What has been your best Swap Meet Purchase?

i did pretty good today at long beach...i got a free model a bed today if i play my cards right..and i might make $50..i also scored a pair of 682c headlights for $50 at pomona a few months ago..

 

This happened many moons ago. I already had one 950 3bbl, buddy of mine wanted one in the worst way. On the way into the swap meet, a guy outside had a BUNCH of really scrungy old crap in the bed of his Ford pu. One of the items was a dirty but complete 950 3bbl. I said to my buddy, "hey, we should take a look at this guys stuff" He says "ah hell, just a bunch of worthless junk." So we are coming out about a hour later, figured I would give my buddy another chance. "hey, we should take a look in the back of this guys truck". He says "waste of time, bunch of junk". Shoulda seen his head snap around when I said "how much for the 3 barrel?". Dumbass... I bought it for $20. He bitched and sniveled all the way home.

 

It wasn't a car swap meet, but a 'all shit swap' I went to once. Glass 32 grill shell with a Bob Drake non crank hole grille new in box.


$40.

Doc.

 

Going back to 1973 when I was restoring a Riley 4Port dirt car I needed Dayton wire wheels, had all the hubs. Walking around the CSRA Swap Meet at Superior Spring I spotted three 18 inch Daytons with the lock rings. They were perfect, asked how much they were. "They are rare, give me $20.00 for them". THREE wheels for $20.00!

 

Recently bought one round back spindle at the swap. It was marked "Model A $20". Before I could offer the guy $10, he said "I'll take 5 bucks for that right now". SOLD.

Not a swap meet, but close:
Just today, I found two KH 16x4 wires in awesome condition at a local antique store for $59.95. I grabbed them up before some woman could make yard art out of them.

 

score! I've been looking at antique stores for awhile for ford rims but haven;t found any yet.

 

Two '57/'58 Ford 9" rears; 3.0 and a 3.25---$75.00. He said, "the old lady said don't bring them home".

 

At Charlotte autofair, 53 Buick headlight rims...$40. Nice 55 chevy steering wheel, $30.

 

victor gasket set for a buck at a antique sale yesterday

 

Bought a Weiand six deuce intake for a Nailhead at Canfield for $50.00

 

I bought this Lyndwood back in the early 80's for really cheap money when no one thought a old FED was cool. It got sold when we moved to Nebraska.

 

Its been awhile since I saw anything decent, however At Moultrie a few years ago, I found a pair of 64 Chevelle Steel fender Skirts for $5 and a cherry 1932 Ford
K-Member right leg for $10.

All I found at Pomona in August was an awsome Tri-Tip sandwitch, and it cost me more than $5

 

Late on a Sunday afternoon, a few years ago, I came across a perfect set of 33 Chev, large dia. headlights. The guy selling said he didn't want to haul them home, give me $40.00 and they are yours. I almost couldn't pay for them fast enough. That purchase lead to the '26 lakes modified I'm building. Funny how one thing leads to another.
The roadster is a roller and the headlights are still in a box, but they will come together at some point.

................Jack

 

Complete Hilborn SBC setup for $275. Was walking thru the car corral on the way to the swap meet and saw the stacks sticking out of a early 50s Ford car trunk. Was thinking ''Ah its probably for a Ford.'' Surprise! Its for a chebby.

 

I always think there's an off chance I'll find something. Yesterday I had almost given up just finding an old end wrench for getting to the bolts that hold on the backing plates and there they were hiding behind a cheap re-pop tin sign.

About few weeks back I found another wheel KH 40 spoke for $40 at an antique store in Arroyo Grande, but on closer inspection, all the spokes had been welded at the rim. Kinda scared me away.

 

Pair of NOS 21 stud '37/8 Ford aluminum heads, $40, not a bad find, about the only REALLY good find I've had lately.

 

Well the best deal i found at swap meet i didnt have the money for (unfortunatley). a guy at the ford nationals at Carlise had a set of cast iron Mickey thompson BOSS 429 heads..they were in great shape with only a little surface rust..he wanted 650 for the pair..I looked them over real good..no visible cracks or damage..had the MT logo. would have been a cool part to own.

 

A fully rebuilt '64 Oldsmobile Starfire 4:11 POSI center section.
The clutch pack was so new the discs never touched each other. I could still see the marking compound on the ring gear.
The guy told me he sold the Starfire before he had a chance to install the rear end.
$175 !!!!
It was too heavy for me to lug out of Carlisle's vast ground so I had to buy a little metal wagon for $75 more from a vendor behind him to get it to my truck.
Gave the wagon to my wife when I arrived home for her to use in her gardens.
Everyone was happy.
The unit fell nicely into the narrowed '63 Olds rearend I'll use in my '36 Ford someday.

Last month I saw a box of triple A mint '53 Cadillac wheel covers.
These are the cleanest, and most original set of Caddys I've seen in over 6 years of searching.
The guys sign said $200..........I offered $100. He said NO!
He countered at $125.............I was shaking with excitement as I rapidly counted out the cash for him before anyone else spotted his stuff.
It pays to arrive at Amherst before sun-up.

