turn it on and see how it drives and address any teething problems that may arise.

Amphicar

The Amphicar is currently going through another in-depth stage of troubleshooting the electrics. Much like the TR6, our technicians’ are applying the final checks in preparation for starting the car up for the first time.

Peugeot 504

The Peugeot 504 is almost finished! The exhaust and break lines have been installed as well as the seat belts which have been added by our technician Scott.

Black Jensen

The black 1960 Jensen 541R has come out of paintwork recently to address the corrections made. All the chrome has now been re-installed so it’s looking shiny and new!

1984 Lada 1200

Our Lada is one of our most recent patients. We diagnosed it with rusting sills and floor, which is being addressed and corrected by one of our fabricators, Ant. These refurbishments are done through a series of stages that include welding and applying filler to resolve the ageing. Think of it like getting a dermatological facial!

1973 Jaguar E-Type Series 3 V12

Our blue jaguar e-type is awaiting its chrome bumper and new steering rack to be fitted. The sun roof has also been fixed. This included taking apart the faulty switch and cleaning the components and then insulating the terminal. Once fitted back together, the sun roof was back to working perfectly again.

Gold Jensen

Our gold and red 1962 Jensen 541S has had its oil changed and water purged from the engine by our engine specialist, Ady.

Austin 7 Nippy

Ady is also working on the Austin 7 Nippy engine which is currently at COLTEC to be assessed.

Nissan 300ZX

The exhaust has been reinstalled into our Nissan as well as the link pipe between the two exhaust manifolds.

Friday Snapshot

December 4, 2020

Another busy week was flown by again, with lots of new drop-offs to the workshop and big progressions on current projects!

Grey 1957 Jensen 541R

Our trim shop expert Brian has been working on our grey 1957 Jensen 541R. He’s been marking out the leather for the rear parcel shelf and then glueing leather.

When the fabric has been marked out and fitted, the next stay is to trim off the excess around the window edge. The leather for rear quarter panel pockets has also been cut out and glued into the pockets.

The same process has happened for the side window surround panel which included screwing the parts in place and fitting the ashtray.

Austin Nippy Engine works start

Our engine specialist Ady has taken about the engine on our 1934 Austin Nippy. We’ve identified that there seems to be an issue with the cylinder bores. After further inspection, Ady diagnosed the issue as possible broken or cracked piston rings. This is a relatively quick job and Ady told us he hopes it’ll be done in the next few days.

We often find that even after an issue is addressed, it may not be solved as it’s common to find teething problems afterwards. We hope this quirky nippy will be back to working order again soon!

Black 1960 Jensen’s TLC

Our black 1960 Jensen 541R has had another layer of fresh paint and imperfection corrections that it’s acquired from knocks and bumps in the workshop. Gaining imperfections like this are common when parts are regularly being fitted and moved.

Up close and personal with the Gold Jaguar E-Type

This beautiful gold 1971 Jaguar E-type V12 Series 3 had picked up some sort of contaminant that had rusted the inner engine and wheel components. Our skill technicians addressed the issue by applying acid rust killer and cleaning down all of the parts. They were then re-painted and reassembled. Some of the nuts and bolts were also completely replaced.

Morris Minor Pinstripe

Painted by hand by our bodywork technician Chris who taped the sides to guide his hand and carefully applied the red paint.

Two more new Jensen’s arrived

We’ve had two more Jensen’s arrive this week for restorations, adding to our already growing collection! We’ll be sure to let you know how these restorations develop!

This beautiful 1961 Navy Jensen 541S:

And this sleek silver 1959 Jensen 541R that’s in for some electrical works:

Workshop Walkabout

November 25, 2020

There’s been a lot going with week already and its only Wednesday! Take a look at what’s been going on s far.

Range Rover Sport 2016

One of our directors, Gordon, had his Range Rover Sport’s tyres refurbished, ready for the cold winter months ahead. Now fully refurbished, Gordon’s Range Rover is ready to take on the elements.

