1956 Jensen 541

Jensen Progress

Paul has continued his hard work on our 1956 Jensen 541. Here are his notes of what he has been up to: Fabricate throttle pedal

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Seat Runners

As our 1956 Jensen 541 continues to make good progress through its restoration journey here at Bridge Classic Cars, Paul has been assembling the seat

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541 Rebuild Progress

Paul has continued rebuilding our 1956 Jensen 541. He has modified the clutch and started making the mounts for the seat belts. Paul then went

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541 Progress

Here’s what Paul has been up to with our 1956 Jensen 541: Finish and fit adjuster for dynamator Finish wiring in engine bay Refurb and

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More Rebuilding

Paul has continued rebuilding our 1956 Jensen 541. He has: He also made and fitted the brake pipes to the servo, repaired the exhaust manifolds

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Rebuild Progress

The rebuild of our 1956 Jensen 541 by technician Paul has carried on recently. Paul fitted the engine and gearbox to the car before cleaning

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More Progress

Classic car technician Paul has been continuing his work on our 1956 Jensen 541. He has fitted the brake pipes and rear shoes as well

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Washer Jets and Intake on our 1956 Jensen 541

Our Carriage Green 1956 Jensen 541 is getting closer to the end of its restoration here at the Bridge Classic Cars Suffolk HQ. Paul, the technician heading up the project, has been making amazing progress in the past couple of weeks.

Today he’s been fitting up the washer jets into the car before plumbing them into the pump. Then he moved onto fitting the air filter to the airbox for the triple carburettor set up currently fitted onto the 541 and finishing it off with the fabricating the front grill vents to finish off the look of this incredible 1950’s GT car.

Adjusting Brackets and Doors on our 1956 Jensen 541

Our 1956 Jensen 541 has been making some incredible progress recently in the new finishing workshop at the Bridge Classic Cars Suffolk HQ in Pettistree.

Paul, one of our restoration technicians, has been been adjusting the doors and brackets around the entire car to make sure everything fits and works perfectly. Meanwhile, the wire wheels have gone back to a local specialist to be refinished so they can match the impeccable finish of this classic GT car.

Progress on the 1956 Jensen 541

Our 1956 Jensen 541 has been making good progress in the finishing room at the Bridge Classic Cars Suffolk HQ. Paul, our technician heading up this project, has been working his way through the list of jobs that need doing to get this classic GT back on the road.

Firstly, Paul worked on making sure everything was fitted up correctly before making the new fuse box cover for the car to help protect the electrical components. Then, Paul could get to work on fitting up the number plates which required custom brackets to be made in order to fit up the front number plate.

Then, Paul turned his attention to the cooling system of the car with wiring up the new electric pull through fan to help cool the freshly rebuilt 4-litre straight six and begin work on getting the speedometer cable fitted into the car.

Fuse Box Covers, Brakes Adjusted and High Beam Switch on our 1956 Jensen 541

Our technician Paul has been moving forward at an incredible rate on our 1956 Jensen 541. To begin with, he’s fitted up the fuse box cover under the bonnet of the classic Jensen. He could also fit up the speedo cable into the car, refit the dashboard and secure the throttle pedal into place.

During its initial build up, Paul noticed that the high/low beam switch was faulty so had a new one placed on order. It has now arrived so he could install it into the car and then after removing the wheels (which have been sent away for refinishing) he could adjust the brake drums.

Perfect Fit – Remaking the Dashpad of our 1956 Jensen 541

Our trim team are always engaged in the constant pursuit of perfection, and their most recent exploit is the dashpad of our 1956 Jensen 541.

Our trimmer Lydia made the dashpad for our classic Jensen a few months ago now, but the project is now at the stage of having its interior put into the car bit by bit alongside the mechanical team getting the car back into place in the new finishing workshop. During this, Lydia noticed that the dashpad of the car didn’t quite perfectly fit as she liked and also was the wrong shape in some place and obscured the view to some of the dials and also got in the way of some of the switches.

So, Lydia stripped the piece down and slimmed it down which allow it to function properly alongside making the piece aesthetically fit better into the classy and sophisticated interior of the 541.

Working on the Dashboard and Gearbox of our 1956 Jensen 541

Paul, one of our restoration technicians, has been working his way through the list of finishing jobs on our 1956 Jensen 541 project. With the car now moved into the finishing room of our workshop, the team are full speed ahead on getting this classic GT back on the road.

To begin with, Paul has worked on getting some of the wiring sorted behind the dashboard. Then, he could move on to reworking the drain plug for the gearbox. Along with having to reprofile the position, Paul also had to repair several threads in the gearbox case with a helicoil.

