1972 service station gas pump pictures?

[srea76]

My father-in-law has 4-5 restored cars and in his shop he has also restored gas pumps from the era of each car he does. I was curious what the pumps looked like in 1972. I thought it would be cool to find one to go along with my truck in my shop. My guess the 1972 pumps are the old ugly square top ones. Anyone have pictures of 1972 gas pump?

[dan42]

Originally Posted by srea76

My father-in-law has 4-5 restored cars and in his shop he has also restored gas pumps from the era of each car he does. I was curious what the pumps looked like in 1972. I thought it would be cool to find one to go along with my truck in my shop. My guess the 1972 pumps are the old ugly square top ones. Anyone have pictures of 1972 gas pump?

I think you're right - as I remember, they are nothing special. But they are a little different from today.

[Rack Man]

[special-K]

They were very different back then.I don't have any pictures.There was polished stainless,they were steel,the numbers rolled/digital,there was even a reset on the side!.I bet you could google some up.They aren't the super antique-y or nifty fifty type,but certainly have the look of the era.Pretty much like these trucks and cars from the era.The are modern classics.

[srea76]

That looks better than I thought. Thanks Guys!

[70 shorty]

Yeah, didnt an attendant have to come out and reset them after every fill up? Being a 71 model myself, obviously I don't remember gas pumps in 72, but I seem to remember later in the 70's that's what happened when my parents went to get gas.

[srea76]

I'm a 76 model I remember pumping gas in the 80s at a small station in my home town. They were big ugly square tops and before a customer pumped he would wind a knob on the side to reset it to 0 dollars and then flipped the on handle to start pumping.

[Sammy]

These are a few pics I took a while back. I believe the restoration of this gas station to be early 70's.
I talked with the owner extensively who had recently purchased the property. His plan was to make an additional parking lot for his business located accross the street. But was convinced by his 10 year old son that it is a part of history to just have it restored. On occassions he allows a local car club to hold a small cruise on the property. All the signs, pumps, inside the station are period correct and work. Makes a nice back drop for the cruises when it is lit up.

[Keith Seymore]

Those are alot older than early 70's.....

I've got some pics of the "gas lines" during the first gasoline crunch in the mid 70's - I'm sure the pumps can be seen in those pics.

If I come across them I'll post em up here.

K

[kcsa75]

Originally Posted by Sammy

These are a few pics I took a while back. I believe the restoration of this gas station to be early 70's.
I talked with the owner extensively who had recently purchased the property. His plan was to make an additional parking lot for his business located accross the street. But was convinced by his 10 year old son that it is a part of history to just have it restored. On occassions he allows a local car club to hold a small cruise on the property. All the signs, pumps, inside the station are period correct and work. Makes a nice back drop for the cruises when it is lit up.

I think these pumps probably date back to the 40s or 50s. That doesn't mean there weren't a few still in use by the late 60s or even early 70s. I can remember seeing these when I was a small child in the 60s and thinking they were "old fashioned."

Sammy, where is/was this gas station? It looks really familiar.

[Sammy]

Originally Posted by kcsa75

I think these pumps probably date back to the 40s or 50s. That doesn't mean there weren't a few still in use by the late 60s or even early 70s. I can remember seeing these when I was a small child in the 60s and thinking they were "old fashioned."

Sammy, where is/was this gas station? It looks really familiar.

This restored Texaco station is in Desoto, Mo. On North end of Main street across from the RR tracks and repair yard.
On Craigslist I see old pumps for sale every now and then. asking prices $1,000 to $1,300 apparently they are worth a bit of coin.

[repeeler]

In the early 70's when I first started driving Mobil was the dominate brand where I lived. When I first started driving the pumps looked like this:

[70c10-08]

Originally Posted by repeeler

In the early 70's when I first started driving Mobil was the dominate brand where I lived. When I first started driving the pumps looked like this:

My local co-op station used ones like these up untill bout 2 or so yars ago then they went digital and a Sinclair station in a nearby town used ones like these till bout august or so except they had to tape additional numbers in the pump when the gas prices went high

[OhOneWS6]

Originally Posted by repeeler

In the early 70's when I first started driving Mobil was the dominate brand where I lived. When I first started driving the pumps looked like this:

That is before gas went over $1 a gallon. There is only two digits. I remember that transition. We had to adjust our pumps to 1/2 gallon to make up for the lack of digits. IE .56 per half gallon was $1.12 per gallon.

[Sammy]

Couple more I found.
In those days even the air was free.

[Gobbles]

Originally Posted by Sammy

In those days even the air was free.

Air is still free here! Its about the only thing left.

[Lippyp]

Remember though, in 72 most gas stations would have had older pumps, I can't imagine gas stations change their pumps any more often than once every ten years or so and back then I'd have thought many rural stations could have been running pumps from the 1950's if not older!

[special-K]

I started driving in '71 and remember a lot of old rounded pumps,but no globes.The new ones were squared with polished trim.They were always painted in the oil company colors.That's the main thing.All gas stations were oil company stations,no independents,and they were all still around.I remember when Esso went to Exxon and Cities Service went to Citgo.They started coming out to reset the pumps after '73 when self-service started.They kept the screw out of the knob and keep it off the pump.Before they figured that out you could run up a half a tank or so,reset to $0.00 and start over.They used to keep oil on racks in the island between the pumps,but people started stealing that once they were getting out to fill up.

[Shyguy]

I don't remember the pumps, but I remember working at a gas station in 1970 when I got out of the military in California. Those were the days of "Full Service" gas stations. I would check the oil, wash the windows and check the tire pressure besides pumping gas.

Those sure were simpler times.

[yote1234]

Originally Posted by Shyguy

I don't remember the pumps, but I remember working at a gas station in 1970 when I got out of the military in California. Those were the days of "Full Service" gas stations. I would check the oil, wash the windows and check the tire pressure besides pumping gas.

Those sure were simpler times.

my 1st job was pumping gas in 71. arco. full service! remember very well. "check under the hood mam?" ahhhh memories
those old tokeheim pumps are the ones we had....

[yote1234]

heres my last home garage....with murieal inside..

[mrein3]

As long as we are moving away from 1972ish pumps and showing photos of older equipment, I have one to show.
The story is my father-in-law's dad (my grand-father-in-law?) purchased this pump off the highway department when they were building US highway 75 through their part of the country in 1927. My wife's family used it through the 80s. In the last few years I helped him restore it. When we got done we put it back on the pad his dad put it on in 1927.

It is a Wayne from around 1918.

Best line I ever heard was next to that pump. One of those American Picker's style guys pull in to the place. He is trying REAL hard to purchase the pump. Finally my father-in-law looks him in the eye and says,
"If I sell you the pump I'll spend the money. Then I won't have the pump or the money."

The guy got back in his truck and left.

Sorry about the low resolution pictures. I really had to drop the res in Photoshop because of all that red and green.

[72BlckButy]

Originally Posted by yote1234

heres my last home garage....with murieal inside..

Yote... that is a killer setup!

[yote1234]

Originally Posted by 72BlckButy

Yote... that is a killer setup!

thx. next one will be nicer.... drawing up plans now..

[flashed]

I have a restored red Texaco pump similar to the one posted by SAMMY and I think its from the 60's .