SHOP WITH A COP - November 9, 2013

[Dick Koch]

Saturday 11/9/13. The Sheriff dept. has an annual charity car show that in the past has been held at the John Staluppi Cars of Dreams Museum usually attracting over 400 cars. All the cars have been auctioned off and the Museum closed so the show this year was held at the S. Florida Fairgrounds with the first 150 early arrivals being parked inside in air conditioning. The same building that Barrett-Jackson holds its auction every year and where both my grand daughters graduated. The day was rainy, windy and overcast so only about 75 cars showed up. Me and my buddies were some of the first to arrive.
Dick.

[Ron Keij]

Great pictures Dick, and a good idea to have a show indoors! I think I liked last years show better though, but maybe that was because we were there And if you see Bruce, tell him I love his car!!

And what a brilliant idea to paint your car in the colors of your outfit

Ron

[Dick Koch]

Oh, by the way, that black 1940 Buick is the same as my first car except for the sidemounts. I don't know if I told you the story of that car or not, if so get ready to hear it again. My dad took me to look for a car at Mr. Hunts service station, parked in the back was a 1940 Lincoln Zephyr with a V12 engine in real nice condition for $450.00. Next to it was a 1940 Buick 4 dr. sedan for $80.00. This was in 1952. Since all I had was $100.00 I had saved from my paper route I bought the buick. In only 12 years the car had become a parts car but it ran real good and the radio worked. It was two tone rust with absolutely no upholstery anywhere, only a little straw in the seat springs, a quilt fixed that. It had a big hole between the pedals where exhaust fumes went straight to my face. Three car tires and one truck tire on the right rear. It had coil springs on all four corners, the shock were shot so I used to boing, boing down the road at a slight angle. To fix that I put Gear oil in the lever arm shocks, after that it would corner like a Porsch. The brakes consisted of an emergency lever but you gotta remember the radio worked. With that car I ended up with 5 paper routes and was pulling down $50.00 a week, $10.00 per route. That was a lot of money for a kid in hight school and I saved up and bought my first MOPAR, a 1947 Plymouth 2 dr. sedan. After I graduated high school I used that car to drive back and forth from New Orleans to Baton Rouge, I was going to LSU. I drove that car to Miami one summer and the only trouble I had with it was the generator went out on the trip to Miami.
Dick.

[rogerh]

I plan to pay better attention to these stories. Mom and Dad are gone now, and the stories they told are foggy in my memory.
Keep 'em coming, Dick and keep the lights on. Your cars and your work are really fabulous.

[Steve Storey]

Thanks for the picters and the great story. I had a 49 chevrolet that my big brother wrecked and it tracked alittle crooked. I drove it pre-license on our dirt road. The neighbors must have been horrified to see me coming, but there was no police intervention!! Those were the days.

[big m]

Thanks for the photos, Dick!

I'm a fan of the '58 Buicks also, my best friend has a few of them that he is gradually working on.

---John

[Dick Koch]

John - Bruce is one of my best friends and a Hardcore Car Guy. He has a 54 Chev. Convertible that has had a frame off restoration by others, bruce really only installs the stainless trim at most. He is a used car dealer and buys and sells a lot of cars. Most of the restorations he does are cosmetic at best and always availabe for sale except the 54 Chev. The 58 Buick came from Denver Colorado. He got the engine running, doesn't burn oil, got it painted, had the upholstery redone. He installed 70's Cadallac bucket seats, I did all the stainless. He will drive it awhile then take it to Turkey Rod Run and sell it. He takes a couple cars up there every year. If Bruce can't get it for half the asking price he doesn't touch it. You can bet the freight cost more than the car.
Dick.