{"id":58286,"date":"2026-05-18T16:14:50","date_gmt":"2026-05-18T21:14:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/racedaysa.com\/?p=58286"},"modified":"2026-05-18T16:25:09","modified_gmt":"2026-05-18T21:25:09","slug":"pate-swap-meet-at-tms-add-car-guy-literature-to-its-swag-inventory","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/racedaysa.com\/index.php\/2026\/05\/18\/pate-swap-meet-at-tms-add-car-guy-literature-to-its-swag-inventory\/","title":{"rendered":"Pate Swap Meet at TMS add “Car Guy” literature to its swag inventory"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The 54th edition of the 2026 Pate Swap Meet was held recently at Texas Motor Speedway. Photo by Martha Fairris<\/p><\/div>\n

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By John Sturbin, Raceday San Antonio<\/em><\/p>\n

FORT WORTH \u2013 North Texas\u2019 annual rite of spring for serious \u201cCar Guys\u201d \u2013 the Pate Swap Meet<\/a> \u2013 unpacked its 54th<\/sup> edition of SWAG at Texas Motor Speedway<\/a> over three days in late April.<\/p>\n

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Vintage signs were among the items that were up for sale at the 2026 Pate Swap Meet at Texas Motor Speedway. Photo by Martha Fairris<\/p><\/div>\n

For the uninitiated, SWAG is an acronym for \u201cStuff We Ain\u2019t Got\u201d \u2013 a term coined by veteran motorsports TV personality Dave Despain. It\u2019s a perfect fit for the rows upon rows of items spread out in the main fan parking lot of \u201cThe Great American Speedway.\u201d<\/p>\n

Pate President Robert Wheeless noted this spring\u2019s event added to a legacy launched in 1972 by Dr. Aggie Pate, founder of the Pate Museum of Transportation in Cresson. The inaugural South Central Swap Meet attracted a few hundred vendors but operates today as one of the largest gatherings of its kind in the country.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe world has changed since 1972 but the spirit that brought us together then is the same one that brings us back now,\u201d Wheeless said in a cover letter greeting patrons inside Pate Times<\/em> magazine. \u201cOur progress over the decades has been extraordinary, yet the values that shaped that first gathering remain unchanged: camaraderie, curiosity and a shared love of the automotive industry.\u201d<\/p>\n

Indeed, a random stroll down any aisle typically placed a patron face-to-face with an assortment of NOS car parts alongside slightly used (and perhaps abused?) engines and\/or their components including carburetors, heads, manifolds, headers, valve covers, hubcaps and wheel covers, chrome mirrors, bumpers, radiators, speedometers, deck lids, mufflers, random interior seats and trim pieces, steering wheels, emblems from any manufacturer current or defunct, antique signs, gas pumps, lanterns, military paraphernalia and tools.<\/p>\n

Pate Swap Meet 2026 Photo Gallery: <\/strong>All photos are provided courtesy of Martha Fairris. Click on the photo below and then click the arrows to see all of the pictures.<\/p>\n

ngg_shortcode_0_placeholderDo-it-yourselfers looking for a project found a \u201957 Chevy in need of some TLC for $30,000 or best offer; a trailered 1940 Studebaker sedan that would challenge the restoration talents of Chip Foose on Overhaulin\u2019<\/em> or the crew from Garage Squad <\/em>as well as a Volkswagen Beetle with a small block V8 engine stuffed into its former front \u201ctrunk\u201d compartment, courtesy of Kustom Auto Service in Big Spring, Texas.<\/p>\n

The meet\u2019s list of hard-core, Texas-based supporters included Southwest Classics of Arlington; Hot Rod Wires of Garland; Central Texas Region Antique Automobile Club of America (aka Road Relics) of Austin; Greater Houston Model A Restorers Club of Pearland; Dallas Area Pontiac Association; Heart of Texas Old Car Club in Waco; North Texas Region Cadillac & LaSalle Club; The Early Ford V8 Club of Houston; Austin Area Car Club; West Texas Region Antique Automobile Club of America in Midland and Classic Auto Parts of Oklahoma City, Okla.<\/p>\n

Similarly, motorcycle enthusiasts waded through a variety of street and dirt bikes of all makes and sizes, as well as parts and helmets and clothing from the major manufacturers.<\/p>\n

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Some of the various car parts and automobile collectables that were for sale at the 2026 Pate Swap Meet at Texas Motor Speedway. Photo by Martha Fairris<\/p><\/div>\n

For those playing with a smaller budget, diecast cars in all scales (from 1\/64th<\/sup> Hot Wheels to 1\/24th mostly NASCAR editions) seemed to be in every display\u2026some still in their original packaging, some mixed in with assorted items in need of a wash. Serious collectors know to always check that all diecast windshields\/windows aren\u2019t cracked or that chrome pieces, like fragile plastic bumpers and mirrors, are intact. Then again, therein lies a likely bargain.<\/p>\n

