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
jensen specialist suffolk
Progress – New Seat Mounts and Panel Adjustments on the 1956 Jensen 541
July 28, 2022
The workshop at Bridge Classic Cars have been making good progress on the 1956 Jensen 541 at our Suffolk HQ for restoration. To begin with,
Inside the Workshop – Filler Work on the 1958 Jensen 541R
July 19, 2022
The Bridge Classic Cars paint and body team have been working on perfecting the fibreglass bodywork of the 1958 Jensen 541R. Check out the latest
Fitting Up – Final Welding of the Door Supports and Mocking Up the Suspension on the 1956 Jensen 541
July 19, 2022
The restoration workshop at the Bridge Classic Cars Suffolk HQ have been working on the 1956 Jensen 541. This time, our technician Rob has been
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
Come Together – Bolting the Roof and Rear Bodywork to the 1956 Jensen 541
July 11, 2022
The restoration workshop at the Bridge Classic Cars Suffolk HQ have bolted the roof and rear bodywork to the new frame of the 1956 Jensen
Smallest of Changes – Adjusting the Body Framework on the 1956 Jensen 541
July 6, 2022
The workshop team at Bridge Classic Cars have worked on the fine alterations to the framework of the 1956 Jensen 541 in for restoration at
Inside Work – Stripping The Interior of the 1959 Jensen 541R
July 4, 2022
The in-house trim team at Bridge Classic Cars have been working with our workshop to carefully and completely remove the interior from the 1959 Jensen
Progress – Framework Fit on the 1956 Jensen 541 Chassis
July 1, 2022
The workshop at Bridge Classic Cars is working on the chassis of the 1956 Jensen 541 currently in for its full restoration by us here
In the Cracks – Fibreglass Repairs on the 1958 Jensen 541R
June 29, 2022
After being stripped down and inspected, the body of the 1958 Jensen 541R has been checked over and had the start of its fibreglass repairs
Fine Adjustments – Bracing the 1956 Jensen 541 Chassis
June 29, 2022
The workshop at Bridge Classic Cars have been working on the fine adjustments to the chassis of the 1956 Jensen 541 in for restoration. The
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
New Arrival – Collecting the 1955 Jensen 541
June 27, 2022
The Bridge Classic Cars transport team have headed north from our Suffolk HQ to collect a very specialist Jensen 541. This Jensen 541 was a
This Just In – 1958 Jensen 541R Arriving from Holland
June 27, 2022
The Bridge Classic Cars workshop welcomed the latest arrival to our Suffolk HQ recently, another very special Jensen. This 1958 Jensen 541R is actually one
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,
Trimmed – Foaming the Seat Base of the 1955 Jensen 541
May 25, 2022
The trim team at Bridge Classic Cars have been working on completely revamping the seats for the 1955 Jensen 541. Beginning with the bases… Lydia,
Key Features – Work on the 1959 Jensen 541R
May 17, 2022
The workshop restoration team at Bridge Classic Cars have been working on completing several jobs on the beautiful 1959 Jensen 541R in with us. The
Clear Out – Cleaning Out the Sills of the 1958 Jensen 541R Navy
April 29, 2022
The 1958 Jensen 541R Navy has been with the Bridge Classic Cars restoration team to have the final part of its work completed by our
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
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
This Just In – 1959 Jensen 541R
April 13, 2022
The Bridge Classic Cars restoration workshop at our Suffolk HQ have welcomed this beautiful 1959 Jensen 541R for our teams to carry out a series
Teardown – Preparing the 1975 Jensen Interceptor Mk3 for Dipping and Blasting
March 24, 2022
The 1975 Jensen Interceptor Mk3 is in the Bridge Classic Cars workshops at our Pettistree HQ for body and paintwork. The fabricator and restoration teams
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.
Progress – New Seat Mounts and Panel Adjustments on the 1956 Jensen 541
July 28, 2022
The workshop at Bridge Classic Cars have been making good progress on the 1956 Jensen 541 at our Suffolk HQ for restoration.
To begin with, our technician Rob, has made and welded in the new seat mounts into the specially made chassis of the classic GT car and ground them smooth to blend them into the cross member.
After that, Rob could begin to adjustment refine the fitment of the doors by carefully reshaping the front and rear wings to achieve a uniform door gap on both sides of the car.
Inside the Workshop – Filler Work on the 1958 Jensen 541R
July 19, 2022
The Bridge Classic Cars paint and body team have been working on perfecting the fibreglass bodywork of the 1958 Jensen 541R.
