A brand new chassis for the 1956 Jensen 541 is under construction. Part of this also involves a very special bulkhead to covert the car to left-hand drive.
The estimated completion of the chassis is about 4 weeks. We will then be into reassembly. The car will be finished Deep Carriage Green with Burgundy upholstery.
After completing numerous restorations and recommissions of the Jensen 541, this will be the first left-hand drive car to be completed by our workshop.
February 28, 2022 9:36 amPublished by Craig Ranson
The paint team at Bridge Classic Cars have had some of the parts and pieces from the 1956 Jensen 541 in the paint booth.
With the restoration of the 1956 Jensen 541 moving ahead with the body panels and pieces being worked on by our paint and body teams, it was the turn of some of the parts to go into our in-house paint booth to be refinished in heavy-duty black and looking as good as new.
The pieces for this restoration will be going into the booth in various stages in preparation for the final assembly of the car but until then they will be wrapped up and put into storage after being catalogued.
February 18, 2022 11:07 amPublished by Craig Ranson
The trim team at the Bridge Classic Cars workshop in our Suffolk HQ are working through the interior pieces and trims for the 1955 Jensen 541.
Brian, one of our trimmers, has been working on shaping and putting together the fitted rear seats for the 1950s GT car. Each part of these rear seats is made by hand by our trim shop in-house. Every car is unique so each interior we do for a Jensen is also unique and fit specifically for that car.
This 541 is no exception. The rear seats have had their foams cut and shaped by hand to get the best fit and finish possible for the interior of the classic Jensen. Along with that, Brian has also remade and trimmed the ceiling pad to match.
February 17, 2022 9:15 amPublished by Craig Ranson
The front seats for the 1955 Jensen 541 are on the workbench in the in-house trim shop at Bridge Classic Cars.
Brian has been testing fitting each part of the seat bases to make sure everything lines up and fits just right. He then made new wooden cappings to go along with the new metal frames. Once the fit was just right, the new bases could then me covered in Calico before being placed and fitted into the fibreglass bucket seats.
February 16, 2022 12:40 pmPublished by Craig Ranson
We’ve been sent an amazing photo from the lobby of Seckford Hall here in Suffolk. The photo in the frame is from a photoshoot that Bridge Classic Cars did with the 1961 Jensen 541S restoration we had carried out at Seckford Hall.
It’s always a very proud moment to see both our photography work and restoration work in somewhere like Seckford Hall.
February 14, 2022 11:12 amPublished by Craig Ranson
The trim shop at Bridge Classic Cars have cleaned up and repadded the front seats of the 1955 Jensen 541.
Lydia has been working on hand-forming each of the padding pieces for the front bucket seats and shaping them roughly. These all have multiple pieces but the forms needed to be just right before the seat covers are eventually made to fit the fibreglass bucket seats.
Keep a look out on the Bridge Classic Cars news page for more on the interior of the 1955 Jensen 541.
February 11, 2022 11:11 amPublished by Craig Ranson
The Bridge Classic Cars trim shop have worked on getting the original interior of the 1955 Jensen 541.
Lydia has been working through each individual piece to get them stripped down to the bases and components underneath to be inspected and assessed. Once they have been assessed, she can begin the work of completely remaking all the padding and covers for the interior.
Bridge Classic Cars have a long history of working on the Jensen 541 and creating the interiors for these amazing GT cars.
February 11, 2022 10:55 amPublished by Craig Ranson
The Bridge Classic Cars in-house trim shop has made every piece of the interior for our Jensen 541’s by hand. And the 1956 Jensen 541 we have in for restoration is the next car in that line of bespoke interiors.
Brian and Lydia have been working together to get the rear seat finished for this amazing project. In the last update, Lydia had finished making the new seat cover entirely by hand and bespoke for this particular car. Now, Brian has made the new seat base and foams for the car. Again, these are unique and bespoke for the car to ensure the best fit and finish for the final product.
The interior of this particular 1956 Jensen 541 is going to look absolutely phenomenal when it’s finished and we cannot wait to show you.
January 14, 2022 11:38 amPublished by Craig Ranson
Our in-house trim expert Lydia has been busy remaking the rear seat for the 1956 Jensen 541 that we are currently in the process of restoring at Bridge Classic Cars.
Lydia used what was left of the original rear seat as a rough guide to create a specially made template for the classic GT car. Carefully, Lydia could transfer this template onto the chosen leather to begin the process of cutting out the individual pieces that will be joined together, edged and then fitted around the seat base.
The attention to detail that our trim-shop have is what truly sets them apart in their field. Every aspect of the seat is taken into consideration when creating these custom pieces from scratch.
January 13, 2022 12:54 pmPublished by Craig Ranson
Our head trimmer here at Bridge Classic Cars, Brian, has been working on finishing up the interior trims for the 1956 Jensen 541 which is in with us for a full ground-up restoration.
