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classic jensen 541 restoration

More Work On The Subframe Of Our 1955 Jensen 541

September 23, 2022

More repair work was needed on the subframe of our 1955 Jensen 541.

This work has been undertaken and completed. The finished subframe will now be able to offer the support it needs to, in order to keep the classic car running smoothly and safely when it is fully restored.

Winner – 1960 Jensen 541S ‘Peony’ Wins at Classic at Glemham 2022

September 9, 2022

The 1960 Jensen 541S ‘Peony’ which was restored by the Bridge Classic Cars in-house team has won Best Restored Car at Classic at Glemham 2022.

It’s amazing to see the reception and accolades that this particular Jensen has been chalking up since being completed by the workshop here at our Suffolk HQ. We can’t wait to see what it does next!

Finishing Touches – Finishing The Seat Pockets and Rear Seat Bases on the 1958 Jensen 541R

September 9, 2022

The trim shop at the Bridge Classic Cars HQ have been working on more parts of the 1958 Jensen 541R.

The team have been working on finishing up the amazing fluted rear seat bases. Each line of the fluting has been carefully stitched by hand by Lydia closely following the original as a reference. The covers are now finished and stretched around the bases.

After that, Lydia could work on getting the handmade seat pockets attached onto the back of the front seats before trimming the hoop base and fitted it to the underside of the seat back.

Back and Sides – Handmade Seat Parts for the 1958 Jensen 541R

September 2, 2022

The Bridge Classic Cars trim shop have been working on making more of the handmade parts for the interior of the 1958 Jensen 541R.

This time, Lydia has been working on trimming the backs and sides of the front seats. Each of these parts, including the foam pieces, have all been made and cut specifically for each of the seats to get the best fit for them both.

Lydia has carefully stretched and pulled the material to make sure there were as few creases and folds as possible. The bases will be finished with the cushion and bases that will help to pull the material of the bases taught.

Teardown – Stripping Down the Body of the 1955 Jensen 541 ‘Number 8’

September 1, 2022

The 1955 Jensen 541 ‘Number 8’ has been further stripped down by the Bridge Classic Cars workshop team.

The workshop have removed the roof and rear bodywork from the early 541 to expose its chassis to be thoroughly inspected. The fibreglass parts have been put away into storage after being catalogued for when the classic GT car is ready for restoration.

Success – The 1960 Jensen 541S Wins Best Car

August 22, 2022

The 1960 Jensen 541S ‘Peony Red’, which was restored by the Bridge Classic Cars team, has won Best Car 1956 to 1980 at the 2022 Stonham Barns Classic Vehicle Display.

It’s amazing to see the reception this beautiful classic Jensen has received every time it goes to a show!

On Top – Painting the Roof of the 1958 Jensen 541R

August 22, 2022

The 1958 Jensen 541R has been in the body shop to be perfected and prepared in preparation for the careful painting of its roof.

The team firstly covered the area in polyfan, which was then sanded back to double check for any low or high spots and then it was taken into the paint booth, reprimed and then the most important part of this particular stage.

The team then set about painting the large, curved roof in special Lobelia Blue, its original colour according to the Jensen records. The team laid down layer after layer of the deep, rich blue across the roof and scuttle panel of the classic GT car.

Built-Up – Making The Rear Seat of the 1958 Jensen 541R

August 17, 2022

The Bridge Classic Cars interior trim team have been working on making the rear squab seat of the 1958 Jensen 541R from scratch.

Brian, one of our trimmers, has handmade each of the wooden pieces before fitting them together and refining their shape before the various coverings and foams are installed.

Final Stage – The 1958 Jensen 541R in Final Primer

August 10, 2022

The 1958 Jensen 541R has been in the Bridge Classic Cars paint booth to have its final stage of primer laid down onto the bodyshell.

The team have been working hard to prepare the bodywork of the classic GT car. Every surface has been carefully sanded, worked and primed several times over to make sure everything is perfect.

Then the final glass-like primer could be sprayed onto the bodyshell and left to cure properly in our in-house oven.

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.

Masked Up – Bodyshell of the 1958 Jensen 541R Ready for Primer

July 7, 2022

The bodyshell of the 1958 Jensen 541R has been moved into the Bridge Classic Cars in-house paint booth.

The team carefully cleaned off any dust, debris or dirt from the classic GT before it was then masked up and cleaned down once more in preparation for the team to begin laying the epoxy primer on the fibreglass shell.

Nostalgia – 1955 Jensen 541 ”Number 8” and Its Former Life

July 5, 2022

Our 1955 Jensen 541 ”Number 8” has an amazing history. Through reference materials and historical documents, EX9090 is believed to be only the 8th Jensen 541 to be built by the factory. Through the years, it had been worked on, changed, rebuilt, and modified until it was a shadow of its former self.

