0 Bakersfield Swap Meet 2014

by Willy Vinton
© Fountainhead Antique Auto Museum

Bakersfield 2014 was hot and dry--almost too hot--but the Alaskans survived it. The first day featured the Horseless Carriage Club of America tour, with a lot of interesting early cars. Of course, a lot of dependable Ford Model Ts were there, but there were some more rare cars like a big Marmon touring, and this great looking Cole V8 coupe. We were offered seats in several cars, but took a rain check as my wife Wilma had to return to the hotel and work (darn computer age). I decided to tour the antique shops around the town, and I managed to buy a hard-to-find item at one: a bottle of old metal jacks (remember the little rubber ball with jacks?). Our wood shop needed these, but that's a story for another time.

The first thing that really grabbed my attention at the swap meet was this rare, 1939 Willys pickup. I believe it may have belonged to Richie Clyne (owner of the Auto Collections at the Imperial Palace) or a friend of his. What a great piece of history it is! The body on it is straight and there is no rust to speak of. I would have liked to bring it home, but have no room at the inn. Sigh.

This model T block is a made-up, open valve built by grinding off all of the enclosure that covered the valve area. The job was very well done, and the price was also very "well done" (it was the same price I paid for a complete engine with transmission a short time ago).

Meet regulars Stan and Terry brought this cute little American Bantam Roadster to the meet to sell. It only took a couple test drives before someone purchased it. And no, Terry didn’t run over Stan, and Stan was not trying to block his passage. It's just that little car = little problems. In this case, the horn wire was shorted out and when you turned the wheel, it would sound the horn.

Now this would make a great tow rig for us! The old twin-six Packard was wearing its original paint, somewhat worse for wear, but a great car with a known history from day one.

As with all the swap meets I travel to, I came home with a few parts. With the cars we have, it's rare to find the things on our wish list, but the hunt is half the fun!



Coming to Fairbanks to see the Fountainhead Antique Auto Museum and other area attractions? Support the museum by staying right here at Wedgewood Resort. All guests receive half-price admission to the museum!

Detail: Bakersfield Swap Meet 2014

0 Bakersfield Swap Meet 2013

 by Willy Vinton
© Fountainhead Antique Auto Museum

I made the annual trek to the Bakersfield Swap Meet a few weeks ago. This year I had the chance to make a day tour with the Bakersfield Horseless Carriage Club  in the company of Greg and Cathy Rising in their 1927 Ford touring car. It was a scenic drive that included a visit to a ranch that raised ostriches. While there, we learned a lot about all the uses of the various ostrich products (feathers, hide, eggs and meat).

On the trip we went over the Tahachapi Pass, which features the Tahachapi Loop, shown at right. This is the only place in the world where a 4,000-foot-long train will pass over itself, gaining 72 feet in elevation along a 2% grade. I had read about the Tahachapi Loop, but this was the first time I had a chance to see it. After a great lunch and tour, we headed back to get ready for the swap meet. The little Ford T ran cool and pulled the hills with ease, without a hint of overheating. Thanks again to the Risings for their hospitality!




This was one of the vendors on the site at Bakerfield Swap Meet. As you can imagine, it takes a lot of time to look through each of the trays, boxes and piles to make sure you don't miss that one treasure you are seeking.

You can also find a few cars for sale at the Bakersfield Swap Meet, like this 1911 Hispano-Suiza "King Alphonso XIII" Double Berline. It's a very unique and unusual-looking beast, to say the least. It looked like someone took a couple of early electric cars and combined them to make a unique form of transportation. It appeared to be a very original car, but since it was not American built, I left it sitting there. Kind of a shame, as we could have hauled lots of gals dressed in their finery around Fairbanks in this one!

Detail: Bakersfield Swap Meet 2013

0 2012 Bakersfield Swamp Meet

by Willy Vinton

I sure wasn't expecting this kind of weather at the Bakersfield Brass Era Swap Meet this year. It was in the 70s or warmer the other times I've gone, and the forecast called for it to reach the 90s during this year's meet. Instead, it was cold, rainy and windy, almost like Hershey in the fall. They even had to close the Grapevine.

Friday brought almost an inch of rain, causing the grounds to begin to look like Fairbanks during "breakup" season. Lots of people got stuck in the mud. Even 4-wheel drives had difficulty maneuvering in the quagmire that the field became. Thankfully, the people in charge gathered up a few farm tractors and began towing motor homes and such out Friday night and Saturday morning.

