Suedes Car Club to host fall swap meet

Culture | October 2nd, 2015

By Jamie Hutchinson

Hot rod enthusiasts will soon have an opportunity to buy, sell, barter and trade car parts when Suedes Car Club wheels its way into Top End Dragways to host its annual fall swap meet Sunday, Oct. 4.

The event will give hot-rodders the opportunity to find the parts they need to complete their projects or sell parts they no longer need.

“People show up with items to sell, whether it’s new stuff or old stuff,” said Stefan Robinson, president of Suedes Car Club. Although car parts are the main focus, complete cars will be on sale as well.

The swap meet is attended by many people from outside the region. There are people who come from the Twin Cities metro area, Canada and even Nebraska. The car club itself even features members from outside the region.

Unlike other car swaps, Suedes doesn’t place limitations on space. “Bring whatever you want to bring, however much space you want and just set one price for it,” Robinson said.

There is no preregistration for the event and setup starts at 7 a.m., with the event running from 8 a.m. until noon. There is a $15 cost for vendors and a $5 cost for spectators. Top End Dragways is located a mile south of Moorhead Municipal Airport.

Suedes Car Club started in 2004 and has been hosting both spring and fall swap meets for the last three years. Suedes began with a bunch of like-minded men who enjoyed the same cars and had a passion for building.

“We’re not guys with checkbooks and those kinds of things that go off, you know, buying a done car,” Robinson said. “We’re getting old Ford stuff and cleaning it up and repurposing it just like guys did back in the ‘40s and ‘50s.”

Robinson’s own hot rod was a work in progress for years. He drove his car with just a primer coat for five years, not finishing it until just before his wedding.

“It feels pretty good to have done it all myself,” he said.

While the club’s been around for 11 years, the members haven’t always hosted swap meets. The idea for it came from the realization that there weren’t many meets in the area.

“There’s always been only, like, one in the area, and so us at the car club have always wanted to see more of these,” Robinson said.

Though the swap meets hold Suedes over for now — attendance has been growing each year, Robinson said — the club does have an idea for the future.

“We’re thinking, down the road, we could have a car show with it,” Robinson said.

IF YOU GO:

Suedes Fall Swap

Top End Dragways, 4147 70th St. SW, Glyndon, Minn.

Sun., Oct. 4, 8 a.m. to 12 p.m.

For questions about the event, email advert.des@gmail.com or call 763-221-6123