FROZEN IN TIME - Incredible Abandoned Gas Station in New Mexico

[@ForgottenUSA]

Be sure to follow @forgottenusa on Instagram to follow my adventures daily!

[@kdmigloo]

@@ForgottenUSA That might be 39.9 a half gallon.

[@MrKin1964]

@@kdmigloo 1.39 that’s why the dollar amount was whited out the pumps couldn’t calculate over .99 per gallon. Take the gallons and manually figure it

[@pieromontemaggioreschreibe2615]

Cool! Is part of the American culture and history!

[@kdmigloo]

@@MrKin1964 we had a big problem with customers when we had to price 1/2 gals. the 39.9 seems cheap for unleaded. cant remember price in 74 when introduced, but it was 74.9 in july of 1977

[@laz288]

That Amoco gas station was owned by Canuto Sanchez you can even see it on the Credit Card Machine plate (also known as the knuckle buster). His middle name was Newt and the gas station name was Newt’s American Service. They purchased the Plains Motel which was next door in 1966 and opened the station in 1967. In 78 they opened a DQ that is why the signs are in there. It was an Amoco and closed in 1974 and reopened in 1975 under the Exxon name and closed in 1980.

[@ForgottenUSA]

Wow thanks for that info! Do you know the owner or are you from the area that you know all of that? I’d love to know how you got all that great info!

[@69ChevyGarage]

Great back story on the ownership. Those pumps look way too new and don't match the time gas was last at that price. Heck in 1974 gas was around .53 gal. 1980 was over $1.00 gal. Those pumps appear mid 80's at least. When I left NY in '90 those pumps were still commonly used. In fact, at my place of employment we actually still use this type of pump, albeit, they are beat up pretty bad. Great find though, I wish I could acquire them for a vintage style Route 66 service station I am building on my property. When was the last time you drove over that black hose and heard that bell ringing. Great times!

[@lacrewpandora4164]

@@69ChevyGarage It looks like there's a sticker in front of the price...probably used to show $1, but is now faded by the sun. Those old pumps didn't have enough dials for when gas jumped above a dollar, so they just added the sticker. I assume that the price was $1.39...not $0.39.

[@1993MAZDAMIATA]

How do you know

[@JoeBob1955]

Those pumps are 1960s Tokheim Explorer pumps. They originally went up to 99.9 cents per gallon. They were upgraded when gasoline went over a buck per gallon. These were once very common gas pumps. Haven't seen any now for decades.

[@richardnunez3474]

I'm astounded with this world being what it is that no one has ether vandalized or robbed this place. Amazing video ty!

[@ForgottenUSA]

I was also surprised, yet thankful that this place has remained largely free from vandals and thieves! Thank you, I'm glad you enjoyed it and thanks for watching!

[@robk1310]

You should call American Pickers. They would like this stuff.

[@themechanicman3865]

It doesn't surprise me not one bit because there's people that own things and there's places that I've been in life that are still the same and it's been 30 years Edwin stops in the middle of nowhere people don't usually mess with something like that but it is cool to see

[@phillip6500]

Bro that dirty thing that you were saying was a cash registers a credit card machine. You would slide it

[@francis8062]

Screwdrivers still here! That's incredible! In Italy it would have been vandalized in less than 15 minutes after closing... So sad. I love the vintage US cars stuffs, this gas station is a pearl!

[@DramaMustRemainOnTheStage]

That old "cash register" was actually a credit card machine. You would move levers on top to put to correct charge, put credit card in designated spot, put carbon paper filled form down. Then pull handle over credit card slip and it would have embossed card with numbers you had dialed in and print form. Customer would sign top form. Station would keep cardboard copy on back and middle copy would go to bank to be charged to credit card. Old times there are not forgotten

[@ForgottenUSA]

That's so interesting. My gut told me that it had something to do with the payment process for the gas station, just based on where it was and the fact that it slightly resembled a cash register, but I had a feeling it wasn't exactly a "cash register". Thank you for explaining that so clearly for me, now I'll always know one when I see it! It's such a far cry from what we see used today, and it really wasn't that long ago that this was used when you think about it. Anyways, thank you for the sub and for supporting my channel! It's greatly appreciated and means a lot!

[@thejasonbourne]

Didn't see your comment before I posted below. Glad to know I'm not the only one that knows how the credit card machine works. LOL!!

[@DramaMustRemainOnTheStage]

@@thejasonbourne I know how envelopes with Windows work too. Means the credit card bill is due lol

[@thejasonbourne]

@@DramaMustRemainOnTheStage #9 or #10? LOL!!!

[@DramaMustRemainOnTheStage]

@@thejasonbourne oh you are a sly one. #9 fits in #10. So they are kind enough to provide you with a #9 return envelope. BAM lol

[@roberthigbee3260]

Holy crap, I just realized I am now officially old 'cause this just looks like a normal everyday gas station to me.

[@ForgottenUSA]

hahaha

[@hilltopmachineworks2131]

Yep. Same here. I had an Amoco gas card.

[@markalbert9390]

Me too. When he said this is how oil used to come, I said, well how does it come now?

[@FunkSkunkOfficial]

I feel like I saw one of those before and I was born in 2007 lol

[@FunkSkunkOfficial]

I remember oils being in cans too as I thought canned oil was still common good times

[@donniegaus6237]

Really cool. Worked in a gas station from 1972-1976 through high school. Operated those exact same pumps as the outside ones. Credit card machine was the same as well as the candy machine. Brings back a lot of memories.

[@EmmyPierz-ek7hi]

Thank you for letting me share My 1970’s Standard Oil memories. CB (EP)

[@francis8062]

Screwdrivers still here! That's incredible! In Italy it would have been vandalized in less than 15 minutes after closing... So sad. I love the vintage US cars stuffs, this gas station is a pearl! It could be a museum!

