(Words and Photos by Joe Grippo) Autumn in my home state of Pennsylvania means two things to me, quick E.T.’s and Swap Meet season. With Hurricane Ian bearing down us this particular weekend, racing was off the table, so it was back to the Carlisle Fairgrounds for the Fall Carlisle extravaganza of parts hunting. Lighter crowd this year it seemed, but the place was still pretty packed, and prices were high, and deals were there but tougher to find. We went on just Friday of the near weeklong event, so it was an abbreviated trip, but we spied tons of cool stuff.

The car corral had some great offerings, a killer 1959 Ford Country Squire with well-worn wood grain and steel slot wheels, a bad-ass Willys coupe and a few interesting vintage panel trucks. The swap meet is always chock full of desirable vintage speed and hot rod parts, from wheels to intakes and various pieces of NOS goodness. Memorabilia continues to be immensely popular, and the prices bear that out. I noticed a uptick in vintage BMX bikes and paraphernalia this year, appealing to my 80’s inner child. Cool stuff was everywhere.

Check out the Carlisle greatness in the galleries…