Jaguars New Stripes

As seen in our blog yesterday, the 1967 Jaguar E-Type Race Car has now been finished! This has been an incredibly exciting project that has been in progress since 2016. Over the last few days, the finishing touches have been added such as the pinstripes on the bonnet and fine-tuning the engine. The bonnet itself has also be re-installed to make sure it fits after the recent engine works.

Craig’s Mercedes 500SL

Our other director, Craig, is in the process of choosing the leather for the interior and the spray finish for the fuel tank. It’s deciding details like this that make classic cars so personal to their owners.

Morris Minor

One of the more notable updates on the Morris Minor 1000 is the new hood. The trim shop has done a fantastic job yet again to make the perfect custom hood, allowing this Morris Minor to be more usable throughout the changing seasons. Our technician Scott has also been trying to figure out the reason for the play in its front wheels. The mystery is yet to be solved…

The front suspension has also been tightened, the curtesy light wiring is being installed and Adam is troubleshooting the electrics.

Grey Jensen 541R

Lots of little updates for the Grey Jensen 541R such as preparing the door rim before it goes to the trim shop, stripping the bonnet ready for paint, made the curtesy light switch by hand, installed the hand brake cables and panhard rod as well as the speedo drive.

Triumph TR5

Our 1968 Triumph TR5 is awaiting its interior but it has had its heater installed!

Blue E-Type

Our blue 1973 Jaguar E-Type Series 3 is awaiting on a new steering rack, clutch slave cylinder and bumper to be fitted. The parts have been ordered so the E-Type should be looking good as new in no time!

Ford Transit

This lovely 1953 Ford Transit is almost ready to leave us now. We’re just waiting on some new 6 volt bulbs for the headlights and then it’ll be ready to go!

Blue Jensen

We’re giving the blue Jensen a general nut and bolt service. It came in to have its clutch, exhaust and breaks replaced which have been or are in the process of being fixed.

Peony Red Jensen

The Peony Red Jensen 542S has had its seats made up. The next step is to complete the set and install them. Our trim shop never fails to impress us with their stunning interior projects.

Peugeot 504

The Peugeot 504 has now had all its interior trim completed. The last few pieces include making and fitting the hood which had to have the leather glued to the frame once made up.

Black Jensen

The black Jensen is visiting our paint shop for some touch-ups and corrections in the paintwork.

1988 Nissan 300ZX

Ady our engine specialist has taken apart both exhaust manifolds on the Nissan 300ZX.

Amphicar

The fuel pump has been rewired, two bilge pumps are set to be added, the brakes have been bled, the grease nipples re-greased and the heater has been ordered.

Range Rover TDI

A new gear stick gaiter has been made and fitted by the trim shop. Our range rover is making steady progress to be completed soon.

Black Spitfire

Although we don’t have the Black Spitfire back with us, we do have the task of replacing the half shafts. We’re hoping we can order in new pieces however we may need to take these apart instead and refurbish them ourselves.

The Jensen fan

November 5, 2020

New fan brackets have been added to the 1957 Grey Jenson 541R

Our engineer Paul has hand crafted a pair of brackets to bolt onto the Jensen’s fan. These have been made from a sheet of metal which Paul has measured, shaped, drilled and painted, ready to be bolted onto the final product.

Craftmanship like this means that all our projects are bespoke and personal and fit the car which enables a perfect match.

Before

After

The brackets and fan were then later fixed together. This will now be inserted into the engine.

Not long after, the fan had been fitted into the Jensen’s engine and was ready to purr.

The Jensen’s Headlining Act

November 5, 2020

Much like any good festival, our Grey 1957 Jensen 541R also needed a headliner.

In car terms, this just means the fabric fitting that coats the ceiling and gives it that finished look.

Our trim shop experts Kath and Brian have recently applied the headliner. First off they installed metal beams and padding to alleviate any rattling inside the vehicle. After this was fitted, the headlining fabric was installed, pulled tight, heated, and glued in place leaving holes for the interior lights.

The Jensen has also had foam padding added to the parcel shelf, vinyl glued into the front A posts, vinyl added to the dashboard, and holes left for the air vents.

