Roughly 1,200 swap meet spaces...
Roughly 1,200 swap meet spaces were crowded with nearly anything you could think of for your hot rod or at least your garage. Need an intake manifold?
Each year one of the most anticipated events in rodding is actually an off-shoot of another all-together different event. The L.A. Roadsters organized their first hot rod exhibition in 1959, but it wasn't until 1966, at the third-ever event, that a new name-The L.A. Roadster Exhibition & Swap Meet-highlighted an addition that encompassed one of the best aspects of the show: a swap meet.
Over the years the roadster show's swap meet has become legendary. Not very long ago there were so many people looking for deals it was hard to get through the crowded aisles. You'd spend more time bumping shoulders with other parts hounds and it became something of a hassle. But whether it was the expansion of the swap meet area a few years back or a slow-down in the economy, there now seems to be less folks walking the aisles, which is a good thing for those who are hunting for what vintage tin is still out there.
Swap meet sellers started lining up early Friday morning (the swap didn't "officially" open until Saturday morning) and items started selling in the wee morning hours right out of the back of the trucks that were hauling the pieces to the meet.
Once you pay for your spot ($65 for one 15 x 20) it's something of an Oklahoma land grab as sellers speed off to find the perfect spot among the 1,200 spots set aside. Once the swap opens, everything you can imagine for a hot rod will probably be picked up, handled, sized-up, haggled over, and possibly sold. The smallest and most rare pieces are there, as are the highly-desirable (need a certain vintage tach for your ride?).
If "the deal" hasn't been brokered by Sunday afternoon, folks start packing up and thinking about what they could build with the parts they couldn't sell and begin thinking about what they'll bring out next year.
With a Deuce frame, drilled-out...
With a Deuce frame, drilled-out backing plates, a small-block Chevy with three twos, wire wheels, a steel '29 roadster body, steering, and a basic interior all for $14,500 could get you moving in the right direction fast.
A lot of hot rodders dream...
A lot of hot rodders dream of building a car they could take to the dry lakes, or you go this route (for $750) and start a streamliner project for not much money.
The owner of this heavily-chopped...
The owner of this heavily-chopped '34 Plymouth five-window (with a Ford grille) wanted $25,000 or best offer for his ride, plus he was looking at possible trades.
The owner of the '34 three-window...
The owner of the '34 three-window on the left wanted $15,000 o.b.o. for his collection of parts while the chopped five-window driver on the right was offered at $42,500.
The owner of this '29 roadster...
The owner of this '29 roadster pickup claimed "the best original body ever" and he might have been right. The vehicle, with a sandblasted and painted chassis, was selling for $9,500.
Need a grille? All shapes...
Need a grille? All shapes and sizes for all kinds of hot rods were available.
These guys found a deal on...
These guys found a deal on an unmolested, original mini-midget racer, and were taking it back to their camp to examine what they just bought.
Now here's something you don't...
Now here's something you don't see very often: two 215-inch Buicks mated together to make a 430-cubic-inch V-16.
What's a decent '29 Ford coupe...
What's a decent '29 Ford coupe body worth nowadays? This fairly solid example was offered at $3,200.
So-Cal Speed Shop Party
For the past 14 years SO-CAL Speed Shop has organized a pre-Roadster show party at their rod-building facility in Pomona, California. The gathering actually goes back even farther than that, when hot dogs were served to the folks who dropped by before the show to see what the shop was working on. Each year more people and more cars showed up, so soon Pete Chapouris and his gang were having the event catered by the In & Out hamburger chain and feeding (for free) more than 1,300 hungry rodders. This year, police estimates put the crowd at 5,500 participants, and roughly 500 cars were parked in and around the shop for the five-hour shindig. Next year will be the 15th anniversary, and you know we'll be there for that landmark event, too!
Some deals are pretty hard...
Some deals are pretty hard to walk away from. With a new fiberglass body and floor, new frame (with 6-inch kick up front and 12-inch kick in rear), new wheels and tires, and some decent used parts and pieces all for $5,900, this '27 could be a great entry-level rod.
That's St. James Davis behind...
That's St. James Davis behind the wheel of his kustomized '32 coupe, which has been a fixture on the SoCal rodding scene in San Gabriel Valley for more than five decades. After he incurred some major health problems back in 2005, many people (including the Cal-Rods car club) stepped up to help restore the car and bring it back to life, which only helped St. James with his recovery as well. The finished car was debuted at the SO-CAL party.
One of the best parts of the...
One of the best parts of the SO-CAL party is getting to see cars that won't be allowed in the roadster portion of the show the next day. This Hemi-powered A coupe looks like it would be a blast to drive.
Fresh from the August 2009...
Fresh from the August 2009 cover of STREET RODDER, Chuck and Kim Vranas' T tub finally has a few miles under its belt. The car made a stop at the SO-CAL gig before cruising over to the Walden party later in the evening.
We don't know where to start...
We don't know where to start with this one! Anywhere you looked, this coupe had something to say. Love it or hate it-it had a crowd around it the entire time it was parked behind SO-CAL.
SO-CAL had to add another...
SO-CAL had to add another row of cars to the street outside their shop because there were so many cars trying to get into the event.
Walden's Hot Rod Shop Party
Originally based in Texas, Bobby Walden made his mark in the hot rod world by being a metal craftsman of the highest order. Moving to California earlier this decade, he worked on some high-profile projects at SO-CAL Speed Shop before opening his own shop in Pomona, California, a few years ago, where he continued to develop a line of steel roof inserts and replacement door panels for most any '30s-era hot rod out there. Walden's pre-event party on Friday evening is a low-key affair (with free ice cream!) and rods and kustoms of every type show up.
Walden's throws open their...
Walden's throws open their doors to the general public on the evening before the roadster show, but the type of vehicles that show up here are more of the vintage variety.
Melinda and Bobby Walden had...
Melinda and Bobby Walden had gotten married just a few weeks before their open house and they haven't stopped smiling.
We saw this coupe at a few...
We saw this coupe at a few spots over the weekend and enjoyed looking at it every time we did. We especially liked the tire choice-the lack of big 'n' littles helped give the car an era-correct stance.
There was a good collection...
There was a good collection of vintage lakes cars at Walden's-or what appeared to be vintage race cars. You just can't tell anymore if they're recent builds or real survivors just by looking at them because they're done so well. This one, with its Nailhead engine, real magnesium wheels, and an evil slant 'n' chop job looked the part nonetheless.
Suede can be finished nicely,...
Suede can be finished nicely, like on this '54 Chevy Bel Air, with a paneled paint job on the roof and fading scallops everywhere else.