THIS IS THE "STORIES PAGE" MOST HISTORIES OF SERVICE STATIONS DEAL MOSTLY WITH THE OIL COMPANIES BUT THE REAL HISTORY OF THOSE STATIONS WAS FROM THE PEOPLE WHO OWNED AND WORKED IN THESE PLACES. WE CAN NEVER FORGET THAT IT WAS HARD WORKING MEN WHO MADE THE HISTORY, NOT JUST THE OIL COMPANIES. WITHOUT THE EFFORTS OF THE PEOPLE WHO WORKED IN THESE PLACES THERE WOULD BE NO HISTORY. My stories are from the point of view of someone who was part of that time. I will put them up one at a time As they are written. no matter how strange, the stories are true
Old gas stations are pretty much a thing of the past. only two states, New Jersey and Oregon don't allow self service gas today. The number of stations offering full service (wash windshield, offer to check the oil, put air in tires, pump your gas and collect payment, all without the motorist getting out of their car) are rapidly disappearing.
In the 60's I was a "Pump Jockey", Every station I ever worked at was full service. On this website I would like to share some stories about those days and those stations. These are my stories and they ARE true. I would really like to hear from others who have experiences in service stations. I will share any stories I recieve by putting them on these pages. Chapter 1  " The Beginning"  Some background about the people who ran those early Gas Stations and what they had to work with.
My grand father owned several stations in the 30's and 40's in central New Jersey. My dad and his siblings worked there to help support the family because times were tough. The stations were small and only had one small garage attached that a car could barely fit in. Cars were a lot simpler then and required constant maintenance to keep running. Gas was 10 CENTS a gallon, and most needed oil every time they needed gas. Parts were hard to get so most early station mechanics were very good at improvising when it came to repairs. (this was even before duct tape)  There were numerous auto makers during these years and it seemed that each one had tools that were for their vehicle and in many cases were the only tools that would work (some things didn't change) so mechanics who couldn't afford those specialty tools had to make due with what they had or what they could make. The Cars and trucks of that time used a lot of oil because engine tolerances for rings, etc. were much more generous, which was good because the quality of the lubricants was a lot lower then todays highly refined oils and lubricants. Oil was pumped from a drum into 1 quart glass bottles with metal pour spouts, it sold for 10 or 15 cents a quart.		Glass oil bottles with metal spouts in wire rack
This was used to pump gear oil into rear gears and tranmissions    Hand pumps like these were used to pump oil into the bottles
Most auto repairs were done at these stations and the gas jockeys and mechanics were very important to the motoring public. In the earliest days of automobiles the car owner had to develop considerable mechanical skills to own a car. As more autos came onto the roads the number of owners who could repair their own vehicles deminished and they were willing to pay someone else to do it for them and a system of service stations developed to provide gas and meet these needs.
Early gas stations were a primary source of items such as tires.
Many stations had a "lube pit" in the ground next to the building. It was usually a rectangular pit with a set of steps or a ladder at one end to get in and out of.  A car would be placed over the pit and the mechanic would be able to get under it to service the oil, lubricate, and other service as needed. Inside lifts were not yet in common use only the biggest car dealerships may have had some type of lift. Oil filters were under the hood and most were reusable. Air cleaners were an "oil bath" type and were also reusable after being cleaned in Kerosene and reinstalled with clean oil. This was not a clean job. (there wasn't even any "GoJo" to clean up with) Kerosene was used to clean their hands followed by soap and water.                END OF CHAPTER 1
	My dad and His brothers developed problem solving abilities in these stations that helped them all thru their lives because there were not many "auto manuals" available and repairs were learned many times by trail and error. These men laid the foundation for the high tech computerized automibile technicians of today.  I thank my Dad for his memories that enabled this story to be written.  Story # 2  coming soon  "My introduction to Gas Stations started in the 50's" If you have any stories, antidotes, or comments please send them to me at www.timelessengrav.com I will include them on this site