[@joeg9920]

And also in the good old USA.

[@EmmyPierz-ek7hi]

While returning from Clearwater Florida to Cleveland Ohio In January 1976 in my new firethorn triple red 1975&1/2 Chevy Monza Town Coupe with a manual 5 speed transmission, I would stop at almost every EXXON service station to gas up with my gold Sohio credit card ( which I STILL have)and dreamt of owning my own EXXON service station. Ahhhhh... good personal memories. Can’t thank you enuff for posting this abandoned EXXON station. Brought back to me a flood of good memories I lived a a young man in a time that waz much better & simpler in the 1970’s. CB (EP)

[@FoxFaderWorld]

Without doubt the '1' on the gas pump price has been erased by time. This what the stations did when gas got over 99 cents a gallon, the added a label inside for the $1. Some never even got the total "geared" properly to reflect the correct cost. This is why the total was covered or "marked out". I highly doubt gas was 39 cents out west in the 90's. $1.39 makes more sense. On the oil cans, we used to use a spout that stabbed into the top of the can. That's what made that big hole in the can you showed. Nice find!

[@ForgottenUSA]

Thanks for that great info! That's really interesting, and I never would have known that. You're right that gas wasn't $0.39/gallon in the 90's, however, it was 39 cents in the early 70's, which led me to believe that this could have also been the time this station closed down. I was truly unsure of whether this station closed in the early 70's or the 90's. Although the 90's seem more likely, especially based on what you told me, there's still other things here that point to it closing in the 70's. It only adds to the mystery of this place, and that's what makes it so special to me! Thank you for watching and taking the time to comment with that great info!

[@FoxFaderWorld]

@@ForgottenUSA You're welcome. Your video brought back a lot of memories!

[@ForgottenUSA]

@@FoxFaderWorld I'm really glad to hear that! Thank you for watching and taking the time to comment and support my channel!

[@jamesgames5440]

If you look closely at the blue sticker on the pumps inside the station, it says "tested and approved March 1980"

[@indysilver_02]

The license plate tags expiring Dec of 92 makes me think that's probably about when they closed the doors

[@batterymakermarkii2654]

Those pumps are the kind I remember as a kid.

[@FUL0H8]

The rate of decay is slowed so much by the desert climate. Same reason why the military keeps aircraft out there. The environment is perfect for preservation.

[@johnbehneman1546]

THANK YOU SO MUCH!!! THAT VINTAGE GAS STATION NEEDS TO BE BOUGHT AND RESTORED!!!! A GREAT TOURIST ATTRACTION ON ROUTE 66!!!!! GREAT VIDEO AND THANKS FOR SHARING!!!!

[@EmmyPierz-ek7hi]

Gas went to 99.9 summer of 1979 during the 2nd gas crisis of the 70’s. First was early 1974... I worked for a Sohio ( Standard Oul of Ohio ) then. We sold our daily fuel allocation for the day, closed the pumps at noon with outside plackard signs. Service bays remained open til 10 pm closing time. Drivers stopped in after their work shift, threatened us with our very lives if we didn’t sell them fuel. Scary times working as an 18 year old male. In 1979, the service stations began to add to their outside price signs, a blank sign in front of the first 9 in 99.9... That was sure a wake up call- gas over $1.00 a gallon! Quite a shocker the summer of 1979!

[@christopherhennessey8403]

To think this shop would've been busy once,many laughs,conversations and friendships made 😢 thanks for your video

[@STEWCAT88]

I would go crazy if I saw this place in person. I like old gas stations.

[@ForgottenUSA]

I started to go crazy once I saw the pumps and realized how old, yet perfectly preserved they were. Then when I got inside and saw everything else, I started to realize how special this place really was. Thanks for watching!

[@ChiralSpirals]

I know exactly what you mean. I love taking a day off and hunting em down when I can.

[@MilesCobbett]

Well its in rt 66

[@tomjordan688]

@@ForgottenUSA Watch your back, everyone's probably watching that station secretly. Small fortune of equiptment there...

[@davidfountain6934]

Need to preserve these old stations because the day is rapidly coming when young folks wont even know what an auto shop or gas pump looks like, sad great vid man brought back memories.

[@antblake1030]

I live in New Mexico and see quite a few abandoned things. Sad to see all of the vintage technology that is left to rot.

[@ForgottenUSA]

I was quite surprised at the amount of abandoned things I saw there while I was on this trip. I was also surprised at the many types of abandoned places there were, like everything from small sheds and houses to entire towns. New Mexico was beautiful and full of culture and history, and I only scratched the surface while I was there. I can't wait to make it back out there one day for a trip to explore even more of the state!

[@sickofthestupid1067]

I can smell the inside of that gas station .

[@JT-1969]

The oil cans didn’t peal back, you had a very sturdy metal spout you punched through the top, then poured the oil out. The machine by the front door was not a cash register, it was a credit card machine, you’d lay a credit card on it, put a three carbon receipt over the card, pull the lever to one side and push it back, it would transfer the credit card number, name, expiration date to the paper, the gas attendant would fill in the amount, and you’d sign, you’d get a copy, gas station kept a copy and one went to the bank.

[@ronnrogers9459]

Yes I remember those types of credit card machines LOL

[@rickschwartz2447]

they also had a book with bad card numbers in it

[@Wa3ypx]

My dad had a credit card in the mid 60's. He stopped in Bird-in-Hand, PA, got gas and gave the attendant his card. They didnt know what it was and he had to explain what it was. He never did get charged for the gas.

[@rpkietur]

@@rickschwartz2447 the print was SO small in those books. if you had a busy location you couldnt look up those numbers.

