Old gas stations

[2jakes]

One of the best things about this joint. The conversations go wherever they go and then back to the original topic again.

That's right!
With just the right amount of air you can
go anywhere & come back!

 

[Ghostsoldier]

Rob

 

[LizzieMaine]

They almost had me, until I noticed they don't even bother to fix their sign. Some "service."

 

[3fingers]

They almost had me, until I noticed they don't even bother to fix their sign. Some "service."

Maybe they are recent victims of a young reprobate with a slingshot.
The trike is interesting. Indian or Harley?

 

[tonyb]

And if you focus in reeeeeeal close, you'll find the dinosaur on the oil cans.

"Mellowed 60 Million Years!"

"Mellowed 100 Million Years!"

You see, motor oil is really a lot like fine wines and liquors. The finer vintages require time to ripen and mellow, to produce that rich full-bodied flavor that only time can bring. Or something.

How can this be? The world is only 5,000 years old!

 

[2jakes]

The trike is interesting. Indian or Harley?

The logo on the tank and the front fender
support strut.
I would give the nod to Harley-Davidson.
Although my favorite is Indian!
Not sure about today, but in the '80s,
Sinclair oil cans & others as well were
reproduced as a novelty.
Sometimes I see them advertised as
originals.

 

[2jakes]

Period custom Indian could be found at
gas stations, although I've seen more
H.D.

A couple of lovely ladies at the "Flying A" gas station!
Note the "shifting knobs" by the gas tank!

I usually wore knee length boots,
goggles, helmet and kept my mouth shut on long distant trips.
Flying insects besides being salty can
sting your face if you get hit by them.

 

[3fingers]

^^^ Keeping one's mouth closed is a quickly learned habit when riding a motorcycle.

 

[LizzieMaine]

Motorcycles were very commonly used in city gas stations as part of a courtesy "pick up/drop off" service. You'd call the station and they'd send someone over on a motorcycle to pick up your car, grease it, and change the oil, and then they'd drive it back to your home or office and go back to the station on the motorcycle.

 

[2jakes]

"Keep 'em flying"!

 

[3fingers]

^^^ Love the little Flying Tiger.

 

[2jakes]

Ride the Flying Horse Mobil Coin Operated Pegasus Ride

Or...

 

[2jakes]

The Gay Oil Company Building, is a historic commercial building at 300 South Broadway Street in Little Rock, Arkansas. It is a two-story brick building with Classical Revival styling. It was built in 1925 for Thomas Gay, founder of the Gay Oil Company, Little Rock's first oil company.
Today.
About the only thing that looks the same are the trees behind.

 

[3fingers]

I was in a local store with a mechanical horse just yesterday. I struck up a conversation with the young woman and her children that were riding him. They were amazed when I told them that Sandy the horse was well over 50 years old since he was the same horse that I rode when I was their age.

 

[2jakes]

The cone shaped gas station was one of the first to provide a rotating lifting platform for the
vehicles.

 

[2jakes]

James Dean, stopping at the gas station before setting off on his final ride.
I've posted this photo before.


What I recently found out is the driver companion following Dean in the station wagon on that last fatal ride was Bill Hickman. (Actor & stunt driver).

Remember "Bullitt". That's the same dude!

Rolf Wuetherich (mechanic)

I recall member HoosierDaddy mentioning James Dean
where he grew up!
Cool!

 

[tonyb]

I was in a local store with a mechanical horse just yesterday. I struck up a conversation with the young woman and her children that were riding him. They were amazed when I told them that Sandy the horse was well over 50 years old since he was the same horse that I rode when I was their age.

King Soopers, the local Kroger-owned supermarket chain, has mechanical kiddie horses in all their stores I've ever set foot in. A penny per ride. It's something of a local tradition, I take it. And yes, I occasionally see moms and dads drop their youngsters on the horses and pennies in the slots.

 

[LizzieMaine]

I used to hate those mechanical horsie things. You put your nickel in the slot, it shook you up, but you never actually got anywhere. And you were out a nickel. Even as a little girl I was wise to the Boys.

Speaking of the Boys, Harpo Marx once rode the Flying Red Horse in a movie -- the last Marx Brothers picture, "Love Happy," was produced by a cheesy fly-by-night operator who ran out of money and had to sell advertising space in the last reel to raise the money to finish the film. So it was that in the big chase scene across the city rooftops, Harpo escaped his gangster pursuers by leaping on an animated Mobilgas sign that flickered him away to safety.

 

[2jakes]

Selling advertising space!

 

[LizzieMaine]

I guess we can be thankful he didn't try to piggyback ride on Willie The Penguin.