Workshop Walkabout

October 28, 2020

This morning we took a walk around the workshop to take a peak at how our engineers are getting on with the current projects.

1996 Nissan Patrol

The Nissan Patrol is almost ready to be set free on adventures again. Pete has given it a general ‘health check’ and service to ensure its exploration spirit is still intact.

The last stage on the Nissan is to ‘blacken’ the underside to protect it from rust and erosion, which is all the more important for adventurous vehicles like this Patrol!

1972 MGB Blaze Orange

Tamas has been working hard on the latest refurbishments to the MGB which has recently included a new radiator as the old one had developed some rust and holes.

The thermostat has also been refurbished along with its housing and the grill. Tamas has also installed new reversing lights as well.

The Rosytle wheels are currently in the hands of our paint specialist Darren who’s just finished applying the first layer of paint to neaten them up.

1960 MGA

The Red MGA has had a seasonal refurbishment with a heater being added to accommodate for the cold months approaching!

Paul tells us that “the car originally never had a heater in, so the parts have been shipped in from America.”

Its not uncommon to see our classic cars fitted with modern creature comforts such as heaters and radios.

1972 Peugeot 504

Scott has been working on fitting the doors, making sure the latches catch and shut efficiently.

Darren has also been working on the Peugeot, painting the engine bay. This needed two sets of paint, one for the inner parts and a separate colour for the outer parts to match the body of the car.

1957 Jensen 541R

The Jensen is still in the trimming shop where Brian is installing the leather padding that sits just above the windscreen. This piece followed the original design but still had to be cut and made by hand.

Brian tells us ‘It’s quite a fiddly job to fit this panel’.

We can’t wait to see the Jensen completed with its smart new leather from our trim experts.

1965 Amphicar

Our classic car electrician Adam has been working on tidying up the Amphicar’s wires and installing a second pump to ensure enough water is removed from within the vehicle. This means a custom made pump bracket will have to be designed and fitted when the second pump is installed.

1987 Mercedes 500SL

Our engineer Anthony is currently applying a filler to the engine bay to smooth out any bumps.

A keen eye for detail from Anthony is needed to ensure that the Mercedes doesn’t leave the fabrication bay with any imperfections.

Workshop Walkabout

October 23, 2020

We had a walkabout this workshop this afternoon to see what everyone’s up to.

One of our classic car technicians Pete has the 1996 Nissan Patrol up on the ramp. “I’m working on the front disc brakes” he explains “the inner seal on the hub has gone.”

Pete’s lined up the front-wheel-drive axel, marking out exactly where each component goes, so it can go back together the exact same way.

The seats on our 1972 MGB Roadster are back from Kath in our in-house trim shop. Tamas is now fitting the seats back into car. “I’m also removing the wheels ready to go into paint” Tamas tells us “as well as refitting the luggage rack back onto the boot”.

Another MG also in the workshop, is our stunning 1960 MGA. Keen to modify the car, her owner is opting for heating to be installed. Some classics would have these modern ‘essentials’ as optional extras back in the day.

“We had to order the heater box from America” our expert Paul explains. “We’re also doing some minor improvements on the gearbox and pistons.” Paul’s also added another mirror that the customer’s asked for. Along with changing the rubber trim around the boot and bonnet from grey to black.

Classic car technician Scott’s continued fitting various bits and pieces onto our 1957 grey Jensen 541R. “I’ve been making the cable ends for the grill flap mechanism” he tells us. The front grill on the 541R opens to act as a cooling aid for the engine. The driver controls this mechanism from the front seat.

Scott’s also fitted the new windscreen washer system this week. Including new washer bottle, pipework and washer jet system.

Our impressive 1967 Jaguar E-Type Race Car has reached a milestone moment today! Our Director Gordon and workshop manager John got her engine roaring and even got flames firing out the exhausts!

This is a very exciting moment here at Bridge. After quite an exhaustive restoration, it’s a beautiful thing to finally have a car up and running again.

Gordon even managed a quick test drive round the car park!

