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jensen 541 specialist

Together – 1958 Jensen 541R In Full Bodywork

September 9, 2022

The 1958 Jensen 541R has worked on getting all the panels onto the car to double-check fitment after paint.

The team have put the one-piece clamshell bonnet and both doors and boot lid onto the classic GT cars to begin adjusting and checking over everything to make sure there’s no interference and damage any of the paintwork.

It’s incredible to see the car together as a whole and see all of the various lines and curves which blend into one another on the body of the car.

Repaired – Repairing the Subframe for the 1955 Jensen 541 ‘Number 8’

September 8, 2022

The subframe for the 1955 Jensen 541 ‘Number 8’ has been reworked by the Bridge Classic Cars team.

The part was in need of some repairs and revisions so was taken to the bench for the restoration technicians to rework. The team have completely remade some of the tabs and mounts which will be needed for it to be reattached to the frame while also reinforcing certain areas.

Stripped Back – Stripping the Subframe of the 1955 Jensen 541 ‘Number 8’

September 6, 2022

The subframe for the 1955 Jensen 541 ‘Number 8’ has been delivered back to the Bridge Classic Cars Pettistree workshop.

The subframe has been checked over and all areas in need of repair have been noted by the workshop for our amazing fabrication shop to carry out getting the piece back to full strength and squareness.

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.

Check Over – Inspecting the Subframe from the 1960 Jensen 541R ‘Lilac’

September 1, 2022

The subframe from the 1960 Jensen 541R has arrived back at the Bridge Classic Cars workshop after being sent away for blasting.

The team sent away the subframe for blasting to get a better look at the condition of the piece. Once it arrived back, the team have noticed that several of the mounts and brackets are heavily bent and misshapen while the bottom of the subframe has some areas of corrosion.

The subframe will be taken over to our in-house fabrication shop to be repaired and further checked over.

Up Front – Trimming the Front Seats on the 1958 Jensen 541R

August 30, 2022

The Bridge Classic Cars trim team have been busy stripping down and retrimming the front seats of the 1958 Jensen 541R.

The team have stripped the seats all the way back and removed any old padding or coverings to begin to remake the seats to the customer’s specifications. Each piece has been completely hand-cut and made for the seats to ensure the best possible fit and finish for the car.

These were then put together over the modern foam backings to finish.

In Colour – Body of the 1958 Jensen 541R Painted

August 23, 2022

The 1958 Jensen 541R has been back into the Bridge Classic Cars in-house paint booth to have its body painted.

The team began by getting the doors and grille painted in a dark silver/bronze colour, contrasting against the beautiful dark blue of the roof. Then, each piece was clear coated and left to cure.

The body was then taken into the booth to be finished. Chris, one of our amazing painters, laid down layer after layer of the paint letting it cure before applying the clearcoat which is being left to harden before it can be sanded and fully polished to a mirror-like finish.

Here are some photos of what it looks like together:

Remake – Replacing the Broken Ceiling Pad on the 1958 Jensen 541R

August 22, 2022

The Bridge Classic Cars interior trim team have been back working on the 1958 Jensen 541R.

The team have been repairing the top rail for the ceiling pad inside the classic GT car. The team have remade the wooden piece by hand using traditional methods to make a total replica of the original piece for the car.

Close Contact – Retrimming and Stripping Interior Pieces of the 1958 Jensen 541R

August 17, 2022

The trim shop at Bridge Classic Cars have been working on more of the interior pieces of the 1958 Jensen 541R in at our Suffolk HQ.

To begin with, our trim Lydia has retrimmed some of the interior trim panels in new leather to go towards the elegant and stylish final finish on the car. All of these pieces have been specially tailored and glued tight onto the panels to get the right fit and finish for the car.

Next, Lydia began by stripping back the original glovebox on the car to be prepared and readied to be refinished to the rest of the interior.

