Grease all points. Remove all wheels and strip and check brakes. Wash down engine and gearbox areas. Refit all brake drums. Start up and check clutch bite point. Confirm bite point high.
Finish inspection. Run for a further 10 mins. Oil pressure ok. Temp upto 70 degrees. Brakes appear to all work. Switch off and inspect for signs of oil leaks. Findings… Anti freeze content low. No sun visors fitted. Exhaust downpipes hitting engine. Oil leaks, nothing serious just a few drips. Fuel filter black in bottom. Slight blows from exhaust system in various places. Play/knock in steering idler offside. Both steering idlers very close to chassis rails. All tyres starting to perish. Front brakes binding slightly. Front brake shoes glazed. Handbrake requires adjusting. Rear brake shoes worn. Rear diff sweaty. Drivers door panel loose at top edge. Clutch bite point high. Fuel guage not working. Runs not too bad but would benefit from service and tune up. Engine side covers, nearside wet and oily at bottom edge. Body and chassis all appear OK. Not run up to full temperature to check engine running hot as car inside workshop, but coolant will require changing as anti freeze content low, so will carry out a system flush at the same time.
After Tony collected the engine of our 1960 Jensen 541R, Paul fitted the clutch and brake master cylinders to the car. He then cut the heat shield to shape and fitted it to the bulkhead.
Paul went on to prepare the fuel tank before fitting it. The flywheel has also been prepped.
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.
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.
Fitting inner glovebox top section and outer panel. We have glued the vinyl to the bottom section, fitting hinges to the glovebox lid, fitted lock to the lid before fitting lid to the glovebox outer panel.
Brian has also made up the leather door straps, glued leather together ready to be sewn and bolted leather straps to the door panels.
John has also bee fixing a water leak in the engine. Water way blanking stud is missing so he has made up a new one and fit.
November 10, 2023 2:40 pmPublished by Craig Ranson
Our workshop was the meeting point for the group before they headed off for a photo shoot in the local area. While they were with us, they enjoyed a drink and some cake, as well as taking a look at some of the current restoration projects the team are working on.
It was great to meet a group of enthusiasts who have a passion for Jensens as much as we do (and their cars looked incredible too!)
Rebuild progress on our 1959 Jensen 541R has continued recently with classic car technician Rob still working hard to bring this newly-painted classic back to life.
Rob has now fitted the left-hand wheel arch, and the sills and doors have also been put on. Inside the car, the handbrake lever has been installed too.
The wiper motor has been rebuilt and the rear bumper has been fitted too. The door quarter lights have been assembled and are in place and the dynamator has been fitted. Rob also installed the water pump and fitted the C post trims and lights.
Our 1971 Jensen FF MKII has had the attention of classic car technician Jon recently.
The first job Jon completed was to remove the old distributor and replace it with a new one. He also re-routed the speedo cable and fitted a new fuel filter too.
Jon went on to strip, clean, and inspect the brakes of this very impressive-looking classic car.
The cooling system of our Jensen FF was drained by Jon too. So he could gain access to the water pump and thermostat, he had to remove some of the components surrounding them. This gave Jon the opportunity to thoroughly inspect each component and replace any that were no longer in full working order.
All hoses were removed and all mating surfaces were cleaned.
Jon continued his work on our 1971 Jensen FF MKII by making a new gasket for the thermo housing. The cooling system was flushed and blown out too.
The grill was removed so Jon could access and remove the a/c fan.
The coolant pipe was found to be badly corroded so this needed to be cut and modified to resolve this issue. Once the new pipe was cut and painted, the whole system was refitted to the car.
Jon’s work on the cooling system of our 1971 Jensen FF MKII carried on with a new fan switch being fitted, rewiring the fans, and filling the system vacuum with the old coolant that was saved earlier in the process.
Work on the car wasn’t done yet though as Jon went on to remove the fuel tank. He did this to investigate the leak that the owner of the car says happens when the tank is full. Jon’s investigation began by pressure testing the fuel tank. A hole was found in the tank seam once the rust was removed.
Classic car technician Jon cleaned and prepared the new parts that will be needed to fit the new fuel tank. The tank straps were sanded and painted and a new filler neck hose was shaped ready to be fitted.
A new electric fuel pump was installed in our 1971 FF MKII. For this to happen, Jon prepped the area by removing the rear seat so he could secure the new mounts through the floor. The mechanical fuel pump was removed and a blanking plate and gasket were made, painted, and fitted.
Jon’s attention then turned to the wiring that leads to the new fuel pump. The fuel pipes were replaced and joined at the front while armouring was used in places to make sure the wiring was properly protected.
Jon has put a lot of time, effort, and skill into our 1971 Jensen FF MKII lately. Lots of progress has been made and work will continue until this beautiful classic car is ready to drive out of the workshop and get back on the road with its owner.
December 5, 2022 11:06 amPublished by Craig Ranson
The Jensen 541 was a car produced by Jensen Motors. Each one of these cars has an individual story to tell, but the story of the Jensen 541, in general, is one that many car enthusiasts should be keen to hear.