Progress on our 1956 Jensen 541R

Our workshop team have been steadily making progress on our 1956 Jensen 541 which is in the finishing workshop here at the Bridge Classic Cars workshop in Suffolk.

Our technician, Paul, began with working on test fitting the rear window catches to line up correctly with the stunning interior built by our in-house trim team. Once checked, Paul could fix them securely in place. Then he moved on to getting the drivers side door test fit to work out the gaps and line up through carefully adding and taking away specifically sized shims. Once he was happy with the doors fitment, Paul went under the bonnet of the classic GT car.

To begin with, he fabricated the new battery mount for the car specifically to work within the confines of this specific chassis. And finally, Paul could test fit the radiator into the chassis to begin working on radiator mounts for the car.

Jensen Progress

Paul has continued his hard work on our 1956 Jensen 541. Here are his notes of what he has been up to:

Fabricate throttle pedal stop and fit cable,fit trim to door apertures, fit speakers in parcel shelf,find and match parts for doors chrome etc.

Prepare window chrome for chroming,fit heater hoses and fabricate mounts,cut perspex rear windows using template.

Fit front grill and reshape to fit,fit rear side windows,fit front bumper and measure up for spacers,prepare trim for window for lydia, modify air box to take return spring.

Moving Forward – Working on our 1956 Jensen 541

The Bridge Classic Cars team have been making progress on our 1956 Jensen 541 which is being built up at our Suffolk HQ at the moment.

First off, our painter Chris painted the door hinges on the car as soon, the doors will be test fit onto the car and the team begin to align the pieces onto the car to get the best fit possible. Meanwhile in the mechanical workshop – Paul has been working on getting the various systems in places and working properly with eachother.

This includes fitting up the fuel line to the carburetors and running the new throttle cable from the carburetors to fabricate the throttle cable mount and removing the dash in order to measure for the new speedo cable.

Working on our 1956 Jensen 541

Interior:

Our trimmer Lydia has been working on getting the interior pieces in place to our 1956 Jensen 541. At this point, she has installed the bespoke carpet set into the car which has been made specifically to fit the contours of this particular chassis to make sure that it fits perfectly. So well in fact, that it is held in place with press studs which have to be aligned to make sure that each piece sits perfectly in the car.

Mechanical:

Alongside Lydia in our trim shop, our technician Paul has been handling the mechanical side of the classic GT car. Continuing his work under the bonnet, Paul has installed the wiring harness and secured it in place before routing the connectors and wires to the specific areas, such as the headlight buckets and other lighting. Paul has also fabricated and installed the mounts and brackets to hold the horns in place.

With the core of the interior now in place and the wiring loom ran to the headlights, Paul could fit the foot operated high beam switch into the footwell of the Jensen and wire it into the harness. From there he began work on modifying the exhaust heat shields, fabricating support bars for the radiator and fitting up the carburettor overflow pipework in the engine bay.

Fit Up – Working on the front end of our 1956 Jensen 541

Paul has been working on assembly and refit of our 1956 Jensen 541 which has had a full ground up restoration by the Bridge Classic Cars team here at our Suffolk HQ.

Paul worked on getting the front clam shell onto the car to begin getting the wiring harness fed through and to check for correct fitment onto the car. Whilst on the car, Paul could then get the bonnet catches mounted into position to make sure that when secured the bonnet sits square and true to the body lines of the car.

At this stage, he has been working on the front end of the classic British GT car. Next Paul has got the radiator fitted into the car with new mounts fabricated to fit the chassis, with each of these cars being entirely handbuilt there are variations which means that many of the mounts and fixings have to be fabricated bespoke to each car. Like the radiator mounts, the cars bonnet stays have also been made bespoke for this particular chassis before heading off to the paint team to be finished in gloss black and the radiator sent out to a local specialist to be rebuilt.

Checking Parts on our 1956 Jensen 541 Restoration

Our technician Paul has been making good progress on our 1956 Jensen 541 project. Recently, Paul has been checking that the various brackets and auxiliary parts fit up where they should.

To begin with, Paul tested the fitment of the radiator into the car to make sure its brackets were correctly placed on the frame before the moving onto the bump irons etc.

Then, he worked alongside of fabricator Clinton to begin getting the exhaust for the classic GT started and in the right place before it’s production is started.

A Very Busy Jensen

A lot of progress has happened with our 1956 Jensen 541. Paul has continued his work and has completed a lot of tasks. Here are his notes:

Fit propshaft,check rear axle alignment, fit fuel line at tank,fit n/s door catch captive plate,fit gearbox tunnel, Prep manifolds ready to fit,fit drive shaft,connect pedals to master cylinders,fabricate water bottle mount.

