Remember When
c
No, not the rehab clinics like in the song. Places where we were supposed to go after a nuclear blast.
My grade school had one of the iconic signs. Like 500 kids would spend days in the basement waiting for it to clear. Though ironically I do remember a dream I had as a kid where we survived an initial nuclear blast. If you were a kid in the 80s you had these dreams time to time.
Back then I never could read the DOD warning on the bottom!
Quote: AZDuffmanRemember Fallout Shelters?
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(snip!)
I started noticing them just as they were mostly getting decommissioned.
One of the surplus items that found its way to the childhood house was a Civil Defense drinking water storage barrel. Apparently, they shipped out empty barrels with plastic bags, which CD volunteers would stash in the shelters and fill. Instructions were painted on the side, along with helpful suggestions that the barrel could serve as a commode after the water was consumed.
We used it as a trash can.
All the actual fallout shelters I visited had a particular strange musty smell. I think this is a quirk of the limited ventilation, likely intended to keep the fallout out.
Quote: AZDuffmanRemember Fallout Shelters?
link to original post
My dad built one in our backyard in 1956. He told us it was a tornado shelter but we found out in the 60s that it was actually a fallout shelter. The thing was constantly flooded and it was always a sump pump going in there. Luckily he sold the house in 1960 and we moved here.
Quote: EvenBobQuote: AZDuffmanRemember Fallout Shelters?
link to original post
My dad built one in our backyard in 1956. He told us it was a tornado shelter but we found out in the 60s that it was actually a fallout shelter. The thing was constantly flooded and it was always a sump pump going in there. Luckily he sold the house in 1960 and we moved here.
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The first residential home ever with a fallout shelter was in the town where I grew up. It had a tunnel that led to a fake wishing well for emergency escape. The roof could have handled hurricane winds.
I think most buildings with those signs just meant they had a good basement.
LOL!Quote: DRichWe had a lot of tornados this week because of Milton. The Emergency Broadcast System kept saying to go to your basements. Clearly they do not live in Florida where basements are actually underground swimming pools.
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Living in Florida all my life, I have been in exactly one (what I would consider a) basement in a FL home. I was going with a friend to look at apartments. There was this one listing that was in a nice looking house, in a very nice neighborhood.
However, when we opened the front door, there were steps going down below street level. Immediately, you could tell that there were signs of previous water intrusion. I remember thinking it would fill with water every time there was a decent rain. The kicker was an open hole in one of the closets that went to what we only could guess was a cistern or storm sewer. Needless to say, my friend did not rent that one!
Quote: AZDuffmanRemember Fallout Shelters?
c
No, not the rehab clinics like in the song. Places where we were supposed to go after a nuclear blast.
My grade school had one of the iconic signs. Like 500 kids would spend days in the basement waiting for it to clear. Though ironically I do remember a dream I had as a kid where we survived an initial nuclear blast. If you were a kid in the 80s you had these dreams time to time.
Back then I never could read the DOD warning on the bottom!
I think you mean before a nuclear blast.
Quote: rxwineI remember going with my Dad where a salesman tried to sell him on buying a fallout shelter. Or the construction.of, not sure which. I think you were supposed to put it in your basement. This was up north, where there are often basements. It reminded me of a concrete igloo.
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I don't know anybody that doesn't have a basement unless it's a mobile home or those crappy modular homes. Basements are essential, it's where you put your furnace and water heater. It's also the best place for storage, I love my basement.
Quote: EvenBobQuote: rxwineI remember going with my Dad where a salesman tried to sell him on buying a fallout shelter. Or the construction.of, not sure which. I think you were supposed to put it in your basement. This was up north, where there are often basements. It reminded me of a concrete igloo.
link to original post
I don't know anybody that doesn't have a basement unless it's a mobile home or those crappy modular homes. Basements are essential, it's where you put your furnace and water heater. It's also the best place for storage, I love my basement.
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I suppose you could have one here if you really wanted to design it for a high water table. You can have anything anywhere if you’re willing to throw money at a design that won’t fail you.