Check out the latest video from Bridge Classic Cars Inside the Workshop series!
Fitting Up – Final Welding of the Door Supports and Mocking Up the Suspension on the 1956 Jensen 541
July 19, 2022
The restoration workshop at the Bridge Classic Cars Suffolk HQ have been working on the 1956 Jensen 541.
This time, our technician Rob has been finishing up adjusting and finish welding the door supports for the car. With all of the supports and brackets perfectly in place to get the door gaps and alignment right, Rob could then finish welding all of the pieces into place including the all-important A pillar post.
With that now complete, the team could get the front suspension mocked up and into place. To begin with, the team worked on aligning the front tower in just the right place to then be spot-welded to the new frame and the controls arms mocked up into place to check measurements.
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.
Come Together – Bolting the Roof and Rear Bodywork to the 1956 Jensen 541
July 11, 2022
The restoration workshop at the Bridge Classic Cars Suffolk HQ have bolted the roof and rear bodywork to the new frame of the 1956 Jensen 541 for the first time!
After making the careful and delicate adjustments to the framework and chassis of the classic Jensen, the team could begin the process of mocking up the full rear bodywork onto the car to check for any interference or binding.
Smallest of Changes – Adjusting the Body Framework on the 1956 Jensen 541
July 6, 2022
The workshop team at Bridge Classic Cars have worked on the fine alterations to the framework of the 1956 Jensen 541 in for restoration at our Suffolk HQ.
The team have test fit the rear fibreglass clamshell and with that, they could make small changes to the framework which gives the body panels structure and helps to align them. These were carefully cut, trimmed and reframed to get each section of the rear bodywork line up just right onto the new chassis.
Inside Work – Stripping The Interior of the 1959 Jensen 541R
July 4, 2022
The in-house trim team at Bridge Classic Cars have been working with our workshop to carefully and completely remove the interior from the 1959 Jensen 541R as part of its restoration journey.
Brian, one of our trimmers, has removed everything from the inside of the 541R. All of these pieces will be stored to use as a template and if anything can be reused or refurbished for the car. Everything from the headliner to the seat runners have been taken out of the car for the team to carefully look through and assess.
Progress – Framework Fit on the 1956 Jensen 541 Chassis
July 1, 2022
The workshop at Bridge Classic Cars is working on the chassis of the 1956 Jensen 541 currently in for its full restoration by us here in Suffolk.
Recently the team have been working on adjusting and refining the brand new chassis for the classic GT car. Now with the majority of the reinforcements and adjustments in place, the team can begin to fit up the various framework pieces which create the substructure for the body.
A network of cross-linked metal channels combine to create the skeleton of the car. The team had to make sure the chassis was perfect before this could be done to ensure the framework sits exactly where it should do at this key stage.
In the Cracks – Fibreglass Repairs on the 1958 Jensen 541R
June 29, 2022
After being stripped down and inspected, the body of the 1958 Jensen 541R has been checked over and had the start of its fibreglass repairs in the Bridge Classic Cars bodyshop.
The team have gone over the entire body to inspect any visible cracks or defects in the body before sanding back certain known and suspect areas to find any piece of the composite body which will require attention. In some areas, simply a small build-up material is needed to strengthen or flatten out a particular place.
Once the matting was laid down onto the panels and then resined, it is left to cure and harden before being sanded down.
Fine Adjustments – Bracing the 1956 Jensen 541 Chassis
June 29, 2022
The workshop at Bridge Classic Cars have been working on the fine adjustments to the chassis of the 1956 Jensen 541 in for restoration.
The team are beginning to weld in the necessary braces and panels as the sides and roof structure begin to be put onto the brand-new frame. For a job such as this, the team are having to make sure that each dimension and axis of the chassis is square when it is welded in. Carefully, the team have moved around the frame to allow for this and gently push and pull certain places in order to bring them into line before welding them in permanently to tie the whole piece together.
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.
New Arrival – Collecting the 1955 Jensen 541
June 27, 2022
The Bridge Classic Cars transport team have headed north from our Suffolk HQ to collect a very specialist Jensen 541.
This Jensen 541 was a stalled restoration in Lincolnshire which the team have managed to acquire. This particular 541 is special in the fact its identifying numbers, when checked against The Jensen Bible, show this to be the 8th production car built by Jensen in the 541 run.
