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.
February 9, 2022 12:43 pmPublished by Craig Ranson
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.
January 14, 2022 11:38 amPublished by Craig Ranson
Our in-house trim expert Lydia has been busy remaking the rear seat for the 1956 Jensen 541 that we are currently in the process of restoring at Bridge Classic Cars.
Lydia used what was left of the original rear seat as a rough guide to create a specially made template for the classic GT car. Carefully, Lydia could transfer this template onto the chosen leather to begin the process of cutting out the individual pieces that will be joined together, edged and then fitted around the seat base.
The attention to detail that our trim-shop have is what truly sets them apart in their field. Every aspect of the seat is taken into consideration when creating these custom pieces from scratch.
January 13, 2022 12:54 pmPublished by Craig Ranson
Our head trimmer here at Bridge Classic Cars, Brian, has been working on finishing up the interior trims for the 1956 Jensen 541 which is in with us for a full ground-up restoration.
Brian has methodically worked through the trims around the doors of the little known sportscar to ensure that each piece is repaired (if needs be) and then prepared and recovered in the beautiful red leather chosen by the lucky owner.
Each piece of hardware has also been refinished by Brian and the trim team to give even the smallest screw or bolt the same level of finish as the pieces they secure.
Another key piece that Brian has been working on is the beautiful rear seat centre console. Brian made up a new metal piece that creates the skeleton and the recovered in soft, durable foam and capped in that deep red leather.
There will be more updates on the 1956 Jensen 541 restoration by Bridge Classic Cars very soon.
January 12, 2022 11:05 amPublished by Craig Ranson
The Bridge Classic Cars in-house restoration technicians are not new to the world of Jensen 541’s, after restoring several of the 541, 541S and 541R’s we have some experience in doing jobs on them.
This particular 1962 Jensen 541S came into us to have a few jobs carried out on it.
Firstly it was the job of our technician Tamas to remove the old steering column from the car as the customer had requested it be replaced in favour of a new power steering unit. Carefully and with the old wiring harness out of the way, Tamas worked on getting the new unit fitted up to the dark green, luxury GT. After that, Tamas made sure that everything fit up to the car with the new harness in place to ensure nothing caught or bound up on the new column and also to check the column-mounted shifter all worked seamlessly.
Then it was time to get the new wiring harness fitted to the car. Our workshop manager John, began with completely removing the old harness from the car and preparing each piece for the brand new harness to be put into the car. Then, it was the turn of our restoration technician Tamas to get the new harness entirely installed into the car. He began by wiring up the new harness into the back of the dashboard and gauges whilst on the work bench. Then with this, he carefully refit the original dash back into the making sure to drape the specific wires through the dash structure to keep them all neat and organised. Then, he systematically went through the harness to connect it into the relevant systems of the car and began testing. Everything worked perfectly!
Brian, one of our legendary in-house trim experts at Bridge Classic Cars, is a true master of his craft. Brian is currently working on the rear trim panels and pieces for the 1956 Jensen 541 being built by us here at Bridge Classic Cars. The interior is one of those pieces being handcrafted to fit the car.
The rear quarter pieces have been entirely made by hand by Brian. We have a long history of restoring Jensen 541’s to a world-class standard and part of that is the interiors our team create for these bespoke sportscars. Each piece for the interior of the ’56 has been made by hand by the team, whether it be the coverings or literally panels for the car like these rear quarter pieces.
Brian made these panels to perfectly fit into the car and also to work alongside the other pieces of trim which are going to be alongside them in the car. After hand forming them, Brian then cuts and wraps them by hand to ensure the best possible fit and finish to each piece for such a special car.
December 20, 2021 2:40 pmPublished by Craig Ranson
The 1962 Jensen 541S that is currently in the Bridge Classic Cars workshop is currently undergoing a full wiring harness swap.
Our workshop manager, John, has been given the task of changing over from the old harness to the bespoke harness for the car. John has been making sure that everything is prepped and ready for the new harness but he has found a couple of issues.
This particular 541S has been fitted with electric fans which on inspection of the wiring, was just twisted together and taped over. John cut this out and remade the extensions for it to be wired up to the new harness. The main aim of the new harness is the safety and longevity for the owner so John is making sure each of the systems is being checked as it is installed.
December 20, 2021 12:04 pmPublished by Craig Ranson
Our in-house trim shop at Bridge Classic Cars are well versed with the interiors of the majestic Jensen 541. So, with the fronts of the 1956 Jensen 541 seats complete, it was time for Kath to turn her attention to the back of the other seat.
Using the other completed seat for reference, Kath began by carefully making a template of the back of the seat. Each of the seat buckets was made by hand back in the 1950s so they are slightly different from one to the next, so to ensure the best fit and finish Kath makes each template by hand. Once this was complete, she could begin to transfer the template onto the lining and the hide that would envelop the fibreglass seat.
After this had been carefully glued and set to the backs and bottom of the seat, Kath began to work on the seat base and cushion. Again, every single piece of the seat is handmade by our in-house trim shop so even the cushions are bespoke to this car. Millimetre by millimetre, Kath perfected the fit and shape of the foam and once that was fair and even, she attached it to the seat base. Then, in the matching hide, Kath retrimmed the cushion and seat base ready to put into the seat.
