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Jensen 541R

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.

First Step – 1958 Jensen 541R Body Panels in Epoxy Primer

July 6, 2022

The first panels from the 1958 Jensen 541R have been moved into the in-house paint booth/oven here at Bridge Classic Cars for its next step into colour.

After numerous hours perfecting the panels and body of the classic Jensen, the pieces were handed over to the paint team for their work to begin. Beginning, with epoxy primer. Each of these parts had several coats of the hard wearing base coat for the team to rework and then repeat the process with several different primers in order to have a perfect base to lay down the Ice Blue Metallic soon.

Keep a look out on the Bridge Classic Cars website very soon for more on the incredible 1958 Jensen 541R.

Teardown – Stripping Down the 1959 Jensen 541R

July 1, 2022

The workshop team at Bridge Classic Cars have begun the process of carefully stripping down the 1959 Jensen 541R ahead of its restoration beginning.

The workshop team have worked alongside our trimmers to remove everything from both the inside and outside of the classic GT car. Even under the front clamshell, the wiring and various hoses have been removed in preparation for the 4 litre straight-six engine to be pulled out.

Once this is complete, the team can begin to remove the bodywork from the frame to assess and inspect the running gear move thoroughly.

To see some more detailed shots from our workshop on the teardown of the 1959 Jensen 541R, check them out below:

Perfect Lines – Bodywork on the 1958 Jensen 541R

July 1, 2022

The body shop at Bridge Classic Cars have been refining the bodywork on the 1958 Jensen 541 after its fibreglass repairs have cured.

The team use a specialist fibreglass filler to perfect the lines on the classic 1950s GT car and make sure that everything is just right for the car. The team will only use filler where absolutely necessary and the vast majority will be completely sanded from the body.

This is the first step into the team getting the car ready for its Ice Blue respray.

Strip Down – Tearing Down the Seats and Panels of the 1958 Jensen 541R

July 1, 2022

The trim team have begun the interior side of restoring the 1958 Jensen 541R. The first stage is to strip back the fibreglass bucket seats and rear panels.

The team carefully unpick all of our restoration pieces, catalogue each piece and store it for templating later. With the team having done over a dozen Jensen 541 interiors by this point, they have perfected the art of disassembly on them.

The team begin by separating the base from the back and then remove everything down to its fixings, covers and foams in order to inspect and assess any of them.

The team also stripped down the handmade rear quarter panels to their coverings, backboards and the hand shape wooden framework.

First Fire – Firing Up the 1959 Jensen 541R for the First Time

June 28, 2022

The workshop team at Bridge Classic Cars have fired up the ‘Barn Find’ 1959 Jensen 541R for the first time in several years.

The team used a small electric fuel pump to feed the carburettors, cleaned up the spark plugs and it fired up first time! The 4-litre straight-six ran absolutely perfectly with our workshop manager Jon at the wheel and our senior technician Dave handling the fuel.

Take a look at this amazing moment at our Suffolk HQ.

Empty – Draining the Fuel Tank on the 1960 Jensen 541S ‘’Peony Red’’

June 28, 2022

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.

Best in Show – The 1959 Jensen 541R ”TEA 541” Wins Big at Jensen Show

June 17, 2022

The 1959 Jensen 541R which was recently in with Bridge Classic Cars for some work has won several trophies at a large Jensen show it was due to attend.

The team here at Bridge Classic Cars are always immensely proud when a car we have worked on gets recognised for its acclaim. So, when the owner sent us over a photo of the car with the Ron Smith Cup and the Members Trophy from the show which turns out was its first show ever!

We had done some set-up, interior and mechanical work on the Jensen in the run-up to it making the trip to the show and we also organised the car to be professionally valeted and cleaned ahead of its competition debut.

Inspection – Going Through the 1958 Jensen 541R

June 17, 2022

The team at Bridge Classic Cars have been working their way through the 1958 Jensen 541R in order to compile a full condition report for the owner of the beautiful 1950s GT car.

Our technician John has gone through the entire car front to back in order to check each individual system as well as a full visual inspection of the car’s mechanicals. He has found a couple of things to note which have been reported back on, one of them being a gap in the spring shackle of the car.

The passenger’s side rear spring shackle shows a gap between the eyelet and hanger which isn’t present on the driver’s side. This is something John has worked on and made a spacer in order to take up the space to ensure everything remains aligned and square.

Secured – Roof Supports Glued into the 1956 Jensen 541 Rear Window

June 17, 2022

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.

