I don't have records back to 1968 - However, I have kept gas purchase records for all my vehicles starting with my 1978 Honda Accord that was purchased new in March of 1978. The lowest price paid during the ownership of the vehicle was from March to the middle of April 1978 at 55.9 cents per gallon for several tank fulls - ABSOLUTE HIGHWAY ROBBERY at the time, however all it has done is go up from there to what we have today. Off my records - the last time I paid less than $1 a gallon was February 2002.
[quote user="Juniatha"]
Hi Quentin
Would you - or someone else - know what were the prices for premium or super back in 1968 , in the State of NY , actually ? I'd like to know for one of my short stories .
= J =
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
Victrola1 There was an old farmer who bought a '57 Plymouth. The Plymouth was a most practical machine. When the '57 was worn and in need of replacement, the farmer went to the dealership to get another. Obsolescence by design was most disturbing to the farmer. Fins were finished. The fins on the '57 Plymouth permitted the farmer to fit three bales of hay atop the trunk tightly. There was no need to twine down the bales while traversing a gravel road to where he pastured cattle.
There was an old farmer who bought a '57 Plymouth. The Plymouth was a most practical machine. When the '57 was worn and in need of replacement, the farmer went to the dealership to get another.
Obsolescence by design was most disturbing to the farmer. Fins were finished. The fins on the '57 Plymouth permitted the farmer to fit three bales of hay atop the trunk tightly. There was no need to twine down the bales while traversing a gravel road to where he pastured cattle.
There is the story (I do not remember just what year it was set, but it was long after Ford began producing the Model A) of a man's surprise at seeing a brand new Model T, complete with manila paper sticking to it here and there. The man asked the owner about it, and the owner told him that when he learned that the Model T was no longer to be produced, he went out and bought three of them, since he did not want to bother with learning how to drive a car with the new-fangled transmission; this was the third of the three. (I hope he never suddenly came upon a steep hill when out driving, for he would have had to turn around and back up the hill. There is a highway--the W Road--up Signal Mountain, near Chattanooga, that required Model T's being driven up in reverse; I have driven up and down it (in a 1950 Dodge), and the hairpin curves in the W are indeed tight and steep.)
Johnny
A friend of mine use to have a 62 Chrysler 300 coupe and he didn't need a ski rack, just threw them in the trunk.
....Speaking of space in cars back when....My '59 Impala convertible seemed to have a trunk sized enouth to install a double bed....!
Quentin
I remember a '59 Dodge purchased for $50 when it was over 10 years old. As it turned out, it had the factory police interceptor package. The tail fins looked like a B-52's. It's barge dimension wheel base made banging down rural road washboards a breeze.
This old Dodge had a push button automatic transmission and a red ram V-8. It would out run many a stock late '60's early '70's muscle car. The '59 Dodge's build quality was far superior to Chrysler products just a few model years earlier.
The owners manual came with the Dodge. The options available were lengthy and some even absurd. Automatic head light dimmers was one that brought a chorus of laughter. Other no longer available amenities were standard on the '59 Dodge.
There was sufficient space between the radiator and grill to quick chill a case of Pabst Blue Ribbon on a Winter's night. The back seat of a '59 Dodge was half the size a current Ford F-150 truck bed. The back seat was great for drive in theaters and dirt roads between back 40 corn fields.
40 years ago, premium gas in the Midwest was selling for around $.38 per gallon. The oil embargos ended that and great cars like the '59 Dodge.
[/quote]
= J = , In my first quick check, as defined by the average price for {all of US}, was 34 cents / gal. {1968}, ...Update: Looking at several more charts...It seems to be an accurate figure....{in today's dollars}.
I'll see if we can find a closer figure to what you're asking for.
PS...At the time I had a 1968 Impala SS 427 custom coupe, and it certainly wanted premium fuel, and I'm remembering that didn't seem to be much of an issue, price wise.
J - I don't remember exactly what the prices for gas were here in northern NY in 1968, but based on what I do remember, something in the high 30's would probably be appropriate. I remember regular being at or under 35 cents a gallon, and being amazed with the imperial gallon (we travelled through Canada to get here from our home in MI) coming in around 41 cents a gallon or thereabouts.
Larry Resident Microferroequinologist (at least at my house) Everyone goes home; Safety begins with you My Opinion. Standard Disclaimers Apply. No Expiration Date Come ride the rails with me! There's one thing about humility - the moment you think you've got it, you've lost it...
from a Chrysler magazine ad , advertising push bottom auto trans
- I thought 'ooops why , I don't believe it !' .. not the push buttons
Good question = J = and it's one I can't answer. I'd say, trying to remember back....that was an engine Chrysler was providing for "special" use...so to speak. i'm sure it required the highest octane available at that time to get away with that condition.