Headed Off – The 1959 Jensen 541R Off to Blasting

August 12, 2022

The 1959 Jensen 541R ‘Hepburn’ has been completely stripped back to a bare shell by the Bridge Classic Cars workshop as part of its restoration and to prepare it for blasting.

The bodyshell has been loaded onto a rotisserie for media blasting so that every part of the frame and body can be got to and exposed with the carefully selected blast media. The bodyshell was then loaded onto one of our trailers to be transported to a local trusted specialist to carry out the job.

Once complete, it will come back and be inspected and assessed by the restoration departments.

Final Drive – Getting the 1958 Jensen 541R Ready for Final Primer

August 9, 2022

The 1958 Jensen 541R has been having its final stages of sanding finished before it is taken into the Bridge Classic Cars paint booth for its last stage of primer.

The classic Jensen has been worked on by the body team to perfect each curve and shape across the entire car as a whole. Then, some of the panels were taken into the booth to have their final coat of primer before the bodyshell is taken in soon.

Out & About – 1960 Jensen 541S ‘Peony’ at a Car Show

August 8, 2022

The 1960 Jensen 541S ‘Peony’, which was restored by Bridge Classic Cars, has been to several recent classic car shows with its proud owner sending us over some photos of the gorgeous classic Jensen GT car in pride of place.

Coming Out – Teardown Continues on the 1959 Jensen 541R

August 5, 2022

The 1959 Jensen 541R in the Bridge Classic Cars restoration workshop has been stripped down even further in pursuit of the car’s total restoration.

This time, our technicians have been working on completely clearing out the engine bay. To begin with, all of the simple and easy pieces were removed from the car to be inspected and catalogued. Then, with everything out of the way, the straight-six engine and its gearbox could be gently removed from the car.

Every single piece that comes off the car has been safely put into storage.

Getting Ready – Preparing to Remove the Engine on the 1959 Jensen 541R

August 3, 2022

The engine from the 1959 Jensen 541R is due to come out of the frame any day now as part of the restoration of the car by Bridge Classic Cars.

For this, the team have been preparing all the surrounding areas to make sure the engine cannot get hung up or caught on anything on its way out of the classic GT car.

To The Core – Stripping Back More Interior Pieces on the 1958 Jensen 541R

August 2, 2022

The trim shop at Bridge Classic Cars has been working on stripping back more interior pieces from the 1958 Jensen 541R.

Lydia, one of our trimmers, has carefully been taking apart the original pieces all the way back to their core components in order to inspect and assess the structure underneath. Each of the pieces was taken off and visually checked over individually.

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.

Update – Progress on the 1956 Jensen 541

July 22, 2022

The Bridge Classic Cars workshop have made great progress on the 1956 Jensen 541.

Our technician, Rob, has been working on the front end of the classic Jensen. To begin with, he fully welded in the suspension towers onto the new chassis. This is a crucial stage as it also acts as a tie-in for the front wing braces and forms part of the core support.

Next, Rob could fit the new wheel arches and begin to make the new brackets now that the towers were firmly in place, and accurate measurements could be taken to ensure the inner arches/wings sat squarely in the car and to the frame.

With all of these pieces firmly in place, Rob could begin to test fit the lower part of the front wing. This could then be adjusted for the right fitment and alignment to the body to act as one of the datum points with the fibreglass front end is fitted.

Fitting Up – Final Welding of the Door Supports and Mocking Up the Suspension on the 1956 Jensen 541

July 19, 2022

The restoration workshop at the Bridge Classic Cars Suffolk HQ have been working on the 1956 Jensen 541.

This time, our technician Rob has been finishing up adjusting and finish welding the door supports for the car. With all of the supports and brackets perfectly in place to get the door gaps and alignment right, Rob could then finish welding all of the pieces into place including the all-important A pillar post.

With that now complete, the team could get the front suspension mocked up and into place. To begin with, the team worked on aligning the front tower in just the right place to then be spot-welded to the new frame and the controls arms mocked up into place to check measurements.

