Chassis Back In The Workshop
October 25, 2022
The chassis of our 1959 Jensen 541R has arrived back at the Bridge Classic Cars workshop. It has been moved from our storage facility, The
Jensen 541R
More Carpet, Side Panels, And Some Cleaning
October 13, 2022
Classic car technician Brian has continued his work on the interior floor of our 1958 Jensen 541R. After attaching the transmission tunnel cover, he then
Jensen Bonnet Strips
October 10, 2022
Our classic car technician, Clinton, has been making parts that will ultimately go on to be fitted into one of our ongoing Jensen projects. The
Boot Carpet And More
October 10, 2022
For the last few weeks, the interior of our 1958 Jensen 541R has been getting lots of attention from Lydia and Brian. Recently, Lydia turned
More Jensen Parts
October 5, 2022
Classic car technician Paul has been making several different parts that will eventually be used on one of our Jensen restoration projects. These include parts
Progress, Progress, Progress
October 5, 2022
Brian and Lydia continue to work on the interior of our 1958 Jensen 541R. Lydia has been busy covering the remaining door card as well
A Brief History Of The Jensen 541
October 4, 2022
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
Brake Calipers Are Good As New
September 30, 2022
Considering they were first fitted to the car all the way back in 1959, the newly refurbished brake calipers for our Jensen 541R are looking
Rear Quarter Panels Complete
September 27, 2022
Lydia has completed more interior work on our 1958 Jensen 541R by getting the door cards and rear quarter panels finished. She used original Jensen
More Parts For Our Jensens
September 26, 2022
There are quite a few Jensens being restored in our workshop at the moment (7 at the last count including 541s, 541Rs, and an Interceptor
Interior Work On Our 1958 Jensen 541R
September 23, 2022
More work continues to be completed on the interior of our 1958 Jensen 541R. Lydia has been extremely busy fitting the rear squab seat cover
Interior Carpets -1958 JENSEN 541R
September 23, 2022
With new paintwork and new seats, it was time for the internal floor of our 1958 Jensen 541R to get some attention. Some fairly tricky
Fitting vinyl to interior section
September 15, 2022
The vinyl interior section are now being templated, cut out, glued and shaped into position on our 1958 Jensen 541R. The dash, A posts and
Cleaning and preparing parts for Jensen
September 14, 2022
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
Fitting headlining bars to our 1958 Jensen 541R
September 14, 2022
Brian spent the day outside the trim shop fitting up the headlining bars to our 1958 Jensen 541R in preparation for the new headlining to
Jensen 541R – fibreglass door card backing
September 14, 2022
We very much encourage new technologies and forward thinking here at Bridge Classic Cars. Research and development is a huge part of what we do
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.
Special Touch – Unique Finish on the Seats of the 1958 Jensen 541R
September 6, 2022
The 1958 Jensen 541R has been having more pieces of its interior made by the Bridge Classic Cars trim team but this time with some
Fresh Finish – Freshly Blasted Parts from the 1959 Jensen 541 ‘Hepburn’ in Gloss Black
September 5, 2022
The freshly blasted parts for the 1959 Jensen 541R ‘Hepburn’ have returned to our Suffolk HQ for the team to get into perfect condition for
Inspection – Checking the Blasted Subframe from the 1959 Jensen 541R ‘Hepburn’
August 30, 2022
As part of the restoration of the 1959 Jensen 541R ‘Hepburn’, several key pieces along with the body and chassis have been blasted by a
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
Watercolour – Artwork of our 1959 Jensen 541R From Helmingham
August 16, 2022
Local artist Paul Seymour has sent us in this beautiful watercolour painting of our 1959 Jensen 541R that he sketched at our stand at this
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
Finesse – Sanding the 1958 Jensen 541R
August 5, 2022
The paint and body team at Bridge Classic Cars have been working on the 1958 Jensen 541R in preparation for the colour stage of its
Stripped Back – Stripping Back the Dashboard on the 1958 Jensen 541R
August 5, 2022
The trim team at Bridge Classic Cars have worked on stripping down and refurbishing the dashboard of the 1958 Jensen 541R. Everything from the instrument
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
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
Taken Apart – Disassembling the 1959 Jensen 541R
July 22, 2022
The teardown of the 1959 Jensen 541R continues at the Bridge Classic Cars restoration workshop at our Suffolk HQ. Our restoration technicians have been methodically
The Next Stage – Priming the 1958 Jensen 541R
July 11, 2022
The paint and body team at Bridge Classic Cars have been working on getting the 1958 Jensen 541R into the next stage of its journey
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.