From Scratch – New Wooden Rear Window Beams for the 1956 Jensen 541

June 16, 2022

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.

Back to Basics – Stripping Back the Seats of the 1955 Jensen 541

May 20, 2022

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.

Progress – Update on the 1959 Jensen 541R

May 10, 2022

The team at Bridge Classic Cars have been making progress on the beautiful 1959 Jensen 541R in our restoration workshop.

Firstly the team began by removing the seats in order to correctly fit the centre console of the classic Jensen. For some reason, it had been previously fitted backwards. So, the team removed the seats to get access and then reinstalled the piece in the right orientation.

Next, the team began work on replacing the rear windows of the car. These are plexiglass pieces which have been made specifically to fit the 541R, the team carefully refined and worked them into place.

The team have also gone through the fuel system of the car. Upon inspection, they found an issue with the several filters and pipes leading from the fuel tank to the carburettors. Our technicians noticed the main feed line had a severe kink in it which was causing a fuel flow issue and along with that, replaced the in-tank fuel filters (both primary and reserve) to make sure the big straight-six is getting all the fuel it needs.

A request by the owner of the car was to fit a new steering wheel to the classic Jensen 541R. For this the team also went into some of the switches and selectors to service and clean them out. Then, they could begin to remove the original steering wheel. Uniquely, the 541 steering wheel is actually riveted to the boss. The team carefully drilled out each individual rivet to separate the steering wheel from its boss. Then, working in reverse with the new steering wheel the team reattached the wheel and got it back into the car.

And while they were working on the interior, they have replaced the handles with new pieces which really set off against the grey/blue inside of the classic 541.

With The Current – Fitting a New 12 Volt Power Supply and New Float Arm on the 1959 Jensen 541R

May 4, 2022

The restoration workshop at Bridge Classic Cars has been working through the jobs on the 1959 Jensen 541R in with us. This time, it was fitting a new 12-volt power supply and fixing the issue with the fuel gauge.

Dave fitted a new auxiliary power supply underneath the dash of the classic Jensen for the owner.

Along with this, Dave has worked on resolving an issue with the fuel gauge. Upon inspecting the float arm inside of the fuel tank, he found it had a previous repair carried out. Once he removed the sender from the tank, the old repair actually fell apart in his hands. The issue was that the arm had actually seized in the sender unit and not giving the gauge reading. So, Dave got some new copper pipe and bent up an exact replica of the original and fit it into the sender.

The Jensen 541R – a controversial clean

April 28, 2022

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.

Good as New – Paint Repairs on the 1958 Jensen 541R Navy

April 28, 2022

The 1958 Jensen 541R Navy has been in the Bridge Classic Cars in-house paint shop for some paint repairs following the hinge adjustments to the classic Jensen by the restoration workshop.

The hinge had fallen out of adjustment and caused some paint damage to the edges of the bonnet and driver’s door. Not a problem for the paint team.

After carefully colour matching the existing Navy Blue paintwork, the team then began to sand and prepare the area meticulously to get the area perfectly flat and into shape before primering could start.

After primer, the area was sanded down once more before being cleaned and masked off and the whole car was taken into our in-house spray booth for the colour to be laid down. After several coats of matched Navy Blue, the area could be clear coated and polished ready for the car to be finished by the restoration workshop.

Progress – The Restoration Team Begins Inspecting and Working on the 1959 Jensen 541R

April 28, 2022

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.

Piece Together – Interior Pieces for the 1955 Jensen 541

April 13, 2022

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.

Collection Day – Collecting the 1959 Jensen 541R

March 29, 2022

The Bridge Classic Cars team took a trip over the weekend to head north and collect the 1959 Jensen 541R from its resting place and bring it back to our Suffolk HQ.

It was an early start with our new van hitched up to our enclosed trailer to make the journey to the north of England to collect the most recent of our 541’s. This car was offered to us for sale because of our long-running history of restoring the Jensen 541 family to the very highest of standards.

Once the team had reached the home of the 541R, and some seriously skilful trailer driving by our director Gordon, the car was carefully pulled out of its garage and out into the open for the first time in several years. The car is remarkably complete with most of the pieces removed from the classic sports car stored back inside the body.

Gordon and Eva inch by inch loaded the 541R into the enclosed trailer, safely secured it and then began the long journey back home with the latest addition to the Bridge Classic Cars family.

