History What was your best swap meet score?

Scored a 27 chev roadster ws frame. 80 bucks. Needed one bad but never figured id find it

 

Was in 1977 at Vets Stadium in Long Beach before they had the monthly meet now titled Hi-Performance Swap Meet . I think the Model T and Model A clubs were sponsors then .
I went there with Grandpa Bill and Dad Bill we took two vehicles and we split up aisles but stayed in view for finds and on the third aisle saw a much needed replacement frame for my '34 I had been looking for 2 years and had $325 in my pocket . It was in grand shape and I had a set price for what I was willing to pay ($275) so I could pay Gramps to haul it home and buy us burgers and a couple new wire wheel bits for my Termite . You guys remember Termites ? Little hand held electric tool likes to take skin off your hand ! I still have mine !
So I looked over the frame and asked the guy how much and there was a strong crowd there so others got quiet the man said , " I'm asking 350 but I'll take 325 you take it now so go get your daddy so he can buy it . " Everyone oooed and awwwdd and the whole part of that meet became silent and this poor guy didn't figure on a 14 year old having seasoned experience with asses as he was acting like so I reached in my pocket slipped off two twenties and left them in my pocket leaving 280 in the wad which I procured from my pocket and told the man ,
" Here is my daddy now my daddy says 275 and if you don't take it your gonna haul it home and your wife is going to nail you out of the house so it's 275 right here and now . "
I tell you everyone just stayed real quiet and a few congratulated me and a couple guys commented about ' look at the kid go on him ' .
So he said , " 325 " .
I said , " No ." , and I turned and walked away getting about 25 feet down the aisle he got nervous and said it that way , " 315 " .
Still walking away I said , " No " .
So I started rummaging around at another vendor calm as can be I knew I had him at 275 no one else knew so he came after me I was 4 spaces down now and he was really nervous he knew not to Jive me with a 300 offer and he said , " You can have it for 275 !! "
Grandpa was watching from 2 aisles away and everyone was really entertained and showed it some telling me he deserved that . That man told me he was afraid he had lost the sale so I told him I wouldn't let his wife kick him out we laughed and shook hand and we strapped that frame to an El Camino and what a grand trophy to parade home that day !
That was my favorite deal through all these years and you can be cantankerous about swap meet quality I STILLL get excellent parts like that here in SoCal without paying advertised price so just be smart and stick to your own price you'll get it if not now then next week or the next guy ! Hope you enjoyed this true story and keep your foot in it ! Good evening to all !!

 

Fremont Nebraska swap meet. Spotted an SBC aluminum intake under a table and asked what the intake was. The vender told me he didn't know but if I could tell him what it was I could have it.
He pulled it out and I recognized it immediately as I already had one. I told him, he had a WCFB SBC aluminum intake off of an M113 all aluminum Armored Personnel Carrier built by Cadillac in the late 50s, early 60s.
I only knew this because I searched for years before I stumbled upon the answer for the one, I had.
He asked for proof, and I showed him a photo (on my phone) of an original one.
He said I guess it yours, just don't tell me it's rare. I said, they built about 600 of them but only the first 75 used the 283 with the wcfb carb.

 

The M113... also known Down Under as a Bush Taxi.

Cheers,
Harv

 

Not a deal, but a score. During one of my track roadster builds, I got a bug up my ass and just had to, absolutely, positively, have a Lotus 7 style nose piece. Nothing else would do. I'd aleady built the tube frame with a rack and rocker arm front suspension. Now this was before the internet so swap meets were it. One friday night my buddy stops by the shop and says there's a swap meet we ain't been to, but it's about six hours away. Well, being young and dumb, we're on the road in the middle of the night. Turned out to be a fairly large swap/flea market affair in a Drive-in theater. About half way through I hear a big booming voice yell, "Hey, get over here. Holy shit. Is this what the hell you've been looking for?" I wander over, not expecting much, and there under the table is a pristine Lotus 7 nose with a 300/ obo price tag. I'm trying to hide my excitement, to help with the negotiating process, but unfortunately that concept was completely lost on my buddy. I look at the guy and say, "I'm guessing OBO just left the building?" He flashes me a knowing smile and says "What do you think?" I made my buddy pack it back to the car. About half way back it dawns on him what he did. He bought lunch.