Quote: EvenBobQuote: rxwineI remember going with my Dad where a salesman tried to sell him on buying a fallout shelter. Or the construction.of, not sure which. I think you were supposed to put it in your basement. This was up north, where there are often basements. It reminded me of a concrete igloo.
link to original post
I don't know anybody that doesn't have a basement unless it's a mobile home or those crappy modular homes. Basements are essential, it's where you put your furnace and water heater. It's also the best place for storage, I love my basement.
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Basements are very common in the Northeast and Midwest. Not so much so in other parts of the country.
Quote: EvenBobQuote: rxwineI remember going with my Dad where a salesman tried to sell him on buying a fallout shelter. Or the construction.of, not sure which. I think you were supposed to put it in your basement. This was up north, where there are often basements. It reminded me of a concrete igloo.
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I don't know anybody that doesn't have a basement unless it's a mobile home or those crappy modular homes. Basements are essential, it's where you put your furnace and water heater. It's also the best place for storage, I love my basement.
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That is because of where you live. In some places it is all crawlspaces. In Phoenix it was all slab.
Quote: FatGeezus
I think you mean before a nuclear blast.
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Edited for formatting (/q)
"Attention Kmart Shoppers - KMart no longer exists - can you believe it__________?___________makes me kinna sad - not that I loved that store - but still
the first pic is the opening of their first store in 1962 - the 2nd pick is one of their last stores as it closes
no more Blue Light Specials
in the movie "Rain Man" the character played by Dustin Hoffman stated that he would only buy his boxer shorts at the KMart in Cincinnati
https://archive.ph/eATV0
However, I liked shopping for clothes at K-mart. They had a better selection for my size than just about anywhere else, and better quality than the discounters. And no lines at the checkout (because no one else was in the store)!
In high school, I bought a pair of Converse All-Stars ("Chuck Taylors") at the local K-mart for $2.88!
TYFSAK.
Quote: EvenBobEvery time you went by there a cop car was out front because they were always arresting people for shoplifting.link to original post
That was the red light special.
I do remember as a kid nobody liked Gulf. Most people had a favorite or at least preferred.
Today the food inside is more important.
Quote: AZDuffmanRemember when the oil companies used to advertise their gasoline brands? All kinds of claims. For some reason, Amoco was seen to be just a little bit better in my parts. I was told before my time a local independent, Martin Oil, dyed their hi-test gas purple and branded it "Purple Martin." Amoco had a little sight glass on their premium unleaded showing it was clear.
I do remember as a kid nobody liked Gulf. Most people had a favorite or at least preferred.
Today the food inside is more important.
link to original post
It comes down to additives. Gasoline is octane and some other hydrocarbons (octane is more resistant to compression than other alkanes like hexane and what not). The manufacturer adds different ingredients for different reasons. Something they called "lead" was added to reduce knocking (premature combustion before the spark thing spark things). Other chemicals were added to improve efficiency or cold weather starting or whatever. Ethanol might be added to reduce cost, though at a cost of less energy content per unit of fuel.
Companies still do this. Oil manufacturers do it, too. It aint as big of deal now though. Back in the long time agos, you would have to manual set the timing using a flashing light and a screwdriver. Now you car does it a million times a minute thanks to the miracle of computers. If the fuel results knocking, the timing adjusts to deal with it with the limits of the engine. You might get less power, but the engine will function correctly.
Quote: itsmejeffQuote: AZDuffmanRemember when the oil companies used to advertise their gasoline brands? All kinds of claims. For some reason, Amoco was seen to be just a little bit better in my parts. I was told before my time a local independent, Martin Oil, dyed their hi-test gas purple and branded it "Purple Martin." Amoco had a little sight glass on their premium unleaded showing it was clear.
I do remember as a kid nobody liked Gulf. Most people had a favorite or at least preferred.
Today the food inside is more important.
link to original post
It comes down to additives. Gasoline is octane and some other hydrocarbons (octane is more resistant to compression than other alkanes like hexane and what not). The manufacturer adds different ingredients for different reasons. Something they called "lead" was added to reduce knocking (premature combustion before the spark thing spark things). Other chemicals were added to improve efficiency or cold weather starting or whatever. Ethanol might be added to reduce cost, though at a cost of less energy content per unit of fuel.