This was the typical view on Friday, with most items covered, limiting the shopping opportunities. Some of the old die-hard vendors had some rusty items out for shoppers to search through, but the weather was just so cold and miserable that most people huddled up or went back to the hotel. The JC Taylor folks were graciously running around handing out some very appreciated rain panchos to shoppers. Although I kept my museum hat on, I admit that I became a walking advertisement for JC Taylor on this trip.

Despite the nasty weather, there were some treasures to be found. This 1913-1914 Cartercar was one of those. It is completely original, with just 2,023 total miles on it. Remarkable! It's still under full warranty--all you have to do is take it in to any Cartercar dealer for service or repair (good luck finding one!). It is always a treat to see an antique car that still has its original paint and pin striping. The upholstery, side curtains and top are still good. Even the wheels are tight. If we didn't already have a beautiful Cartercar in our collection (video), this would have made a nice addition to the museum.

Many thanks to all that put on this meet -- you did a great job in spite of the weather. Just a word to the wise, though. If it is muddy, do not drive through the crowd with a one-ton dually spinning your tires and throwing mud on the vendors and people with cameras. You may encounter some ire from folks (just saying).

Detail: 2012 Bakersfield Swamp Meet

0 Chickasha Swap Meet, McPherson Restoration College

by Willy Vinton

I had another great trip to the Chickasha Pre-War Swap Meet last week. The weather was very nice-- in the mid 70s to 80s--with mostly overcast skies. Fortunately it didn't rain until Sunday night.

As usual, I managed to take a few side trips away from the swap meet grounds. These first two pictures are from the McPherson Resoration College in Kansas. The students were tasked to see how fast they could put a Model T together and make it run. 

I checked my watch to time them, but got so wrapped up in the event that I forgot to check the finish time. The students worked as a team and each had a specific job to do. They performed very well, although I'm not sure I would jump in the car and drive it up the Alaska Highway without a few cotter pins, checks and such. They were a great bunch of young men having fun and I'm glad I got to visit the college. 

Back at the swap meet I checked out this old number 5 Hudson race car. I'm not sure what year it was built or if it had any interesting history, but it did look very period correct and would have been fun to play with.                        

This is a picture of the number 3 building, which shows some of the swap-meet crowd. By late Friday afternoon the crowd had thinned out a lot. There was no shortage of Model T and Model A projects, parts and nicely restored cars and pickups for sale this year, but I did notice a few empty booth spaces. I would think that the price of fuel has a lot to do with that.

Sure wish I could have driven this DeSoto Airflow back to Fairbanks, as it is a nicely done car. It is similar to one that was in Alaska back in the 1930s, but a few years newer.                 

The Oklahoma tornadoes stayed away from us by at least a 100 miles, but our flight back to Seattle took an extra two hours because we had to skirt a few twisters. We made it home in one piece, although we also came home empty-handed. Still, we made some good contacts, showed folks our new book and invited them up to visit our museum this summer.

Next stop, Bakersfield Swap Meet!

Detail: Chickasha Swap Meet, McPherson Restoration College

0 Chickasha Swap Meet: Let the Search Begin!

by Willy Vinton

Often we are asked where we find replacement parts to keep our cars operational. Some we fabricate ourselves, while others might be available from vendors like Restoration Supply Company. A more exciting and social way to obtain parts is to hunt for them at a swap meet. There are a number of these meets held throughout the country, and we try to visit several every year.

First on the schedule for us this year is the Chickasha Pre-War Swap Meet in Oklahoma March 15-16. This meet is limited to pre-1945 automobiles, parts and transportation items. The weather there has been nice each time I've gone. One year, however, we got to experience a good old Oklahoma wind and snow storm after the meet, which held up our airplane and caused us to miss connections up the line.

We also hope to attend the Bakersfield National Swap Meet in April and the famous Hershey Flea Market in October. The vendors that come to the meets are dedicated to the hobby of old cars and memorabilia, and offer a wealth of information and parts. The meets are not just a great source for locating hard-to-find and rare parts, they also give us a chance to network with suppliers and meet others who are antique auto enthusiasts. All have fun stories to share, so be sure to budget some time for socializing as well as shopping.

At a swap meet you must be prepared to get your hands dirty, as you may find yourself digging through piles of rusty, greasy items to find your treasure. If you do find that rare part, my advice is to buy it immediately. Don't wait, or when you come back there's a good chance it will be gone. Remember to bring good walking shoes, a back pack, light and heavy jackets, and CASH (few vendors take checks or credit cards). Also, remember that there is no JUNK there, only treasures and good usable, or restorable ITEMS.

Hope to see you there.

Detail: Chickasha Swap Meet: Let the Search Begin!