The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk What was your greatest swapmeet find?

Over the years I've had the great pleasure (and excitement) of discovering some great bargain finds while in the pursuit of parts for my bolt. I thought it might make an interesting thread to hear from other bolters about the treasures you may have found. Please share!!

Aside from a perfect front bumper for my '58 ($5 at a garage sale), I think my best find was discovered the time I was walking through a parts swap meet in San Diego:

There was a fellow there that had all kinds of hubcaps and trim rings. As I perused the offerings, I spied a full set of trim rings that, although I couldn't be sure, looked very much like the factory trim rings on my '58 pickup. The chrome on them was absolutely perfect and there was nary a ding on any of them. I asked the fellow what they were off of and he said that he wasn't sure. I asked what he wanted for them and he replied "how about a buck apiece?". Needless to say, I couldn't get my money out fast enough, all the while making sure that none of the bystanders were trying to get the money into his hands first. Well, sure enough, when I got them home I confirmed the fact that they were a mint set of impossible-to-find '57-'58 cameo/deluxe pickup trim rings...for $4.00!!

I still get a rush when I think about it!!

Found a pair of NOS '47-'53 Chevy COE Fenders,at the Charlotte Auto Fair, several years ago. The guy had no idea, what they'd fit. I've also found other "Rare" COE parts, such as, a NOS Fender Pad, NOS Cab Grab Handles, & NOS Chrome Hood Emblems.

I've found some pretty sweet things at electronics swap meets (known as Hamfests) but I have never in my life been to an old car or truck swap meet!

I did score a pretty sweet deal on an old GMC Suburban once that was outfitted as a remote truck, complete with hydrolic teloscopic mast and microwave antenna.

my friends found a bucket full of vintage (late 60's) camaro speed parts. the guy was selling them cause he had resotred his to stock. All of the parts were made in the 70's and included valve covers, a [censored] handle, tachometer, all kinds of engine dress up, and some other stuff too. my friend sat and talked to him for almost an hour and apparently the guy liked him a lot because he sold him all the parts for $200, the stuff is easily worth close to $1000.

I picked up a decent front right fender for my 1966 C-10 for $25.00 at a flea market recently. I also got a pair of back-up lamps for $2.00 at a swap meet about five years ago.

this past sunday i just missed an AD chevy radio. i asked the guy what he payed.......7.00

Shoot, Demo! Too bad on that radio! Whatta steal!!

i guess it depends on what part of the country you're in but around here in sw ohio vintage sheet metal in good condition is like finding hens teeth. i found a perfect ad lower radiator valance at a swap meet for $40 have looked for this piece for yrs. grinned all the way home. also found a porcelin green/white light with the curved mounting arm for $2 to hang on my garage

A new Fenton 2 X 1 intake (216) and never mounted! $5.00!

Joe

A nice front bumber for my AD GMC at my next door neighbor's garage sale. Free ninty free!

Went to an auction. I missed out on a couple of items that I wanted. The item was just about sold and I said "yea!" the other bidder backed out. I bought a perfect painted rear bumper for a 1954 stepside for $7. The '54 truck sold later in the sale. At the same sale one guy bought a whole bunch of chrome trim in a pile for $4. I asked him if he wanted to sell one piece for $5. I got a near perfect 1958 V8 hood emblem with the nuts.

Builder, I could use that '58 V8 Hood Emblem. I think you should sell it to me and double your money!!

I picked up two good front fenders for my 52 that were $30 each at the swap meet this past saturday. I picked up a 49' 1 ton for $75 bucks, but that wasn't at a swap meet.