Companies still do this. Oil manufacturers do it, too. It aint as big of deal now though. Back in the long time agos, you would have to manual set the timing using a flashing light and a screwdriver. Now you car does it a million times a minute thanks to the miracle of computers. If the fuel results knocking, the timing adjusts to deal with it with the limits of the engine. You might get less power, but the engine will function correctly.
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There used to be more benefit to some additives, mainly detergents. These days the basics are required. Gasoline changes and is different all over the USA based on time of year, elevation, etc. Even these days that is why cars sometimes do not run right if you get a warm spell in winter, winter gas but warm weather.
Quote: AZDuffmanRemember when the oil companies used to advertise their gasoline brands? All kinds of claims. For some reason, Amoco was seen to be just a little bit better in my parts. I was told before my time a local independent, Martin Oil, dyed their hi-test gas purple and branded it "Purple Martin." Amoco had a little sight glass on their premium unleaded showing it was clear.
I do remember as a kid nobody liked Gulf. Most people had a favorite or at least preferred.
Today the food inside is more important.
link to original post
Sunoco had a octane selection at the pump that went all the way up to racing fuel. If you had a big 8 cylinder engine you could really tell the difference between Sunoco 190 and Sunoco 260. Of course there was a big price difference too. And Standard Oils big gimmick was a final filter on the hose right at the nozzle. Because in those days you could buy bad gas and really screw up your car. The final filter supposedly prevented that.
Quote: EvenBobQuote: AZDuffmanRemember when the oil companies used to advertise their gasoline brands? All kinds of claims. For some reason, Amoco was seen to be just a little bit better in my parts. I was told before my time a local independent, Martin Oil, dyed their hi-test gas purple and branded it "Purple Martin." Amoco had a little sight glass on their premium unleaded showing it was clear.
I do remember as a kid nobody liked Gulf. Most people had a favorite or at least preferred.
Today the food inside is more important.
link to original post
Sunoco had a octane selection at the pump that went all the way up to racing fuel. If you had a big 8 cylinder engine you could really tell the difference between Sunoco 190 and Sunoco 260. Of course there was a big price difference too. And Standard Oils big gimmick was a final filter on the hose right at the nozzle. Because in those days you could buy bad gas and really screw up your car. The final filter supposedly prevented that.
link to original post
I remember that dial but in my parts the octane went 86-93, I assume 85-92 in the western areas. A side note I once saw an old marine pump that you selected the oil/gas mix and had to add the two totals together.
I worked with a guy said he had a big block Mopar back in the day had to put Gulf gas in and said it was pinging within a mile. Some stations really did have worse gas.
Quote: AZDuffmanQuote: EvenBobQuote: AZDuffmanRemember when the oil companies used to advertise their gasoline brands? All kinds of claims. For some reason, Amoco was seen to be just a little bit better in my parts. I was told before my time a local independent, Martin Oil, dyed their hi-test gas purple and branded it "Purple Martin." Amoco had a little sight glass on their premium unleaded showing it was clear.
I do remember as a kid nobody liked Gulf. Most people had a favorite or at least preferred.
Today the food inside is more important.
link to original post
Sunoco had a octane selection at the pump that went all the way up to racing fuel. If you had a big 8 cylinder engine you could really tell the difference between Sunoco 190 and Sunoco 260. Of course there was a big price difference too. And Standard Oils big gimmick was a final filter on the hose right at the nozzle. Because in those days you could buy bad gas and really screw up your car. The final filter supposedly prevented that.
link to original post
Sunuco grades (190-260) were not octane ratings.
I remember that dial but in my parts the octane went 86-93, I assume 85-92 in the western areas. A side note I once saw an old marine pump that you selected the oil/gas mix and had to add the two totals together.
I worked with a guy said he had a big block Mopar back in the day had to put Gulf gas in and said it was pinging within a mile. Some stations really did have worse gas.
link to original post
Quote: billryanQuote: AZDuffmanQuote: EvenBobQuote: AZDuffmanRemember when the oil companies used to advertise their gasoline brands? All kinds of claims. For some reason, Amoco was seen to be just a little bit better in my parts. I was told before my time a local independent, Martin Oil, dyed their hi-test gas purple and branded it "Purple Martin." Amoco had a little sight glass on their premium unleaded showing it was clear.