[@my2cents945]

I still have one of those spouts in my tool chest. What an old fart I am. :-)

[@stepheneggert9474]

I love that vintage station..I would be at home there working it.. and repairing cars. ,. Old School service station. It was in my blood growing up..my dad owned a 5 bay station..till 1999..the end of those full service.

[@philhamlett2223]

There are stations all over North America that still use those old Tokheim dispensers. The original registers have had to be rebuilt to accept higher than .999 cents per gallon prices. Tokheim finally went out of business in the early 2000's.

[@mrhockeyguy-wf3im]

I love that style of old gas pumps. Look so freaking cool and remind me of my childhood so much.

[@jimmymeetsworld464]

That station needs to be preserved looking that good with so much still in there, and no graffiti. There is one Route 66 gas station in NM I filmed where I want to go back and clean it out. Just love the lifeline stops along the 66!

[@RyanLeCocq]

This is what half our state looks like. I could show you half a dozen abandoned truck stops, 2 theme parks and several resorts. In New Mexico, the apocalypse happened 500 years ago.

[@ForgottenUSA]

It's a shame. I remember being very surprised at the amount of abandoned places in New Mexico during my first time visiting last Fall. I'm actually doing another trip out there at some point in the near future, so if you'd actually like to show me some locations or at least tell me about as many as you know, please do!

[@SpockvsMcCoy]

I thought Clovis, N.M. was the most forsaken place when I lived there during the early to mid-1980s.

[@savannahsmiles1797]

this is why you do not name a town after aliens...

[@Sameoldage]

Yeah our state went thru the apocalypse years ago- I agree

[@Randy.E.R]

I worked at a Shell gas station in 1978-1980 very similar to this one. Many people ask what happened to the old full service gas stations. I lived through the end times of full service, I can tell you what happened. The Arab oil embargo of the mid 1970s and the oil shortage that followed, crippled most gas stations. Gasoline was often hard to come by, we were sometimes limited to how much gas we could sell. There were odd/even days depending on the last digit of the car's license plates. It got to the point there was little profit in gasoline sales. Some station owners laid off attendants and switched to self service, they also shuttered the garage in favor of convenience stores to turn a profit. The owner of the Shell station I worked for closed the station. It was sad; Floyd bought the station in 1971 and paid off the loan within a year. That is how profitable the American gas station used to be. Its a bygone era. My biggest takeaway was the aritmetic skills I picked up working there in high school. There was no digital cash register, I made change at the window of the car with a coin dispenser worn on my belt and a wad of cash in my pocket. I had to count back the change to what the customer paid me, NOT count back the change I was handing to them. I think every high school student should learn how its done, but that is another bygone era

[@cammobus]

I was counting back change when I worked a gas station on Capitol Hill in Washington DC in 1990

[@mrchrislatino]

I'm amazed that this has survived theft and vandalism. I think it's 90's, the license plates and also the gas pump price of the uninstalled pumps inside the building is $1.39. Gas was 39 cents when I got my license in '74 but in the late 70's it started going over a dollar and most stations didn't have pumps for sales over 99 cents. There was a period of time when it was common for the attendant (no self serve) would add $1 per gallon to the final price. If the pump read $3.90 for 10 gallons he would add $10 ($1 per gallon more) for a total of $13.90.

[@ForgottenUSA]

Interesting stuff! Thanks for watching!

[@prs149]

Even if it's only been vacant for 20( More or less) years, Hard to imagine nobody's vandalized or whatever

[@richardashwood5771]

Great video. Looking at that old station brought back some great memories of my teen years when I was working at a Sohio station in the early 70’s. I can almost smell it. It’s a shame that we’ll never again see service stations like this in use. We diffidently lost the “service” in gas stations. I’d like to have that large road map unit for my garage.

[@ForgottenUSA]

Glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for watching!

[@jamesqualls8125]

Exactly right 😢, very sad!

[@G8T3R]

1:27 back in the day, you had 2 choices, Unleaded Gas and Regular Gas. Regular gasoline contained lead, which the EPA banned in 1996 for use for on-road vehicles. Regular gas also had a higher octane rating. The higher the octane the more horsepower.

[@thejasonbourne]

100% correct. One side of the pump had gas with lead and the other was unleaded. I haven't seen pumps like those since the 1980s. Those gas pumps are probably 40-50 years old. By the look of things I say this place closed down in the early-90s after the first Gulf War.

[@ForgottenUSA]

@@thejasonbourne That's a good guess, I tend to think it was around that time period too, but there's really no way to know for sure, and we may never know. Thank you guys for sharing your experiences along with those great pieces of information. I definitely learned something new reading them!

[@gregory46236]

Glad you mentioned that

[@DramaMustRemainOnTheStage]

@@ForgottenUSA my grandson is 20. A couple of years ago he got interested in vinyl records as so many do. I looked at him while he proudly showed me a "new" old album he had purchased. I looked at him and asked "hey Cole, how many grooves are on they record?" He looked puzzled. I replied "only one!" It blew his mind lol. Yep one continuous groove

[@justm1ke]

There was also premium available although not everywhere. I know because I found out the hard way that some 2-stroke oils would not mix with the premium offered where I lived.

[@lonzosmith7618]

i feel so happy because no one attempt to steal anything and still preserves the tools and machines inside the shop ❤️

[@DramaMustRemainOnTheStage]

You have to flip the lever after taking nozzle off. I had forgotten that. Thank you

[@ForgottenUSA]

it's before my time, but I love learning about all the little details that trigger people's nostalgia!

[@DramaMustRemainOnTheStage]

@@ForgottenUSA it's awesome to be reminded. Old brain cells pop to life again lol

[@justm1ke]

On some older pumps, flipping the lever also reset the total. Later, keys were added due to folks putting fuel in then flipping the handle to reset and pay for a couple of gallons instead of a fillup.