Found a pair of perfect bullet tail lights for my 49 sub. The guy wanted 60 bucks and wouldn't come down. So I says OK I will take them if I can write a check. He says no checks. Seems he got burned a couple of times. So I jump in the truck drive 24 miles back home raid the dresser drawer of some cash drive 24 miles back to the swap meet hoping all the time that someone hasn't bought them. When I get back the lights are still there and I give him the 60 he smiles and says I knew you would be back. It wasn't the greatest deal in the world but these things are pretty rare and I really wanted them so maybe 60 bucks wasn't such a bad deal after all. Weeds

Chevy stuff - An underdash accessory tissue dispensor with the original box from the late '50s - $5.00 (yup, five bucks!). Traded it a couple of years later straight up for a set of new Chevy 2.02 iron heads, complete and ready to go, plus a set of Offy aluminum finned valve covers for them. Not a bad swap!

Non-Chevy stuff - At an estate sale in Kansas, a collector had tons of AMC, Hudson, and Nash stuff, plus a sprinkling of Chevy and Mopar items. Bought a factory Hudson windshield visor, complete with brackets and hardware, for three dollars (I sold it later for $300.00). Bought a complete '66 Charger rear taillight assembly for $25.00 and sold it later for $400.00.

I bought a 63 Chevy truck windshield at auction for $2.50. The same auction I bought a 64-66 wiper motor with washer pump for another $2.50. I was feeling so lucky that I bought a large oil bath aircleaner for an early 60's 235 for $4.50. The guy is still around with a lot of parts for my future reference. BTW, he posted his sale bill here a little over a year ago.
Scott

Weeds, if they don't have rust holes, $60 is a very good deal for those bullet lights.

My mom and dad are big on collectibles.

We went to a swap meet at the Portland County fairgrounds in Indiana for the antique tractor show, and my dad got a toolbox for his Farmall M (that mounts on the headlight crossbar) for $2. It needs paint, no dings or anything. From what he says, they are rare and worth alot more.

My mom purchased (from the same guy's wife) a fancy antique glass fruit bowl for $7 because she thought it was pretty. It was appraised this year at $1,100.

My personal bests (I am more into the 4x4 scene, so bear with me) are decent.
I got a Dodge Dana 60 front axle with 4.10 gears for $150.
I got an Eaton rear axle with 4.57 gears and a No-Spin from a '65 C20 for $100.
A 14 bolt axle with 4.09 gears and a Detroit locker for $200.
a 10 spline NP205 for $20.
a 465/205 combo for free (guy wanted it outta his garage!)
a divorced NP202 transfer case with 1410 yokes and a Braden PTO for free.

at a yard sale last fall, I scored a really nice set of 1969 Ohio Truck plates for $4, they need some paint and even have the reg. stickers. Pretty neat.

I was at the Chickashaw, Ok swap meet several years ago and came upon a pair of new looking chrome Carara coilover shock assemblies and the man said he would take $20 for them. They had the 150# springs which was just what I needed. Since it was early in the day and we had to park a long ways away I asked if I could pick them up from him on the way out and he said no problem. We stayed till dusk and when we went to collect my shocks the man had left. I thought my super deal had gone out the window when my wife said something was laying on the grass where his trailer had been, it was the coilovers.

I paid $80 for a pair of those bullet tail lights at a swap meet last year. Didn't think it was that great a deal, but I really wanted a set.

I bought a set of early Chevy V-8 valve covers for $1.00 last year.

I've bought other stuff I was pleased with but those valve covers might be the best deal ever.

In 1978 the local Chevy dealership changed ownership,so they had a garage sale to clean out all the old "junk" the parts dept. had acquired over the previous 40 years. I got a new AD radio kit-radio,antenna,speaker,the works,still in the box,for 50.00. I also bought some OEM floor mats for 1.00 a set. They had a '47 new longblock for 25.00 because the block got cracked in shipping and it never was returned. Also there was a complete 350/327 'vette engine that was swapped out under warranty because it lost oil pressure,and they had over a half a dozen Hi-Perf intake set ups,2 bigblock tri-powers,one smallblock tri-power,2 fuel injection set ups,and I think I remember seeing a smallblock dual quad,all complete with all the parts needed. They had all been changed over to single 4 barrels at no charge to the customers. They were sold for 100.00 each. I missed out on all the really good stuff for lack of funds,but this really was a once in a lifetime deal.
Speed

Does EbaY count? I just bought a 235 Edlebrock dual carb intake for $45.00! I thought that was a heck of a score.