Fit washer bottle and wire in,make loom for electrics to heater fan and wiper motor,fit exhaust manifolds,fit oil feed pipeto gauge,and fabricate mount for flex oil fed pipe,fit clutch and brake pedal pads,fit brake servo pipe.

Fit spare wheel carrier, top up gearbox,engine and differential oils, add fluid to brake and clutch systems and bleed through,fabricate hand brake rods and modify fittings,fit vacuum pipe for brake servo.

Fit brake pedal return springs,wire in loom for bonnet ,fit headlights in bonnet,start fitting bonnet air flap.

To allow Paul to work on the bonnet, Tony transported it from our storage facility to the workshop.

Workshop Walkaround – A Few Projects

With the team here at Bridge Classic Cars always working on something, whether that be the restorations technicians in the various departments, the marketing team or the leadership teams, we are all focused around our incredible workshop.

We’re all incredibly lucky to be able to be surrounded by these cars on a daily basis and every day is different as each project is unique and individual.

For example, the cars which are currently in the workshop – span nearly 115 years between them. From our 1905 Riley 9HP which Steve has been preparing ahead of its first drive all the way up to our 2022 Bridge C-Type which is also being readied for its maiden voyage in its period-correct trim. In between those extremes, is our 1939 Jaguar SS100 which Julian has been working on reassembling after a spring change and our 1958 Austin-Healey 100/6 (which was recently removed from a local barn) is being recommissioned and shown a bit of TLC.

Suspension, Glovebox, And More

Both Paul and Lydia have been working on our 1956 Jensen 541.

Once Paul had changed over the rear suspension leaf springs to the correct ones, he carried on fitting the door trim.

Lydia then made a glove box for our classic Jensen. It’s small in size as it has to fit into the dash around an air duct and wiper motor linkage. Lydia fitted the box she had previously made, then covered the front panel with red leather.

Unfortunately, due to the unique nature of the Jensen, the passenger seat didn’t fit next to the tunnel. Because it was made so long ago before the tunnel was ever fitted, we could not envisage this problem occurring. Lydia has test-fitted the seat into the vehicle and made alterations so that it will no longer fall on the gearbox tunnel, even when it is in its most forward position.

The door surrounds were then finished and the dash and extra wiring were also fitted for the fan motor and screen washer pump.

Seat Runners

As our 1956 Jensen 541 continues to make good progress through its restoration journey here at Bridge Classic Cars, Paul has been assembling the seat runners and drilling the mounting holes for these. The seat belt mounts have been fitted to the gearbox tunnel and the work has begun on fitting the door trim and the fabrication of a cage for the striker plate bolts.

Paul also fitted the chrome trim to the roof edge and aligned and pre-drilled the rear window hinges. He then went on to fit and align the front side panels before fitting the rear side window hinges. He also started fitting the aluminium ground panels.

541 Rebuild Progress

Paul has continued rebuilding our 1956 Jensen 541. He has modified the clutch and started making the mounts for the seat belts.

Paul then went on to fit the wiper motor before finishing fitting the seat belts. He has also started fabricating new seat runner mounts ready to be welded in place.

Boot Carpet And More

Lydia has been looking at the boot carpet in our 1956 Jensen 541. She has templated and made the boot carpets, which are unique to each car. She has shaped and moulded the sides to fit the rear curves in the boot, and then completed it with a large over mat. She will finish glueing everything down when the wiring has been finalised.

Paul has also been working on our classic 541. He has made and fitted the earth cable, fitted the distributor vacuum pipe, cut a hole in the gearbox tunnel to make access to the speedo drive and fabricated a cover. He has also made and fitted the wiper motor mounting plate, and designed and made the seat belt mounts.

541 Progress

Here’s what Paul has been up to with our 1956 Jensen 541:

Finish and fit adjuster for dynamator

Finish wiring in engine bay

Refurb and fit tank sender unit

Fabricate engine breather pipe

Fabricate cover for fuel tank inspection cover inside boot

Modify brake pipe mounts and brake pipes to allow fitting of wings

Modify of wing to make room for the steering box,also modify steering box mount,fit engine breather pipe

He also fitted and aligned the o/s front wing,connect wiring to gearbox for over drive, fit gear lever and over drive switch,fabricate spacer for oil filter body and refit oil filter,fit clutch push rod.

