The Strange Days guys Restore a vintage gas pump

Since Chaz sold the 57 New Yorker we had been working on we needed a new project.
I recently aquired this old 50's era Martin Schwartz add top gas pump from my brother that had been sitting outside his shop for about the last ten yrs.

This is how it looked when I got it:






The first thing I did was take alot of pictures and start taking it apart:





Most of the pieces in the bottom of the pump will be discarded, but don't just throw them out. I took all the copper piping and aluminum tanks plus the motor to the local recycle yard and got about $35 that was applied to getting some stuff sand blasted.

 

some of this stuff is pretty heavy and you wont need it anyway



The next step was to take all the sheetmetal to get sandblasted. All of this cost about $60. so minus the $35 for recycling the innards about $25.



Here is how they turned out about four days later,

 

awesome!

 

formerly used at a Conoco station.

 

Yes it was Conoco, unfortunatly the original die cut signs on the front were stolen when it was at my brothers shop.

 

Next we dinged out and polished the stainless trim



I also polished any aluminum parts from the inside even though you really dont see most of them. These are the collars that hold in the gl*** sight bowls.



This piece is what they connect to
Before and after





these little wheels go behind the gl***

 

The sheet metal needed some bodywork. Just like you do on a car, only the steel is a bit heavier material.





While Steve and Chuck worked over the panels I cleaned up and painted the frame and other small parts

 

After the panels were bodyworked and blocked Steve primed them inside and out.





Of course after more blocking, and spot filling, and more blocking, and priming, the paint could go on.



Everything recieved two to three coats of paint and then three coats of clear.

Steve is our resident painter of the group and he has done a terrific job.

The white is an Ice cream white, and since we had a lot of paint left from the New Yorker we used the Emerald metallic green for the rest.

 

Since this pump has an add gl*** top it has a unit with four sockets for the lights with a built in switch. Two sockets for the regular signs and two more for the face plates. Everthing actually still worked but the wireing was old. I rewired the unit and ran a cord to the base with a plug on it and also left an extra wire for a globe in the future. ( Sorry I forgot to take any pictures of this unit)

We cleaned up the add gl*** and the rubber holding it in. I needed to order new rubber seals for the doors, new rubber for the face gl***, a new hose and other misc. parts. There are several places to order reproduction parts for most any style pump that you have. I used a place called (Gas Pump Heaven). I got the parts I needed for about $280 including shipping.

After the panels were dry we reinstalled the add gl***, cut some gl*** for the face windows and started to re***emble the pump.

 

Great job. I also have a gas pump which will be one of my winter projects. Haven't decided which on I would like it to become. I'm leaning towards a Sunoco ( I like the colors) or a Phillips 66. Worked there for like 11 years when I was a lot younger. Nice job. post some more.yruhot.............Doug. ps Have been doing some Coke coolers for a while working up to this project.

 

We still had some work to do on the porcilan faces and the computer.

This face looked like it might have been shot at one time. You can get repro faces but I could not find any of this style so we had to try and fix the ones we had.



We hammered the dent out and I filled the chipped area with a kit you can get to repair appliences. This brought it almost level but the color was off and some lettering was gone. Once again I have to give Steve credit as he tackled the job of trying to match the color and hand letter the missing script.

Believe it or not this is the same face that was shot.

 

The computer sits in the top of the pump. It is an amazing mesh of gearing and number wheels.

The weather had taken it's toll and faded out the numbers pretty well.

Since the zeros are showing most of the time they were the worst along with the price wheels. When was the last time you saw gas for 49 cents?





Steve retouched the numbers that were bad.





Chuck repainted all the pieces around the computer and we reinstalled it in the pump.

we also put the new seal on the doors and rehung them.

 

So here it is all complete. I really have to give alot of credit to Chuck and Steve. The two most talented people I know for all the help on this pump.

Before:



Now:

 

Fantastic work!

 

Very Kool!

 

Good job guys,nice pump.

 

Goes to show you how much attention I pay to what goes on around me. I only remember seeing you snap pictures twice! You really chronicled that rebuild. It was fun working on a smaller project for a change. Nice photos and posting!
Your pictures also show me that I gotta clean that shop. What a goddam mess.

 

This was a fun project. I didn't see you taking those pics either! Great post!

 

Considering the amount of talent involved, this took....what? A day and a half to finish? You guys did it again....nothin but cool stuff from Strange Days

 

Thats awsome...

 

That looks great Dana. Tell Steve and Chaz hi for me.

 

With a few shelves installed inside it makes a nice, small but nice, bookcase for your factory shop manuals, parts manuals or photo albums.

 

That pump is soooo nice !!!! Nice work.

 

Looks great Dana I am glad to see the gas pump all restored.

 

beautiful work on the gas pump , seeing it lit up causes some deja vu , brings back memories of old gas stations with full service

 

Great job,guys! I've got to get my *** in gear and finish the one I started a couple of years ago,got to the primered stage,it's a late 30's Southestern.

 

I was at an Auction where a gl*** globe top pump with the manual pump up handle sold for $7,325.00 It was completely restored but it was beautiful. Gilmore Gas logo's too.
Normbc9

 

When does the t.V. show start. Cool work guys, thanx for sharing. ~sololobo~

 

Very nice! Good photos and descriptions of bringing it back to life.

 

Looks ever bit as good as the ones I see on the two gas station forums ! scrubba