@swi66 an outdoor service area of an old gas station was a very early concept of service and location to attract more customers… Hello, That photo instantly took me back to our days of “close to our Westside of Long Beach home” road trips to see relatives and/or friends living on the “Big Bump” on the western horizon from our house. Plus, the same direction was through downtown San Pedro Harbor waterfront roads that all led to the circular Peninsula coastal drive that is still, today, one of the best in the whole So Cal region. Bar none… It was located on one of two ways to get to the San Pedro waterfront harbor drive + the coastal road trip destinations. One, was to cross the huge Vincent Thomas suspension bridge that was a replica of the famed Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. Today, it is still standing, although it needs more than a yearly upkeep maintenance job. We used to sail under the bridge 20 years ago and the color is much nicer, underneath away from the hustle and bustle of daily trucks, cars and busses using this bridge daily. The other way is to take one surface street from downtown Long Beach and no water crossing is necessary. A few turns and one was facing this gas station at the base of the large hill area we could see from our house. Jnaki As little kids, the noted old locations we used to see were always engraved in my mind. So, later on, as visiting teens and into our daily adult lives, a visit to the locations brings back many memories of our adventures in that region of So Cal. We were docked at the farthest boat marina to the ocean within the confines of the San Pedro harbor area. A place called “Hurricane Gulch,” noted for its tremendous winds that whip around the area, including the boating channels and inner harbor areas. Those winds gave us daily lessons on boat handling at the nearest turning basin and open waters between San Pedro and Catalina island, a mere two hour sail away. YRMV Note: The Hancock Gas Station in San Pedro near the Vincent Thomas Bridge... Before the Vincent Thomas Suspension Bridge was built over the main channel in the San Pedro Waterfront, the only way to get there from Terminal Island was to take the inland route via Anaheim Street or PCH. The main streets leading into San Pedro City were Gaffey St. and then the North Pacific Avenue that got you closer to the waterfront. Most people took the North Pacific Avenue and drove right by this great looking Hancock Oil Gas Station built along the hillside baseline. It was a great place to get gasoline and car service. In the numerous times we drove in my dad’s Buicks to San Pedro to see relatives and friends, we did stop at this gas station many times. Especially, if we were going to continue the road trip around the Peninsula to the Marineland Aquarium and Palos Verdes cliff drives. Our friends and relatives lived all over the San Pedro City area, as well as on the steep hillsides bordering on the Rolling Hills area. Since my dad loved to drive, sometimes, he would take us specifically to this guy on the Paseo Del Mar cliff drive, who was the only person around selling "salt water taffy." The guy parked his sedan with the trunk up, on the side of the cliff, near the famous,(recently closed) Wayfarer's Chapel and droves of people would stop and purchase this new tasty treat. When the Vincent Thomas Bridge opened up in 1963, it was the main route to get into the downtown/harbor area of San Pedro. So, this little street nearby was usually for locals only until the gas station closed in 1966. On our historic road trips, taking PCH from our old house on the Westside of Long Beach to Gaffey St and then North Pacific Avenue brought back a lot of old memories of our younger days. The roads are a little rough and the local traffic still drives on these roads leading into the downtown area. On North Harbor Drive, the old San Pedro Waterfront is now torn down, making way for a revitalized, larger San Pedro Public Market development all along the main channel. Gone, but not forgotten...
55’s were 1st series and 2nd series. The 54’s still had the enclosed drive shaft and the 1st series 55’s were open.
The Jalopy Journal