Brian has methodically worked through the trims around the doors of the little known sportscar to ensure that each piece is repaired (if needs be) and then prepared and recovered in the beautiful red leather chosen by the lucky owner.
Each piece of hardware has also been refinished by Brian and the trim team to give even the smallest screw or bolt the same level of finish as the pieces they secure.
Another key piece that Brian has been working on is the beautiful rear seat centre console. Brian made up a new metal piece that creates the skeleton and the recovered in soft, durable foam and capped in that deep red leather.
There will be more updates on the 1956 Jensen 541 restoration by Bridge Classic Cars very soon.
January 12, 2022 11:05 amPublished by Craig Ranson
The Bridge Classic Cars in-house restoration technicians are not new to the world of Jensen 541’s, after restoring several of the 541, 541S and 541R’s we have some experience in doing jobs on them.
This particular 1962 Jensen 541S came into us to have a few jobs carried out on it.
Firstly it was the job of our technician Tamas to remove the old steering column from the car as the customer had requested it be replaced in favour of a new power steering unit. Carefully and with the old wiring harness out of the way, Tamas worked on getting the new unit fitted up to the dark green, luxury GT. After that, Tamas made sure that everything fit up to the car with the new harness in place to ensure nothing caught or bound up on the new column and also to check the column-mounted shifter all worked seamlessly.
Then it was time to get the new wiring harness fitted to the car. Our workshop manager John, began with completely removing the old harness from the car and preparing each piece for the brand new harness to be put into the car. Then, it was the turn of our restoration technician Tamas to get the new harness entirely installed into the car. He began by wiring up the new harness into the back of the dashboard and gauges whilst on the work bench. Then with this, he carefully refit the original dash back into the making sure to drape the specific wires through the dash structure to keep them all neat and organised. Then, he systematically went through the harness to connect it into the relevant systems of the car and began testing. Everything worked perfectly!
Brian, one of our legendary in-house trim experts at Bridge Classic Cars, is a true master of his craft. Brian is currently working on the rear trim panels and pieces for the 1956 Jensen 541 being built by us here at Bridge Classic Cars. The interior is one of those pieces being handcrafted to fit the car.
The rear quarter pieces have been entirely made by hand by Brian. We have a long history of restoring Jensen 541’s to a world-class standard and part of that is the interiors our team create for these bespoke sportscars. Each piece for the interior of the ’56 has been made by hand by the team, whether it be the coverings or literally panels for the car like these rear quarter pieces.
Brian made these panels to perfectly fit into the car and also to work alongside the other pieces of trim which are going to be alongside them in the car. After hand forming them, Brian then cuts and wraps them by hand to ensure the best possible fit and finish to each piece for such a special car.
December 20, 2021 2:40 pmPublished by Craig Ranson
The 1962 Jensen 541S that is currently in the Bridge Classic Cars workshop is currently undergoing a full wiring harness swap.
Our workshop manager, John, has been given the task of changing over from the old harness to the bespoke harness for the car. John has been making sure that everything is prepped and ready for the new harness but he has found a couple of issues.
This particular 541S has been fitted with electric fans which on inspection of the wiring, was just twisted together and taped over. John cut this out and remade the extensions for it to be wired up to the new harness. The main aim of the new harness is the safety and longevity for the owner so John is making sure each of the systems is being checked as it is installed.
December 20, 2021 12:04 pmPublished by Craig Ranson
The restoration technicians at Bridge Classic Cars have been busy working on a couple of jobs on the 1960 Jensen 541S before it goes to The Hangar for its winter storage.
One of the most important jobs to be done was to fit a rearview mirror at the request of the owner. The mirrors for the 541’s did not come as standard, however, because of our history with their restorations, we managed to source a piece for the owners’ peace of mind while driving.
Carefully, the mirror was placed into the door at the right place after dozens of test fits to ensure the part sat properly and also looked right. The detailing on the mirror itself is a beautiful part of its story. With exposed, bright hardware and a simple flat disc but with the base coming to a sharply defined point, it looks completely at home on the 541.
There are a couple of other jobs to have a look at on Peony Red, which will you’ll be able to see about here on the Bridge Classic Cars news page.
December 8, 2021 12:04 pmPublished by Craig Ranson
Mauro, has been working on getting all the relevant parts and pieces of the 1956 Jensen 541 ready to be sent out to local, trusted specialists for refurbishment.
Bridge Classic Cars have a long history of restoring Jensen 541’s to a very high standard and this 1956 541 is to be no exception. The pieces of the car have been carefully dismantled down to their core components and assessed for condition and originality. Where possible, we try to keep the cars as original as possible but refinished and restored to go back on the car.