I might comment back in that era, we had a '62 Super Sport and it's engine featured a 10.5-1 C. R. and of course no computer controls then, and I aways used premium fuel in it.
Gasoline expense wasn't much of an issue then. Have a photo here on the computer, taken by a friend who was following us as we went east thru Ohio, on our way back to the home area of Pennsylvania back in the same time frame, and our Super Sport is in the photo, and I note a sign at a gas station sign off to our left, is indicating reg. gas 30.9 cents / gal.
I read in a book they had a 440 engine with a 1:14.5 compression ratio in a special Monaco about 1965 or 66 if I remember it right .. wonder what it ran on and if it was for regular street driving or pro car or the like .. ?
.....On the compression ratio =J= , on the Fury....I really don't remember if we ever got into the details of what modifications he did to make it "live" with the blower.
I believe we did have the three brands of Esso then and If I'm remembering correctly, the "Golden Extra" was about 105 octane.
And he didn't "baby" it when he pulled out from the station. Sure was a sweet sound of rev's....I know {at least back then}, engines liked lower com. ratio when equipped with a blower
As I'm sure you know...some vehicles now use unleaded regular with com. ratio up as high as 11 and even near 12 : 1. But....With complete control of engine functions now via computer it seems possible. {And I'm referring to engines without a turbo or blower}.
Mine is not one of them....92 / 93 octane....and with the prices shooting back up again....Bummer.
Oh yeah - that quality issue ! I read Chrysler - though hoping for success - was caught by surprise with the rage for their 1957 cars and just rushed them off the converyer belt , loose ends or not . Inevitably , they had to pay the price next year when ironically (a) fixing of production line flaws as well as (b) much lower selling rate , consequently slower production timing had settled most of the wanting points - if to the level of engineering and weather protection then known and commercially used .
Fit a blower to a standard 4bbl 318 - well , if the engine stood that it bespeaks solid American engine construction - *g* ! ( you should expect him to have lowered compression rate significantly - I tend to think he did to some degree or with the pushed pressure that V8 would have had to suffer headaches with pinging on the gasoline then availabe )
Mentioning the 57 Plymouth Fury - did you see that movie 'Christine' ? Sorry , I never did ( I'm sure there are bits and pieces of it on youtube and it's available for sure in video shops) . I don't think it's inspiring for car lovers neither - it's pretty rough and basic for what could really have provided a theme of mystery and imagination - never mind , just my personal thought ...
Plymouth advertised modern self supporting unit body construction starting , I believe , in 1960 - only the car looked awful , like a mocking exaggeration of the original 1957 wings theme while everyone else had moved on to stiffly 'ironed' straight lines . It seems , nothing less than demounting Virgil Exner complete with his office chair got Chrysler off the fins growing into absurdity .
It's like with so many ideas : you have to keep the balance - within the styling theme and with all engineering aspects combining to form a sound character in a car .
Regards
Juniatha
....Interesting comments...{welcome back = J =}, enjoy following your comments, as a sharp engineering mind.
Just a comment or two: My older brother had a '58 Plymouth 2-door hardtop, and he did like the car...Drove Chevy's and Ford's previously....but quality was certainly a downfall with these vehicles. Example, he had to place pie plates at various locations in the car when it rained....Terrible.
One other comment on the plus side: We had a customer at {Mong's Esso Station}, back then....and he was a young engineering student. He had a very nice {pretty sure it was a '57}, Fury, beautiful car...The 318 with the factory {2} 4-bbl carb set up...and he installed a Paxton blower feeding both of them. When he would pull out from the station, and put his foot in it.....Wow...that engine would wind out faster {at that time}, than any other I ever heard.....!!
Well , personally , I think the Chysler line for 1957 was the cleanest , swiftest and most elegant of that year which revolutionized the looks of automobiles – and they were said to be the best riding in ways of road holding , cornering , anti dive etc .
Typically Fifties , the advertising singing of an alleged 'torsionaire' suspension , whatever that was to be , made a sort of fluffy-airy-non-descriptive not quite esoteric but almost as airy whisper of torsion bars used at front in place of coil springs . They also had a series of competitive tests with GM cars forgivably set up to make the Gimmies look next to ridiculous . Although there was a degree of bias in these tests , no doubt , seen with 'modern' knowing eyes , these advertising films could only be as convincing as they looked with a real technical advantage built into these cars ( and I think they did look convincing to anyone who cared a dime for how his car would handle a taxing road situation or most anything beyond plain boulevard riding ) .
