Petrol stations in the past

[jon]

I was thinking back this morning, and I have a vague memory of petrol stations in the past supplying two stroke oil when you filled up?

This was pre autolube days, so I think the they just used to use a little jug.

I started riding a two stroke in 1986, but this was before then. I must have seen it as a kid.

Is my memory playing tricks on me or did this used to happen?

Maybe it was a one off I saw and assumed it was the norm?

Jon

[oldelsieboy]

My local filling station had one similar to this, used it plenty to put a "shot" or two in the tank of my FS1-E



OEB

[lrcarl]

5p a squirt changed ratios with dial on the side
Remember them well
Carl

[jon]

I'm not loosing my marbles yet then.

Jon

[Dave B]

Even before those plunger pumps, two stroke bikes often had a measuring tube on the under side of the petrol cap. You could pour oil from the bottle that you carried in the canvas or leather tool box into the tube welded to the upside down cap, which was designed to hold the right amount of oil for a gallon of petrol. Nobody could afford more than a gallon at a time in those days.
Cheers

Dave

[wallcraft]

Mar 11, 2017 8:33:23 GMT 1 oldelsieboy said:

My local filling station had one similar to this, used it plenty to put a "shot" or two in the tank of my FS1-E



OEB

Well remember them, use to fill up with 4star and a couple of shots in the AP tank (took the autolube off mates said it would go faster) then paid for the petrol and get away without paying for the oil on the sly!!

[bezzer]

Mar 11, 2017 8:21:50 GMT 1 jon said:

I was thinking back this morning, and I have a vague memory of petrol stations in the past supplying two stroke oil when you filled up?

This was pre autolube days, so I think the they just used to use a little jug.

I started riding a two stroke in 1986, but this was before then. I must have seen it as a kid.

Is my memory playing tricks on me or did this used to happen?

Maybe it was a one off I saw and assumed it was the norm?

Jon

Hi Jon,

No, your memory is not playing tricks on you. I had an after school job washing cars and serving petrol at our village station , in the late 70's early 80's. We had a 'Duckhams' 2 stroke dispenser, it had a pump handle on top, with a scale underneath that you turned to deliver the requisite ratio 50:1,40:1,25:1 etc). I remember an old gent used to come in with a 2 stroke SAAB that ran on 2 star petrol!, as well as all my mates on KH's, X7's etc. Out of interest, along with 2 and 4 star fuel, we also had premium '5 star' fuel which was 101 Octane 😊 proper leaded stuff!!.

ATB bezzer

[Deleted]

Yes, remember them well.

The garage I used had the oil next to the airline and both were free!

[jon]

Mar 11, 2017 10:35:41 GMT 1 bezzer said:

Mar 11, 2017 8:21:50 GMT 1 jon said:

I was thinking back this morning, and I have a vague memory of petrol stations in the past supplying two stroke oil when you filled up?

This was pre autolube days, so I think the they just used to use a little jug.

I started riding a two stroke in 1986, but this was before then. I must have seen it as a kid.

Is my memory playing tricks on me or did this used to happen?

Maybe it was a one off I saw and assumed it was the norm?

Jon

Hi Jon,

No, your memory is not playing tricks on you. I had an after school job washing cars and serving petrol at our village station , in the late 70's early 80's. We had a 'Duckhams' 2 stroke dispenser, it had a pump handle on top, with a scale underneath that you turned to deliver the requisite ratio 50:1,40:1,25:1 etc). I remember an old gent used to come in with a 2 stroke SAAB that ran on 2 star petrol!, as well as all my mates on KH's, X7's etc. Out of interest, along with 2 and 4 star fuel, we also had premium '5 star' fuel which was 101 Octane 😊 proper leaded stuff!!.

ATB bezzer

Ah yes, now I do clearly remember 5 star (petrol that is, not the dodgy 80' pop band).

If I remember correct, Triumph TR6 had to use this to avoid pinking.

