Old gas stations

[Ghostsoldier]

Fernley, NV, 1952

Rob

 

[2jakes]

 

[2jakes]

 

[Trenchfriend]

What kind of trousers is He wearing?

 

[2jakes]

What kind of trousers is He wearing?

I have no idea about the trousers on the photo whether they were his own or
company issued or what kind of material.
Boots might be of the "steel-toe" type.

Sears and Montgomery Wards stores and catalogs offered work clothes.
Where I lived there was a uniform shop that catered to work clothes.
Uniforms,shirts, pants and coveralls for all types of jobs.
Probably the uniforms and logos were available from the gasoline company.
But this is just a guess.

I believe Lizzie had folks that worked in this field.
She might know more about what kind of trousers this dude is wearing.

 

[Fading Fast]

Growing up, that was quite familiar and remember being told, then, that in ten/twenty years we'd be completely out. Now I read that the US might become a net exporter of oil. Absolutely amazing.

 

[2jakes]

Growing up, that was quite familiar and remember being told, then, that in ten/twenty years we'd be completely out. Now I read that the US might become a net exporter of oil. Absolutely amazing.

Was told by a mechanic that the reason for the plugs fouling up was not due to the wrong fuel mixture in the carb
on my '46 truck.
The reason he told me was that my 235 straight-six was made to handle "real" gasoline.
Not what's available on the pumps today.
He suggested to use additives or go to the airport where that "gasoline" is still available.

 

[Fading Fast]

Was told by a mechanic that the reason for the plugs fouling up was not due to the wrong fuel mixture in the carb
on my '46 truck.
The reason he told me was that my 235 straight-six was made to handle "real" gasoline.
Not what's available on the pumps today.
He suggested to use additives or go to the airport where that "gasoline" is still available.

Makes sense, everything is over-engineered, over-calibrated by the market / companies, over-regulated by the gov't (note the political balance - the point is, private or public, we over-engineer / regulate it all today) so that everything works until it doesn't and then it requires either a full throw away and re-buy or very, very specific replacement parts and recalibration.

IMHO, today's world is easier and harder at the same time. It's easier today to buy something to do something - and usually is cheaper - but it's harder to get that something fixed and that something is much more specific and narrow in its use. And it is much harder and more expensive today to find someone - an actual person with technical skills - to do anything.

 

[2jakes]

It takes special tools to remove a part that needs replacement on my 2012 Ford.
Standard screwdrivers or Phillips no longer work .
Also replacing parts on the later models requires removing many components
before dealing with the issue.
I enjoy working on my 1939 Ford panel truck.

 

[Fading Fast]

...I believe Lizzie had folks that worked in this field.
She might know more about what kind of trousers this dude is wearing.

Not a lot to go on, but my money's on Lizziepedia to have a thorough answer.

 

[Trenchfriend]

What's real gasoline? Old-fashion 78 octane, like it was named in the 90s US-sitcoms, etc.?

 

[2jakes]

"Filling something with something, & smoke 'em if you got 'em."

 

[1955mercury]

What's real gasoline? Old-fashion 78 octane, like it was named in the 90s US-sitcoms, etc.?

Gasoline with out 10% ethanol alcohol added to it. Ethanol gums up carburetors, damages rubber fuel lines and causes gasoline to go bad after about 3 months. It cost more to produce than gasoline and decreases mpg. Older engines also need gasoline with lead additives for the valves and valve seats.

 

[2jakes]

Not a lot to go on, but my money's on Lizziepedia to have a thorough answer.

"Lizziepedia"...I like that!
I hope she knows that we mean it with respect & admiration. I know I do.

 

[Fading Fast]

"Lizziepedia"...I like that!
I hope she knows that we mean it with respect & admiration. I know I do.

God yes, just and expression of my respect and, in truth, awe at her knowledge and kind willingness to share it with us.

 

[vitanola]

Older engines also need gasoline with lead additives for the valves and valve seats.

ABSOLUTELY NOT TRUE.

(in most cases)

Heck, Tetraethyl Lead was not even available when most cars which are worth while collectibles were new. "Ethyl", though introduced in the late 1920's, was a niche product, and did not predominate until the Post-War years. Even then, most pre-1960's engines in their basic configurations did not require "Ethyl". Some high-powered engines required the stuff, beginning with the high-compression Cadillac V-8's in the late 1940's. By the early 1960's most large cars were designed to use leaded fuel, but who wants to be seen driving a big old boat which doesn't even have running boards?

