Gas cap on the left

[Jim Rohn]

A local newspaper (yes, I still read them) column ran a question from a reader that asked why the gas cap was on the left side of (their estimate) 90% of the vehicles.

The esteemed columnist didn't have an answer and put it out for others to chime in on.

My 34 Ford has it on the left. As does my 2003 Ranger.

Any historical insight?

Why would they all be on the left? Maybe so the driver could observe the car being fueled?

I do not know.

[Guest De Soto Frank]

Don't know...

My '55 De Soto has it on the right rear fender quarter, behind a little door...

My '41-'50 MoPars have it on the left rear fender.

My '41, '54,'55, '64 & '72 Chevy trucks all had it on the right side of the cab.

My '61 Willys pick-up had it on the right side, just in front of the rear stake-pocket...

Grandad's '65 Ford F-100 had on the left side of the cab.

Ford and Chrysler had it centered behind the license plate for many years during the 1950's & '60s...

[Guest Jim_Edwards]

I prefer to think convenience of the filler being on the driver's side of the vehicle has played a roll in this. More recent cars with bodies shared with other markets have moved the filler to their driver side or our passenger side. Good examples: Certain Ford products of the 1980's and 1990s, also sometimes referred to as FOX body cars which included a whole bunch of brand names produced here, in Australia, and Europe. It is also noted the spare tire is typically found on the opposite side of the vehicle from the filler pipe following the adoption of those stinking mini spares.

In my mind there is nothing convenient or logical about a gas filler pipe being opposite the driver side of a vehicle regardless of whether a right or left hand steering vehicle.

Jim

[keiser31]

I would imagine that part of it may have had to do with the way gas stations were/are laid out. There was a time when most stations had the "drive up to the right side of the pump" layout. As on roads where we drive on the right, then it may have led to the adaption for the left side filler neck.

[poci1957]

A good question, my thought is it is probably meant to be on the driver's side for convenience sake. I always grumble a bit if I have to walk around to the other side.

I think the center fill, such as behind the license plate on 1960s & 70s GM cars is probably the best design placement of all, but I understand that is not allowed anymore due to danger in a rear collision. Todd

[K8096]

That's interesting your 1934 Ford has it on the right. All Lincoln K's 1933 through 1939 have it on the left. You would have thought Ford Motor would have kept it the same on all their products.

[ex98thdrill]

A local newspaper (yes, I still read them) column ran a question from a reader that asked why the gas cap was on the left side of (their estimate) 90% of the vehicles.

The esteemed columnist didn't have an answer and put it out for others to chime in on.

My 34 Ford has it on the left. As does my 2003 Ranger.

Any historical insight?

Why would they all be on the left? Maybe so the driver could observe the car being fueled?

It was done that way so when the car pulled into the pits the gas fill was closer for the pit crew, while the right side gas fill was put in for when the cars run a road course.:D:D

Actually your guess is as good as mine. My wife's old 2002 Malibu had the gas fill on the passenger side, the 65-73 Mustangs were right over the back bumper, the late 70's early 80's cars had the gas neck behind the license plate. The '57 Chevy's are in the left rear corner of the fin, our '37 Plymouth pickup has it on the right cab corner, the Model 'A's were in the center of the cowl.

No rhyme or reason, but a good question.

[ply33]

Seems like many cars have the gas filler on the side opposite the exhaust/tail pipe. I suppose that might be for safety reasons. Or maybe they lay out the exhaust system to be on the side opposite the fuel filler. Chicken or egg...

Does not explain the positioning of fillers that are not on the side at the rear of the vehicle (1950s & 60s pickup trucks come to mind as well as those cars with the filler behind the license plate).

[Enos]

Seems that PLY33 might have the best reason.....Away from the hot tailpipe.. My ageing brain can't remember the placement for all the cars I've had (bought first car in 1950).

Anyone's guess is as good as anyone's.

Enos

[Barry Wolk]

The filler on the '33 Continental is on the right, right above the tail pipe. The Mark II is on the left, directly above the tailpipe. The Porsche filler in in the trunk. All three Lincolns are on the left. The '41 Ford pick-up is on the left, too.

[Jim Rohn]

That's interesting your 1934 Ford has it on the right. All Lincoln K's 1933 through 1939 have it on the left. You would have thought Ford Motor would have kept it the same on all their products.

I stated it was on the left ...

"My 34 Ford has it on the left. As does my 2003 Ranger. "

[Dave@Moon]

Manufacturers used to put the filler at the back or on either side for a simple reason. After about 1955 nobody was filling up at the curb any more, they were doing it at gas station islands. Islands have 2 sides, so if every car had their filler on one side it would waste 50% of the access to the pumps. There are many instances where a car company had the fillers on different sides of concurent models. I don't think it was any kind of formal arrangement. It just made sense.

