Anyone out there been to this Swapmeet. If so how is it? When is is it? I’m in LA it’s a 5 hour drive is it worth going? I’m looking for old vintage hot parts. And vintage auto memorabilia. Thanks
I don't have the dates handy but I'd say only the January swap would be worth the trip from L.A. pretty sure there are 4 swaps every year. pretty good for an hour drive like me.
You’re welcome. I was in a rush, but the dates are easily found via google, I haven’t been there in years, but was always a two day thing for me so I didn’t have to rush through. Many sellers started pulling out early on Sunday, used to find some decent stuff in the garbage cans that folks didn’t want to haul home.
An easy way to remember the date is remember it's the last full weekend in January. Most people don't come up from LA due to GNRS the same weekend most years.
I think I might give Turlock a try, then go to the GNRS the following weekend I’ve been going to that for years. Hmmm looks like I have my last two weekends of January planned. Thanks for the info.
There are a few vendors such as Sid (dropped axles) who only hit Turlock and a limited number of events and he is only selling his dropped axles at swap meets now trying to be mostly semi retired.
I, and my friends would fly out to Turlock from the east coast. If that doesn't tell you if it is worth the drive from L.A., then don't go. The Turlock swap meet in January is a hot-rodder's dream come to. Neat, rare, stuff comes out of the woodwork.
Went for the first time last year. I’m in pretty decent shape, was exhausted at the end of the day. It’s pretty big.
It’s worth going to the January one if you haven’t been. I went a few years ago, it was good to see stuff from a different area, but lots of newer car stuff also. It wasn’t as big as the Big 3 was in San Diego, maybe around Pomona size with less new parts and toys. I made a day of it, left here around 2am, was done by 11ish and back home around 8 or 9pm (traffic and dinner).
Turlock was the best swap meet i have ever been to. That was 5/6 years ago. It may have changed since then.
15 years ago or so it was incredible, acres and acres of real old car stuff, and I don’t think I saw everything by a long shot. It seems to have shrunk a little recently and you might have to look a little harder for that cherry Ford fender or rare knuten valve but it’s still pretty amazing. Lots of good stuff. In the past it has occasionally been on the same weekend as the GNRS, a tough decision…
Well this year luckily it’s not on the same weekend as the GNRS. So it looks like I’ll be doing both this year. The main reason I’ll be at the Turlock Swap meet is to get a SBC NICSON Intake Manifold. If anyone reading this has one or owns of one please let me know. Thanks
We walked the whole swap and some of the cars for sale. I was wrong I think we left around 1 pm and was there before it opened. It was 2023 or 2024, so maybe it was still ramping up.
I recall that on a Sunday, around noon-ish folks started pulling out. But the real question is… Find anything to drag home?
Now years back there were two sellers that used up at least two spaces each, intakes galore. Hope you find what you want!
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