Old gas stations

[Veronica T]

The Japanese word for stall is en-suto. More complicated engine trouble where you need a tow truck is Enko, which is pronounced differently, and would not be confused with ENCO!

Not quite but close enough for proving my point.

 

[Renault]

Nova means exactly the same thing in every language, "a cataclysmic nuclear explosion on a white dwarf, which causes a sudden brightening of the star." No Va means no go.

That's what I was refering to. I had a friend ( who happened to be of Mexican-American descent) tell me this one years ago. Matter of fact he was my squad leader in the Marines. We all got a good laugh out of it. I dunno of it's true or not! . But made a good story!

2Jakes! Cool Shell Station pic! Story Gives new meaning to industrial grade fried chicken!!!

Keep em coming!

 

[LizzieMaine]

When I was very young I was terrified by certain gas station logos. These were the days when no attempt was made to make trademarks subtle - they were big, bright and barbarously displayed on the front of the buildings. I didn't like the Flying A logo at all, the Gulf Solar Heat orange disc surrounded by flames was creepy, and the American Oil torch-and-oval made me nervous, but the one that gave me nightmares was the Flying Red Horse. We had a Mobil station at the end of our street, and I had to look away everytime I went past it because of the look of absolute sinister evil in the Flying Red Horse's eye.

Admit it, you're scared too.

 

[HudsonHawk]

When I was very young I was terrified by certain gas station logos. These were the days when no attempt was made to make trademarks subtle - they were big, bright and barbarously displayed on the front of the buildings. I didn't like the Flying A logo at all, the Gulf Solar Heat orange disc surrounded by flames was creepy, and the American Oil torch-and-oval made me nervous, but the one that gave me nightmares was the Flying Red Horse. We had a Mobil station at the end of our street, and I had to look away everytime I went past it because of the look of absolute sinister evil in the Flying Red Horse's eye.

Admit it, you're scared too.

My dad was fiercely loyal to Pete's service station, which happen to be a Mobil station. So the Pegasus never bothered me. My grandmother, however, was a Sunoco woman, and that logo terrified me. I always imagined having to dodge arrows aimed at your heart, and wondering if the gas was really worth it.

 

[Renault]

When I was very young I was terrified by certain gas station logos. These were the days when no attempt was made to make trademarks subtle - they were big, bright and barbarously displayed on the front of the buildings. I didn't like the Flying A logo at all, the Gulf Solar Heat orange disc surrounded by flames was creepy, and the American Oil torch-and-oval made me nervous, but the one that gave me nightmares was the Flying Red Horse. We had a Mobil station at the end of our street, and I had to look away everytime I went past it because of the look of absolute sinister evil in the Flying Red Horse's eye.

Admit it, you're scared too.

I remember when the Magnolia Oil Company building in Dallas used to be a pretty tall building! That red Pegasus was right on top. Light up at night too!

 

[Stearmen]

I remember when the Magnolia Oil Company building in Dallas used to be a pretty tall building! That red Pegasus was right on top. Light up at night too!

Don't you wish you had that sign now?

 

[Fading Fast]

Don't you wish you had that sign now?

They pop up occasionally on the show "American Pickers," so my guess is they are available from antique stores, but large antique signs of well-known brands go for real money.

 

[Renault]

Still there. Now a hotel.

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magnolia_Hotel_(Dallas,_Texas)

In the gallery is a photo of Lizzie's "Devil Horse"!

You may find this of interest too!

http://www.magnoliahotels.com/pdf/pegasus-article-121211.pdf

 

[HudsonHawk]

They pop up occasionally on the show "American Pickers," so my guess is they are available from antique stores, but large antique signs of well-known brands go for real money.

Interestingly, most of the old signs from gas stations belonged to the affliated oil company, not the station owner. As such, they did, and still do, belong to the oil company, though I only know of one instance where the oil company demanded the old sign be returned to them.

 

[LizzieMaine]

When we closed down in 1981, Texaco was there the next day to take down the sign out front and the pumps. The lettering on the building, however, belonged to us, and I wish I'd held onto it. I do still have one of the porcelain stars that hung over the grease bays.

 

[HudsonHawk]

I know of one instance where the company demanded a sign be returned like 30 years later. It was from a station that had been closed for many years. When the descendants of the station owner finally cleaned it out and tried to auction off the stuff, the company stepped in and demanded much of the advertising material, including the large overhead signs. They got them.

 

[tonyb]

Spent a night last fall in the motel next to the old Texaco station in La Grande, Oregon (the second station shown in the link below).

http://www.agilitynut.com/gas/or.html

 

[fashion frank]

Look at the prices in this photo !
http://www.shorpy.com/node/18093

When I was growing up I can remember when I first started driving a loaf of bread and a gallon of gas were both 32 cents.
Now a days a gallon of gas and a gallon of milk are about the same price ,go figure?

All the Best ,Fashion Frank

 

[Veronica T]

Frank Lloyd Wright design.

 

[tonyb]

Gas stations today "do not" sell gasoline like the type that was sold in those "vintage gas stations".


At least that's what my 1946 Chevrolet truck tells me...

(& there's a good reason for it...I'm sure !)

How 'bout a picture? My wife and I keep our eyes peeled for an antique pickup. Gotta get rid of the old Triumph Spitfire first (one toy vehicle is enough, seeing how we already have two "regular" cars as well), and we expect to relocate, so adding anything else at this point isn't advisable.

 

[tonyb]

Color me green as that truck. It's a sweetheart. Was it in anything approaching that condition when it came your way?

And seeing how it's wearing the Texaco logo, we can talk this over without hijacking the thread!

If the lovely missus were to see that, she'd have me selling whatever we had to, including my dog, to make an offer.

 

[tonyb]

It's a sweetie, for sure.

Among the vehicles I kick myself for ever selling was my '47 Dodge school bus. Highly impractical, but it sure was cool-lookin'. That's generally true of most early post-War trucks.

 

[tonyb]

Frank Lloyd Wright design.

Was it ever built?

 

[Veronica T]

 

[Veronica T]