Re: Gas crisis 1979 video
[Re: resqguy]
#3144428
05/13/23 05:41 PM
05/13/23 05:41 PM
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Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 15,945 Central Florida
larrymopar360
Stud Muffin
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Stud Muffin
Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 15,945
Central Florida
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To be honest I didn't know there was a shortage in '79. I know there was an embargo in the early 70's that caused problems and long lines.
That was a pretty cool video. Saw lots of Malibus, Centurys, Cutlasses a Granada, Dart, Duster and a lot of other models long gone. That Magnum looked so nice and shiny. That civic shows just how much they've changed.
Facts are stubborn things.
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Re: Gas crisis 1979 video
[Re: SattyNoCar]
#3144467
05/13/23 08:32 PM
05/13/23 08:32 PM
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Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 15,945 Central Florida
larrymopar360
Stud Muffin
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Stud Muffin
Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 15,945
Central Florida
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This is what Gaggle says: in 1979. American consumers were told that the cause of the crisis was a decline in Iranian oil production from 5.8 million barrels a day (mmbd) in July 1978 to 445,000 barrels a day (mbd) in January 1979.
And John good point on how society has changed. I have no doubt if that were today there'd be obnoxious music blaring, fights, and overall mayhem.
Facts are stubborn things.
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Re: Gas crisis 1979 video
[Re: SattyNoCar]
#3144468
05/13/23 08:32 PM
05/13/23 08:32 PM
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Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 16,546 On the run…
BloFish
I Live Here
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I Live Here
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 16,546
On the run…
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I was 17, but I drove a Datsun so everything was cool.
It really doesn't matter whether you win or lose… as long as you look good doing it!
‘65 A100 ‘69 ‘Cuda ‘73 Vega GT ‘06 Mega Cab ‘14 Mercedes SLK
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Re: Gas crisis 1979 video
[Re: BloFish]
#3144470
05/13/23 08:46 PM
05/13/23 08:46 PM
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Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 15,945 Central Florida
larrymopar360
Stud Muffin
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Stud Muffin
Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 15,945
Central Florida
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I was 17, but I drove a Datsun so everything was cool. Well, except you drove a Datsun Just kidding.
Facts are stubborn things.
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Re: Gas crisis 1979 video
[Re: SattyNoCar]
#3144475
05/13/23 08:58 PM
05/13/23 08:58 PM
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Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 10,228 Colleyville
3hundred
I Live Here
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I Live Here
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 10,228
Colleyville
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I was only 12 in '79 and don't remember anything about it either. If anything, I would have remembered it from my Father cussing about it, but never heard anything. 1979 was a cakewalk next to '73 and '74. Mostly it was price increases. Dad would rail, I'll walk before I pay $1.00 / gallon. Of course he didn't. That's about the time all the stations had to buy new pumps so they could show 3 digit unit prices. I'm guessing if things go any further south, we'll need 4 digit unit prices?
'68 Fury Convertible '69 300 Convertible '15 Durango 5.7 Hemi '16 300 S Hemi
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Re: Gas crisis 1979 video
[Re: TJP]
#3144506
05/14/23 08:22 AM
05/14/23 08:22 AM
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 10,651 Freeport IL USA
poorboy
I Live Here
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I Live Here
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 10,651
Freeport IL USA
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I worked at a gas station from 1972 through about 1980. The 73/74 gas crisis was a much bigger issue then the 79 version was. The station I worked at was one of the highest volume stations in town during those years. During 73/74 our station did indeed run out of gas a few times, but it was usually later in the day, and usually we had a truck dropping 8,000 gallons the next morning. We were suppose to follow that odd/even day thing where you were only suppose to be able to buy gas on the day that matched the last number or you license plate, or something like that. My boss didn't follow that program at all, if we had gas to pump, anyone with money to but it was welcome to come in and get it. It didn't take long for the customers to understand that and most would just stop in earlier in the day if they could. The only lines we usually saw was on holiday weekends, and I don't ever remember us running out of gas during those times. Our station was on US 20, and about the mid point between Chicago Il and Galena Il. A lot of people from Chicago spent their weekends in the Galena area, our weekend traffic was very high. During the 73/74 "gas shortage" the price of gas went from about $.30 a gallon up to $.65 a gallon.
Between 74 and 78, gas bumped up around $.10 a gallon about every couple of weeks. People complained, but still bought gas. It was a great time to buy those gas guzzling high performance cars though. People were spending more money then they would ever save by buying those "fuel efficient new cars".
