The Petaluma Swap Meet is held every year at the Sonoma County Fairgrounds at the edge of wine country in Petaluma, California. Hosted for more than 20 years by the Redwood Empire chapter of the Early Ford V-8 Club of America, this Saturday/Sunday event encompasses a mid-size swap meet with lots of parts and cars for sale. It isn't as large as some of the big western state antique meets (e.g. Portland or Turlock), but what it lacks in size it makes up for by quantity and quality of the goods for sale, particularly if you're looking for pre-'48 Ford V-8, A, T and even pre-Chevy V-8 stuff. Whether your looking for frames, sheetmetal, hardware, early speed equipment, or antiques and collectibles-or complete running and/or "builder" vehicles, there's a good chance you'll find it at this North Bay Area meet. When the Saturday swapping is done, there are Sprint cars, late models, Dwarf cars, and street stocks running around the half-mile circle track to provide the afternoon and evening entertainment.
To swap or buy at next year's event, look for info in the Early Ford V-8 Club of America publication, The V-8 Times or go to www.earlyfordv8.org. While online, you can purchase a membership to join the organization. That'll help you find out about this and other regional club hosted swap meets around the country, where you can find and examine those hard-to-find parts you otherwise have to shop for on eBay.