Primarily Petroliana Shop Talk Forums Shop Talk Petroliana Forums General Petroliana Discussion Changing Brands

I think I asked this before, but is it worng to change a pump's gas brand? I have a deisel Standard M&S 80, but I want to change it to an ad glass top Sunoco. Is this type of rebranding and restyling frowned upon by the collecting community?
-Mike

MIKE -
ALOT OF THOUGHT GOES INTO WHAT A PUMP SHOULD BE WHEN IT'S FINISHED. I SPENT SIX MONTHS SCRATCHIN' MY HEAD FLIPPING COINS
AND PULLING NAMES FROM HATS. THE RESTO TOOK 10 WEEKS! IN THE END THE PUMP SHOULD BE WHATEVER YOU WANT IT TO BE AND IT SHOULD LOOK HOWEVER YOU WANT IT TOO.
PUMPS ARE NOT RELIGIOUS NOR DO THEY HAVE SEXES. GO WITH WHATEVER YOUR HEAD AND HEART WANT TO LOOK AT IN YOUR OWN COLLECTION. GOOD LUCK....POST PICS....AND CARRY ON!

DOC @ TAG/WEST
drcoke@optonline.net

Mike, pumps were made by companies like Wayne, Bennett, and in your case Martin/Swartz. Each model was the same from the factory, and shipped to the user. Sunoco, Texaco, Shell etc. At that point most of them were "Branded" with the retailers signage and colors. So, Your pump could have started as a Texaco, then the station could have been bought out by Standard pumping Regular, later, it could have been changed to Diesel. Most of us just decide what color or brand we'd like to paint it, and then go for it. We normally use the decal colors, or globe colors to match the paint. I guess what I'm trying to say, is "there are no rules" other than to have fun with it. Paint it what ever you want. We don't care. No points taken off, no loss of yardage. As Frankie says "just do it".

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Don "oltoydoc" Sherwood
Vintage Gas

Hi, Mike. Glad I could help in your other post (and about that M&E tag...put it inside the pump if you need to but, yes, keep it).

I agree with other posters....you need to do what makes you happy. Restoring it as Sunoco will look great. Now when it comes to restoring, I tend to be a traditionalist. Try as hard as you can to match the original paint colors, logos, decals, globe, etc.

By the way, I restored my 1947 M&S80 to its original Standard Oil look (down to the last detail, including a crown globe). If you change your mind and decide to restore back to Standard, I can guarantee you that it looks beautiful when finished! (Sorry, no photos to post.)

Good luck, and be sure to take both "Before" and "After" photos for your scrapbook. Then post a few on this forum when you're done. Actually, how about posting a "Before" right away?? I'd love to see what you have...do you have the M&S short base or the tall base version?

yeah when you get ready to restore you can pretend your getting the pump ready for your (whatever brand) station like your getting ready to open for business.

ive had a few pumps that had been painted more different colors than i could believe, layer after layer of paint. I think one pump must have been every brand in the country at one time or another.- its all those HOLES they drilled in the doors (changing brands or grades) that bother me!

BUT if i get a nice original pump anymore i cant force mysaelf to restore it, i just restore the nAsTy / gRuNgY lookin ones, whenever i see a NICE original pump im just like a magnet drawn to it.

Thanks everyone. I already got the ad glass top comming, so I look forward to getting it. This pump is a low base no sight glass model. It has the wayne black circle faces in near mint condition with only small chips on the very edge of the faces. It is in good shape, but the paint is worn and stained brown from rust, and the decails are worn American Premier Diesel, with a large decail of the Standard sign under the stripe. Originaly the top was white, and the bottom was Light blue. I like the pump as is, but I think it will look better restored. I was also not very impressed with the color scheme. I fell in love with the Sunoco Ad Glass top when I saw it on Ron Bettin's site. I liked this pump, and as I said it is in great shape, but to me it looked boring, even with a globe on it, so I started the search for an ad Glass top, and I finally found one. That top will soon be in the mail.
-Mike

Hi Mike, If it makes you feel any better, I recently acquired a Wayne 70 that has one Texaco Fire Chief ad glass, one Sinclair H-C ad glass, and both doors were branded with Conoco decals. It's sort of a "take-your-pick" pump, I guess! Actually, I am considereing changing the brand all together (or brands) and going with something like Polly or Sunoco...Mobilmel

Theres two things I concider when restoring a pump: Mobilgas or Mobilgas special. Do your pump with whatever you like

Hi Mike- Have fun with your pump,and when
It's done be sure and post pic's.
I too like the Sunoco look.

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JERRY