Henry Raymond

Fairfax News => Current News & Events => Topic started by: Henry on April 26, 2008, 07:57:03 AM

Title: Sold Car In Mid 60s For Less Than 2008 Gas Fill-Up
Post by: Henry on April 26, 2008, 07:57:03 AM
I remember when I was younger, going to the gas station and getting one dollar's worth of gas.  Had a quarter of a tank of gas yesterday, so filled her up, for a grand total of $50.97 up here in Fairfax at Nan's.

Gas was $3.559 for regular.  Noticed when I was in St. Albans earlier that gas down there was $3.599, so I guess you could say, with tongue in cheek, I got a good deal.

Back in 1958, I bought a 1947 Chrysler for $100 from one of my coworkers and drove it until the mid 1960s.  I sold it to Howard Brooks, who lived up where Alberta Clokey lives now for $50, which is less than what it cost me to fill my tank with gas yesterday.

Back in the late 1970s it was a different scenario with gas.  It wasn't so much the cost then as being able to get the gas.  A group of us used to car pool to IBM and we each had a 5 gallon can of gas at home, just in case of emergency.  I think most gas stations used to allow you to get a maximum of $2 for gas and Maryann used to take my car when I was gone to work and go down to the gas station where Nan's is now and wait in line to get my $2 worth of gas.  I had a big old 1975 nine passenger Plymouth Fury V8 at that time and suspect I probably used most of the $2 worth of gas waiting in line, although I don't know how much gas was per gallon was back then.

As bad as the price of gas seems (is), I did see a chart somewhere that showed gas prices, adjusted for inflation over the years and in that light, there was a time that gas compared to wages at that time was about equal to what it is now.


(http://www.vtgrandpa.com/photos/albums/forum_photos/gas_080426.sized.jpg)
Title: Re: Sold Car In Mid 60s For Less Than 2008 Gas Fill-Up
Post by: MikeF9 on April 26, 2008, 12:11:03 PM
I worked for Ron LeDoux in the summer of 1977, when he owned where Cliff Ross is now. People would come in and get $3 worth. Gas was 59.9 cents a gallon and they would get 5 gallons.
I got a real education that summer. One was to try and remember to put the gas cap back on the car after filling them up.