Gas Crisis in the Late 70's
 

Thought I'd start a new thread on what people remember about the last gas crisis in the late 70's.

When I was in my young 20's I suffered thru the oil embargo during the 70's and it was a mess. Just before things went crazy I moved from the east coast to the west coast and then bang. I had barely a nickel in my pocket at the time and had two cars, old Buick station wagon I purchased in CA and a 78 Fiat X19 I brought from the east coast, loved that car; not the Buick.

I had just sold a 78 Jeep CJ5 with a 304 V8 / 3 speed to get the Fiat. That thing drank gas when it was parked. 9 miles on the highway and I have no idea what it got when I was cruising up and down the beach at Wallops Flight Center in VA. Gas was already moving up in 78 and I remember thinking how was I going to afford paying .59 cents a gallon. I remember it jumping from the low 40 cents. I remember gas at 29 cents a gallon as a teen driving my 71 Mach1.

I remember odd / even days where you could only fill up when your last tag digit was odd on an odd day or even on an even day. I was immune to this because I never got rid of my out of state plates on the Fiat.

Companies were allowing employees to skip out on work to get in line to fill up. Lines were several blocks long and it took several hours to get to the pump. Many times the station had to close because they were out of gas or had reached the limit they could sell for that day.

I was the last in line one day and the attendant hung a big sign on the back of my car stating I WAS LAST. People were begging me to let them move the sign to their car. I was scared to let them do it and scared to not let them. I remember them arguing with me.

Still have pictures I took of the line ahead of me going around several blocks. People would get out of their cars to talk to others as they waited. It was a very sobering experience and one I do not want to repeat.

Re: Gas Crisis in the Late 70's
 

I remember it well. Don't forget the 55 MPH speed restriction. Boy did that suck !

The most amazing thing to me about that era was how soon we, as a nation, forgot about it as soon as gas became more plentiful. If we would have stayed on course from that era to have more public transportation and economical cars we sure wouldn't be so dependent on the middle east for our oil fix. And I'm as guilty as the next guy.

I always said I'll park my 3 cars, boat,jetski & RV when our presidents quit using that 747 for photo opps.:mad:

Re: Gas Crisis in the Late 70's
 

I remember those times sucked. Also people were stealing gas right and left,you had to watch your car like a hawk. They are already stealing fuel from the trucks and buses around here.

Re: Gas Crisis in the Late 70's
 

well, I had a '71 Big Block Camaro, worked nights at a gas station...so it really didn't affect me as long as I stayed within a fill-up....we were farm kids as well, so we had gas there as well....if you remember, the 55 mph gave birth to the CB Radio, and Smokey the Bear...who would have thought I would become 1...but I did, and I would mess w/ people on the CB...caught a car load of Airmen 1 night, sucked them rt in...but I would never cite any of them...I would warn them and then warn them you never know for sure who were talking to....now, look at us today...we still don't know whos on the other end of the keyboard.....

Re: Gas Crisis in the Late 70's
 

The years of the K cars. What a piece of junk they were.

I do believe we need to treat oil as a WAR. The government needs to spend the needed money, even offer incentives to companies to build a cheap form of electric or fuel cell car. Lets talk about suspending the space program for five years and using their minds and money, that will get someones attention. We really needed to haul that new pump for the toilet to the space station.

Instead of closing automobile plants we should be retooling them to build cheap electric cars. Show me a family that wouldn't buy a second or third car for just the daily chores if it only cost cents to charge, was under twenty thousand and could travel two hundred miles between charges. If you saved fifty dollars a week in fuel it would amount to your monthly car payment. The government could actually give you an energy rebate to assist with the cost of the car. We spend a Billion an month on the war in Iraq and Afganistan.

Someone out there also has the know how to retrofit small cars like a neon with electric technology if the money was right. We just need to think outside the box as country.

If I was a large oil company raking in Billions of dollars in profits, I already would be using my R&D for the future which will not be oil. Sadly, I am afraid our country is not flexible enough to accept this kind of a challenge.

Enough rantings from an old fool.

