38th Annual Antique Engine & Tractor “Swap Meet”

January 14–17, 2026

Back at Florida Flywheelers

This was my third time at the Florida Flywheelers Antique Engine & Tractor “Swap Meet,” and I arrived a day early to set up. This time, my spot was near one of the main roads—an ideal location when the car-show parade came through.

I made friends with the vendor beside me, who also traveled in a Savana van while selling small motorcycles and scooters. He slept in his van too, although his relaxation setup was a lounge chair. He travels up and down the East Coast with other vendors and shared a few insights about “working the circuit” and which shows are especially good.

Cold Nights at the Show

Both of us had shore power, but instead of worrying about air conditioning, we needed heat. Florida was experiencing a cold snap, and temperatures dropped into the 20s that night.

I brought a small space heater and extra blankets. The heater may not be the most energy-efficient model, but it kept my van comfortably warm. At one point, the power went out, and the other vendors were talking about losing their heat and freezing until it came back on. Between being bundled up, the blankets, the insulation, and warming the van beforehand, I managed to sleep through it.

Before the freeze, we also dealt with heavy winds. I made sure to use tie-downs to secure the ends of my setup. Even with daytime temperatures only in the 50s and 60s, it felt good standing in the sun.

A Little of Everything

Traffic was mixed throughout the event. I think some local Floridians may have stayed home because of the cold, while other visitors zipped around the grounds in golf carts and ATVs. My guess is that many of those folks were used to colder weather.

This is the kind of swap meet where you never know what you will find: car parts, old signs, handmade metalwork, DVDs, plants and more. I added a few DVDs to my collection, along with several old clocks for my antique-clock collection.

Quickshot Feedback

The AMSOIL needs at a show like this can vary widely, from trucks to tractors and small engines. One product that proved especially popular during this trip was AMSOIL Quickshot.

A visitor stopped at my booth after buying a cart that was running rough and asked whether I had anything that might help clean up the system. I had received good feedback from customers using Quickshot in motorcycles, so I recommended it and he took a bottle.

Two days later, he returned to say the engine was running smoothly—it worked. The timing could not have been better: another visitor was looking over my display, heard his feedback, and picked up a bottle to try in a small engine as well.

The Parade Route

This was my first very cold event sleeping in the van, but my home away from home still felt comfortable. I was especially glad to have a spot on the main road, where I could watch the car-show parade roll by.

It was a great reminder that the Florida Flywheelers event is about more than tractors and engines. Between the vendors, unique finds, vehicle parade, and conversations with fellow travelers, there is always something interesting to see.

Taking the Scenic Route Home

For my trip back home, I did something completely different. Rather than taking the usual quick highway route, I decided to take a slightly longer, more scenic way. I’m so used to Orlando and driving directly from place to place that I had forgotten just how much rural Florida there is—and how many small towns you pass through. I need to take more drives like that. When all you see is the usual line of buildings, it’s easy to forget what the rest of the state looks like. There really is more to see—even if it means not seeing as much.