Old & New – Finishing the Front Seats and Stripping the Rear Seats of the 1955 Jensen 541

March 25, 2022

The interior of the 1955 Jensen 541 has been in the Bridge Classic Cars in-house trim shop to have the front seats completed and begin the strip-down of the rear seat.

The front seats for the Jensen 541 have been completed and finished in a beautiful bright shade of red. Lydia has meticulously been working on getting these seats into the incredible shape that you see here completely from scratch.

With the front seats complete, the trim team could begin carefully dismantling the fragile rear seat to use as a template for the brand new rear seats being made. Every piece of the rear seat had to be slowly unpicked in order to preserve each panel to be used later on in the process.

A Unique Opportunity – 1959 Jensen 541R

March 22, 2022

Bridge Classic Cars are excited to announce the latest Jensen 541 to be joining our stable. This 1959 Jensen 541R was previously owned by Neil Hepburn, an engineer with a passion for his 1959 541R.

Neil had owned the car since 1974 but unfortunately passed away several years ago leaving his beloved Jensen to his family. The details that are known of the car is that during its life it had several upgrades done such as a disc brake conversion as well as a chassis rebuild.

All of this work had been done to a very high standard under the guardianship of Mr Hepburn and the small number of custodians of this 541R.

Across its 63 years, the car is reading as covering just 40,000 miles which is believed correct. The engine has not run for several years but previously, although put away into storage and up on stands, the car was run regularly with the carburettors fed by tube using premium fresh petrol.

The car also comes with its original V5 logbook which shows previous owners including several members of the Palmer-Tomkinson family.

Barbra Hepburn, the wife of Neil, would like her late husband’s car brought back to its former glory as she has many happy memories and photographs of the car being used by herself and her late husband in years gone by.

This 1959 Jensen 541R is coming to join its sisters here at Bridge Classic Cars to await the commissioning of its full concours restoration. This 541R is offered for sale with the condition of a restoration carried out in full by our restoration workshop who have extensive experience restoring Jensen 541’s to the very highest of standards which these special cars deserve.

Piece by Piece – Working on the Interior of the 1955 Jensen 541

March 17, 2022

The Bridge Classic Cars in-house trim shop has been working on handmaking all new pieces for the interior of the 1955 Jensen 541.

Using their wealth of knowledge when it comes to the interiors of the whole 541 family, these pieces are being made to exact measurements which takes craft, skill and precision for the best possible fit.

Brian has made new seat woods, kick panels, floor supports and mounts specifically for the car.

Capped Off – Finishing the Cubby Boxes for the 1955 Jensen 541

March 4, 2022

The Bridge Classic Cars trim shop have been working to finish off the handmade cubby boxes for the 1955 Jensen 541.

Brian has been making the lids for the new cubby boxes. This involves hand finishing the recesses in the lids for the brand new hinges to get the lids to sit perfectly flat onto the bases. He also created the recess in the top to fit the ashtray, this has all been done and finished by hand to give the best possible result for the car.

Along with these pieces, Brian has created the metal base for the cubby boxes. This was then wrapped in black vinyl to match the colour of the interior of the box and give one single uniform look to the boxes.

Looking Ahead Behind – Fitting the Mirror to the 1960 Jensen 541S

December 8, 2021

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.

And So It Begins – Stripping Down the 1962 Jensen 541S

December 7, 2021

The 1962 Jensen 541S that is currently in at Bridge Classic Cars for some work has been handed over to our technician Tom to begin preparing the car for its new components.

The first job for Tom is to strip the original wiring harness out of the car as we have ordered an entire new loom for the car to make sure all the electrical system works absolutely spot on. A key point for all classic cars. With such a handbuilt car, Tom has had to almost trace every wire individually from front to back in order to make sure everything is removed and safe. After this, each part of the harness is catalogued and stored just in case.

Next, Tom has removed the steering column which is due to be replaced on this particular car. For that Tom had to carefully remove the entire dash to gain access to the gear linkage which is controlled via the column. With everything disconnected and the dash out of the car, Tom could begin to also catalogue and assess each individual component.

There will be more happening on the 1962 Jensen 541S very soon so keep an eye out on the Bridge Classic Cars news page for more.

Refining Process – Making the Rear Quarter Trims for the 1956 Jensen 541

November 29, 2021

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.

Carrying On – Continuing the Woodwork for the 1956 Jensen 541

November 26, 2021

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.

Parts are In – Wiring Loom on the 1962 Jensen 541S

November 26, 2021

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!

In Good Hands – Sending Away the Jensen 541 Gearboxes to be Rebuilt.

November 25, 2021

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.

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