The Eckler’s NE GA Swap Meet Version 2.0 is Saturday, January 11th at the Atlanta Dragway in Commerce, GA!
I wanted to get this out earlier in the week, but the weather forecast was a bit sketchy so I waited: Weather for Saturday is going to be PERFECT! So come on out!!!
Everyone driving a vintage or enthusiast Truck gets a $10 Eckler’s Gift Certificate this month.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.Inside Parking
Please park all enthusiast vehicles BEHIND THE GRAND STAND. It’s a constant battle to get the enthusiast vehicles all parked together in a single, condensed space. People DO come to the swap meet specifically to look at the cruise-in cars, so let’s please treat it as a car show and park all the cool stuff together.
For those who pay the vendor entry fee and park your vehicles inside, please do NOT park them among the show cars. I’d really like to get the cruise-in thick with cool cars, so please park your new SUV or stock pick-up truck somewhere OTHER than between the bathrooms.Snack Shack!
The Pit Stop Café has been the bane of my existence since moving the swap meet to the Atlanta Dragway. The last two managers were a lot better to work with than the previous three, so that’s been good, but the prices they were forced to charge were painful to one and all.But FINALLY, the crew in charge there now is on the same page! Every month they’ve got a special for the swap meet, and it’s reasonably priced. And by “reasonable,” I actually mean exactly that.
I don’t know all the prices, but for instance I DO know they’ve knocked the price of a bottle of water down to something we’ll happily pay. A lot of you will remember they used to charge more for one bottle than an entire flat of 24 bottles of water could be had at the gas station just up the street. No more!
So please show your appreciation by swinging through and getting a snack or a drink.
Dates for Next Year
We’ll announced them next month, but it’s pretty much the same it always is: First Saturday of the month, couple 2nd Saturday exceptions to accommodate races at the track, yadda yadda.
Always Cool Stuff at Lamar Walden Automotive!
I’ve got a pile of stuff I need to take down to Rob and the guys at Lamar Walden Automotive… a ’57 283 block to see if it’ll go .125-over for a 4.00-inch bore/301 ci combo… almost for no other reason than I have a set of NOS Venolia pistons, that block, a forged crank, and a set of double-hump heads I’m tired of tripping over… I’d rather trip once over a complete engine, than thirteen times over all the parts. I’ve also got a ’62-’63 409 block and pair of low-horse heads I need to have checked for cracks: if they’re good, I’ll stash ‘em in the stash, but if they’re not I don’t need the door stops.
This month, Rob swapped stack injection for the 2×4 intake on his 409-powered ’33 Willys gasser, and really picked up some power on what was already an incredibly strong 409 drag engine.
Shop projects include a front disc conversion on a ’61 Bel-Air, and an LS build in a 2002 Trans Am that included cam and ported heads.
A bunch of cars made their way to the chassis dyno this month, including a road-race Corvette.
Engine builds were about as all-over-the-board as I’ve ever seen come out of their shop: there was a full-resto 283 for an early Corvette, a stroked 408 LS, an aluminum-headed Pontiac 350, they wrapped up a 350 Olds build, a high-horse Duramax street engine went together with Carillo rods, forged pistons and ported heads, and the 572-inch 409 finally went on the dyno, making 1,050 normally-aspirated horsepower.
In between all that, they CNC-ported a bunch of cylinder heads, and restored several intake manifolds. When I called, Rob was finishing recreating the big round ear for a pipe plug on a big block chevy—“Everyone over-tightens it and breaks off the casting” Rob told us. We’ve seen a bunch of intakes go in cracked and broken, and watched as Rob created something from nothing, blended it in to what was there before, and when finished it looked like nothing ever happened. Heck, I’ve had them do it on one of my intakes!
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
JPs Muscle CarParts
The guys at JP’s Muscle Cars have been busy this month!
They’re putting the finishing touches on 57 belair convertible in one bay, and have started a ’64 Chevelle convertible in another, slating it for an LS1, auto trans and lots of goodies.
Over there, they’re finishing up a resto-mod ’69 Camaro with an LS and 4L80, backed by a 4-link and coil overs, rack and pinion up front, and a custom interior.
And over here, they’re working on one of their own projects: a ’71 Camaro RS with Detroit Speed and Engineering front and rear suspension, 416-cubic inch LS with a T56 6-speed behind it. The interior has the dash and console from a 2019, so it should look pretty cool when it’s all finished.
They’ve got a freshly-purchased ’69 Firebird that’s mostly complete, but less running gear, still have a ’65 Impala parts car, and a ’71 Chevelle roller. “Rusty and needing lots of love” and “Rusty but restorable” are the descriptions he included.
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.
Mopar A-Body 8 ¾ for sale
Anybody need a Mopar A-Body 8 ¾ rear end housing? I’ve got one…
It’s a factory housing—I’ve also got a set of backing plates and drums to go with it.
Being the narrowest factory rear end, it’d be good to put in a hot rod or even another Altered drag car, but rather than warehouse it for “some day… maybe…” I’d rather see it go to a Mopar guy with an A-Body. Give me a call or shoot me a text at (706) 424-5035 and I’ll deliver it to the swap meet.
NuTech
I cruised up to NuTech this month and FINALLY picked up the hood, roll bar and rear bumper for Andrew’s ’76 Dodge Power Wagon. I think they’ve only been up there for three or four months…
While I was up there, I spied a ’67 or ’68 Firebird body on a rotisserie ready to get blasted, a full set of 8-lug aluminum wheels, another early Bronco frame, and several vintage ‘50s/’60s metal lawn furniture.
Later this month I’ll be dropping the factory aluminum wheels from my ’06 Dodge Magnum up there, to have the silver blasted off them prior to being powder coated black. I really don’t like the factory silver wheels on this car, but the black steel cop-car wheels don’t do it for me either… and aftermarket wheels are just ridiculously expensive. But blasting and powder-coating the stock aluminum wheels should strike the perfect compromise for a lot less than new wheels.
If you’ve got blasting needs, big or small, car, house or anything else, give them a call.
NuTech Soda Blasting, Jefferson, Georgia; (706) 367-8107, or check out their website at www.nutechsodablasting.com
Bud’s Garage Coming shows
About once a month, Yours Truly gets invited to sit in on Bud’s Garage, and it’s probably one of the funnest things I get to do every month that’s related to the swap meet. Bud and Tim are a blast to hang around.
This month, they’ll be talking about Tesla behind the scenes, Kelly Blue Book fall rides (don’t know what that means… guess I’ll have to tune in!), the pros and cons of the new 2020 Z06 Corvette, the 12 best driver cars with Randy Probst, Gear Head Gift Ideas (I wear a size 409 Long, if anybody is curious), Crate Motors for anything… Electric motors, that is!, and they’ll be Live at the SEMA Show with Colorworks.
Tune in every Saturday for insights on the factory offerings, racing, the aftermarket and other good-time nonsense. The Fastest Car-Guy Talk on the Radio! Saturdays, noon-1pm, AM 550/FM 102.9
