The car originally came from a San Diego Mecedes Benz dealership as the original dealer glamour license frame states. Purportedly, 10 were shipped for some fighter pilots in the area but over the years the story has changed in my mind so it might be more fiction than fact. VIN 111488 (Alan Goldman) still has the identical twin in the area so perhaps the story isn't to far fetched. Sometime in it's life it migrated north to Vancouver Island in
Canada were it became my (sometimes not-so) trusty steed as a daily driver.

In the last few years, the car has been painted and the engine has been rebuilt with a little more power in mind by Arthur Connor on a small island called Saltspring. Fixing all my no-maintenance carefree younger days has taken a couple of years in my more concerned, conservative 30's but now the car is safe, mostly done and fast.

Besides the big bore engine with Webers, the floors and battery have been welded up, the transmission has been overhauled, new Michelin tires on chrome 5.5 rims, Moto-lita wood steering wheel and shift knob from Mainely, Joe Leoni's famous headlight and starting relays, headrests, Porsche shoulder belts, new or reconditioned drum brakes all around with new master cylinder and reconditioned gauges by Palo Alto.

But the adventure has just begun for my long romance, in April 2004 she will be shipped (along with our restored 66/73 VW bug) down to the British Virgin Islands. In her retirement, the snowbird has finally migrated back down south to enjoy winding roads, steep hill climbs, seaside straight stretches and dozing policeman where every day is a sunny good driving day (except for those occasional hurricanes!). In fact, I think I'll call her "Snowbird" from now on.

Please visit my 356 B tribute and information website at http://www.356b.com if you want to know more about the B!

P.S. Maestro if you are up there watching over my car, thanks for all your help getting her back together again!

Richard Finnegan
1960 356B sunroof coupe
Victoria, Canada