Re: Gas Crisis in the Late 70's
 

I agree....and soon you will have a house, senate, puppet prez that say we should leave the environment alone...don't drill here...not looking forward to the next 4 yrs ....I moved my money to safe keeping area of investment, and will not plan anything big...going super conservative....

Re: Gas Crisis in the Late 70's
 

Re: Gas Crisis in the Late 70's
 

Actually, there were two gas crisises in the 70's. The first was in 1973 and then again in the late 70's.

I remember the lines, the odd/even days, and the stations that had no gas at all.

Re: Gas Crisis in the Late 70's
 

I worked for Ford at the time. Got laid off for 6 months in 73 and 78.

Re: Gas Crisis in the Late 70's
 

Wow, I can't remember the late 70s crisis.

Re: Gas Crisis in the Late 70's
 

This time will make the 70s seem like the good old days...The choices we have for the head job are Frick and Frak. I cannot imagine what kind of insanity the next 4 years will bring from our government. Nobody seems to be at the helm anymore. Think we will have gas, it will just cost a bunch.

There will be no alternative to oil of any significance for at least 20 years maybe more. So oil is a good investment strategy. Until that new magic liquid is decided on and the vehicles it will fuel are bought oil will be the name of the game.

Take a tree hugger to lunch...and feed him well maybe he will consider letting us drill for our own oil. They seem to be in charge now. :rolleyes:

Re: Gas Crisis in the Late 70's
 

I don't recall gas lines in the late 70's. But Carter did give us the "misery index" to try to make us feel better about that hard times.

Why is this in the Roadster Forum?

Re: Gas Crisis in the Late 70's
 

I also remember both gas crisis. I think the 1st one limited you to $5.00 max each fillup. I was a teenager and didn't seem to get in my way.

The one I remember the most was in I think 79. That was when I was in CA and I don't think the rest of the country was affected like CA was. My parents told me things were not that bad in the east just high prices.

I will never forget the lines and having to get into one for hours. People were pushing their cars because they ran out before they could fill up.

Anyone remember the the Moody modification? Not sure of the exact name may have been different. Someone reported this mod would give it something like 50 miles to the gal. The idea went away and nothing was heard about it again.

I was working for NASA at the time and all the old engineers were saying the big oil companies bought the idea and squashed it. I've often wondered if it was true or just some rumor. Anyone remember this thing?

Re: Gas Crisis in the Late 70's
 

Sorry about putting this in the roadster forum. I saw this other gas thread and started this one without thinking. Can it be moved?

Sorry....

Re: Gas Crisis in the Late 70's
 

I remember the 70's. Gas lines and leapfrogging price increases. Cars from Detroit were big and popular and fuel efficient junk from Japan went for above list, if you could get a snotty dealer to sell you a ricer.

American cars got 8 to 12MPG. A 73 Olds 88 had miles of pipe trying to burn off the bad gases so we wouldn't lose our Ozone layer in the south pole. 1973 Olds 350 engines ran at 260 degrees F and had a life expectancy of 50,000 miles. Most dieseled to a stop when shut off in the driveway. Mine often needed a hosedown in the summer to shut off. Not Kidding!

Energy independence was a small scientific breakthrough away.
An article in the Wall Street Journal said," The rapid growth of nuclear power over the next two decades is viewed as virtually assured." Sure.

US automakers were in dire straits. Again from the WSJ, "It looks as if half the dealerships in the country have stopped selling cars. How long can things like this go on deteriorating?" It was the end of the good times.

The federal Government was a great help, offering such novel solutions as a 4 cent a gallon tax (now 18.4 cents) to cut energy consumption. Called "Project Independence" it was aimed at severing the country's dependence on foriegn oil. Yeah, congress's solution to everything,....tax it. See how well it worked.

But Americans got it together. We didn't give up our life style like Jane Fonda's movie "Rollover" suggested. Cars got better not smaller. Up to three times more fuel efficient and yet more enjoyable. Reliablity and durability improved threefold.

The Ozone hole over the south pole inexplicably healed 50 years sooner than predicted by the experts. The mini ice age miraculously became "Global warming," named such by the same experts.

We are told on the one had we are the most productive society on the planet and on the other , we are the most selfish consumers of it's resources.