Jon

[jackjabba]

I remember using the two stroke pump at the services as well. Then Bell Ray oil came out and I started buying bottles because I liked the smell.

I remember using 3 star petrol back then as well.

[liffy16]

Can remember going to the local filling station on a saturday to get a gallon of 4star on me pushbike!Ready for me sunday blast on my dt175mx i was only 13 mind could'nt really ride on the road like,but great memories lol!

[sbscnor]

The good old days as the song "Those are the days of our lives", when petrol was 34p a GALLON, 10 No10 cigs was 10.5 pence and that was all you needed for a day.

[bezzer]

Mar 11, 2017 10:36:15 GMT 1 @scruff said:

Yes, remember them well.

The garage I used had the oil next to the airline and both were free!

scruff - remember the air tube stretched across the forecourt, that rang a bell to alert the attendant when you ran over it? 🙂, blimey, I'm older than I thought!!.

[steve h]

I'm sure there was a garage in Preston that supplied 2T mix straight out of the pump.

[webbo]

I worked at a petrol station when I was a lad and it had one of these. The owner used to fill it with 20/50 and said it was all the same!

[jackjabba]

Mar 11, 2017 12:45:09 GMT 1 sbscnor said:

The good old days as the song "Those are the days of our lives", when petrol was 34p a GALLON, 10 No10 cigs was 10.5 pence and that was all you needed for a day.

Last time petrol was 34p a gallon was 1971 or 1949 in old money.

[rich]

I remember 2 stroke pumps on garage forecourts too, I think it was 10p for a shot and there was a selector on top of the dispenser to choose the ratio. I had my FS1E in 1984 but they disappeared not long after that.

[saigonmark]

In 1979 at 16 years old on my FS1E I used to get pre mixed petrol from a pre mix pump. The operator would set the ratio of 20:1 on a small window on the pump, then crank the handle forwards and back as a measured amount of 1/2 a gallon could only be dispensed at a time. More than once we tried to squeeze in 1/2 a gallon when the tank was nearly full resulting in a 20:1 shower of fuel all over my Belstaff!

Something similar to this >>> /42/5e8d425ec6db12c29c3c0d94913572ff.jpg" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/564x/5e//42/5e8d425ec6db12c29c3c0d94913572ff.jpg

[yamrider]

Mar 11, 2017 14:43:42 GMT 1 steve h said:

I'm sure there was a garage in Preston that supplied 2T mix straight out of the pump.

which garage in town was that steve I don't remember that one It would have been handy for my fizz

[bare]

No idea of how it was like in UK.
But on the continent in late 60's Gaspumps offered either 6% or 7% right out of the nozzle.
Quite civilised.

[yamrider]

good idea that, I always had to mix my own at home 20 to 1

[steve h]

Mar 11, 2017 19:41:34 GMT 1 yamrider said:

Mar 11, 2017 14:43:42 GMT 1 steve h said:

I'm sure there was a garage in Preston that supplied 2T mix straight out of the pump.

which garage in town was that steve I don't remember that one It would have been handy for my fizz

Cant really remember for sure, but it was in 1977 I never used it but my mate did. Might of been in Bow Lane.

[yamrider]

right thanks

[chris356]

Here's one like a bar optic
www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Two-stroke-oil-dispenser-Motor-oil-Oil-tin-garage-forecourt-Carburol-castrol-/222412815633?hash=item33c8d63d11:g:yJkAAOSwcUBYRXn0

[jon]

Mar 11, 2017 18:48:39 GMT 1 rich said:

I remember 2 stroke pumps on garage forecourts too, I think it was 10p for a shot and there was a selector on top of the dispenser to choose the ratio. I had my FS1E in 1984 but they disappeared not long after that.

Ah that would explain it then Rich.

As I said I started with a two stroke at 16 in 1986, so they must have disappeared in those two years.

I've never had a four stroke bike (I've ridden them, but don't like the engine breaking) but I must of had around 30 two strokes (if not more, I still own 6!) over the years. But that's where my memory really is not good enough to put an exact number on.

Jon