The exhaust pipe avoidance theory might be partially true, except that for much of the past 50 years most cars could have either single or dual exhaust.

Most cars have them on the left now for a simple reason. Since most cars have inside gas door releases operated by a cable it's cheaper and simpler to have the door on the driver's side. On a popular model literally miles of cable can be saved by not having to cross the car.

[Guest Skyking]

I also think the best placement is in the center rear like most cars of the 60's, that way you can enter a pump on either side. My cars, other than the Mets are on the left side. Many times when pulling into a filling station my lane is full and the opposite one is empty. By the time I swing around to the other side, someone beat me too it.:confused::eek:

[Guest Skyking]

Dave, you and I must have been writing at the same time..........same answer!!

[John_Maine]

This is one of my pet peeves. I really hate having the filler on the right because you have to go through the pumps on the "wrong side". Our Mariner and Mustang are on the left; my Grand Prix was on the left but our Taurus wagon (pre-Mariner) was on the right and it drove me crazy. This is one thing I look at when looking at a new car.

I always thought the reason for moving the filler from behind the license plate was due to safety concerns and bumper standards that came about in the 70's.

[LINC400]

It seems that with 1970's Ford products, more expensive cars had the filler on the left. Cheaper models had it on the right. I always wondered if you were punished by the inconvenience for not buying a more expensive model.

The gas pump theory doesn't seem to make much sense. That assumes that all cars entered the station going the same direction. Plus it seems it would be more confusing figuring which car to park on which side. If their fillers were all on the same side, you would just pull them up from opposite directions.

Regarding 1970's safety concerns with rear fillers, my friend's 1991 Cadillac has the filler behind the license plate. So apparently it wasn't any kind of law, and Cadillac wasn't too concerned.

Edited November 13, 2010 by LINC400 (see edit history)

[Dave@Moon]

I'll tell you where the worst place to have the gas cap is (besides inside the trunk or under the hood),...my TR6 has it in the center of the rear bulkhead (right behind the rear window). Much like a car with a firewall-mounted gas tank, filling that car is an adventure in controlling drips.

It gets worse. In New Jersey self-service is not allowed. Last year the TR6 National meet was on the Jersey shore. When our cars are in Jersey we have to make sure NOT to fill it up!...

...Did I mention they also have spring-loaded vapor recovery hoses at every station there too?...

...Our club president (also from here in Cincinnati) told the guy to shut it off at 8 gallons, so it wouldn't be full and trigger the automatic shut-off. The attendant walked away, ignoring the warning. When the pump handle finished bouncing around on the deck lid the gas station's insurance company was looking at a $4500 claim to repaint the car.:mad:

If you go to Jersey in a TR6, bring a gas can and a funnel.

[Guest]

For years Datsun/Nissan/ Infiniti were on the rt. side. Today it's about half and half on Nissan/Infiniti. My 62 Pontiac Catalina is on the left. I personally think it's ugly to put a gas flap on the side of any car/truck. It's the perfect place for your first scratch, or for some wise axx kid to try to bend off. My 76 Olds and my 69 Pontiac LeMans has the filler behind the lic. plate. My old 59 Pontiac Catalina had it's filler in the ribbed part of the cove between the trunk and the rear bumper.

My 64 and 65 VW beetles have them in the best place of all--LOCKED in the trunk where no one can siphon off fuel when gas prices get too high.

Don

[tbirdman]

I'll tell you where the worst place to have the gas cap is (besides inside the trunk or under the hood),...my TR6 has it in the center of the rear bulkhead (right behind the rear window). Much like a car with a firewall-mounted gas tank, filling that car is an adventure in controlling drips.

It gets worse. In New Jersey self-service is not allowed. Last year the TR6 National meet was on the Jersey shore. When our cars are in Jersey we have to make sure NOT to fill it up!...

...Did I mention they also have spring-loaded vapor recovery hoses at every station there too?...

...Our club president (also from here in Cincinnati) told the guy to shut it off at 8 gallons, so it wouldn't be full and trigger the automatic shut-off. The attendant walked away, ignoring the warning. When the pump handle finished bouncing around on the deck lid the gas station's insurance company was looking at a $4500 claim to repaint the car.:mad:

If you go to Jersey in a TR6, bring a gas can and a funnel.

We got the same law here in Oregon, but I'm always allowed to fill all my old cars myself. I would imagine the same in NJ as when I lived there, I filled my own motorcycle gas tank.

