Need a deal on some belly...
Need a deal on some belly tanks? We saw three of them at the show, including this pair o’ tanks in one booth that were for sale for around $1,000 each.
With apologies to all those roadster owners out there, the fact of the matter is the massive L.A. Roadsters swap meet is a happening unto itself, and it would probably be a very successful event even if no roadsters showed up next door.
For decades the L.A. Roadsters have carved out a section of their show for those who wanted to buy, trade, or sell old car parts and, being held only once a year, many folks rely on this two-day affair to get their business done.
The swap meet has always been a big draw for out-of-state attendees, too, because most of this stuff you just can’t find anywhere else. More than 1,250 spaces were filled, and though parts’ prices seemed to run between fair to high, an adequate amount of the finished car projects looked to be a bargain with prices being lower than what you could buy all the parts for.

It was a little rough in some...

It was a little rough in some parts but you could have picked up this ’31 Ford coupe, which was already chopped 3 inches, for $3,800, including the rolling frame.

We probably saw more smoothie...

We probably saw more smoothie magnesium Halibrands at this show than any other we’ve attended. This set of four-pin drives were offered at $3,000.

What a perfect car for a hot...

What a perfect car for a hot rod club to get involved with. Steel-bodied Topolinos must be rare (rather than the fiberglass copies) and, for $12,000, you could have rolled this one into your garage.

What a perfect car for a hot...

What a perfect car for a hot rod club to get involved with. Steel-bodied Topolinos must be rare (rather than the fiberglass copies) and, for $12,000, you could have rolled this one into your garage. If you ever needed a particular gauge you could probably find it at this show. The box in front had gauges from $1 to $5 while the box in back had them for $10 each.

This ’27 Ford roadster trunk...

This ’27 Ford roadster trunk section has got be getting close to getting on the scarce list, but this steel one for $600 looked to be in good shape.

This Ford had been sectioned...

This Ford had been sectioned 3 inches before the wood was added to the exterior, making it look like no other ’49 out there. With a 302 and a coral pink paintjob, the price was $17,900, or best offer.