If you want to know more about these truly iconic classic cars, then this brief history of the Jensen 541 can give you a good idea of how special (and rare) these cars really are.
October 1953 – The Launch Of The Jensen 541
At the Earls Court Motor Show of 1953, the Jensen 541 was shown to the public for the very first time. It would be another eight months before production properly started but, this was the date when the world was officially introduced to the 541.
Up until the 541, Jensen had mostly been using aluminium for the bodywork of their Interceptors (there were restrictions on the use of steel still in place as the world recovered from the second world war). When it came to making the boot lids of the Interceptors though, Jensen played around with a new material of the time – fibreglass.
When working on the idea for the 541, Jensen wanted to do something big, so they decided to make a lot more of the car from this new wonder material.
June 1954 – Production Begins
In June of 1954, production of the Jensen 541 began. At the time, you could buy your very own 541 for £2146.
October 1956 – Say Hello To The 541 Deluxe
A little over 2 years after production of the 541 began, the 541 Deluxe was introduced. As this was a more luxurious car that featured all disc brakes, the price of the car increased to £2626.
Only 53 Jensen 541 Deluxes were made in total.
October 1957 – Here Comes The Jensen 541R
A year later, the 541R was introduced. When first released, these were fitted with Austin Princess (DS7) twin-carb engines, and an overdrive gearbox. The price tag for a 541R, at the time, was £2866.
A 1959 Jensen 541R that underwent some restoration work with Bridge Classic Cars
January 1958 – No More Original Jensen 541
At the beginning of 1958, the very last Jensen 541 was made.
October 1960 – From R To S
Two years later, the Jensen 541R was pulled from production too. At this point, less than 200 541Rs had been made. Jensen had now moved on to the Jensen 541S which had a larger interior, and automatic transmission as standard. Due to these upgrades, the 541S cost £3195.
A 1962 Jensen 541S that spent some time in the Bridge Classic Cars workshop
January 1963 – The End Of The Road
At the beginning of 1963, production of the Jensen 541S ended. Less than 150 had been made before being replaced by the Jensen CV-8 which had been introduced the previous year (1962).
Bridge Classic Cars And The Jensen 541
Jensens have had a strong presence in the Bridge Classic Cars workshop for a long time. Our team of classic car technicians have restored multiple 541s and some of our current projects include a few more too.
Considering only a few hundred of these classic cars were made, we love seeing them in the workshop. We love working on them, and we love getting them back on the road for everyone to enjoy.
In the workshops right now, we have 6x Jensen 541’s in various states of repair or restoration. We have 3x Jensen 541’s and 3x Jensen 541R’s.
Sometimes, when fabricating parts it is much more time and cost effective for Clinton to produce more than one item. In this instance, Clinton has been working on re-producing the rear demisters and vents as well as bonnet stops and clamps.
With so many successful Jensen restorations now complete, we have the tooling for a lot of the parts that are required on the Jensen. If you are looking for Jensen parts for your own car or need assistance with fabricating certain parts for your classic car feel free to get in touch and we’d be more than happy to assist.
September 16, 2022 9:51 amPublished by Craig Ranson
Mauro spent the afternoon in the booth preparing parts for a number of our Jensen projects. Blasted parts have been prepared and painted and will now be wrapped up ready for reassembly.
September 15, 2022 9:45 amPublished by Craig Ranson
Some of the peripheral parts belonging to our 1959 Jensen 541R are currently being cleaned up and prepared for refit. Once they are ready to go back on the car they will get packaged and stored away and await refit.
September 14, 2022 9:04 amPublished by Craig Ranson
Our Jensen Interceptor has returned having been chemically dipped. It was sent to Pro-Strip. The car arrived with us a few weeks ago completely stripped as a stalled restoration. We will now embark of the re-installation of all metalwork to produce a concours car.
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
Our in-house trim shop at Bridge Classic Cars are well versed with the interiors of the majestic Jensen 541. So, with the fronts of the 1956 Jensen 541 seats complete, it was time for Kath to turn her attention to the back of the other seat.
Using the other completed seat for reference, Kath began by carefully making a template of the back of the seat. Each of the seat buckets was made by hand back in the 1950s so they are slightly different from one to the next, so to ensure the best fit and finish Kath makes each template by hand. Once this was complete, she could begin to transfer the template onto the lining and the hide that would envelop the fibreglass seat.
After this had been carefully glued and set to the backs and bottom of the seat, Kath began to work on the seat base and cushion. Again, every single piece of the seat is handmade by our in-house trim shop so even the cushions are bespoke to this car. Millimetre by millimetre, Kath perfected the fit and shape of the foam and once that was fair and even, she attached it to the seat base. Then, in the matching hide, Kath retrimmed the cushion and seat base ready to put into the seat.
With this complete, both seats are now ready for when the rest of the car is finished and handed over to the trim shop for fitting.
December 15, 2021 8:58 amPublished 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
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