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Old gas stations

RossRYoung

One Too Many
Messages
1,066
Location
GR
I tried to fill up here yesterday… no rec fuel

IMG_1421.jpeg
 

Lukken

One of the Regulars
Messages
102
The oil companies decided volume was more important than service, and went on a rampage in the early eighties, weeding out any dealer who wasn't selling x number of gallons per day. That's what put us out of business -- Texaco decided it couldn't be bothered with the small potatoes any more. "Thanks for 40 years of service, now give us back our sign and our pumps, you're finished."

A lot of stations that lost their contracts around that time became simple garages, doing repairs or mechanical service but not selling gas. The rest either shut down completely or were sold to the oil companies themselves, which turned them into convenience stores. Either way the small-time operator got shafted.
Man, that’s rough. Sounds like the classic “big guys squeezing out the little guys” story. Forty years of loyalty and then just tossed aside like nothing... Brutal. I’ve heard of a lot of old stations turning into garages or corner stores, just like you said. Crazy how fast the whole gas station world flipped back then.
 

jchance

Call Me a Cab
Messages
2,203
Location
LA
This thread has 236 pages. Have you seen the following linked thread, with 1491 pages, with pics of old gas stations? Even the website is named oldgas.com, we can’t compete. /thread


(If you look through it and see something worth noting / catches your eyes, please repost them here. I especially love seeing ones with leather jackets.)
 
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