Combined Motor Clubs Townsville Swap Meet to give new life to spare parts

Motoring enthusiasts looking to declutter their sheds or to find that elusive part to finish their restoration project, should prepare for this weekend’s swap meet.

Rick Carbis, chair of Townsville Combined Motorclubs Swap Meet. Picture: Shae Beplate.

TOWNSVILLE residents are being encouraged to venture into their garages, workshops and sheds to dig out their dusty, cobweb-crusted spare parts to help give them a new lease on life.

Bringing together old vehicle parts and their avid collectors at swap meets has been a local tradition (on and off) since 1982, with the latest iteration at the Townsville Showgrounds – the Combined Motor Clubs Townsville Swap Meet – running since 2015.

The meet combines the members and resources of the Townsville Restored Motorcycle Club, Townsville Veteran Vintage & Historic Motor Club and Military and Historic Vehicle Club.

Undiscouraged by the pandemic, the meets have prospered, attracting hundreds of site owners and thousands of visitors, while raising $5000 for the Royal Flying Doctors and $32,000 for the Ronald McDonald House.

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Throwing open his doors to reveal a treasure trove of motorcycle parts, Townsville Combined Motorclubs Swap Meet chairman Rick Carbis said the annual event was not only great for decluttering sheds but invaluable for those hunting for that elusive “piece of gold” to complete their restoration project.

“There’s a lot of parts you just can’t pick up anymore, so you have to get them out of the shed, to get the parts back out of there so people can get their restorations finished,” Mr Carbis said.

Rick Carbis, chair of Townsville Combined Motorclubs Swap Meet, ahead of the annual event. Picture: Shae Beplate.

“(Otherwise) if they sit in the shed forever and you’ll never see them.”

A few years ago he witnessed the magic of the swapmeet, when a bloke stumbled across the bumper bar for a Torana.

“He was ecstatic, he’d been looking for this part for five or six years all over Australia and he found a mint one at our swapmeet. He was wrapped,” he said.

“That’s the sort of thing we’re wanting.”

Items up for grabs at Combined Motor Clubs Townsville Swap Meets. Picture: Supplied.

In addition to the swapmeet, there will also be displays of vintage, veteran and classic cars, motorcycles and stationary engines.

“This year will be the 50th anniversary of the iconic Kawasaki 900 Z1 motorcycle, and we have the North Queensland Z Owners Club displaying 50 of these original Superbikes,” he said.

• What: Combined Motor Clubs Townsville Swap Meet

• When: Sunday, August 21, between 6.30am and 12pm. Set up at 5.30am.

• Cost: $10 to secure a 10m x 5m swap site with free onsite camping and some powered sites available.

• Entry: Adults $5, Children Under 15: Free

To pre-book a site, call 0412 346 548 or email: [e-mail]

Originally published as Combined Motor Clubs Townsville Swap Meet to give new life to spare parts