From the website:

This event was first held in the spring of 1966 when just a few club members got together in the parking lot at the College Grove Shopping Center. The next year it grew to about 200 vendors and was held at the Sears parking lot in Hillcrest. The event continued there for another year and then moved to the parking lot behind the old Sands Hotel in Kearny Mesa. The City of San Diego then decided to ban swap meets, so arrangements were made to move the event to the Sears lot in El Cajon. As the event continued to grow, this site could no longer accommodate the huge number of participants so the event was moved to El Cajon Speedway parking lot. This site accommodated the growth of the event, but as the parking area was all dirt and the winter rains constantly turned the annual automotive event into a mud bowl, a new site had to be found.

With a change in policy by the City of San Diego allowing swap meets, arrangements were made to move the event to Jack Murphy (Qualcomm) Stadium in 1980. There the "BIG 3" Parts Exchange has become an annual fixture for individuals who appreciate those fantastic vehicles of the Past.

There is no charge to the general public to attend this event, however, there is a stadium parking fee. The shoppers hours are 12 noon to 4PM Friday, 8AM to 4PM Saturday and 8AM to 12PM Sunday.