Better Beaters - Building Cars and Daily Drivers

 Two Swap Meets visited in one day.

They were held on September 21st. 2025.

An antique motorcycle swap meet was held at the Old Fisherman's club in Modesto, right on the banks of the San Joaquin river.

The event in Turlock was an automotive swap, held at the Stanislaus Fairgrounds. While it's billed as an automotive swap, there are vendors selling all kinds of stuff. I found old Harley Davidson parts, memorabilia, vintage clothing, signs, and all kinds of trinkets. There were also big parts like engines and chassis and body parts, as well as cars in the car corral. Lot's of stuff, but as a buyer, it makes sense to come prepared. With a list, measurements, and pictures of what you're looking for. Also lots of cash in small bills!

There's no point in arriving at a swap meet late, all the good stuff will be gone.

I decided that I would leave by 6:00 in the morning.  I arrived at a bit before 7:30. There was a big accident on the highway which brought it to a stop for almost fifteen minutes.

This was an AMCA (Antique Motorcycle Club of America) affiliated swap. There were lots of parts there for early HDs. There were also quite a few bikes from the '70's and '80's being offered up for sale.

There was even an early Teens bike that was featured in the latest copy of the club magazine. I got to check out that bike close up, which was really a rare treat. I've got to remember to bring my camera to the next events.

I actually didn't really need anything for my motorcycle.  I might have been looking for a Lucas tail light for the base that I'd bought in Dixon. What I really wanted, I didn't expect to actually find. 

I was hoping to find a factory bobbed rear fender for a Harley 48 Sportster.

The fender does not have the tail lamp mounted to it.

But I found it! That's what makes swap meets worth all the trouble. It only cost me 30 bucks. less than I'd seen it listed for online.

I also found a couple of small licensed models of early HDs. 

An early Teens V Twin.

Early Fifties Hydra Glide.

I didn't really need these little models, but how often would I find them at later swap meets? They were inexpensive, so I picked them up. The Teens bike was missing the display base and my Wife made one for me on her GlowForge.

After I left the meet I  headed to Turlock for their big swap.

It was held at the fairgrounds, and it was big.

What was I looking for?

I might have been looking for a hubcap for my Plymouth. That was my rationalized reason for going. There were three Mayflower caps on the car, along with one that featured a view of the stern. Maybe I'd find a replacement for that.

I looked hard at every vendor, and poked around in boxes but came up short. Plymouth is not as popular with old car guys as Fords and Chevys. It's the luck of the draw.

There was a definite party atmosphere at this event. Loud music was blasting from several locations and there were a lot of people strolling through the fairgrounds. The place was packed. The air was fragrant with vendors selling sizzling hot food There were also a couple of car shows going on at the same time.

I found a repro license plate topper from the Automobile Club of Southern California. 

The same vendor was selling various license plate reflector hold downs. I picked up a couple of amber ones for the front license plate of the Plymouth. 

This particular vendor carries a lot of reproductions of vintage dress up trinkets. I know that they are not authentic, but they are much cheaper than originals and they are brand new! Kind of like finding something that you like at Hobby Lobby.

I'm going to use these on the front license plate.

Part of the fun of owning an old car is looking for little period trinkets that you can display on or in the car.

Since my Wife and I often go to Antique Fairs and antique shops, I keep my eyes open for something of interest.

We were in the Pismo Beach area last Summer and I found this little plaque in a shop in Arroyo Grande. I'd never seen a plate like this. It was originally a cloisonne plate but had been repainted over the years. Maybe I shouldn't have bought it, as the quality doesn't compare very well to the original items I found online. 

However I've learned one thing about antique stores; if you want it, and it's a fair price... buy it! You will probably regret passing it up. 

On that note I also found a model of the Buick Y Job for sale. Most photos of this dream car never showed the rear view. I recently saw one photo of the back end. The car sports a boat tail! It was a direct ancestor of the '71 Riviera.

Maybe it's not really a rare piece, but I'd never seen one before. I suppose you could find one offered for sale on the internet, but it hadn't occurred to me to look for one. And here it was right in front of me. So I followed my own advice and bought it.

I had been looking for something to display inside the Plymouth that would reflect the period of the Second World War.

I found this little lapel pin of FDR (Franklin Delano Roosevelt) who was president during most of the war. I imagine that he was a very popular president. I plan on finding some kind of American flag applique that I can attach it to, then attach that to the dash somewhere.

My Wife and I plan on attending several more antique shows in the coming year, I look forward to seeing what I can find.