I do remember as a kid nobody liked Gulf. Most people had a favorite or at least preferred.
Today the food inside is more important.
link to original post
Sunoco had a octane selection at the pump that went all the way up to racing fuel. If you had a big 8 cylinder engine you could really tell the difference between Sunoco 190 and Sunoco 260. Of course there was a big price difference too. And Standard Oils big gimmick was a final filter on the hose right at the nozzle. Because in those days you could buy bad gas and really screw up your car. The final filter supposedly prevented that.
link to original post
Sunuco grades (190-260) were not octane ratings.
I remember that dial but in my parts the octane went 86-93, I assume 85-92 in the western areas. A side note I once saw an old marine pump that you selected the oil/gas mix and had to add the two totals together.
I worked with a guy said he had a big block Mopar back in the day had to put Gulf gas in and said it was pinging within a mile. Some stations really did have worse gas.
link to original post
link to original post
The ones I am thinking about in the 80s were octane. EB is probably talking about an earlier era.
Quote: AZDuffmanQuote: billryanQuote: AZDuffmanQuote: EvenBobQuote: AZDuffmanRemember when the oil companies used to advertise their gasoline brands? All kinds of claims. For some reason, Amoco was seen to be just a little bit better in my parts. I was told before my time a local independent, Martin Oil, dyed their hi-test gas purple and branded it "Purple Martin." Amoco had a little sight glass on their premium unleaded showing it was clear.
I do remember as a kid nobody liked Gulf. Most people had a favorite or at least preferred.
Today the food inside is more important.
link to original post
Sunoco had a octane selection at the pump that went all the way up to racing fuel. If you had a big 8 cylinder engine you could really tell the difference between Sunoco 190 and Sunoco 260. Of course there was a big price difference too. And Standard Oils big gimmick was a final filter on the hose right at the nozzle. Because in those days you could buy bad gas and really screw up your car. The final filter supposedly prevented that.
link to original post
Sunuco grades (190-260) were not octane ratings.
I remember that dial but in my parts the octane went 86-93, I assume 85-92 in the western areas. A side note I once saw an old marine pump that you selected the oil/gas mix and had to add the two totals together.
I worked with a guy said he had a big block Mopar back in the day had to put Gulf gas in and said it was pinging within a mile. Some stations really did have worse gas.
link to original post
link to original post
The ones I am thinking about in the 80s were octane. EB is probably talking about an earlier era.
link to original post
I'm talking about the 1960s when they were octane. That all pretty much disappeared after the oil crisis in the mid seventies. If you had an engine that knocked just put in some Sunoco 260 and ran smooth as silk.
Quote: EvenBobQuote: AZDuffmanQuote: billryanQuote: AZDuffmanQuote: EvenBobQuote: AZDuffmanRemember when the oil companies used to advertise their gasoline brands? All kinds of claims. For some reason, Amoco was seen to be just a little bit better in my parts. I was told before my time a local independent, Martin Oil, dyed their hi-test gas purple and branded it "Purple Martin." Amoco had a little sight glass on their premium unleaded showing it was clear.
I do remember as a kid nobody liked Gulf. Most people had a favorite or at least preferred.
Today the food inside is more important.
link to original post
Sunoco had a octane selection at the pump that went all the way up to racing fuel. If you had a big 8 cylinder engine you could really tell the difference between Sunoco 190 and Sunoco 260. Of course there was a big price difference too. And Standard Oils big gimmick was a final filter on the hose right at the nozzle. Because in those days you could buy bad gas and really screw up your car. The final filter supposedly prevented that.
link to original post
Sunuco grades (190-260) were not octane ratings.
I remember that dial but in my parts the octane went 86-93, I assume 85-92 in the western areas. A side note I once saw an old marine pump that you selected the oil/gas mix and had to add the two totals together.