Pre-War cars never needed leaded gas. Neither do most early post-war machines.

Tetraethy Lead additives (or the Bromine compounds needed to make them soluble in gasoline) were responsible for much premature engine wear, for Hydrochloric Acid is a combustion product of Ethyl fuel. HCL would rot out exhaust systems. HCL from blow-by gases would collect in the oil sump and corrode bearing surfaces, leading to premature main and rod bearing failure.

I've noticed the tendency of alcohol containing fuels to gel, The simple solution to this is to drive your collector car regualrly. The only real problem I've had was with a machine with a bronze Lunkenheimer carburetor which had a shellacked cork float. The alcohol dissolved the shellac and the float ceased to float at all. A quick bake in the oven and a dip in polyurethane varnish corrected the trouble tout suite.

 

[1955mercury]

ABSOLUTELY NOT TRUE.

(in most cases)

Heck, Tetraethyl Lead was not even available when most cars which are worth while collectibles were new. "Ethyl", though introduced in the late 1920's, was a niche product, and did not predominate until the Post-War years. Even then, most pre-1960's engines in their basic configurations did not require "Ethyl". Some high-powered engines required the stuff, beginning with the high-compression Cadillac V-8's in the late 1940's. By the early 1960's most large cars were designed to use leaded fuel, but who wants to be seen driving a big old boat which doesn't even have running boards?

Pre-War cars never needed leaded gas. Neither do most early post-war machines.

Tetraethy Lead additives (or the Bromine compounds needed to make them soluble in gasoline) were responsible for much premature engine wear, for Hydrochloric Acid is a combustion product of Ethyl fuel. HCL would rot out exhaust systems. HCL from blow-by gases would collect in the oil sump and corrode bearing surfaces, leading to premature main and rod bearing failure.

I've noticed the tendency of alcohol containing fuels to gel, The simple solution to this is to drive your collector car regualrly. The only real problem I've had was with a machine with a bronze Lunkenheimer carburetor which had a shellacked cork float. The alcohol dissolved the shellac and the float ceased to float at all. A quick bake in the oven and a dip in polyurethane varnish corrected the trouble tout suite.

From wikepedia:

"Valve wear preventive
Tetraethyl lead works as a buffer against microwelds forming between the hot exhaust valves and their seats. Once these valves reopen, the microwelds pull apart and leave the valves with a rough surface that would abrade the seats, leading to valve recession. When lead began to be phased out of motor fuel, the automotive industry began specifying hardened valve seats and upgraded exhaust valve materials to prevent valve recession without lead."

 

[2jakes]

 

[LizzieMaine]

To add to Vitanola's comments, the owner's manual for my '41 Dodge specifies 70 octane fuel, which is quite a bit lower than anything you can buy at the pump today, but I don't have any trouble with fouled plugs using modern 87 octane regular. In the 1970s, "unleaded" fuel rated 87 octane, leaded regular was 89.5, and premium leaded was 93. That's basically the same octane spread you get today for "regular," "mid-grade," and "premium."

Most fuel companies in the Era sold a sub-regular grade of gasoline that didn't contain lead and sold at a discount -- Texaco stations featured "Indian Gas," Shell sold "Silver Shell" or "Green Streak," and so forth. Consumers Union Reports crusaded against the use of lead in fuel in the late 1930s, and found that these sub-regular grades performed fine in most cars of the period. Amoco even stressed its lack of lead as a benefit in its advertising, not mentioning that they used benzine instead.

Alcohol-blended fuels were a brief fad in the 1930s, but didn't catch on long term. The main problem with using them in older cars is that the alcohol attacks rubber fuel lines, gaskets, and carburetor components -- if these have been replaced with modern neoprene replacements, the alcohol causes no problems at all.

As for valve seats, there is no need to use lead in any flathead Mopar engine from the 1930s, 40s, or 50s These came with hardened seats from the factory. It's that junky GM/Ford crap you've got to watch out for.

 

[LizzieMaine]

What kind of trousers is He wearing?

Heavy Sanforized cotton twill work pants. Probably made by Sweet-Orr, Big Yank, Lion Uniform, Unitog, T. S. Lankford, or Elin Manufacturing, outfitters to filling-station attendants for three generations. All these companies provided uniforms to the specifications of the various major oil companies, but the individual station operator had to buy them out of a company-issued catalog, and often docked a new attendant's paycheck to cover the cost.

You boil them in a lobster kettle to get the oil stains out.