Texas-themed yard art also was plentiful, including pickup truck parts crafted into bench seats and the rather odd green dinosaur or monkey figurine (with raised middle finger!) eager to grace your front lawn and either greet-or-discourage visitors.<\/p>\n

It was all out there beckoning this reporter, partner\/photog Martha Fairris of Fort Worth and all-in Pate patrons Chris, Lydia and Harry Sharp of Duncanville on a sunny, mid-80-degree Saturday afternoon, either scattered on the pavement or on well-worn tables and in many cases on display under a tent.<\/p>\n

The latter is where Wayne \u201cWoody\u201d Woodward, wife Jenny and son Zachary conducted the business of Woody\u2019s Auto Literature. Think of it as a crated \u201cLibrary of Congress\u201d for gearheads. Woody\u2019s specializes in books for vehicles 1900 to present, including shop\/service manuals, owner\u2019s manuals, assembly manuals, sales brochures, spec cards, wiring diagrams and rare paint sample cards.<\/p>\n

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Wayne “Woody” Woodward, along with his wife Jenny and son Zachary conducted the business of Woody’s Auto Literature. They were one of the hundreds of vendors selling vintage items at the 2026 Pate Swap Meet at Texas Motor Speedway. Photo by Martha Fairris  <\/p><\/div>\n

\u201cThis (past) summer I had a sales brochure for a Stanley Steamer. I think we sold that,\u201d said Woody, 62, who is based out of Faribault, Minn. \u201cThis is my fulltime job.\u201d<\/p>\n

A four-year veteran of the U.S. Navy and an experienced mechanic, Woody launched this book business venture in 1988. \u201cEbay had just come out and I went to an auction that winter in Faribault,\u201d said Woodward, recalling an event during which he successfully secured six boxes of Ford car and truck shop manuals for the bargain basement bid of $5 a box.<\/p>\n

\u201cI got home and looked at all this stuff and started putting it on ebay right away,\u201d Woodward said. \u201cThe first book that sold was for a 1991 Mercury Capri, and it sold for $135; I only had $30 invested in all of those books. The rest of the books all sold and we started to look for more books. We ended up picking up a huge lot that was donated to Mankato State University by Chilton and OTC (Tools). I had to go through a three-bid process deal but we ended up with probably 4,000 to 5,000 books. My wife and I sat out in our garage with the computer and entered it onto an inventory.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs we got more books from different dealerships or whatever, we changed from selling parts at swap meets to selling auto literature.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Woodwards travel in a 2024 GMC one-ton long box pickup with a trailer hauling roughly 8,000 pounds of printed material. Despite competition from the internet and marketplace sites, Woodward said a pent-up demand remains for the printed word\/diagram.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, our sales have stayed pretty steady from year-to-year,\u201d Woodward said. \u201cWhat I\u2019ve noticed from several dealerships over the last 10 years, the ones that close I usually get all their stuff. But the ones that are still going (and specifically their mechanics), told me I couldn\u2019t take the wiring diagrams. Some of them just plain refuse, because it\u2019s too hard to follow the wiring diagrams on the internet.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Woodwards marked their 10th<\/sup> visit to Pate last month. \u201cI enjoy Pate,\u201d Woody said. \u201cYeah, the weather is challenging but we love doing shows in Texas. The customers there are a little bit different than everywhere else. They\u2019re more friendly\u2026I mean, not every person asks for a discount. Or, you\u2019ll get some (browsers) that will say, \u2018Well, I can get it cheaper on ebay.\u2019 The problem is you don\u2019t always get what it looks like in the picture.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou know, we pay $65.50 per square foot ($650) for the spot to sell on, $1,600 for our (20×50) tent, about $800 in hotel rooms and I had to drive down and back (amid ever-increasing gas prices). The trip to Fort Worth is around 12 hours. Most people understand.\u201d<\/p>\n

Married for 31 years, Woody and Jenny\u2019s nomadic schedule currently lists approximately 23 shows a year, most spread over two-to-four days. \u201cWe did 36 shows two or three years in a row\u2026it was pretty tough on (the family) so we started cutting all that stuff out,\u201d Woody said. \u201cAnd we don\u2019t necessarily advertise. Mainly it\u2019s word of mouth and handing out my business cards.\u201d<\/p>\n

That card lists the mailing address for Woody\u2019s Auto Literature at 3075 Millersburg Blvd., Faribault, Minn. 55021. Woody also can be reached via cell phone at 507-271-0993. \u201cIf you don\u2019t get me right away,\u201d Woody said, \u201cit\u2019s probably because I\u2019m on a call with another customer.\u201d<\/p>\n