Random set of the day: Gas N' Wash Express
Posted by Huwbot,
Today's random set is 6472 Gas N' Wash Express, released during 2001. It's one of 2 Town sets produced that year. It contains 470 pieces and 3 minifigs, and its retail price was US$50.
It's owned by 694 Brickset members. If you want to add it to your collection you should find it for sale at BrickLink, where new ones sell for around $282.10, or eBay.
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50 comments on this article
Looks like a nice set.
But what they don't tell you is that at Octan, everything is done with gas, even the washing.
What sort of gas station fits your car with new tires while you pump gas? For that matter, what gas station could actually get them changed by the time I'm done pumping a full tank?
@PurpleDave said:
"What sort of gas station fits your car with new tires while you pump gas? For that matter, what gas station could actually get them changed by the time I'm done pumping a full tank?"
An efficient one, that's what kind. *nods*
One of my most favorite town sets. Played with it all the time :D
That is quite an odd place to be brushing your hair!
I always wanted either this set or the one it was a reissue of. The only gas station I have isn't even a stand-alone set designed to build one model, it's 720, which had to make compromises to accommodate the other models.
You can tell it was a really bad time for Lego. 2 town sets for the year and the other one is not very 'town' at all (sky pirates). In 2002, there were two reissues to help the very poor offering. 2003 was even worse: no new sets and just one reissue (a good one though 10041 ). A couple more reissues in 2004 and that was the end of 'town'. Then Jørgen Vig Knudstorp. The year after that (in 2005) the new theme: City had 46 sets (more like 20-ish because there was a lot of 'multiple packs').
@NotProfessorWhymzi:
Ever count how many nuts they have to remove to take each wheel off? One per. And the tires are all pre-mounted on a fresh set of rims. Nuts are probably captured on the rims, so you can’t do them like Ralphie in A Christmas Story. If the wheels were all laid out, I could probably do a full F1 tire change in the time it took to pump a full tank for my car (especially since they seem to have slowed down the pumps so the price doesn’t ring up so fast).
@MCLegoboy said:
"But what they don't tell you is that at Octan, everything is done with gas, even the washing."
Yeah but at least it has a great octane rating.
@PurpleDave: Ew, I know this one...got it: A gas station that bases itself on autoracing 'pit-stops':)
Also: does anyone else feel like the set sounds like something out of "Grand Theft Auto"...not that that's a 'bad thing'..:D
My uncle gave me this for Christmas when I was a kid. Exceptional set. I love the skylights on the gas station overhang.
What a huge filling station... mine was only 13 pieces! 431-1
I had the original (6397) one when I was a kid. Without any bias I have to admit, one of the best city sets ever made. It was the perfect example why I loved that theme so much.
A great and beautiful set!
I loved this set at first sight in the mid-90s while perusing one of the 1992 mini-catalogs I came across. It was unfortunately too expensive and too retired to obtain in 1996, but I always dreamed my mom or granddad would find one in a garage sale or something. Imagine my pleasant surprise when I discovered, at the height of my newfound BIONICLE mania in 2001, that the set was being re-released!
At first, once I saw the set in the main LEGO.com catalogs that came in the mail, I thought this would be another "LEGO LEGEND" release with the black-and-white box that my Guarded Inn came in (10000). On my birthday in October 2001, the Gas N Wash Express was my big present and I was shocked to see it come in a box with that slightly garish, "juniorized" graphic design. No inner tray or display flap for 13 year-old me! That said, I knew it was the bricks inside that counted the most, and I was not disappointed in the least with the building process or all the cool elements to make the awning and the car wash. Never had pieces like those in my collection!
When my family moved a year and a half later, I dutifully disassembled this and packed it up. I was aware of my then less-than-ideal sticker placement (this remake preserves all the STAMPs), and sometime after the move, seeing how many of my older sets with white bricks had yellowed, I became greatly concerned that my beautiful Gas N Wash Express met a similar fate. After all, I was already heartbroken at seeing the sorry state my Metro PD Station that I got for Christmas 1997 was in. To this day, I'm a little scared to reopen that box and see how all those lovely white pieces (and stickers) are doing. I think I am going to break the fear soon, though, as my LEGO Town has been fully revived in my own home, and with all the Octan branding over cars, trucks, raceways, and rail cars, I suspect the people will soon demand an Octan gas station!
