Our local Valero station recently rebranded to a Unocal 76 station. Some new paint, new logos, but same old pumps, however with new images on the (scratched) screens. The image caught my eye, but something seemed wrong.
The artwork looked pretty amateurish, just a few steps better than something I would have doodled in my high school notebooks, when this 2nd gen Camaro was new and highly desired, even by Euro-car buffs like me. It also seems like an odd choice of car; I suspect 80% of the customers in our college town will have no idea that this graphic is based on a real, almost 50 year old car, albeit one that’s resto-modded in a slightly more modern style.
The front fender, windshield and A-pillar proportions are all wrong, oddly foreshortened. It looks almost Ford Maverick-like in front (the original 1969 compact Ford, not any of the subsequent SUV’s), especially with those huge rear wheels (24’s?). But something else just isn’t right. Can anyone spot it? It took me a few minutes. Full disclosure: I owned a 2nd gen F Body.
Gas filler was behind the rear license plate on the Gen 2 Camaro, as well as most other GMs of this era.
Darn it, I was about to point that out! Nice job.
Missed it…
Immediately caught the improper gas filler location, as well.
What’s with the key scratches on the screen? Is that some sort of gang thing? If not, why the hell would someone do that? I’ve seen that elsewhere and it seems like one of the most infantile things to do I can imagine. I mean, just idly scratching up a pump screen with a key while waiting for your fuel tank to fill? I don’t get it.
“What’s with the key scratches on the screen? Is that some sort of gang thing?”
It’s such a common issue that the fuel pump industry has developed “Dispenser Shield®” a graffiti and UV overlay protection (see image).
It’s same with the windows in the public transportation vehicles.
I’ve never seen a digital display that isn’t vandalized like this.
The NYC subway has issues with scratchiti when someone would scratch up windows or interior trim.
You beat me to it
The steering wheel is on right hand side, when none of these cars were exported to RHD countries.
Beat me to it. But given the giant wheels this car won’t be turning much anyway, no matter where the driver sits. 😉
They have been exported to those RHD countries and converted to right-hand-drive by the cottage industry…
Never even noticed that – but then, in my country that’s where the wheel should be! 🙂
We don’t have any 76 stations near northern Virginia, but I know that same Camaro image is also on one of the gas station pump screens that I use frequently. I’m thinking it’s at a Sunoco or BP station, which is odd because I don’t think that those companies are affiliated with 76 at all.
Another station near here uses a side profile of a Porsche 911 on its pump screens. Both seem odd to me… like you said, a nearly 50-year old car wouldn’t exactly resonate with most people. But I guess it is somewhat more interesting to gaze at than a deliberately anonymous CUV blob.
But however many times I’ve blankly stared at this Camaro while filling up, I’ve never noticed the fuel door misplacement.
Hey Eric, same here in Montgomery County, MD… same image at the BP stations. I guess it’s such a valued piece of s… art that they’re all fighting over it. Haha. Every time I stare at it I feel unsettled and wonder why they chose that image! 🙂
Now that you and Eric703 mentioned this crappy image, I have seen it a BP too. Just don’t hit those that often. Sad since the real car is a great looking car.
I’ve seen the Porsche 911 profile and noticed that the fuel filler on those are in the wrong location as well
The “Replace Nozzle When Finished” is a circular loop because it will burn gas just as fast as it it pumped into the tank. 🙂
Either that or the fact that it is getting gas at all because everyone knows that these are all out in back yards buried to their hubs in mud and under a cheap cover. Because the owner knows what he’s got and he’s gonna restore it.
“Ran when parked”.
I think I’m gonna have them put that on my tombstone.
QOTD.
But how will we, the customers, know when the nozzle is finished? And why is the station farming out specialized and potentially dangerous parts-replacement work to the public? Without the proper tools, even! This is taking the self-service concept too far, I say.