Crossing Over – New Door Skin and More Roof Framework on the 1956 Jensen 541

July 13, 2022

The 1956 Jensen 541 has had some new parts and pieces fitted during its build-up in the Bridge Classic Cars workshop at our Suffolk HQ.#

The team have test fit a new door skin to the frame to make sure everything lines up and fits as it should before then fitting the door to the frame to check for any interference from the door to the bodywork or the various pieces of the framework on the classic 1950s GT car.

Once the door had been checked, Rob, could begin working on the roof frame on the other side of the car. This was offered up and any adjustments needed to make sure it had a correct tight fit up to the roof panel while still being squared and aligned to the other side of the car.

Stronger Together – Roof and A Post Brackets for the 1956 Jensen 541

July 12, 2022

The workshop team have made new strengthening brackets for the roof and A-Pillar of the 1956 Jensen 541 which is in for restoration.

Rob, one of our restoration technicians, has handmade the brackets which are done specifically for each area of the car to tie the various pieces together. After shaping and test fitting, the A-Pillar support could be welded into the car and then the rear roof bracket was welded into the frame after being bolted to the roof.

All of this is part of the process of getting the classic Jensen body into perfect alignment before it is handed over to our in-house body and paint team.

Stripped Back – Stripping Down the Bonnet and Windows on the 1959 Jensen 541R

July 11, 2022

As part of the restoration journey, the 1959 Jensen 541R has had its bonnet and windows stripped back by the Bridge Classic Cars workshop team.

The restoration technicians have got everything back to its core components in order to evaluate their condition and operation. Anything that can be refurbished will be worked on to make the pieces as good if not better than new.

Everything removed from the car has been carefully catalogued and put into storage for later in the restoration process.

Refurbished – Refurbishing Pieces from the 1958 Jensen 541R

July 7, 2022

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

Lydia first worked on the seats of the 541R with stripping down the backrests and beginning to re-foam the piece.

Then, it was time to strip down and completely refurbish the centre-console cubby for the interior of the classic Jensen. Stripping everything back to its base components, remaking some parts and cleaning up others in order to get all the parts ready to be retrimmed.

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.

Smallest of Changes – Adjusting the Body Framework on the 1956 Jensen 541

July 6, 2022

The workshop team at Bridge Classic Cars have worked on the fine alterations to the framework of the 1956 Jensen 541 in for restoration at our Suffolk HQ.

The team have test fit the rear fibreglass clamshell and with that, they could make small changes to the framework which gives the body panels structure and helps to align them. These were carefully cut, trimmed and reframed to get each section of the rear bodywork line up just right onto the new chassis.

Starting Anew – New Seat Base Foams for the 1958 Jensen 541R

July 6, 2022

The trim shop at Bridge Classic Cars have worked their skill and craft in making the brand new seats foams for the 1958 Jensen 541R. The team discovered what was left of the original cushion material after the covers were removed and could then begin to build them out of new, more modern materials.

Lydia, one of our amazing trimmers, carefully put together the combinations of foams in different thicknesses and densities to give the right amount of support once the seat base is all back together.

Once the pieces had been put together, Lydia could begin to hand shape the foams to their original contours to slip under the new covers which will be made by our in-house team.

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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Fine Adjustments – Adjusting the Framework of the 1956 Jensen 541

July 4, 2022

The workshop team at Bridge Classic Cars has been making the fine adjustments to the inner framework of the 1956 Jensen 541 in with us at our Suffolk HQ for restoration.

Rob, one of our technicians, has carefully had the fibreglass body panels placed around the framework and on top of the chassis of the classic Jensen to check for any adjustments needed to get the bodywork fit and square on the 541. Bit by bit, he has made adjustments to the steel pieces to allow the body to sit correctly on top of the chassis.

Not only was this for the rear clamshell but for the all-important fibreglass roof and windscreen panel.

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.

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