SEARCH FOR OLD PARTS AT CAR SWAP MEET

An old automotive hood ornament -- a chrome symbol from an early-model Cadillac -- was among some of the items neatly stacked on the table.

The design, one of more than 5,000 different ornaments, or "mascots," that adorned many a hood of older cars and trucks, was a rare one -- a 1931-to-1933 "Cadillac Goddess."

Hood ornaments, or mascots -- produced from a variety of materials, gold, silver, zinc, brass, bronze, nickel, chrome, glass and wood -- from the early years are becoming difficult to find, but they're out there: at junk shops, garage sales, antiques shops, the Internet, and car and truck parts swap meets.

Whether you're looking for an ornament, a 1926 Chevy truck bumper, a Packard carburetor, or some other old vehicle part, dealing in old car and truck parts has become big business.

So have antique car and truck parts swap meets.

Hundreds of the swap meets are held each year, and date back 30 to 40 years.

Once such meet is the annual Capaha Antique Car Club Swap Meet started in Cape Girardeau in the 1960s, when a group of old-car collectors and mechanics decided to hold an event where collector car enthusiasts could meet, swap cars and parts, and talk cars and parts.

Search for available parts

The annual event, held in and around the A.C. Brase Arena Building in Cape Girardeau, will be held for the 35th time this year. The swap meet starts Feb. 18.

"Hundreds of people display items and thousands attend the annual event," said Dave Jackson, president of the Capaha Antique Car Club, which sponsors the annual event.

"This is a biggie," added Jackson. "We'll have vendors here from a 250-mile radius."

Car and truck parts shoppers and car collectors will be here from St. Louis, Memphis and Nashville.

It all starts about 6:30 a.m., when vendors start unloading. "Shoppers will be on hand at 6:30 a.m., too," said Jackson.

The event is held both inside and outside of the Arena Building.

While most vendors take a standard size booth, many will bring entire cars for sale. These will be parked outside.

The swap meet will feature everything from old model to newer model parts.

"There will be all kinds of frames and bodies, small parts and big parts," said Jackson.

"We're usually sold out for space inside the building," said Jackson. "We could have as many as 500 vendors."

Food and drinks are available in the building.

Ranks at top of list

There is a $1 admission into the building, but there is no charge to view parts and cars outside.

Antique car and truck parts swap meetings offer old-vehicle enthusiasts and opportunity to find parts and related auto items throughout the nation.

"This show ranks up with big ones," said Jackson.

One of the largest swap meets is held in Chickashaw, Okla., each September. This swap meet, a four-day event, Sept. 14-17, even features parts for old semi-tractor-trailer trucks.

Another big one is the two-day Pate Swap Meet, held at the Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth, Texas. The Pate meet is billed as one of the top five largest and is usually held in April.

Some swap meets are directed to specials cars -- the Model A Ford, the Model T Ford, Mustangs, Caddies, Edsels, Studebakers, and others. The local swap meet will have parts for a number of vehicles.