Letter from Edward Renouf to Anny Schey von Koromla

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Vienna, Wednesday

Dear Annerl!

This is just a brief ‘business’ letter. I was at the Studebaker dealership today and realised it would cost significantly more to buy the spare parts than to have them supplied and fitted. I went to the Studebaker garage Baron, Fischer & Co., XV, Zwölfergasse 15, to get a quote for all the repairs. Only then did I get to the Arenberg garage to get the other quote. Here it is:

fan 40.00
steering knuckle bushings and bolts 100.00
fuel gauge 10.00
greasing, differential etc. 7.00
loosen indicators, tighten brakes, fill battery with water 3.00
schillings 160.00

These are all the absolutely necessary repairs, and I’ve already instructed the garage to go ahead with them.

Also, on the way back to Vienna, the spare wheel mount broke again! Having it welded back on as firmly as possible would come to 30 schillings, but the head mechanic says that no-one could guarantee that even the best mount would hold under the weight of two wheels so far back on the car. He wants to have fender-wells made for the spare wheels, in the front fenders (as with all the most elegant cars). This would cost:

fender-wells 55.00
mounts for the wheels 118.00
173.00


Also: roof repairs 18.00
front and rear carpets 45.00
respray and polish fenders 80.00
173.00

But the car would look strange with gleaming new fenders and the old, faded blue bodywork. So that would need respraying too, at least on the bonnet. But the new paint would never be a perfect match for the blue on the rest of the car. And repainting and polishing the whole car would come to 250 schillings. Given the faded paint on the bonnet and elsewhere, it wouldn’t make much sense to have the bodywork polished without respraying, as I’m sure you’ll agree. So:

necessary repairs 160.00
then either
repair wheel mount 30.00
or
fender-wells and mounts 173.00
and either
roof repair 18.00
or
new roof 100.00
fender repairs (without wells) 100.00
carpets 45.00

So that would be 190 as a minimum, and I’d suggest leaving it at that. The rest is superfluous. It might be good, at most, to have the roof repaired for 18 schillings. The resprayed fenders would soon lose their shine, so why bother with the expense? There’s leisure and pleasure in forest and field!

If you telegraph ‘GOOD’, I’ll have the wheel mount welded (30 schillings) and the roof repaired (18 schillings), which makes 208 schillings.

If you telegraph ‘ALSO’, that would mean ‘GOOD’ plus carpets.

If you telegraph ‘NOTWITHSTANDING’, that would be ‘ALSO’ plus the fender-wells and mounts for the spare wheels, which makes 396 schillings.

If you telegraph ‘DELUXE’, that would mean respray and polish as well. In which case you could choose your own colour! What should it be? Claret? Ivory? Whatever you like! But perhaps it would be best if you just telegraphed ‘GOOD’. – – – – * * * * * * On the way from Linz to Vienna I stopped to put the spare wheels in the car and to have some dinner. I was at home and in bed well before two o’clock.

I’ve just looked at the clock and I see there’s time for a few more lines before the post office closes.

The drive back to Vienna passed without incident, other than the annoyance of the wheel mount breaking. As promised, I was good and remembered to signal at every corner! For the rest I couldn’t help but think, as I always do, . . . . . . . . * * * * * – – – – – – ! ! !

Back to business, alas! A new radiator without labour would cost 600 to 800 schillings. That will be why I forgot to mention it! The Studebaker garage Baron, Fischer & Co. quoted a few schillings less than Arenberg, but they didn’t seem quite so reliable, so I’m staying with Arenberg.

The car will be ready by noon on Friday at the earliest. I’ll then drive to Hinterbrühl (it won’t be earlier than that, of course) and probably stay there a couple of days. Telepathy will have to be switched on! But now I really must run to the post office. All my . . . .

Etl

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