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As part of a varied list of what types of petrolania items some people collect, I thought I would share a recent project of mine. I have a 1929 Ford Model A Sport Coupe, and one of the carryover items from the Model T days was an accessory set of water, gas and oil cans that mounted on the running board. Well, my Sport Coupe had a scissors-style clamp-on rack unit, but I wanted to keep it mostly collapsed, so at to not interfere with the opening of the passenger-side door. This requirement resulted in my only having a tiny bit of room on the running board with which to add some kind of cool accessories inside the small clamp-on unit.

It took me a few months to find them, but I eventually came up with an original Boyco 1-gallon oil can, and a matching Boyco 2-gallon gas can. Both needed a total restoration before installing on the running board, or course. However, I just finished this project and am quite happy with how it all turned-out!

Hope you enjoy the first 4 pictures (I'll post the 5th and final photo in a moment) and seeing some "portable" items from the world of both vintage cars and petro collecting!

Boyco OIL Can BEFORE Pic.JPG
OIL can (before restoration)

Boyco OIL Can AFTER Pic.JPG
OIL can (after restoration)

Boyco GAS Can BEFORE Pic.JPG
GAS can (before restoration)

Boyco GAS Can AFTER Pic.JPG
GAS can (after restoration)

Last edited by Bob'sOldGarage; Sun Apr 06 2014 09:27 PM.
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Here is the last photo, which now shows both cans installed inside my running board unit...

Oil & Gas Cans on Running Board.JPG
Gas and Oil cans installed on Model A running board...

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Very nice!!


Always looking for Standard Oil of Indiana, or any globes!
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X2


Collecting Vintage Sunoco
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Looks great Bob and I like the scissor clamp.
question: was this a standard option for the era?

Kurt

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Nice!


Braden Splichal

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Hi Kurt,

Yes, the scissor-style running board unit was a widely-available aftermarket accessory, sold at first for the Model T's and then on into the Model A era. They were used to hold just about anything on the running boards of the car, from luggage to water jugs, etc. I guess in those days people took advantage of all available space on the car to take-along whatever they needed, especially since there were too few service stations out on the open road (at least, at first). This is why Model T's and Model A's both came with factory-furnished tool kits, including all the tools needed to disassemble your tires from the rims on the side of the road, to patch the inner tubes and then put it all back together. (A bicycle pump was also included, for reinflating the tire). People were pretty self-sufficient back then, mostly out of necessity, I suppose...

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Originally wouldn't the Largest can be used for Water, Medium can for Gasoline & Smaller can for Oil?

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Thanks for getting back. I imagine back in the day that you better be prepared if you're planning to drive your auto.

Kurt

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Thanks for getting back. I imagine back in the day that you better be prepared if you're planning to drive your auto.

Kurt

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Actually, there's a couple of different versions of the original running board can sets, depending on the manufacturer. In this case, as far as Boyco (the largest and most well-known supplier of these) goes, one of their sets had a 1-gallon can (blue) for oil, a 2-gallon can (red) for gasoline, and then a 1-gallon can (white) for water. (I only intend to have the two cans shown in my photos, due to no more room on the running board without blocking the door). I've seen pics of other versions, however, such as where each of the cans only hold 1-gallon of each fluid (in fact, there is a reproduction set currently being offered by all the Model T and Model A suppliers, which features 3 small 1-gallon cans in a rack, unfinished and ready for painting... plus, they need to be soldered if you want to put fluids in them).

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OK, as a follow-up to my earlier discussion about my oil and gas can finds... I had my Model A at a small local car show last weekend... and this guy walks up to me with an original white 2-gallon Boyco water can in his hands. He had noticed the two cans on my running board and approached me to tell me that he had just bought his can at a garage sale about three blocks away from the car show. He only paid $5 for it, and offered to sell it to me for a mere $20, seeing as how I could actually use the thing. Of course, I jumped at the chance to grab yet another original can (patent date of 1919!), and even though it was still full of water, there was no hint of rusting anywhere inside the thing, just a few dents here and there.

As with the others, I chemically stripped-off the original flaking white paint, and then repainted it, adding a couple of decals to it as well. The before-and-after pictures tell the story, but I guess it pays to be in the right spot at the right time!

Boyco 2-Gallon Water Can Pic2.JPG Boyco 2-Gallon Water Can Pic17.JPG
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Looks great. Car show and a good buy...sounds like a great day!


Dave GILL,
Dave's Garage & Memorabilia, Inc.
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Wow, looks good


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Here's how I've decided to display the restored Boyco Water Can, on the rear of my Model A...

Antique Auto Trunk Pic28.JPG
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