[@issuma8223]

There's plenty of that type still in service in rural Maine.

[@EmmyPierz-ek7hi]

Awesome Video Blast from the Past Thank you for posting it

[@joshlujan7019]

I wish people would get back into simplicity. I envy the old timers because they had it damn good. please help preserve roadside America..

[@saintracheljarodm.holy-kay2560]

Yes the world moves fast enough, and if your in a spot where you can get in on these places it's really nice. It's a trade off to some degree, not so bad.🤫👍

[@passiveaggressivenegotiato8087]

ok, those old pump handle values didn't seal perfectly, so they drooled /evaporated leaded gas into this orange residue. This was one of the reasons for fullservice stations, that went back to when gas pumping was really messy. Another reason is cars used/leaked more oil and transmission fluid. Brake fluid more often than now.

[@bradrichards6107]

I remember gas stations and gas pumps like that as a kid. That station is from a bygone era, unfortunately. I remember oil in metal and cardboard cans too. I am getting old.

[@patrickwolbach]

I’ve been there before! My wife and I were on a road trip back in September 2020 and I had to stop to take pictures. Didn’t want to go inside, but it was so neat to see those old gas pumps.

[@ForgottenUSA]

Awesome! I was there in late October 2020. As a matter of fact, I think it was actually Halloween day haha. So we were there around the same time. Do you remember if you could have walked through the door?

[@patrickwolbach]

I can’t remember. I don’t have a good picture of the door to see if there was glass or not. Would’ve been cool to go inside though!

[@heroknaderi]

Wow what an amazing discovery. It’s amazing that place is still standing/ Nice to see those vintage gas ⛽️ pumps. ETC. 😊

[@tornadoalleystudios2283]

There's still some great stuff in there! That compressor, hoist, engine stand, transmission lift are all waiting for a new home. 7:45 - I was waiting for the black widow spider to come flying out. Be careful.

[@Parched0001]

I also noticed what look to be a complete engine or at least the block on the floor.

[@EmmyPierz-ek7hi]

At a Sohio in the mid 70’s We always hated the autumn Atlas PermaGuard coolant delivery. 6 rectangular metal gallon cans of PermaGuard in thin, yet very strong cardboard boxes. Hard to get yur hands/fingers under that thin cardboard box, and boxes were heavy. 2 attendants unloading 100 6 gallon cases for the winter sure made men out of boys!!!

[@zero1fifty8]

Looks like whoever owned this place probably kept a lot of the older items up until he closed up in the early or mid 90's. I worked at a gas station almost identical to this back in the 90's when I was in high school and this brings back a bunch of great memories! Thanks and great find!

[@ForgottenUSA]

Yes, that's what I'm starting to think happened. This place closed down in phases. Thank you for sharing your experience! I'm glad it brought back some great memories! Thanks for watching!

[@ksavage681]

Going by the tag expirations, it closed around 91. The 1.35 gas prices kinda confirm it.

[@ksavage681]

Also, this is around the time that stations had to upgrade everything, underground tanks, electronic pumps with card readers, internet connectivity. A lot of stations closed up at that time. We had friends with a station just like this, and they closed up at this time also, was too expensive to keep up with the big guys.

[@kbobdonahue1966]

You can thank the desert climate of New Mexico for preserving alot of these old gas pumps are Coke machines and practically everything else in that long abandoned gas station. It still looks great after over 40 years abandoned. I may have to check out this gas station. Thank you for posting this. ⛽

[@oldcrook510]

8:45 That's not a cash register it's a device for credit card charges. No internet, nothing digital back then. Your credit card was placed on top of that machine with some 3 layer paper. The orange handle was swiped to the right and imprinted the charge, the customer got 1 of the 3 copies as a receipt.

[@colinl9018]

I'm amazed that there was stuff still in the building, hadn't been stolen or trashed.

[@ForgottenUSA]

me too!

[@MrTBoneMalone]

Wow, that station looks like it closed down in the mid 70's or 80's. Oil cans were pretty much dead by 85 or 86. This takes me back to my early teen years.

[@jasoneldridge4738]

The licence plates had 92 stickers on them ?

[@ForgottenUSA]

could have just been a shop until the early 90's. Who knows

[@MrTBoneMalone]

@@ForgottenUSA Maybe? The pumps are older than that, and the credit card slider would have been earlier equipment, but being in New Mexico, maybe they weren't up to speed with modern tech at the time? If the plate had any relevance to the station at all because it looks like it had been used to store things. People collect license plates, hard to say.

[@billdougan4022]

An Exxon gas station with Texaco Havoline oil cans. Back in 1985 the OPEC gas crash, gas prices dropped to .59 cents a gallon, but 1.39 is about right for 1992.

[@shogun412]

I can’t believe how much stuff is still in there!

[@Sleeve_Did_It]

As recent as the 1980s, regular and unleaded were separate blends of gasoline. Regular gas had lead (to lubricate the engine's valves), but with cars getting catalytic converters in 1975, they can only run on unleaded. Thus, those pumps must be at least 40 years old. With the "Happy Motoring" letters on the building, I would assume that it was an Exxon station (which back in the early 1970s was still called Esso, for Standard Oil Co. of New Jersey).

[@kathywebb6606]

How cool that no one has vandalized and robbed it. Really enjoyable for a change 👍

[@jerrysmothers715]

Wow,,, what a find!!!! I used to be a Texaco service station dealer in Alamogordo, New Mexico,,,back in the 70's,,,, those old pumps have the old gas side that still had lead in it and the other side was unleaded,,, before the government outlawed any lead to be in fuel any more,,, Great find buddy!!!! Hope someone preserves all of that history!!!!!

