I bought this pump and found that the Conoco decal is covering the two top holes(for a pump plate) on the panel. With it being the color red it is, I am curious if this was originally a Texaco Pump. Is it possible that the station switched over to a Conoco and they took the plate off and put the Conoco decal on? I realize too that an owner of the pump could have put this decal on the pump as well. I suppose my main question is do you think this pump, with this shade of red, was originally a Texaco Pump? A fire chief pump plate I have is a perfect fit with the factory pump plate holes...
The panel is porcelain.
This could well have been a Texaco AO Smith once . Texaco did indeed use this model
I cannot tell you if the original brand was Texaco, but I am pretty sure the pump didn't begin its life as a Conoco pump. First of all, Conoco pumps did not have red pump skirts - they were white. And second, Conoco did not use the A. O. Smith pump. I have over 2,000 photos of vintage Conoco gas stations and I don't think there is even one with A. O. Smith pumps. So I agree with your theory that it was either a low-budget re-brand by a dealer or the decal was added much later by a collector.
I recently purchased a Tokheim 36B that had been painted in Texaco red, and I "re-branded" it to Conoco by adding a Conoco globe and ad glass (there was no decal on the pump skirt). As I am sure you know, the Conoco red and the Texaco red are fairly close...but clearly not identical shades of red.
Andy
I have had a bunch of these through here. The holes were drilled to accept the Fire Chief, Sky Chief and Texaco Diesel pump plates. Most were used by Texaco....in their early life. The lower skins were red, silver and green porcelain in a lot of cases....although, some were just painted. Paul
www.severngaspumps.com
I put the Fire Chief plate on. Looks great imo.
