Joe Cocuzza

I cannot list the cars I have owned thru the years - from age 13 to my now old age of 54 - because I will probably forget quite a few. As a rough estimate I would say I have had at least 300-400 cars (maybe more) - so far. Please don't think I am exaggerating. I am telling the truth. The only regret I have is that I wish I had kept ALL of them. I could have retired, quite comfortably, a while ago if I held on to them. Space and money dictate how many we can keep. Now, if you want to count motorcycles, too ....... Joe

For parts try Kanter Auto Parts in New Jersey. Joe

Hi, There are a few fenders right now on Ebay. They are very expensive and costly to ship. Just search in Vintage Parts & Accessories - Select Chrysler under make - put in 1946-1948 under years. I have a couple of rear fenders but they have the smaller dogleg on them. I don't know if your car has the same rear fenders. The smaller dogleg was used to accommodate the larger sized tires and were found on the 8 cylinder cars. Yours being a Windsor you may have the larger dogleg'd fenders. That said, however, the fenders I have may be used to "patch" yours by using the section(s) you need. A friend of mine used New Yorker rear fenders on his Windsor. If the car is not going to be a "SHOW CAR" then you can get away with using the 8 cylinder fenders. Also, the 8 cylinder cars front fenders will not fit a Windsor. If you send me a couple of pics I can let you know. Send them to my email address - coozie44@yahoo.com If you can use the fender(s) I have I would be willing to sell them. Sorry, I do not have any front fenders. Thanks, Joe

Hi, Sorry to hear about your dad. The very first thing to do is to get a bunch of pictures and post them here (also, in the Buick Forums). We need to "see" what you have. Joe

I have 4 door striker plates. Try Morris Sarnoff for the Highlander Plaid material. He's in Vineland, New Jersey. I have some other stuff. Send a list of what you need. Joe

Hi Richie, I was looking at your pics of the car and I noticed a couple of things. Please do not take this as criticism. I am only trying to help. 1 - You have a 12 volt battery in the car. It should be a 6 volt. 2 - The battery cables are connected incorrectly. All Chrysler products of this era were POSITIVE GROUND. So they need to be reversed. Joe

The 1949 Kaiser - Frazers becoming the 1951 Models via a terrible (IMO) facelift. I know the company was in poor health but....

No need for ANY caption on this one. Look at the expressions and body language of the 2 in the back seat. A picture is worth more than 1000 words in this case.

to all in this Forum. I have copied and pasted a thread from the Buick Forum about using the "new" type anti-freeze in our older cars. Here it is: Under NO CIRCUMSTANCES should an "Extended Life" antifreeze, which utilizes Organic Additive Technology (OAT, H-OAT, or N-OAT) as one of its chemicals, ever be used in our cars over 10 years old. It attacks the gaskets and gasket cements in our cars, causing major leaks and forcing ultra-expensive repairs. The "Silver Ghost Association" Rolls Royce people have documented massive cooling system failures apparently caused by this anti-freeze product. Antifreeze that can be used safely in our cars uses older-fashioned Inorganic Additive Technology (IAT) additive. You cannot tell by the color of the antifreeze if it's safe to use. Also, the product may be labelled "Safe for Older Cars"--meaning 10 years old at most. Brands to be AVOIDED are all Prestone lines and Zerex's G-05 in the Gold-color container. Avoid any "extended-life" antifreeze. None of us wants to pull and rebuild our cars' engines. Acceptable brands are Peak, Peak's HD Product "Sierra," and Zerex Original Green in the WHITE container. If any of the OAT, H-OAT, or N-OAT products are in your car the cooling system should promptly be drained--radiator and block-- the system flushed thoroughly, and IAT antifreeze installed. I am checking to see what's in my 37 Buick and 40 LaSalle. The article is in Newsletter LVII Number 8 2010. It will be posted on the ACDCLUB.ORG site in a few days in the newsletters section of the forum. Forewarned is forearmed.

" He wants to be close by so he can stop-in to check-out their progress and make decisions, lend a hand etc !" Reading this quote from you I can come up with a few suggestions for your friend. Firstly, in another line you said he wanted to get a short list and start interviewing prospective shop owners to do the restoration. IF your buddy is honest when he speaks to the shop owners and tells them that he wants to "stop-in to check-out their progress and make decisions, lend a hand etc !" 2 - 3 times a week, I have to be honest and say that I do not believe that there is any reputable resto shop that would encourage this let alone accept this as a condition in restoring his car. Restoration shops are a business and not a place for someone to "learn" how to fix his/her car. One thing no one has mentioned here is the liability (insurance wise) factor involved in having a person that does not work for your company, in your shop, doing work on their car!!!! Especially someone that admits he knows nothing about mechanics. I don't see that happening AT ALL !!!! If your friend wants to learn how to repair/restore cars, tell him to enroll in some night courses at a Community College where they teach all aspects of automotive stuff. Asking a restoration shop to allow him to be "hands-on" is way out of line. As far as checking on the progress of the restoration - I would suggest using the telephone for updates - not personal visits 2-4 times a week. If I were you, and your friend insists that these are the parameters he will not adjust, and I know how you feel personally towards him, I would politely bow out of the situation. It appears that if you do this for him as he wants, and there are problems with the shop/owner, you may lose a friend over it. Is it worth that much to you???? Joe

I agree with C49er about it being a heater hose. As far as lubricate for it??? Do you mean what to use in the fluid coupler and tranny? 10w non-detergent oil is what we use as a good substitute for the original fluid drive oil no longer available. Joe

"I may have thought this was the carport, and I may have damaged the porch, car and the house, but I don't know why you're so upset - look, the door still opens...."

