Bought this in a barn in southern Illinois and would love input from those who know these better than I do.
It is a red square tank with a Marathon Endurance Motor Oil stenciled label with a Bennett hand-crank pump mounted on top.
The Bennett nameplate reads “Bennett Incorporated, Muskegon, Michigan.”
The fill cap has a stamped code that reads BP515.
My questions:
1. Can anyone help date this more precisely? I have landed on circa 1939–1945 based on the red color scheme (post-orange era) and the hand-crank pump style. Does BP515 mean anything to anyone?
2. Is the nameplate reading “Bennett Incorporated” consistent with a specific production era, or did that corporate name run longer than I think?
3. The stenciled Marathon logo is fragile, paint lifting at the edges, rust coming through underneath. What is the safest way to clean the tank without disturbing it? Currently thinking mineral spirits on the logo area only and something more aggressive on the rest of the tank.
4. What is the correct red for this era? Looking for a paint code or match if I do any touch-up around (not on) the logo.
Photos attached. Any help appreciated.