We found the car in Lincolnshire as a parts car. Missing was the 4-litre straight-six it would have originally been supplied with, replaced with a Jaguar straight-six of the same time. The seats also appeared to be out of another car and its bright red paintwork had flaked, cracked and weathered. We know this from these photos we were sent of the car in what appears to be the early to mid-1990s from the background objects referenced.

But it wasn’t always this way. The other photos we were sent across are of another Jensen 541 which is in a matching colour scheme to how our 1955 Jensen 541 was originally delivered.

After checking documents and reference sources, we too believe that this is how the car was originally supplied in 1955. As part of its eventual restoration commission, this car will be put back to all original specifications, as seen in the photographs, and reunited with the 4-litre straight-six, a hallmark of the character of the car.

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Inside Work – Stripping The Interior of the 1959 Jensen 541R

July 4, 2022

The in-house trim team at Bridge Classic Cars have been working with our workshop to carefully and completely remove the interior from the 1959 Jensen 541R as part of its restoration journey.

Brian, one of our trimmers, has removed everything from the inside of the 541R. All of these pieces will be stored to use as a template and if anything can be reused or refurbished for the car. Everything from the headliner to the seat runners have been taken out of the car for the team to carefully look through and assess.

Fine Adjustments – Bracing the 1956 Jensen 541 Chassis

June 29, 2022

The workshop at Bridge Classic Cars have been working on the fine adjustments to the chassis of the 1956 Jensen 541 in for restoration.

The team are beginning to weld in the necessary braces and panels as the sides and roof structure begin to be put onto the brand-new frame. For a job such as this, the team are having to make sure that each dimension and axis of the chassis is square when it is welded in. Carefully, the team have moved around the frame to allow for this and gently push and pull certain places in order to bring them into line before welding them in permanently to tie the whole piece together.

Perfect Finish – Wheel Wells on the 1956 Jensen 541 in Primer

June 28, 2022

The Bridge Classic Cars paint and body team have been working on perfecting the wheel wells of the 1956 Jensen 541.

After the team had finished with the careful resin and fibreglass filler work, the team brought them into our in-house paint booth/oven to have their first coats of primer.

The team have carefully blended aluminium and fibreglass to remake and repair the wheel wells so the primer has covered these seamlessly blends. The wells will be now put into storage for the reassembly stage of the restoration.

The First Steps – Work Begins on the 1956 Jensen 541 Chassis

June 28, 2022

The 1956 Jensen 541 chassis which arrived back at the Bridge Classic Cars HQ recently has been moved into our restoration workshops for the team to begin work on the brand-new frame.

At this stage, Rob is preparing the blank bulkhead to be fitted onto the car in preparation for its left-hand drive conversion. Carefully he has set the pieces into place along the bulkhead before using another 541 chassis next to it in the workshop as reference. This will be used as a guide for hole diameters and orientation purposes for the brand new, hand-made chassis for the 1956 Jensen 541 undergoing its restoration journey.

Keep a look out on the Bridge Classic Cars news page for more updates on the 1956 Jensen 541 restoration very soon.

New Arrival – Collecting the 1955 Jensen 541

June 27, 2022

The Bridge Classic Cars transport team have headed north from our Suffolk HQ to collect a very specialist Jensen 541.

This Jensen 541 was a stalled restoration in Lincolnshire which the team have managed to acquire. This particular 541 is special in the fact its identifying numbers, when checked against The Jensen Bible, show this to be the 8th production car built by Jensen in the 541 run.

The car was collected and put into our enclosed transporter to be taken to our secure storage facility, The Hangar, to await its restoration commission.

Keep a look out on the Bridge Classic Cars news page for more updates soon on this 1955 Jensen 541.

Secured – Roof Supports Glued into the 1956 Jensen 541 Rear Window

June 17, 2022

The trim team at Bridge Classic Cars have been continuing work on the roof supports of the 1956 Jensen 541.

Previously, our trimmer Brian handmade the roof supports for the rear window of the classic Jensen which have been specifically profiled to fit the recess perfectly. With the pieces now test fit, the team could prepare the area and the pieces before applying the adhesives and clamping them securely down to let cure.

Coming Together – Wheel Wells and Front Arches of the 1956 Jensen 541

June 16, 2022

The paint and body shop at Bridge Classic Cars have been continuing with the fibreglass work on the 1956 Jensen 541 in at our Suffolk workshop for restoration.

Previously, the team remade the aluminium wheel wells which were then refinished in hardwearing black before being put into storage. Now, they can be pulled out and the team begin the process of making them into one complete unit.

The aluminium wheel wells have been bonded onto the fibreglass inner wings of the classic 541 before then have layers of fibreglass resined over the edge in order to create a uniform piece. From there, the team began work on the fibreglass filler used to perfect and refine the shapes which make up the pieces.

Piece by Piece – Fibre Glass Repairs on the 1956 Jensen 541

June 15, 2022

The paint and body team at Bridge Classic Cars have been carrying out a series of delicate fibreglass repairs to the bodyshell of the 1956 Jensen 541.

