cruise with me for a minute! Thanks for the "split ring" cage picture, Evan. That inspired this thread. Having grown up with gear-heads since birth, i've seen a lot of things change, naming conventions change, technology change! Here's some observations from a Southern good ol' boy! Anybody remember when tires were called "casings"? Anybody ever call greasing the frame, "putting Alemite in the Chassis"? Anybody remember when full service included checking the oil level, wiping the inside and outside of the windshield, checking the air pressure of all "5" tires? Anybody remember handing out the appropriate amount of S&H green stamps after the "trade" and making sure that they had enough empty books to hold all of their stamps? Man, I miss those days!
Ken, I remember getting off the bus and having to wait at the local service station for 2 hours till my dad came through from work and picked me up. What an education for a grade schooler. There was a wooden bench out front where all the farmers would sit after their chores were done. Later I found out that they were considered lazy by the other farmers whose chores were never done. I would sit there with a Pepsi that I had poured a bag of peanuts into. The other mainstay was a moonpie. The guy who ran the place had an AD truck with a big bumper n the front that he had cut up a tire and lined it with the tread so he could push you off without scratching. The guy that did all the work wore jeans and a white t-shirt with the sleeves rolled up with a pack of cigarettes in it. He also wore penny loafers and white socks. He had a 1955 Oldsmobile that was gray and kind pink. That and a '56 turquoise and white crown victoria and my undles black '57 Chevy were the fastest things around. I learned a lot at that service station. Some of which I probably shouldn't have. All in all it was a good time though. All those folks are gone now. And so are the cars. Thanks for the thread, Gater
Old fart coming! Ahh, that felt good! I don't remember stamps, but I remember the islands being mine. I remember the feel I'd get each time the bell would "ding-ding". I was on that car like a flash! I remember (and still do) a window without a streak or lap mark. I remember when there was slush on the ground and my music teacher from w-a-y back in elementary school came in and wanted the air in her tire- her *spare* tire, under the trunk checked. To this day, I swear she did that to get even for something, but she seemed so innocent... I remember the smokes machine outside the station. put in two quarters, you choose your favorite brand. You didn't need to go in and show your ID, just know how to drop two quarters. I remember the mechanic~ Bill P. Loaded up on white cross and workin' his a$$ off. While he was doing that, the other mechanic, Wade D. was slippin' out to go to the store right behind the station. Wha'd he bring back? A 6 pack of cold Buds! He liked to stash them amongst the oil cans, just in case the boss man might come by... I always knew when he'd make his run, 'cause he'd come gliding by smokin' a Pal-Mal. He'd look at me and say, "Hey, tall Paul, check the oil, alright?" And the end of the day was in sight. I'll never forget the night Bill shared a little of what he was about. When work was over, I went to my Delmont 88, reached under the dash, got my supplies, rolled something up, held it up to the window to check the shape against the night time sky, and right past it, way up in the sky was the GoodYear Blimp flying over! I almost died! Okay- so that last part was a bad thing, but it was what I went through. It was a part of those times, and I'm glad I made it through. Now it's this site and box wine, and I don't drink diddley if I have to drive. I just wish we could bring back .32cent gas and FULL SERVICE STATIONS. It might help our youth develope some useful skills. (and I don't mean rolling in the dark!)
Kids eh Pah, young uns Who remembers when tyres had no air in them, wheels were made of wood and if you wanted to go out for a drive you had to fill a tank with water and get a fire going in the boiler. Now those were the days ________ R/T
Service Station Dayze Yep ; I pumped a million or so gallons of Richfield gas @ .034 CENTS the gallon , ran the lube rack and the islands plus they (of course) threw all the VW jobs my way... Anybody remember the good lookin' 35 year old divorcees who'd come in for $2.50 worth of gas and ask you to wash the windhsield , she'd get all busy in her rear view mirror putting on lipstick and I guess she'd 'forget' she had no drawers on ! I prolly rubbed a few winshields thin whilst getting a good look ~ I guess they needed the confidence boost . Lotsa wierd and wonderful things happened out on the gas island . We gave out cheap glasses with every fillup too ! Most of us in The Auto Trade could prolly go on telling stories for -hours- .
