restoring 60s Texaco sign pole

[don long]

A few months ago I ran across a Texaco sign pole. It is different in that the sign comes off the side of the pole rather than sitting on the top of the pole.
The sign was in as poor of condition as the pole so I brought it home and sat it in the back yard thinking that I would look for a better sign to put on the post
Then I got busy with lifes other projects, the party barn, my C.O.E project and others.
This is a pic. of a sign pole (LIKE mine)

And here is a picture of my sign after I dismounted it from the pole

Well the other day my cousin came over from Phoenix to help me with a plumbing problem in a rental house of mine. The project went very smoothly and we had extra time to play so I pulled the sign post in to grind and clean up

After stripping all the old leaded paint off the pole I fixed the dents that were there.
The lift in the center of the shop is sure handy it made a great work bench.

Next was to put the pole into the spray booth to be primed!!
Here was the first hurtles we had to jump over.

1. how do I suspend an 18' x 1' pole weighing over 300 lbs??
2. how do you rotate the pole while priming it??

Well as I pondering the problem and was staring at the pole it hit me like a brick (ENGINE STAND) ok for the bottom end maybe!! Then looking at the top of the pole it had a threaded plug in it so problem solved.

I welded a ****** to a 1/4" square plate that I had lying around, Drilled holes in the plate and and mounted it on the other engine stand and threaded it into the top of the pole.

Now it rolls and rotates. So into the booth it went

 

[drmarkr]

Re: restoring 6os Texaco sign pole

Love old signs like that.....awesome!

Skelly, Sinclair, Getty, Texaco, Mobil....I'd love to find one of those old signs to hang by/on the shop!

 

[don long]

Re: restoring 6os Texaco sign pole

After priming the pole and letting it sit for a week while I went to the Colorado river (The Parker strip) to check out my vacation place and get a boat ready to sell. It was time to sand the pole and paint it.
The first color sprayed on the pole was white. Then the pole sat for a few days while I worked in the party garage hanging some neon signs.

While waiting for the white paint to cure I took the picture of the sign pole copied it several times and with marking pens started laying out different paint designs. I want this pole to pop when visitors come over to the party garage.

The colors were decided on so back to work in the booth I went
Using a bright yellow tape I started to tape off the paint lines. The color of the tape helps me visualize the design as I lay it out

After placing the tape stripes on the pole, The next step is to apply the next color to the pole and let it cure for a day or two

 

[don long]

Re: restoring 6os Texaco sign pole

Coming back to the pole after the red paint has had time to cure,I pulled the tape off where the third color will go.

And masked the red color with paper where I wanted the red paint to be
Then with a scottsbrite pad I scuffed up the exposed white paint so that the next color would stick to the post.

I mixed up a pot of gloss black paint and went back into the paint booth for the last time to spray the post again.

About 3 hours after painting the post black I couldn't stand the preasure any longer I went back into the booth and carefully pealed all the masking paper and tape off the post to get the first look at how the post will look with the sign hanging from it

 

[don long]

Re: restoring 6os Texaco sign pole

So the pole is done.
It will sit in the booth over the weekend letting the black paint cure.

Now its on to the sign frame, Cleaning it up stripping the ruff old paint and rust off. So with the help of my neighbor and my fork lift we brought in the sign and frame, removed the old sign took it out back and hung it on the outside of the shop.

Put the frame on the work bench.

and started grinding.

one side is done. This piece is very heavy and I must figure out a way to suspend the thing while I prime and paint it (Both sides must be sprayed together)

A buddy came over to have some metal posts cut down so I put him to work helping me flip the sign frame so I could grind the other side.

Thinking about how to suspend this frame and studying the thing, I saw it in my mine. (pull the cap out from the top, thread a ****** in the sign and weld the ****** to a foot)

the sign will free stand up side down allowing me access to all visible surfaces. So while we were cutting steel and I had help I found some 2"x6" tubing, cut and welded the pieces together. Pulled out a union, a coupler and 2 ******* and built a foot.

With the aid of my neighbor and the fork lift, we spun the sign, threaded the ****** to the sign tightened up the union and I'm back in business.

Now to finish grinding the frame.

 

[rothko]

Re: restoring 6os Texaco sign pole

Hi Don Long

The work on the Texaco pole is awesome!

Rothko

 

[HOTFR8]

Re: restoring 6os Texaco sign pole

Nicely done Don.

 

[steveo3002]

Re: restoring 6os Texaco sign pole

very nice

 

[countryroad82]

Re: restoring 6os Texaco sign pole

Looks great! On the looking for a better sign, the only way you will be able to make one look as good as the now beautiful post is find a NOS, very gently used, repro, or restored one. The sign you took off looks great IMO but it would look out of place on your newly repainted post. Why not make one to replace it and keep the old one hanging out back until everything weathers in good then put the original on?

