Rounded Hood Handle (First Continentals)

For Pre A discussions and questions
Message
Author
Kent Malone
356 Fan
Posts: 58
Joined: Sun Apr 04, 2021 7:45 pm
Location: St. Petersburg and Gainesville, FL

Re: Rounded Hood Handle (First Continentals)

#16 Post by Kent Malone »

jim wayman wrote: Thu Feb 03, 2022 10:52 am Kent

Here are cars produced on the same date as yours, 4/28/1955.
53427, 53433, 53439, 53440, 53441, 53442, 53448, 53453, 53460, 53465 & 53477.
If you can find the owners of any of these cars, it might help in your search.
Thanks. I got a list from https://www.356continentalregistry.com/database. I will need to do a little investigation to find the owners or I might just post on a couple of Facebook 356 Pre-A and 356 groups. While I am almost sure that my car is most likely one of the earliest to received the re-tooled handle with the pointed tip, it would be useful if we could narrow down the date or serial number of the changeover more specifically.

Rafael Quepons
356 Fan
Posts: 109
Joined: Sun Mar 21, 2010 5:47 pm
Location: Anchorage

Re: Rounded Hood Handle (First Continentals)

#17 Post by Rafael Quepons »

My 53367. Blunt Handle
Ralfy

55 Continental Coupe
62 B Coupe
64 C Coupe
58 Cab
Split window buses 67 Deluxe/58 Panel/62 DC/59 Samba
66 911
71 911
78 911 SC
1999 C4
Piles of parts... except what I need

User avatar
James Davies
356Talk Moderator
Posts: 2951
Joined: Thu Aug 15, 2013 9:15 am
Location: Heidelberg, DE

Re: Rounded Hood Handle (First Continentals)

#18 Post by James Davies »

Rafael, my photos of 53367 from over a decade ago show it with a pointed hood handle, almost certainly a reproduction. It had been restored in the late 1990s. You sure the one on the car now is original?

I ask because it seems a bit late for a blunt handle, given earlier chassis numbers that already had pointed. Recall that the hood handle was installed at Reutter. Not knowing Reutter build dates on all these cars, chassis number is the best we can go by.

Jim Wayman
Registry President
Posts: 430
Joined: Sun Mar 29, 2009 5:48 pm
Location: Fallbrook, California
Contact:

Re: Rounded Hood Handle (First Continentals)

#19 Post by Jim Wayman »

53367 would have been early April 1955.
Jim Wayman

Rafael Quepons
356 Fan
Posts: 109
Joined: Sun Mar 21, 2010 5:47 pm
Location: Anchorage

Re: Rounded Hood Handle (First Continentals)

#20 Post by Rafael Quepons »

James

The handle you see in the photos in the 90’s is an original A handle that was heavily copper plated and chromed by the renowned Royal Plating shop in Tucson AZ. That replaced the original handle.

The blunt handle in question was in a box of original unrestored parts upon purchasing the car.

With utmost respect to the previous owner.

The body work was so crude. Several layers under the Tucson Palo Verde green “made up color” . Revealed the impression of a blunt handle.
Ralfy

55 Continental Coupe
62 B Coupe
64 C Coupe
58 Cab
Split window buses 67 Deluxe/58 Panel/62 DC/59 Samba
66 911
71 911
78 911 SC
1999 C4
Piles of parts... except what I need

User avatar
James Davies
356Talk Moderator
Posts: 2951
Joined: Thu Aug 15, 2013 9:15 am
Location: Heidelberg, DE

Re: Rounded Hood Handle (First Continentals)

#21 Post by James Davies »

Thanks Rafael, that's a great data point.

User avatar
JohnLiles
356 Fan
Posts: 206
Joined: Tue Dec 11, 2012 8:56 am
Location: London and NW England

Re: Rounded Hood Handle (First Continentals)

#22 Post by JohnLiles »

Hi Oliver , I have one of the 28 April 1955 cars on Jim Wayman's list VIN 53453 , it has a rounded tip handle that looks original (!)
IMG_1714.JPG
IMG_1714.JPG (1006.56 KiB) Viewed 1231 times
1957 'A' and 1955 'Continental Outlaw'

Kent Malone
356 Fan
Posts: 58
Joined: Sun Apr 04, 2021 7:45 pm
Location: St. Petersburg and Gainesville, FL

Re: Rounded Hood Handle (First Continentals)

#23 Post by Kent Malone »

JohnLiles wrote: Fri Feb 11, 2022 11:37 am Hi Oliver , I have one of the 28 April 1955 cars on Jim Wayman's list VIN 53453 , it has a rounded tip handle that looks original (!)IMG_1714.JPG
Hi John, I'm glad you posted here in addition to the FB group. I've been trying to determine if my car #53434 built the same day as yours would likely have had a blunt or pointed handle. I looked up the database on https://www.356continentalregistry.com/database and #53453 reports that it was originally white with black vinyl and sunroof. It also reports that it was located in the UK at the time the information was reported to the registry. Your photo shows that it's blue. Do you know any of the history of the car? I'd love to see some additional photos!

