ya, this was an actual thing back then

discusdad

even cheaper, had a place sold at 18-9/gallon in du quoin illinois.

[media][/media]

He Dog

In high school I regularly filled Dad's car on date night for $2. Gas was .179 to .199 for months on end with no change. I worked and Dad filled the tank only when we traveled, I filled it after my date every week.

pulsarnc

When I got my drivers license. , gas was 23.9 for regular and 27.9 for hightest. First car was a 1962 Super 88 Oldsmobile . It was the retired family car so it was a 4 door

spasmcreek

started working in the family service station when i was 12.....we were the 2nd largest business in town after the lumber yard....open 7 days a week 7am to 9pm 365......used to get a monthly marketing magazine that told the volume of gas sales in every station in Kansas.... in a pile in the old warehouse 15? years ago i found the daily sales record book for day i was born in 1943......got it in my office along with one that is unused

Quick&Dead

Yup, worked part time in a service station back in the early/mid '70s and pumped tens of thousands of gallons of gas for under .30 cent a gallon.

Back then it was REAL leaded gas, not the junked up crap ethanol, non-leaded stuff sold today for $2 - $3 a gallon.

Back then there were 'gas wars' too with some stations selling gas for .10 cents a gallon ... actually the gas was free, only paying the tax on the gas.

Some things in the good ole' days were good!

iceracerx

He Dog wrote:

In high school I regularly filled Dad's car on date night for $2. Gas was .179 to .199 for months on end with no change. I worked and Dad filled the tank only when we traveled, I filled it after my date every week.

Back when I was in HS, whoever drove to a sporting event/school function was paid a dollar by the 'riders'. It was a great way to put gas in the tank. A bigger car meant more $$$. I was lucky enough to inherit a '63 Caddy Coupe De Ville. It could easily fit 8 teenagers (more with dates on laps). IIRC it got 20 miles to the gallon. Gas @ the time was .40-.50.

I remember back when I first became a grass cutting entrepreneur, the 4 stations on the 'corner' were having a gas war and gas was less than 20 cent/gal. I'd peddle my bike and my Sunoco gas can (blue and yellow) to the cheapest station, buy a gal O gas and a Coke. I charged 50 cents a lawn (small Detroit lots) and was making money hand over fist at the age of 8.

He Dog

iceracerx wrote:

He Dog wrote:

In high school I regularly filled Dad's car on date night for $2. Gas was .179 to .199 for months on end with no change. I worked and Dad filled the tank only when we traveled, I filled it after my date every week.

Back when I was in HS, whoever drove to a sporting event/school function was paid a dollar by the 'riders'. It was a great way to put gas in the tank. A bigger car meant more $$$. I was lucky enough to inherit a '63 Caddy Coupe De Ville. It could easily fit 8 teenagers (more with dates on laps). IIRC it got 20 miles to the gallon. Gas @ the time was .40-.50.

I remember back when I first became a grass cutting entrepreneur, the 4 stations on the 'corner' were having a gas war and gas was less than 20 cent/gal. I'd peddle my bike and my Sunoco gas can (blue and yellow) to the cheapest station, buy a gal O gas and a Coke. I charged 50 cents a lawn (small Detroit lots) and was making money hand over fist at the age of 8.

I remember gas war prices at .119 and .139, which makes me almost as old as petroleum. Best friend/next door neighbor and I mowed grass, shared a paper route and shoveled snow in winter, but that was before I was old enough to drive. I worked in a plumbing supply warehouse in high school, among other jobs.

iceracerx

He Dog wrote:

iceracerx wrote:

He Dog wrote:

In high school I regularly filled Dad's car on date night for $2. Gas was .179 to .199 for months on end with no change. I worked and Dad filled the tank only when we traveled, I filled it after my date every week.

Back when I was in HS, whoever drove to a sporting event/school function was paid a dollar by the 'riders'. It was a great way to put gas in the tank. A bigger car meant more $$$. I was lucky enough to inherit a '63 Caddy Coupe De Ville. It could easily fit 8 teenagers (more with dates on laps). IIRC it got 20 miles to the gallon. Gas @ the time was .40-.50.

I remember back when I first became a grass cutting entrepreneur, the 4 stations on the 'corner' were having a gas war and gas was less than 20 cent/gal. I'd peddle my bike and my Sunoco gas can (blue and yellow) to the cheapest station, buy a gal O gas and a Coke. I charged 50 cents a lawn (small Detroit lots) and was making money hand over fist at the age of 8.

I remember gas war prices at .119 and .139, which makes me almost as old as petroleum. Best friend/next door neighbor and I mowed grass, shared a paper route and shoveled snow in winter, but that was before I was old enough to drive. I worked in a plumbing supply warehouse in high school, among other jobs.

As long as you're not petroleum!

11 yo was the 'minimum' age for a paper route in De Trois, although I was 'subbing' for the kid 'across the street' when I was 9 (holidays and most weekends during ski season) Collected on Thursdays, thus late Thanksgiving day was a GREAT day for tips!

