Old gas stations

[hatguy1]

Not exactly the '30s and '40s, but pretty close and still vintage enough.

It's fun looking at the old cars in the photos.

THE “GOOD OLD DAYS”, gas 26 cents a gallon, in one of the photo’s

http://hipspics.freewebspace.com/gas/gas.html
:eusa_clap

 

[Atticus Finch]

Great post, thank you!

My father owned an Esso (later, Exxon) dealership in our home town. Those photos reminded me of working the driveway at his downtown station. The "clang, clang" of the driveway alarm, the smell of new tires and grease from the bays, the sound of the compressor running when a car was on the lift, the ice cold Pepsi and Mountain Dew from the drink machine. A million memories.

AF

 

[Stearmen]

We had ENCO in our area. I can remember pulling up on my little Honda motorcycle, only full service in those days, and ask for a 25 cents worth of gas. The Gas Jockey would always say, "check your oil and wash your windows sir?" They always had a smile on, good times!

 

[AtomicEraTom]

We own an old Sinclair, built in 1951. I will get some pics up. I have a couple globes, lubesters, and gas pumps out there right now.

 

[Stearmen]

Any body else notice, service stations are all gone now! I am talking about the kind where you bought gas, they worked on your car, the only food was, bubble gum, beef jerky, and a soda pop machine. What happened?

 

[LizzieMaine]

The oil companies decided volume was more important than service, and went on a rampage in the early eighties, weeding out any dealer who wasn't selling x number of gallons per day. That's what put us out of business -- Texaco decided it couldn't be bothered with the small potatoes any more. "Thanks for 40 years of service, now give us back our sign and our pumps, you're finished."

A lot of stations that lost their contracts around that time became simple garages, doing repairs or mechanical service but not selling gas. The rest either shut down completely or were sold to the oil companies themselves, which turned them into convenience stores. Either way the small-time operator got shafted.

 

[V.C. Brunswick]

I remember the very first gas station/convenience store in this area around 1974 or 75. It was an Arco station in Garden Grove (which is still in business). I remember it was only one of its kind around here for quite a few years.

 

[GE-Man]

There is an old gas station here in hamburg, it opened 1954. It was a quite normal gas station for many years. Then it was converted into a place where used cars where sold. After that, it was an empty ruin which nobody cared about. In 2010, it was restored and now it is a place where friends of veteran cars meet and let their cars be serviced. Its called "Oldtimer Tankstelle". Oldtimer is a false friend in german and doesnt meen old people. It means veteran cars. Tankstelle means gas-station.

http://www.tankstelle-brandshof.de/index.php/impressionen-79.html

 

[Captain Nemo]

Great post, thank you!

My father owned an Esso (later, Exxon) dealership in our home town. Those photos reminded me of working the driveway at his downtown station. The "clang, clang" of the driveway alarm, the smell of new tires and grease from the bays, the sound of the compressor running when a car was on the lift, the ice cold Pepsi and Mountain Dew from the drink machine. A million memories.

AF

A quite evocative post! I had forgotten about the alarm bells from driving over that hose enroute to the pump. And, of course, I'm sure that the pumps had the manual gage readouts and not the digital ones of today...

 

[AtomicEraTom]

We have one traditional filling station, here. They do service, tires, and have full-serve pumps.

 

[Talbot]

There is an old gas station here in hamburg, it opened 1954. It was a quite normal gas station for many years. Then it was converted into a place where used cars where sold. After that, it was an empty ruin which nobody cared about. In 2010, it was restored and now it is a place where friends of veteran cars meet and let their cars be serviced. Its called "Oldtimer Tankstelle". Oldtimer is a false friend in german and doesnt meen old people. It means veteran cars. Tankstelle means gas-station.

http://www.tankstelle-brandshof.de/index.php/impressionen-79.html

Looks great! Wish there was something like that here.

 

[Ghostsoldier]

Here's a photo of my grandfather's station, which he bought after WW2, here in my home town:



Alas, the station is now gone, but my grandpa isn't...he just turned 95 about a month ago, and is still going strong. :rockon:

Rob

 

[dh66]

Awesome photo Ghostsoldier. Thanks for sharing that.

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[LizzieMaine]

Here's a photo of my grandfather's station, which he bought after WW2, here in my home town:

View attachment 6424

Alas, the station is now gone, but my grandpa isn't...he just turned 95 about a month ago, and is still going strong. :rockon:

Rob

"Atlantic keeps your car on the go!
For business, for pleasure, in any kind of weather,
Atlantic keeps your car on the go go go!
So keep on the go with Atlantic!"

 

[dh66]

Here is the ghost of an old Pure gas station just around the corner in my neighborhood. It is in use today as an art studio that provides free art lessons to kids and adults with autism and mental disabilities. I'm guessing it dates to the twenties or thirties, most of the houses here do.

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[Ghostsoldier]

Pure stations have always been a passion of mine, and I collect photos of them wherever and whenever I can find them; I have a lot of pics, but here's just a few of mine from a recent vacation trip this October (these are in North Carolina...New Bern and Washington, respectively):



Phillips 66 also had a similar design (not my personal photos, but web finds):



What's a tad confusing at times is the "P" on the chimneys that was used by both companies; with a little study of the styles, however, one can begin to tell them apart....typically, the Pure style always has two end chimneys, whilst the Phillips was typically on the front.

Rob

 

[dh66]

Those are very cool photos Rob. I love anything to do with old gas stations and any other vintage roadside stuff, motels, diners, tourist traps of all shapes and forms, and especially old neon signs.

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[Ghostsoldier]

We are kindred spirits then, dh....I've got tons of photos dealing with all those interests; the wife and I are always taking beck-country road trips across the Eastern U.S., in search of those kinds of hidden treasures. One of these days, I need to start a dedicated thread for all the road signs and old building photos I've collected.

Rob

 

[dh66]

Sounds like a plan. I'm in.

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[AtomicEraTom]

An old one in my town that's still in use.