With this complete, both seats are now ready for when the rest of the car is finished and handed over to the trim shop for fitting.
December 15, 2021 8:58 amPublished by Craig Ranson
The restoration technicians at Bridge Classic Cars have been busy working on a couple of jobs on the 1960 Jensen 541S before it goes to The Hangar for its winter storage.
One of the most important jobs to be done was to fit a rearview mirror at the request of the owner. The mirrors for the 541’s did not come as standard, however, because of our history with their restorations, we managed to source a piece for the owners’ peace of mind while driving.
Carefully, the mirror was placed into the door at the right place after dozens of test fits to ensure the part sat properly and also looked right. The detailing on the mirror itself is a beautiful part of its story. With exposed, bright hardware and a simple flat disc but with the base coming to a sharply defined point, it looks completely at home on the 541.
There are a couple of other jobs to have a look at on Peony Red, which will you’ll be able to see about here on the Bridge Classic Cars news page.
December 8, 2021 12:04 pmPublished by Craig Ranson
Mauro, has been working on getting all the relevant parts and pieces of the 1956 Jensen 541 ready to be sent out to local, trusted specialists for refurbishment.
Bridge Classic Cars have a long history of restoring Jensen 541’s to a very high standard and this 1956 541 is to be no exception. The pieces of the car have been carefully dismantled down to their core components and assessed for condition and originality. Where possible, we try to keep the cars as original as possible but refinished and restored to go back on the car.
The pieces here have also been catalogued and photographed for record as well as detailed records of them being dismantled so that everything and their construction method is accounted for. Each component is dealt with individually to ensure that it safely comes apart and if not, can be taken apart and repaired to the exacting standards that Bridge Classic Cars holds its restorations to.
Soon, there will be more updates on the 1956 Jensen 541 during its restoration, so keep an eye out here on the Bridge Classic Cars news page.
December 8, 2021 11:30 amPublished by Craig Ranson
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.
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!
November 26, 2021 10:34 amPublished by Craig Ranson
Brian is a true master of his trade. What started as a series of rotten wooden pieces became brand new pieces for the 1956 Jensen 541 that is in at Bridge Classic Cars.
Using what was left of the original pieces, Brian began to strip back and assess each piece to see if it could be salvaged and reused in the car to preserve any form of originality. Inch by inch Brian has recreated the pieces for the rear quarter trims from almost thin air. Using ply for the wooden pieces underneath, Brian began to wrap and prepare the pieces for the leather trimming.
November 25, 2021 12:23 pmPublished by Craig Ranson
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.
November 25, 2021 12:01 pmPublished by Craig Ranson
Brian has been continuing to work on the interior of the 1956 Jensen 541 that is here at Bridge Classic Cars for restoration.
This time, Brian has been skillfully making the new rear seat by hand. To ensure the best fit, our in-house trim shop finds it best to do these by hand in order to get the best possible finish for the car.
Starting from a single solid block of foam, Brian transferred the template and began to cut it down to size. Slowly refining the shape until it was as close to perfect as possible and then going that last little bit to get it 100% spot on. Brian then began fitting in the braces and extra padding that is needed once the cover has been made and fitted to fit properly.
November 24, 2021 1:50 pmPublished by Craig Ranson
Kath, one of our absolutely incredible trim team, has been working on the seat of the 1956 Jensen 541 that is at Bridge Classic Cars to be restored for an amazing customer of ours.
Last time you saw Kath finishing the back of the fibreglass bucket seat. Now, it’s time for the final piece of the puzzle. The seat base. Much like the bolsters and the back, the base has been entirely handmade for the individual seat. This way Kath can ensure that it has a perfect fit and sits beautifully in the seat as a whole.
Kath hand formed the foam padding to match each and every curve of the seat. Once she was happy with the shape, it was a case of beginning to make the cover. Finished in matching deep red leather with red piping. It looks absolutely phenomenal. Each piece of the seat base was test fit to the seat itself at every stage to make sure the final fit and finish were perfect.
And as you can see by the final result, it looks absolutely stunning.
November 18, 2021 3:49 pmPublished by Craig Ranson
The Jensen 541 interiors are special. Each one entirely handmade with the best materials, all crafted and fitted by hand as it would have traditionally been done back at the factory. Kath, our in-house trim expert here at Bridge Classic Cars, has been working on retrimming the front seats of the 1956 Jensen 541.
Those who have been following along will have seen the condition the seats originally came out of the car like. The foam and covering had all but rotted away to dust but the shells were in good condition and reusable. Kath and the trim team refurbished the shells and made brand newly fitted foams to sit inside the fibreglass buckets.
Now, it was time to trim them. On one of the original seat base was a tiny piece of the original leather. A dark, crimson red. This was the colour that was decided on, to be put back to original specification. Kath carefully matched the materials closest to the original colour to be sent to the owner for selection. Once that was decided on, Kath then began the process of getting the coverings cut to shape and fitted. Each piece was templated and the appropriate swatch of material was selected and cut for the job. Using adhesive, gentle heat and small stretching techniques Kath managed to get the covers in place.
