With over 15 miles of parts, accessories, automobilia, and classic cars, the Pomona Swap Meet and Classic Car Show can be a little overwhelming, even if you know what you’re looking for. On the one hand, there’s a ton of selection, but on the other hand, where do you start looking?

Well, if you’re looking for ’55, ’56, or ’57 Chevy parts, we highly suggest your first stop be Mike Bishop and Mainly Chevrolet on Road 29, Spaces 37, 39, and 41. 1955-1957 Chevys, or Tri-Five Chevys, were highly sought after vehicles when they first came out, and they still are today. Mike specializes in these Chevys, and is a wealth of knowledge. He and his father parted out cars for 20+ years, and he knows every part on these cars like the back of his hand. Whether you’ve got a trailer queen, a fixer upper, or a daily driver, Mike’s probably got what you need. We recently caught up with Mike to ask him a few questions:

Pomona Swap Meet:  When and how did you get started in this business?
Mike Bishop:  From working on and building cars, mostly Chevys, with my father.

PSM:  What exactly do you sell?
MB:  98% of what I sell is 1955-1957 Chevy parts. I do occasionally have some 1955-1959 Chevy truck parts also.

PSM:  Did you always know you wanted to specialize in ’55, ’56, and ’57 Chevys? Why did you choose those years?
MB:  This is a very popular segment of the hot rod community and is liked by many. We love these years, and we’ll continue to sell parts for them as long as there is demand!

PSM:  What are your most popular items at the swap meet? What sells fast?
MB:  Our specialty is restoring original items, so things like speedometers, heater controls, gauges, and tail lights are some of the first items to sell. But really, pretty much any part for any of these cars is popular.

PSM:  You mentioned that people will call you and ask you to bring specific items to the swap meet for them. What is the most interesting/rare/unique item that anyone has asked for? What’s the farthest that anyone has traveled to come see you?
MB:  I get to ship parts all around the world every week. I once had to ship a quarter panel to Australia. The shipping price was sky high so the customer asked me to cut it in half, and ship both halves together to reduce the shipping cost by over half. I remember my father getting calls from Australians and they would be here for a month, filling up 2 containers of Tri-Five parts and cars to ship back. Now I have a few customers who fly in from Georgia, Texas, and even one from Japan. They call me with what they need about a month before the swap meet and I try to fill their order as best as I can for them to pick up in Pomona when they arrive.

PSM:  Do you offer any swap meet deals or discounts?
MB:  Sometimes I do. I usually have a few sale items at each meet, but it just depends on what I’ve found between the meets. My father always said, “it’s not just the selling at the swap meets, it’s the buying too.”

PSM:  How long have you been coming to Pomona?
MB:  We started coming to Pomona around 1989, and we’ve only missed about 5 meets in the past 26 years.

PSM:  Have you always been interested in classic cars?
MB:  Yes. My father and I grew into this field together… and have been here ever since. I’ve also shared this passion with my 5 children.

PSM:  You mentioned that you and your father parted out cars together and that’s how you came into most of the parts that you sell. Can you tell us a little bit about that?
MB:  My father went around the nation to swap meets, selling parts at about 42 meets per year. He located and brought home cars to part out on each trip,  sometimes having multiple cars sent home. We parted out over 80 cars in a 20 year period, most of which were local San Diego cars.

PSM:  Do you still part out cars? How do you get all of the parts that you sell now?
MB:  We’re not parting out cars any longer since the selling public has raised the prices of these model cars to a very high level. It’s not worth it any longer. Reproduction manufacturers are reproducing double and triple the parts they used to make so now I have an inventory of new and used parts to sell at each meet.

PSM:  Do you have any NOS parts for sale?
MB:  The NOS parts usually sell right away through internet sales on my website, or on my ebay. They hardly ever make it to the swap meet anymore.

PSM:  Do you currently own a classic car?
MB:  My father and I worked to restore two 1956 Chevys. One is a convertible and one is a Nomad. We drive them as often as possible. The convertible is a high optioned car that is all original, and the Nomad is a heavily modified street drag car.

 

PSM:  If you won the lottery tonight, what would be the first classic car you would go buy?
MB:  Probably a 1955 Nomad. This was a great, new, inventive body change and I prefer the wagons, especially the Nomad.

PSM:  What’s the best part of your job?
MB:  Getting to meet people who like classic Chevys, and providing them great parts to get and keep their cars on the road.

PSM:  Any favorite memories of the Pomona Swap Meet?
MB:  When my father and I were collecting all the parts to restore the ’56 convertible, we came to the Pomona Swap Meet to buy as many stock parts as we could find over the course of about a year and a half. We built the car with the assistance of many people at Pomona, and we had all these quality parts left over when we were finished. So we took them to Pomona, sold all of them, and said to ourselves, “There’s a business model here!” And that’s how Mainly Chevy was born.

PSM:  Anything else customer should know about your company or your products?
MB:  I know these cars very well and if I don’t have what you need, I know where to find it most of the time. Information is always free!

 

Mike can’t fit everything on his tables so he has tons of stuff still in his truck. If you don’t see what you’re looking for, don’t hesitate to ask!

 

If you own a ’55, ’56, or ’57 Chevy and are looking for parts, make Road 29, Spaces 37, 39, and 41 your first stop of the day on April 17th at the Pomona Swap Meet and Classic Car Show. Mike would love to show you what he’s got, and if he doesn’t have what you’re looking for, he can help you get it. Can’t make it to Pomona? You can check out most of Mike’s inventory on his website,  mainlychevy.com, or on eBay. His user name is ‘mainlychevy’ and you can find him here. You can also contact Mike by phone at (619) 820-3972. His phone is always on.

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