Gasoline overflow in the 50's

[Stephen Tashiro]

In my childhood, on a hot day sometimes I saw a car with gasoline overflowing from the gas tank. My father's explanation was that people bought a full tank of gas that was cool from being stored underground and the gas expanded as the car sat in the sun. I haven't seen this happen in modern times. What's changed? - is the automatic shut-off on gas pumps a modern thing?

[Lee Schierer]

The automatic shut off is part of the reason it tries to prevent you from over filling. That is why they don't want you to "top off". The other factor is that modern gas tanks are sealed so that vapors can't escape. The caps will let air in, but nothing goes out unless you remove the gas cap. I also think that modern tanks are designed with some air space so that the expanding gasoline can compress the air and vapors inside the tank. The plastic tanks are also more flexible than the old steel ones.

[Alan Rutherford]

... is the automatic shut-off on gas pumps a modern thing?

My first real job while in high school was working in a gas station. (Lasted one day, but found another station that was willing to keep me on longer.) There were no automatic shutoffs then (1956) and I never really felt confident that I was getting a tank full unless I went too far.

[Tom M King]

My job as a teenager was filling boats with gas, and oil. There were no auto shutoff nozzles in the '60's either.

edited to add: The pay was small, but the bikini's were smaller.

[Bruce Wrenn]

My job as a teenager was filling boats with gas, and oil. There were no auto shutoff nozzles in the '60's either.

edited to add: The pay was small, but the bikini's were smaller.They had bikini's when you were a teenager? I must be a lot older than you.

[Alan Rutherford]

My job as a teenager was filling boats with gas, and oil. There were no auto shutoff nozzles in the '60's either.

edited to add: The pay was small, but the bikini's were smaller.


I thought I was pretty cool working in a gas station but you sure ruined that for me.

[Frank Drackman]

During school I had a job at a gas station. When the other kids talked about their exciting summer plans I would tell them that I was going to work on the islands.

[Michael Weber]

Pumped gas for a summer in mid 60’s. I have many fond memories from cleaning windshields.:eek:

[Stephen Tashiro]

There were no automatic shutoffs then (1956) and I never really felt confident that I was getting a tank full unless I went too far.

Another thing I saw in the 50's were cars where the finish was discolored around gas tank cap - apparently from gas overflows. I haven't noticed this in modern times. I wonder if this is because overflows are rare - or is it because car finishes are more durable?

[Frank Pratt]

Another thing I saw in the 50's were cars where the finish was discolored around gas tank cap - apparently from gas overflows. I haven't noticed this in modern times. I wonder if this is because overflows are rare - or is it because car finishes are more durable?

Probably a little of each.

Since this has turned into a bit of an old fart discussion, I'll tell about the time in the early '70's when I went to the gas station & got a very dirty look from the attendant when I asked for $.25 worth of regular. No danger of overflow there :rolleyes:

[Bill Dufour]

I have noticed if I am in traffic by a older carburetor car at a stop light I can quickly smell the unburned gasoline coming out the tailpipe.
A neighbor growing up had old gas station price signs as tin roof panels for his chicken house. Prices stayed the same for years so they had permanent signs with the price painted on.
Bil lD

[Mike Null]

A quarter's worth of gas was pretty much a standard purchase when I was in high school. If my buddies were along we might splurge for 75 cents worth. This year marks our 65th class reunion.

[Jim Koepke]

Back in the day 25¢ worth of gas would get me all over town.

Of course if this were in the later '70s it might not get some cars out of the gas station driveway.

jtk

[Rick Potter]

In my area in the late '50's it was very common to just put a bucks worth of gas (4 gal) in at a time. Continuous gas wars for years kept the price at about $.25 for quite a while. HS grad- 1960

Best I ever paid was in the late 60's in Texas. $.22 per gallon on a trip...it left my tailpipe yellow with sulfur residue.

Then the first oil crisis in '73....price doubled from about $.30 to $.50-60. Then the second round in '78, and it doubled again.


Perspective: Late '50's, I was in High School, making $1.25 an hour.
1964, I got married, making $2.50 an hour cleaning carpets. Same year started as Fireman for $440 mo.
1973, Promoted... making $1150 mo.
1978, Promoted... making $1600 mo.

'70's years were inflationary, with prices rising on everything, not just oil.

[Doug Dawson]

In my childhood, on a hot day sometimes I saw a car with gasoline overflowing from the gas tank. My father's explanation was that people bought a full tank of gas that was cool from being stored underground and the gas expanded as the car sat in the sun. I haven't seen this happen in modern times. What's changed? - is the automatic shut-off on gas pumps a modern thing?

Carbon canisters. Hard to say much more on a touchscreen, I can’t type on this darn thing, never could.