Final Piece of the Puzzle – Finish the Seat Base of the 1956 Jensen 541
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
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
Kath, one of our amazing in-house trim experts, has been working on the seats for the 1956 Jensen 541 that is currently in with Bridge
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
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.
We recently said goodbye to Princess Grey. Off to be restored by its enthusiastic new owner who will love and cherish this car. Princess Grey
It’s nearly time for Peony Red, the 1960 Jensen 541S to go off to her new home away from us here at Bridge Classic Cars.
As part of Peony Red’s pre-delivery inspection, our in-house trim team have been busy finishing off parts of the interior. Mainly the tunnel carpet. This
Peony Red, the 1960 Jensen 541S, is reaching the end of its restoration and its pre-delivery inspection. So it’s time to get the last few
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
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
First up on tour is the amazing 1969 Ford Escort Twin Cam that was cruising around Ireland on holiday with its owner. We worked on
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
Time for an update on the interior of the 1956 Jensen 541 we have here at Bridge Classic Cars. In the last update on the
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
Work has begun on the interior of our incredible ”Barn Find” 1956 Jensen 541. As you can see, it’s not in the best condition but
Work is continuing on the interior of this in-house handmade interior of the 1960 Jensen 541R we have in with us for restoration at Bridge
For a handmade classic car, only a handmade interior will do. This is much the story with our beautiful 1960 Jensen 541R we have in
This tool tray is from the Peony Red 1960 Jensen 541S. It hasn’t got any tools that were in it, so the customer is going
In the trim shop, Brian has been fitting the front squab seats of the 1960 Jensen 541R to their foams and frames. These seats were
Dave has been working on the 1960 peony red Jensen 541S. He’s adjusted the cover for the gearbox so it can come apart for an
John has been giving the heater valve some attention on the peony red 1960 Jensen 541S. When it was being tested, the heater was blowing
Kath has been laying the carpet back down in the peony red 1960 Jensen 541S. The pedals needed some adjustment, so the sound deadening and
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
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
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
Our soon to be Lilac Jensen is currently sat in our workshop awaiting its next stage.
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
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.
Now that we’ve received all the parts for this 1959 541R Jensen, it’s up for sale and ready for someone to take it on as
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.
Kath, one of our amazing in-house trim experts, has been working on the seats for the 1956 Jensen 541 that is currently in with Bridge Classic Cars for a full restoration.
Last we saw Kath working her skill on the front of the seats, creating new padding and covers for the fibreglass buckets. Now, Kath is applying the same level of attention and detail to the back of the seats. Methodically, Kath has used traditional techniques to carefully remake the seatbacks in matching red leather.
The base of the seat has also been lined in preparation for the base padding which is currently being worked on by the Bridge Classic Cars in-house trim team.
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.
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.
We recently said goodbye to Princess Grey. Off to be restored by its enthusiastic new owner who will love and cherish this car.
Princess Grey is a 1959 Jensen 541R which we stored with the prospect of one day being commissioned to build her for a new owner and keep another 541 safe for prosperity and generations to come. That is still going to happen but just not with us.
However, it is really exciting to see it going off to the new owner and we look forward to seeing updates on the car.
It’s nearly time for Peony Red, the 1960 Jensen 541S to go off to her new home away from us here at Bridge Classic Cars. Every square inch of Peony Red has been worked on in-house at Bridge Classic Cars by our expert in-house restoration teams.
We will be sad to see her go but before she leaves, our workshop manager and senior technician John has been giving her a pre-delivery inspection ahead of our travels. John has been going through each individual system on the car to ensure everything is all present and correct before the end of the week.
Alongside John is Tamas, one of our junior technicians to work on getting Peony Red ready.
Safe travels.
As part of Peony Red’s pre-delivery inspection, our in-house trim team have been busy finishing off parts of the interior. Mainly the tunnel carpet.
This Jensen 541 has been a long-loved restoration by us here at Bridge Classic Cars. Every department of our in-house restoration team has worked on this car in one way or another. Now, our trim shop is finishing off the last bits. Mainly it needed to have its transmission tunnel carpets finished.
The sound-deadening and insulation were fitted to the tunnel and then the templates could be made for the piece. After they had been cut, edged and fitted a small inspection flap needed to be carefully cut into the finished carpets for future use if ever needed. Kath carefully made a small ear from the matching carpet and trimmed it just like the other carpet to match and bring the whole piece together.
Next was the all-important tool tray. A unique piece of the Jensen 541, it lives underneath the glove box. The tray itself has been in our body and paint shop to make sure it looks absolutely perfect before it’s cover was made by Kath and fitted to the glovebox.
The interior of Peony Red looks absolutely sensational if we do say so ourselves.
Peony Red, the 1960 Jensen 541S, is reaching the end of its restoration and its pre-delivery inspection. So it’s time to get the last few finishing touches completed and in the car.
One of these systems that is being finished by our in-house trim experts is the sound system. Peony Red has got a modern stereo unit, although it is a classic-looking head unit it is thoroughly up to date. With that, it does require a set of new speakers.
Kath has been working on making new speaker boxes from scratch for the car. These were made from a simple wooden box but finished in matching carpet to the rest of the interior to blend into the car and be completely useable for her new owner.
