What kind of shape are those 2 front arched doors in ? They appear to be in decent shape but in varying degrees.
1935 Gas Station Resurrection
- Thread starter HD FLHX
- Start date
PCO6
Well-known member
Good luck with your project HD FLHX. I'll be watching this one! 
For being 80+ years old I'd say they've held up pretty well. One has a small amount of rot in the very bottom that will need some attention. The other appears to be solid. At some point the insides were stripped. The outsides need to be to look presentable again. I'm going to tackle that project this spring.
This is the one that will need some repair on the lower right corner
Got some new stone in the beds between the doors and installed the 10" barn lights on the peaks. I picked up a pair of LED bulbs with dusk-to-dawn sensors in them for the lights. I've read mixed reviews on them and can't say for sure when they shut off in the morning, but at night they come on just as they should.
The 2 lights on the wall by the door will be removed probably sometime this weekend. I also found another Perry Oil Company receipt book in the attic, but his one is in a lot better shape.
The 2 lights on the wall by the door will be removed probably sometime this weekend. I also found another Perry Oil Company receipt book in the attic, but his one is in a lot better shape.
54earl
Well-known member
Along for the ride.
xtremek
Well-known member
Are you just going to remove the lights, or replace them with something different? I hear you on the retirement thing.
I also found another Perry Oil Company receipt book in the attic, but his one is in a lot better shape.
I'm noticing the top of the receipt book, Street or RFD. It's been awhile since I have seen anything marked with Rural Free Delievery.
Sadly for me retirement is so far away(30 more yrs) its not even a thought yet..I wouldn't mind hitting the powerball or something thoughI guess for now I'll just get by on 4 or 5hrs sleep a night.
30 years till retirement ? Sorry but with your skills and what you have accumulated, I would have thought you were older. I guess you have busted your *** getting ahead in life.
That's interesting I didn't know what the RFD stood for. We still have 2 local stations that have bulk trucks to service the area farms. I'm sure back then with fuel oil for heat it was bigger business. Perry Oil was in business till the mid 60s so these receipt books are at least 50 years old.
I will have my 30 years in at Deere when I'm 56, (which is still 18 years away) but I'm of the generation where my social security doesn't kick in till I'm 67 if it's even still around then.
7 bushes and a truck load (I use the term truck loosely here) of rock removed. I may have exceeded the Rangers payload capacity a bit 
I put down a weed blocking fabric, a layer of leveling sand then set 15 16" concrete pads with stone to fill the beds
3 loads of brush and 2 loads of stone/dirt removed so far to clean up around the front of the building. The rest of the area out front will have to wait till spring to get cleaned up.
I put down a weed blocking fabric, a layer of leveling sand then set 15 16" concrete pads with stone to fill the beds
3 loads of brush and 2 loads of stone/dirt removed so far to clean up around the front of the building. The rest of the area out front will have to wait till spring to get cleaned up.
C_F
ALLIANCE MEMBER
Those old photos are really great, what a cool find!
The work you've done outside looks really nice. I'm sure all the other business owners in the area sure appreciate that you're sprucing the place up, too.
The work you've done outside looks really nice. I'm sure all the other business owners in the area sure appreciate that you're sprucing the place up, too.
shortykorte
Well-known member
Cool find on the photos. Are you able to get any details out of them?
A few things I thought were interesting was it appears to say Ladies Rest Room above the east front door in the early pic, looks like the brick wall was painted white, which I am planning on doing in the spring and lastly was the pump placement when it was the Apco station. After finding the concrete pad in the corner I was thinking about placing a pump on it. Now I think I going to have a concrete island made just in front of that in the area I filled in with rock and put both pumps on it. It would be a little closer to the building than it appears to have been originally, but photographically I think it will look the best and I wouldn't have to do anything with the brick driveway.
Some work that has been accomplished this last week. First I was able to get the new side entry door installed. Looks like the weather is going to hold out this week with temps in the 60's so I should be able to get it painted green.
After opening up the wall for the door install I found the original restroom door was still intact and just boarded over on the outside. I'm not going to make it functional again, but I am going use it. I plan to close in the opening again, but recess it this time and then place the door on the outside screwed shut to the new framing leaving the handle and door jamb intact. Paint it green and put a restroom sign on the outside.
The walls have R19 insulation batts in them. When the building was remodeled in the 80's they built a false wall on the inside out of 2x4s and stepped it out from the brick wall to make enough depth for the batts. It also supports the frame work for the drop ceiling. I removed all that and reframed it with 2x8s placed against the outside brick wall. Dimensionally it is the same thickness as it was.
Some demo work getting started in the first bay of the shop area
And lastly I built what will be the "office" for the gas station to display some of my automotive memorabilia. It is roughly an 8x11 room.
Kinda hard to get a good pic of the inside. The walls are done and painted grey. The trim and door are about done, they just need one more coat of green. The floor has an underlayment glued down and is ready for the vinyl tiles to be installed.
Drove the wagon in one evening last week and couldn't resist not taking a couple pics out front before I left.
After opening up the wall for the door install I found the original restroom door was still intact and just boarded over on the outside. I'm not going to make it functional again, but I am going use it. I plan to close in the opening again, but recess it this time and then place the door on the outside screwed shut to the new framing leaving the handle and door jamb intact. Paint it green and put a restroom sign on the outside.
