Off subject! But lets try it!!

[Duke W.]

Re: the price of gasoline is in line with inflatio

I remember as a kid the "gas wars" of the fifies - down to 19.9 cents at one time in Seattle. We were awash in petroleum, and it was cheap. They practically gave away diesel because aviation was still 99 percent recips, and there was a big surplus of the distillates that were too heavy for gasoline.

Back then there were still "distillate engines" that burned a low octane blend that was closer to diesel than gasoline. They were low compression spark ignition engines (usually multiple spark plugs and ignition systems because the stuff was so hard to ignite) with carburetors that were hard to cold start and not very efficient, but the fuel was a dime a gallon to farmers to run their tractors.

I also remember that computers cost several milllion dollars, and you could count the number installed on not much more than the fingers of your two hands.

A new '07 Corvette costs about ten times more than a new '57 and the gasoline to run it is also ten times more - pretty good benchmark!

Think of how different the world will be in another 50 years, but chances are, like most "futurists" from past generations, your scenario won't even be close to reality.

Duke

[Duke W.]

Re: the price of gasoline is in line with inflatio

I remember as a kid the "gas wars" of the fifies - down to 19.9 cents at one time in Seattle. We were awash in petroleum, and it was cheap. They practically gave away diesel because aviation was still 99 percent recips, and there was a big surplus of the distillates that were too heavy for gasoline.

Back then there were still "distillate engines" that burned a low octane blend that was closer to diesel than gasoline. They were low compression spark ignition engines (usually multiple spark plugs and ignition systems because the stuff was so hard to ignite) with carburetors that were hard to cold start and not very efficient, but the fuel was a dime a gallon to farmers to run their tractors.

I also remember that computers cost several milllion dollars, and you could count the number installed on not much more than the fingers of your two hands.

A new '07 Corvette costs about ten times more than a new '57 and the gasoline to run it is also ten times more - pretty good benchmark!

Think of how different the world will be in another 50 years, but chances are, like most "futurists" from past generations, your scenario won't even be close to reality.

Duke

[Mark J.]

A Dollar in 1957 Versus 2007

I found an interesting calculator at the Federal Reserve Bank website that lets you compare dollar values in 1957 versus 2007 in CPI terms.

http://woodrow.mpls.frb.fed.us/research/data/us/calc

$1.00 in 1957 equals $7.31 in 2007. The base MSRP for a Corvette in 1957 cost $3176 as compared to $45,075-$50,020 in 2007. Some things have obviously gone up in price more than others, including Corvettes and gasoline.

MRJ

[Mark J.]

A Dollar in 1957 Versus 2007

I found an interesting calculator at the Federal Reserve Bank website that lets you compare dollar values in 1957 versus 2007 in CPI terms.

http://woodrow.mpls.frb.fed.us/research/data/us/calc

$1.00 in 1957 equals $7.31 in 2007. The base MSRP for a Corvette in 1957 cost $3176 as compared to $45,075-$50,020 in 2007. Some things have obviously gone up in price more than others, including Corvettes and gasoline.

MRJ

[Chuck R.]

Re: Say what you want

I don't care what the cost of a gallon of gas was fifty years ago vs today.

I dont care what the policies of fifty years ago vs today are.

For pricing at the pumps to be bouncing the way they are TODAY is nothing more than pure gouging by both the oil companys and local retailers capitalizing on global "issues"

Every time the price of crude drops down on the market, the price at the pump (especially today) will not reflect it. Either the gas jockeys are just plain exhausted from climbing up and down their little ladders trying to keep up, or they have learned that they can let it ride without anyone getting overly upset until the next jump.

Blame the war, Korea, green house effects, etc. it's all smoke screens in my very humble and I'm sure over simplified opinion.

Chuck

[Chuck R.]

Re: Say what you want

I don't care what the cost of a gallon of gas was fifty years ago vs today.

I dont care what the policies of fifty years ago vs today are.

For pricing at the pumps to be bouncing the way they are TODAY is nothing more than pure gouging by both the oil companys and local retailers capitalizing on global "issues"

Every time the price of crude drops down on the market, the price at the pump (especially today) will not reflect it. Either the gas jockeys are just plain exhausted from climbing up and down their little ladders trying to keep up, or they have learned that they can let it ride without anyone getting overly upset until the next jump.

