Monroe, WA swap meet. Anyone going?

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SirRobyn0

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I thought for anyone coming to the Monroe swap meet and planning an overnight stay or even just a long day I'd throw out some useful information.

There is a Walmart in Monroe, and they do allow overnight parking for RVs but you cannot leave it there all day.

Food - There are the basic fast food joints, McDs, BK, Jack's Taco time, Taco bell, KFC, Dairy Queen. For sit downs there is the Buzz inn steak house, Red Robin, Highway 2 dinner (which is like a bar and grill), Alfy's Pizza which is an old school pizza joint, with pizza and beer. I could never list off all the sit downs in Monroe, so just listing the ones I've eaten at and liked. The Denny's is closed.

Lodging - If your looking for a mid-scale hotel, there is the Evergreen inn or the Best Western, I'd probably pick the Evergreen first, but I'd stay at either. They are both walking distance even for a guy like me to Alfy's and Harbor Freight. If you are looking for park-at-your-door motel style accommodations my first choice would be the Dutch Cup motel in Sultan, which is about 8 miles away. In Monroe, the Fairgrounds inn, has very mixed reviews, seems like you either really like it or hate it, but one thing is for sure you'd be right next to the railroad tracks and that's one of the main routes and there is a passing siding so expect trains all night long. The Monroe Motel is off the main drag and should in theory be quieter, it also garnishes mixed reviews. My biggest concern, there is small "trailer park" on site, a mixture of old single wide mobile homes and long term RVs residences. While some of the trailers don't look the best, they always keep the grounds maintained so it may well be a fine place to stay. Just throwing out my observations from driving by about a zillion times. I've never stayed at any of these places. And the Brookside motel, in Monroe, is currently advertising $300 a week, so that's $42.85 a night, please don't stay there. They have had a long standing reputation of being the place to go if you'd otherwise be homeless.

Well if anyone's coming up, regardless if we get to meet or not hopefully that info will be useful.
 

ChuckN

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I thought for anyone coming to the Monroe swap meet and planning an overnight stay or even just a long day I'd throw out some useful information.

There is a Walmart in Monroe, and they do allow overnight parking for RVs but you cannot leave it there all day.

Food - There are the basic fast food joints, McDs, BK, Jack's Taco time, Taco bell, KFC, Dairy Queen. For sit downs there is the Buzz inn steak house, Red Robin, Highway 2 dinner (which is like a bar and grill), Alfy's Pizza which is an old school pizza joint, with pizza and beer. I could never list off all the sit downs in Monroe, so just listing the ones I've eaten at and liked. The Denny's is closed.

Lodging - If your looking for a mid-scale hotel, there is the Evergreen inn or the Best Western, I'd probably pick the Evergreen first, but I'd stay at either. They are both walking distance even for a guy like me to Alfy's and Harbor Freight. If you are looking for park-at-your-door motel style accommodations my first choice would be the Dutch Cup motel in Sultan, which is about 8 miles away. In Monroe, the Fairgrounds inn, has very mixed reviews, seems like you either really like it or hate it, but one thing is for sure you'd be right next to the railroad tracks and that's one of the main routes and there is a passing siding so expect trains all night long. The Monroe Motel is off the main drag and should in theory be quieter, it also garnishes mixed reviews. My biggest concern, there is small "trailer park" on site, a mixture of old single wide mobile homes and long term RVs residences. While some of the trailers don't look the best, they always keep the grounds maintained so it may well be a fine place to stay. Just throwing out my observations from driving by about a zillion times. I've never stayed at any of these places. And the Brookside motel, in Monroe, is currently advertising $300 a week, so that's $42.85 a night, please don't stay there. They have had a long standing reputation of being the place to go if you'd otherwise be homeless.

Well if anyone's coming up, regardless if we get to meet or not hopefully that info will be useful.
Cool, thanks for that. Old school pizza joint with beer is up my alley. I’ll be aiming for that.

I’ll probably only be there the Sunday, and I’m only a drive down from Whatcom.

Additionally (shameless plug) I’ll probably toss a couple parts in the back of the van. Still trying to get rid of that front 73-80 bumper if anyone wants it.
 

Kasey 1977 K10

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Thought I’d post in case any of the local PNWers are going. If so, I’d like to say hi. Maybe a burger and a beer. No true need that I have, but thought it would be good to go down and roam for a bit. Anyone going? It’s in May I believe. Feel free to respond here or send me a message. Or if you have any spare parts, throw them in your vehicle- might be an opportunity to share amongst ourselves. Perhaps @Soundmound @Grit dog or @SirRobyn0 will be there? Rock on fellers and fellettes.
I thought about it but that's a pretty long drive. I will be going to the PIR swap meet though. Thinking Friday Saturday but not sure yet.
 
