The Bridge Classic Cars team are currently in the process of stripping back and inspecting the chassis for our 1960 Jensen 541R, Lilac. The team
After being stripped down and inspected, the body of the 1958 Jensen 541R has been checked over and had the start of its fibreglass repairs
The 1958 Jensen 541R which arrived at the Bridge Classic Cars Suffolk HQ recently from Holland has begun its first steps into colour with our
The Bridge Classic Cars workshop team have been looking at the 1960 Jensen 541S as part of an investigation into a running issue on the
The Bridge Classic Cars workshop welcomed the latest arrival to our Suffolk HQ recently, another very special Jensen. This 1958 Jensen 541R is actually one
The body team at Bridge Classic Cars have been performing some fibreglass repairs on the boot lid of the 1956 Jensen 541 in with us
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 interior trim team at Bridge Classic Cars have worked on crafting new wooden support beams for the 1956 Jensen 541 in for restoration. Brian,
The workshop team have fitted and secured the new seatbelts into the mounts for the beautiful 1959 Jensen 541R at our Suffolk HQ. Dave, one
The interior team at Bridge Classic Cars have worked their way through the teardown of the front seats on the 1955 Jensen 541 With the
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.
The 1958 Jensen 541R Navy has been with the Bridge Classic Cars restoration team to have the final part of its work completed by our
Years and years of dust, debris and muck has collected on this unique barn find. As much as a lot of people would say ‘it
The restoration team in the Bridge Classic Cars workshop have begun work on the beautiful 1959 Jensen 541R for its owner. The team have started
The Bridge Classic Cars in-house trim team have been continuing on the hand-made one-off interior for the 1959 Jensen 541R Princess Grey. Lydia has been
The Bridge Classic Cars restoration workshop at our Suffolk HQ have welcomed this beautiful 1959 Jensen 541R for our teams to carry out a series
The top boards for the rear quarter panels on the interior of the 1955 Jensen 541 have been made by hand in our in-house trim
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
The Bridge Classic Cars body shop have the wheels arches of the 1956 Jensen 541 on the workbench currently. Our body shop have been forming
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
Our in-house restoration team at Bridge Classic Cars put the same level of skill and finish for even the smallest parts of our restoration projects.
A while ago, we said goodbye to the beautiful Jensen 541. It was sold as a project to its very lucky new owner who plans
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
The Bridge Classic Cars team are currently in the process of stripping back and inspecting the chassis for our 1960 Jensen 541R, Lilac.
The team have been looking into the depth of any corrosion and also to the extent of previous repairs to the chassis which will need to be rectified and corrected by the team to bring this frame back to better than new.
Keep a look out on the Bridge Classic Cars news page soon for more updates on the 1960 Jensen 541R.
After being stripped down and inspected, the body of the 1958 Jensen 541R has been checked over and had the start of its fibreglass repairs in the Bridge Classic Cars bodyshop.
The team have gone over the entire body to inspect any visible cracks or defects in the body before sanding back certain known and suspect areas to find any piece of the composite body which will require attention. In some areas, simply a small build-up material is needed to strengthen or flatten out a particular place.
Once the matting was laid down onto the panels and then resined, it is left to cure and harden before being sanded down.
The 1958 Jensen 541R which arrived at the Bridge Classic Cars Suffolk HQ recently from Holland has begun its first steps into colour with our in-house body team.
The team have been assessing and inspecting the body of the classic Jensen for any damage to the fibreglass or to any fittings/trim work. Once this was done, the body shop could begin to remove the parts off of the body individually before cataloguing and putting them safely into storage to await its reassembly by the team later in the process.
The Bridge Classic Cars workshop team have been looking at the 1960 Jensen 541S as part of an investigation into a running issue on the classic GT car.
The team have decided to drain the fuel tank on the classic Jensen to both inspect the fuel and the tank itself as part of the diagnostics. For this, the team use a small electric fuel pump to siphon the fuel out of the tank to be stored in transparent containers for visual inspection of sediment or dirt.
