Posted on 12/29/2014 12:27:23 PM PST by nikos1121
I could swear I remember my dad filling up his 1949 Ford pickup at the Texaco station (where he knew the owner) for $.199. I might be delusional, but that’s what I remember.
..........darn good point!
12.9, in west Texas, gas war hit 10.9 as I remember. Of course, I only made about 75 dollars a month then, and draft beer was 10 cents (5 cents on special nights), cigs were 15 cents a pack, hot loving Texas women were free, free, free.
(Sigh)
What happened?
.50 cents a gallon, Hess station with my Father. .75 cents when I started driving rapidly went to .99.
When I started driving in 1971 there were gas wars. Stations would compete for business by lowering the price, giving away dinner ware and Green Stamps or S&H Stamps with each purchase. The lowest I ever paid was 18 or 19 cents for low test. In 1973 we were all shocked by OPEC and the price rocketed up. I don’t recall what it went to. My 1955 four door Dodge Royal got 17 mpg on a good day. It had a 318 V8 two barrel.
I remember Milwaukee had a gas war which ran on for over thirty years.
My first paying job was an attendant at a Gulf station near Iron Mouintain MI, pumping gas and handing out the free glasses and S&H green stamps for $0.75/hour, (late 1950's). I also did oil changes, grease jobs (Pontiacs had 16 Zerk fittings!), tune-ups and made change for the ladies doing their laundry at the attached laundromat.
When things got dull I worked on my high school home work.
Regards,
GtG
I guess I missed the sign for the Knob Noster exit.
Yes, I recall getting 10 gallons for 2 bucks back in the 50’s, in NYS.
You must be the same age, born in 1948, and I worked at an Atlantic gas station in 1962-64. .25 regular, .27 for hi-test. Camels for .25 in the machine with 2 cents in the wrapper, still got grey pennies (1943) a lot.
I made $3 a loop, $6 for doubles at the country club. The best tippers gave a buck. If I made two doubles, I might make $14 in a day.
Very hot and tiring but you could put a lot of money in the bank in the summer and the weekends.
When I graduated from college and bought my first car an MG it took high test. 41 cents per gallon and I was outraged. LOL!
15c 1971 Pittsburgh gas wars
I remember when I was a kid, signs that read $0.25/gallon. And back then the cost covered fuel and a guy who would check the oil, air and wash the windshield!!!
Singles a buck, doubles 2 bucks at the Brookline CC
Benny, Benny Benny, the cheap, cheap bum ... 99 cents and a stick o' bubble gum, cheap Benny ..
true story ... a guy named Benny paid us in 99 cents and a piece of double bubble gum
Good, healthy work and I was only 12 or something.
Yep .. Feb 29, 1948
I’m in college learning engineering. I also work on cars. As a matter of fact, I’m interested in opening a gas station and service bays. (I’m leaving my career options wide open)
Just before ethanol became the law, the EPA quietly dropped the requirement that RFG contain dissolved oxygen (as MTBE or ethanol, &c.) Which means I could sell ethanol-free gas even in Dallas. Imagine that. (With an engineering background, I could retro-fit older pumps, then wire them to the payment terminal.)
I’ve been to a full service station (there’s one in Arlington), but I ride a motorcycle. (97c full at $1.849, gets 100 MPG/52 miles on a full tank)
As for cheap gas, it was 99c in 2000. I was living in Wilmer, TX. I am seriously not that old. See my tagline.
I remember .24 a gallon, because I remember paying with a quarter and getting a penny back. Hey, a gallon of gas could get me around the neighborhood for a night of teenage revelry.
11 cents (during price war) around 1960 fall semester while in high school in Texas, never paid over 18 cents per gallon that semester if I recall. My cherry 1958 Ford Fairlane 4-door hardtop automatic with 351 Police Interceptor, rolled and pleated seats, lakers - 10-11 mpg.
Back when a penny a gallon saved meant extra cruise time between point A (Drive Inn - meet, eat, rest) and point B (Other points of interest to see and be seen/county roads checks to see who was parking) and back again, and back again...Back when groups of boys were boys and groups of girls were girls and we used to chase each other around the county in our cars and exchange social pleasantries if we didn’t have dates or a football game or a drag race going somewhere. Boy were we naive. Sorry to digress.
During local gas wars in SoCal in early-mid 60’s, perhaps also late 50’s, $.16 was lowest I ever saw to $.17/gal., normal was somewhere between $.21 - $.25, as I recall.
Best prices at local Powerine self-serve station. I hardly ever had the cash to fill my ‘54 Ford, it was more like put in enough gas at a time for a night’s worth of cruising or to get back and forth to school and to work afterward.
Our local gas station would have a 5 gallons for a dollar sale—late sixties.
Thats what I remeber 25 cents
33 cents. And a Free Angela Davis with every fill-up!
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