The Official 356Talk Forum

To answer a question (reply) by email...

This early Cab #5134 in its life around Mercer Island and Woodenville, Washington, as the story was told, had been updated after being hit (damaged) by Mrs Nordstrom (the Nordstrom Dept store). The attempt following the damage was to make the car look a bit more modern. At that time they added 4 - '55 slotted wheels, 2 teardrop taillights, replaced the nose with late fifties-ish nose, and added a pair of "interim" bumpers. (The car's previous owner I met in Washington in the mid-1990s that told me the story still had the take-off original 3 x 16 riveted wheels in his garage! Those wheels went back on the car, of course.)

Years ago I got a call from the late Gary Kempton after he heard I had a pair of interim bumpers. We worked out a trade for a correct pair of body bumpers with the 2 pieces of aluminum trim. That trade occurred when Gary passed suddenly for a timeframe.

Hope that answers the question as to why I mentioned the interim bumpers.

(Restoration of #5134, engine #P356-1011 will hopefully begin in 2019. It's time...)

And it's on my early 356 Register from April 1987; Tom Niedernhofer; brother's car.

Hi Vick. You are correct from your notes. I purchased it from my brother on '91. It wasn't cheap...

The car deserves to be finished, so once Rennsport is over and 2019 rolls in, I'll get it back on the front burner. You provided a special piece for the car that was missing...and I believe it came from your old Gmund Coupe. That was a long time ago!

Incidentally, the next car in the series of those 12 Reutter Cabriolets, the ex Ron Roland Cab #5135, is under full restoration. Nice to compare notes and details with that car. These are the 2 earliest Reutter Cabriolets that still retained their original Factory engines...as far as I can recall.

-TN

So Tom........maybe I got the pics from you??