The Sunday of our little LA trip was another early start to get to the Long Beach Hi-Po Swap Meet for its’ 06:00 opening. This swap meet has been running for over 30 years, although we’ve not been going for anything like that long. It takes place at the Veterans Memorial Stadium. While it’s not on the scale of the Pomona swap meet, it’s become world-renowned for its content of antique, vintage, classic and high-performance cars and parts for sale, usually at lower prices than Pomona too. It’s a must-visit for any hot rod, muscle car, street rod, classic car enthusiasts. This months event happened to fall on mothers day, which explained the smaller than usual crowds and vendors. With the lower visitor numbers, there were a fair few bargains to be had.
Alongside the swap meet, the Car Corral hosts an awesome mix of pre-85 cars, many up for sale too. There really is something to suit all tastes, from stock to wild, from custom American rides to cool German VW’s. Here are a few of my favourites.
Not my usual choice, but I think this ’78 Camero running small Dayton’s was my favourite. This combination shouldn’t work, but it really does. Dare to be different, as we used to say in the ’90’s.
’32 Ford hiboy roadster, superb colour choice and a nice mix of styles.
Slammed or subtle? 1948 Chevy Suburban and 1963 Chevy Nova
The crazy flame paint job on this 54 Chevy really stood out from the crowd.
Super smooth custom styling on this lil’ shoebox Ford.
Too much chrome? Amazing Buick Le Sabre. No filter, no sharpening, just glorious Califonia light and reflections.
1964 Chevy long-roof wagon sitting mighty low under California clouds.
1970 Chevy Kingswood Station wagon hood ride. It’s not the most obvious choice for the low-life, but that’s what makes it so interesting. Loading shouldn’t be an issue at this hight.
Super clean 1968 Chevy C-10 pickup looking great in stock-ish clothing.
Another great Chevrolet pickup, this time a 1964 Apache Fleetside.
White and chrome with a hint of red, works perfectly on this ’62 Chevy Impala.
Fully detailed swamp cooler, wearing its stripes with pride.