I currently live two houses from a 'Middle school' and not one of the urchins has asked to shovel the walk/drive or mow the lawn (it was a great/easy to make $$$ back when I had few tools to offer).

SW0320

Yes I remember those prices.

In the 60?s I worked on fishing boats. We used to fill up at the fish coop early in the morning. One morning after fueling up Capt. came out swearing up a storm. He was complaining that diesel fuel went from 17 cents a gallon to 18 cents.

After working on the fishing boats I was self employed running a vending route. I still have my tax return with the receipts for gas at 28 and 29 cents a gallon.

JIM STARK

1961 graduated high school.. worked at a GULF oil station pumped gas (full service) at 19.9 / gal... ...
JIM...............

gruntled2

Gag stayed at about .249/gal even in Kalifornia until the Yom Kippur War. Then we got hit with the Arab oil embargo because of our help to Israel. Prices began to soar & we had the gas lines & you could only buy gas on even or odd days depending on your license plate, they sometimes even checked your gas gage to see that you weren't over half full. The economic repercussions hit the entire world in massive ways. Third World debt, Savings & Loan & Bank failures, huge increases in interest rates.

Smitty500mag

I started working in my dad's Pure Oil Co. service station in Knoxville, TN in 1961. I used to hate to see a Pontiac Bonneville roll up to the gas pumps. Those 60s Pontiac Bonneville's with their filler neck behind the license plate down low on the bumper were a pain to fill up. It would start belching gas back before it was half full especially if the car was loaded with luggage and sitting low in the rear.

Grasshopper

I am not ancient but I do remember filling the GTO up at 29/9 with ETHYL

wpageabc

Yep, remember the days pumpin gas. Folks would come in for a dollars worth or even less. Then ask for steak knives or glassware. :ugeek:

dcon12

I was working at a gas station when gas went above a dollar the first time. The pumps only went to 99.9. We had to set the price to half of what it really was and double the total. It seemed to piss a lot of people off when you wanted more than the pump said! Don

Ditch-Runner

when I first started working a real job a whole 1.25 but went to a 1.35 a few months in ( mim wage ) I remember 5.00 in gas would keep us crusing for the night even the weekend sometimes


A little embarrassed but back then you could pump your own gas or they would do it .
I stopped by a sunoco station to put 5.00 in hi test on the way to the the drag strip ( 69 BBC camaro ) the attendant was busy sucking up to a fellow with his nice race car loaded on a trailer filling the truck and car .. so I pumped my own gas , I was standing there next to my car with my 5.00 in hand
to pay him after all he was watching me pump the gas . the guy came around and said what can I do for you .. :shock: :shock:
I said sure put 5.00 in ( I was hoping there was enough room in the tank for another 5.00 worth ) only time I ever did such a thing and 45 years later I still feel bad well a little .
but I do miss the 102 octane gas and of course the prices

Old-Colts

Looking back, I sure am glad my Hot-rodding days were back when high octane gas was cheap cheap cheap dirt cheap!!!!!

Fazer

I worked at a Clark gas station in high school. They made more on cigarettes then fuel. It was common for people to get a dollars worth of gas.

MIKE WISKEY

sorry guys, gas is the same price now as then. I worked at a 'Clark' station in 1972 for $1.50/hr. now most any entry level job is $15.00/hr. so
$1.50 x 10 = $15 & $.269 x 10 = $2.69............same/ same

gruntled2

MIKE WISKEY wrote:

sorry guys, gas is the same price now as then. I worked at a 'Clark' station in 1972 for $1.50/hr. now most any entry level job is $15.00/hr. so
$1.50 x 10 = $15 & $.269 x 10 = $2.69............same/ same

Unless you live in the DPRK. Cheapest gas anywhere near where I live is $3.199/gal + .10 to use a credit card & there are still a lot of jobs that pay less than $15/hr. Far worse has been the increase in the price of hamburgers. Food to go used to not be taxed: the sales tax on hamburgers is now more than what the price of a hamburger used to be.

B17-P51

Tried explaining to my kids that my 1st car, a '61 Comet, wouldn't hold $5.00 worth of gas!

bpost

The lowest I remember was around 1976 at 79.9 cents a gallon. I am glad lead is gone from gas, it is BAD stuff, bad for engines and really bad for your health. Remember the old cars leaving the stoplight leaking gas out of the back bumper under the license plate fill nozzle? I remember the Dodge vans and cars running so rich they stunk like raw gas at stop lights. The carbs were junk from the get go.

Ethanol is not good for engine fuel systems and will attract moisture. If we had pure non-ethanol gas with no lead our engines would be much happier.