The car was collected and put into our enclosed transporter to be taken to our secure storage facility, The Hangar, to await its restoration commission.
Keep a look out on the Bridge Classic Cars news page for more updates soon on this 1955 Jensen 541.
This Just In – 1958 Jensen 541R Arriving from Holland
June 27, 2022
The Bridge Classic Cars workshop welcomed the latest arrival to our Suffolk HQ recently, another very special Jensen.
This 1958 Jensen 541R is actually one of the prototype cars produced by Jensen as a proof of concept for the automatic gearbox option. It is also believed one of its original owners was part of the Lever family, which went on to become the global company behind Unilever.
It also features a custom, handmade grille which was made by the owner for the car that the team will incorporate into the reassembly for its owner but our team will be delivered to the customer with its signature radiator flap, a key element of the 541R.
This 1958 Jensen 541R has come to us from the Netherlands for our body and trim teams to work their craft on the classic GT car. The car will be fully assessed for any repairs that need to be made before it is refined and worked on by the body team while the trim shop begins work on the interior of the classic 541R.
The car will be finished in Ice Blue Metallic with a Lobelia Blue roof by the paint team with a complimenting dark blue interior and grey piping.
We’re always excited to welcome another 541 into the Bridge Classic Cars family and can’t wait to show you the progress very soon on this special 1958 Jensen 541R.
Have a look at the gallery below of the 1958 Jensen 541R as it arrived on its trailer from Holland!
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.
Trimmed – Foaming the Seat Base of the 1955 Jensen 541
May 25, 2022
The trim team at Bridge Classic Cars have been working on completely revamping the seats for the 1955 Jensen 541. Beginning with the bases…
Lydia, one of our trimmers at Bridge, has carefully wrapped the stripped back and refurbished seat base for the 541 ahead of the team making the new leather covers.
Key Features – Work on the 1959 Jensen 541R
May 17, 2022
The workshop restoration team at Bridge Classic Cars have been working on completing several jobs on the beautiful 1959 Jensen 541R in with us.
The first job that need completing was to get the moveable front grille working again. The front grille of the 541R is moveable to vary the airflow into the radiator of the car. This whole mechanism is cable operated and needed to be replaced and tensioned in order to get the system working exactly as it should.
Next, the team turned their attention inside the classic 541R. The team had been tasked with replacing the seat belt mounts in the car. These are a vital safety feature of any car so their mounts must be secure, stable and flat in order to have the belts fixed properly into place. Each of the mounts was removed from the car and replaced by the team. The key mounts go through the gearbox tunnel of the classic Jensen, which were cut out and replaced then painted in rust proofing.
Clear Out – Cleaning Out the Sills of the 1958 Jensen 541R Navy
April 29, 2022
The 1958 Jensen 541R Navy has been with the Bridge Classic Cars restoration team to have the final part of its work completed by our workshop team.
Part of the work is to clean out and inspect the sills of the classic Jensen 541R. The team have a series of areas where they know road dirt and debris can build up and in the long run cause issues so as part of its work, we have cleared out these areas.
The team also checked over a suspected fuel leak that couldn’t be identified and all was found to be ok on inspection. And with that, all levels were checked and topped off before being made ready to go home to its owner.
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.
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.
This Just In – 1959 Jensen 541R
April 13, 2022
The Bridge Classic Cars restoration workshop at our Suffolk HQ have welcomed this beautiful 1959 Jensen 541R for our teams to carry out a series of jobs for its owner.
Apart from its stunning colour combination, this is a beautiful example of the 541R and the teams are looking forward to sorting out a few niggles on the car which the owner has highlighted. Due to our long history of working on and refining the 541 family, the car will be gone through by our restoration teams to update certain aspects of the car and to also make sure its original features work perfectly and look perfect.
Keep an eye out here on the Bridge Classic Cars news page for more updates on the 1959 Jensen 541R.
Teardown – Preparing the 1975 Jensen Interceptor Mk3 for Dipping and Blasting
March 24, 2022
The 1975 Jensen Interceptor Mk3 is in the Bridge Classic Cars workshops at our Pettistree HQ for body and paintwork.
The fabricator and restoration teams have been working together in order to strip apart and teardown the shell of the classic Interceptor. The shell and many of its associated parts from the suspension need to be completely dismantled in order to be sent off for either sand-blasting for some of the components and acid-dipping for the shell.
Piece by piece, the big Jensen was taken apart while being catalogued and boxed up ready to be sent off to the various specialists to get this project moving forward.