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Catbox

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I thought about it but that's a pretty long drive. I will be going to the PIR swap meet though. Thinking Friday Saturday but not sure yet.
We have found that going to the Expo side on Friday and the PIR side on Saturday makes things more bearable.
Also we have found that the better speed parts have been in the parking lot of the Expo.
Inside the Expo is where the pricey vendors seem to be.

PIR is a grab bag of random stuff that you never know what you are going to find there.
We bought a $5 chainsaw there one year and it just needed a new fuel line as it was at the tank.
Runs like a champ.
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idahovette

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@Catbox ,it seems there is a "theme" each year, that is, a lot of the same things or cars are for sale. One year it's Novas, or Chevelles or Mustangs, what ever. Or Intakes or headers...... Always interesting.......... just wish my back would allow me to do this again!!!..... have fun y'all
 

Catbox

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@Catbox ,it seems there is a "theme" each year, that is, a lot of the same things or cars are for sale. One year it's Novas, or Chevelles or Mustangs, what ever. Or Intakes or headers...... Always interesting.......... just wish my back would allow me to do this again!!!..... have fun y'all
I have seen this as well.
Every booth or vendor has loads of carbs or headers, but almost none that anybody wants as they are all crap.

But if you recognize a deal and have the means to jump on it, you can get excellent parts for cheaps.
Being the bargain shopper I am, over the last 3 swaps I have been too I picked up carbs for whatever.

This is a Holley 570 CFM Street Avenger that was only used to break the cam in on the engine they used it on.
It is super clean and will be put on Max's 307 later this week when he puts the new cam into it.
It cost all of $75 for me to take home.
Summit has them listed for $575.
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That was the only RPM for a big block that I saw at the swap meet as well.

Woodburn Dragstrip had a 1st annual Swap Meet and we went.
We oogled all the goodies and came home with this Holley 750 CFM carb that the previous owner was goofing with on an engine. They could never get the engine to run well though, but that was no fault of the carb.
But they swapped it out anyway.
It was marked for $50 and I offered the guy $40.
He took my offer and this carb was pretty clean as well.
It got rebuilt with new stuff like the quick change vacuum pod, fresh jets as they were still wonky from the PO, and a rear jet plate to replace the metering block.
Now it is what fuels the big block in my truck and it does it very well.
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Then in February we went to a high performance swap meet only to find this Holley 670 CFM Street Avenger.
For the small sum of $80 it can come to our house and live on the shelf with the other ones that are not in use currently.
Now we have a carb for all the engines that are in the driveway as well as multiple sizes for the different displacements they will all have too.
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These are just the tip of the iceberg at the house.
I have several sets of fancy carbs for my VW's as well....
 

Bextreme04

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I really need to make some time to go to some of these. I could use a few carbs and need a good tach for the Buick now that I've got it up and running.
 

Catbox

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I really need to make some time to go to some of these. I could use a few carbs and need a good tach for the Buick now that I've got it up and running.
I may have a pile of Tachs as well...
They always seem to be for sale cheap, so I snap them up.
I picked these two up for $35 total and they work.
I have several of the Autogage units and they perform perfectly.
One of them has aligator clips and long wires on it for when I am under hood and can't see the tach in the car.
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Max has stopped asking me "what are you going to put that in?"
He did that with the first two of the carbs I bought for cheaps.
He now gets it.
He or his buddy will ask me if I have something and much of the time it is yes.
Yes I do.
 

Craig Nedrow

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I'd like to go to the the Monroe swap meet, mostly to meet, and not to swap, but cha' never know. I will drive one of the squares.....
 

Catbox

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I really need to make some time to go to some of these. I could use a few carbs and need a good tach for the Buick now that I've got it up and running.
You,ve got 10 days to figure it out...
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ChuckN

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If anyone ends up showing up tomorrow, I’ll be there. Probably wear my Stubby Bob Roadkill t-shirt. Meant to make it today but unfortunately had to put our black lab down today. :(
 

SirRobyn0

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Sounds like ya'll found some good stuff and I'd enjoy seeing any other finds ya'll found. As for me, sorry I should have posted sometime ago in this thread, (actually I thought that I had but see now I did not), but it was a no go for me as I had spend my weekend out of town.
 

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