 

[ambenz]

Re: restoring 6os Texaco sign pole

I love your sign and the venue you have built to show it.
I would love to have a cool project like that to play with...keep the pictures coming!

 

[Kevin54]

Re: restoring 6os Texaco sign pole

Very nice indeed!!!!

You have a vacation house to get away from your place.........if I ever take a vacation, I'm COMING to your place

 

[don long]

Re: restoring 6os Texaco sign pole

Hi Don Long

The work on the Texaco pole is awesome!

Rothko

Nicely done Don.

very nice

rothko Rothko HOTFR8 steveo3002

Thanks guys
It's been a fun but dragged out project
cant wait til I get it standing up next week

 

[don long]

Re: restoring 6os Texaco sign pole

I love your sign and the venue you have built to show it.
I would love to have a cool project like that to play with...keep the pictures coming!

ambenz
I am anxious to get this project up so the pic.s are a great way of documentation stay tuned in

Very nice indeed!!!!

You have a vacation house to get away from your place.........if I ever take a vacation, I'm COMING to your place

Kevin54

You are the one person that has inspired me to start posting on the G.J.
It will be an honor to have you come and visit

Looks great! On the looking for a better sign, the only way you will be able to make one look as good as the now beautiful post is find a NOS, very gently used, repro, or restored one. The sign you took off looks great IMO but it would look out of place on your newly repainted post. Why not make one to replace it and keep the old one hanging out back until everything weathers in good then put the original on?

countryroad82

I agree the old sign would look totally out of place on the pole now and it would not look good in the garage unfinished either.
The good news is I have found a perfect original sign and it is waiting patiently for the post to be finished so next week this project should be complete

This is the new sign hanging on a wall when I bought it

And now here is the sign sitting in the warehouse waiting on me to get it into the sign frame and on the pole

 

[Kevin54]

Re: restoring 6os Texaco sign pole

Thank for the acknowledgement, but you are more of an inspiration to me than I will ever be to anyone else.

As far as the sign you are going to hang...If that is a NOS sign, I'd use it ONLY if it was going to be INSIDE. But that pole and sign would look SO GOOD outside too, just to show it off. Dilemmas

 

[Slick6]

Re: restoring 6os Texaco sign pole

Wow, that is going to look good! I spy a '62 in that last picture. Any more pics/details?

 

[don long]

Re: restoring 6os Texaco sign pole

Thank for the acknowledgement, but you are more of an inspiration to me than I will ever be to anyone else.

As far as the sign you are going to hang...If that is a NOS sign, I'd use it ONLY if it was going to be INSIDE. But that pole and sign would look SO GOOD outside too, just to show it off. Dilemmas

Kevin54
The sign is nos and it will stay in the building
Don't want to advertise whats inside the garage by putting eye candy outside
It should be going up this week

Wow, that is going to look good! I spy a '62 in that last picture. Any more pics/details?

Thanks Slick6
The sign is one of many things going on around here check out my party garage thread
The 62 Impala you spotted is a 409 4speed

 

[MP&C]

Re: restoring 6os Texaco sign pole

Don, the sign looks awesome! You'll have a regular museum there, with all the work on the shuffleboard and this as well!

 

[don long]

Re: restoring 6os Texaco sign pole

Don, the sign looks awesome! You'll have a regular museum there, with all the work on the shuffleboard and this as well!

Thanks Robert
It sure beats working for a living

 

[kenfain]

Beautiful work on that pole. Nice attention to details. It's gonna be spectacular when you get it complete! Thanks for sharing bro!

 

[don long]

Today I got some time in on the sign frame
I finished grinding all the old paint off and sprayed it with primer from a rattle can (too hard to move) and since the surfaces are so small the spray nozzle from the can works very well

Waited til after lunch and with a fine scotchbrite scuffed up the primer and with a rattle can sprayed the frame black

Then I went after the sign retaining brackets, sand blasted them and shot them black also

While the brackets were drying I sand blasted the bolts that will hold the sign to the post

Now to figure out how to move and stand the post without scratching it

 

[kenfain]

How are you planning to stand that pole up? What are your thoughts on that. It'd be a shame to scratch it.

 

[don long]

How are you planning to stand that pole up? What are your thoughts on that. It'd be a shame to scratch it.

kenfain

I'm a bit concerned about that myself so while thinking about that I went to work on the C.O.E tonight hoping for a brainfart for the pole
Nothing yet

 

[kenfain]

Got a tractor with a front loader?

