How It All Began: Gearhead Curios and the Spirit of a Texaco Past
Before it became the bold, neon beacon known today as Gearhead Curios, the old Texaco station in Galena, Kansas had already lived several lifetimes. Built in 1939, it started as a single-bay filling station—just one service bay and a pit. Over the years, it grew and adapted. The open pit got a roof. Later, it was enclosed completely and fitted with a lift.
The station operated as a full-service garage into the late ’80s and early ’90s, but like many Route 66 businesses, it changed hands and identities as the road’s traffic faded. In the early 2000s, a man named Scott bought the property with plans to turn it into a speed shop. But his passion for jet dragsters pulled him in another direction, and the project never got off the ground.
That’s where Aaron Perry enters the story.
“It Found Me”: How Gearhead Curios Took Shape
As Aaron Perry tells it, Gearhead Curios found him—not the other way around. In August 2018, he stumbled across the forgotten Texaco station in Galena, Kansas. By October, it was his.
“I wanted an old-school roadside attraction,” Aaron said. “Something that made people stop, smile, and maybe scratch their heads a little.”
The pink restroom? That’s personal. “My ex-wife didn’t want one in our house,” he laughed. “So I made it happen here.” After finding a perfectly pink toilet, he turned his attention to creating a one-of-a-kind urinal. That’s when a funnel—yes, a literal funnel—came into play.
“My dad and I saw it and said, ‘This could work!’ Not sure how exactly, but we just said, ‘Hit the funnel.’ I thought it was funny and kind of unique, so I had shirts made that said I hit the funnel.”
But then came the twist: “My friend Rita asked, ‘What if I hit the funnel?’ That’s when it hit me—the Funnel Challenge.” Part of the unique novelty— she-wees and souvenir bragging rights for the ladies brave enough to step up.
The Most Famous Bathroom on Route 66?
Many of us remember the gas station bathroom key attached to a large item the size of a Volkswagen, and the ice cold toilet seats—or in the summer, stagnant balmy air wafting out the door, smelling like years of bad decisions. Not to worry, Gearhead's bathroom is in the climate controlled building, and has a unique style and level of comfort for the antique car and Route 66 enthusiast. It’s not every day you walk into a bathroom and feel like you’ve stepped inside a real live tribute to American car culture—but that’s exactly what you get at Gearhead Curios.
Aaron didn’t just build a restroom—he built a story, bolt by bolt.
- The walls are paneled with diamond plate aluminum and pallet wood, giving it a rugged, industrial-meets-roadside feel.
- Hooks for bags and jackets? Those are heated and bent wrenches.
- The toilet paper holder? It’s secured with a C-clamp and more wrenches.
- Need some privacy? A pair of Model A Ford hood sides serve as the stall divider.
- The urinal? It flushes with a foot-shaped gas pedal, because of course it does.
- For handwashing, you’ll use a brass gas pump nozzle attached to an oil drain basin—and yes, the soap comes out of an oil can.
And the mirror?
That’s set into a 1958 Ford radiator, illuminated by a 1959 Ford valve cover light overhead. 1930s headlights serve as swag lights along the wall, and in the center of the ceiling, you’ll find a 1962 Oldsmobile air cleaner cover repurposed as a light fixture.
Even the bathroom key is a work of art—attached to a 1963 AMC Ambassador hubcap, with a nut driver as the handle.
It’s bold, it’s funny, and it’s unforgettable—just like everything else at Gearhead Curios. For travelers along Route 66, this isn’t just a pit stop. It’s a photo op, a conversation starter, and proof that the characters of Route 66 know how to create a memorable experience. Don't miss out on this Route 66 roadside gem, and check out the great merch and souvenirs.