I worked with a guy said he had a big block Mopar back in the day had to put Gulf gas in and said it was pinging within a mile. Some stations really did have worse gas.
link to original post
link to original post
The ones I am thinking about in the 80s were octane. EB is probably talking about an earlier era.
link to original post
I'm talking about the 1960s when they were octane. That all pretty much disappeared after the oil crisis in the mid seventies. If you had an engine that knocked just put in some Sunoco 260 and ran smooth as silk.
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There was no such thing as 190 or 260 octane. Aviation gas was 100. Racing gas 110. Even if you use European ratings which are a couple points over USA no such thing. Even if you use Research Octane which is a few points above pump octane there is no such thing.
They were brand names not ratings.
Quote: EvenBobQuote: AZDuffmanQuote: billryanQuote: AZDuffmanQuote: EvenBobQuote: AZDuffmanRemember when the oil companies used to advertise their gasoline brands? All kinds of claims. For some reason, Amoco was seen to be just a little bit better in my parts. I was told before my time a local independent, Martin Oil, dyed their hi-test gas purple and branded it "Purple Martin." Amoco had a little sight glass on their premium unleaded showing it was clear.
I do remember as a kid nobody liked Gulf. Most people had a favorite or at least preferred.
Today the food inside is more important.
link to original post
Sunoco had a octane selection at the pump that went all the way up to racing fuel. If you had a big 8 cylinder engine you could really tell the difference between Sunoco 190 and Sunoco 260. Of course there was a big price difference too. And Standard Oils big gimmick was a final filter on the hose right at the nozzle. Because in those days you could buy bad gas and really screw up your car. The final filter supposedly prevented that.
link to original post
Sunuco grades (190-260) were not octane ratings.
I remember that dial but in my parts the octane went 86-93, I assume 85-92 in the western areas. A side note I once saw an old marine pump that you selected the oil/gas mix and had to add the two totals together.
I worked with a guy said he had a big block Mopar back in the day had to put Gulf gas in and said it was pinging within a mile. Some stations really did have worse gas.
link to original post
link to original post
The ones I am thinking about in the 80s were octane. EB is probably talking about an earlier era.
link to original post
I'm talking about the 1960s when they were octane. That all pretty much disappeared after the oil crisis in the mid seventies. If you had an engine that knocked just put in some Sunoco 260 and ran smooth as silk.
link to original post
Sunoco 260 was the name of the brand, it wasn't 260 octane. 118 Octane is pro racing fuel. You can't think Sunoco sold twice as powerful gas at the pumps. Sunoco 190 was regular, 210 was Premium and 260 was what my friends with GTOs would use to top off the 210. Regular gas was 66 cents when I got my license, with Premium being about twenty cents more. I'd throw a few gallons of Premium in every few weeks or the engine would knock or rattle.
Quote: billryanQuote: EvenBobQuote: AZDuffmanQuote: billryanQuote: AZDuffmanQuote: EvenBobQuote: AZDuffmanRemember when the oil companies used to advertise their gasoline brands? All kinds of claims. For some reason, Amoco was seen to be just a little bit better in my parts. I was told before my time a local independent, Martin Oil, dyed their hi-test gas purple and branded it "Purple Martin." Amoco had a little sight glass on their premium unleaded showing it was clear.
I do remember as a kid nobody liked Gulf. Most people had a favorite or at least preferred.
Today the food inside is more important.
link to original post
Sunoco had a octane selection at the pump that went all the way up to racing fuel. If you had a big 8 cylinder engine you could really tell the difference between Sunoco 190 and Sunoco 260. Of course there was a big price difference too. And Standard Oils big gimmick was a final filter on the hose right at the nozzle. Because in those days you could buy bad gas and really screw up your car. The final filter supposedly prevented that.
link to original post
Sunuco grades (190-260) were not octane ratings.
I remember that dial but in my parts the octane went 86-93, I assume 85-92 in the western areas. A side note I once saw an old marine pump that you selected the oil/gas mix and had to add the two totals together.