I hope aviation gets rid of 100LL soon. We can't use good modern synthetic oils in them because the lead will not work with them, the engines are destroyed by it. That is why we change oil every 50 engine hours. Cars can go 100's of hours and last much longer now. Airplanes not so much. We burn about a quart every 4-10 hours at over $7.00 a quart.

penguin1

I worked in a gas station in the early sixties. One night a semi pulled in and asked if our diesel was no 1 or no 2. I did not now and no. 1 sounded better. I said no. 1 but obviously he was looking for no. 2. Luckily my boss Ed never found out. 6 7/10 gallons of regular for $2.

asop

And the cigarettes were 25 cents a pack at the Clark stations. Displayed in maybe a 3'X3' top hinged top wooden box next to the pumps.

bs233jl

I remember back in 1966. I went with my sister to a local gas station. Gas was 26 cents a gal. There was a gas price war going on at the time. She asked the service man for 1/2 gal. All she had was 13 cents. He looked at her, shook his head and gave her the 13 cents worth. He probably thought, I get up from what I'm doing, walk outside to the pumps and give this nincompoop 1/2 gal of gas. I hope she goes across the street next time.

mjrfd99

Gas is still cheap
It's the taxes making it expensive.

FEED THE MONSTER.

Aztngundoc22

OK :

I grew up just south of Du Quoin ILL. : In the big ( Energy ) : I can remember when gas was @ $ 49.9 at the new checker gas station :

a bit later : I can remember buying gas at a 7/11 and it was the cheapest in town @ $ 99.9 !!!!

Thanks !!

Ditch-Runner

I do not recall the price of gas ( could look it up I guess ) but 5 or 10.00 I was good to go for the weekend some times the week depending on the cruising and street racing . of course parked or going to the drive in or local parks helped gas millage
of course making a whole 1.35 a hour it was still a big expense to a young fellow especially when one of my GF's lived 25 miles one way to her house :oops:

wpageabc

Tax man gets more then the oil man... Its a shame.

mjrfd99 wrote:

Gas is still cheap
It's the taxes making it expensive.

FEED THE MONSTER.

kimi

9.9 to 11.9 was typical during gas wars in Texas during the early fifties.

Grasshopper

Aztngundoc22 wrote:

OK :

I grew up just south of Du Quoin ILL. : In the big ( Energy ) : I can remember when gas was @ $ 49.9 at the new checker gas station :

a bit later : I can remember buying gas at a 7/11 and it was the cheapest in town @ $ 99.9 !!!!

Thanks !!

I bought a Raven 25 caliber off you in the late 70's I think. Still shooting quarter holes at 25 yards. Got a goodin.

Rocky Raab

If the prices pizz you off, quit buying gas and hamburgers.

In 1969, my VW Bug got 30 MPG burning gas that cost 30 cents a gallon. Penny a mile. Today, I get roughly 24 MPG and paid $2.88/gal or 12 cents a mile. Looked at it that way, gas is 12 times more expensive now than then.

But I'm not bitching.

gruntled2

asop wrote:

And the cigarettes were 25 cents a pack at the Clark stations. Displayed in maybe a 3'X3' top hinged top wooden box next to the pumps.

Started with Bull Durham @ 5 cents a pouch. In the PX in Germany ready rolled were 10 cents a pack while the Germans paid 24 cents for 10 cigarettes.
Gas was 10 cents/gal on post but well over a Dollar off post. (Late 50s, early 60s)
When I got back & had to pay 20 cents a pack that was the last I smoked cigarettes.

droptop

Adjusted for inflation price for gas in 1972 vrs 2019 is NOT such a good deal. 1998 was the best year.



https://inflationdata.com/articles/inflation-adjusted-prices/inflation-adjusted-gasoline-prices/

fugawe

I remember $.19 during gas wars, the least I paid was $.26, riding my bicycle to town with a gallon can for lawn mowing gas. '70-ish.

By the time I discovered cruising in '74 it had jumped to $.54.

It was '99 or 2000 that I saw it go to $2.00. I took pics of the station sign, thinking I would never see such a price again.
I was right, but not the way I thought.

babun

dcon12 wrote:

I was working at a gas station when gas went above a dollar the first time. The pumps only went to 99.9. We had to set the price to half of what it really was and double the total. It seemed to piss a lot of people off when you wanted more than the pump said! Don

YEAP!!! I did the same thing . Think it must have been around 1968 to 70 IIRC.
I was 12 years old and working in the corner gas station.

You want a mind screwing??? I was the manger of a speedshop/auto parts place beginning in 1975. Valvoline's best quart of motor oil was .89 cents. Kendall's race oils was 99 cents.
Go by a quart of each today and see what you pay! :shock:

Rocky Raab

Yeah, but...

You were being paid how much back then? Find somebody doing the same job today and see what they get.

bwct

I'm old enough to remember the gas wars, especially when I fill the truck tank now. In the 60's and 70's, I made good use of a rubber hose and Dad's company car. In those days oilfield service companies didn't care how often he had to fill his tank.

Aztngundoc22

OK :

Grasshopper : Thats been a while back : I remember selling New Ravens ( with ammo & a case ? I think ) for $ 49.95 ??? Sold bout a bazillion of them and the lil Jennings back in the day ! I still have one of each in the safe from back then !!! Both are shooters ??? I closed my 'shop' a few years ago : Do miss it a bit ???

Thanks !!!