Oh yes, I almost missed the big one – a Camaro without Chevy Rally Wheels or a USA-1 license plate. 🙂
In this case, the designer of the caricature may have intentionally avoided exactly replicating the Camaro to avoid having to license the design through GM, or whomever represents them. Nor sure if they have legally managed to do this here, but it might explain the lack of exact reproduction of various details. It looks closer to a Camaro than I would personally risk illustrating, without it being licenced for commercial use. 🙂
We have this same graphic on the pumps at a Gulf station near me that used to be a Chevron. My guess is that the graphic is a function of the pump manufacturer more so than the oil company that owns/franchises the gas station.
Great observations above. Other than the caricaturization (I know, not a real word) being out of proportion and those donk-o-licious wheels, the only thing I spotted was the fuel filler issue. While on the sides of all cars our family owned since the ’73 LTD, I do recall my parents’ 66 & 68 Impalas having the fuel filler behind the license plate. I would assume that a ’70 Camaro would be the same, but don’t have firsthand knowledge like you guys!
In all the years I’ve been looking at this image while fueling, I never noticed the steering wheel on the wrong side. Good observation, Philip Anderson!
“Replace Nozzle When Finished”. What else would you do with it, throw it on the ground?
Yes, people are that lazy.
…or drive off with the nozzle still in the car. I’ve seen that too.
The Safeway where I often fill up has a notice on the pumps basically warning they’ll charge you for the damage if you drive off with the nozzle.
That sounds way too much like an idle threat. I can’t envision Safeway (or anyone else) going to the trouble of tracking down and charging someone that drives off with a nozzle in their fuel filler.
I mean, how would they do it? Via charge card or track someone down by their license plate? Then send them a letter with a summary of charges? I’m just not feeling it.
The 76 station next to Leisure World has the same warning in very large type. At that particular location it has been a problem.
Whew, I’m glad they have that instruction! I’m sure many people have unknowingly replaced the nozzle ‘before’ they were finished. It’s much more important than, say, not smoking when getting gas…
Split bumpers on a non-RS Camaro also. Yuck.
Hmmm… it doesn’t have rust holes starting from in front of the rear wheel opening all the way around to the lower part of the quarter panel. Its also missing the duct tape around the rear glass.
Some creative answers here, but of course I was thinking of the fuel filler. I suppose if the image showed someone pumping fuel under the license plate, some people might be really
confused.
As for the right hand steering, I actually thought that was the artist’s attempt to show the RH mirror. But if it is the steering wheel, perhaps the art was outsourced to an RHD country like India. The gas pump in the image does show the Veeder Root branding, so presumably this is their graphic, not the fuel company’s.
Looks like it is supposed to be a passenger side mirror to me, not a steering wheel.
If it is then it’s too far along the door. And the car has no steering wheel at all.
For those outside the know, Veeder Root manufacturers fuel distribution systems, including fuel pumps and related control systems and software.
The local GIANT stations have a little picture of a black 1st gen Mustang and it is carbon copy to the point where I expect Ford to sue them.
I’ve seen that pic at several different branded stations from BP to Sunoco to Marathon around Pittsburgh.
Along the same lines, it has bugged me for years that lots of pumps feature this graphic of a 911 with the fuel filler in the wrong place. IMO the G series 911 is an equally strange choice for this purpose. The whole thing is baffling.
I noticed this graphic this morning as I was refueling my Mustang. I didn’t take a close look as the temperature was below zero.
Pro-tip: when your car is equipped with heated seats and the temperature is low, TURN THEM ON!
To some, the “wrong thing” is that it’s not a ’69 Camaro, the popular, ubiquitous, ‘resto-mod’.
If the company that created the graphic had been cool, they’d have used one of those wild, op-art Plymouth musclecar ads from the late sixties. If they’d have done that, they’d have had me for life.
My first guess was the filler should be on the other side, which seemed unlikely, but I have no knowledge of Camaro filler placement.
Other things I noticed is he parked like a muppet and possibly left it to fill unattended, which is surely not best practice. 🙂
“he parked like a muppet”
Love it!