Chassis Back In The Workshop
October 25, 2022
The chassis of our 1959 Jensen 541R has arrived back at the Bridge Classic Cars workshop. It has been moved from our storage facility, The Hangar, ready to begin the next stage of the restoration process.
Now it is back with us, our classic car technicians will carry out a thorough inspection of it before more parts of the main body are put back together.
The doors of this classic car have also been stripped down and sent off for sandblasting.
More Carpet, Side Panels, And Some Cleaning
October 13, 2022
Classic car technician Brian has continued his work on the interior floor of our 1958 Jensen 541R. After attaching the transmission tunnel cover, he then refitted the tunnel into the car before fitting the carpet.
He then went on to fit the side panels, and refit the rear seat, before giving the new carpet a good clean.
While Brian was working on the carpet, Lydia was re-covering one of the panels that had to be adapted following an adjustment made to the fibreglass frame underneath it. She covered this with carpet before binding the edges with vinyl.
Jensen Bonnet Strips
October 10, 2022
Our classic car technician, Clinton, has been making parts that will ultimately go on to be fitted into one of our ongoing Jensen projects.
The bonnet strips he made can be seen in the photos below.
Boot Carpet And More
October 10, 2022
For the last few weeks, the interior of our 1958 Jensen 541R has been getting lots of attention from Lydia and Brian. Recently, Lydia turned her attention to the boot of the car – specifically, the boot carpet.
After lots of measuring, cutting, making patterns, and double-checking everything, Lydia was able to get the boot carpet fitted and looking good.
Restoring a classic car isn’t just about getting it running and making the bodywork look good. At Bridge Classic Cars, every part of the car gets the same levels of attention, including areas that most people won’t see – like the boot.
While Lydia was busy working in the boot, Brian was busy completing more work on the interior of the car. He fitted carpet to the front and rear footwells, the bulkhead, and trial fitted the handbrake carpet.
Brian also fitted the sliding covers to the kick panels and cut the sound deadening for the transmission tunnel before glueing it to the tunnel and cutting out the required access holes.
More Jensen Parts
October 5, 2022
Classic car technician Paul has been making several different parts that will eventually be used on one of our Jensen restoration projects.
These include parts such as seat runners, bonnet supports, gutter trim, and door frames. All of these will go on to be further prepped before being installed in one of the cars.
Paul also tested Jensen heater box fans as well as cleaning them, painting them, and reassembling them.
Progress, Progress, Progress
October 5, 2022
Brian and Lydia continue to work on the interior of our 1958 Jensen 541R.
Lydia has been busy covering the remaining door card as well as covering the back of the rear squab with black vinyl to give it a neater and more appealing look. She also covered the metal frame that Clinton made, which is the frame that will go in the middle of the rear seats.
Lydia then cut out the carpets for the footwell of the car before moving on to covering the metal for the air vent sliders.
The task Lydia is currently working on is spray painting the metal rails that the air vent sliders will go on.
Meanwhile, Brian has been making new rear cappings, and glueing foam to the cappings before covering them in vinyl.
He also cut the strip of wood that went on to be screwed to the body of the car so the cappings could be attached. Brian then installed the door panels as well as making the patterns for the footwell sound deadening and carpets.
Brian also fitted the door panels before fitting the carpet and sound deadening he made the patterns for earlier.
One extra job that Brian did was to add wood ends to the ceiling pad to make it fit perfectly.
A Brief History Of The Jensen 541
October 4, 2022
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.
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.
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.
