Next Swap Meet March 7th – Featuring Pedal to the Metal Vintage Bicycle Swap!!!

Hey vendors! If you aren’t coming because you think the winter is slow, think again! Not only did I hear from a bunch of vendors that had great sales, I myself sold $390 worth of stuff off my trailer, and because I was short-stafffed, I DIDN’T EVEN SET UP! That’s right, I left my trailer locked up for the day, and STILL sold $390 worth of parts off of it. One guy saw me set an 8-inch chunk on the ground while I dug out my traffic signs, another called me at the show and said he needed the trans adapter he saw last month, etc. etc.

Just because it’s winter, doesn’t mean people aren’t buying!
(Now, if I could just get as lucky with the fresh 460 block and standard/standard crank I’ve been lugging around…)

Everyone driving a vintage or enthusiast Chevy car or truck of any make or model ruck gets a $10 Eckler’s Gift Certificate this month… ish. I’ll have to collect your mailing addresses at the gate and drop them in the mail to you, as the holiday schedule goofed up getting this month’s gift certificates in time. Christmas and New Years both being in the middle of the weekend kinda goofed up printing schedules. I’ll drop them in the mail to you in the next week.

Priority Vendor Set-up is 6-7am, and is $30 for all the space you want.
Vendor General Admission is 7am and is $20 for all the space you want.
Spectator entry is 7am, and is just six bucks.

2020 Schedule
Below is the 2020 Schedule. There are a couple dates that are still up in the air for the track’s schedule next year, and a couple dates that are the Second Saturday. So this one isn’t “Set In Concrete” just yet.. more like “Carved In Clay.” But it’s definitely solid up to the Southern Nationals.
January 4 now January 11
February 1
March 7 (Yes, the 7th… I know… I had the 6th in last month’s news letter, but it’s the 7th. Make a note)
April 11
May 9
June 6
July
August 1
September 5
October TBD
November 7 now January 11
December 5

Saturday Funnies–Best emails from last month
“You wrote “snacks” instead of “tasty treats,” when you wrote about the Pit Stop Café, so I’m not coming to the show.”
Made
My
Day!
(in reference to the head of one of the Nostalgia Drag Racing groups here in the South East posting on my Facebook Page that they weren’t coming to the Gear Jam because I put “muscle cars” on the flier instead of “nostalgia super stocks”)
Second one:
Him: “YOU KEEP TALKING ABOUT THAT ECKLER’S GIFT CERTIFICATE, BUT YOU CAN’T BUY S#!% WITH TEN DOLLARS!!!”
Me: Dude… you’re literally complaining about free money, not being enough free money. Who does that??

I wish someone would throw ten bucks at me just for showing up in something cool. Hell, I’m not proud, flipping me a quarter would make my day!

Wide Open at NuTech!
Talked with Lannie this month, and the boys up there have been wide open.
Couple sets of OE steel wheels got blasted, along with yet another early Bronco, and if NuTech is any kind of barometer of the hobby, trucks are scorching hot because he blasted one and has three more on the lot to run through.

Someone brought in a bunch of aluminum race car parts to blast the powder-coating off of—stuff so light they had to tie it down so it didn’t blow across the room when they hit it with the air/soda!
From the “Odd stuff” file, they also cleaned up four cast iron skillets for someone, and got another load of powder-coated car wash equipment and frames to blast to bare aluminum.
The portable blasting manufacturing business is rolling along wonderfully, with them sending one brand new machine out the door, and a couple refurbished machines. If you’ve thought about getting into the portable blasting, mold remediation or fire damage restoration business, you need to call NuTech and spec out a machine.