The fuel-filler flap is hinged on the wrong side! There are no suicide doors in refueling!
Related: If the talking pumps annoy you, and they sure annoy me, press either the top right button or the 2nd from the top right button for MUTE.
Thank me later.
I’ll thank you NOW. Hate those things.
You’re welcome!
Replace nozzle when finished
This is a problem we don’t have to think about here in Oregon. We have mandatory attendants who do that for us.
Except in some very rural areas of Eastern Oregon, as of recently. I pulled into one station and waited quite a while before someone came out and made me aware of that. The thin end of the wedge?
NJ does the mandatory attendant thing too. Wish NY did!
Gas station attendants are a double-edged sword. For starters, I guess you have to tip those guys.
Then, I’m not really confident in even letting some of those cretins anywhere near my fuel-filler door. I guess if you’ve got a nice car, going to a top-tier, name-brand station should be okay. But I might stay away from the bargain-basement, no-name places.
It is worth mentioning that some of us remember when they made the big switch to self-service pumps. It was during the first oil crisis in the seventies when gas companies were trying to hold down the price of gas. Full-service gas stations are one of those things that younger people have no idea ever existed, similar to corded, rotary-dial telephones.
My Cougar has a remote fuel filler door and as a 25 year old car the latch sometimes sometimes needs assistance to release, either by opening the trunk and pulling the manual release, or by first getting out and giving it a fonz tap to free it up and then press the button. I do not want an attendent to be the one to do these things.
I don’t understand the practical rational for this law in the few states that have it besides the novelty. I don’t think there’s an epidemic of mishaps in the other 48(?) states to justify it. I’d rather gas stations ran service stations with a garage if I craved the “good old days” throwback of them.
Last summer a gas station attendant tried to turn my classic’s gas cap to the left to open.
VW, before the springs to hold the bonnet lid open, had a prop rod that needed to be unlatched before closing the lid, driver would hover over the attendant, knowing that, if not looking, even for a second, the attendant would bend the lid over the prop rod.
I fueled up in an Indian reservation gas station, off 97 north of Klamath Falls (Oregon), a few years back and was told I could pump my own gas … the state law didn’t apply there. I’m in Oregon right now; low prices plus pump attendants are pretty nice for this Californian.
You know, I can actually see where using a very cheesy pic on their LED pump screens could be a detriment. I mean, if a fuel company uses such a cheapo, unprofessional graphic, I’m not sure they’re the best place to fill-up.
Apart from the most obvious answer in the very first post. How would I determine when the nozzle is “finished”? Why? Is it broken or something? We pump our own gas and now we have to maintain the pumps too? Am I qualified to do this type of work?
Ok, I’ll stop now.
Ok, one more. I have never seen a Vegamerostang in the metal. Only these bad drawings.
Close, but this is actually the famed Musmarovettega XJ-S. The Vegamerostang has the fuel filler in the driver’s door and steering wheels on both sides. Also whitewalls.
What’s with the AMC door handle? Also, the door contours look like they’re off a BMW Z4.
My guess is the artist is not a car enthusiast so he used elements in his fertile mind- parts of this car, that car, and no car anyone ever manufactured. He may not even know it favors a Camaro.
It looks likes a drawing from the Australian magazine Street Machine, (Expression Session sounds familar ) where readers (usually 12 year old boys) send in drawings of street machined cars.
As a school boy Street Machine was my favourite reading material and had the greatest magazine car prizes ever then had the worst car giveaways like the WB Holden ute they ran several articles on the build and never completed and the 66 Ford Fairlane convertible they ruined but finished so some unlucky reader could win.
The Fairlane had blue paint which looked good but they painted it Toyota wine red, but the worst was they cut out the original dash so they could put a vinyl covered board with a full set of white Autometer gauges.
The only time white Autometer gauges are acceptable in a car is when can do a sub 10 second quarter mile.