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jensen specialist

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.

Handmade – Replacement Grilles for Jensen 541

March 29, 2022

Bridge Classic Cars is excited to announce that we can now supply beautifully hand-made stainless steel Jensen 541 front grille replacements.

These are handmade to exactly match the openings and shape of the original grilles of the car. The replacement grilles offered by Bridge Classic Cars are uncut and come without any supports or bracketry, these will need to be transferred over from the original pieces or mocked up on the car itself to ensure the best possible fit.

Finished in high-grade stainless steel, these pieces will remain bright and vibrant for longer than regular steel. A beautiful finishing touch to any Jensen 541 restoration.

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.

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.

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.

Better than New – New Chassis and Bulkhead for the 1956 Jensen 541

February 28, 2022

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.

In-Place – New Wheel Arches for the 1956 Jensen 541

February 24, 2022

The handmade wheel arches for the 1956 Jensen 541 have been into the Bridge Classic Cars to be finished in shiny new black epoxy.

The paint team prepared and painted the arches for when the car is ready to be reassembled.

Seats and Ceilings – Foam and Panel Work on the 1955 Jensen 541

February 17, 2022

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.

The Smallest of Details – Refurbishing 1956 Jensen 541 Parts

February 9, 2022

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.

Rearward – Fitting Up the New Rear Seat Cover to the Base of the 1956 Jensen 541

January 14, 2022

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.

The Perfect Fit – Making the Rear Seat Cover for the 1956 Jensen 541

January 13, 2022

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.

Trimmed – Working on the Trim Pieces for the 1956 Jensen 541

January 12, 2022

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.

Coming Soon – 1975 Jensen Interceptor Mk3

January 11, 2022

Bridge Classic Cars will soon be welcoming this 1975 Jensen Interceptor Mk3 for an aesthetic restoration by our in-house teams.

Our paint and body teams will assess and report on the condition of the classic GT car which will then put together a plan to get the car sorted out.

Expect to see much more on this Interceptor very soon here on the Bridge Classic Cars newspage.

Like New – Renewing the Steering Column and Dash Wiring on the 1962 Jensen 541S

January 7, 2022

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!

From Scratch – Making and Trimming Rear Quarters for the 1956 Jensen 541

December 20, 2021

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.

Unplugged – Wiring Up the 1962 Jensen 541S

December 20, 2021

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.

Got Your Back – Working on the Seats of the 1956 Jensen 541

December 15, 2021

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.

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.

Core Components – Stripping Parts for the 1956 Jensen 541 to be Refurbished

December 8, 2021

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.

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.

To The Smallest Detail – Preparing Parts of the 1956 Jensen 541 For Sandblasting

December 3, 2021

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.

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!

This Just In – 1962 Jensen 541S

November 25, 2021

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.

Application of Skill – Remaking the Rear Quarter Trims for the 1956 Jensen 541

November 25, 2021

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.

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.

From Scratch – Making the Rear Seat for the 1956 Jensen 541

November 24, 2021

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.

The Level of Detail – Recovering the Dash and Ceiling Pad of the 1956 Jensen 541

November 23, 2021

It’s the small details on a restoration that we believe take it to a world-class finish. Interiors are a huge part of the experience of these cars for their very lucky owners as it’s the best seat in the house in our opinion. That’s why our in-house trim shop takes everything to the next level in terms of fit and finish.

Brian, one of our in-house trim experts here at Bridge Classic Cars, has been hard at work stripping down and recovering several of the larger components for the 1956 Jensen 541. Brian began by stripping back the original dash and ceiling pads ready for them to be recovered in matching red leather to the rest of the interior. Carefully, Brian worked his magic on revealing the original piece that lay under the weathered coverings for assessment.

The pieces themselves were in remarkable shape. So, very little was needed before they were prepared for their new look. Inch by inch, Brian began with the underlays for each piece making sure they were cut perfectly to size before being married to the piece. Then, using the best hide, Brian began the process that would make them complete.

Using his years of experience in high-end retrimming, Brian stretch and secured the leather to the piece making sure at each point that the coverings sat flat and straight onto the original 1950s pieces. As you can see, the results are sensational just like the rest of the interior on this wonderful early car.

Bridge Classic Cars are award winning Classic Car Restoration and Maintenance specialists. Your pride and joy is in safe hands with our expert Classic Car Technicians. Take a look at our awards here.

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