The walls have R19 insulation batts in them. When the building was remodeled in the 80's they built a false wall on the inside out of 2x4s and stepped it out from the brick wall to make enough depth for the batts. It also supports the frame work for the drop ceiling. I removed all that and reframed it with 2x8s placed against the outside brick wall. Dimensionally it is the same thickness as it was.
Some demo work getting started in the first bay of the shop area
And lastly I built what will be the "office" for the gas station to display some of my automotive memorabilia. It is roughly an 8x11 room.
Kinda hard to get a good pic of the inside. The walls are done and painted grey. The trim and door are about done, they just need one more coat of green. The floor has an underlayment glued down and is ready for the vinyl tiles to be installed.
Drove the wagon in one evening last week and couldn't resist not taking a couple pics out front before I left.
Last edited:
Randy Kegg
Active member
- Joined
- Jan 31, 2010
- Messages
- 43
I have been on the Garage Journal for several years, and this is the coolest restoration that I can remember. You are proceeding exactly the way that I would. I am so envious. Please don't stop posting your progress. there are many of us who live vicariously through you!
GLTHFJ60
Well-known member
Love the progress!! Keep it up!!
xtremek
Well-known member
Dang! Moving right along on this. At this rate, the next time I blink, you'll be done.
YJ4000
Well-known member
Enjoying your progress! Very cool picture of the wagon.
Ryan.
Ryan.
I took this pic to better show what the shop area is going to be, its a little easier to see since I started opening up some of the walls. This is standing in the front "clean room" doorway looking into what will be the shop area. Keep in mind the far wall is going to be removed and there is another stall on the other side of the wall. The shop area is 60ft long and will have 4 overhead doors.
Some of the trim going up in the office
Some of the trim going up in the office
53PontiacSD
Well-known member
That photo of the wagon would make a great picture on the wall in the office. Keep it going. You have an interesting build thread.
A few things I accomplished this week. I finished opening up the walls inside the first shop bay.
I painted the new entry door and replaced the rotten wood siding that had filled the opening for the old restroom door. I recessed the new piece to allow the old door to installed on the outside. I done a quick mock up to make sure it would work like I planned.
And lastly I finished up the trim and floor inside the front office area.
I painted the new entry door and replaced the rotten wood siding that had filled the opening for the old restroom door. I recessed the new piece to allow the old door to installed on the outside. I done a quick mock up to make sure it would work like I planned.
And lastly I finished up the trim and floor inside the front office area.
vonpahrkur
Active member
- Joined
- Nov 12, 2008
- Messages
- 32
too cool! an old gas station slipped through my fingers several years ago, glad to see you get this one and restore it. gonna be really neat!
PugetDude
ALLIANCE MEMBER
Looking good!
bulletpruf
Well-known member
You're making a lot of progress in a short amount of time. Are you taking some time off work or just working on it nights and weekends?
Do you have experience with construction? Seem to know what you're doing.
Scott
Do you have experience with construction? Seem to know what you're doing.
Scott
hemifalcon
Well-known member
Lots of people are going to pull on the door that has a "REST ROOM" sign on it... Just a thought as I ponder how cool this project is going to be...great progress thus far!
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
shortykorte
Well-known member
It's always been interesting how and why pervious owners would board up doors and windows, especially nice windows. Better they board them up rather than remove them to go to the landfill.
What is the very front space going to be?
Nice teaser shot with the wagon in front.
What is the very front space going to be?
Nice teaser shot with the wagon in front.
Mostly just an area for storage. I'm going to put shelves on the wall on the left. I may find an old metal desk and set up an office area on the other side under the window. It would probably be nice to have an area to put a laptop, keep parts catalogs, order parts and surf GJ of course.
38 Dodge Coupe
ALLIANCE MEMBER
HD FLHX,
I enjoy following your progress on your gas station resurrection. When you are done I am sure it will bring you a great deal of satisfaction to know that you brought it back to life.
I enjoy following your progress on your gas station resurrection. When you are done I am sure it will bring you a great deal of satisfaction to know that you brought it back to life.
Finishing up some drywall and rough electrical, may get some paint on the walls tomorrow.
This will be where the overhead door is going to be reinstalled. Originally it was a 10x9 door. I am going to be putting a 10x8 in since I didn't want to remove the drop ceiling. Thankfully the 2x6s are still in place around the opening on the inside to attach the door track to and in good shape.
A sign I had made for inside the gas station office and an old wood map rack I came across on ebay. I'm going to paint it white and put a couple Sinclair HC decals on the front
This will be where the overhead door is going to be reinstalled. Originally it was a 10x9 door. I am going to be putting a 10x8 in since I didn't want to remove the drop ceiling. Thankfully the 2x6s are still in place around the opening on the inside to attach the door track to and in good shape.
A sign I had made for inside the gas station office and an old wood map rack I came across on ebay. I'm going to paint it white and put a couple Sinclair HC decals on the front
C_F
ALLIANCE MEMBER
Nice work on the sign, especially where you are leaving people to guess the prices. "If you have to ask, then"...
The map rack will be a cool addition.