Event Coverage Long Beach Hi Performance Swap Meet July 10

Is anyone else going? I will be selling, have lots of Halibrand stuff (mag and aluminum wheels and Indy transaxle stuff), some Americans (5 spokes and slots), NOS M&H tires, Hurst Airheart brakes, narrowed Olds rearend and my Anglia altered drag car. Come by and say Hi and buy something lol!

Steve

 

I stopped going years back when the "racing, and hot rod parts" guys stopped going.

Has that changed back to the original layout ?

Mike

 

I heard it is more race oriented than others...

 

I used to go all of the time and I used to also sell there. Flathead stuff and some odds and ends. Covid hit and I haven't been back yet.
It got way too newer car/ commercial over the years. The car lot is always good.
With gasoline the way it is, I'm not going to spend $35-$45 in gas to get there and back. (traffic)
Maybe, I'll start going again when I get off of my lazy ass.

 

Like I said, it used to be. But it's been many years since my last attendance. I probably don't even recall how to get there anymore ! Hopefully, it's returned to its original ways with mostly hot rod, race car stuff. Some "classic car" stuff which was also ok.

Mike

 

if you go, be sure to take pics & post here

 

stadium parking lot

Hello,

When this event first started, we lived in the big OC nearby. It was a drive, but for a nice walk around in the early morning with a coffee and some snacks always hits the spot. The earlier one gets there, the less people, other than the vendors and lines of people with trailers/parts. So, it was enjoyable. Who does not like old parts and some of the vendors had NOS parts, too.

It was like the old antique parts events from the 60s and at the same location, morphed into the organized Topping Company event. With the historic Veteran’s Memorial Stadium casting a huge shadow on that portion of the parking lot, no one could miss the event. The event can be seen from the 405 freeway, the ever busy Lakewood Blvd that runs next to the LB airport and the stadium. Clark Ave. behind the stadium at one time had an easier entrance/exit.

Veterans Stadium on the Long Beach City College Liberal Arts Campus could be torn down and rebuilt, if a $285 million bond measure being considered by trustees is approved by voters in November.

Jnaki

My wife and I enjoyed the drive when we had this 327 powered sedan delivery, mixed in the lot with other hot rods and cruisers during our antique auto parts and furniture shows at the same location. Then it became a separate entity with auto parts only.

Veterans Stadium opened on the Liberal Arts Campus of LBCC in 1950 and has hosted high school and professional football and World Cup qualifier games, and has even served as a motorcycle speedway.

But, this Flathead sedan delivery saw some cruising around the stadium during our teenage high school sports days.
#88

The location was also one of the first outdoor car shows in 1959 put on by a local car club at this LBCC owned stadium grounds.

 

Hey magfiend I sent you a PM about the tires

 

I'll do my best on pics, unfortunately, I'm by myself and won't be able to leave my stall and stuff alone to wander around...

 

Those over priced hot dogs at 8am are the bomb and the nachos are good.
I always have to get a couple of them and then hit the In-N-Out by the freeway on the way home.

 

Remember these???????

 

I always go for the free contact high and to people watch the 7am Modelo drinkers.

Haven't purchased much of anything over the last couple years. Pretty light on the Early Ford stuff / speed equipment, but if you're building a '50-60s Chevy, you'll find plenty of parts. Go early and enjoy the show while the marine layer is still in effect and get home early enough to start working in the garage before the kids wake up!

 

Cool! Love the potvin setup...

 

I remember going to the Long Beach swap meet many years ago. I got some great buys there and met some interesting people there, Fritz Voight, and Jim Travers had some great stories.

 

I've been going to the Long Beach swap for a long time too...really miss Fritz. I've posted this before...but thought it was good here too..

 

I usually stopped and talked to Fritz and Jim “Geronimo” Travis when Fritz was still with us selling parts he still had. Jim was always sitting there wearing his black jacket. Jim’s son and I entered the Bonneville 200 mph club the same year.

 

Fritz was usually against the fence near the concessions.
I did buy a big wooden box of QC gears off him once.
I,d like to know their history

 

Theives were at Long Beach today abd took advantage of David Freiburger - as a result my 12 deg alloy SB Chev heads went missing

 

Greg...I was there at Freiburgers blowout...and made a few phone calls to guys who were buying stuff at that time to see if someone took the heads by mistake thinking David knew it was part of their "pile". No joy...looks like someone just swiped them. Just plain sucks...

