Self service...a boon or not??

[Oaktree]

How about the multigrade Sunoco pumps. 200 - 260 260 was as close to AV Gas as you could get on the street. 110 octane.

Didn't Sunoco gas used to be blue back in the 60s/70s?

 

[TomSeller]

Hmmm. That got me thinking.... I only know of ONE service station that has gas AND a mechanic. There were two (owned by the same guy) but they closed the one closest to me. And that one was full serve only.... they'd pump the gas and it was about 25 cents more per gallon. Yet they still got old people in there every day for gas. Almost all of the "service stations" have long ago boarded up their service bays and converted to convenience stores, or, they have removed their pumps and become mechanics only.

I do live in a area that has older wealthy people (myself excluded) so that could be part of it.

 

[JDgreen227]

Back when I was working, nearby our truck garage was a full service gas station with repair bays, they have been at that location for at least 30 years now, they are right off a freeway. Their full service prices are about the same as self-serve places. There are very few places like it locally today, and something I wonder about is where people take their cars for service now that most gas stations with repair bays are gone?

 

[Looking4new]

Didn't Sunoco gas used to be blue back in the 60s/70s?

Yes sir!

 

[Looking4new]

something I wonder about is where people take their cars for service now that most gas stations with repair bays are gone?

I used to take my Lincolns to a fast lube place in the city. I took my Jeep there for a whole year then went to a Jeep mechanic and had to replace both front axle 'U' joints due to lack of grease. I don't 'do' hurry lube places any more. A garage either the one in my town or the one in the city (If I am at work) does all my lubes and service work. 'U' joints are expensive and I don't want one to fail at 70 mph on the highway.

 

[smstonypoint]

I wonder about is where people take their cars for service now that most gas stations with repair bays are gone?

There has been a proliferation of national/regional chains that offer varying levels of service -- oil changes, brake jobs, tune-ups, etc. (e.g., Pep Boys, Firestone, Jiffy Lube, Midas, Meineke, etc.).

Steve

 

[timster2]

Once and only once did I ever take my car to a quick lube joint. I needed the transmission fluid changed on my old Dodge van and didn't have time, between overtime and snow storms, to change it myself. Well they pull the car over the pit and the guy in the hole drops the pan and starts to change the filter. Having been in the auto industry for many years I am hanging around the van watching like a hawk for some kind of scam. After a few minutes the guy in the pit calls up to a guy topside and next thing I know the guy is showing me how he is flushing my torque converter by pumping fresh oil down the dip stick tube straight into the drain pan below :shocked: At that point I explode and in no uncertain terms explain I see the scam and if anything gets screwed up I will be back with law enforcement. I guess he was looking for a tip or something by doing the extra torque converter flush.

 

[3930dave]

There are very few places like it locally today, and something I wonder about is where people take their cars for service now that most gas stations with repair bays are gone?

A buddy of mine runs a good sized licensed repair shop, no gas pumps. Rare today, here too.

With cheap money, and long new car loans, he's found that as soon as a repair bill passes 3 months payments on a new car, a lot of people go buy new.

Modern cars are relatively reliable, and have long service intervals. So, a lot of people just change the oil and brakes (sometimes, not even that) and when something else comes up, just ditch it.

That's not how I look at vehicles, but a sizeable part of the population does.

Rgds, D.

 

[JDgreen227]

Yeah, I sometimes wonder if the reliability of modern vehicles helps explain the number of fewer repair shops. I don't mind doing oil changes or coolant flushes or plug replacements, etc. but something I really detested doing is exhaust system and muffler replacement. Used to be that was something you endured every 3-4 years, but now most exhaust systems will last the vehicle lifetime. I had an '85 Crown Vic with the factory duals, and the system would rust out every 3 years or so, my Y2K GMC has the OEM system and it's still in great shape. And for what it is worth, my driving habits are about the same, 5-10 mile trips one way.

 

[3930dave]

Exhaust metallurgy has come a long way. Even basic econoboxes today don't rust out their exhaust systems the way your '85 would have.

My buddy has a complete pipe bender system, and does full custom exhaust work, and things like extracting broken exhaust manifold bolts... something plenty of other mechanics don't like to touch. But today, he mostly just changes broken/cracked flex pipes on front-wheel-drive vehicles, and the occasional catalytic converter that plugs up or won't pass Etest. He does nowhere near the volume of exhaust work that he used to.

Certain odd-ball imports (thinking GM/Daewoo....) have ridulously priced mufflers, so folks that have those cars really appreciate that he can do things like re-sleeve a broken pipe going into an otherwise solid muffler. In many cases, those people would be scrapping the car, if they were faced with the ransom level pricing of a new muffler...

I have another buddy who is a Volvo specialist..... some people will drive 4 or 5 hours (one way) to have him work on their car. It is tough today to find independent shops that will do wide ranging repairs, at a fair price.

Rgds, D.