I worked with a guy said he had a big block Mopar back in the day had to put Gulf gas in and said it was pinging within a mile. Some stations really did have worse gas.
link to original post
link to original post
The ones I am thinking about in the 80s were octane. EB is probably talking about an earlier era.
link to original post
I'm talking about the 1960s when they were octane. That all pretty much disappeared after the oil crisis in the mid seventies. If you had an engine that knocked just put in some Sunoco 260 and ran smooth as silk.
link to original post
Sunoco 260 was the name of the brand, it wasn't 260 octane. 118 Octane is pro racing fuel. You can't think Sunoco sold twice as powerful gas at the pumps. Sunoco 190 was regular, 210 was Premium and 260 was what my friends with GTOs would use to top off the 210. Regular gas was 66 cents when I got my license, with Premium being about twenty cents more. I'd throw a few gallons of Premium in every few weeks or the engine would knock or rattle.
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20 cents more back then? Wow. I remember 5 cents or so being the norm.
Did it ever say leaded gas, or did it only say unleaded gas when that happened?
Quote: rxwineLeaded gas.
Did it ever say leaded gas, or did it only say unleaded gas when that happened?
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I think it was called "ethyl gas" because it contained tetraethyl lead.
Quote: rxwineLeaded gas.
Did it ever say leaded gas, or did it only say unleaded gas when that happened?
link to original post
By the time I started paying attention, it was usually "Regular", with a sticker near the pump handle hanger explaining that this gasoline contains tetraethyl lead and is for use as a motor fuel only. There may have been a notice about damage to catalytic converters and violations of law. I'm pretty sure that the nozzle on leaded gas was a larger diameter than on unleaded, and vehicles with catalytic converters were fitted with a reducer in the fuel filler neck that made inserting a leaded gas nozzle in difficult or impossible.
The "Unleaded" was at a different pump, as far as I can remember.
Quote: rxwineLeaded gas.
Did it ever say leaded gas, or did it only say unleaded gas when that happened?
link to original post
It was usually called "Regular" though some places had their own brand name. "Good Gulf" at Gulf and "Fire Chief" at Texaco. There was a federal placard that said "Contains Lead" on the pump.
Quote: AZDuffman
I do remember as a kid nobody liked Gulf. Most people had a favorite or at least preferred.
The area where I grew up Gulf was well respected. I think Sohio was the most popular at that time.
Quote: DRichQuote: AZDuffman
I do remember as a kid nobody liked Gulf. Most people had a favorite or at least preferred.
The area where I grew up Gulf was well respected. I think Sohio was the most popular at that time.
link to original post
Sohio was Boron everywhere not Ohio. I remember hearing that they were in some kind of trouble for overcharging and that is why their prices were always a couple cents lower. (Gas was regulated in the 70s.) Yet for some reason some people did not like it. Ironically, years later they became BP and that was the only gas that would make my lean-burn 318 run right.
Quote:Sinclair’s advertising writers first had the idea to use dinosaurs in Sinclair marketing back in 1930. They were promoting lubricants refined from crude oil believed to have formed when dinosaurs roamed the earth.
The original campaign included a dozen different dinosaurs, but it was the gentle giant, the Apatosaurus, that captured the hearts of Americans.
Sinclair Oil motor oil cans
DINO (pronounced DYE-NO) became so popular that Sinclair registered him as a trademark in 1932.
A life-size DINO appeared in the “Century of Progress” Chicago World’s Fair in 1933-1934, along with several other dinosaurs built by P.G. Alen, who was known for creating lifelike papier-mâché animals for motion pictures.
Quote: AZDuffmanQuote: DRichQuote: AZDuffman
I do remember as a kid nobody liked Gulf. Most people had a favorite or at least preferred.
The area where I grew up Gulf was well respected. I think Sohio was the most popular at that time.
link to original post
Sohio was Boron everywhere not Ohio. I remember hearing that they were in some kind of trouble for overcharging and that is why their prices were always a couple cents lower. (Gas was regulated in the 70s.) Yet for some reason some people did not like it. Ironically, years later they became BP and that was the only gas that would make my lean-burn 318 run right.
link to original post
Sinclair was popular around here with their big inflatable dinosaurs advertising fossil fuels. Of course we know now that oil doesn't come from dinosaurs at all. On the busy commercial roads where all the businesses were outside of the city there was literally a gas station on every corner in the 1960s. We needed them because these cars was such a gas guzzlers. And every gas station had its own attached garage with a mechanic and you could get some really good deals because these cars needed constant work.