This fact blew us away: Since last May, NuTech has moved 10 full semi tractor loads of blasting soda: they used two themselves, which speaks to the kind of volume they’re doing in-house, and they sent the other eight trailer loads to other users. Their supplier said that’s unprecedent.
And we’re all gonna be able to say “We knew NuTech when…”

NuTech Soda Blasting, Jefferson, Georgia; (706) 367-8107, or check out their website at www.nutechsodablasting.com

Food and Beverages at REASONABLE PRICES!
I can’t say enough about the current management at the Pit Stop Café—after explaining to the last three managers that having an onsite loan officer to help our spectators buy a burger and bottle of water wasn’t the way to increase their sales, the current management gets it, and she’s put together specials for our swap meet patrons.
Swing by and pick up a bite and something to drink, and let them know you appreciate their efforts for us.

Lamar Walden Automotive—Packing a lot into a little month!
Lost a hunk of week for Christmas… lost another hunk of week for New Years… lost a big hunk of week for the PRI show.

And with all that, the guys STILL managed to kill it this month!

They restored a couple intake manifolds for engines they’re building for customers, including a resto DZ 302 engine build that also got the factory valve covers restored.

This week they’re buttoning up a 409 resto motor and will be putting it on the dyno, and they started the builds on a couple gasser engines.

They wrapped up an LSA swap into a beautiful black ’69 Chevy truck for Christmas (pics of the truck on my FB page), and they’re working on a 600-horse ’70 Big Block El Camino to make it more streetable: they’re installing a new Hotchkiss suspension, wildwood brakes and a 3.30 gear in place of the 3.73s to make the RPM through the TH400 more happier.

And then there’s the bad, Bad, BAD engine builds going together: a 632-inch monster for a mud truck, and a 700-inch killer nitrous engine for a 10.5 radial outlaw car.

AND, being primarily a Chevy shop, Rob has taken a special kind of pleasure in fixing an aluminum FE block for a racer—he spun two rod bearings, broke the crank and wiped out the saddles. The racer’s FE engine builder said it couldn’t be fixed. Rob said “HA! Ford guys… bring it over, we’ll show ya how it’s done.“ Rob welded up the block, got a pair of main caps, machined it all back to spec, and sent it out the door.

I’ll be dropping a pair of small block heads off to go with the 350 long block I dropped off last month, for a pretty basic build to put in my ‘62 K10 project, and I’ll also have them restore the vintage “Say Why-And” intake I’ve got for it.

2020 begins the next 50 years as one of the top engine builders in the South Lamar Walden Automotive is in Doraville, Georgia; (770) 449-0315, lwarob@gmail.com, lamarwaldenautomotive.com

Enclosed Swap Meet trailer for sale
I’ve got two swap meet trailers—a small 6×12 single-axle white one, and my dual-axle black trailer. The white one is for sale.

It’s in decent shape, though could use a good wash. Rear ramp door and side door. Tires are good, spare tire is there just so I look responsible to people who don’t know me better. Rear ramp hinge and door is good, no rot on the floor wood, no dents in the aluminum skin.

One fender is crunched, but I’ve got a pair of brand new, painted fenders ready to go on (I just haven’t gotten around to swapping them yet).

It’s got a nice built-in storage shelf system along one wall for parts and tables that includes quick-release face panels to hold parts and boxes on the shelves while going down the road.

I worked out of this trailer for several years, and it was plenty big until Eckler’s came onboard and I needed room to store their tent, tables, catalogs and catalog racks for the show.
It’s in Jefferson, and I won’t have it at the swap meet because my truck ate the transmission and I’ve got no way to get it there. But give me a call and I’ll text pics and directions to my place so you can get it in time to load it up for this weekend’s show. (706) 424-5035.
$1,800.

JPs Muscle CarParts—full blown project build emporium!
JP’s Muscle Cars is thrashing on several projects for customers and themselves right now.
First on the list is the ’68 Bronco restomod they’re building—modern gauges, nice running gear, power everything, and a soft top. Modern gauges dash, big wheels ,

The one I want to see is the 1970 C10 496 big block/ th400, with a custom suspension, tubed with big wheels and tires. Not sure if “tubbed with big wheels and tires” means the modern version of that with 20s or bigger all around, or the old-school Pro Street version of it. (On a side note, I’ve seen a couple Pro Street vehicles on the road recently—a Ford pick-up that is a pretty regular site around Jefferson, and has been to the swap meet, and a orange Challenger with a blown, 2×4 big block and no hood. Pro Street is making a come back!!!)