Blame the war, Korea, green house effects, etc. it's all smoke screens in my very humble and I'm sure over simplified opinion.

Chuck

[Duke W.]

Re: A Dollar in 1957 Versus 2007

That's a very useful calculator.

As far as Corvettes are concerned, it's not quite apples to apples because you have to add some options to the '57 to equip it like a base '07 - like a heater! Air conditioning??? A better comparison is to add nearly all options to the '57 including FI.

Then factor in greater longevity, lower emissions, etc, so it's tough to make a one on one comparison.

Gasoline today is not that much different from 1957, so the comparison is nearly direct.

I agree that the recent increase is gasoline prices doesn't make much sense being as how the price of crude has been in a fairly narrow range or 58-65 dollars a barrel, and the "excuses" are usually:

1. Switch from winter to summer grade
2. Switch from summer to winter grade
3. Refineries down due to maintenance, fire, make something up...

Whatever the case may be, the fact of the matter is that supply of both crude oil and finished products is tight and Americans are substantially to blame for driving gas guzzling vehicles and electing politicians who kowtow to anything wrapped in "for the environment" packaging, so the oil producing countries and oil industry have us over a barrel. We've been making this mess for over 30 years, and now that the rest of the world's demand for petroleum is rising rapidly, it ain't gonna get any better even if we get our act together, but if we do (which I doubt anytime soon) the price will still rise.

Four dollar a gallon gas in not that far away, and five dollars is just over the horizon.

Better plan accordingly!

Duke

[Duke W.]

Re: A Dollar in 1957 Versus 2007

That's a very useful calculator.

As far as Corvettes are concerned, it's not quite apples to apples because you have to add some options to the '57 to equip it like a base '07 - like a heater! Air conditioning??? A better comparison is to add nearly all options to the '57 including FI.

Then factor in greater longevity, lower emissions, etc, so it's tough to make a one on one comparison.

Gasoline today is not that much different from 1957, so the comparison is nearly direct.

I agree that the recent increase is gasoline prices doesn't make much sense being as how the price of crude has been in a fairly narrow range or 58-65 dollars a barrel, and the "excuses" are usually:

1. Switch from winter to summer grade
2. Switch from summer to winter grade
3. Refineries down due to maintenance, fire, make something up...

Whatever the case may be, the fact of the matter is that supply of both crude oil and finished products is tight and Americans are substantially to blame for driving gas guzzling vehicles and electing politicians who kowtow to anything wrapped in "for the environment" packaging, so the oil producing countries and oil industry have us over a barrel. We've been making this mess for over 30 years, and now that the rest of the world's demand for petroleum is rising rapidly, it ain't gonna get any better even if we get our act together, but if we do (which I doubt anytime soon) the price will still rise.

Four dollar a gallon gas in not that far away, and five dollars is just over the horizon.

Better plan accordingly!

Duke

[Philip C.]

Bottom Line The Consumer is the Most Powerfull *NM*

[Philip C.]

Bottom Line The Consumer is the Most Powerfull *NM*

[Clem Z.]

on the trip to NCRS at lowes the cheapest part

was the gasoline for the ZO-6. cost 1/3 of the room cost.

[Clem Z.]

on the trip to NCRS at lowes the cheapest part

was the gasoline for the ZO-6. cost 1/3 of the room cost.

[George J.]

Where is this supposed shortage?

Duke,

I fail to see how a product that can be bought at any time of the day or night, on any street corner of this country is in low supply. In the seventies, when the stations actually ran out of gas there was a shortage. I fail to see where there is one today. I think that this run up in prices is wholly attributable to speculators and false causes such as the change over to summer gas. I mean, they know summer is coming every year and somehow, in the last few years, it is causing a shortage. AND they are running at 85% capacity. I also don't buy the notion that they can not build new refining plants because of environmentalists. If they wanted to, they could. It is simply that they have no incentive to. They are making too much money with no further outlay of cash. What incentive do they have?

George

[Duke W.]

You need to do more research *NM*

[George J.]

I've had

the economics classes, Duke, and this does not make sense. There is too much speculation driving these price increases.

George