…is the guy in the suit trying to do car repair with a hairbrush? No wonder the Octan guy is looking at him kinda funny
@brick_r said:
" @PurpleDave : Ew, I know this one...got it: A gas station that bases itself on autoracing 'pit-stops':)"
Well, Octan also did have Formula 1 / Indycar teams (6335, 6143, 1990-1), so...
absolutely love this set
2000's signifies the end of classic space and town for me. I admit thet new sets are more andvanced in building technics and parts, but I just can't let go of the simple beauty of the classics.
@PurpleDave said:
" @NotProfessorWhymzi:
Ever count how many nuts they have to remove to take each wheel off? One per. And the tires are all pre-mounted on a fresh set of rims. Nuts are probably captured on the rims, so you can’t do them like Ralphie in A Christmas Story. If the wheels were all laid out, I could probably do a full F1 tire change in the time it took to pump a full tank for my car (especially since they seem to have slowed down the pumps so the price doesn’t ring up so fast)."
I can't see any problem here. After removing even one tire a customer can't ride away so time isn't an issue at all.
@McKern said:
"I can't see any problem here. After removing even one tire a customer can't ride away so time isn't an issue at all."
Who's even saying they actually change the tires? Remember what a crime infested place Lego City is.....that dude is just stealing your wheels pretending to do you a service!
@NotProfessorWhymzi said:
" @Zordboy said:
" @PurpleDave said:
"What sort of gas station fits your car with new tires while you pump gas? For that matter, what gas station could actually get them changed by the time I'm done pumping a full tank?"
An efficient one, that's what kind. *nods*"
ever watch a F1 pit crew in action? it's kinda like that. right?"
although it's years since they did fuel at the same time as tyres, when they did it was the fuel that was the slow bit, even with the high pressure fuel hoses.
I remember this set because it appeared in Lego Island 2. The only gas station I have is 7993 which is pretty good and I have very fond memories of it. Still, I can appreciate the simplicity and the color scheme of this great old Town gas station. Also, green baseplates > gray baseplates.
You’d never get your tyres nicked at a Shell garage
This re-release must have confused the target audience that, by then, was used to be fed juniorized crap for five years. A, by then, ten year-old set and still superior.
@sjr60 said:
"What a huge filling station... mine was only 13 pieces! 431-1"
Cool! I have one of those yellow pumps with stickers still kind of on it.
This set is wunnerful though. Those gambrel skylights! I also appreciate sets designed to add the little details like flowers.
@MeisterDad said:
" @sjr60 said:
"What a huge filling station... mine was only 13 pieces! 431-1"
Cool! I have one of those yellow pumps with stickers still kind of on it."
Yes, the only problem is that the trans clear cylinders now have absolutely no clutch power, so it only stays upright by pure balance!
I recently looked through the instructions of the Octan sets again, and I must say... this is peak 90s design! It's perfectly detailed and simple. That wastebin made with 1x2 grille tiles alone is great!
Unfortunately this set is not from the 90s and instead from the Legends line. I say unfortunately because although more people could get their hands on a set that was quite old at that point, it also meant lego was basically trying to claw their way up from the financial pit they were falling in. That this was still peak town design because there wasn't really anything close to the theme at the time beside Jack Stone and maybe Studios speaks volumes.
@Brickalili said:
"…is the guy in the suit trying to do car repair with a hairbrush? No wonder the Octan guy is looking at him kinda funny"
I think he's meant to be cleaning the windshield, with the hairbrush standing in for one of those gas station squeegees.