The results are incredible. A wonderful testament to not only the skill and craftsmanship of our in-house trim team but to the timeless design of the 541.
November 11, 2021 10:45 amPublished by Craig Ranson
A crucial part of classic sportscars is it’s brightwork. An instantly recognisable symbol for elegance and style, chromework is the cornerstone of a finished classic.
So it’s time to send off all the pieces from our 1956 Jensen 541 that is currently undergoing restoration here at Bridge Classic Cars. These pieces will be sent off to a local specialist to be refinished, polished and cured before being bought back to our workshop and stored ready for when the car is in final assembly.
There will be more on this fantastic project here on the Bridge Classic Cars blog soon.
November 10, 2021 3:22 pmPublished by Craig Ranson
Here at Bridge Classic Cars, we’ve built a reputation for being one of the leaders in the restoration of the Jensen 541 family. The latest of these that is just beginning its journey is this 1956 Jensen 541.
This car came to us as a semi barn-find. After pulling it into the workshop, our in-house restoration technician Scott began to separate all the associate parts that were left inside the shell. This is an important part of any ground-up restoration as it gives you a clear view of what is going to be needed and its availability.
With the body and chassis of the Jensen, Scott has been going through to assess what parts can be refurbished and what will need to have replacements made. Carefully Scott has been removing, cataloguing and storing the various fixings and components which can be fully inspected at a later date by our in-house restoration teams.
Expect to see more about the restoration of this 1956 Jensen 541 on our Blog very soon.
That’s our 1956 Jensen 541 safely in our enclosed transporter and on its way back to the Bridge Classic Cars workshop in Pettistree.
It had been sat for quite a while awaiting its place in line for restoration. Our transport team carefully positioned the enclosed trailer up to the front of the sleeping sportscar. Inch by inch the car was tenderly pulled from the storage unit to keep it and the building around it safe.
With the car and all other parts securely stored and the area cleaned up, it was on its way to the workshop to begin teardown in preparation for its full restoration.
This is a perfect example of the level our in-house trim experts at Bridge Classic Cars work to.
The first photo shows what was left of the rear seat of the 1956 Jensen 541. There wasn’t a lot left after years of uncovered storage. But, thankfully our in-house teams could disassemble the old seat to then reverse engineer the piece.
Kath and Brian managed to completely recreate the wooden base piece by piece using the same techniques as the original trimmers. Once the wooden base had been built up and fixed together, it was time to start hand shaping the foam.
The foams of the seats have to be hand faired to make sure it flows perfectly once the covers are made for this particular car. Being able to reference the previous 541 series interiors, our in-house trimmers got the shape of the foams spot on.
Next up for the interior of the 1956 Jensen 541 will be its interior colour choice and the trim team will begin to make its covers.
September 24, 2021 1:20 pmPublished by Craig Ranson
The choice of colour on a classic car interior is a big part of any restoration.
Do you try and match as closely to the original as possible or do you personalise and make it unique to your own taste? Tough call. But, our in-house trim shop team will do either request to a world-class level.
This is the stage that we are at with the restoration of the interior of the 1956 Jensen 541 at Bridge Classic Cars. With the volumes of swatches that we carry for our clients to choose from, you can have almost any combination imaginable and always to the highest level of fit and finish.
This Jensen is starting from the ground up with its interior. So, while the choices are being made, Kath will be making the custom-fit handmade padding that will sit under whatever colour combination this very lucky client chooses.
Check-in on the News Page for more updates on this very exciting project.
September 22, 2021 8:04 amPublished by Craig Ranson
The exhaust on our Peony Jensen has been fitted by Demand Engineering. We now need to put the seats and pins in, air filter, bleed the gearbox and modify the number plate.
Our 1960 Peony Red Jensen has had a new boot lid carpet. Brian has cut and glued a leather strip around the inside edge of the boot lid and then glued down the carpet to the inside, cutting holes in the boot to support the arm and catch.
We’ve also sent the entire car off to Demand engineering to get the exhaust manufactured and fitted. We’ve found that the profile of the downpipes are not the correct profile so we’re also having them re-profiled so that they allow the exhaust to sit correctly.
Chris has been neatening up one of the side panels to correct some imperfections that have happened whilst assembling the car. It’s very common for scratches and knocks to occur when building a car back together and luckily Chris is on hand to correct any accidental damage.
Our 1960 Jensen 541S, fondly nicknamed ‘Peony Red’ after its colour, is currently having its horns fixed by Tom. He’s also checking over a few issues with the wiring and ensuring that the lights work and the earth cable is responding correctly.
Now that we’ve received all the parts for this 1960 541S Jensen, it’s up for sale and ready for someone to take it on as a project. For the new owner of this Jensen, we can restore it to any standard they wish, whether that’s original or bespoke.
Our Peony Red Jensen has been a similar project with the client wanting to take on a project for us to create a bespoke classic.
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