The pieces here have also been catalogued and photographed for record as well as detailed records of them being dismantled so that everything and their construction method is accounted for. Each component is dealt with individually to ensure that it safely comes apart and if not, can be taken apart and repaired to the exacting standards that Bridge Classic Cars holds its restorations to.
Soon, there will be more updates on the 1956 Jensen 541 during its restoration, so keep an eye out here on the Bridge Classic Cars news page.
December 8, 2021 11:30 amPublished by Craig Ranson
The teardown of components for sandblasting is a crucial step in any restoration. The parts need to be broken down into the their separate pieces in order to be properly blasted and cleaned but also different attention is sometimes required to different materials. Another part of this is knowing the fixing and the parts are in good or rebuildable order before they are sent out.
That’s why Mauro, one of our in-house restoration technicians has been hard at work carefully taking apart each of the components which will be sent away of the 1956 Jensen 541 for sandblasting. With a car as bespoke and handbill as the 541, it is important to carefully remove and catalogue all pieces that come off the car for later when the rebuild begins. Also, for reference to know exactly what is being sent out. That is something Bridge Classic Cars prides itself on with our restorations, the level of detail.
Each component, piece by piece was gently and sympathetically broke down to its constituent parts in order to be fully assessed before being labeled and photographed. These pieces will be sent to a local specialist to treat and revitalise before being returned to us at Bridge Classic Cars for the Jensen. The process allows the fresh metal underneath to breathe but also for our restoration teams to assess any imperfections or hidden damage to the components when they arrive back. As you can see with the Jensen, there are lots of parts with even more small fixings and components so it is crucial with a restoration as in depth as that of the 1956 541 that everything is as good as it possibly can be.
Expect to see more on the 1956 Jensen 541 being restored at Bridge Classic Cars very soon here on the News page.
Brian, our in-house trim expert, has been continuing to work on the rear quarter trims for the 1956 Jensen 541 currently in at Bridge Classic Cars for restoration.
Brian has completely fabricated each of the trim pieces by hand for the 541 using what was left of the originals. Piece by piece, Brian used the original techniques to recreate the trim panels which will then go on to be retrimmed in matching vibrant red leather to the rest of the car.
Each of the pieces has been hand cut and sanded to be a perfect fit when installed into the car. Millimetre by millimetre, Brian removed material after dry fitting. Also, taking into account the foam covering and leather to ensure the best fit and finish possible for this incredible 1950s British sports car.
November 29, 2021 10:20 amPublished by Craig Ranson
Brian has been busy at work hand-crafting several pieces for the interior of the 1956 Jensen 541 that is being restored by Bridge Classic Cars.
Brian, one of our master in-house trim experts, has been using what is salvageable from the original interior as well as reference photos and experience to create the needed trim panels. Here, Brian is making new wooden pieces for interior cards of the 541 which will be foamed and then wrapped in the world-class hide to the customers choice of colour.
Brian took his time to carefully measure and template the pieces that are needed for the car. Then, he began to bring them to life for this stunning British sports car which is currently being restored by all of our restoration teams.
November 26, 2021 11:53 amPublished by Craig Ranson
The wiring loom for the 1962 Jensen 541S that is in at Bridge Classic Cars has arrived! This means our world-class in-house restorations technicians can begin to slowly and carefully remove the old harness in preparation for the new loom to be put into the car.
Before the harness is removed, our technicians will check vital components and their connectors to ensure that the new loom will fit into place just as intended both neatly and safely back into this gorgeous British sports car.
We’re excited to see more on the 541S in the coming weeks!
November 26, 2021 10:34 amPublished by Craig Ranson
Bridge Classic Cars are happy to welcome another wonderful Jensen 541 into our restoration workshop. This particular car is a 1962 Jensen 541S which has arrived in our workshop for our in-house restoration teams to begin working through several jobs.
This car is going to have an entire wiring loom replaced by our in-house restoration technicians. This is down to a couple of wiring issues but thanks to our specialism in Jensen 541’s it is no problem for our world-class team. While the car is in our workshop, it will also have its steering column replaced for the owner.
We’re looking forward to getting to work on yet another Jensen 541, so keep an eye out on the Bridge Classic Cars blog.
November 25, 2021 12:35 pmPublished by Craig Ranson
Brian is a true master of his trade. What started as a series of rotten wooden pieces became brand new pieces for the 1956 Jensen 541 that is in at Bridge Classic Cars.
Using what was left of the original pieces, Brian began to strip back and assess each piece to see if it could be salvaged and reused in the car to preserve any form of originality. Inch by inch Brian has recreated the pieces for the rear quarter trims from almost thin air. Using ply for the wooden pieces underneath, Brian began to wrap and prepare the pieces for the leather trimming.
November 25, 2021 12:23 pmPublished by Craig Ranson
With several Jensen 541’s restorations currently going through the Bridge Classic Cars workshop, it was time to send their gearboxes off to a local gearbox/transmission specialist with who we have been working with for several years.