Big Oil is still considered evil despite providing us a reliable supply for 30 years and people still look to Washington for all the answers. And the novel new answers given; more programs, more regs, more taxes. Sounds like real change doesn't it?

The good times are over? No I don't think so. Thirty years from now our kids will likely be having the same conversations.

And, if St. Peter will let me thru the gate with it, I will still be driving my Crossfire Roadster.

roadster with a stick

Re: Gas Crisis in the Late 70's
 

One of the big problems now is many pumps are restricted to a total of $75.00 or $100.00 at a time and many SUVs and trucks max out before they are full. If gas keeps going up, we might not even be able to fill our crossfires !!!!!!!
Sad, Sad, Sad!:(

Re: Gas Crisis in the Late 70's
 

I have experienced it as well. You know me, I get PO'd and rant.

So now there are several stations in the area I won't frequent.
If you ask the station operators, they say it is the credit card companies. Adding
"But you can do it twice, on the same card!"
If you ask Visa or your bank where you get you card, they say it is up to the retailer's.

Does anybody in the business actually know? Kurts?

I haven't been able ( or willing) to fill my Dodge one ton for months without exceeding the $75.00. I won't do it twice. I just go somewhere else.

Let's see,
I wont' buy from Citco. Hugo Chavez
I won't buy from Exxon. They won't pay for the Valdez clean up.*
I won't buy from stations that have the $75.00 limit.

I am running out of gas stations.

Roadster with a stick

* They still owe $8million to the government. Despite record annual profits of ten times that, they are fighting the last settlement payments in court.

Re: Gas Crisis in the Late 70's
 

Hey, Folks!

Franc, I'm at a loss but I'll ask the bean counters upstairs just what the heck is with the limit. I know we're not posting limits. The gas is available so it can't be a 'running-out-of-petrol' thing. Hmmmm.
I just posted a thread (Let's just have one more thread about gas) about some interesting things I learned at our last managers meeting.
But, getting back to memories (ahhhh, memories........you know, this is getting to be a thing with us oldsters here!:p ) I was working at a gas station during the 70's crisis, driving a 63 Chev. Impala SS, when OPEC decided to screw with us. I never had any problem getting gas;) along with my fellow employees but we filled up after hours assuming the gas was there to be had. Otherwise, I walked. The station was just down the block from where I lived so walking wasn't an issue. Besides I was young (whine, piss, moan).
The lines were long & we'd have to limit purchases to 10 gallons, if I remember correctly. The price shot up to - gasp - $.56 a gallon & we were trying to figure out just how we were going to pay for this enormous price spike. I remember my dad being pretty upset. He's a paraplegic & couldn't very well walk to work, he drove everywhere he had to go; there wasn't any alternative besides his son. The guys at the station were sympathetic so they'd let him fill up at night, once again, assuming it had gas.
And then came the small cars: the Vegas, the Pintos, Omni's, Arrows. What pieces of crap. Good for 75K, if you were lucky & the whole thing didn't rust away on you.
Detroit was sooooo slow on the uptake & the Japanese cars weren't too much better at the time but they were better by degrees & it's never been the same.
Once again, Detroit's been caught by surprise & it's hurting. But that's another rant for another day.

Re: Gas Crisis in the Late 70's
 

Exactly the same thoughts I've had, Black!
Electric IS, almost has to be, the way we go in the future. Oil is finite, there's no way around it. With China coming into the fold we are going to be up a creek in another decade or so. 1.4 billion people all want to be just like us, it's not a pretty scenario.
Russia is sitting on billions of barrels, they just have to figure out a way to build an infrastructure that can exploit it. After the Saudi's have sucked their wells dry guess who's going to be the new primary supplier?

Re: Gas Crisis in the Late 70's
 

Guys,
Electric "may" be a solution but before you get all misty eyed about Electric cars, read this.
www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,363203,00.html

Be sure to click on "Reality Killed the Radio car"

It puts to rest conspiracy theories, oil company motives and a lot of the bull surrounding the so called Oil Crisis. It's not about oil, it's about energy.

Saudi Arabia, Kawait, Iran, even Iraq may have an edge now because of what they have in the ground, but they've got nothing on top of their shoulders that compares to American ingenuity.

roadster with a stick