Just because it’s a classic car, doesn’t mean you can’t have some of the modern luxuries. We think its a good balance of old and new in this stunning 1960 Jensen 541S
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.
First up on tour is the amazing 1969 Ford Escort Twin Cam that was cruising around Ireland on holiday with its owner. We worked on this very car earlier this year and it’s amazing to see it being used and enjoyed. Safe travels!
Next on the road is the 1960 Jensen 541S ”Prototype” which was taking part in Petit Tour in Belgium. This Jensen was in with us in 2017 and 2019 for a full restoration but it’s amazing to see it out and being enjoyed by its owner.
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.
Time for an update on the interior of the 1956 Jensen 541 we have here at Bridge Classic Cars.
In the last update on the interior of this particular 541, our in-house trim shop had stripped the original seats back down their bases to assess their condition. Also, the colour selection pallet had been proposed to this very lucky customer.
Now, with the seats back to the simplest form, our in-house trim specialist Kath could begin to form the bespoke foam-work that makes up the backrest and base cushion on these unique handbuilt sportscars.
Each component of the interior is entirely hand built by our in-house trim experts.
For more updates, keep a look out on our news page.
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.
Work has begun on the interior of our incredible ”Barn Find” 1956 Jensen 541. As you can see, it’s not in the best condition but that’s not a problem for our incredible in-house trim shop.
The original interior unfortunately had succumbed to the passing of time. As you can see, there wasn’t much left after our in-house trim team began to pull it apart.
This interior will see the light of day again!
Be sure to keep an eye on our news page for more updates about this project very soon.
Work is continuing on the interior of this in-house handmade interior of the 1960 Jensen 541R we have in with us for restoration at Bridge Classic Cars.
This entirely bespoke and fitted interior being made by our in-house trim shop shows the level of detail needed for such a unique and classic car. The foams are individually cut and refind to make sure that the seat fits the owner well but also follows the classic, following lines of the original interior trim.
The Jensen 541 family are all so unique and entirely handbuilt that the interiors are as individual as the car. This particular car is a very special project to us here at Bridge Classic Cars so keep an eye out on our news page for more updates on this fantastic example of the marque.
For a handmade classic car, only a handmade interior will do. This is much the story with our beautiful 1960 Jensen 541R we have in the trim shop here at Bridge Classic Cars for one of the incredible owners, Gordon.
Our beloved Lilac has been in the trim shop recently to have our in-house trim experts begin work on upholstering the seats for this truly unique car. Starting from scratch, our upholsters began laying out the original frames and foams to ensure that the new set, which are handcrafted in-house, would fit. They also had to suit the cars classic but also quite contemporary lines.
The webs for the rear seat needed to include the signature rear hump. This had to be taken into account when making this one-off interior. The rear is a masterpiece of flowing lines that finish in neat and crisp corners that perfectly suit a car of this calibre. The padding was selected to give the most amount of support for the driver and passengers whilst out there enjoying the gorgeous 541R.
Our in-house team of automotive upholsterers took their time to make sure that the front seat also was given the same treatment as the rear. Skillfully matching the compound shapes and curves that make up the best seat in the house when it comes to enjoying a truly unique classic car.
This tool tray is from the Peony Red 1960 Jensen 541S. It hasn’t got any tools that were in it, so the customer is going to source those separately. Kath is going to shape a new piece of foam and cover it in black vinyl to match the dash. This piece of foam is the handle part, and the piece you see while sitting in the car. The tool tray sits underneath the dash, on the passenger side, and slots in like a draw into a metal frame.
In the trim shop, Brian has been fitting the front squab seats of the 1960 Jensen 541R to their foams and frames. These seats were created and sewn by Lydia a little while back. You can read about the process here and here.
Brian started the fitting process by glueing and stapling the front squab “faces”/fronts to the frames, making sure the leather was nice and tight with no wrinkles. The staples went around the back of the wooden frame. The back of each seat was then attached with staples that went into the piping flange. 3mm plywood was cut out to the correct shape using a paper template for the bottom of each seat, this was wrapped in the white leather/glued onto the wood. This plywood was nailed onto the bottom of the seats with tacks and does the job of hiding the staples and raw edges of the leather.
Dave has been working on the 1960 peony red Jensen 541S. He’s adjusted the cover for the gearbox so it can come apart for an easier inspection. Bolts have been fitted so it’s fixed in securely but also has a way to undo. We definitely have clever people working for us!
Lydia has also had a part to play in this process by sanding carpet, glue and paint off one of the floor panels that sits underneath the gearbox.
John has been giving the heater valve some attention on the peony red 1960 Jensen 541S. When it was being tested, the heater was blowing hot when it was actually being set to cold on the control. So John set about changing the valve for it to work properly.
Kath has been laying the carpet back down in the peony red 1960 Jensen 541S. The pedals needed some adjustment, so the sound deadening and carpet were glued back down after this was done.
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 soon to be Lilac Jensen is currently sat in our workshop awaiting its next stage.
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.
Now that we’ve received all the parts for this 1959 541R 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.
Please note: this vehicle is for sale via eBay as an auction. The starting price is £1,000 and the auction ends on 9th June 2021 – eBay ad
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