[@ForgottenUSA]

Wow, that's really cool! Thank you for sharing your experience. I'm glad it brought back some great memories and that you enjoyed the video. Thanks for watching!

[@bentstrider]

I live down in Clovis NM and head up to Santa Rosa every now and then. I saw this station a few times, but never knew it still had all that equipment there. I'm guessing it's still owned by somebody and they make periodic checks on it when they've got time. Perhaps they got their own repair business, or even a taco/coffee stand in mind for that particular spot. Or it could be a slow project and they might actually be turning it into a residence. A guy I know over in Texico NM lives in an old gas station. The big garage definitely comes in handy for parties and working on their own vehicles!! Of course you go further east out towards San Jon and there's some even older abandoned stations right on the 66. You'd run into some real treasures out there with an open afternoon and a fully loaded touring bicycle. Park in San Jon at the free campground and ride all day doing the circuitous route from San Jon-to-Grady-Tucumcari and back. 100 miles in all.

[@ForgottenUSA]

That's really interesting, I didn't know that they were getting repurposed like that! But I'm glad to hear that places like this aren't getting completely forgotten about. Actually, I'm going to be making a trip out to NM in the near future, and I'm definitely going to be putting that bike route on my list of things to do! Sounds like there will be a lot of great things to film along it. If there's anything else that you think is worth me filming in NM, please let me know!

[@timfischer]

I had a model train set as a kid (70s/80s) that had an Exxon station that looked exactly like this. This is what 1960s/70s Exxon stations used to look like. These were the days of "service stations" instead of C-stores that sold gas.

[@map3384]

In the early 70s it was called Esso before they changed it to Exxon.

[@timfischer]

@@map3384 Indeed. I actually had two versions on our layout... one was Esso and the other Exxon, but I converted both to Exxon to be consistent :)

[@pauled8no1]

This station was built as an Amoco/ Standard Oil of Indiana, the white tile with the red stripe above the bays was their color scheme. Happy Motoring! was Esso and later Exxon’s slogan. My guess is it was built in the 60s as a Standard, became Amoco in 1972, when Amoco was adopted nationwide instead of Standard and then switched to Exxon by the late 70s. Beautiful place and kudos for the respect you showed exploring and not taking anything. Hopefully no one vandalizes it. It would be really cool if someone reopened it.

[@ForgottenUSA]

Thanks for watching and commenting! It's important to always treat places of the past with the respect that they deserve.

[@mikecapizzi5062]

Wow, can't believe all the tools and pumps left behind. I miss the old Gas ⛽️ stations

[@danw4471]

I don't know if someone already said this, but the oil cans were punched through by a spout with a sharp triangular piece on the back. You would push the sharp piece into the can and the spout was attached to pour into the car.

[@P_RO_]

Yep, and as a cost-cutting measure cardboard cans with metal ends replaced that all metal ones, and if your spout wasn't sharp (or if the 'can' got wet from rain) when you tried to punch the spout in, the can would collapse and open at the seam leaving you with one hack of a mess... Notice I didn't call them the "good" old days 'cause they weren't all so good!

[@sachawisznia9685]

...I remember working at a service station with these exact gas pumps... 😎

[@micholob86]

It's probably been said already but those pumps aren't as old as you might think. I remember as a kid seeing those pumps into the 1990s

[@STho205]

True, the style, but 35c on the price display dates these to about 1973/1974/1975. A station four blocks from my house still has these pumps(3 digit analog displays), still has the 1970 building and shelter. They repaint it, but it is still a typical 1970 Chevron station.

[@ksavage681]

They just pumped unleaded from all of them once the rules changed.

[@lopakabanzon3910]

These gas pumps were around in 1985 when I was 20 years old

[@STho205]

@@lopakabanzon3910 they're still around. As i was riding in NC today i saw about 10 rural stations with them. Five were still in business pumping $1.999 gasoline and up. If i recall they started around 1965 to 1968 to replace the rounded Wally's Filling Station style pumps from the 50s into 70s+

[@lopakabanzon3910]

@@STho205 ok. They're not around here in northern Virginia. Everything here has to be updated very often

[@nellermann]

1000's of stations built with that nearly exact look and floor plan back in the day. My family owned and operated a Marathon service station that was nearly identical building but with only one island of three pumps. Those gas pumps were from the late 1970s and used well into the 1990s at small operations. most likely if that place was still running in the 90's, the price on those pumps was 1.39. The 1 would have been static and probably faded off by now. Those lifts in the floor have a single piston that goes down easily 10 feet into the ground. Major pain to fix if they begin to leak, notice you never see them in shops any more! Oh, that was not a 'register' that was old school credit card imprint machine, you were in trouble if you cracked or broke a customer's card! I pumped gas as my first job, as we were 'full service'. You don't see that anymore except in New Jersey.

[@P_RO_]

It's the law in NJ- no self-service allowed. I'd forgot about the cracked cards, IIRC one end fit under 'slots' and it was easy to miss one, vracking the card when you slid the imprint head across. The EPA essentially outlawed in-ground post lifts as you now have to be able to physically monitor anything containing petroleum products below ground level. Also the older ones no longer meet the more-stringent 'fail-safe' requirements in place now as the pin will shear in the safety post before it should. Side lifts are nicer to work with anyway so no great loss.

[@Sunsetdrivein]

The gas pumps are Tokheim 1250 twins. They still sell for between $4,000 to $5,000 on the refurbished gas pump equipment market. The mechanical computers in them can be updated for today's pricing.

[@ForgottenUSA]

Thanks for sharing! Didn't know the name of them or that they were that valuable.