[Restorer32]

Some teens cars, Pullman for one, had the gas fill INSIDE the car protruding from the dash.

[Barry Wolk]

Behind the left tail light.

[Dandy Dave]

Some teens cars, Pullman for one, had the gas fill INSIDE the car protruding from the dash.

REO trucks were also that way in the teens and 20's. Along with some others, Model T Fords were under the seat. To fill them you had to lift the seat. In 26-27 they Ford moved the tank and filler in the cowl just forward of the windshild.

My Chevy Suburbans all fill from the right rear. Sometimes it is hard to judge how far you are from the pump and takes a little practice to get lined up. Also, most everyone else is fueling from the other direction which makes things fun at times....... Dandy Dave!

[Guest]

Ever notice that the new station pumps only have enough hose to go to the middle of the car. In the old days it didn't matter which side of the car your gas door was because the hose would reach all the way across.

Don

[Dave@Moon]

Ever notice that the new station pumps only have enough hose to go to the middle of the car. In the old days it didn't matter which side of the car your gas door was because the hose would reach all the way across.

Don

I blame that on the late 1990s, when 70% of the vehicles being sold were SUVs, minivans, and pickup trucks. Did you ever try to drape a fuel hose over a Hummer?:eek:

[Guest De Soto Frank]

My '34-'36 Internationals had the fuel filler under the right half of the seat cushion... tank under seat... :eek:

[W_Higgins]

This was a topic on Car Talk today. The basic answer was it's probably just a matter of design and whatever logic applies to how they want to define it. One interesting point was they said Germans have made a conscious effort to put the filler on the side of the car that would keep you out of traffic should you run out of gas and have to refill with a can on the side of the road. I believe they drive on the right, as we do in the U.S.

[oldcarfudd]

When I pull up to the pump in NJ in a brass car, the attendant always hands me the nozzle!

Anybody remember the Jaguar sedans of a few decades ago? I believe they had a tank, and a filler cap, on each side. You got to do all this twice!

[keiser31]

When I pull up to the pump in NJ in a brass car, the attendant always hands me the nozzle!

Anybody remember the Jaguar sedans of a few decades ago? I believe they had a tank, and a filler cap, on each side. You got to do all this twice!

Even though there is a law in Oregon that says you cannot pump your own gasoline, I ALWAYS pump my own in my rides. If I pull in with the 1931 Dodge, the guys don't want to touch it. If I pull in with my Dodge A100 pickup, it is such a slow drinker at the pump, that I automatically ask them if I can pump it myself. The filler in the A100 has four 90 degree bends in it and ALWAYS backs up and splashes out if I let someone else pump it. I have my own technique. Luckily, the filler on the car and the filler on the truck are at the left rear, so I never have to wonder which side of the pumps to pull up on. A lot of cars these days have a little arrow at the fuel indicator to tell you which side the filler is on.

Edited November 14, 2010 by keiser31 (see edit history)

[Dave@Moon]

Even though there is a law in Oregon that says you cannot pump your own gasoline, I ALWAYS pump my own in my rides. If I pull in with the 1931 Dodge, the guys don't want to touch it. If I pull in with my Dodge A100 pickup, it is such a slow drinker at the pump, that I automatically ask them if I can pump it myself....

My friend did exactly that in New Jersey. The attendant refused, and apparently it had happened several time to other guys at the meet prior to this. Moving on to another station wasn't even attempted, as nobody would allow self-pumping.

[Guest]

My friend did exactly that in New Jersey. The attendant refused, and apparently it had happened several time to other guys at the meet prior to this. Moving on to another station wasn't even attempted, as nobody would allow self-pumping.

I hope those attendants are careful! The people I see at the full service side I would never let them touch my car. The car pulls in and they ask what octane and how much. They walk over to the gas flap door and open it half way, grab the hose pipe and nudge the flap all the way open with the nozzle end, take the tethered cap and let it bang on the side of the car. When full a few drips of gas on the quarter pannel. Wonder in Oregon if they insist on filling the gallon can for your lawn mower too.

Don

[ply33]

I hope those attendants are careful! The people I see at the full service side I would never let them touch my car. The car pulls in and they ask what octane and how much. They walk over to the gas flap door and open it half way, grab the hose pipe and nudge the flap all the way open with the nozzle end, take the tethered cap and let it bang on the side of the car. When full a few drips of gas on the quarter pannel. Wonder in Oregon if they insist on filling the gallon can for your lawn mower too.

