It’s been a day three years in the making (cos every time I got asked to go I’d end up working somewhere on the day) but finally Baz and I managed to set foot on the ground of the 2016 Ballarat Swap meet.
With a bag packed full of water we were on a mission for mirrors for his Holden HR Wagon but this is what we stumbled across instead..
Highlights from the Ballarat Swap Meet
In amongst the stalls of bits and pieces of various (mostly Fords and Holdens) cars at the Ballarat Airport there were a few swap meet surprises. Ahh only I had won the lottery before hand..
V12 BBQ!
Found in the first lane of the swap meet and while it looks the goods but I forgot to ask the owner if being a 12 cylinder it’d cook things faster than the V8 model bbq he also had. Baz was quite impressed as his home made rotisserie likes like a giant tool box on legs and doesn’t have a single air filter attached (still does a ripper roast lamb though!).
Pull kart with B+M Shifter
Ideal for the rev head grandchildren and the shifter was a nice touch. Too big for my boy but my daughter is currently the right size for some hallway hijinks.
Dust for days
While it stayed on the ground early in the morning (we got there as the gates opened at 7am) by early afternoon it was on anything and everything. Dust on your boots, jeans and right up your nose for the blackest of black snot…ergh. You had to feel sorry for anyone selling their car on the day of the swap meet after spending hours washing it and waxing it the day before..
Classic frogeye
In the middle of piles of old (and in many cases rusty) American muscle for sale was a beautiful British example – this gorgeous 1958 Austin Healy Sprite. Hillclimbs ahoy!
Sega card
Once in a blue moon you’d come across a stall not actually selling anything car or bike part related and I was quite impressed by this rare beastie – a Sega card! (I’ve never seen one in the wild until now.) Are they worth much though? eBay says no. Still I can now cross this off my spotto list..
V8 Simulator
From the drivers seat you can race the car around to your hearts content (on the big screen of course.) Makes a lot of noise and probably a hit at parties (which you can hire it for)
Hello Woody!
Twin spinner Woody and another thing to cross off my list of ‘Things I’ve never seen up close’. “Well at least you know it’s not imitation wood” Baz chuckled.
This thing!
Parked in the middle of the swap meet I saw this thing from behind and didn’t know what I was looking at. Being something not made in the 60’s or 70’s by Holden, Baz was zero help in identifying what it may be. So I ventured closer and still had no idea what I was looking at (some kind of Cobra according to the badging). A bit of Googling at home later and I can tell you it’s a DRB Cobra made by DRB Australia which usually runs a Ford Windsor block or a Lexus V8 (1uz?). Again something I can cross off my list of ‘Yes I’ve seen one outside of a magazine page or internet forum!’
Also seen but not pictured (for various reasons)
- A couple of stalls selling porn dvds. Yep, right next to the spanners, wrenches, hub caps and breaker bars were random boxes of DVDs like hairy milfs #9 (a classic I’m told..)
- A Nissan Skyline Gtst with 150k for only 2 grand. Are they really worth that little? (Or was the buyer truly desperate to get rid of it?)
- A complete rusted out HR Holden back end. Rusted, twisted bumper, cracked lights and all for $250. Baz was in total disbelief as he couldn’t work out what the hell you’d do with it as there was nothing left to salvage (save for a couple of light globes..)