Primarily Petroliana Shop Talk Forums Shop Talk Petroliana Forums General Petroliana Discussion What kinda pump would this be?

I talked to a guy today that is selling an antique Gas Boy gas pump. I asked if it had odometer style numbers on it and he said there are no numbers on it and no glass on it anywhere. No face. He thinks one crank is equal to a gallon. I asked if this was a pump like would be at a service station and he said yes. He thinks it would be from the '50s. Can anyone tell me what kind of pump this would be?
If you can refer me to a picture it would be nice. Thanks!

hey browndog if you can email a pic i can post it for ya,

If it actually says Gasboy on it, it's probably one of the farm transfer pumps that just looks like a round cast housing with a crank and some pipe fittings. Kind of like what would be inside of some visibles.


Wes

Wes, when you say "visibles" you mean gas pumps as I know them at gas stations where I put gas in my car?

I take it Gasboy did make some of these crank transfer pumps.

When he was talking about crank operated I was hoping it would be a gas pump with electric pump, glass face with odometer style numbers and a crank to reset them.

Hey Browndog... Welcome to the best darn petro site on the web.... Check out the "Pump of the Month" in the "Showcase" forum. Those pumps are what is commonly reffered to as "Previsibles".... Does your pump look like any of those?

I haven't seen the pump. It's a long way to drive to get there and it not be what I want. If it don't have gallons and price numbers that roll odometer style as you are pumping gas in a "face" I don't want it. And from what he's told me it don't.

Still I'm curious as nobody around here seems to know what an antique crank operated gas pump would be unless it's something threads on the end of a pipe and is pushed down in a 55 gallon drum to pump contents out. And as everyone mentions they aren't necessarly antique. Still I've been told this is a gas station pump like you'd fill your car with and he guesses it's from the '50s. Well, I got a 72 year old neighbor who can't imagine what he's talking about. I have no clue. Just curious now. I guess the pre-visibles in the showcase forum might be it. I didn't know that kind pump existed.

So what is a visible? Is it one you see the gas in? or is it one that has a face with gallon and price numbers?

A visible pump is the type with the glass cylinder on the top. You pump the gas into the cylinder first, then put the nozzle into the can or car, to dispense what you have up in the cylinder.....



This is a previsible....



This is an old "Lubester" These would normaly pump one quart per stroke. Some barrel pumps resemble these.

So what years were the pre-visibles used? How about the visibles used? I thought the visibles were very old. I thought they were the, well, "origional" gas pumps. Last question what do you call pumps these days? Post-visibles?

Pre-visible 1900-1950 or later .

Visibles started around 1920.

Electrics came after that.
They come calculating and non calculating.

Pumps today are I think digital calculating.

If you had a copy of my Gas Pump Identification book (that is sold right here on this website) you would know what Gasboy pump you have.
Gasboy is a nickname for some of the pumps made by the William M Wilson's Sons, Inc. company of Lansdale, Pennslyvania. They could not have ever made a "Pre-visible" as they didn't go into business until the 1940s. Wilson never made a pump that would be on an island in a gas station. All their pumps were "Commercial" pumps meaning they were made for use in truck terminals, farms, taxi garages, or anywhere where the total cost of the gas was imaterial. Their pumps may have been used around back of the station to dispense kerosene. Their pumps only record the total number of gallons dispensed.
In the front of my book, I state I dislike the use of the word pre-visible, as I have seen pumps that were made in 1947 called a pre-visible, because they resembled a pump from before 1915. How can something be a pre-visible if it was made in the 1950s"
These are curb or commercial pumps.
The first visibles were actually Tokheims from the 1890s, as you could see how many gallons that were being dispensed.
Pumps that we like to call visibles (meaning they had a glass cylinder at the top of the pump) were first invented by either Fleckenstein or Guarantee around 1915-1917.
What you are looking at is a commercial pump, probably worth between $100 and $300 depending on which model it is.
Jack Sim



[This message has been edited by Jack Sim (edited 04-29-2006).]

Sounds like I have a lot to learn about gas pumps.

I still can't figure out what he's talking about but I'm fairly confident it isn't what I want. I want something like this one from the photo album. http://gaspumps.info/gallery/albums/original/kmannpotm3.sized.jpg

If anyone wants whatever it is he's selling he's in Reidsville, NC
336-349-5169. He's asking $45.

You can tell him this info was passed on to you by a listener to Trade Radio.

Thanks for all your help here. If I should ever purchase a pump I'll know where to come for info and help.

Thats a Gilbarco 906, introduced in 1953 and you should be paying around $500 for it, give or take a $100.
It's in the book, don't go out without it.
Jack Sim

Hey Brown Dog, get the book, worth every penny. I have friends that give me a hard time about all the pumps I have, but when there over at my house drinking all my beer, they will fan through the book for 20 min. at a time.

Brian

Whowa, I have no intention of paying $500 for a gas pump. $100 tops unrestored but in good complete condition. $150 if it's clean with a 5 or so year old paint job and ready to put beside my carport. I don't have to have any particular brand just like the rounded off corner rectangular pumps with odometer style numbers, no globe. Not crazy about those sight glass bubbles either.

Also wouldn't mind finding a light fixture that mounts on a wall with a pipe that comes out in kinda an upside down hook pattern and has a a round shade with a single bulb under it on the end. They don't have to be old as I see they have that same style around Applebees resturants. I see porcelain shades on ebay from time to time without the pipe but heck I'd take a sheet metal shade.

150.00 might buy 2 quarts of good paint.....