The team have been working on the joins between the front pillars and the windscreen surround which over time had cracked. The team carefully strapped the piece into place to make sure the piece was in alignment once the resin had set.

Along with this piece the team also had to carry out some repairs on the rear body section in places around the wheel wells to repair some small cracks and thin areas.

Closer Look – Fibreglass Repairs on the 1956 Jensen 541

May 24, 2022

The paint and body team at Bridge Classic Cars have given us a closer look at the fibreglass repairs on the 1956 Jensen 541 in for restoration.

In these photos, you can see the thinness of the material in areas which had developed some severe checking and in some areas, cracks had begun to appear. So, the team not only strengthened the outside face of the panel but also reset the inside of the piece with modern hard-lasting resins and glass sheets. Carefully, these were built up in specific areas before being left to cure and harden.

Full Glass – Fibreglass Repairs on the 1956 Jensen 541

May 23, 2022

The Bridge Classic Cars body team have turned their attention to some all-important fibreglass repairs to the rear section of the 1956 Jensen 541.

The entire rear clamshell of the classic Jensen had developed a few issues with the material, so the body team carefully re-glassed the area in order to strengthen the piece and add material in for correcting the shape of the piece.

With fibreglass, its important the layers are built up flat and evenly to make sure it perfectly followed the shape of the panel underneath but also around the area.

Piece by Piece – Trim Panels on the 1956 Jensen 541

May 4, 2022

The trim shop at Bridge Classic Cars has been working on building and finishing some of the interior trim pieces for the 1956 Jensen 541.

Lydia, one of our in-house trimmers, had worked on the ceiling pad and window surrounds as part of the restoration of the classic Jensen. These have been specially made, padded and trimmed to match the rest of the interior being made specifically for this 1956 Jensen 541.

Each piece of the Jensen is bespoke to the car to ensure the best fit and finish for all of our interiors as no two cars are the same. So, these pieces will be safely wrapped and catalogued to be put into storage for the reassembly of the car.

Freshly Made – The Fresh Chassis for the 1956 Jensen 541 Back at the Workshop

May 3, 2022

Bridge Classic Cars are pleased to unveil the newly completed chassis for the 1956 Jensen 541 has arrived back at our Suffolk restoration workshop.

The newly completed chassis has been made especially for this project as the car will be converted to a left-hand drive. The custom-made bulkhead has not been drilled or cut for the conversion so our workshop team can make sure that all the necessary systems can be worked into the car in real space.

It’s amazing to see this key piece of the project returning to our restoration workshop.

From Scratch – Rear Seat Base on the 1955 Jensen 541

April 6, 2022

The rear seat base for the 1955 Jensen 541 has been hand-cut and finished by the in-house trim shop at Bridge Classic Cars.

Lydia has been made the whole piece and the foam work from scratch for this unique Jensen. Lydia used some of the original pieces as templates to create the bespoke interior pieces needed to make up the matching rear seat base.

Each of the pieces was put together and carefully pulled/stretched to get the best fit before being glued and stapled into the base board.

Handmade – Replacement Grilles for Jensen 541

March 29, 2022

Bridge Classic Cars is excited to announce that we can now supply beautifully hand-made stainless steel Jensen 541 front grille replacements.

These are handmade to exactly match the openings and shape of the original grilles of the car. The replacement grilles offered by Bridge Classic Cars are uncut and come without any supports or bracketry, these will need to be transferred over from the original pieces or mocked up on the car itself to ensure the best possible fit.

Finished in high-grade stainless steel, these pieces will remain bright and vibrant for longer than regular steel. A beautiful finishing touch to any Jensen 541 restoration.

Collection Day – Collecting the 1959 Jensen 541R

March 29, 2022

The Bridge Classic Cars team took a trip over the weekend to head north and collect the 1959 Jensen 541R from its resting place and bring it back to our Suffolk HQ.

It was an early start with our new van hitched up to our enclosed trailer to make the journey to the north of England to collect the most recent of our 541’s. This car was offered to us for sale because of our long-running history of restoring the Jensen 541 family to the very highest of standards.

Once the team had reached the home of the 541R, and some seriously skilful trailer driving by our director Gordon, the car was carefully pulled out of its garage and out into the open for the first time in several years. The car is remarkably complete with most of the pieces removed from the classic sports car stored back inside the body.

Gordon and Eva inch by inch loaded the 541R into the enclosed trailer, safely secured it and then began the long journey back home with the latest addition to the Bridge Classic Cars family.

Handmade Details – Details for the Seatbase and Rear Quarters on the Interior of the 1955 Jensen 541

March 22, 2022

The trim shop at Bridge Classic Cars has been working on the interior of the 1955 Jensen 541.

Brian, one of our trimmers, has handmade a lot of these details for the interior of the car. Including the rounded bases of the rear quarter panels finished with hand-formed aluminium brackets. These pieces have been entirely made by the trim team and will be recovered.

The seat bases have also been worked on by the team and the wooden spars carefully cut by hand to give the best fit and finish needed for the bottoms of the seats.

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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