Then, the team can begin the visual inspection of the fuel tank itself to check for debris or dirt in different areas. At the same time, they will begin to inspect the carburettor for any build-up of dirt and debris. After looking into the bowls of the carburettor, they found some small deposits of sediment at the base of the bowls but not an amount which could cause the issue.
The team will continue to inspect and investigate the root cause of the running issue on the 1960 Jensen 541S.
The Bridge Classic Cars workshop welcomed the latest arrival to our Suffolk HQ recently, another very special Jensen.
This 1958 Jensen 541R is actually one of the prototype cars produced by Jensen as a proof of concept for the automatic gearbox option. It is also believed one of its original owners was part of the Lever family, which went on to become the global company behind Unilever.
It also features a custom, handmade grille which was made by the owner for the car that the team will incorporate into the reassembly for its owner but our team will be delivered to the customer with its signature radiator flap, a key element of the 541R.
This 1958 Jensen 541R has come to us from the Netherlands for our body and trim teams to work their craft on the classic GT car. The car will be fully assessed for any repairs that need to be made before it is refined and worked on by the body team while the trim shop begins work on the interior of the classic 541R.
The car will be finished in Ice Blue Metallic with a Lobelia Blue roof by the paint team with a complimenting dark blue interior and grey piping.
We’re always excited to welcome another 541 into the Bridge Classic Cars family and can’t wait to show you the progress very soon on this special 1958 Jensen 541R.
Have a look at the gallery below of the 1958 Jensen 541R as it arrived on its trailer from Holland!
The body team at Bridge Classic Cars have been performing some fibreglass repairs on the boot lid of the 1956 Jensen 541 in with us for restoration.
Mauro has carefully reglassed certain areas of the bootlid to strengthen key places as well as refit the stripped-back boot latch. All of these were then built up over several layers before the resin was left to harden and cure.
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.
The interior trim team at Bridge Classic Cars have worked on crafting new wooden support beams for the 1956 Jensen 541 in for restoration.
Brian, one of our trimmers, made templates of the original pieces to begin work on carefully cutting and angling the new pieces of pine into the factory position. Each of these pieces were first rough cut before being refined to ensure the perfect fit as these pieces not only add a bit of support to the rear window opening but will also allow the trim team a place to attach the headliner once the interior of the car begins to go in.
Each of the two pieces which made up the beam are cut by hand and then offered up as no two are perfectly uniformed due to the handmade nature of the cars originally.
The workshop team have fitted and secured the new seatbelts into the mounts for the beautiful 1959 Jensen 541R at our Suffolk HQ.
Dave, one of our technicians, has been busy preparing the classic Jensen to have the brand-new seatbelts fitted into the 1950s GT car. Before, the team worked on replacing the threaded amounts throughout the car to make sure that the fixings that secure them can be properly tightened and torqued down to spec.
With this completed, the team ran the various belts through the openings in the interior pieces of the car and check their latching to ensure everything operated smoothly and properly for the car’s owner.
The interior team at Bridge Classic Cars have worked their way through the teardown of the front seats on the 1955 Jensen 541
With the seats in such a delicate condition, the team had to approach this task with a meticulous and thorough approach to get the classic Jensen’s bucket seats stripped all the way back to the fibreglass cores. The team made careful note of every fixing location and took detailed measurements and notes for the seats reconstruction later down the line.
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.
The 1958 Jensen 541R Navy has been with the Bridge Classic Cars restoration team to have the final part of its work completed by our workshop team.
Part of the work is to clean out and inspect the sills of the classic Jensen 541R. The team have a series of areas where they know road dirt and debris can build up and in the long run cause issues so as part of its work, we have cleared out these areas.
The team also checked over a suspected fuel leak that couldn’t be identified and all was found to be ok on inspection. And with that, all levels were checked and topped off before being made ready to go home to its owner.
Years and years of dust, debris and muck has collected on this unique barn find.
As much as a lot of people would say ‘it is best to leave it alone’ we just felt a good blast to clear off the muck wouldn’t do any harm.