 

Thank you i appreciate you doing that! I saw a video of whst appeared to be vultures just helping themselves off the back of his truck. Looked crazy - i sure wouldn't have wanted to be in the middle of it. Those heads meant alot to me

 

Damn, that’s a real pisser for both of you.

 

Post the video here and everywhere you can on social, etc. to bring awareness to fellow car junkies of what they may face if/when they're planning to sell at a swap meet. (just maybe, a fellow Long Beach seller will recognize a shady shopper that they had an issue with).

This truly sucks. I've never met David, but I'm a big fan. He comes across as a good Joe. Someone that would hook up a fellow Hot Rodder with a good deal if he knew they really needed a part for their car.

Here, if a seller arrives late at the local drive in swap meet, they'll be greeted by a couple dozen shoppers that will start unloading the truck for you. It's literally a dog eat dog feeding frenzy. You'll be hit with rapid fire "how much is this" questions and in the melee, someone will slip away with anything valuable that they can get their hands on.

Here's a few tips for sellers;
Your best defense is to arrive way early before the shopper gates open to the public. If you're able to quickly unload before the gates open, you'll be in good shape. You'll need plenty of help at opening.

• Arrange to have a couple of family members or friends park their car outside the gates and ride in with you as a seller to help you set up and man the booth for the opening.
• Pre price all your items the week before and have a clip board of all your items w/prices (so the person manning the booth can make a sale when you make a run to the restroom or go shop for a bit). There should be no thought process to the seller to come up with a price on the spot or asking your selling partner "hey, what do you think I should price that intake for"?
• A closed box truck, pickup with shell or van is better than an open pickup where people can approach/grab things from 3 sides.
• Pack any small items, hand tools and ultra valuable parts in the cab. You'll unload those last/later. Ideally, they'll be displayed in a closed showcase. Lock the cab doors when you get out. Buyers will unabashedly open your doors and rifle through stuff.
• If you arrive late and you're alone in an open pickup, you'll need to quickly stand on the tailgate and conduct business right out of the bed without doing any initial unloading. Announce loudly and firmly to not take anything out of the bed unless you're buying it. It'll be cash and carry for serious buyers at first. Shoppers not interested in anything will move on and scammers will move along to an easier mark. Once the initial wave thins out, you'll be able to unload.

This isn't new at swap meets. In the 80's a friend of mine caught up with a thief that walked off with something from his swap space and there was a mediocre beat down right in the aisle.
It really sucks but opportunist thieves are everywhere.
We're seeing it at garage sales here. Even to the point that there's been Man/Woman teams that work together. One will engage the homeowner/ seller in a conversation, while the partner slips into the house and quickly grabs up any valuables in sight. Purse, jewelry, hand gun, etc. How ballsy is that!?
"Slider" thefts are still common here. This typically occurs at a gas station or convenience store, where the thief will "slide up" next to your car at the pumps or parking space, open your door and grab a purse, laptop, cell phone and split, while you're busy pumping gas or quickly running in for a 6 pack, etc.
Be aware of your surroundings and protect yourself.

 

I like LB swapmeet. Been going there for many years. The theft thing happens everywhere, so it's not exclusive to Long Beach. I like it cause it's not full of commercial venders, like Pomona is.

 

Thefts at swap meets are rare. This even includes leaving things overnight at Pomona or other swaps. Many people there know each other...its kind of a brotherhood. The mad scavenger hunt into David's truck is not uncommon...and even then..thefts are very rare. The unloading help/asking prices depends on the sellers attitude of course. Some vendors won't let you even touch their stuff till its all on the ground. It's all good. Aggressive buyers who may still have manners, will ask permission before touching someone elses stuff. All the guys you may see diving into David's truck are regulars..it wasn't one of them that stole the heads. The heads ended up on the ground on the opposite side of David's space..by themselves...for too long of a bit of time it seems. Some random person might have taken them..or someone might have asked.."how much are the heads" when David had two sets and there was confusion. A few guys, including myself tried to sort it out for David...because he is a good dude and was blowing stuff out very reasonably...but in the end...the aluminum heads didn't turn up.

 

Long Beach Sunday...

 

more from LBC...

 

Thanks for pics - yep, really sucks when stuff walks off with someone that did not pay - especially from a good guy like Freiburger , has done a lot for car world