@AustinPowers said:
" @brick_r said:
" @PurpleDave : Ew, I know this one...got it: A gas station that bases itself on autoracing 'pit-stops':)"
Well, Octan also did have Formula 1 / Indycar teams (6335, 6143, 1990-1), so... "
And history books, and voting machines!
OCTAN!!!!!
@Andrusi said:
" @Brickalili said:
"…is the guy in the suit trying to do car repair with a hairbrush? No wonder the Octan guy is looking at him kinda funny"
I think he's meant to be cleaning the windshield, with the hairbrush standing in for one of those gas station squeegees."
That really sounds like one of those jobs you don’t want to do in a suit
@McKern:
Sure, if you don’t mind losing customers because they don’t want to wait in line that long to fill their tank.
@Al_S:
In older times, it was all gravity fed. You’d pump gas into a clear jar at the top, with markings to show roughly how many gallons you were getting. I’ve heard something about even older times when they poured gas out of portable gas cans, so imagine how much storage it’d take just to collect all the empties!
But I hadn’t considered the possibility of just having tires rotated (and, according to Monty Burns, revulcanized as well). Yeah, that probably was part of the full-service treatment several decades ago.
Honestly they should give the Legends line another go. 1:1 or as close to recreations of sets from yesteryear would go off nowadays, especially since the adult audience of Lego has grown since 2001.
@NotProfessorWhymzi said:
" @Zordboy said:
" @PurpleDave said:
"What sort of gas station fits your car with new tires while you pump gas? For that matter, what gas station could actually get them changed by the time I'm done pumping a full tank?"
An efficient one, that's what kind. *nods*"
ever watch a F1 pit crew in action? it's kinda like that. right?"
I used to work for a rally team. Car would be up on four jackstands and tires off in less than a minute. Pretty sure we could get all the tires changed before fueling was done with time to spare.
@PurpleDave said:
"What sort of gas station fits your car with new tires while you pump gas? For that matter, what gas station could actually get them changed by the time I'm done pumping a full tank?"
I think the idea of including a rack of new tires was playability. If you didn't go to the gas station to get gas, buy pop or other convenient food/sundries or – as it was in this set – get your car washed, you could get your car serviced, including purchase/repair of new tires if needed.
There were so many play possibilities with this set.
That specialised jack piece is very strange to me, it seems very limited in its use. Would it really be that hard to build one from regular parts?
@Brickalili said:
" @Andrusi said:
" @Brickalili said:
"…is the guy in the suit trying to do car repair with a hairbrush? No wonder the Octan guy is looking at him kinda funny"
I think he's meant to be cleaning the windshield, with the hairbrush standing in for one of those gas station squeegees."
That really sounds like one of those jobs you don’t want to do in a suit"
My dad never let that stop him. He'd clean his windshield whenever he randomly decided it desperately needed cleaning, no matter how he was dressed or who was waiting in the car really wanting to get home because the show he wants to watch starts in four minutes.
@chrisaw:
Legends was very popular. It just wasn’t _widely_ popular, so it was an abysmal failure. I’d rather keep seeing stuff like the Blacktron Cruiser, where they reimagine vintage sets with modern parts and aesthetics.
@dimc:
How many lugs per wheel? And I’d assume the tires were already mounted on rims.
@Briguy52748:
Before liability issue shut it down, it was common for gas stations and mechanic shops to be paired under one business. They’d probably put your car on a lift to do the tires, though, and not tie up the pump station.
@RogueWhistler said:
"That specialised jack piece is very strange to me, it seems very limited in its use. Would it really be that hard to build one from regular parts?"
The jack was an absolute game changer when it appeared in 1984's 6655, along with the removable wheels. Legendary part.
@cm5878 said:
" @RogueWhistler said:
"That specialised jack piece is very strange to me, it seems very limited in its use. Would it really be that hard to build one from regular parts?"
The jack was an absolute game changer when it appeared in 1984's 6655, along with the removable wheels. Legendary part."
Oh, and great to see 6472 picked as Random Set, by the way. Artwork needs more SYSTEM lettering, though.
This is still one of my favorites of all time. It's 100% complete and I will never part ways with it.