[@Sunsetdrivein]

@@ForgottenUSA Those are still popular pumps. Many will be found in use at "card lock" stations because they are easy to interface to a real computer to control the electric reset of the pump and to record customer billing information. The 1250 pumps were in production a long time. I believe they first were manufactured in 1980 all the way until 1993.

[@EmmyPierz-ek7hi]

Oh The winter snow tire delivery always seemed to catch us on second shift. Those had to be put in order by ladder in the overhead tire racks! CB ( EP)

[@mikelugo848]

Reminds me of my first job at a gas station in 1968, back then car carburetors had built in gas filters and the owner taught me to ask drivers if I could check their gas filter. Once I took it off I would tear it apart making it useless and say "see you need a new one " price for new filter installed 1 dollar. Thanks for the memories

[@drtrdr99]

Today we call people who do that con artists or just scumbags

[@mikelugo848]

Says the great moral educator

[@floridaman478]

I know this was posted a year ago but I had to comment on this. Even through a screen, that was amazing. It’s literally a museum. I hope you go back to see if it’s any different.

[@eblackadder3]

The pumps inside read $1.30; judging from that and the 75 cent Coke machine, the station was probably open until the late 1990s. Pumps of that vintage were definitely still around during the '90s. Also, the overall good condition of everything indicates it likely isn't much older than that.

[@STho205]

They still are. A station four blocks from my house still has these pumps(3 digit analog displays though with a faceplate refit), still has the 1970 building and shelter. They repaint it, but it is still a typical 1970 Chevron station.

[@jaywalker712]

That was probably a "full service station" something long gone. I traveled that road many times and thanks for the memories.

[@ForgottenUSA]

I'm pretty sure it was! A time long gone for sure. Thank you for watching! I'm glad you enjoyed the video

[@jaywalker712]

@@ForgottenUSA I am 70 and back in the 60's I ran route 66 many times , those things you found in the old station seemed like yesterday to me. Tempus Fugit !

[@juanbalderaz3361]

That's an awesome find. I want to say the gas station was probably still operational a little after 1999 or 2000 because I can remember gas still being arouind .99 cents per gallon right before 9/11. I can also remember a can of coke from vending machines being .75 cents around this time because they were only .50 cents in the mid 90's. I can't explain the oil cans though. I think maybe since Route 66 was hardly being used, these oil cans would've been 'new old stock' left over from the mid to late 80s because I can remember them still being around then. I remember those types of gas pumps were all over the place in the 80s and throughout the 90s. No way gas was .39 center back then. Nonetheless, that was still a long time ago.

[@RichV20]

Judging by the license plates, pumps, DQ sign, and 75cent coke, it probably closed in early 90s. $1.35/39 gallon of gas lines up with the prices in the aftermath of the Gulf War.

[@Dratchev241]

@@RichV20 it does look like early to mid 90s. i was born in 1982 and remember fuel in Indiana as cheap as .79/gal then the gulf war it jump to the 1.20-1.30 range and everyone complaining about it. then by late 90s it was back down to .85-.99/gal range until 9/11 then everything went stupid.

[@discerningmind]

This facility is a testament to the fine people of New Mexico. If the place were located just about anywhere else, it would like a war took place. The device in the sales office is not a cash register, it's a credit card processor. Before electronics, credit card receipts were mailed into the card companies for processing and billing.

[@MykelBBY1]

These pumps were likely used during the transition to unleaded gas. "Unleaded" is the unleaded gas we know today. "Regular" may be referring to the leaded gas used until the 1970s. The only thing we are missing is "Ethyl."

[@firefalcon100]

you would be correct. the pumps dispensed Unleaded and Leaded gasoline. With the prices on the pumps, i'd say that place hasnt seen a customer since the 70s as gas was just under a dollar by the late 80s. for gas to be 35 cents a gallon.. talking it closing in the 70s.

[@jeffreyknight3884]

I remember the old style oil cans. You needed a can opener. Road maps, old style coke machines. Glad I was born to actually see this type of stations in person. Thank you for going in but please becareful.

[@kentcruse4969]

I was 16 in 1978. Worked in a gas station and regular & unleaded were $0.589 & $0.609 . Those pumps had to have been last used not too long before then. That Texamatic Fluid can had been opened with an old oil can spout. You'd just stick it in the edge of the can and flip the can to pour the oil. Pull it out when done and stick it in the next can. They were very common in the 70's.

[@STho205]

Looks like 1973/74

[@STho205]

I remember paying 39c to 45c for leaded 79 octane regular for my Honda CL70 in 75.

[@knessing7681]

It's an amazing fine ... amazing that the place hasn't been looted by scrappers and vandalized to hell by vandals.

[@ForgottenUSA]

It is amazing, I was very surprised. Thanks for watching!

[@Sparky-ww5re]

Very cool piece of history that should be preserved for the younger generation to look at and see, "look, long before your time, this is what America used to be, campgrounds, drive in movies, and summer getaway for the whole family to enjoy " based on the 75 cent coke machine, gas actually set at $1.39, and the license plate 1991 and 1992, I'd say this place probably saw its last use around that time. And until 1996 when the EPA banned lead has altogether, you still had a choice, though around 9 out of 10 of cars at the probable time of this closing, required unleaded fuel, as the lead would mess up your catalytic converter, which was required on all cars after 1975, though I'd date the pumps from at least the 1960s, the metal oil cans from the early to mid 80s, not long after that they went to plastic jugs. The old coke machine probably dates to around the gas pumps, 1960s to early 1970s.

[@ForgottenUSA]

Thanks for watching! Glad you enjoyed!