I'm hoping to get lucky at the turkey run tommorow.
I really want to do this T5 tranny swap and hope to find some parts or even advice while I'm there. Its all about the mechanical restoration for me right now so no bling this year...

Well Old Gold, If I sold you the V8 emblem for $10, that would leave a blank spot on my hood and I would have to put the 6 cyl back in. Sounds like too much work. I'll pass.

NOS Fulton 700 series sunshield for $26.00

Way back in the 70s at one of the last Harrah's Reno meets, two guys from Texas or OK had this Uhaul trailer full of NOS GM parts in boxes. Several guys pitched in and lifted the trailer pouring out all these NOS parts into a huge pile, everyone dove in. I came out with a Chevy assy. folding trunk guard kit in the box for $15. Just a few years back a guy at Turlock Swap had all this NOS 55-6-7 stuff, but in the middle of his display I spotted this NOS 1930 locking door handle with keys, only $5. Last one; had a small pile of Chev items at Pleasanton swap meet for sale, guy comes up, looks over my collection of 235 parts and says, "I got one of them Corvette dual manifolds out in the truck, want it?" He came back about an hour later with the manifold, cost me $100, didn't have to leave my lawn chair. Some days are diamonds some days are stones.

I scored a vette exhaust manifold for the same price but it was not at a swap meet and was attached to engine!

Ah c'mon Builder! It's not that much work to put that old 6 cyl back in, is it? :p

My best swap meet find took place at the Model T Long Beach swap meet about 1974 or so when it was in the so called dust pit. I was restoring a 1935 sprint car at the time and was planning on running a Model A Ford transmission since I was using a Ford B block with a D O Green cyl. head. As I walked along I came to a guy from Fallbrook Ca who was selling an all aluminum three speed transmission about the size of a Model A trans. It was unusual in that it had a side inspection plate. I opened it for a look see and I noticed that when it was shifted into high it would disengaged the cluster gear. I also noticed that the gear shift knob was cast alum and hollow. I decided that this would be just what I needed for my sprint car. I paid $35 for it. A guy right behind also wanted it real bad and said it was out of an Alfa Romero but I new better because it had SEA threads. About a year later I found out that it came out of a 91 cubic inch Miller race car of the twenties. Word got and for 16 years I was getting phone calls from all over the country for the trans. In 1990 I sold it for $10,000 to a Miller collector from Texas.

John

cessna195
You win.

Cessna195 wins anyhow if he flys a 195. My dream plane every since I flew in one at night and saw flames spittin' out the exhaust of that big ol' radial.

OK Old Gold, How about I just sell you my six cyl.

A NOS splash panel for my '48 half ton for $40, was probably my best buy, buy my best find was at a swap meet when I looken in a dumpster and found a complete dash, runningboards, and several other pieces from a 3/4ton AD. Made a few bucks on the runningboards and used some of the dash stuff for my own ongoing restoration.

Tom: how can anybody throw that stuff away...But then as my Dad used to say...this is sure a wasteful country..and i believe it too...

found a grab bag of cool items from 1952
it included a 1952 road atlas
1952 Chevy deluxe sales ad.
1952 Chevy deluxe (original) owners manual.
1952 life magazines (2)with ads of the Chevy line
1952 era road maps (4)
1952 era books of matches (12)
1952 high school drivers ED. textbook.
I have a 1952 Chevy Deluxe and to find these items and all at one place was a great deal.
I believe it was about $10.00

Cliff59

I got my 46 chevy one ton, for 200 bucks flat. she is a solid one too.

I got Two 67 chevy for a six pack.sold them the next week for $500.00 each