 

I was talking to my buddy who had 2 tables in the center row. He's a Flathead guy.
I looked at the stuff he had sitting there and nothing peaked my interest so I started looking at the tables next to his. There was a lady sitting behind a set of several tables.
I looked down and saw a box marked Bendix and peaked inside to find a brand new Stromberg 97.
The box was a little tattered and there was a price of $14.50 penciled on the front.
I asked here if that was the price and she said most of this stuff came from an old garage that had been closed down, the price was penciled in years ago.
She told me her husband had taken off a 1/2 hour ago to grab a burger and wasn't back yet.
I told her I'd give her $14.50 and she figured $20. was more like it.
I asked here if she would meet in the middle at $17. Sold


Then I look over at a pile of trim and misc. longer pieces of stuff sitting at the one end of her table and there were 2 horn buttons with rods attached sitting in the long box with all the trim. One horn button was for a ~38 Banjo and it had the V8 logo horn button attached, the other was from a 32 Ford. An additional $10 bought both assemblies.

Still standing and looking at the piles of stuff on the tables I looked into a cardboard box that was filled with misc boxes with Ford logos on them. The boxes held a complete set of Flathead crank and rod bearings .010.
I picked up the box and she said there was another box with similar things in it (Flathead cam and misc crank/rod) and I could have both boxes for $10.

I was about ready to get the heck out of there before her husband got back. She told me she really didn't know much about the stuff she sold me but if the price was not right it was ultimately her husband own fault for running away from the table all the time.

Driving home that day I couldn't imagine how bad the fight was going to be when hubby returned to find out that she sold a brand spanking new Stromberg 97 in the box for $17.

My buddy had been standing next to her for 2 or 3 hours at that time and hadn't bothered to look over at the junk next door. Now he thinks I have eagle eyes and could spot valuable Flathead parts from miles away
but all I was really doing was shopping for bargains.



.

 

Saew ...I like your "junk " good pull !!!

 

this dude had a big roll of posters with only the backside showing. when I unrolled a few I found there was like 10 Dealer Showroom posters for 1936 Plymouths. these were big like 40 x 30 and they were in mint condition. each one was different, they showed the cars , suspension , motors, all sorts of stuff and looked to have never been hung up.. I got them all for $50.00.

I listed them for $550.00 and sold them outside ebay for $350.00 for the set.

I collect 49-54 Chevrolet dealer stuff and these types of items are hard to find in any condition... I think I sold them cheap, but I needed to eat and pay rent that month.

 

A NOS set of kinmonts for $100.00 stcharles ill A two port riley head at the first bloomington ill meet for $ 50.00 A 1o qt aluminum oil pan off of one of the 1935 indy fords for $50.00 the year was 1973

 

Not at a swap meet,but last week i had a crackhead on a bike ask if i wanted some old car parts that was in a old house they where tearing down,or he will take it to the scrap yard,,,small block chevy offy cross ram intake,with the linkage,a pair of offy finned valve covers,,i offered him $40.00 he was extremely happy with that ,,,the worse part was i did not have the money on me,had to beg my wife to borrow the money for 5 minutes!!,,her response?,do you really need more car parts,,,,

 

A first generation Hot Wheels carrying case FULL of first year (1968) red line Hot Wheels for $50. I sold 1 for $200.00
ALSO... Traded a worn out patched together '41 Ford pickup for a '40 Ford tudor DeLuxe

 

Big block Chevy single 4 tunnel ram for $40.00,bought a sight unseen 70 Duster for $250.00 that ended up being a 383 4 speed posi 8 3/4 with pistol grip. Bought a Cal Custom 40-44 breather for $12.50 that sold for $158.00 on Ebay.

 

G'day, A set of GM 7/16 bolt bbc rods for $100 with pistons. Everything looked new.

 

I went to the early Autofair this year looking for a passenger side center grille bar for my '54 Chevy truck. The grille is original chrome that is extremely weathered.

Not that I have been looking for this particular part but in the last ten years of swap meets I haven't seen any '54 chromed grille pieces. After 5 hours drive to Charlotte and 4 hours pulling my wagon I was beat. I intended to head to the truck but for some reason I decided to make one more row.

You bet, in that last row I didn't find a grille bar but I did find a complete aged chrome grille with no dents at all. In addition I got the complete grille for a few dollars more than I would have paid for a single grille bar.

Next day I found a guy that had a table with loose '54 truck grille parts, painted and in perfect condition. Middle bars for $25.00 and top grille bar for $40.00. I bought 4 center bars and one top bar. I returned 30 minutes later with intentions of buying the other 5 pieces. They were already gone.

 

I bought a '37 Ford hood in the early 80's at a swapmeet for $0.25. I got a complete set of F2 brakes a couple years ago at Jefferson for $60.

 

Gotta love them crackheads, they always have the best deals!

 

Not as dramatic as the rest of the stories here... but at the Round Up this year, I bought an original Willys heater for my truck. It was the correct year, color, decal on front and everything for 5 bucks. The guy that sold it me said, "it's only cheap cuz nobody drives those old Willys pickups any more". My response, "mine's in the parking lot, thanks for the heater!".