In the trim shop our interior experts Kath and Brian are making great progress on our 1960 Black Jensen 541R. The back seats, front seats and centre console all now in position.

Rosie the dog even came to say hello!

Our car electrician Adam has been working on the 1965 Amphicar’s wiring. “I’ve been tidying up the engine bay wiring” Adam explains. “All the engine accessories and wiring wasn’t waterproof. Which for an Amphicar- is pretty important!”

Interestingly, the Amphicar’s engine is in the boot, much like boat engines are. Whereas under the bonnet, is where the fuel tank and storage space is.

Our engine expert Ady’s is getting ready to put the engine back in our 1972 Peugeot 504.

He’s also done some engine work on the 1953 Ford Taunus Transit Van. “It was running a bit rough. So, I’ve done a few engine tweaks and am hoping to do an oil and filter change next.”

Last but certainly not least, our body shop expert Anthony has been working on our 1987 Mercedes 500SL. “We need to get the underseal off the metal shell” explains Anthony. “It’s really tough to remove so we use a method of literally burning it off, it’s almost like melting it.”

Phew! What a busy week we’re having here at the workshop. As we fast approach the weekend I think everyone earned a well deserved break. Well done Bridge Class Cars team!

The Jensen Gets A Fitting Treatment

October 22, 2020

Class car technician Scott has been looking after our 1957 Jensen 541R this week. He’s been doing a bit of everything, working through a varied check list of parts to fit.

“I’ve put the rear 1/4 windows in” Scott explains “I figured out placement of the catches too, so they work with the window and then I fitted them.”

Scott then worked out the placement of the door wing mirrors. Once confident with their position, he then drilled holes and fitted them into place.

Scott’s also fitted the new Jensen horn. He’s then made a start on the windscreen system.

“Firstly, I worked out a suitable place to mount the screen wash bottle” he describes. “I fabricated a little mount bracket then fitted the screen wash bottle.”

Scott then marked out where the hole for the washer jet should go. Once happy with it’s position, he drilled the hole and fitted the washer jet component. Scott then connected all the screen wash pipework under the bonnet, securing the pipes in nice and tidily.

Scott’s then sorted some other jobs on the Jensen doors. “I fitted the chrome door trim” he tells us. “I’ve also fabricated a bump stop for the windows.” The bump stop is a small rubber part that acts as a cushion for when the widow is wound right down. This helps protect the glass and the internal mechanism from hitting into one another and causing damage.

All this little job help bring the Jensen to life, making the car user-friendly and comfortable. Great job Scott!

Windows go in to the 1957 Jensen 541R

October 14, 2020

Scott has been fabricating and fitting new quarter lights into the Jensen. He’s had to custom fabricate some of the components to ensure the perfect fit. As with most handmade cars, there is very few one-size-fits-all parts on these cars. Instead, most parts will need to be modified in some form to perform perfectly. It’s well worth the effort though, Scott. These cars are looking stunning!

The Black Jensen is now heading into the Trim Shop for the next exciting phase of it’s restoration. One there, it will be treated to a full interior trim courtesy of our dream team, Kath and Brian

Finishing Touches on the 541’s

October 9, 2020

Our 1960 Jensen 541R is having some finishing touches done this week, courtesy of our specialist classic car technician Scott.

Scott’s drilled and fitted the iconic 541 badge to the rear of the car.

“I’ve also been working on things beneath the bonnet” Scott explains “I made up an oil line for the oil pressure gauge and re-routed and tidied up the throttle cable”.

Scott’s also attached the front of the side skirt and repaired and fitted the secondary bonnet catch.

“I’ve also made up this bolt for the choke” Scott shows us “and for the 1957 grey Jensen, I’ve made a rubber gasket for the bonnet badge”. Scott’s had to measure out the positioning of the bonnet badge using tape. He then drilled holes to fit the badge into position.

Scott’s also built up the door window channel on the near side. He’s then fitted the window itself. “I’ve also put the front quarter lights together” he explains “and then fitted them to the car”.