"The newest innovation to hit the market", THE PORTA-POTTY" We are probably laughing but who knows, maybe this person really DID invent the Porta-Potty and is now a bizillionaire.

I am not making this stuff up - actual ads. "second owner, still in 1st owner name" "Car gets great gas. I drove her for a 2 hr trip each way on a quarter tank of gas. I typically drive this car about 100 miles a day, very dependable little rough in the morning but the car is 20 yrs old." Might need an antacid for that gas problem. I guess being 20 years old has a lot to do with being a little rough in the morning, too. "great shape needs brakes and shocks other than that good to go this is my daily driver" - Would any of us drive a "daily driver" that needs brakes and shocks. "no heat currently but costs about 130 dollars to fix" - So why don't you fix it??? "Great car, does not overheat." HUH??????? This truck is for sale for $800.00 and this is at the end of the ad so why bother trying to sell it??? -"P.S if truck dont sell within a week im junking it i can get $800 bucks at the junkyard" "only 185,000 miles just breaking in runs great" "yes this truck has never seen weather" " I just need a Saden because of a baby" Okay. I am getting carried away so I will stop - FOR NOW

I should stop but I keep finding them "there is no compression in the 4th cylinder but starts everytime" That would make me feel better about it.

Still another - "1969 corvette convertible. 350-350 #s matching motor and transmission 4 speed. a/c original daytonia yellow/ black int" Problem - the car in the ad is red. Where/what is Daytonia, anyway????

And yet another: "Only issue is the rear dlifferential is starting to make some noise. Still runs good though engine is in excellent condition. Awesome vehicle, fun summer vehicle with the top off, great winter vehicle with the 4 wheel drive. I love this jeep but need to get a vehicle with more space." You think the noisy rear might have a "little" to do with dumping it? I think this person meant to say "need to get as much space between me and this vehicle".

Just came across another one -"hard to find this car" Maybe he should post an ad asking for help if he doesn't know where the car is.... Just a thought.

I saw this last night on CL and I have seen it several times before. Someone selling a car/truck - they put an elaborate description of said vehicle. Then there may be a picture or 2 of the car/truck but then, in the ad, they explain that the pictures are not of the actual car/truck they are selling but it is "just like the picture(s)". Why not take pictures of the actual car/truck for sale instead of posting pics of a different vehicle????? I am sure that this is a definitive sales magnet to get people to come and look at the one for sale. AMAZING !!!!!!

I sent you a Private Message. Joe

I am 54 years old and I swear that I was born into the wrong era. I like most everything about the 30's - 40's - especially the cars. Even as a kid I was drawn to things from that time frame and I frowned on the "new" stuff being produced. If anyone believes in reincarnation, then I came back from that era. I watch TCM - not only for the cars but I look at the furniture, the buildings, streets, the woman and how they dressed, etc. Just the things in general of that era, which are mostly, if not totally, gone now - particularly the mindset of the American people back then. I honestly wish that I had grown up back then even though life may have been a bit more difficult, it was much less complicated and a whole lot more innocent. Joe

Many years ago I was put in touch with a woman who supposedly had an old car in the garage. The house was easy to find - "look for the 56 Olds in the driveway". Found the house, knocked on the door, was told to come back in a couple of days. Long story short - I kept knocking on that door for 20+ years and became very good friends with the woman and her sister, I was even told by her I was like the son she never had. However, I could never convince her to sell me the car in the garage - "it was her late daughters and her ex boyfriend wanted to fix it up and drive it around". She died and her estate went to some long-lost "nephew". BTW - the car was a 1949 Frazer 4-door convertible !!!!!!! BUT, persistence DOES pay off - sometimes. I called the owner of my Chrysler T & C sedan, at least 2 times a year, for 22 years to see if the car was for sale. Finally, the answer was YES and I bought it. So, you win some and you lose some.

Dave, Nice thought, but....... I don't think they would even use pressboard, as that is actually, almost, nearly, considered "really" wood. I mean, it does have the word "board" in it which could be misconstrued to mean that there would (wood) be real wood used in making it. They would probably use a resin or cheap plastic (NOT FIBERGLASS - LOOK AT THE PRICES OF VETTES) and say it is a Woodie and try to market it as such. CANNOT AND WILL NOT HAPPEN - I HOPE!!!!! Joe

I do not consider myself an expert on Woodies, but I have owned many in my lifetime and I have alot of experience with them. I have a 47 Town and Country sedan now. Woodies did NOT come about because of metal shortages during WW2. They were around long before that and were actually more or less beginning to be phased out AFTER the war. They were/are masterpieces on wheels and it took so much hand assembly at the factory and maintaining them, for many owners, was too much of a nuisance, which resulted in low sales. That is why they were replaced by the all metal wagons. The wood joints were held together by finger-joints (tongue and groove if you want to call it that) and glue. There was limited use of screws and nails, too. Why they were constructed this way from the woodworkers was probably the best way to do it as they were in business doing that type of work for many, many years. The question about why the companies did not just use metal as a form... My only reply is that during their heyday the woody was a symbol of luxury and status as well as being a useful vehicle to many. They were made in very limited numbers, also serving as nice window dressing in dealerships, and there was a sense of pride, in my opinion, that would drive the companies to manufacture a car that most knew would not make a lot of profit. There were also words such as QUALITY, CRAFTSMANSHIP, etc that have been lost through the years as profit margins rule the day. Mass production, cheaper materials and quality, but in the end, higher prices. The beauty of Woodies is that they will NEVER be made again. We all heard that argument when America stopped manufacturing convertibles in the 70's. We all know that didn't last. But making a car out of wood today or in the future does not fit into the scheme of things and the cost would be astronomical. All that said, we need to preserve as many of these cars as possible. Joe

I sent you a private message. Joe