Planning to go to the Fall Carlisle Swap Meet but I haven't been since 1992. What is it like these days? Are vendor spaces pretty full or have things dropped off where there are a lot of open spaces? How is the availability of mid50s FoMoCo parts? How about Y block Ford/Merc parts? Anyone else going? I am planning to be there first thing Friday morning...
I haven’t been in a few years, but if you ca swing it, I’d recommend the Hershey swap meet a week later instead.
back in the 80s/90s I always heard that Hershey swap prices at vendor spaces tended to be higher than us poorer people at Carlisle... But, I never went to Hershey because I always found what I needed at Carlisle and the number of vendors was always so high I always felt like I couldn't see it all anyway. What's the difference these days? I am afraid that because of work and family schedule I am locked in to Carlisle anyway...
boneyard, you nailed it my friend. Fall Carlisle has turned into a GM and Tool Swap. To me it seemed like the swap meet had half the vendors that the spring meet has each year. I was there all day Friday in great weather, but very little action on guys hauling anything out of the fairgrounds and there were certainly very few project cars available. Most of the vehicles in the car corral were 25% overpriced. I went to look for Y Block Ford parts and 55-56 Ford parts. Out of all the vendors I visited (and that was close to 100% of the vendors selling used parts) I could count on two hands the vendors who had any 55/56 or Y block parts. When I did locate anyone selling 55/56 parts, pieces like this steering wheel came up ... for $200 lol. The guy was on weed. Cracks all over the wheel, chrome plating needed, etc - now this is typical no doubt for a 55 wheel, but I should have sold the several I have to him for a $100 each and make a killing. Usually you can pick up these wheels for $50-75 all day. IMG_2160 by danman55 posted Oct 5, 2019 at 7:49 PM There was a nice 55 Merc... IMG_2168 by danman55 posted Oct 5, 2019 at 7:45 PM IMG_2169 by danman55 posted Oct 5, 2019 at 7:45 PM but it was not for sale. The only 55/56 Ford car (beyond a Tbird) that I saw for sale was this nice 55 Crown... IMG_2171 by danman55 posted Oct 5, 2019 at 7:45 PM IMG_2173 by danman55 posted Oct 5, 2019 at 7:45 PM IMG_2172 by danman55 posted Oct 5, 2019 at 7:45 PM I did see some 53 and 54 models - two of them were projects as I recall but I remember thinking that they were priced too high as well. All in all, things were not moving. I only came away with two Tbird rims, some Y block sheet metal, and a decent 3 speed OD transmission core (for $75). Throughout the afternoon very few guys were hauling parts out of the fairgrounds or loading up parts by driving their dually trucks through crowds of traffic to pick up their valve covers if you know what i mean. Maybe I can hit Hershey next year. My calendar is tight enough as it is, so I certainly want waste any time here again. One good thing was to reconnect with one of my buddies, Wayne Haines. Wayne is a Vietnam Vet and a Ford man down through the years. He happened to be selling a few odds and ends at a swap space "on the hill."
This photo pretty much sums up what I saw all day... lol Chevy Bowties ONE by danman55 posted Oct 5, 2019 at 8:11 PM Space M23 at Carlisle!
The Jalopy Journal