Working alongside Scott, our other specialist technician Paul has fabricated a boot panel for the black 1960 Jensen 541R. A new heater box has also been fitted by Paul.

Now all the bulky jobs are complete on the Jensen’s, we’ll be seeing a lot more of the finishing touches completed in the weeks that follow.

Because we have a few Jensen’s in for restorative work right now, these projects often work hand-in-hand with one another. It also means our technicians have become quite the Jensen experts!

Chrome & Away

September 18, 2020

A variety of chrome parts are being sent away this week. Our good friends at Douglas Metal Findings are going to bring them back to life.

These parts belong to our 1957 Jensen 541R and our 1961 Morris Mini. See if you can you match which parts belong to which car!

Bits ‘n’ Bobs on the Jensen’s

September 14, 2020

Scott, one of our classic car technicians has been tinkering with several more intricate parts of both the 1957 and 1960 Jensens. “I stripped down and modified the windscreen wiper mechanism,” Scott tells us, “re-greased it, put it back together then fitted it back onto the car.”

Scott also stripped down the motor for the wipers, then cleaned the grease out, prepped and repainted it, repacked the grease then re-fitted it to the car.

Scott has also made and fitted new number plate surrounds for both Jensens. “I had to fabricate a tiny joiner or ‘mount’ as it were, for the top.”

Scott has also modified the boot lid handle as it didn’t fit. Along with sorting out the bonnet guides and rest plates and fitted the glass for the 1/4 windows and fitted them to the car too. Scott also refurbished the courtesy lights too.

“I then made a boot-prop,” Scott described. “I’ve fitted that, along with the boot catch and striker plate, then adjusted the boot so it would close.” He also then fitted the return spring to the throttle pedal.

All these little additions contribute toward what will be two fantastic cars, both looking and working. Super work Scott!

Power Steering The Jensen 541R

September 11, 2020

Both our 1957 and 1960 Jensen 541R’s had an upgrade in steering system this week.

John, our classic car workshop manager explained, “It’s a like-for-like exchange really. We take the old steering column out and replace with power steering.”

In some other cars this process can be much more complex, but for the Jensen’s it’s a case of replace and rewire.

“I then make sure it’s all fitted nicely away,” explains John, “so you can’t see it.”

We love the concept of transforming classic cars by upgrading things like power steering, aircon and installing modern technology including sound systems, Bluetooth and GPS.

Now you really can have the look and feel of a classic car, but with the luxury extras you’d find on a newer model. To find out how we can improve your classic car driving experience, give us a call – 01473 724038

Bonnet And Bodywork On The Jensen’s

September 1, 2020

The 1957 and 1960 Jensen 541R’s were treated to custom made bonnet supports last week. Along with this, they had their recently restored wings and sills re-fitted.

“Both cars have had their sills and wings completely restored, including a fresh paint job.” Our talented technician Paul explains. “I’ve fitted the restored parts back onto the car and built and fitted their new bonnet supports too, to keep the bonnet steady”.

Both Jensen’s are really starting to return to their former glory now, it’s great progress from the Bridge team.

The Jensen’s Get New Grilles

September 1, 2020

Both the 1957 Jensen 541R and the 1961 Jensen 541S have been treated to fully repaired bonnet grilles this week, courtesy of our expert technician Dave.

“These aluminium hooks can be flimsy and snap off”, Dave explains, snapping one of them off with ease. “So, I’ve custom built stronger ones to replace them”. Dave then welded the new hooks onto each grille to keep them snug and secure in the centre of the bonnet.

One of many finishing touches that will contribute to the final look of the Jensen’s iconic bonnet.

It’s Coming Chrome!

August 21, 2020

Our 1957 Jensen 541R needed her chrome components re-plated, so we instructed the expertise of our good friends over at Douglas Metal Finishing.

In a few weeks we eagerly received back our bright shiny parts, including a bonnet grill, window chromes and the Jensens iconic ‘541’ badge.

Looking forward to seeing these fixed back in their rightful place. We do love our chrome extra shiny!

