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[EHart6]

.97, 1998, and when did a V8 suddenly become a gas guzzler

I remember .25 a gallon (1970’s). At .50 I could drop 2 bucks in the tank and cruise the strip for hours in a 73 Pontiac V8. Jack rabbit starts, burn offs, doing 40 in first gear just to hear the motor sing. Tricked out 66 GMC truck, V6 (pistons as big as large coffee cans) and 2 speed power glide. It would go forever on 4 gallons (at least all weekend).

Now those 4 gallons barely get me to work and back in a little 4 banger. ONCE

If you adjust for inflation the price (yearly average) has always been around 2.25 and 2.75 with the exception a few times (>3.00). The teens (1913-1919) pump price of .25, the thirties (1930-1939) pump price of .25, the early 80’s (1980-1983) pump price 1.35, and now (2006-????) pump price, per existing data 3/08, 3.08 (yearly average). Now it has been lower twice. In the early 70’s (1970-1972) gas wars brought the yearly average pump price down to .70 (1.80 adjusted). And in the 90’s (1990-1999) average pump price was below 2 and dropped to 1.40 in 1999 (around a buck in actual pump price).

So what does all this mean? Well it hurts now but there is no reason to scream the sky is falling. It may get worse, it may not. Manage yourself through the cycle. Either the price will come down or everything else will catch up. And 20-30 years from now you will tell your grand kids I remember when gas was $4 a gallon……..