The sun is out so that’s exactly what we’ve done. Now the car is back in the Hangar ready for a new owner and a new lease of life.
The restoration team in the Bridge Classic Cars workshop have begun work on the beautiful 1959 Jensen 541R for its owner.
The team have started by addressing an issue the car did on its way to our restoration workshop. On its way, the bonnet of the 541R came loose and flew up. Unfortunately, this damaged the stays in the struts which hold the one-piece fibreglass clamshell up during any work. So, our technicians managed to release them in order to remove them from the car and inspect them.
Our technician Dave noticed that the stops/catches had broken and were out of shape. These had to be repaired and rewelded in places in order to get the bonnet to both hold open and remain closed. The team will also be looking into how the bonnet managed to open from the clips that keep it tightly shut.
Along with the work on the struts, the team have been looking into the reported issue with the fuel gauge on the classic Jensen. The issue is believed to either be with the gauge or with the sender unit within the fuel tank itself. The team did find the arm for the float level was broken so that has been repaired and are currently looking at, inspecting and investigating the rest of the fuel system in the car to narrow down the root cause of the issue which includes the wiring to gauge itself.
The Bridge Classic Cars in-house trim team have been continuing on the hand-made one-off interior for the 1959 Jensen 541R Princess Grey.
Lydia has been working on getting the centre console and rear seats finished up for this particular 541R. Finished in all matching red, this interior for Princess Grey is going to look absolutely incredible when back in the car.
Each piece has been individually cut, stitched and finished to ensure the best possible fit and final result for the classic Jensen.
The Bridge Classic Cars restoration workshop at our Suffolk HQ have welcomed this beautiful 1959 Jensen 541R for our teams to carry out a series of jobs for its owner.
Apart from its stunning colour combination, this is a beautiful example of the 541R and the teams are looking forward to sorting out a few niggles on the car which the owner has highlighted. Due to our long history of working on and refining the 541 family, the car will be gone through by our restoration teams to update certain aspects of the car and to also make sure its original features work perfectly and look perfect.
Keep an eye out here on the Bridge Classic Cars news page for more updates on the 1959 Jensen 541R.
The top boards for the rear quarter panels on the interior of the 1955 Jensen 541 have been made by hand in our in-house trim shop at the Bridge Classic Cars workshop.
Brian has made each individual piece by hand using original templates for the interior of the Jensen 541s. After they have been hand finished they will be retrimmed in the matching material to the rest of the car.
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.
The Bridge Classic Cars body shop have the wheels arches of the 1956 Jensen 541 on the workbench currently.
Our body shop have been forming the new aluminium wheel arch lines by hand for the classic sports car. All of these pieces have to be made by hand for the car due to each arch being slightly different to one another, so for the best fit, our team have made them individually for the car.
Along with that, our teams have finished stripping back the boot lid of the 541 ready for primer and filler work to be completed and ready for paint.
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.
Our in-house restoration team at Bridge Classic Cars put the same level of skill and finish for even the smallest parts of our restoration projects. Applying the same high standards to things such as nuts and bolts as we do to a complete car.
Take for example these pieces for the 1956 Jensen 541 which is in with ourselves for full restoration. When people say a full ”Nut and Bolt” restoration, this is what Bridge Classic Cars means. Jonn, one of our amazing technicians, spent a considerable amount of time getting the nuts and bolts for the suspension components, pedal box etc all in the best condition.
Jonn, cleaned off the years of corrosion on each piece. Regreased every joint and either cleaned or rethreaded any bolts. Meticulously working his way through each piece part by part.
That is how Bridge Classic Cars does a restoration.
A while ago, we said goodbye to the beautiful Jensen 541. It was sold as a project to its very lucky new owner who plans on restoring the car.
Well, now the interior is back in the Bridge Classic Cars in-house trim shop. Brian is making a brand new rear seat for the car while
Lydia is busy stripping down the original bucket seats to assess the fibreglass mouldings for any cracks or damage.
Either way, it’s always nice to see a car (or parts) find their way back into our workshop here in Suffolk.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