As for me – u-hm , well , I was just carried away seeing these elegant fins and cat-like suspension in motion ...
Sad to think what has since become of Chrysler , once a proud American car company offering cars that did hold advanced design in some respects . I wished they had kept to it and pushed on with it - there would always have been customers prepared to pay an extra for advanced suspension and engine combined with breathtaking styling . I bet - or , let's say : I hope ...
Hemi !!
Edit : three words fixed one last sentence added
creepycrank 1957 was the year that both Ford and Plymouth introduced "ALL NEW" models which made the 57 Chevy look old in the context of the era.
1957 was the year that both Ford and Plymouth introduced "ALL NEW" models which made the 57 Chevy look old in the context of the era.
I remember well ... and Ford overtook Chevy as No. 1. Yet, look at which car became the classic!
......The '57 being the 3rd year for the basic design, I'd wager the engineers, product design, etc....never would have thought that design...especially the 2-door hardtop {and convertible}, would become a famous classic design, decades thereafter.
Then the following year....a really comprehensive redesign of the complete line {passenger cars}, would only be used one year...!
And it started a new line of V8's too.
The Electrovair II. Electronic concept car using a second generation Corvair:
http://www.gmheritagecenter.com/gm-vehicle-collection/vehicle-videos/electrovair2.html
The 1954 General Motors Motorama:
http://www.gmheritagecenter.com/gm-vehicle-collection/vehicle-videos/motorama.html
And speaking of 1957:
http://www.gmheritagecenter.com/gm-vehicle-collection/vehicle-videos/see-the-usa.html
.....If I had my choice of having "a" Corvette now...I'd like a '57 in all outward appearances, with "modern" running gear, including powertrain, brakes, suspension, etc.
The TV program "Overhallin" did something very similar to that recently. They did make some body adjustments in appearnce, but it really did still look like a '57 Vette.
Foose designed, it was done for an entertainer, with unlimited funds, no doubt., and the end result was stunning. The appearance included {wide white sidewall tires}, but they actually weren't....The wheels were designed with the white ring that appeared to be the whitewall tire.
Actually, the wheels / tires were modern wide, low profile tires, but still somewhat, looked like a '57 should in the tire dept.
Beautiful red paint....and light colored "concave" section at the fender / door area.
Correction: I realized a bit later the Corvette {above}, that was redone for the entertainer, was by "WestCoast Customs" and not designed by Foose. All by the west coast business.
The first five generations of Corvette:
http://www.gmheritagecenter.com/gm-vehicle-collection/vehicle-videos/corvette-duntov.html
The 1953 Corvette:
http://www.gmheritagecenter.com/gm-vehicle-collection/vehicle-videos/1953corvette.html
AgentKid Locomobile was a different company that only built steam cars from 1899 to 1904 under rights from Stanley Steamer. Locomobile built internal combustion engined cars from 1904 to 1929, when the company dissolved. Bruce
Locomobile was a different company that only built steam cars from 1899 to 1904 under rights from Stanley Steamer. Locomobile built internal combustion engined cars from 1904 to 1929, when the company dissolved.
Bruce
About 10 years ago, when we spent Winters in Florida...we would attend a classic auto gathering at Mt. Dora, Fl. Some of the most beautifully restored classic cars I've ever witnessed would be on display there each Jan. or Feb....Don't remember which.
Too bad, at that time I was still using a film camera {and do have beautiful photos of many of them}, but they are of course not digital. I could scan them, but first I would have to go thru our drawers of photos in envelopes...{to find them}.
In that collection several times....was a beautiful and immaculately, restored Steam automobile. I don't remember if it was a Stanley or not. The owner was busy at times giving rides. The car was absoutely silent. So much brass and beautiful red paint.....A real standout.
So shovel the coal, let this rattler roll.
"A Train is a Place Going Somewhere" CP Rail Public Timetable
"O. S. Irricana"
. . . __ . ______
This didn't become LoCoMobile did it ?
Any argument carried far enough will end up in Semantics--Hartz's law of rhetoric Emerald. Leemer and Southern The route of the Sceptre Express Barry
I just started my blog site...more stuff to come...
http://modeltrainswithmusic.blogspot.ca/
....A brief off topic. Victrola1 If that might be a hobby, with an email, I can probably send a photo of a rare one.
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