 

1932 Ford pickup radiator cap for $30

 

bought a early 32 ford grill in very good condition for $80 bucks best deal to
date

 

At a scrap yard I found a '53 Desoto 4 door but it didn't have a grille but figured the grille pan at least was there and I might as well take it just in case I did find a grille. Looking inside, I found all 11 grille teeth on the back seat.

 

At the Carlisle spring meet around 1981-82 I found a guy that had two long Mopar boxes from the 50's. I asked if I could look inside and he said no. He wanted $15 apiece and I bought them both. They turned out to be brand new chrome pieces for the top of my '57 Plymouths fenders. In the same isle another vendor had a NOS steering wheel that he did not know what it was for and just wanted to get rid of it. Another $15 and I had a perfect steering wheel too. Since the movie Christine came out the parts for 57/58 Plymouths have gotten a little crazy.

 

Complete 31/32 Auburn dash that's in my 3 window scored in 1981 at Denver swap meet 250.00, 2 complete 31 Cadillac dashes scored in the early 90 at the LARS that I used in 2 deuce pickups, 400.00 each at LARS. I'm a dash junky.

 

Before the internet. At a machine shop of all places!
I needed some BBC heads for a 427 I was building. A guy at a machine shop was rumored to have some. I went in and asked. He dug around under a bench and started pulling out sealed GM boxes.
Two bare casting open chambered square port heads. All new valves, springs, retainers, guide plates, rocker studs. All NIB.
I stuttered out "How much?"
$200
I almost broke my finger getting my hand in my pocket!

 

what does an early grille look like ?

 

I tend to look at tools, last time at Jefferson I purchased a metric gear wrench set, appeared new for $15, Iola, purchased a classic car and sold the same car 5 years later there. One of many positives of being a Wisconsinite is Jefferson and Iola. I occasionally stop at yard sales, many many moons ago stopped at one and purchased a set of Rigid pipe wrenches, the largest being about 3 feet long, smallest 6", $25 for all, the best find I recall this AM. I have not purchased a lot of car parts at swap meets like most here, but enjoy window shopping with friends, always parts and deals to be had, often bought some diecast for my collection. One thing I never have understood is the overpriced IMO, intake/carb combos, usually can buy all new for similar or less money But in reading previous posts here some of them old carbs/intakes are worth big money. I've used the same strategy for years, buy high, sell low to keep volume up. LOL

 

I’ve had a couple over the years

corvette split exhaust manifold and intake with corvair side draft carbs linkage etc for $500 bucks !

ended up not using it and sold it for fantastic money.

last one was a Stewart Warner motorminder for $20 bucks in what looks like nos with gauge cup !

 

32 Ford pickup rad cap, $5 in Canadian dollars. Sold it for close to $500 usd as I had another that was nicer. I was offered a $1000 usd for the one on my pickup at Deuce Days last July in Victoria

 

And the 114 in the early 70's had a 307 chevy. Lippy

 

Didn't read the thread but did anybody say a big bar yet?

 

Solid 32 sedan body for $ 350.

 

Not a swap meet but a garage sale. I was garage sailing with the EX years ago and spotted a big metal City Club beer sign that still had the wrapper on it. I asked what he wanted for it and he said $1.50. I said I'll take it and then asked if he had any more. He said yea a bunch. We dug 11 of them all stacked together with the original paper between them. I asked if he would take $10.00 for all of them, and he said sure. I got my son to wax them all and took them to the Iola Car Show Swap meet. Gave one to my friend who had the swap space, kept one and sold the rest for $1,000.