Hershey AACA Swap - Bucket List?

Once a year, the Antique Automobile Club of America hosts the Grandaddy of all old car part swaps, simply known as "Hershey". An overwhelming 9000 vendors, spread over miles of parking lot for 4 days. The infamous muddy fileds are long gone, and I ... <BR><BR>To read the rest of this blog entry from The Jalopy Journal, click here.

 

Jay, you were at Hershey?....I wish I had known!

 

I would like to go. It's about 7 6-7 hours for me and I am not sure why I have not. I don't do well at swap meets as far as finding stuff. I am way to overwhelmed with eveything and always miss out on the obvious. I do have a shit load of fun though.

 

I agree about not doing well at swap meets. I'm usually "a day late and a dollar short" so to speak. As far as a Hershey bucket list goes though....I'd just like to go some year!!!

 

You can look at it as a trip to the automotive zoo...you can be chased off the road by a 110 year old horseless carriage, gape at grand classics worth more than your entire neighborhood, turn a crank and see how a Knight Valve system works, see incredible one-off oddmobiles and famous racecars ALL DAY. Doesn't matter where...fleamarket, used car area, actual show...there are astounding things and the weird people who support them EVERYWHERE.
Yes, you can find every single damn thing you ever wanted to find for your projects, but it is the unexpected stuff, the things you never dreamed existed, that really make the day. Sometimes I wish I could freeze the whole scene and spend six months looking at everything rather than just a few hours...

 

Excellent sum up, Bruce! BTW- I turned that Willys Knight sleeve valve crank- Very cool indeed. The amount of OLD car stuff the 13 colonies have puts the West Coast to shame...

 

Crazy part was I think I saw you and your (dad?)... He was wearing a SUHR shirt but you guys were way off in the crowd.

Next year I just might be back!

 

I only have one thing really I need to find for the current car. A Quickchange. But Hershey would be fun to just go and wander at some point. If only the East weren't so damn far East!

 

This year was the first time I ever went and had a blast, all by myself, I covered it in my thread, found here:
http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=405891

 

There was an original unpolished culver city 201 there assembled with 40 bells with the perches cut off and A perches welded atop the axle. Looked pretty nice, the guy had pics of the inside. $4500

Like Bruce says, it's really worth going to even if you're not looking for anything. Take a few days there and consider it a vacation for the automotively inclined!

 

Living about 20 minutes away my entire life... My mother walked it with me before I was born... When I was in elementary school my parents used to take me out the whole week of hershey so i could camp with Dad and Grandpa... I have only missed 3 or so years in my 27 years of existence... it is such a great event, and a special time for my father, uncle, brother and myself to spend together looking and searching for cool stuff...

My favorite moment is early satruday morning as the fog is clearing, watching the show cars drive onto the field...

Where else do you get to see 9,000 to 10,000 vendor spaces, 1200+ car corale and 12-1500 + car show field at one event?

 

Agh, stop you're making me nostalgic and I was just there last week! Seriously, I'm excited for next year already!

 

Jay... the roadster body for $975 you have pictured... I was looking at it and a guy came up... it was his friend's body.. came off a brass era car, and was the wrong body, (they are restoring the chasis rebodying it correctly) and was taking up space in his shop... The friend said "that's my buddy's and he wants to get rid of it... it's taking up space in our shop... I know for a fact that he would take MUCH less just to get it off his hands... he's not hear right now, but give him a call" He really emphasized how much less he thoguht his buddy would take.. haha... but anyways.. there's the story...

 

It is indeed a great way to spend a day or two.I found a package tray for my 30 coupe(thanks skidmarks).

 

That was funny...I had just run into Megan and Matt myself when you walked up. Thought to myself later what are the chances of that, just wandering aimlessly thru the sensory overload that is Hershey and bumping into friends who are doing the same.

 

so is that raodster body still for sale? I talked to hime a while about it and he dosen't live far away. if only I was not building a big workshop now I may have picked it up. still considering calling him

 

+1.
Jay, it would have been great to see you again!
Never come East without announcing it.

Cris

 

damn.. me too!

sorry I didnt get to meet you jay..

bruce I cant agree more.. wish it could last all year.

 

My first Hershey was in 1969 and I haven't missed one yet. Being 4 hours away I never thought of it as a Bucket List event, but for those on the West Coast or overseas I can see it on your list. I arrived with little money but sold enough to buy the stuff I wanted, saw old friends I only see once a year and had a good time. Every Hershey is a bit different, I spent most of this year thinking about the old meets and the friends that have passed on. Saturday I saw a lot of new restorations and new owners, that made for a better overall meet for me. I really think the internet has keep the good parts away, lots of iron in the flea market. I'll be back same place next year, may even have a car in the Race Car class on Saturday.

 

I'm already counting the days til next year.

The best thing to do at Hershey is keep an open mind. If you're looking for something specific you miss a lot. I've done it!

I picked up a bunch of stuff...32 Chrysler grill with winterfront $100, pair of Guide Super Ray's $150, Misc gauge panels $10 each, a Muntz Jet horn button $100, and a pile of aftermarket hubcaps (fit wire wheels and Goodyear wheels) $5 each. I think my best buy was a 37 Lincoln taillight lens with retainer ring...$3

So did you buy anything Jay? Sorry we didn't get to meet.
Clark

 

when I hear about Hershey it always reminds me of the articles in Rod Action in the 70's on the brown cheap paper showing all the cool vintage tin.

someone should buy it and move it to California, that's the only way I'll ever make it.

 

I live about an hour from Hershey, and its on my calendar every year, rain or shine. If any of you guys need a cheap (read FREE) place to stay for a visit to Hershey or Carlisle, contact me. I don't have a huge house, but we can work it out!

 

Oh hell no............. you California guys have enough cool shit to do! We'll just keep Hershey right here, thank you very much!

 

Hey Jive-Bomber,
Was that a Real Tucker convertible in the pics on your post?

 

No documentation says they ever made a real convertible. Most likely a bunch of parts that someone added a convertible top to....and pretty nicely.

 

Anyone else see the '32 Ford 3-window old rod - on rolling frame with grille etc for $22K ? Body was solid.

 

That was a beautiful car. Here is the story:

http://tuckerconvertible.com/

 

Yep, it was priced at 28k at carlisle just a week earlier. 22k is not a bad price for what came with it, I'm shocked that he came down that much... The guy had all the garnish, dash, ws frame, grille/insert, decklid, firewall, etc...

 

Hershey is like going to Disneyworld for a week for a car enthusiast! There is soooo much cool stuff to see, things you never knew existed!

I came a day earlier this year, Monday, and spent Tuesday walking the fields during set up. Tuesday is definitely the day to be there. That's when the dealers are selling to each other and all of the cool stuff is being sold. I will for sure do that again next year.

It was nice seeing you Jay, what a pleasant surprise! It IS pretty amazing how you can run into folks you know in a space the size of 226 football fields and 250,000 people!

 

Hershey & Carlisle were on my Bucket list and Ive got them done. Never walked so far in my life. Dont know if its true but I heard if you walked every isle you went 17 miles. SEMA cant be far behind that either.