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.
February 28, 2022 9:36 amPublished by Craig Ranson
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.
February 22, 2022 11:27 amPublished by Craig Ranson
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.
February 18, 2022 11:07 amPublished by Craig Ranson
The trim team at the Bridge Classic Cars workshop in our Suffolk HQ are working through the interior pieces and trims for the 1955 Jensen 541.
Brian, one of our trimmers, has been working on shaping and putting together the fitted rear seats for the 1950s GT car. Each part of these rear seats is made by hand by our trim shop in-house. Every car is unique so each interior we do for a Jensen is also unique and fit specifically for that car.
This 541 is no exception. The rear seats have had their foams cut and shaped by hand to get the best fit and finish possible for the interior of the classic Jensen. Along with that, Brian has also remade and trimmed the ceiling pad to match.
February 17, 2022 9:15 amPublished by Craig Ranson
The front seats for the 1955 Jensen 541 are on the workbench in the in-house trim shop at Bridge Classic Cars.
Brian has been testing fitting each part of the seat bases to make sure everything lines up and fits just right. He then made new wooden cappings to go along with the new metal frames. Once the fit was just right, the new bases could then me covered in Calico before being placed and fitted into the fibreglass bucket seats.
February 16, 2022 12:40 pmPublished by Craig Ranson
We’ve been sent an amazing photo from the lobby of Seckford Hall here in Suffolk. The photo in the frame is from a photoshoot that Bridge Classic Cars did with the 1961 Jensen 541S restoration we had carried out at Seckford Hall.
It’s always a very proud moment to see both our photography work and restoration work in somewhere like Seckford Hall.
February 14, 2022 11:12 amPublished by Craig Ranson
The in-house paint and body team at Bridge Classic Cars have been working on preparing to start work on the 1956 Jensen 541.
The first stage is to get the wheel arches for the car sanded down and ready for when they eventually go into the paint booth. First, though, the team had to perform some repairs. One of the benefits of the Jensen 541’s fibreglass construction is that repairs can be easily performed on these amazing classic GT cars.
Then, once the resin had cured for the repair the team could begin sanding and fairing the pieces to make sure every surface and recess of it is perfect and ready for the time when it all gets its first coats of primer.
February 10, 2022 9:53 amPublished by Craig Ranson
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
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.
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 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.
Earlier, we should you the newly painted headlight covers for our director Gordon’s 1934 MG PA Midget. Well, in preparation for them our in-house restoration technician Paul has been carefully disassembling the headlights on this beautiful sports car.
With a vehicle such as the MG PA, a certain amount of restraint is needed when removing components from the car. Or, even something as simple as disconnecting a wire. That’s where our technicians shine, with a host of reference sources in our library and the wealth of knowledge contained within our workshop, any job can be tackled with the right approach.
Paul removed the headlight from its cover, making note of the placement of each wire and screw. Everything has been bagged and catalogued to be stored safely for its new covers to finally be cured and ready to be fitted to the MG PA.
A while ago, you may remember that our in-house restoration technicians were looking into a misfire issue on the 1971 Jaguar XJ6 that is in at Bridge Classic Cars. It was discovered the head gasket has failed and damaged the cylinder head which was sent off to a specialist to be remachined.
With the return of the cylinder imminent, our in-house restoration technicians have been preparing the rest of the engine block to receive the head. After Jonn had begin to inspect the block for assessment, he discovered that most of the coolant galleys and water jackets were packed with thick, brown sludge..
Jonn has spent a considerable amount of time to carefully remove the blockages and the sludge. Using a series of tools and removing the core plugs to get better access to remove the debris, Jonn has managed to remove the majority of the sludge from the straight-six but the last few bits and pieces will need to be flushed out and then the passageways rechecked for any remnants.
Considering the level of blockage in the engine, Jonn has done a great job in making sure that when the cylinder head for the XJ6 is ready to be fitted back on that everything else will be at the same standard to ensure a happy and long life for this wonderful piece of British engineering.
December 1, 2021 10:52 amPublished by Craig Ranson
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.
November 29, 2021 10:20 amPublished by Craig Ranson
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.
November 26, 2021 11:53 amPublished by Craig Ranson
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
Bridge Classic Cars are happy to welcome another wonderful Jensen 541 into our restoration workshop. This particular car is a 1962 Jensen 541S which has arrived in our workshop for our in-house restoration teams to begin working through several jobs.
This car is going to have an entire wiring loom replaced by our in-house restoration technicians. This is down to a couple of wiring issues but thanks to our specialism in Jensen 541’s it is no problem for our world-class team. While the car is in our workshop, it will also have its steering column replaced for the owner.
We’re looking forward to getting to work on yet another Jensen 541, so keep an eye out on the Bridge Classic Cars blog.
November 25, 2021 12:35 pmPublished 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
We use cookies to deliver the best possible experience whilst visiting our website. By clicking "Accept All", you consent to our use of cookies, or you can manage your preferences by clicking the link below. You can manage your preferences at any time from out Cookie Policy page.
Functional
Always active
The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
Preferences
The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
Statistics
The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes.The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
Marketing
The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.