Brake Calipers Are Good As New
September 30, 2022
Considering they were first fitted to the car all the way back in 1959, the newly refurbished brake calipers for our Jensen 541R are looking like they could have left the factory only yesterday.
After removing them from the car, we sent the calipers off to Norfolk Brake and Clutch as they were in need of a lot of attention. What was returned to us were the shiny, perfectly cleaned and reconditioned calipers that you can see in the photos below.
These will be refitted to the car as part of the ongoing restoration work taking place.
Rear Quarter Panels Complete
September 27, 2022
Lydia has completed more interior work on our 1958 Jensen 541R by getting the door cards and rear quarter panels finished.
She used original Jensen pieces as patterns to make new leather and vinyl versions. Lydia sewed these together before they were glued and stapled to the frame.
More Parts For Our Jensens
September 26, 2022
There are quite a few Jensens being restored in our workshop at the moment (7 at the last count including 541s, 541Rs, and an Interceptor MK3).
As there is a lot of work to get done on these classic cars, it’s usually very beneficial to bulk produce some of the smaller parts so they are always available if and when our classic car technicians need them.
Clinton has been busy handcrafting several components that will eventually go on to be part of several of our Jensens. As you can see from the photos below, he has been making bonnet hinges and rear seat location pins. Even small parts like this play a big role in classic car restoration.
Interior Work On Our 1958 Jensen 541R
September 23, 2022
More work continues to be completed on the interior of our 1958 Jensen 541R.
Lydia has been extremely busy fitting the rear squab seat cover onto its frame. Once she had done this, her attention turned to the rear base. After carefully measuring the material, Lydia cut out the pieces of leather and vinyl she needed before sewing them together.
After sewing everything together, she then went on to create the foam frame.
The cover was glued and stapled onto the newly made frame before Lydia could take a moment to take in her handy work.
It wasn’t long before Lydia was back to work though – binding carpet edges and sewing vinyl and carpet together (and piping them) for the door cards.
In addition to this, Brian has been working on the dash panel, glovebox, door panels, and kick pads which have also been made, ready to be installed into the car in the very near future.
The window trims have also been covered in vinyl as the interior work on the 541R makes some good progress. You can see this progress for yourself from the impressive haul of photos below.
Interior Carpets -1958 JENSEN 541R
September 23, 2022
With new paintwork and new seats, it was time for the internal floor of our 1958 Jensen 541R to get some attention.
Some fairly tricky areas needed new carpet so a variety of patterns and templates were needed to make sure everything fit perfectly in the car.
As work continues on this beautiful classic car, both the exterior and the interior have come a long way since the car first arrived at our workshop. With work continuing at a steady pace, the 1958 Jensen 541R is certainly making some good progress as it continues on its restoration journey.
Fitting vinyl to interior section
September 15, 2022
The vinyl interior section are now being templated, cut out, glued and shaped into position on our 1958 Jensen 541R.
The dash, A posts and parcel shelf are now all in position.
Cleaning and preparing parts for Jensen
September 14, 2022
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.
Fitting headlining bars to our 1958 Jensen 541R
September 14, 2022
Brian spent the day outside the trim shop fitting up the headlining bars to our 1958 Jensen 541R in preparation for the new headlining to be installed.
Jensen 541R – fibreglass door card backing
September 14, 2022
We very much encourage new technologies and forward thinking here at Bridge Classic Cars. Research and development is a huge part of what we do here. Just because a classic car was built using a classic skillset and classic approach that’s not to say that when rebuilding our beautiful cars we must always adhere to the traditional methods.
There is always a time and a place for emerging the two worlds and why shouldn’t the modern and classic processes join forces.
Our 1958 Jensen 541R arrived to us with many many parts ready to be assembled. The owner had commissioned interior panelling to be produced using fibreglass to help further reduce the risk of moisture or water to get in to the hard to reach places. The panelling has been fitted underneath the original style of door cards so that they will be seen when the car is completed.
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!
Special Touch – Unique Finish on the Seats of the 1958 Jensen 541R
September 6, 2022
The 1958 Jensen 541R has been having more pieces of its interior made by the Bridge Classic Cars trim team but this time with some unique and personal touches.
