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I just noticed a mention of "Streck" gas caps on the paint thread, and it sparked me to write this topic.
How many people have heard of Streck gas caps....please raise your hands? ??......
They are a period accessory, tall gas cap, for Knuckleheads, with frosted edges, right? They even appear in period photos.
Sorry to burst everyone's bubble, but the term Streck caps are a "fairy tale" at least from what I can tell. It's just one of those stories, that no one has ever questioned. Sure, they are referred to in "How to restore your HD", so everyone goes on using the term like it is second nature.
Yes, caps like this DO exist. Many of you know I've been selling them for the last 7 or 8 years from the buried stash of Triangle MC in Chicago.
But "Streck"??? I had the opportunity, while talking to Bruce Palmer, not long ago, to ask him where he got his documentation on the Streck caps. Well, Bruce was stumped. He didn't really remember how that came about, and wondered why I asked. Well, not long ago, I pulled the last container of the gas caps out of storage, which was actually in a cardboard box, with little mini dividers, that was still sealed up, and I noticed a label, that was so dirty you could hardly read it. I promptly cleaned it, and it read "the STANT corp". on the label, and it was addressed directly to Triangle MC in Chicago.
I discussed this with Bruce, and we came to the conclusion that the Streck reference in his book must have been a "typo" for Stant. Upon further investigation, I never found any evidence of a Streck company that made gas caps, or any other accessory ever existed. If someone else CAN, I'd be interested to hear it....I'm still open minded enough to think there could be 2 manufacturers, or Streck could have been a small distributor.
I have had to continue to erroneously refer to them as Streck caps, because, now.....everyone thinks that's what they are, and will "hear none of it" when you tell them they are really Stant caps. Obviously, Stant is still a houshold name for gas, and oil caps for automotive, and was in the early years as well.
Rest assured....they are still a treasured period accessory gas cap, made in the 40s-50s. I just think the record should be set straight on what these really are. This is a really good example of how mis-information can become a "standard" by mistake.
I hope this can make some headway in correcting a piece of history that never happened, because I'm convinced every frosted edge period accessory gas cap I've ever sold have been Stant.
Tom Faber
Faber Cycle & Machine
How many people have heard of Streck gas caps....please raise your hands? ??......
They are a period accessory, tall gas cap, for Knuckleheads, with frosted edges, right? They even appear in period photos.
Sorry to burst everyone's bubble, but the term Streck caps are a "fairy tale" at least from what I can tell. It's just one of those stories, that no one has ever questioned. Sure, they are referred to in "How to restore your HD", so everyone goes on using the term like it is second nature.
Yes, caps like this DO exist. Many of you know I've been selling them for the last 7 or 8 years from the buried stash of Triangle MC in Chicago.
But "Streck"??? I had the opportunity, while talking to Bruce Palmer, not long ago, to ask him where he got his documentation on the Streck caps. Well, Bruce was stumped. He didn't really remember how that came about, and wondered why I asked. Well, not long ago, I pulled the last container of the gas caps out of storage, which was actually in a cardboard box, with little mini dividers, that was still sealed up, and I noticed a label, that was so dirty you could hardly read it. I promptly cleaned it, and it read "the STANT corp". on the label, and it was addressed directly to Triangle MC in Chicago.
I discussed this with Bruce, and we came to the conclusion that the Streck reference in his book must have been a "typo" for Stant. Upon further investigation, I never found any evidence of a Streck company that made gas caps, or any other accessory ever existed. If someone else CAN, I'd be interested to hear it....I'm still open minded enough to think there could be 2 manufacturers, or Streck could have been a small distributor.
I have had to continue to erroneously refer to them as Streck caps, because, now.....everyone thinks that's what they are, and will "hear none of it" when you tell them they are really Stant caps. Obviously, Stant is still a houshold name for gas, and oil caps for automotive, and was in the early years as well.
Rest assured....they are still a treasured period accessory gas cap, made in the 40s-50s. I just think the record should be set straight on what these really are. This is a really good example of how mis-information can become a "standard" by mistake.
I hope this can make some headway in correcting a piece of history that never happened, because I'm convinced every frosted edge period accessory gas cap I've ever sold have been Stant.
Tom Faber
Faber Cycle & Machine
Paps
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