1964 Chevelle convertible with an LS and Auto is running, driving and ready to be pulled back apart to go to the paint shop, while a 1969 Camaro with an LSX is all finished and ready for the audio system and interior.

In a case of “The Cobbler’s Kids Never Having Shoes,” Johnny hopes to get their own 1971 Camaro resto mod build into the paint shop by the 1st of February.

Their next jobs are already lining up: a ’65 Chevelle wagon frame-off with an LS conversion, a 1970 Trans am frame off restoration back to showroom day 1 condition, and a ’68 C10 getting a supercharged LT1 or LT4.

JP’s is always welcomes visitors to discuss your needs, and no job is too big or too small, be it a full build or just some trouble-shooting to get you ready for the show season.

JP’s Muscle Cars is at 113 Hammond Drive in Monroe, GA: Call (770) 207-9570 or visit their website at www.jpmusclecars.com, or stop by and see them at the swap meet.

Darned Interesting Stuff on Bud’s Garage!
Talked with Bud, and here’s the line-up for the upcoming shows—We’ll definitely be tuning in!
Most interesting is this: F1 announced they’re going to 18-inch wheels 2021—Here’s the amazing part: they’ve been using 13 inch wheels this whole time! I had absolutely no idea that was the case! Did you? Bet ya didn’t. This allows a bigger brake package, and they’re not going to run a rubber-band tire. This is going to change suspension design, chassis design, everything. I’ve never been an F1 guy, but really, with NASCAR and NHRA committing slow suicide for the last 15 years, I’m going to be taking a much more dedicated look at F1 and road racing series this year.

NASCAR announced they’re going with 18-inch wheels in 2021 as well, which will also allow for bigger brake packages. Well, “brake package,” not “packageS,” because NASCAR has become a spec series where everyone has to run the same thing. But I digress.

Next up is “A Very interesting survey” (“I’ll just leave it at that,” Bud said… which, of course, is more than enough in itself to make us tune in!)
-Restomod updates from the SEMA show
-NASCAR updates from Dan Elliot
-NE GA Swap Meet Updates from Yours Truly
-Auto Parts updates from Henry Slack
-Electric Pick-up Trucks
-and Electric Mustangs… Including stuff about Mustang enthusiasts and owners groups lobbying to have the Mustang E renamed something other than Mustang.

The Fastest Car-Guy Talk on the Radio! Saturdays, noon-1pm, AM 550/FM 102.9

Managing The NewsLetter List! And other stuff
So it turns out I’ve had a bunch of people fall off the list… which I knew about. They’ve re-given me their email addresses, but it turns out it’s a problem on THEIR end–their service provider decided this is SPAM and blocked me. So if your friends haven’t been getting the newsletter, tell them they need to talk to their own service provider and have them unblock me.

I’m also working on it from my end. I tried to re-add one guy’s email, and MailChimp (the outfit I send these newletters out thru) said the email address had to be re-added by the person themselves. Except I don’t know how to have people sign-up directly to this list without going through me and me typing their email onto the list.

I’ve got my web guy working on that, and will hopefully have it figured out in the next month.
In the meantime, remind your buddies about the swap meet! Call them up and ask if they’re going.

Everyone I know, at one time or another, has said “Dang… I forgot the swap meet was last Saturday!”
I’m also working on starting a Twitter account for the swap meet, as well as Instagram. I’m also looking into software to run music and pre-recorded announcements, and hope to launch a YouTube channel to showcase the swap meet this year.

Lots of things to help the show grow!
See you Saturday!