Retro bike, roads and gas station

[Olof_imp]

First really nice weekend here in Sweden coincided with wife running in her new V-Strom so we decided to just cruise around and revisit our favourite roads, often forgotten main roads made obsolete by fancy new highways. Along one of these roads a gas station somehow has managed to survive intact with pumps, garage, tools and all, as a time capsule - The Carl Westberg Caltex gas station in Morarp. For the last twenty years it has just been sitting there, miraculously escaping vandals and real estate heroes. But silent, dark and empty. However, this time when we stopped for the obligatory new-bike-photo, something had changed. There was a sign outside, offering drop-in wheel swap. Quite unexpected. We just had to go in. And found this guy in his 30s, in a classic mechanic's overall and properly oily, with a 60s Beetle on the lift. It turnes out that he has set his mind to bring the gas station back to real life, not only as a dead museum but with actual business. The permits needed to sell gas are too much, but the rest may work. Speciality classic cars, with a special place for air cooled Beetles. We left with two t-shirts and a renewed faith in mankind.

[Rocky_imp]

Cool!

[peterbaron]

Both are good looking...gold elements add up to a better, overall look

[pekingduck]

First really nice weekend here in Sweden coincided with wife running in her new V-Strom so we decided to just cruise around and revisit our favourite roads, often forgotten main roads made obsolete by fancy new highways. Along one of these roads a gas station somehow has managed to survive intact with pumps, garage, tools and all, as a time capsule - The Carl Westberg Caltex gas station in Morarp. For the last twenty years it has just been sitting there, miraculously escaping vandals and real estate heroes. But silent, dark and empty. However, this time when we stopped for the obligatory new-bike-photo, something had changed. There was a sign outside, offering drop-in wheel swap. Quite unexpected. We just had to go in. And found this guy in his 30s, in a classic mechanic's overall and properly oily, with a 60s Beetle on the lift. It turnes out that he has set his mind to bring the gas station back to real life, not only as a dead museum but with actual business. The permits needed to sell gas are too much, but the rest may work. Speciality classic cars, with a special place for air cooled Beetles. We left with two t-shirts and a renewed faith in mankind.

Wow, neat place. I just sold my V-Strom (sigh), but still have my Volvo 122 wagon (I used to have a 210 Duett also).

[max]

Very unique find Olof, it looks older than i can remember petrol pumps, i do remember the two stroke mixing trolley pump which had a glass column and mixed the oil for the customer with a back and forth handle on the side, magic thing to watch as a young boy, i think it was caltex too.

Now thinking to the future; can you imagine a shopping center car park filled with electric vehicles all charging up at the same time, imagine the electrical load of all of that combined.......

[the Ferret]

I like it! I had several "Beetles" in which I had 8 tracks to play "the Beatles"

[GoldOxide_imp]

May the oily some-30-year-old owner be successful. Good for him.

[Cormanus]

Great find Olof. Best of luck to the new owner.

Max, as a small boy I remember gravity petrol bowsers where you pumped the volume of petrol you wanted into a clear-glass, calibrated container at the top of the thing and then drained it into the tank. I suspect I'd still like watching one.

[Stichill_imp]

What a neat young man! In lieu of petrol / gasoline / benzin, he might go with ethanol, i.e. craft-brewed beer as an adjunct to the auto business. "Carl Westberg IPA", etc. It's a big theme here in the Cincinnati / Northern Kentucky area to talk about "garage-brewed" beer and have pubs with a motorcycle / auto theme.

[Tev62]

He just wants to start selling coffee and stick it to the nearest Starbucks. Good margin on coffee and he is providing a unique stopping point to drink it at. I hope the fella does well and prospers.