Fix-Um Haus
Portland, OR
Photo courtesy Jeff Raber

Old gas stations seem to have a knack for finding a second life, and Fix-Um Haus is a good example. The pumps are long gone, but the original service canopy still reaches out toward Lombard Street, making it easy to picture cars pulling in for a fill-up years ago.

Today it's a Volkswagen repair shop, and somehow that feels like the perfect fit. Air-cooled VWs, Vanagons, and other old Volkswagens seem right at home under this vintage station canopy. It's always nice to see an old service station still doing what it was built to do...keeping cars on the road.

UPDATE: Fix-Um Haus is still repairing Volkswagens from this former gas station, and the old service canopy continues to give the building plenty of roadside character. 07-26

Clackamas Auto Parts
Oregon City, OR
Photo courtesy Dave & Debra van Hulsteyn

Some signs are all about the little details. Clackamas Auto Parts has a beautiful neon pole sign, but it's the tiny horseless carriage perched on top that steals the show. Framed in glowing neon, it's the kind of detail that's easy to miss if you're driving too fast. 03-06

Family-owned since 1934, Clackamas Auto Parts is more than just a place to pick up parts. It also has an old-school machine shop where engines are still rebuilt the traditional way. Somehow that vintage sign feels right at home advertising a business that still does things the old-fashioned way.

UPDATE: Clackamas Auto Parts is still serving Oregon City, and the colorful neon sign with its little carriage topper continues to brighten Main Street. 07-26

Pioneer Auto Parts
Seattle, WA
Photo courtesy Scott Strickland

A good blade sign always seems to reach out and grab your attention, and Pioneer Auto Parts did exactly that. Hanging high above the sidewalk, this old sign must have been a familiar sight for anyone driving through Seattle. The simple design proves you don't always need flashing neon to make a statement. 08-09

Auto parts stores once had signs like this in towns all across America, but most have disappeared over the years. That's what makes finding one still hanging such a treat. It's the kind of roadside detail that's easy to overlook until you stop and look up.

UPDATE: The current status of Pioneer Auto Parts and its blade sign could not be confirmed. Hopefully this old sign is still hanging around somewhere in Seattle. 07-26

Cliff's Auto Electric (Gone)
Medford, OR
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

Tucked just off the main highway was Cliff's Auto Electric, marked by a great old neon sign that projected out over the sidewalk. The script "Cliff's" riding above the bold AUTO ELECTRIC lettering made it hard to miss, especially after dark. 11-20

Places like this were once a common sight along America's highways. Independent repair shops had personality, and their signs were often every bit as memorable as the work they advertised. This was one of those signs that made the business feel bigger than the building itself.

UPDATE: Cliff's Auto Electric has closed, and the building is now home to Top Shelf Customs. The vintage neon sign has been removed. 07-26

Medford Muffler (Gone)
Phoenix, AZ
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

Sometimes it's the signs just off the main drag that turn out to be the best discoveries. Cliff's Auto Electric had one of those signs. The double-sided neon projected out from the building with a big script "Cliff's" perched above bold AUTO ELECTRIC lettering, making it easy to spot as you drove by. 11-20

Independent garages used to have signs with real personality, and this one fit the business perfectly. It looked like it had been welcoming motorists for decades, quietly doing its job while traffic rolled past on old Highway 99.

UPDATE: Cliff's Auto Electric has closed, and the building is now occupied by Top Shelf Customs. Unfortunately, the vintage neon sign has been removed. 07-26