The biggest problem in the 78/79 gas squeeze was the issue with the gas pumps. Most would only register a gallon price up to $.99.9 a gallon and most the signs that stated the gas prices were also limited to the under a dollar price per gallon. When the price topped that $1 a gallon, we had to change our price sign to show a 1/2 gallon price, and we had to do the same thing with the pump. A lot of people thought they had the right to but a gallon of gas at the posted 1/2 gallon price. Sometimes it was a battle to convince them how it was. With our station even being one of the high volume stations in town, we still had to deal with the 1/2 gallon price for a couple months. We had gas lines then because we had to double the pump price with every gas purchase. Having gas to sell was never a problem. The media was already making up lies to cover the real issue, the pumps and the signs didn't go over the dollar a gallon price. We were told when the new pumps were installed that they would be able to handle the price per gallon up to $10 per gallon. Most stations have changed the pumps since then because the self service thing changed the way gas was sold. That too was an all new learning experience for both the station employees and the customers. In IL that was becoming the new thing around 19880.
At least that was the way it was in our little corner of the world.
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Re: Gas crisis 1979 video
[Re: poorboy]
#3144516
05/14/23 08:59 AM
05/14/23 08:59 AM
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Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 4,991 new jersey usa
11secdart
master
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master
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 4,991
new jersey usa
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I remember 73 - 4 vividly ,I was working as a driver for a heavy equipment dealer and every morning I would come in early to line up the mechanics service trucks at the gas station down the street to be there for when they opened so they would be full to could go out and service customers machines. Hurricane Sandy was rough here in N.J. many stations were closed because they had no power and lines for gas were forming , my wife works in a hospital and was given a card saying she was a health care worker and she could get gas before others , she never used it though. I remember I was driving the company box truck ( for where I was working at the time ) and was on a delivery to the Scranton Pa. area I should have filled the truck up in Pa. where there were no problems instead I waited until I got into N.J. the lines at the truck stop were unreal as were other stations , I didn't have enough fuel to make it back to the plant so I came home ( 30 miles closer ) and ended up driving my car to the plant , finding an open station for diesel and filling cans to bring home to get the truck back to the plant .
Last edited by 11secdart; 05/14/23 09:00 AM.
68 Dart 410 / 904 92 D150 original owner 21 Ram 1500 Quad Cab, Big Horn , Hemi ,4x4 23 Audi Q5 16 Honda HRV
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Re: Gas crisis 1979 video
[Re: 11secdart]
#3144518
05/14/23 09:13 AM
05/14/23 09:13 AM
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Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 1,386 Az
69hemibeep
pro stock
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pro stock
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 1,386
Az
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I remember it as more of a 74-75 thing because I had just got married and traded my two Baracudas for a Hemi Road runner just before the fake crisis at least in our area. My brother was still in the Phoenix area going through the even odd gas rationing but up in Cheyenne where I had moved to prices went up but we were awash in gas. If there was an old unused gas station the tanks were filled and full tankers parked around town and the refinery in town was shut down because there was no place to hide it.
Last edited by 69hemibeep; 05/14/23 09:14 AM.
1969 Hemi Roadrunner 2nd owner
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Re: Gas crisis 1979 video
[Re: BSharp]
#3144614
05/14/23 09:21 PM
05/14/23 09:21 PM
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Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 22,734 Bitopia
jcc
If you can't dazzle em with diamonds..
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If you can't dazzle em with diamonds..
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 22,734
Bitopia
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In 1980 a Coors Executive in Spokane Wa did a makeover on his 1962 Polara 500 I suspect to directly counter the 79 gas crisis. He removed the OEM 361 4bbl/727 Auto and replaced it with a mild cam 273 4 bbl w/4 sp. I bought the car as an oddity and added some new stuff to further the concept, like headers, lots of alum stuff, like 8.75, DS, Discs, Alum 4sp etc It's pretty zippy, It's likely I will add EFI, and leave it alone, waiting for the next gas crisis. LOL
https://board.moparts.org/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php/ubb/showflat/Number/1554264/Searchpage/1/Main/137322/Words/%2Bpolara/Search/true/62-polara-500-cruiser.html#Post1554264
Reality check, that half the population is smarter then 50% of the people and it's a constantly contested fact.
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Re: Gas crisis 1979 video
[Re: TJP]
#3144621
05/14/23 10:27 PM
05/14/23 10:27 PM
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Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 3,499 Buckeye Lake
56_Royal_Lancer
My Mouth Is Shut II
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My Mouth Is Shut II
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 3,499
Buckeye Lake
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I recall going to the 1979 Street Machine Nationals in my buddy's 71 Cutlass and having to coast when we could to get back to Ohio. The picture is from that event, the banner hanging above the Trans Am sedan delivery(!) says it all.
Last edited by 56_Royal_Lancer; 05/14/23 10:29 PM.
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