They should bring back that jack piece...
An iconic set, always loved the roof!
@RogueWhistler said:
"That specialised jack piece is very strange to me, it seems very limited in its use. Would it really be that hard to build one from regular parts?"
Yes and no. You could use a hinge to simulate it... but this part is a _working_ jack! You can actually lift a 4-wide sized car by moving the lever back. That isn't possible to do at this scale with regular parts, even now.
To be clear, it's actually an assembly of 3 pre-assembled parts.
@RogueWhistler said:
"That specialised jack piece is very strange to me, it seems very limited in its use. Would it really be that hard to build one from regular parts?"
It's a one-trick pony indeed, but it does that one trick pretty well. No way they could have done that with regular pieces, certainly not with the pieces available back then, but I think not even with nowadays huge variety. At least not without sacrificing playability.
@MCLegoboy said:
"But what they don't tell you is that at Octan, everything is done with gas, even the washing."
Easy enough in a LEGO world, all those trucks and trains just have been transporting water all along, with some on-site turning it into hydrogen fuel for those service stations.
So all those Water shooting fire vehicles can just tank both hydrogen fuel and water at those service stations as well (there are many octan related fire sets), it's one big symbiosis.
Surely, Octan E arrived later, to go full electric, but Octan also turned out to be a Solar and Battery company in current day City : https://brickset.com/parts/6421752/flat-tile-1x2-no-364 https://brickset.com/parts/6331694/plate-2x3-w-holder-no-14 in 60383: Electric Sports Car
@Lego_Lord_Mayorca said:
"I loved this set at first sight in the mid-90s while perusing one of the 1992 mini-catalogs I came across. It was unfortunately too expensive and too retired to obtain in 1996, but I always dreamed my mom or granddad would find one in a garage sale or something. Imagine my pleasant surprise when I discovered, at the height of my newfound BIONICLE mania in 2001, that the set was being re-released!
At first, once I saw the set in the main LEGO.com catalogs that came in the mail, I thought this would be another "LEGO LEGEND" release with the black-and-white box that my Guarded Inn came in (10000). On my birthday in October 2001, the Gas N Wash Express was my big present and I was shocked to see it come in a box with that slightly garish, "juniorized" graphic design. No inner tray or display flap for 13 year-old me! That said, I knew it was the bricks inside that counted the most, and I was not disappointed in the least with the building process or all the cool elements to make the awning and the car wash. Never had pieces like those in my collection!
When my family moved a year and a half later, I dutifully disassembled this and packed it up. I was aware of my then less-than-ideal sticker placement (this remake preserves all the STAMPs), and sometime after the move, seeing how many of my older sets with white bricks had yellowed, I became greatly concerned that my beautiful Gas N Wash Express met a similar fate. After all, I was already heartbroken at seeing the sorry state my Metro PD Station that I got for Christmas 1997 was in. To this day, I'm a little scared to reopen that box and see how all those lovely white pieces (and stickers) are doing. I think I am going to break the fear soon, though, as my LEGO Town has been fully revived in my own home, and with all the Octan branding over cars, trucks, raceways, and rail cars, I suspect the people will soon demand an Octan gas station!"
Just wanted to say your comments always make me smile. I was just like you except 5-8 years earlier. I had one Lego catalog that came with 6381 Motor Speedway which came out in 1987. It must have had a long shelf life because I got it probably around 1991. By then most of the sets in the catalog were long gone off shelves. What were these weird blue spaceships that don’t belong to any of the established factions? It had a big gray castle (6080) that put all the currently available castles in 1991 to shame. Pre-Brickset and internet, those catalogs were the only evidence of long retired sets us 90’s kids would never get to own at least until EBay and Bricklink came around.
@natro220 said: "Pre-Brickset and internet, those catalogs were the only evidence of long retired sets us 90’s kids would never get to own at least until EBay and Bricklink came around."
'80s kid here, and I still have all my pack-in catalogs. Well, technically I lost one, but I bought a replacement on Bricklink.