More Rebuilding

Paul has continued rebuilding our 1956 Jensen 541. He has:

  • Assembled oil filter body ready to fit
  • Fitted water pump
  • Shortened steering arm and fit,
  • Fabricated and fitted gearbox tunnel inspection plate
  • Find exhaust manifolds and offer up to engine to check fitment
  • fit rocker cover
  • fit oil filter housing,
  • Take rear suspension measurements
  • Fabricate mounting plate for new brake servo and fit servo

He also made and fitted the brake pipes to the servo, repaired the exhaust manifolds ready for coating, checked and balanced the carb mixture screws, replaced the bulkhead heat shield, made and fitted the king lead, and carried on with the electrics.

A New Shade – The 1956 Jensen 541 Gets New Wheels

With our 1956 Jensen 541 project moving quickly now, the team have had a chance to try out some new ideas for the car. One of which being the cars wheel colour.

This 541 is going to be fitted with wire wheels and to change things slightly, the team have opted for the dark red wheels you see here. This adds a beautiful flash of colour to the dark exterior and makes this car unique in its own way.

Rebuild Progress

The rebuild of our 1956 Jensen 541 by technician Paul has carried on recently. Paul fitted the engine and gearbox to the car before cleaning and preparing the oil filter housing for paint. He modified the wiper spindles to take new fittings, before making and fitting the starter motor main lead.

Paul then started to prepare the carbs ready to fit.

The water pump was fitted and measurements were taken to machine pulley to size. Paul fabricated the starter motor cover before starting to assemble the carbs and making seals and gaskets.

The Restoration Continues

Classic car technician Paul has continued his work on our 1956 Jensen 541. Here is a list of the work completed recently:

  • Finish rear brake
  • Fit splined hubs for spoked wheels
  • Fit parts to gearbox ready to fit to engine
  • Fit clutch to the engine
  • Fit modified fuel filler pip
  • Fabricate back plates for rear indicators and fit indicators
  • Locate parts for gearbox ready to fit to engine
  • Fit the last piece of the bulkhead heat shield
  • Fit the gearbox to the engine and start fitting auxiliaries
  • Fabricate the blanking plate to cover the fuel pump aperture

More Jensen Progress

The heat shield on our 1956 Jensen 541 has been finished and the throttle pedal has been fitted. The vacuum valve and heater pipes were also fitted.

Paul removed the handbrake mounts before painting and refitting them.

Paul made a finishing strip for the rear shelf of our 541 to hide some holes where the suspension mounts poke through. Lydia used foam built up in layers to graduate the slope to the wooden bar. She also applied a very thin layer of foam to the shelf to smooth over any imperfections in the fibreglass. Next, this was covered with a layer of black leather. 

Sound Deadening And Brakes

Lydia recently covered the gearbox tunnel of our 1956 Jensen 541 with sound-deadening material. Paul has also made and fitted the brake pipes from the master cylinder to the main pipe connector.

Paul then went on to build up the engine bay ready for the engine and gearbox. He also fabricated the rear brake wheel cylinders backing plate and fitted it in place before fitting the gearbox tunnel, and bonnet hinges. He then cleaned and painted the servo valve.

More Paint And Wiring

Chris has applied dtm gloss to various components of our 1956 Jensen 541.

While he was doing this, Paul finished wiring the loom into the dashboard and fabricated a gearbox mount. He then went on to fit the floor boards and fuel line before cleaning the gearbox tunnel ready for repair.

Once this was done, Paul modified the old bumper mounts to fit the new chassis.

Lots Of Work Complete

Our 1956 Jensen 541 has made a lot of progress recently.

Paul has finished the dash mounts and has started work on the wiring. After fitting the loom, he began work wiring some of the electrical components into it.

The headlining has been fitted on our 541 too. Lydia made it from a cream vinyl with an embossed pattern. New holes for the roof bars had to be drilled as the previous holes had been repaired and filled in. Lydia then heated the vinyl and pulled it into place, making sure to remove all the creases as she went. She trimmed the excess away and tidied up the edges to make sure that the rubber for the front and back windscreens fit as they should.

Lydia then moved on to the side panels. She first covered the panels in a layer of scrim foam as the fibreglass was very bumpy. This helps to smooth out the thin headlining material. She then covered them in headlining material.

Christian got involved in the recent work too by fabricating a steering column spacer.

Repairs And Modifications

Classic car technician Paul has been working on our 1956 Jensen 541. He fitted the heater box and fabricated various parts before fitting the handbrake cable and welding the bracket in place.

He then modified the chassis to enable the fitting of the wiring loom.

More Progress

Classic car technician Paul has been continuing his work on our 1956 Jensen 541. He has fitted the brake pipes and rear shoes as well as assembling parts for the heater box.

Brakes And Axle Supports

Classic car technician Paul has manufactured brake pipes for our 1956 Jensen 541. After fitting these to the car, he then fabricated axle support straps ready for them to be painted.