[@bradburks696]

Thank you. Drove Route 66 from the Grand Canyon to Las Vegas in October 2003 and would like to do it again. Lived my whole life in Indiana but when retire in 2 years, are going to try the trip again. Old gas stations have so much history and could tell great stories if they could talk. Would have been tempted to swipe a can of unopened oil and that Exxon wood sign. And that coke machine.

[@allenjaycox2044]

That was a metal spout that you jammed in the can

[@robrobster1814]

I worked at standard/ amaco gas station when I was a kid 15 pumping gas and all these stations were kind of set up the same way brings back a lot of memories

[@kc0eks]

I've explored a lot of places but I'm amazed at what you found here and the condition. Those pumps and signs are amazing

[@ForgottenUSA]

I've explored a lot of places too, and it really was amazing seeing so much stuff left and well preserved! This is the most amazing place I've ever explored because of that. Thanks for watching!

[@stepheneggert7388]

That the best gas station video ...I've seen on utube...the place is in great shape...a little housekeeping...a great vintage station..I would die for that place..to just have to keep my hot rods ..a place to work on them.. the lifts are still in the floor .air compressor..all vintage retro..great video...my dad had a station but 5 bays...I sold it ..in 1999 the bank wanted to build ..on it..the town really didn't want these place around sitting empty.i was offered more then the property was worth..I took a few things as a reminder of those days.... update..4 - 2022.. I'm living in fl. These days..I kinda turning my garage into a service type station repair shop ..as a reminder of the good old days..I'm retired..bought a air comprsoir..like my dad had..have a nice work bench..and some old stuff I saved from my dad's old station..I can sit in here and chill out..I have a old alemite air reg.and filter system..new in the box still..hooking it upto my new air comprsoir..love the bye gone days of the service stations... .yes me too I must be that old to remember places like this...I grew up working in with dad..and wash cars.

[@ForgottenUSA]

Thanks for sharing your experience. I'm glad this video brought back some great memories! I'm really glad you think so highly of this video! Thanks for watching!

[@stepheneggert7388]

Happy motoring! Yes it's frozen in time..great to see this place preserved...I feel like I can just come in and open the place today add some fuel to the tanks tidy up and open her up..like yesterday. Filler up, and check the oil..and the tires..

[@justsumguy2u]

I hope nobody removes anything from that gas station, so it can remain a preserved site. Someone owns that station, I wish they would at least lock it up so it's secure

[@tomsizemore5162]

I stop in Santa Rosa for my stay Usually California to Oklahoma. But I tend to stop there on the way back depending if I leave later. Love the stop there. There's a great old junk yard out there. They painted the windshield of some old cars like that from the movie Cars. My kids loved it.

[@ForgottenUSA]

Thanks for sharing! Thanks for watching!

[@albertlilly]

The gas pumps inside have the "1.39" right on them, as is mentioned below. Those stations were prefabricated, and brought in and assembled on a pad that was poured in one big slab over the tanks, etc. I remember seeing them assembled, and moved. The oil in those cans was poured through a funnel that punched into the top of the can, opening it for pour into the engine. The "cash register" is a credit card slider.

[@cherrylove3656]

I'M surprised no kids came and vandalized the place shame. that's a museum of the past.

[@james6275]

Hey great video of the gas station in regards to the pumps back then they used real stainless steel when they made them. It looks like there is still power on in the building the fluorescent lights are on! Someone still owns that building look at the snowplow it is late model equipment.

[@douglasneidert9873]

Had to have closed after the mid 70's, the pumps had unleaded & leaded gas available. The pump housings are made of stainless steel, so they don't rust easily. The owner's house might have stood beside the gas station & the playground was for his kids.

[@fordtruckman80]

Based on the type of tires in the shop, the Napa boxes on the shelf, and a few other automotive giveaways, this place saw use in the late 80s maybe early 90s, but whether they were still selling gas is a mystery.

[@STho205]

I think there's a fixed $1 sticker on the pump(black sticker), before the old . 359 dials. That was a trick to make pre 1977 pumps still work into the 80s. Gas was under a dollar again 1985 to 1999, except a quick jump and drop in the early 90s.

[@jeffreylockhart6444]

I went into Esso gas stations just like this when first started driving. Brings back memories

[@ForgottenUSA]

Glad it brought back some memories. Thanks for watching!

[@charlesgoodman5086]

That whole thing should be in some kind of a museum.

[@ForgottenUSA]

I agree! or it should just be a museum itself. Just leave everything as is - untouched, rope off where people shouldn't go so everything in place remains undisturbed, and let them in to see this unique time capsule. I would pay price of admission for that!

[@charlesgoodman5086]

@@ForgottenUSA Yes absolutely.

[@jamesdean1598]

Looks like that gas station in the movie Halloween 4. Thanks for sharing hard to believe that station has been abandoned for almost 30 years.

[@ForgottenUSA]

Funny enough, this video was actually filmed on Halloween Day! Thanks for watching and I'm glad you enjoyed!

[@AndrewTubbiolo]

Those old Coke machines ran on real freon, used a LOT of electricity, and the cans came out just about frozen. Late 20th Cen soda can machines were awesome!

[@SeekingTheLoveThatGodMeans7648]

Butane and other hydrocarbons would have worked equally well, but posed a fire hazard if they leaked/the equipment was damaged enough. Hence, the noncombustible Freon, which is actually a family of wholly or partially fluorinated/chlorinated hydrocarbons. Today, some small refrigeration equipment uses hydrocarbons and works fine.

[@darrell3118]

And to think, this was most likely a FULL-SERVICE Station, they came out and pumped your gas, checked your oil, and washer fluid, and cleaned your windshield & back glass as you were waiting for your tank to be filled! 😁 These were jobs that Made America Great and many were fine mechanics and were always busy, with engine tune-ups and new tire changes, and other mechanical repairs!

