Primarily Petroliana Shop Talk Forums Shop Talk Petroliana Forums General Petroliana Discussion Question about Blue Sunoco colors...

Looking at the PCM guide, the Sunoco pumps all have the deep royal blue colors...even on the spear style repop stickers for blue sunoco. Yet the globes have the lighter blue letters and I have seen some older pumps painted the lighter blue to match the globe....and still have the darker blue spear type label on the front. What is actually correct or did it matter. Thanks.

Do what Pleases YOU, the next owner can/will repaint to what pleases them.

Thanks for the reply. The history interests me as i'm wondering if they actually did use 2 different colors. Was there a color change at some point or did sunoco us both thru the years...maybe depending on location or something?

Sunoco has always seemed to favor playing light colors off dark colors. Just check out the red and yellow on some of the plates and/or signs. I like it personally.

How about the blue though...was it always light blue for a while then the darker blue, or did they use both simultaneously? I remember only the darker blue growing up and working at these stations.

Match you colors to signs/decals your going to use. It'll look Much better than having Company Correct colors w/ Computer generated Off Color REPOP stuff.

http://www.sunoco.be/uk/data/corporateID/petronasbelgium.pdf


According to their company website, their logo has always been that same color blue, somewhat darkish I guess.

Eddie: Thanks for posting that.....great info....seems to me that they have defined a standard but it doesnt always apply. I'm seeing the new sunoco standard is the lighter shade of blue these days but then I'll see old color pics with a much darker color maybe on the pumps but the signage at the station will be lighter. I'm figuring they mixed it up somewhat.

Dick...thanks again. For sure I'll be matching the colors if I do a sunoco pump (except for the globe of course which is the way it is).

Heres a couple of restos that kind of demonstrate what I am describing:

Personally, I think there are only 2 ways to do anything. Match it with the company (color seen in the link I gave you) or, probably the more fun option, and as DB said, do what works for you.

This is all for the purpose of what brings the best memories to you.

Most people associate Texaco with Red, black, and white. If I ever do a Texaco pump it'll be green because I love their SkyChief brand.

Have fun with it

36B is a FANTASY Clock Face KIT & faces should be switched.
Do you like the 3 color effect?

I'll definitely do what i'm used to seeing but what I was trying to find out is what did sunoco do over the years....i'm a little bit of a history buff too.

That 36B is wierd looking to me and I dont like the 2 different shades of blue at all. But it is a good example of the 2 colors of blue that I was referring too. The MS80 has the darker blue that i'm used to but the globe has the lighter blue that you can see on the 36B.

Perfect example of using REPOP items w/ [close to] correct colors.
Most 13.5" Globes & Decals Are NOT made by same company, rarely match colors.

I see..that would explain the different 'blues' on the sunoco pumps i'm seeing. The big question would be what are the correct colors...the light or dark....and for what year. Sunoco, like some others, really intrigues me.

I was just looking at some repop pump plates vs originals and the differences are evident...so like you say...match the colors the best you can.

Original Sunoco Signs & globes are not real expensive.

Thanks. I was referring to the colors. I like the darker blue myself.

We've always used a dark blue when restoring Sunoco pumps. You can see examples on my site and blog....a recent MS80 adtop. I think it looks better. Just my opinion. Paul www.severngaspumps.com

Dark looks better to me. Both blue and yellow.

You're wise to do research & seek what shade they originally used back then,instead of what todays computer generated decal dictates.
I wouldn't use a decal to color match anything today.

Why go to all the trouble of disassembling/stripping/priming/painting & re-assembling it all to the wrong shade?
And then sell this to a Sunoco collector in the future,with the understanding he's gonna have to repaint it to a more realistic darker Sunoco shade?
Todays world is full of "pleases you pumps",and shortcuts.
Good for you for going the extra mile.

Thanks for all the replies and Rick thanks for the encouraging words. It seems the darker is more 'correct' although my research shows both were used. Most of the decals are definitely darker -some, depending on the version (round, square,spear style) are lighter, and the globes can be the same way. My conclusions are that sunoco probably had a standard back then as they do now and most tried to stick to that but there were variations. Weathering could have had something to do with it also. I dont think anyone knows for sure. A couple more pics illustrating my point:

...damn straight...

All original Sunoco globes use the dark blue letters. I have 3 different originals and they all have dark blue. only time i have seen lighter blue is in repop's.

I noticed a different color whith the globes also. Thanks.