 

[don long]

After sleeping on the problem, I think I have a plan!!
I will use my fork lift, my man lift, a cable and a pulley,
2 tiedowns and a moving blanket, a rolling cart
Oh and 3 guys

I will know if my plan works after lunch today

 

[Imcrazy]

After sleeping on the problem, I think I have a plan!!
I will use my fork lift, my man lift, a cable and a pulley,
2 tiedowns and a moving blanket, a rolling cart
Oh and 3 guys

I will know if my plan works after lunch today

I think I understand like this?

 

[Kingcreek]

Nice.
remember the jingle? "You can trust your car to the man that wears the star, the bright red Texaco star!" (iirc)

 

[kenfain]

After sleeping on the problem, I think I have a plan!!
I will use my fork lift, my man lift, a cable and a pulley,
2 tiedowns and a moving blanket, a rolling cart
Oh and 3 guys

I will know if my plan works after lunch today

Well? How'd it go?

 

[don long]

Imcrazy
It felt a little like that when I had my helper standing 12' in the air on a pallet on the fork lift

Kingcreek
Yes I do remember that jingle
Thanks for the visit

kenfain
No scratches and it's up

 

[don long]

So here it is blow by blow

went into the spray booth and wrapped the pole in a moving blanket and put 2 tiedowns around the blanket then rolled the post out of the booth on the engine stands

Picked up the post with the forklift removed the 2 engine stands and moved it to the party garage door

Placed the pole on a rolling cart so I could get the poll in the garage door and down to the poles final resting place

with the pole lying ahead of where it will be stood up I grabbed the top of the pole still with the plate threaded into the top with the fork lift forks on either side of the pole and raised the pole top 12' of the 18' needed

With a rope tied to the top of the sign I threaded the other end thru an eye bolt attached to the beam above the pole and tied the other end to the manlift that I had extended to within a couple feet from the roof but when I lowered the lift the pole just swung around and hit he lift where the blanket was wrapped fortunately no damage!! so now the lift is down the pole still laying on an angle I just drove the lift away from the pole and it stood the pole almost straight

Here is where we felt like Imcrazy" photo plays in
I put my helper on the forklift standing on a pallet with a short rope I lifted him 12' in the air and he put his rope around the top pipe and pulled the pole to him while I drove the manlift with tention on the main rope back toward the pole to allow it to settle on its base (sorry no pic of the exciting part

With the pole standing on its base I walked it to where I wanted it closer to the building and went to the base and drilled and anchored the post

With the post anchored I could remove the ****** and plate that had been threaded to the top of the post and mount the sign frame

And with that It was time for my helper to go home and the sign will be put into the frame in the morning

 

[nine4gmc]

What a tease joking, love the way you did the pole!

 

[kenfain]

Nice!

 

[Kevin54]

Nice.
remember the jingle? "You can trust your car to the man that wears the star, the bright red Texaco star!" (iirc)

You can trust your car to the man who wears the star, The big, bright Texaco star.

 

[don long]

Well this project is in the book
Another addition to the party garage
Thank you all for the encouraging spirit and friendship shone
I hope that you have enjoyed following along as the photos progressed

And here are the final shots of the Texaco pole and sign standing in its place in the garage.

 

[MP&C]

Awesome job Don, it looks right at home there...

 

[steveo3002]

great looking garage you have there , i like all the old signs and other stuff you have

 

[Kevin54]

Just absolutely FANTASTIC!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Travisnd]

Just AWESOME!!

 

[countryroad82]

That looks awesome! Were that me doing it I would have moved ALL the cars out, me and Murphy don't get along very well, somehow some way that damned pole would have fell and nailed my favorite car. I hate Murphy and all his laws he feels he has to instill!

 

[ch1]

Hi Don,

The sign looks great! I noticed you also have a Texaco banjo style sign. Do you have any close up pics of it? I just bought a pole, still looking for the sign. But it has been modified and I have never seen one up close. I am not sure how the sign mounts in? Also it had a light mounted on top, I think that was added?

Colin

 

[don long]

Hi Don,

The sign looks great! I noticed you also have a Texaco banjo style sign. Do you have any close up pics of it? I just bought a pole, still looking for the sign. But it has been modified and I have never seen one up close. I am not sure how the sign mounts in? Also it had a light mounted on top, I think that was added?

Colin

Colin

Thanks for dragging this old thread back up. I had forgotten all about it

I looked through my pic's and found a couple shots of the banjo texaco
sign hope it helps

P.M. me if you have any questions
The lights you see on the sign are original and the pipe you see going in on the top is where I juiced up the pole and I took the electricity through the pole and out the bottom to get electricity into the gas island

Hope this helps

Don