[@johndenicola6173]

Not so sure that is the case; "Self-Service" Gas stations became popular in the late 1970's (except for at least New Jersey for their law prohibits self service of Gasoline...)

[@RickStorni]

@@johndenicola6173 Oregon prohibits self service too back then

[@marcelmaria804]

those pumps are definately 70s I remember them then, some survived into the nineties when overnight they went digital that coates tyre changing machine is 70s as well the credit card reader was referred to as a zip zap and i remember them coming out circa 75ish still used right up to the late nineties as a back up for when the electronic service went down.

[@jacktheconcretecowboy]

I travel a lot and this is an amazing video !

[@ForgottenUSA]

Thank you! Glad you enjoyed it!

[@faithwalker7]

Takes me back WoW! I remember using those type of oil cans, so cool Thanks for the find & share.

[@ForgottenUSA]

Thanks for watching! Glad you enjoyed

[@TransDerwinOverdrive]

Looks like that place still has power. A few of the indoor advertisement signs were lit up. Crazy.

[@arayabuchichi3798]

Brings back Nostalgia ,They are in great shape because of low salt and humidity

[@chris51851]

When he walked into the service Bay it really brought back memories I'm retired now but it was like I was there

[@MrCharollas]

That old swing set and basketball hoop are left over from an old motel/motor court that used to be right next door to this service station.

[@ForgottenUSA]

Thanks for sharing! Are you from the area?

[@MrCharollas]

@@ForgottenUSA Yes, I was born and raised in Santa Rosa, New Mexico.

[@craigsmith3832]

Given pricing on the pumps they last operated in 1973, as pricing index for regular leaded gasoline was .35 cents in 1969 increasing to .39 cents in 1973. Then with the Saudi oil embargo of 74 prices almost doubled and we had the waiting lines. Oh the good old days where have they gone?

[@ForgottenUSA]

thanks for sharing!

[@seanwatts8342]

88 octane with "Contains Lead" on the pump, those are from the 1980s.

[@petej.8676]

That station and its contents are worth a small fortune!

[@webstercat]

No their not

[@petej.8676]

@@webstercat pumps are collectable..signage is collectable.

[@P_RO_]

@@webstercat You have no idea what you're talking about- go troll elsewhere.

[@webstercat]

If it was worth anything it would be stolen..

[@petej.8676]

@@webstercat not everyone is a thief..

[@styles2980]

My first job was at a gas station that used these pumps, back in 1985. The pumps were showing some age then, but were exactly like these. The price for the gas is missing the $1 sign because the pumps were not aligned correctly to show the $1 symbol, but believe me it was not set for .35 cents per gallon. In 1985 the gas was about .65 to .85 cents in Texas depending on the quality of the gas, type, and the service you received. I was a full service attendant when I was 15 and you would pay about .05 to cents more per gallon if you came to my service station. I used a credit card impression machine just like that one. To use it, you set the dials for the amounts, then place the card flat on the machine. Then you place a 3 layered carbon copy ticket on top of the card and roll the impression bar over the top to make an imprint of the card on all 3 copies.

[@STho205]

Based on the car the Havoline cans and price, this station was abandoned to gasoline sales in 1974ish. A station four blocks from my house still has these pumps(3 digit analog displays added), still has the 1970 building and shelter. They repaint it, but it is still a typical 1970 Chevron station.

[@STho205]

Oh gas went well over a dollar in the Carter years, often pushing $2. Reagan got prices down by 1984 by convincing the Saudis to flood the market and crash the oil price, putting stiff pressure on the USSR, their biggest export. Stayed around a dollar or less for 15 years till around 2000. There was a short jump in 1990/91 with the Iraq war.

[@styles2980]

@@STho205 To have that model of pump still working is rare. Thanks for the reply, pretty sure I saw 1991, 1992 or 1993 on the License plates registration tags. I'm sure you're correct about the Carter years price, but It was before I worked at the gas station and didn't keep track of prices. The $1 digit area on the pumps were always mis-aligned at the station I worked at. Later years, I noticed the station blocked off the area and use at $1 sticker for the $1 digit.

[@STho205]

@@styles2980 either the pump had a $1 sticker in front of the pennies price (I couldn't read it in the video but that was a common trick) or it was just a desert repair shop no gas in the 90s. 1.39 was a bit high in the mid 90s, but not for full serve.

[@STho205]

@@styles2980 also the pumps had 89 octane leaded regular next to and cheaper than Unleaded 87. I forget when leaded gas finally got outlawed, but i think that was the early 80s. Can't recall. Must have been long gone by 95. Likely the car tags are from a dune buggy style repair shop using the dead service station

[@AwesomeDude1]

That is so neat. The door 🚪 was unlocked 🔓? I hope someone will restore those gas ⛽ pumps and put them in a car measuem

[@ChopOMatic]

Nice snapshot in time! FYI, those oil cans didn't have any kind of "pop" mechanism on top. The tops were solid metal and you shoved an oil spout down into the can that pierced it. One of the cans you showed had been used in just that way. Also, the device you called a cash register was actually a credit card imprinter. You called the credit card company, read them the card info and amount, and they gave you an authorization number. You wrote that authorization number on the credit card slip, put the card in that device, then the slip on top of it. Then you pulled the mobile part of the device across it all and it made an imprint of the card on the slip.

[@leeroth5604]

Heh. As a kid, I would take one of the all-metal oil cans and punch a tiny hole in the top... then set the can in a fire. Eventually, the hot oil vapor/liquid would blast out of the top with a nice, roaring flamethrower effect!

[@24revealer]

Thanks for sharing. It's nice to see things from the past. I'm in Canada.

[@ForgottenUSA]

Greetings from the US! Thanks for watching, and I'm glad you enjoyed!