Quote: billryanThe Sinclair Dinosaurs were a huge hit at the 1965 Worlds Fair.
link to original post
It was called the 1964 World’s Fair. Even though it spanned 1964-1965. I got one of those green dinosaurs from it. Maybe we bumped into each other?
My grandparents lived a mile or two from the Fair.
Quote: EvenBobQuote: AZDuffmanQuote: DRichQuote: AZDuffman
I do remember as a kid nobody liked Gulf. Most people had a favorite or at least preferred.
The area where I grew up Gulf was well respected. I think Sohio was the most popular at that time.
link to original post
Sohio was Boron everywhere not Ohio. I remember hearing that they were in some kind of trouble for overcharging and that is why their prices were always a couple cents lower. (Gas was regulated in the 70s.) Yet for some reason some people did not like it. Ironically, years later they became BP and that was the only gas that would make my lean-burn 318 run right.
link to original post
Sinclair was popular around here with their big inflatable dinosaurs advertising fossil fuels. Of course we know now that oil doesn't come from dinosaurs at all. On the busy commercial roads where all the businesses were outside of the city there was literally a gas station on every corner in the 1960s. We needed them because these cars was such a gas guzzlers. And every gas station had its own attached garage with a mechanic and you could get some really good deals because these cars needed constant work.
link to original post
I still like the Sinclair Dinosaur. Highway where I grew up there is one station remaining in a stretch that once had like 8-9, including 2 Boron(Sohio) almost within sight of each other, The gas "shortages" killed most of them. They were 1-3 pump operations and when gas got short their jobbers could not supply them enough gas for them to make a profit. One reason there used to be more stations is they were small. 6 pumps was massive, and each pump was one grade only. Today there might be 12 pumps or more pumping all grades and faster pumps than the 70s.
in the yt vid from the 50s the dude pulls into a gas station and gets all kinds of great service - 2 attendants take care of him
one pumps the gas, and the other cleans his windshield and checks his water - wonder why he didn't check the oil?
iirc when self serve first came there were 2 prices for gas - one for self serve and one for full serve
.
.
Check out the youtube videos of the gas station at the 1964-65 Worlds Fair. A veritable pit crew of immaculately dressed gas attendants descended on each car. You parked your car along a circle and the gas pumps rotated to you. I've no idea why, but it was interesting.
Quote: billryanCheck out the youtube videos of the gas station at the 1964-65 Worlds Fair. A veritable pit crew of immaculately dressed gas attendants descended on each car. You parked your car along a circle and the gas pumps rotated to you. I've no idea why, but it was interesting.
yeah, the Sinclair crew starts working at 2:34 - great stuff
I remember the name Sinclair oh so vaguely
2 attendants come out wearing full uniforms that include bow ties_________________________(-:/
one of the attendants finds the lady's oil to be low, and recommends adding oil___________________________(-:/
.
.
Quote: AZDuffmanThe next thing of course will be EV charging. They seem to have figured out standardizing the “pumps.” But making money off it may prove harder. Charge time alone makes volume harder. It’s not like Sunoco can advertise “390 electric “ to have a unique product. Probably going to have to rely on selling food and such while people wait.
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Not going to work. Energy is energy, and in order for a wire to have the energy throughput of a diesel hose it would have to be the size of a catenary cable on a suspension bridge.
The only way for battery powered cars to be a real thing is to have universal battery packs that slide in and out at the station, where they are tested and recharged at a normal rate for the next patron and during non-peak demand times. Like exchanging propane tanks. Whoever comes up with a system like that is the one to invest in.
Quote: billryanIn the 1990s, gas stations in NY were required to change their gas storage tanks. Stations tied into long-term deals with a gas brand received some assistance from them, but the independent stations didn't, and many just shut down. There are still a few properties on Long Island that can't be used until those old tanks are removed.
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As I understand, underground tanks only last about 20 or 25 years.
There were a lot of small filling stations that made just enough to keep operating, but couldn't really afford new tanks.
I see it a lot, a small station will suddenly be under new management, then closed down a year later when the tanks hit end of life and they can't afford replacement.