The rear seat bases of the classic Jensen have been completely stripped back for the team to inspect and take measurements for the rarely seen fluting of the material which will be carried over onto the new pieces.
Lydia has carefully measured and tested to get the spacing and symmetry of the fluting just right before committing it to the final material. The whole seat base has been entirely made for scratch including the foams and underpinnings specifically to fit the car.
This is a wonderful little touch and something a bit different and unique for this very special car.
Fresh Finish – Freshly Blasted Parts from the 1959 Jensen 541 ‘Hepburn’ in Gloss Black
September 5, 2022
The freshly blasted parts for the 1959 Jensen 541R ‘Hepburn’ have returned to our Suffolk HQ for the team to get into perfect condition for its restoration.
The freshly stripped parts were meticulously cleaned to get rid of any residual blasting material before they were refinished in hard-wearing gloss black.
The parts were then left to sure completely before carefully being packaged and put into storage to awaiting the cars reassembly.
Inspection – Checking the Blasted Subframe from the 1959 Jensen 541R ‘Hepburn’
August 30, 2022
As part of the restoration of the 1959 Jensen 541R ‘Hepburn’, several key pieces along with the body and chassis have been blasted by a local specialist.
Our workshop team can now more thoroughly inspect each of the pieces which make up the front subframe. Inspecting the welds and bends but also assessing all the mounting points and brackets.
The subframe will be stripped down further and then any repairs needed carried out.
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.
Watercolour – Artwork of our 1959 Jensen 541R From Helmingham
August 16, 2022
Local artist Paul Seymour has sent us in this beautiful watercolour painting of our 1959 Jensen 541R that he sketched at our stand at this years Helmingham Hall Classic & Sports Car Festival.
We brought along the 541R which is in the early stages of its restoration with us.
We’ve even got some photos of Paul at work while he roughed out the sketch which you can see below and head over to his website and check out some of the other amazing artwork he has done and the tuition courses he offers.
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.
Finesse – Sanding the 1958 Jensen 541R
August 5, 2022
The paint and body team at Bridge Classic Cars have been working on the 1958 Jensen 541R in preparation for the colour stage of its work with us.
The team have been sanding and finessing each individual panel in the pursuit of absolute perfection we aim to achieve on all of our restoration projects. Chris, one of our paint and body technicians, has been using varying sandpapers and abrasives to get into every shape and curve across the body of the classic GT car.
Stripped Back – Stripping Back the Dashboard on the 1958 Jensen 541R
August 5, 2022
The trim team at Bridge Classic Cars have worked on stripping down and refurbishing the dashboard of the 1958 Jensen 541R.
Everything from the instrument cluster to the wooden structures has been completely stripped back to their core components to be inspected, refurbished and reassembled as part of the car’s aesthetic restoration. Any metal pieces were completely stripped and cleaned down before being sprayed in hardwearing black.
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.
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.
Taken Apart – Disassembling the 1959 Jensen 541R
July 22, 2022
The teardown of the 1959 Jensen 541R continues at the Bridge Classic Cars restoration workshop at our Suffolk HQ.
Our restoration technicians have been methodically stripping down the classic GT car to assess and inspect any of the parts which have been taken off the car. One technician, Paul, has been working on stripping down the rear end of the car such as the boot with all of the accompanying fittings and hardware being removed and catalogued.
At the same, Jon has been working in the engine bay of the car. He has been carefully removing the various pipework which runs along the firewall and bulkhead of the car. All of this will be catalogued and reported on its condition.
The Next Stage – Priming the 1958 Jensen 541R
July 11, 2022
The paint and body team at Bridge Classic Cars have been working on getting the 1958 Jensen 541R into the next stage of its journey with the team at our Suffolk HQ.
Previously, the team finished masking up classic GT car ready for the first stage of primer to be laid down onto the car in preparation for its Ice Blue Metallic paint job.
The team made sure to cover the body evenly and thoroughly to get the best start to the paintwork as possible. And now with the car in primer, the team will sand it back to look for any adjustments that need to be made.
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.
