Jensen Progress
June 21, 2024
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
1956 Jensen 541
A Very Busy Jensen
May 13, 2024
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
Suspension, Glovebox, And More
April 24, 2024
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
Seat Runners
April 17, 2024
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
541 Rebuild Progress
April 12, 2024
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
Boot Carpet And More
April 8, 2024
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
541 Progress
March 27, 2024
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
More Rebuilding
March 21, 2024
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
Rebuild Progress
March 18, 2024
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
The Restoration Continues
March 11, 2024
Classic car technician Paul has continued his work on our 1956 Jensen 541. Here is a list of the work completed recently:
More Jensen Progress
March 1, 2024
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
Sound Deadening And Brakes
February 21, 2024
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
More Paint And Wiring
February 14, 2024
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
Lots Of Work Complete
February 7, 2024
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
Repairs And Modifications
January 19, 2024
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
More Progress
January 11, 2024
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
Brakes And Axle Supports
January 3, 2024
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
541 Progress
December 21, 2023
Paul has been working on our 1956 Jensen 541. He made and fitted the fuel tank before fabricating parts for the driver’s side footwell and
Rebuilding Continues
December 13, 2023
Classic car technician Paul has been continuing the process of rebuilding our 1956 Jensen 541. He has fitted several more components as well as fabricated
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
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
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
Jensen Progress
June 21, 2024
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.
A Very Busy Jensen
May 13, 2024
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.
Suspension, Glovebox, And More
April 24, 2024
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
April 17, 2024
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
April 12, 2024
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
April 8, 2024
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
March 27, 2024
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
March 21, 2024
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.
Rebuild Progress
March 18, 2024
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
March 11, 2024
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
March 1, 2024
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
February 21, 2024
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
February 14, 2024
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
February 7, 2024
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
January 19, 2024
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
January 11, 2024
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
January 3, 2024
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.
541 Progress
December 21, 2023
Paul has been working on our 1956 Jensen 541.
He made and fitted the fuel tank before fabricating parts for the driver’s side footwell and welding these in place.
Rebuilding Continues
December 13, 2023
Classic car technician Paul has been continuing the process of rebuilding our 1956 Jensen 541.
He has fitted several more components as well as fabricated steering box mounts and the pedal box.
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.
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.
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.