1957 Jensen Update from Paul

August 12, 2020

Paul is currently working on our 1957 Jensen 541R. He has custom fabricated a throttle cable mount, which is now ready to be welded. He’s also made a very similar choke cable mount. These have been test fitted up to the carburettors.

Paul has also installed the embossed metal door shut trim. Great work, Paul.

1957 Jensen 541R Trim shop Update

August 12, 2020

Kath and Brian have been making superb progress on our Jensen 541R Interior restoration.

Kath has been re-working our doors. They were first made to match the original specification. However, we have been asked to change the design slightly.

Kath has recut new leather and repeated the original process of marking, cutting out, sewing and gluing the leather into place.

Next up for Kath, she has sewn together sections of new leather for the seat tub. Kath then piped around the edge and clipped back the side skirt to inner sections before sewing them together. It’s now ready to be fitted into the car.

Kath has then moved onto the seat bases. She began by sewing on the two seat faces together before applying the edge piping. Kath has clipped the side bands on the seat face to check fitment. Once she is happy with the fabric’s fit, she sews the two pieces of fabric together.

The back board has been trimmed in leather and sewn around the edge. The piping has been glued in place before being stapled to the board.

When making the pocket for the back board, Kath has sewn in elastic to the top of the pocket to allow it to stretch and contract as a pocket should.

This too is now ready to be fitted into the car. Great work, Kath!

Brian has added extra wadding to pad out the old foam on our Jensen squab seat. He’s glued in calico to hold the centre section in place before adding 3mm of foam to cover the existing foam. Brian then fit the leather cover, turning all edges before stapling into place.

Brian then moved onto the glovebox. He’s glued the vinyl material to the glovebox surround, glued vinyl to the glovebox lid and added vinyl to the back of the lid.

Next up, Brian moved onto marking out the leather for our Jensen’s window surrounds.

Brian has also continued work on the front seats, stripping down the front base seat, removing the old seat covers and has made new covers using the original cover as a template.

Extra foam has been added to the seat to pad it out and make the seat as comfortable as possible. The side covers have now also been stapled and are ready to be installed into the car. Superb work Brian and Kath, this interior is going to be stunning!

1960 Jensen 514R Dynamator + Inner wings

August 11, 2020

John has fitted a dynamator into our 1960 Jensen 541R. A dynamator is an alternator fitted within the original dynamo housing. Our Jensen 541R project required a dynamator to cope with the additional electrical draw required to run the power steering.

Whilst installing and wiring in the dynameter, John also installed the wiper motor and connected this up to the wiring loom. Great work, John.

Paul, who is also working on our Jensen restoration has recently fitted the front inner arches and side panels. Paul has also now installed the side panels and all of the sill covers have now been fitted. Dave has almost completed both doors on our 1960 Jensen and is currently working on the rear windows of our 1957 541R.

Paul has completed fabricating the bonnet locators which are now ready for welding. He has also fabricated new sill brackets which are ready to be installed onto the car. Great work, team.

1957 Jensen 541R Restoration Update

July 28, 2020

Paul and Scott are both working on our 1957 Jensen 541R restoration. Today Scott is fitting in the headlights while Paul is installing the handbrake lever. Paul has had to shorten the realise button rod to perfectly fit. It’s now being fitted back into the car.

The next major steps will be to complete wiring up the car and prepare the interior for Kath and Brian in the Trim Shop to install interior trim.

Jensen 541 R Restoration Updates

July 1, 2020

We’ve been making wonderful progress on both of our Jensen 541R restorations.

On our 1960 Black Jensen 541R, Paul has recently fitted the floor and brake and clutch master cylinder. The stainless steel exhaust has been custom made by exhaust specialists Demand Engineering and installed into the vehicle.

Paul will now be moving onto fitting the clutch pipe from the master cylinder to the gearbox slave cylinder.

In the trim shop, Brian and Kath have been trimming our Corvette engine powered 1957 Jensen 541R and 1960 Jensen 541R. We’re using Connoly Vaumol Leather. 891 Luxan grain chestnut in the 1957 Jensen and 8500 Crushed grain black in the 1960 Jensen. Brian has been covering the door cards in the specified brown and black leather leather.