These gearboxes and overdrive units will be completely rebuilt in preparation for when the cars are ready later in their respective restorations.
There will be more updates once these have been rebuilt at Last Transmissions and are back safely in our hands at Bridge Classic Cars.
November 25, 2021 12:01 pmPublished by Craig Ranson
Brian has been continuing to work on the interior of the 1956 Jensen 541 that is here at Bridge Classic Cars for restoration.
This time, Brian has been skillfully making the new rear seat by hand. To ensure the best fit, our in-house trim shop finds it best to do these by hand in order to get the best possible finish for the car.
Starting from a single solid block of foam, Brian transferred the template and began to cut it down to size. Slowly refining the shape until it was as close to perfect as possible and then going that last little bit to get it 100% spot on. Brian then began fitting in the braces and extra padding that is needed once the cover has been made and fitted to fit properly.
November 24, 2021 1:50 pmPublished by Craig Ranson
Kath, one of our absolutely incredible trim team, has been working on the seat of the 1956 Jensen 541 that is at Bridge Classic Cars to be restored for an amazing customer of ours.
Last time you saw Kath finishing the back of the fibreglass bucket seat. Now, it’s time for the final piece of the puzzle. The seat base. Much like the bolsters and the back, the base has been entirely handmade for the individual seat. This way Kath can ensure that it has a perfect fit and sits beautifully in the seat as a whole.
Kath hand formed the foam padding to match each and every curve of the seat. Once she was happy with the shape, it was a case of beginning to make the cover. Finished in matching deep red leather with red piping. It looks absolutely phenomenal. Each piece of the seat base was test fit to the seat itself at every stage to make sure the final fit and finish were perfect.
And as you can see by the final result, it looks absolutely stunning.
November 18, 2021 3:49 pmPublished by Craig Ranson
We recently said goodbye to Princess Grey. Off to be restored by its enthusiastic new owner who will love and cherish this car.
Princess Grey is a 1959 Jensen 541R which we stored with the prospect of one day being commissioned to build her for a new owner and keep another 541 safe for prosperity and generations to come. That is still going to happen but just not with us.
However, it is really exciting to see it going off to the new owner and we look forward to seeing updates on the car.
October 28, 2021 12:00 pmPublished by Craig Ranson
Here at Bridge Classic Cars, we’ve built a reputation for being one of the leaders in the restoration of the Jensen 541 family. The latest of these that is just beginning its journey is this 1956 Jensen 541.
This car came to us as a semi barn-find. After pulling it into the workshop, our in-house restoration technician Scott began to separate all the associate parts that were left inside the shell. This is an important part of any ground-up restoration as it gives you a clear view of what is going to be needed and its availability.
With the body and chassis of the Jensen, Scott has been going through to assess what parts can be refurbished and what will need to have replacements made. Carefully Scott has been removing, cataloguing and storing the various fixings and components which can be fully inspected at a later date by our in-house restoration teams.
Expect to see more about the restoration of this 1956 Jensen 541 on our Blog very soon.
The choice of colour on a classic car interior is a big part of any restoration.
Do you try and match as closely to the original as possible or do you personalise and make it unique to your own taste? Tough call. But, our in-house trim shop team will do either request to a world-class level.
This is the stage that we are at with the restoration of the interior of the 1956 Jensen 541 at Bridge Classic Cars. With the volumes of swatches that we carry for our clients to choose from, you can have almost any combination imaginable and always to the highest level of fit and finish.
This Jensen is starting from the ground up with its interior. So, while the choices are being made, Kath will be making the custom-fit handmade padding that will sit under whatever colour combination this very lucky client chooses.
Check-in on the News Page for more updates on this very exciting project.
September 22, 2021 8:04 amPublished by Craig Ranson
For a handmade classic car, only a handmade interior will do. This is much the story with our beautiful 1960 Jensen 541R we have in the trim shop here at Bridge Classic Cars for one of the incredible owners, Gordon.
Our beloved Lilac has been in the trim shop recently to have our in-house trim experts begin work on upholstering the seats for this truly unique car. Starting from scratch, our upholsters began laying out the original frames and foams to ensure that the new set, which are handcrafted in-house, would fit. They also had to suit the cars classic but also quite contemporary lines.
The webs for the rear seat needed to include the signature rear hump. This had to be taken into account when making this one-off interior. The rear is a masterpiece of flowing lines that finish in neat and crisp corners that perfectly suit a car of this calibre. The padding was selected to give the most amount of support for the driver and passengers whilst out there enjoying the gorgeous 541R.
Our in-house team of automotive upholsterers took their time to make sure that the front seat also was given the same treatment as the rear. Skillfully matching the compound shapes and curves that make up the best seat in the house when it comes to enjoying a truly unique classic car.
September 14, 2021 9:56 amPublished by Craig Ranson
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