***Edit*** I looked at your post history and found some photos and information about your car. Love the sunroof! I haven't read yet how it's a Continental with right hand drive, as "Continental" was a designation exclusively reserved for exported US-market cars ordered through Max Hoffman. The Kardex would have to note Max Hoffman as the importer and a US destination to denote the earliest Continentals and the Kardex started noting "Continental" on the later cars (around June or July, I believe.) Non-US destination cars were not branded as Continentals. I'm curious as to how it's a Continental? Still, it's a good looking "outlaw" that must be a hoot to drive in its lowered state with a 911 engine 8)

Kent

User avatar
James Davies
356Talk Moderator
Posts: 2951
Joined: Thu Aug 15, 2013 9:15 am
Location: Heidelberg, DE

Re: Rounded Hood Handle (First Continentals)

#24 Post by James Davies »

I'll add here that delays in production could happen at Reutter or at Porsche. Hood handles were sourced and installed at Reutter. So presumably a car that sailed through production without delays could have the new pointed hood handle by the time production was done at Porsche (and the Kardex filled out), and meanwhile a car that had production problems at Porsche might have been delayed a week or more and had the older blunt handle installed, but eventually made it out the door on the same day. So there may inevitably be a mix at the "switchover", both mixed in chassis number order and in Kardex date.

Good thread!

Kent Malone
356 Fan
Posts: 58
Joined: Sun Apr 04, 2021 7:45 pm
Location: St. Petersburg and Gainesville, FL

Re: Rounded Hood Handle (First Continentals)

#25 Post by Kent Malone »

James Davies wrote: Sat Feb 12, 2022 1:43 pm I'll add here that delays in production could happen at Reutter or at Porsche...
I was thinking the same thing, too. Given these cars were coach built versus assembly line, inevitably a clear demarcation is impossible to observe, given those potential production delays you note. But the more "data points" that can be obtained anecdotally by owners reporting their production date, body number and if the car has a handle that it identifiable as an original one, it helps. Of course, even if a handle is an original handle it doesn't necessarily mean it's original to the car (e.g. perhaps it replaced a damaged original handle). But a scatterplot can reveal important information with enough data points. Would be awesome if those with cars built between, say, Tuesday, April 26 and Wednesday, May 4 would report in. That would be interesting!

User avatar
JohnLiles
356 Fan
Posts: 206
Joined: Tue Dec 11, 2012 8:56 am
Location: London and NW England

Re: Rounded Hood Handle (First Continentals)

#26 Post by JohnLiles »

Kent - in answer to your questions about my car !

It is a true 'Continental' , the details on the Registry were provided by me ( living in UK ) , but the car was white/black sold by Hoffman in the US - its first 'continent' .... and it went to its second 'continent' in the early 90's when bought by an Australian collector of 356s (!) who had it converted to RHD so he could drive it every day in Australia.

It went to its third continent ( Europe) in 2016 when I bought it . The blue is Speedster Blue , the engine is not from a 911 (!!) but from a 912 , brakes wheels courtesy of a 356C . It kept its original doors , lids , and of course 'boot handle' . Pictured here at the Grossglockner glacier
Image 16.jpg
Image 16.jpg (208.33 KiB) Viewed 1180 times
near the 356 birthplace , Gmund , on the route of the final test drive of 356/01 by Karl Rabe
1957 'A' and 1955 'Continental Outlaw'

User avatar
Brett Johnson
Registry Hall of Fame
Posts: 641
Joined: Thu Mar 27, 2008 12:37 pm
Location: Indianapolis

Re: Rounded Hood Handle (First Continentals)

#27 Post by Brett Johnson »

Only slightly off topic, but seals for these handles were thin, flat rubber pads that do not extend beyond the perimeter of the handle.
Attachments
70-D.jpg
70-C.jpg
Brett Johnson

Kent Malone
356 Fan
Posts: 58
Joined: Sun Apr 04, 2021 7:45 pm
Location: St. Petersburg and Gainesville, FL

Re: Rounded Hood Handle (First Continentals)

#28 Post by Kent Malone »

JohnLiles wrote: Sun Feb 13, 2022 12:13 pm Kent - in answer to your questions about my car !
Thanks for the information, John. Wow, your car has had quite a history!!

Kent Malone
356 Fan
Posts: 58
Joined: Sun Apr 04, 2021 7:45 pm
Location: St. Petersburg and Gainesville, FL

Re: Rounded Hood Handle (First Continentals)

#29 Post by Kent Malone »

Brett Johnson wrote: Wed Feb 16, 2022 2:38 pm Only slightly off topic, but seals for these handles were thin, flat rubber pads that do not extend beyond the perimeter of the handle.
Great reference photos!

User avatar
Brett Johnson
Registry Hall of Fame
Posts: 641
Joined: Thu Mar 27, 2008 12:37 pm
Location: Indianapolis

Re: Rounded Hood Handle (First Continentals)

#30 Post by Brett Johnson »

I can recommend a book...
Brett Johnson

Post Reply