[cripplecreek]

Mid-late 60’s in NYC, gasoline paid the nut. (rent and utilities) The money came from the bays.

These days most garages around here don't even waste time with gas. The guy that owned the garage down the street from me moved to another building just to get away from the unused underground tanks. The tanks were an environmental hot potato and the building changed hands 3 times before someone was forced to remove them. The cost of removing them put his party store out of business. The store is doing OK now because the new owner doesn't have the expense of dealing with the tanks.

[Roccus]

Last station I worked (lower Manhattan ‘69) didn’t even have a lift, just a pit for oil, lube and exhaust work. Motor work was done outside. Brakes, shocks and front end work were also done outside on jack stands.

You’re right though. Today we have gas stations and we have repair shops. Rarely do we see the two combined. I think the new lifts that did not need the underground pneumatic piston chambers helped separate the two. I knew a repair shop that opened up in what was once an OLD movie theater thanks to those lifts.