Brian has trimmed the front arm rests and the rear seat divider in the Connoly Vaumol Leather.

Below you can see how Kath has trimmed the door card. Using the wooden panel that Brian has made, Kath cut the leather to size and has glued and stitched the leather in place.

Kath has applied carpeting to the door panels. She is now currently making the rear seats on the 1957 Jensen 541R.

Dave has custom fabricated this panel for Brian to trim.

1957 Jensen 541 Interior Restoration Continues

June 24, 2020

Brian, one of Bridge Classic Cars Interior Trim Specialists has been hard at work on our 1957 Jensen 541R Interior. The door cards were fabricated from new wood.

He’s rebuilt the door card inserts and trimmed in this gorgeous chocolate brown leather. Using the original leather as a template, Brian has designed the door cards as close to original as possible.

Great work, Brian. this will look stunning when it’s installed into the car.

Jensen 541R Interior Update From The Trim Shop

June 15, 2020

Brian has been making some superb progress on lots of smaller jobs on our Jensen interior restoration. He firstly stripped down the scuttle air vent covers ready to retrim.

Brian has also stripped down and recovered the main Jensen dash panel. He has re-trimmed this in black vinyl. This black vinyl is extremely tactile, providing a luxurious, understated finish that will offset the chrome work superbly.

Brian has restored the original glovebox, re-trimming the glovebox with new carpet.

Brian has also made one pair of rear door capping from 9mm ply wood. He chiselled the correct cutouts and shaped the wood to perfectly match the original. Great work, Brian!

1957 Jensen 541R Interior Door Pockets

June 15, 2020

Brian and Dave have been making up the Jensen door pockets that intrude into the door card, providing storage space.

Using the original wooden pocket as a template, Brian has cut new wooden inserts and handed them over to Dave.

In the workshop, Dave has custom fabricated new metal surround for the pocket. This will head back into Brian in the trim shop for final fabric trimming and fitting. Although this task alone is but a small detail, it needs to perfectly match the original door pocket to ensure the vehicle is restored as true to the original as possible. The overall quality of a restoration is determined by how precisely the smaller details are restored. Wonderful work, Dave and Brian!

1957 Jensen 541R Restoration Update

June 11, 2020

There has been plenty of progress on our Corvette powered Jensen 541R restoration. Dave’s gearbox mount is now in place.

Dave has also welded in seatbelt mounting brackets in, ready for seatbelts to be installed.

Dave has also fabricated Metal components for the top of the door (left) which are now with Chris in the paint shop for painting. Dave has also made aluminium vent sliders which open or close the heating airflow.

1957 Jensen 541R Gearbox Repositioning

June 5, 2020

John has been working on our Jensen 541R Gearbox. This Tremec gearbox is mated to the Corvette engine given to this unique Jensen. To get the gear lever position perfect John has repositioned the whole gearbox forward for the ideal driving position.

Wonderful work, John!

Both Jensen Interior Projects Continues

May 19, 2020

Brian and Kath have been flat out the past few weeks since returning to our workshop. They’ve been tackling the interior on our two Jensen 541R’s.

Brian has been mainly working on creating the bespoke wooden panelling and Kath has been working with our leather and fabric.

The old interior has been used by Kath as a template to cut our fresh leather to. She has then fitted the new leather to Brian’s bespoke built wooden panelling.

We’ve now finished work on the front two seats and the rear seat base and back swab of our black 1960 Jensen. The next stages will be to fit the headlining which will be a gorgeous cream colour. This should offset the black leather and black exterior paint wonderfully!

1957 Jensen 541R – Uranograu

May 15, 2020

First glimpse of our 1957 Jensen 541R in its brand new suit.

A unique two tone finish; with the body in Uranograu or Urano Grey and we have matched the roof to the wheels.

Here we have images of our Jensen in final stage primer before top coating the individual panels and body shell.

The car will now head back into the workshops to be fitted up with newly refurbished parts.

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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