Don

Drove the 33 to Portland, OR last summer for a show. Nearly every station I stopped at the attendant suggested that I do the filling. And the ones that did not suggest it allowed me to do it after I asked. Granted the sample size wasn't large and it was only along US-101 and I-5. Maybe someone who actually lives there can clarify but it seemed to me that the attendants did not want to be responsible for damage to a vehicle they were not comfortable with filling.

[keiser31]

Drove the 33 to Portland, OR last summer for a show. Nearly every station I stopped at the attendant suggested that I do the filling. And the ones that did not suggest it allowed me to do it after I asked. Granted the sample size wasn't large and it was only along US-101 and I-5. Maybe someone who actually lives there can clarify but it seemed to me that the attendants did not want to be responsible for damage to a vehicle they were not comfortable with filling.

I believe that the law here reads that if the car is either collectible or a certain age (antique), you can pump the fuel yourself. OOPS....here we go once again trying to determine what "antique" is.

[Guest Skyking]

If I pull in with my Dodge A100 pickup, it is such a slow drinker at the pump, that I automatically ask them if I can pump it myself. The filler in the A100 has four 90 degree bends in it and ALWAYS backs up and splashes out if I let someone else pump it. I have my own technique.

When I was 16 I used to work at my brothers Atlantic station. We always had problems filling 1960 & 61 Valiants. The filler was flat against the fender and the gas always shot out at you. I think every Valiant & Lancer had huge gas stains on the quarter panels.

[ex98thdrill]

When I was 16 I used to work at my brothers Atlantic station. We always had problems filling 1960 & 61 Valiants. The filler was flat against the fender and the gas always shot out at you. I think every Valiant & Lancer had huge gas stains on the quarter panels.

I want to say that the late 1970's early 1980's Chevy pickups didn't like taking gas too quick either.

As for New Jersey, I never knew you couldn't pump your own gas until a couple of years ago. Usually if I was in New Jersey, I would get gas at Fort Dix. With Fort Dix being a military installation, they didn't have full service gas stations on post.

[Guest windjamer]

:(About 1970 I had to do some work on a 4 dr Maserada ( you spell it. ) The filler was on the top left of the rear fender with a gas door like corvair and cap on the filler neck. Long story short,the owner had let the car sit outside for several mo. and then went to drive it. It started and ran a few min. and quit. He let it sit a year or more and when he brought it to the shop I found a tank full of water a missing gas cap and a engine you couldnt turn with a 3ft. pipe on a 2 ft braker bar. We sent the engine and tranny to England for a compleat rebuild and maby a year later got it back as a jig-saw puzell to be put togather and reinstalled.:eek: Thats anouther best forgoten story.

[Larry Schramm]

I like my Corvette. In the center behind the rear window. Kind of like the Model A, except that was in the center in front of the windshield (windscreen for our friends across the pond)

[Dave@Moon]

I like my Corvette. In the center behind the rear window. Kind of like the Model A, except that was in the center in front of the windshield (windscreen for our friends across the pond)

I'll tell you where the worst place to have the gas cap is (besides inside the trunk or under the hood),...my TR6 has it in the center of the rear bulkhead (right behind the rear window). Much like a car with a firewall-mounted gas tank, filling that car is an adventure in controlling drips.

It gets worse. In New Jersey self-service is not allowed. Last year the TR6 National meet was on the Jersey shore. When our cars are in Jersey we have to make sure NOT to fill it up!...

...Did I mention they also have spring-loaded vapor recovery hoses at every station there too?...

...Our club president (also from here in Cincinnati) told the guy to shut it off at 8 gallons, so it wouldn't be full and trigger the automatic shut-off. The attendant walked away, ignoring the warning. When the pump handle finished bouncing around on the deck lid the gas station's insurance company was looking at a $4500 claim to repaint the car.:mad:

If you go to Jersey in a TR6, bring a gas can and a funnel.

That's why they make chocolate and spumoni!

[Guest PWN]

I know German cars are on the right in case you run out of gas. You are on the safe side of the car when you fill it and not stuck out into traffic.

[Graham Man]

I like the German idea, but my Porsche 911 is on the left side and my VW is on the right...

Well that said my 1928 Graham-Paige 610 is on the left and my 1929 Graham-Paige 827 is on the right. So apparently this is not a new discussion?

[Guest my3buicks]

On my drivers, ones on the left, ones on the right and you guessed it, I always pull up to the wrong side of the pump not thinking which car I am in. My Buicks both fill behind the license plate, so you get to squat down to pump gas. Of course you always worry about the idiot that comes pulling into the pump behind you that he is going to stop and not pin you between cars.